Alicorn of Music: Adolescence

by Elu

First published 13th of July, 2017

Flame Metal, a human turned alicorn, finally reaches youth again. He is now about fourteen years old, a teenager by both human and pony standards. It is the best time to experience life: have sex or other sorts of fun, and, of course, create a band.

After being turned into a teenage colt, Flame Metal, a former human by the name of Michael, embraces becoming a stallion. Finally, he is old enough to do all sorts of fun things: have sex, mess around, and, more importantly, create his own band, one he has dreamt of for a long time.

He has already fulfilled one of his dreams — he found a loved one, a filly by the name of Moonshine. Together, they will pass through many things, including romance and hardships of creating a musical group.

To create a band, one needs determination, friends, and money. Flame Metal has an abundance of the first, enough of the second, and little of the third. Will he be able to fulfill his most desired dream?

---

First few chapters edited by: WatermelonFelon_1

There will be explicit sex scenes if it wasn't obvious by the rating and an appropriate tag. Such scenes will be marked with *** at the beginning and the end, making them easily skippable. Though, you'd probably miss character development and some cuteness and adorableness.

Join the Discord to discuss the story and get to know other people who like my stories!

Support me on Patreon if you'd like!

Prologue: After Discord

Author's Notes:

Here the sequel is, ladies and gentlemen! Enjoy! The prologue might be short, but I will try to post new chapters as often as possible.

As the day came to an end the mess that Discord had left in his wake was mostly sorted out and fixed as much as possible. Perhaps there would still be some stray pink clouds in the sky and a bit of soap in the streets but it’s okay. At least the streets now smell good although there are still some chocolate puddles that don't look very appetizing anymore.

Since Moonshine and I had already stated that we don't want to revert back to our old age, we simply returned to our apartment and rested. Surprisingly, the whole thing left us all very tired and needing quite a lot of sleep. It seems the transformation itself took quite a toll on us.

What a wacky day this has been...

I’m reminded that it is still heat week. In fact, it's only the beginning of it. Since I'm legally an adult colt and thus a stallion, I assume that going outside wouldn't be a good idea for me. Um, the age of consent is... thirteen? Yeah, I remember attempting to enter their Red Light District. I was told you must be at least thirteen to enter. Well... No going outside for a week unless I want to 'catch' a mare and show her a good time.

Or maybe I will go outside, everything seems pretty tame to me. It would be bad if fillies and mares in heat banged on the door to our apartment to get at me. To say I would be worried would surely be an understatement. I don't want to suffer death by snu-snu, at least not yet. I am still relatively young. I still have many of my own dreams and hopes. Dying so early won't do me any good, obviously.

Maybe... Maybe it's safe to go outside in the early morning and evening, at least. I will have put it to the test and also bring Moonshine with me. I need her to be sure no one would just... steal me. I don't want to be abducted.

I think I'm overreacting to the whole thing. I mean, I've received only one 'fuck-invitation' from a filly that didn't even push that hard and left me alone after just a few words although I've not encountered any other filly in heat. Well, not including that incestuous little incident with Night Breeze and White Light. I didn't see them doing it with my own eyes but, well, it was obvious what they did after the noises I heard coming from their room.

I'm certainly overreacting. I don't know why I am, I just tend to do that from time to time.

Suddenly, I felt a tingling sensation around my... crotch.

...

The hell? What's that? It feels... weird. And kind of warm. I'm certain I didn't piss myself, so... What is that feeling?

It's really weird. Oh wait, it's gone.

Huh.

Alright, I guess it was one of those random itches you get from time to time, nothing to worry about.

My stomach growled. Maybe that was it? No matter, I just need something to nibble on. I hope I can find something in the kitchen.

I stood up from my bed and headed outside my room. Wow, I'm really tall now. Walking has become a little bit awkward with these long legs of mine. I guess I'll have to adjust to it.

Luckily, I reached the kitchen without any problems. There, I saw White Light cutting up some fruit. Huh, he holds the knife with his wing. It seems to be quite flexible.

Aren't wings just weird arms? I certainly remember something like that from my biology class... I could be wrong though.

Also, White looks a tiny bit older now. However he is still a rather small colt. Maybe he just seems small because I'm much taller now? Could be so. There's a tired expression on his face as he lazily prepared the meal. Wow, his sister fucked him real good, it seems.

"Hey, White." I called to him, opening a small fridge. I’m going to make myself a salad.

"Hey..." he replied tiredly. "Wow, you look really tall now."

"I asked not to be reverted. It's neat this way." I said while searching for the ingredients. Then, a thought crossed my mind, and I turned my head to my room and called loudly: "Moon, want some salad?"

"Yes, please!" she replied loud enough for me to hear. Well, I guess it's a meal for two then.

Both of us returned to cooking. I grabbed some lettuce, cucumbers, bell pepper and onion. I'll soon have to go to the market and buy some more though.
"Crazy day, yeah?" White said.

"Yup." I nodded. "It started out really weird. Heat week, you know?"

"Y-yeah." White said rather nervously. He can't even hide the fact that he fucked his damn sister. I just sense... incest in his voice.

"Do you have a fillyfriend?" I asked casually. Let's see if he flips out. I don't know why I want to tease him. It makes no sense, but it's fun. Well sort of. Uh, I don't really know.

"...I guess so." he replied after a noticeable pause. "She's a real beast during the week."

"Is she pretty?" I continued to question him.

"Very." he smiled slightly.

"Also... weren't you supposed to stay with your sister?" I asked, and his face immediately paled. "She's ill, right?"

"...Y-yeah, um..." he stuttered, I could see beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He's a terrible liar.

"Listen, White." I said. I should stop teasing him. It's not that funny. He seems nervous enough as it is. "I know what you did with your sister." his eyes widened as he froze in shock. "Dude, relax, it's alright. I just want you to know that your thumping could be heard all the way down to the first floor."

"I, I..." he exhaled shakily, seemingly trying to regain some control of himself. "You... aren't weirded out?"

"It's a bit strange, yeah, but I don't mind you two doing it." I said. "It's not like it's my business. You were just being too loud. I'd recommend being a little bit more quiet because I figured out what you two were doing as soon as your sister screamed 'brother' and trust me, it was loud."

"Just don't tell anypony, okay?" he asked. "Just... we lunar pegasi are teased for incest a lot. But... We can't really do anything about it. Like, it was alright for, um, generations, and now ponies tell us it's not."

"Well, as long as your habit isn't hurting anyone, it's fine." I shrugged.

"Thanks, dude." White Light sighed. "It's just... I don't love my sister like, um, a fillyfriend but I care for her a lot. And, um, the heat hits her very hard every year since she became twelve. It drives her completely nuts unless I, um..." his voice trailed off.

"Plant your nuts in her, I get it." I nodded and chuckled, making him blush in embarrassment. "You really don't need to tell me anything. I'm not judging you, honestly. Do whatever makes you two happy. Now I suppose we should finish the cooking."

That was one of the strangest conversations I've ever had. I just wanted those two to know that they don't need to be super paranoid about me being around.

"Um, does Moonshine know, too?" White Light asked.

"She doesn't mind it." I replied, getting the knife to continue the cooking. I really want to eat now.

***

White Light finished preparing the salad and retired to his room while I finished my own meal. I also didn’t forget to prepare some for Moonshine as well. By now my stomach is grumbling loudly, I need to eat something. I guess it has to do with me growing up so quickly. I'm fairly certain I need to eat more now. The bigger one is, the more one has to eat to sustain oneself. For example, elephants need many kilograms of food each day. To my knowledge, horses, the real ones back on Earth, eat a lot as well.

"Here you are." I said to Moonshine as I entered the room, levitating a bowl of salad to her. We don't need any cutlery — we have magic to grab our food. Although, everything is easier with the proper tools.

"Thanks!" she said, grabbing the bowl and setting it on the chest of drawers near her bed. At the moment, she was reading a book. I can't really see its title.

I nodded and went to my own bed. Well, since our beds are connected, it wasn't a big deal. I just laid down next to Moonshine and started eating my own meal. With my belly’s urges sated, I feel much better.

She turned to me and her eyes traced from my head to the lower regions of my body. As her eyes settled on a particular area, she blushed and averted them.

Um... Oh, we're both nude. Yeah, it's a bit... awkward.

I wonder whether I have a bigger dong now as well? I sure hope so. Though, I wouldn't like it being too thick or long. I know that girls don't like it being too big — it can hurt them during sex. That’s no surprise. They already have to fit a minimum of... Eighteen centimeters? That's a lot of place to take. Mares might have it deeper, though.

...

I'm thinking about sex while eating salad. Great, just great.

I have no shame or regrets though.

Alright, enough of it. Though, I can still see Moonshine blushing and averting her eyes, trying not to look at my crotch. Well I guess we're not going to bang today.

I'm well-aware that I can just ask her. Chances are she won't refuse, certainly not me but... I don't know. I guess I just don't want to be too forceful. I want her to take the first step. I want to be completely sure she wants it.

I'll just try to think of something else. Creating the band for one.

I remember I had a plan but I almost forgot it. I think I better talk with my future band mates before I do anything. Maybe they will disagree with my ideas and instead offer something better. I was never good at management or any of that kind of stuff. I have grand plans in my head, but do they work? Not often, that’s for sure.

Let's see what I already have. First of all, I have three guitars: two electric, I guess one is more acoustic, and both are powered by magic, and I also have a bass. I have a very good synthesizer as well. I suppose that all I need is percussion. A drum kit, that is. So I think the instruments are covered.

Next are the actual players. When I played for Discord, I used only one guitar. I guess I might be able to play two at a time, maybe even three but I suppose I should get new ponies to play. I also need a drummer and a keyboardist.

I don't know if Blueblood is still up for being in a band or if he was even turned into an older version of himself. I hope he's still interested in becoming a drummer.

As for keyboardist there is one candidate — Moonshine. While she is shy, she might be able to become a good on-stage player. I still remember her remarkable acting during Nightmare Night. I’m sure she could even become an actress if she wanted.

There are still at least two ponies needed: rhythm guitarist and bass player. Where would I find those? I'm not really sure. I'll just to look out for any possible options. Maybe there is a school band or something, I might be able to recruit ponies from there.

I suppose teen years bring me a lot of work to do. Oh well, everything becomes more complicated the older you become. No surprises here. I just hope everything will go as smoothly as possible.

A couple of hours have passed since we finished our meals. I had busied myself with a book all afternoon, the same one I was reading earlier today. Surprisingly, the day has already turned to dusk after what seemed just half an hour of reading. Time flies fast, huh.

Moonshine was lying by my side, reading her own book, all the while snuggling closer to me. This feels really nice. Besides, she looks so cute. While she's definitely not a little filly, she still looks adorable and snuggly and certainly nothing short of stunningly beautiful. Too me she looks better than any other mare. Well, certainly there are others who are just as beautiful but I only love her. Thus, she is truly special to me.

It really feels nice to relax on the bed, lying by your lover's side. I've never experienced it before but always wanted to. It's not about sex or after sex, it's about resting right next to the one you love after a tiring day. I never got too sentimental with anyone, I don't even think I'm into any lovey-dovey sort of fluffiness but I can say Moonshine makes something inside me feel wonderful, for the lack of a better word. I guess it's something cheesy like 'heart fluttering' or 'butterflies in the stomach' Although, I would never use something so... unoriginal and boring. I do feel love but I won't describe it with overused nonsense phrases.

Wait, I'm rambling again. I guess it is time to go to bed and sleep.

"Goodnight, Moony." I said and then kissed my lover on the cheek. I lay on my side and closed my eyes, preparing to go off into the dreamland.

"Goodnight, Flame." I heard Moonshine saying and then her lips touched my cheek for a brief moment. I smiled, knowing that I will be dreaming sweet dreams tonight.

Chapter 1: Surprises

I woke up early in the morning. The sun was shining through the window, the birds were singing... a perfect morning if you ask me.

Since the heat week is still raging on, I think it's time I do something productive or nice for a change. I don't want be sitting here all day, sending Moonshine to fetch whatever I may need. It's just not right. Well it might be unsafe to go outside during such a time but sitting home all day is boring, especially since Equestria hasn't invented internet and computers yet.

So, I decided to do something nice for Moonshine. Granted I am always nice to her but I bet she'll like what I will soon start making for her.

It's spring, the time when the snow thaws and the flowers appear. Most of the snow is already gone and I suspect that the first flowers are blooming all over the country. I'm not planning on making a bouquet since I don't really know how to make one but I have another good idea. It would require me to go outside but I'm fairly certain it will be worth it.

I got up from the bed first, then went to the bathroom. I did my morning routine as usual and then put on my hoodie. Huh, it fits well . It's certainly less baggy now. Though the sleeves seem to be a bit short but that's fine. I also put on the saddlebags and grabbed a few bits I still have. I hope it will be enough for what I'm planning to do.

I left a note for Moonshine to let her know that I'll be gone for a while and then exited the room. As soon as I entered the corridor separating our room from our neighbors’ one I met a very tired colt. White Light was walking towards the kitchen, a mug of coffee held in his wing. Huh, it's really strong and flexible, it seems.

"Hey," I greeted him. He turned his head to me and nodded. "Rough night?"

"Yeah…" he said and then yawned. "And... how are you?"

"I'm fine, thanks," I replied. "It seems Moonshine's cycle hasn't started yet. Good for me I guess... So, I take it your sister really wants it?"

"Hm-huh," the colt nodded. "This time of year is... sometimes just, um... too much."

"Well I suppose I'll have my share of it someday," I said. I hope Moonshine won't turn into some sort of crazy sex-hungry monster. It would be very... awkward, to say the least.

Suddenly the door to our neighbors room swung opened. It seems it wasn't locked properly. I saw Night Breeze lying on her back on her bed and... holy crap, now that is a strong smell of sex! I instinctively took a huge whiff. Oh fuck... I regret it — it's too intense!

"Oh, hey." she greeted me as soon as she noticed me. "I know my bro and you sorted everything out, yes? If so, I wouldn't mind if you join us," she flicked her tail seductively. "You look especially handsome now you know. I bet Moonshine will be all over you when the heat hits her."

"Um, thanks, I guess..." I replied, blushing. "But I, um, have to decline your offer. I have some stuff to do and I don't, um, know if Moonshine's going to like me joining you."

"Alright see you later then," the filly said. "And remember — my offer stands," she looked at me with half-lidded eyes of hers. I can say there is something magnetizing about them for sure. Is she trying to hypnotize me? I don't know what weird powers lunar ponies posses.

"See you," I nodded, and then went to exit the apartment. I can't take all those fumes in the air, I'm almost popping a boner right now.

It's a bit creepy outside. The streets seem abandoned. Sometimes mares pass by, glancing at me in a special way and flicking their tails as I pass nearby. There are some foals running around playing different games. However there are almost no stallions. I saw just one, and he had a flustered look on his face as he carried a bunch of flowers. I don't know where he's going but I silently wish him good luck.

Finally I reached the market, my intended destination. Some stalls were closed but most were still open. All of them were managed by mares and... Huh, it seems they're not in heat. Good for me and them, I guess.

To start with I bought a medium sized wicker basket with a lid. I strapped securely it to my saddlebags then went to buy other things. I got some bread, lettuce, cucumber and a very tasty sort of cheese (they let me taste). I also bought a couple of different juice bottles: apple, peach and grape. I got some cabbage and carrots as well. In the end I had some bits left and decided to buy a multitool. This one was actually quite cheap. It features a knife, a screwdriver, both plus and minus and a lighter. I don't know why it has a lighter but I don't really mind it. Although it's more like spark-maker... flint and steel? I don't remember what it's proper name. There was still some money left and I decided to spend it on a comfortable, rather thick blanket about two and a half meters long and slightly less than two meters wide.

Yes I'm going to surprise Moonshine with a picnic. I guess it's a date as well. I've not done anything like it before. I'm thrilled to try it and see if it goes anywhere. Now I need to find a perfect spot. I want the place to be private, away from prying eyes and ears. Therefore it certainly can’t be anywhere near Canterlot.

I suppose I'll search for a place near... Ponyville. It's a small and peaceful village with plenty of empty space around: meadows, forests, even a river. Hm, a spot in the forest and yet by the river... sounds nice to me. I hope Moonshine will like it as well.

What if I teleport myself to Ponyville? Worth a try, I suppose.

*zzzzZAP!*

Oh damn... My head's a bit, um... Shaky. Dissy. Dizzy! Right...

It seems my powers have at least doubled. I don't think I would be able to teleport this far if I was still twelve. Good for me.

I looked around and discovered that I'm certainly in Ponyville. The train station to be exact.

To reach the forest I need, all I have to do is cross the village and then get over a meadow before I'll be behind the trees. Seems right.

So I walked through Ponyville, getting greetings from different ponies. It seems that the village is still as lively as it was back when I first discovered it. There are many ponies in the streets, stallions and mares alike. The smell of heat is weaker here than in Canterlot. Though I can see some mares giving me looks.

The ponies here are very friendly, just as I remember them. Huh, I've not been here for quite a while. I wonder what's Pinkie Pie up to? I know it was her and her friends that defeated Discord but I've not met her since... winter? If I'm remembering right.

My memory is a bit messed up since Discord changed my body, I guess.

"Hey, Flame!" I heard someone calling me. I turned my head and saw Pinkie Pie. Speak of the devil, so they say. She was happily bouncing towards me. Hm... No, I don't smell heat coming from her. "Wow, you've become bigger!"

"That's because of Discord, but thanks, I guess," I replied. Huh, she seems smaller, I'm about a head taller than her now. "How's your day been?"

"It's a bit boring, most of my friends are in heat and sitting at home" she told me. "Mind if we go play some board games? They can be fun!"

"I would love to, but I'm a bit busy," I replied. I definitely need to spend some time with Pinkie Pie later. "I'm searching for a place to have a picnic."

"Oh, for your special somepony? I can help you with that," the pink pony said cheerfully. "What kind of place do you need?"

"Well I guess I'd like it to be somewhere in the forest, by the river but still private and secluded," I explained.

"I know just the place! Follow me!" Pinkie Pie said and started bouncing in a certain direction. Hey, she bounces fast!

I guess I'll follow her and see what she has in mind.

***

"Huh, this is actually a pretty nice place," I said as we reached our destination.

Just as I wanted, it is a place near a river. There is actually a small pond with fish swimming around in it, as well as some frogs and other kinds of fauna. The rather large trees make it nice and shaded, the place seems just perfect. Just near the pond there is a small glade, a perfect place for a picnic. A row of bushes shield the glade from the rest of the forest and there is only one opening big enough for ponies to slip through. However, Pinkie told me it’s rare that anyone goes here at all. Good for me.

So I unrolled the blanket and placed it on the soft grass. Then I set down the picnic basket and put the food inside it. It hit me that I forgot to bring the plates.

"Oh damn..." I muttered.

"What's the matter?" Pinkie asked interestedly.

"I forgot to bring the plates," I said.

"Oh! Well, it can be fixed in a jiffy!" the mare said and then… Pulled a set of plastic plates out of her mane.

...

I better not question this.

"Thanks Pinkie," I said placing the plates near the basket. Then I opened it and began cooking. Not really cooking but preparing meals. I decided to go with simple sandwiches. I pulled out a loaf of bread and sliced it into many parts, just thick enough to be able to hold what I'm going to place on them. Then I prepared the lettuce, cucumbers, very thin slices of cheese and made six sandwiches. A layer of lettuce, then cheese and then a layer of cucumbers, all packed between two slices of bread.

I used three plates, placing two sandwiches on each. After that was done, I sliced cabbage and carrot into tiny pieces. I mixed them together and put them in the last remaining two plates. How did Pinkie know the amount of plates I would need?

I placed all the plates near the middle of the blanket, allowing plenty of space for myself and Moonshine. I also put bottles of juice nearby. All of it looks really nice, in my opinion.

"Thanks Pinkie, I don't know if I could do it without you," I told the pink mare.

"I'm always happy to help!" she replied cheerfully. "You can go and get your fillyfriend and I'll watch over the place for you! Once you're back here, I will disappear without either of you noticing!"

"Alright, thanks!" I replied, and then prepared the spell to go back to Canterlot.

***

Finally, I have returned home. Moonshine has woken up by now. She's in the bathroom taking a shower, judging by the sound of rushing water coming from there. I'll just wait until she comes out. I hope she'll like what I prepared for the two of us. Meanwhile, I decided to read that book further. It's very interesting, really. At that point my cat Molniya decided that it would be the perfect time to nestle by my side.

A few minutes later, Moonshine came out of the bathroom.

"Oh, hi," she said to me. "Where were you?"

"I was preparing something," I put down the book and stood up from the bed. I blushed slightly as I gathered my thoughts. "Moonshine... I want the two of us to have a picnic, will you join me?"

"Of course, Flame!" she said with a wide grin on her face. "I've actually been thinking about doing something similar, since this whole week is free, we can go camping!"

"Um... I don't think we have a tent," I noted.

"I can get one," Moonshine replied. "You see, my granddad and I used to go camping a lot when I was younger. I would often invite my friends as well! It was very fun! I wouldn't mind, no, I would very much like to go camping with you! There's a tent somewhere in the cabin. You know, the one where, um..." she blushed suddenly. "I... confessed my love to you," she looked away, her cheeks red.

"I remember that day too," I smiled, walked to her and nuzzled her. "Let's go get the tent then!"

The day is going even better than I expected! I can't wait to go camping with Moonshine. Though, we'll have to get more food and maybe some other things also Molniya will have to do without us.

"Moon, how long do you want us to camp?" I asked my love.

"Well... I don't know," she replied. "I guess we could spend at least a day, Maybe two. My granddad used to spend at least two nights before going back."

"Then we might have a problem," I said. "My cat, that is. I don't think we can take her with us — she's really nervous outside."

"Maybe our neighbors can help by watching over her?" Moonshine suggested.

"I was thinking about that actually. Well I suppose I'll go ask them," I said and then went to the neighbor's room.

I hope I won't be dragged in and fucked mercilessly until my dick falls off. It wouldn't be very nice.

So I knocked on their door a few times.

"Enter," I heard Night Breeze responding. It seems I won't be disturbing those twins. You know, I don't want to walk in on sex scene.

"Um hi," I said, opening the door slightly. Hm, the smell seems to be not as strong as it was. Night Breeze is lying on her bed while White Light reads a book at the table. "I want to ask you two for a favor. Can you watch my cat for a day or two?"

"Yeah, I think we can do that, Flame," Night Breeze nodded. "Going with your fillyfriend somewhere?"

"Yes," I nodded. "I can't really take the cat with me, um, unfortunately."

"Alright, I'll watch over your cat. Though — on one condition," I already don't like where this is going. "You will fuck me once you're back."

"Uh, I'll go ask Moonshine about that," I said and then turned around. Only to come face to face with Moonshine. Her cheeks were red in color. "Um..."

"You know..." she whispered to me. "Only if I can watch," she turned away. "Please?"

...

"Um, Night?" I called.

"Yeah?"

"Er... We'll do it once I'm back," I said a little bit nervous. I heard Moonshine giggling behind my back.

Well... I'm in for a wild wet ride once I'm back home.

Author's Notes:

Well, it's time Flame gets laid. No one can resist the mighty estrus! Also, he must remember to use the anti-pregnancy spell unless he wants to have kids with Night Breeze. It would be very awkward if he forgets about it.

Chapter 2: Camping, Setting Up

After Moonshine and I fetched the tent, we caught a train to Ponyville. While I could probably teleport both of us, my love expressed her desire to take a train ride. Seeing nothing wrong with it, I agreed. After all, neither of us are in a hurry.

Somehow, I feel like Pinkie Pie won't mind it at all.

So Moonshine and I have the whole week to ourselves. We'll spend a day or two camping, maybe more. Although I remember the promise I made to Night Breeze. Once we return I will have to fuck her, quite literally. I don't know if I regret this decision or not but I know that Moonshine isn't against it in the slightest. Knowing her fetish, it's not a big surprise. All in all it’s beneficial to everyone involved: Moonshine will get a good show to sate her dark desire, I will get laid, and Night Breeze will feel good. Yeah, sounds alright to me.

So, the two of us took a place in the corner of the cart, away from everyone else. Although there weren't many ponies on the train in the first place. They were mostly foals, some stallions and mares who seem like they aren't in heat.

"Hey, Flame..." Moonshine addressed me quietly. "Um... I want to ask you something..."

"Go on," I nodded, leaning closer to her. If what she's going to ask me about is private, I need to be close so that she won't have to raise her voice. Sometimes, I have listened (by accident, mind you) to some embarrassing questions either the questioner or responder weren't comfortable with.

"Um... Uh, since you're going to, you know, do... sex with Night Breeze, I just wanted to know, um..." she said nervously, her cheeks reddening. "Have you ever, um, had it with anyone before?" she asked shyly.

"To be honest, yes, I have." I nodded, a small blush appearing on my cheeks as well. "Though, it was way back before I became a pony."

Yeah, I can say I had some girls in my bed but they were prostitutes. I don't take pride in it, it would be dumb if I did. I just needed to sate my urges, that's all.

"Um... And one more," the filly said. "I don't remember if I asked you before but... Have you ever loved anyone besides me?"

"Yes, but it didn't work out," I replied. "You are the only one I've ever experienced true love with, honestly. That one girl... I guess she was a bit manipulative," I looked down, my ears dropping. I still don't like talking about it. "But you..." I pecked her lips slightly. "You are different, honestly," I looked her in the eyes. "I think I can say you're my first real love, Moonshine."

"Aww, Flame..." she blushed even harder, averting her eyes. I smiled and kissed her on the cheek. "So... can I be the first one for you, um... In sex?"

Is she suggesting that she won't let me fuck Night Breeze until I make love to her? A fair deal, actually.

"You want us to make love while camping?" I asked her quietly.

"I, um... Yes... I think so," Moonshine said, giggled and then turned away from me. "Let's talk about it, um, when we're alone, okay?"

"Alright." I nodded.

Well, I suppose it's about time I do it with Moonshine. Barely anything stopped me from doing it before, and now nothing does. She, well, just said she wants to have sex with me and I, frankly speaking, want it just as much. I just... I waited for her to take the first step. I praise her courage — I doubt I would be able to do it if I were her age and had never had sex before.

I'm going to show her the pleasure of making love. However, I must be careful — she's a virgin, after all. I heard that girls find the first time a bit uncomfortable.

Let's put that to the side for now. I will return to it once the two of us are ready for it.

Soon, Moonshine and I arrived at Ponyville. I saw a tail of a certain pink pony disappearing around the corner, meaning that she knew we were coming. Well, time for us to enjoy our alone time.

"Ponies are so friendly here," Moonshine commented, after receiving a few greetings from the local mares. One of them even complimented her looks.

"Yeah, ponies around these parts are really friendly and accepting," I nodded. "Though, there's a lot of crazy stuff happening around here."

"Like what?"

"Well... I can't really say because such things seem to be... disconnected, I guess." I shrugged. "Whatever, let's go, I'll show you a nice spot."

Moonshine nodded, and I showed her the way to that little spot Pinkie Pie helped me find. I'd certainly have to thank her some day with something nice. She's a good pony and a friend. She deserves something for it.

The two of us soon reached that spot by the small pond. Everything was as I had left it.

"Oh, thank you for doing all of this for me..." Moonshine blushed, looking at the blanket and the food that was on it.

"Anything for you." I nuzzled my love. A little bit into a cheesy territory here, but I can't really help it.

"I'm not hungry yet, though," the filly said. Her eyes fell on the pond. "But... I think I have something in mind," she put down her saddlebags and went to the water. Tentatively, she lowered her hoof into it. "Oh, chilly!" she looked back at me. "Let's go for a swim!"

"I... I don't think I can," I replied, blushing in embarrassment. I could swim as a human, but as a pony? I've not done it yet. "I mean, I used to be able to do it when, you know, I wasn't a pony, but..."

"Well, maybe I can teach you if this pond is deep enough." Moonshine said, stepping further in. Then she shivered "Oh, cold!"

"Are you sure you want to do this? I don't think we have towels," I said with uncertainty.

"But we have magic, remember?" she reminded me.

...

Sometimes, I'm so stupid.

"Alright, let's go." I said, and then followed the filly, not forgetting to drop my stuff and the tent first. Maybe we should've set it up, but... I think we can do it later.

I walked to the edge of the pond. Huh, the water looks clean. Although, I think it means it'll be pretty cold.

I stepped into the water and started shivering immediately. Brr, this is chilly alright! Though, I've been in worse. When I was in Russia, I was staying with my grandma. There was a lake in the village she lived in and that lake was fed by mountain rivers.

Yep, it was cold. I thought I was in Antarctica when I stepped into those waters. My untrained body caught a cold. However, there were a bunch of Russian boys that played in there without a care in the world.

Yeah, I guess I'm pretty fragile.

Alright, I go deeper. The water is up go my shins now and it's cold. Not too cold, but still slightly uncomfortable. Moonshine was farther away, the water almost to her barrel.

Oh my, I shiver slightly. Damn, it's only like March, no wonder it's still cold. Holy carp, how is Moonshine not shivering with every movement? She's tough.

"Hey, catch up!" she said, turning her head to me. "Maybe this'll help you," she splashed some water on me.

Oh fuck, cold, cold! Those small, concentrated spots of practically ice are, oh fuck, shit, cold!

"F-f-fu-u-uck!" I growled out. "It's cold!"

Moonshine was laughing her ass off. Yeah, laugh at my misery.

"I'm sorry, but your face is so funny!" she said and then laughed again. "Oh my..."

Whatever, I moved forward. The water reached to my knees, then up to my thighs. I suppose it's bearable. Moonshine was almost neck-deep into the water. She was smiling at me and then giggled. Yeah, I guess my face does look funny right now. I just want to adjust to the temperature.

I went a little deeper and felt something very chilling.

The water... it's touching my balls.

"Ngghhhhhh!" I hissed out, feeling the absolute freezing temperature touching my private spot. "My balls!"

I took a deep breath and then stepped on even further. I have to get through this. Am I an alicorn or what, after all? I'm supposed to be tougher than that.

But muh balls! My precious male equipment! Oh fuck, I hate when something like this happens! I'm pretty sure mine are now the size of ping-pong balls.

...

Moonshine better be warm since there is no way I won't have sex with her. I'm pretty sure she'll help me warm up after this cold trip.

"Here I go!" she said, and then disappeared under the surface, going straight underwater. I could still see her, though. She soon emerged, completely soaked. "Hey, this feels good! Try this!"

I followed her advice and dived in.

...

Surprisingly, it's bearable. It's nice, too! I can see everything! My mane is flowing and it looks like fire underwater, nice!

My eyes don't sting. I usually close them underwater, but I just don't feel anything uncomfortable. Strange, and are my ears going to be alright? I don't know how they work, but I heard that a cat mustn't be put underwater because there's something different about their ears.

I emerged and immediately regretted it. It feels like an icy wind is blowing, instantly chilling me to the bone. I quickly submerged again, leaving my eyes and muzzle above the water to be able to breathe and speak.

"You look cute," Moonshine said, blushing. She looks cute herself — the water made her look... I don't know, more adorable? There is something about soaked girls that I like. It's just... sexy.

"You too," I replied. Then I sighed and let myself relax. "You know, it's nice here."

"Yeah, but the pond isn't deep enough to actually swim," she tapped her chin. "You know, I have an idea. Let's submerge together!"

I nodded, and then the two of us went underwater again. There's some fun in it, I admit, but...

Hey, Moonshine is approaching me. What is she doing? Soon, she was near me. She wrapped her forelegs around my neck and pressed her lips against mine. I didn’t expect it but still enjoyed it. I returned the kiss while gazing into her beautiful blue eyes. There is something very romantic about the kiss. It's just so... unusual. It makes the whole experience very unique and... I don't know, nice?

I'm certain I would be popping a boner if it wasn't for the freezing water all around us. There is something extremely hot about an underwater make-out.

Soon, the two of us had to return to the surface for air. Yeah, lack of air isn't the best thing ever. So, Moonshine was blushing crimson, and I'm sure I have something more than a pink tint on my cheeks.

"So... How was it?" she asked me shyly.

"Moony, it was fantastic!" I replied. Then kissed her again. I felt the need to repay her.

I prodded her lips with my tongue, and soon was allowed entrance. I explored her mouth, rubbing my tongue up against hers, then her cheeks and teeth. She moaned into my mouth as I did all I could to make her feel appreciated and loved. It's the least I can do for her after everything she did for me. She was the one who reignited my interest in a romantic relationship. She also helped me adjust to the new world I'm in and there are not enough words to express my gratitude. However, everyone knows actions speak louder than words.

I don't think I'm very good at kissing but I'm sure Moonshine finds me at least satisfactory. I'll show her my best once we make love, and I'm sure it is inevitable now.

"Oh, Flame..." she whispered to me. "I... I love you so much," she said, and I could feel her love as her heart beat against mine while we held each-other close. "I just... You're such a nice stallion, I don't think I can say that enough."

"Moony, you're the most wonderful mare anyone could ever wish for." I replied. It is true, I don't think I'd ever love anyone more than her. "You know... I'm glad this all happened to us. I found you, you found me," I said. I think I feel... inspired to say these words. They feel so natural, and...

I have never thought that love would bring that side of me out. I'm surprised I don't stutter awkwardly. Everything flows so smoothly, I... Well, um... And there I just said I don't stutter, huh.

After swimming for some time, we returned to our little camp site. After drying ourselves off with magic we then sat on the blanket. I handed Moonshine her food as I started chewing mine. A snack was definitely in order .

Nothing was said as we ate our food. I guess both of us feel so... lovestruck. I've never experienced it before, but something inside me screams for love. For taking it and giving it, in any way or form. Physical, spiritual, it doesn't matter. I just want to give love, to make Moonshine feel appreciated and cared about.

I feel so good right now. I feel right. I just... don't know how to describe it.

It might be strange that I, a human, fell in love with an alien. However, I'm pretty sure a lot of people wouldn't mind this new development at all. After all, women can become boring after a while. I suppose it would be much more interesting if there were more intelligent species on the Earth.

Maybe it's weird to love an equine, but I don't care. I'm happy, she is happy, it's the only thing that matters to me. Appearance? Many people already find equines appealing in terms of looks. Though, maybe not sexually, but I wouldn't call most equines ugly at all. Though, Equestrian ponies have more human features, and maybe they make the ponies more appealing to me. I don't know, I don't think I can find a satisfying explanation.

Moonshine was the first one to finish her meal. I was a close second, and then the two of us went to set up the actual tent. Better to do it sooner rather than later — I could see clouds being pushed around by the pegasi. There might be rain soon.

I've not camped before and thus had to learn how and what to do from Moonshine. She explained a couple of things to me, and soon the tent was set up properly. I learned It wasn't that hard once you know how to do it.

The tent was rectangular in shape with triangular roof so that any rain would just roll off and not weigh down the top of the tent. It was made of a green, waterproof and yet breathing material. It certainly gives off a feel of really old canvas tents. It also smells... old. I don't really know how to describe it, you just need to smell it to understand.

There was also a small window inside the tent made of some transparent plastic. It could be shuttered from the inside by rolling down a piece of cloth. There was a nice, sturdy and yet comfortable material covering the floor of the tent. There was a small space between the exit and the sleeping space to store our items in. Overall, the tent was pretty nice and certainly suitable for camping. There were two sleeping bags included and the space inside the tent allowed us to rest comfortably. The height was a little low but that's just because I'm taller than the average pony.

We stay in the tent for a while, barely aware of time passing outside. While it was only an hour or two past midday, we were weary after our swim to do anything else. Full from the food, we were slightly sleepy as well.

Without much talk, both of us slowly drifted off to sleep. I guess we'll do something else in the evening.

Author's Notes:

Before you go, I must present you the artwork an artist by the name of ChaiTea did for the story. Check out the other works that artist has in the blogs!

Chapter 3: A Rainy Evening

I woke up to the sound of rain gently pattering on the roof of the tent. I stirred from my sleep and rubbed my eyes. I'm feeling so relaxed right now, it had been the best sleep of my entire life... Oooh... I sat up and looked around.

Yeah, it’s raining outside the tent. Thankfully, it isn't heavy enough to soak into our tent because we left the... well, front flap open. We should've zipped it but it seems there was no harm done.

I used my magic to close the flap. Much better now, in my opinion. We're safer and if the rain becomes heavy, the flap will protect us from getting wet.

I looked out of the window. The rain wasn't actually that heavy at all. Although, everything around our campsite was quite damp. It also seems that the sun is setting. Well, I doubt we'll go out at night. After all, the forest is pretty dense and I don't want either of us to get hurt or lost. We better stay here until tomorrow , and then we'll probably go deeper into the forest and camp there. Gather some sticks, make a fireplace, tell a story or two and generally just have a good time. Maybe we'll gather some berries along the way as well. It would be fun, actually! Maybe we'll collect some mushrooms. Though, I'm not sure they grow during this time of year. I'm terrible at camping. City life, it does things to you. While I was in a, well, less populated area of the Earth but I've not camped anywhere at all. I wish I had but my family wasn't into those sort of things. Sadly, I learned about camping mostly from cartoons.

I glanced at Moonshine and saw that she was still sleeping. I'm not going to disturb her sleep to tell that we'll have to stay here longer.

Suddenly my stomach grumbled. What food do we have left? I bet I'll have to make a trip to Ponyville. Let's see... Hm, there is still some food left, albeit very little. I guess I'll have to go.

Silently, I slipped out of the tent. I have a few bits of my own that I grabbed from the apartment, as well as saddlebags. Then I teleported myself to Ponyville. The teleportation went off smoothly, without a hitch. Excellent! Now, I need to find the market. It should be somewhere around...

Aha, I see it! Some stalls are closing, but the food one is still up. I hastily made my way there and bought some fruit and vegetables. After all if the camping's going to be long, I better buy a lot. Cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, green onion, apples, carrots, a couple bottles of clean water, a bottle of apple juice,even a small bag of potatoes.

Oh damn, it's quite heavy. Well, at least we won’t be in danger of starving. I know how to cook a potato with a fireplace. Should be easy enough.

I teleported myself back to the tent. I had gotten slightly wet because of the rain, but I dried myself off with my magic fairly quickly. I placed all the food near our belongings. Then I got inside the tent and closed it.

Moonshine was still sleeping. She looks very cute actually. There is a small smile on her face. Her long blond mane covered a part of her features, making her look completely adorable. While looks alone aren't what I love her for, they definitely add to the picture.

Love... It still fascinates me how I feel with Moonshine. She's way younger than me. A different species as well. While I have already reconciled it with myself, it's still interesting to think about. Love between a human and a pony, this is definitely unique.

I don't know if ponies would like actual humans and their looks. I mean, we're just hairless apes to them. Not entirely hairless but certainly weird. Would a real human be able to fall in love with a pony or the other way around? I don't know. I'm just like a pony now with a few minor differences in appearance. I guess it has played a part in my love. Otherwise, I don't think I would have a fillyfriend now. If I didn't, I would surely be far more miserable, alone in this world.

Being the only human here could've been much more challenging if I was still in my human form. I think I might've been completely alone and...

No, I don't want to think about it. I already passed through depression because of love, It’s not a place I want to return to. I'm happy know, it's all that matters. I found some friends, a lover, and a new life in a beautiful new world. It is everything I could ever ask for.

I decided to grab a bite. Maybe eating will divert my attention from the sad paths my life could have taken . So I ate an apple, a carrot, two small cucumbers, and finished it off with a few gulps of apple juice. Nice! It'll suffice for now.

Finally, Moonshine's beginning to wake up. She yawned and stretched out her limbs, opened her eyes and immediately spotted me.

"Hi," she said. A smile appearing on her face. Then one of her ears swiveled to the side. "Is it raining?"

"Yeah." I nodded. "I guess we'll have to stay here for a while longer. Until tomorrow, that is."

"Oh... alright." Moonshine said. Her cheeks becoming slightly pink. Hm... I have an idea why it happened, but I'll leave it in the back of my mind for now.

"So, wanna eat? I managed to get to Ponyville and buy us some food," I said while pulling out various eatables from the saddlebags.

"That sounds really nice, actually," the filly nodded.

So, I got to making her a meal. I decided to go with a simple fresh salad: cucumber, tomato, lettuce, and a bit of onion. I brought out the multitool I had bought and began slicing up the veggies. I mixed them together nicely and put the salad onto the plates, distributing it evenly between both of us.

We sat there and ate the salad. It's very nice, and not just the salad — the atmosphere of this situation. Gentle rain outside and us sitting together in a tent. The slightly muted lighting, making everything seem… cosy, I don't know. It's just nice, it feels good.

After we finished, Moonshine pulled out two toothbrushes and handed one to me. Then she got out a small tube of toothpaste, squirting out some of it on our toothbrushes.

I'm dumb, I didn't even think about bringing them. Yeah, I suck at camping.

After we both finished cleaning our teeth, we just sat and thought about what to do. Before I could suggest anything, Moonshine spoke up.

"So... Remember our talk on the train?" she asked, blushing.

"Yeah," I nodded. If I remember correctly, it was about sex. Is Moonshine thinking what I'm thinking?

"I, um... I want to... Uh, it's so hard to say!" she said, blushing even harder and averting her eyes. Then, she said in one breath: "I want to have sex with you."

...

To be honest, I... expected it. I guess it's time for us to do it. We're a couple and if Moonshine's okay with it, so am I.

"Do you really want to?" I asked her for clarification. I just want her to be completely sure. She must be ready for it mentally. The first time is rather important after all.

"Y-yeah," she said slightly nervously. "But, um... I've not done it before... Can you help me with it?"

"Sure," I nodded. "I'll go gently and slowly, okay? If something's not right, don't hesitate to tell me."

Here we go... I hope she'll like it.

I decided to start off with some kissing. Both of us need to get aroused. While achieving erection isn't that hard of a deal, getting her wet might be. Let's see what I can do.

I wrapped my forelegs around her and pulled her close. I lay down on the floor and guided her down with me. It would be way easier for us this way.

I closed my eyes and kissed her softly on the lips. She responded to my kiss with a small gasp. Neither of us are particularly good at kissing, but I think we'll do just fine. I let her take the lead here, and she was soon prodding my lips with her broad tongue. I opened my mouth and let her in. She explored my mouth freely while I rubbed my tongue against hers. It feels soft and warm in her mouth. The texture is rather smooth and silky. Meanwhile, she passed her tongue over my lower fangs, gasping as she did. Then, she felt the upper pair of fangs and rubbed her tongue between them, trying to bring a new feel into the mix. I'm glad she's into experimenting.

Our kisses weren't aggressive or passionate, they were filled with love and care for each-other. We did it slow and steady. It seems that the tension and nervousness in her body is slowly going away. She relaxes in my grasp, certainly a good sign.

Finally, we separated, a thin trail of saliva connecting our mouths. Both of us opened our eyes. Moonshine giggled slightly and I just smiled. I licked my lips, making her blush again.

I decided to go further. I kissed her on the lips and went down her body while shifting my and her positions. I made her lie on her back while I pressed my barrel against her belly. I planted a series of kisses starting from her jawline. Then down her neck, onto her chest that I nuzzled right away. She moaned slightly and I felt her tail moving. I stopped at her stomach and looked up. She was blushing madly, her forelegs folded on her chest. In her eyes, I saw her shy love for me.

"W-what are you doing?" Moonshine asked me quietly.

"You don't like it?" I asked with concern.

"I do but I just don't know what you're doing," she said. "I... I've read a few things about sex, but... I don't think I know this."

"It will feel good, I promise," I said. Then landed another kiss on her stomach. I paused to slide down a little bit, then continued.

Meanwhile, I felt my dick emerging from my sheath bit by bit. I'm fairly certain I will soon be erect and ready for action.

Soon, I reached a pair of small teats. Seeing them here and not on the chest area is a bit weird, but she's not a human, so... Well, I guess it's just a difference that will take some time to get accustomed to.

I gently kissed her nipples, then licked them, eliciting louder moans from my love. It seems she's enjoying herself so far.

"Oh, Flame..." she moaned. Then gasped as I gave a firm lick on her nipple. "You... you're doing great... Please, don’t stop..."

I can't resist such a sweet voice, though I do feel bad for doing it to such a cutie. She's so adorable with that bright blush on her cheeks, her half-lidded eyes looking at me, her chest rising and lowering as she breathed, her body shivering slightly under my gentle touch.

I moved even further down, coming to her crotch. I gently placed her hind legs on my shoulders and then looked at her most private spot.

It looks a little bit different from what I'm used to seeing. Like with the teats, it'll take some getting used to.

Now, I'm going to lick Moonshine. I've not done it before, actually. Which will make it a new experience for me. I don't know why I've not done it, I guess I was saving it for someone I love. It's my first oral experience.

Suddenly, her pussy winked. Now, this is slightly weird. I guess that’s how they show arousal. Well, I can make my dick twitch, I don't think it's too weird for a vagina to do it as well.

I took a deep whiff of Moonshine's rich scent. She shuddered and moaned. She smells of... I don't know what, but the smell is pleasant. I'm not really good at describing scents, but hers is sweet with a hint of something else.

I planted a kiss on her folds, making her shiver. She moaned my name while I traced my tongue just between those lovely folds. Her pussy winked again, pulsating against my tongue. It's definitely a new experience, I actually like it. Then, there is the taste. It is... sweet, just like the smell is. I like it, too!

I thrust my tongue deeper, trying to take in as much as I could, lapping up her lovely juices. She moaned and shivered, her hind legs twitching, she pressed her lower region against my mouth, her body screaming for my attention.

I licked and licked, sometimes switching patterns and trying something new. The flow of her love juice increased, lubricating her insides for my future penetration. I want to make her feel as good as possible before I do.

My dicks already rock-hard, but ladies first, and thus she gets to feel good before I do. I know that sex is for both participants to enjoy but I'm more a giver than taker. While I love getting blown or ridden, my partner's feelings are more important to me and give me more emotional satisfaction.

Suddenly, Moonshines moans reached new heights and she locked her hind legs around me while using her forelegs to press my head against her nether regions. She came hard, coating my muzzle in her love juices, some almost going up my nose. When she let me go, I licked off her juices and swallowed them.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pull!" she said apologetically. "I just... It felt so good I didn't want it to end!"

"It's fine," I said with a smile. "I wanted you to feel good."

"Ah... Flame, you're so lovely!" Moonshine complimented me. "And... I want to repay you now with, um... Sucking you."

"Well... If you want it," I said. I'm well aware that not all girls like taking it into their mouths.

"I'll try," she said. "Um... Lie down on your back, and I'll, uh, look at your... stallion stuff."

She's so adorable when acting so shyly. I rolled onto my back as instructed, letting Moonshine see my full erection. My cock was throbbing and twitching, waiting for action. Yeah, the shape of this thing is weird, especially that small ring near the base. I don't think I've seen any horse dicks before coming to Equestria.

So, my dick is certainly larger than what it used to be in my human form. Longer, its total length about twenty-five centimeters, maybe longer. By human standards, it's enormous. However, I remember reading that a horse's cock can be, like, seventy-five or so centimeters in length. My dick has also become thicker. How is Moonshine going to fit it inside her mouth? Also, I need to ask her one thing.

"Um, Moony... Will it be alright if I finish inside your mouth?" I asked.

"Well, okay... If you taste good," she said slightly awkwardly. "And... how do I taste?"

"I wouldn't mind licking you from time to time, to be honest," I admitted. "You're a tasty treat." I winked at her.

"Aww... I've never thought I'd be that good," she said. "I hope you taste good."

She leaned in, breathing in my scent, her nostrils flaring wide. A smile of satisfaction appeared on her face. She got even closer, and then gave a small kiss to the tip of my dick. I moaned, letting her know that it felt good. Then, she opened her mouth wide and engulfed the flat head of my cock.

Oh fuck, it definitely feels good! Oh my... She has a silky mouth! It's also certainly big enough to accommodate more of me.

She released the tip of my dick with a wet 'pop' and looked at me.

"Um... a bit salty, but still good. I like it," she commented. Then she took in my dick again. I shuddered from the touch of her lips, tongue, and cheeks combined.

She went down, taking in more of me as she went deeper. The length of her muzzle definitely helped her a lot. As centimeter after centimeter slid inside her warm maw, I moaned slightly, feeling her wetness encompassing the upper part of my shaft. She paused when my tip hit the back of her throat. After a few moments she angled her head and went even deeper.

Moonshine can already take it that deep? Huh, it seems ponies don't have gag reflex. It's so good! I always wanted for girls to take me in as deep as they could. Moon's muzzle feels absolutely amazing, and her throat feels just as good if not better! Praise the mare muzzle!

Oh my fucking hell, it feels so good... She almost made it halfway through, nearing my medial ring. Fuck! Oh fuck, this feels good!

Then, she slid off my cock, releasing it from her wet grasp.

"Wait, I really want you to, you know... fuck me," she said shyly. Oh my, it's so cute when she swears! "Um, in my... vagina. I want to feel you there. I just... Well, don't stallions last only once?"

Hm, yeah, that would be bad if she didn't get any main action. I'm not sure I can last more than once. Better not risk it and let her experience the main course before we try anything else. That's why we're here, after all.

So I nodded. We switched places wordlessly and she lay underneath me, belly up. I like missionary position because it allows me to kiss my partner and look her in the eyes. It's especially true for Moonshine — I want to see her, to see how she’s feeling.

I lowered myself and pressed the tip of my penis against her waiting entrance. I locked my lips with hers and pushed forward very slowly and parting her fold, entering her love canal. I used my mouth to distract her from what is happening down there.

Gently, I pushed forward, eliciting moans of pleasure from my lover. Oh my, she's so tight! However her natural lubricant greatly helps me slide in with ease. I moved forward, waiting for her hymen to block my way. Soon the tip of my dick pressed against something. Moonshine immediately gasped. I pulled back from her to tell her one more important thing.

"Moony, it might feel a bit uncomfortable at the beginning," I told her. "I will go gently, but the process might still be slightly off, maybe even a bit painful. Are you ready?"

"Yes, Flame, I'm ready," she said. Then used her forelegs to pull my head to hers and kissed me.

I thrust forward, tearing her hymen. She gasped into my mouth. I stopped, letting her adjust to my girth. We rested for a few moments before I felt her relax. As she became less tense, I resumed my motion. She moaned into my mouth as I slid further inside her. I felt every small bump, filling her up completely. Fuck, she's tight! I guess it's because my dick is rather big now.

As my medial ring disappeared inside her, I gasped. Hell, it feels really good!

I've not had sex in almost a year, finally having a release after such a long time certainly brings new feelings of pleasure.

Soon, I bottomed out in her, balls-deep inside. My dick pressed against something within her, but the pressure wasn't too hard. I could probably go slightly further if I were longer but I think it's enough already.

We didn't break the kiss as our tongues swirled together. This is the best moment of my sex life — making love to someone I truly love. I can't begin to express with words how I feel, It's... heavenly. I'm feeling so good right now I don't think I will ever reach this level of emotional bond with anyone else. I feel Moonshine's breath, her heart beating against mine as I lay atop her. Moonshine’s legs twitching in anticipation of my next move.

Slowly, I pulled out. Halfway through, I pushed in again. I started to establish a rhythm comfortable enough for the two of us. It wasn't too fast or too slow, it was... perfect. I slid in and out with ease, eliciting small gasps and moans of pleasure from Moonshine. We didn't need to speak a word, our bodies spoke their own language. I gave her pleasure and love which she returned in kind.

It is true I care deeply for her. I've not cared for anyone else in my entire life, at least not with such intensity and feeling. I feel... spiritually elevated. It is a very special moment in my life, one I will hold dear until I die. This is the moment of joining with Moonshine in one act of pure love, the best love I could've ever hoped for to achieve.

I rocked back and forth, both of us moaning in pleasure. I felt myself growing close to the edge from all the stimulation, and Moonshine's moans grew louder as well. It seems both of us will reach our climax very soon.

I slid in and out, thrusting my dick deep inside her. I’m making sure she feels the best as I hit all her sweet spots simultaneously, delivering pleasure to her to the best of my ability. The pressure inside my balls grew and grew, I soon felt like I was going to explode.

I couldn't let myself finish without Moonshine. So, I grunted and thrust at a quicker pace, trying to bring her closer to her orgasm. I held myself as best as I could while pleasuring her. Her inner walls clenched against my rod and soon she cried out in pleasure, milking me for all I was worth. I gave in and came deep inside her, filling her up with my seed.

Oh... I feel amazing...

With the last throb of my dick, I pulled out of her. Oh my, there's a lot of semen. I bet I could plant twins inside her if she were in heat.

Both of us are quite sweaty from our activities. It's no surprise but we better go get cleaned up. Thankfully, no fluids dripped onto the floor of the tent. So we won't have to clean it. However we should get that sweat washed out before we do anything else. I wouldn't mind taking a nap, Moonshine probably won't mind one either.

"Moony..." I said quietly. She raised her head and looked at me. "You know, we're now quite stinky. Maybe we should go outside and clean ourselves?"

"Yes... I think we should," she nodded then stood up. The two of us went outside, stepping right into the natural shower of rain. Moonshine looked at me and said: "Flame... you're amazing."

"Everything for you, my love," I said and kissed her softly, eliciting a small giggle.

This day was amazing. Finally, the two of us had sex for the first time. I think it strengthened our relationship. I don't feel any different but there is big emotional satisfaction in seeing Moonshine, so happy and so cheerful. Her first time was surely enjoyable for the both of us, making it a unique experience we're not likely to forget.

Maybe love is magic just as friendship is.

Author's Notes:

Finally, Flame Metal and Moonshine decided to go at it. I think their first time turned out to be pretty good. Nothing too special in terms of sexual activities, but it certainly made their relationship stronger.

I might upload a what-if chapter in my another story that I'm sure you're aware of. In that chapter, Flame would be more experienced with mares, and thus maybe it would make Moonshine's first time even better.

Chapter 4: Camping and Pleasure

Author's Notes:

Finally, an update. This chapter hasn't been worked on, so any mistakes will be fixed later. My editor is busy but I feel you deserve an update after waiting for so long. So, here it is.

This and the next chapter will be focused on sex. However, new things will come after them, including finally creating a band. It would take time and effort, but what is ever done without those two?

Early the next morning after our first time having sex, I woke up to the sound of birds chirping outside the tent. I’d had a wonderful dream where Moonshine and I were sitting together watching strange flowers bloom in a wide arrangement of colors. From simple single tones to complex mixtures of gradients, they blossomed for the two of us to see. It was a strange dream, but I liked it very much. It's very rare that I don't get either nothing or chaotic dreams. Having something simply nice is good for a change.

Moonshine was still sleeping soundly, lying on her back with her mouth open. My, what a cutie... I would've never thought that those words would ever appear inside my mind. They sound so... weird and cheesy. Like I'm in some teenage romance or something, which I hope I'm not a part of. Fluff is good but only in moderation. Maybe I think like that because I was raised to be a man who shouldn't really think about cute stuff, but... I simply can't help myself. Besides, it's not hurting anyone.

Seeing how adorable and beautiful Moonshine is an idea popped up in my mind. What if I do something special for her this morning? Wake her up with... cunnilingus?

...

I... I'm not sure. This counts as sleep molestation, right? I'm not sure I want to do something Moonshine might not approve of. She was already kinda awkward during our first time and I don't know how she might react to this. She might not like it at all.

Honestly, I'm just not confident enough to do something so daring. I know that we're a couple and all, but it just doesn't feel right. It's just the start of our sex life, and I think we should take it slow. At least, not too fast or it'll feel just like porn. I like porn, but I just don't feel like fucking strangers anymore. I guess I'm still kinda shy around those I like...

Nevermind, it's a new day. The rain seems to have ended for now. I suppose we can gather our stuff and make our way further into the woods.

We'll figure out how to deal with our sex lives together, later. For now, we can just go camping as we intended to do in the first place. Well, at least I did. Moonshine might've planned it all so I make love to her. Can't really blame her since we both enjoyed it a lot.

I decided to make a salad for the two of us first. Each morning starts with breakfast, after all. Some veggies definitely won't hurt. Were I a coffee person, I'd make some. However, I'm against anything addictive, including coffee. To me, it just tastes bad. I don't want to become addicted to caffeine either. Any addiction is unhealthy. Well, maybe aside from sex addiction. Um, maybe not, but... Hey, I think I at least was a sex addict and I'm fine. It does wonders for your body. Not only does it feel good, it also helps you burn fat. I read about it somewhere and I wouldn’t be surprised if it's actually true. I mean, sex involves using a lot of energy, just like exercise. It’s lots of fun unlike running circles which makes you want to end it all and just be a couch potato with chips scattered on your chest as you watch your favorite TV show. I suppose I should finish making the salad first.

***

As I finished making the salad, Moonshine finally woke up and greeted me with a small blush and a smile. I smiled in return and invited her to breakfast by offering her a plateful of salad.

The two of us ate in a comfortable silence, content with each other's presence.

I can't help but have my thoughts return to the previous day again. I'm so happy that Moonshine put her fears aside and we made love. I still remember her nervousness and anxiety, I could see it in her eyes. As we progressed, that look disappeared. It was replaced by joy and love as well as pleasure. I think I did good that day. Otherwise our first time might've ended sooner and in a much more awkward way. I'm glad I didn't slip into the wrong hole by accident as well.

"How did you sleep, Moony?" I asked Moonshine after finishing breakfast.

"I don't think I've ever slept so well before," she replied. "Um, after we did it, I, um, felt much better," she blushed. "Well, it felt like I climbed a big mountain and... you know, I enjoyed every second of it and, um, wouldn't mind doing it again sometime," she leaned in and kissed me on the cheek.

Speaking of which, I need to find out if I can last more than once. Maybe later today.

"That's good to know," I replied with a smile. "So... Where do you suppose we go next?"

"I don't know..." Moonshine tapped her chin. "I think we can go deeper into the forest. I've not been here before, and maybe we'll find something interesting."

Go deeper, that's what she said.

"Let's go then," I replied with a nod.

We packed our stuff fairly quickly and then made our way into the forest. Everything was still slightly wet from the rain but it was fine.

So, we walked through the forest enjoying the scenery. Birds were chirping and we noticed some snow lying under the trees. In fact, it looked beautiful. I... Well I don't think I can describe the scenery with words. Not because I'm awestruck but because I never bothered to read much literature back on earth, to learn how to poetically describe things. Maybe that's why I can't write songs?

Yeah, I suck at that kind of stuff. I can repeat but I can't create — everything feels so repetitive as if I plagiarized it from another band. That's why I will represent metal here with a good band that isn't mine in any way. I bet there are many talented musicians out there that will be able to create something on par if not better. I don't think anyone would like my own songs. I had a couple projects back in the day but I've never shown them to anyone. They were so bad and weird and...

I admit that I can't create something my own. I play well, like really good, but... Art is something I can't make. Writing? There are a lot of shitty books and fanfics out there already. I don't want to add to that. Drawing? Meh... Songs? As I said earlier, I can't create them, just copy. Maybe add a twist or two but there are better cover artists than me. They can transform orchestra into metal but me? I... Well, I can do somethings but...

I guess these thoughts are kind of depressing. I just want Equestrians to accept metal and that's why I want to give them something I consider good, something that is deserving of praise. It won't be appreciated if I make something shitty.

"What're you thinking about?" Moonshine asked me suddenly.

"...Stuff," I replied. "Well I want to write songs but... I can't really create something of my own."

"Flame, you're really good with instruments, I'm sure you will figure out something," she assured me and then kissed me on the cheek. "I know you can do it."

"Thanks..." I replied, blushing slightly. Her words of encouragement definitely helped me. Maybe it's not that bad after all. After playing Ghost I might start my own band and do stuff with it. Who knows, really?

Suddenly, I remembered what is awaiting me once Moonshine and I return to the apartment. Night Breeze is waiting for me there, having clear intent of having sex with me. Well, I think I should practice with Moonshine more to get experience with equine sex.

I feel she won't be against it in the slightest.

We decided to stop by another small pond. This one is smaller than the first one, I guess the water would barely reach my body at its deepest.

As we set up the tents, I decided that it would be nice to have a campfire. This day is slightly colder than the previous one and I think the campfire would not only provide warmth and comfort but also a certain feel that nothing else can give. What kind of camping is it if there's no fireplace? We could fry bread and cook potatoes as well.

So I gathered some sticks, somewhat dry grass, leaves, acorns and a few stones. Should be good enough to prepare a fire. However more wood would be needed to sustain it.There would be smoke and I know that smoke always comes in your direction no matter where you actually sit. There will be a lot of smoke and vapor due to how wet some sticks are.

I actually know a few things about camping, huh. When I was young, my friends and I went to a local forest quite often. We built fireplaces, cooked some food. Then sat around swapping stories and thoughts on all kinds of stuff. It was fun and it helped me learn how to build a good fireplace.

After I gathered everything I needed I went back to the tent by backtracking my steps. Soon I was back with Moonshine.

I set up the fireplace near the tent but not too close. I then rolled a few heavy logs that I found nearby to sit on. Looks good to me. Yeah, it definitely looks like a campsite now.

I placed the sticks in a special pattern that Russians call 'shalash'. Basically, it's a cone. This placement allows the fire to warm up the sticks and burn well. I'm no expert but it works.

I used my magic to light up the kindling underneath the sticks. Letting it prepare them for burning, I placed the blanket over the log to make it comfortable to sit on. Then I went to prepare the bread for cooking.I cut off a few slices, placed them on a plate and returned to the log. I put the plate down there and went searching for thin sticks for cooking.

Meanwhile, Moonshine was watching over the flame that wasn't me and sat on the log. Yeah, I'll do everything. She may sit there and rest. I'm for equal gender rights or whatever but I can still do nice stuff to girls.

I used the multitool I bought to sharpen the sticks I found. Should be good enough for penetration.

That's what she said. My, I need to get laid today. I feel my sex drive rising again after almost a year of neglect. I really need to fuck someone right now. Well maybe not right now but... Yeah, I want to have sex.

As I turned to Moonshine, I saw her adjusting the sticks slightly and levitating more into the rising fire. It had already started to give off a fair amount of heat, actually.

"Hey, you've built a nice fireplace," Moonshine said. "For somepony who hasn't camped before, it's actually really good."

"Thanks," I replied. "Well... time to cook some stuff and eat."

As we put the bread on our sticks and levitated the sticks closer to the fire, both of us relaxed. Wait a second... why did I prepare sticks when we could simply use our telekinesis to put the bread near the fire? I'm dumb, I guess.

Whatever, it works fine. As long as it cooks it's alright.

"Actually, I was used to going out with my friends and sitting around a fire rather often," I admitted to Moonshine. "We did it just for fun. It wasn't camping but it had something... special to it, I guess."

"Yeah, it's definitely nice. I could stare at the flames for the whole day."

And I can stare into her ey— wait, that's too cheesy. I mean, her eyes are beautiful but voicing something like what I've just thought is not fitting for me at all. Or any real romances, for that matter. I've not heard of anyone saying that 'I can stare into your eyes for eternity.' thing outside of TV shows and whatnot. I don't even know if anyone really does that.

It's weird. Love is weird. Ah, whatever — love feels good. Not just the physical aspect of it but everything combined. I don't know why but it does. I'm about as experienced with love as a forty year old virgin. I'm definitely not a virgin and I'm way younger than forty. Sure, combine my current physical age with my real age and it'll be... Thirty-seven, I guess. Yeah, very close to forty.

Wait, why am I thinking about this stuff? I'm definitely weird.

Well... I suppose I should better enjoy my time with Moonshine since we are all alone and by ourselves.

After cooking the bread and potatoes and also eating them, we just sat by the fire and rested, content with each other's presence. It's warm and nice sitting here and the smoke doesn't disturb us at all. It's a perfect situation if you ask me.

Suddenly Moonshine kissed me on the lips. I was surprised but didn't hesitate to return the kiss in kind. I like these kind of surprises.

"You know... I think I want a repeat of what we did yesterday," Moonshine said after we separated. "But... let me do something for you..."

Moonshine proceeded to sit down in front of me. She thrust her head into my crotch and nuzzled my ballsack passionately. All of it happened without any warning whatsoever.

"Ah!" I let out a gasp of surprise. I didn't expect this from her but fuck does it feel good! I exhaled shakily as she proceeded to lick my orbs, making my manhood grow.

I moaned in pleasure and made her access easier by spreading my legs. If she wants to give me a blowjob, who am I to complain?

Soon, she was licking at my exposed head. She also used her magic to warm me up. F-fuck, it already feels good! I can't wait for her to actually suck my dick. I... I can't even think straight right now.

Moonshine continued to lick and suckle until I was completely erect and ready for action. She kissed the tip of my penis. Then she put the head into her mouth, eliciting loud moans of pleasure from me. She made circular motions with her tongue, then began to bob her head up and down. She engulfed more and more of my rod as she went.

I placed my front hooves on her head and nudged her slightly. The pleasure is way too high, I'm acting purely on instincts. I simply can't get enough of her wet and warm mouth.

Suddenly, she slid down the whole length and her muzzle bumped into my crotch. I let out a yelp as I felt immense pleasure washing over me as she used her tongue and throat to stimulate me.

F-fucking balls-d-deep! Now that's something rarely seen! Oh my fucking hell...

She established a slow rhythm. She went up and down, leaving saliva all over my length. F-fuck, I'm so happy she doesn't have any gag reflex whatsoever! I'd even start praying to God if he suddenly appeared and told me he created mares this way. No one likes gag reflex anyway.

I'm so high right now I can see heaven way below me. This feels fantastic! I want more of it, much more. The pressure that I feel makes me roll my eyes back in pleasure, and I was enjoying this process wholly.

My love went faster and faster, she pressed her tongue against my dick for additional pleasing pleasure, gulping to stimulate me with her throat. I have no idea how she figured out what to do but it feels amazing! I have no words to describe what I'm feeling right now. This... this is something every being with a dick should experience. F-f-uuuuck!

However, I do feel the need to warn Moonshine about one very important thing. I feel pressure building up in my balls which means…

"M-moony, I'm going to c-cum — nghh! — soon!" I said, stuttering from immense pleasure.

She nodded slightly, and then proceeded to quicken the pace. Does she want me to cum in her mouth? F-fuck, it's wonderful!

She went faster and faster, still sliding up and down my whole length, which is very, very impressive. I mean, it's more than twenty centimeters of stallion meat, how is she even handling this? I guess the length of the neck really helps. Though, it's tight as fuck. Is it even comfortable for her?

Finally, I felt it would be too hard to contain myself for any longer. With a grunt, I came right down her throat, my dick pulsating as its head flared and I sent my semen into Moonshine's depths.

She slowly slid up, and then last spurt of cum filled her whole mouth. Holy crap, I feel like I've just came a bucket worth of semen! Is this even possible? My balls aren't that big.

Whatever science there is behind it, I don't care. It feels amazing, and...

My vision went blurry from the orgasm as my whole body relaxed. It's the most intense orgasm I've ever felt in my entire life. I don't know why, but it was so fucking good...

As my vision came back into focus, I looked at Moonshine. She was licking her lips, cleaning the remains of cum.

"You're tasty," she complimented me, licking my cock clean as well.

I... I expected it to feel ticklish but it's not. Does this mean I can go more than once? I'm still hard and in no way softening. Huh... I don't know how I didn't notice yesterday.

"Moonshine... You're really good at this," I said after I subdued my breathing and the trembling of my body. That orgasm was really powerful, way more satisfying than what I usually experienced. It's like comparing a cannon to a pocket pistol.

"Um, I just read some of this..." she said, blushing. Then she levitated a magazine and showed it to me. Where did she even get it? I haven't seen her reading it before.

So... It's title is 'How to please your stallion: Oral Sex'.

She really prepared for this, I see. Already learning how to give pleasure. I suppose I can teach her a few things too. I should also return the favor and learn some mare pleasing techniques to surprise her with.

I know what we'll be doing for the rest of the camping.

Chapter 5: Soft and Cloudy

Author's Notes:

A bit more clop with just some story. The next chapter will contain clop but the story will finally move forward for all of you plot lovers. Thanks for your patience!

I should warn you that the beginning of this chapter is very suggestive. Shouldn't be too much but not too little either.

We've been experimenting sexually for a while now. I came at least three times. Moonshine... heck, I don't even know, but I'm sure she came even more than me. Counting isn't what you do when there's a girlfriend willing to be pleased, obviously. I feel some tiredness but I'm still ready for more action. Moonshine is still in a good shape as well but she's definitely more tired than me. She's all sweaty and her mane is a mess. There are small patches of a peculiar white spots on the blanket. Yeah, I'll need to clean that once we're finished. However, neither of our bodily fluids are stuck anywhere on our furs, manes or tails. I always came inside which led to losing stuff only when I came inside her from behind and dang do equines cum a lot. I don't think it's just me who can pump out so much in one go.

I'm an alicorn who can mate a lot without much rest but still... It's damn impressive. Also, I don't want to lose the competition, so to say. I don't think I would ever need anyone else to love other than Moonshine. I mean, sex is good and all, but I don't want to steal fillies from other guys. I'm not a dickhead in that regard.

Besides, sex isn't everything. I don't know how many fillies would like me for who I am and not for what I can do in bed. Moonshine likes me for my characteristics, not just looks. Even me being an alien isn't off-putting, which is definitely something. Would others accept me as easily?

...

I think I'm overthinking things. Has my ego grown so much I consider myself able to steal fillies from other guys?

...

I'm ashamed, to be honest. I shouldn't think about that. I was never egotistical. No one ever called me one, at least. I... I don't know what to think about it. I am an alicorn, have good looks, well-hung, have a lot of endurance, not an asshole, but it doesn't mean I can brag about it. I guess I just did but hey, it's my own mind. I don't think anyone's reading my thoughts.

If someone is indeed reading my thoughts, then... Well, I might seem difficult for them. An anti-theist with socialization problems, also shy and... Well, I guess people might hate me because of the first fact. I've never really talked to anyone about my feelings towards, well, anything. I can see how talking about my preferences of religion, having none at all and basically hating it, would make people not like me.

Wait, what am I doing? I've been having sex with my fillyfriend. Why am I suddenly thinking about religion of all things? What the fuck, really? I mean, I guess I'm the devil in the eyes of the church but hey, I'm a normal human. Well, somewhat normal.

Um, let's think about something else.

...

I know!. I want to try something even I haven't tried before in sex. It's not anal — we don't have lube, I don't want to hurt my fillyfriend by accident and I don't really want that kind of sex in the first place. Yeah, I stuffed a butt plug up my ass once and I didn't like it but hey, at least I know what I won't need to try ever. I'm still not gay and that's all that matters here.

Anyway, I don't know what Moonshine will think once I reveal my idea. I hope she'll like it because it's exactly what I imagine it to be — exotic.

"Moony," I called her. "I have an idea... What if we have sex in the clouds?"

"...What?" she gave me a confused look.

"Well, um, I'm an alicorn. Partly a pegasus, right?" I explained slightly nervously. What if she doesn't like my idea? Experimentation is good and all, she seems to agree with me on that matter but what I want to try is a little different. "Pegasi can walk on the clouds, that's for certain." I feel heat in between my hind legs I'm aroused by the mere thought of doing something so unusual. "I can lie on a cloud while, um, you'll be on top of me. What do you think?" I asked and blushed. Sharing fantasies is... awkward, I guess. I hope I didn't weird out Moonshine too much.

I'm certain I didn't. After all, she was the first one who shared her own sexual fantasies with me. How's it... Voyeurism? I believe that's what it's called.

"...Um, I guess we can try." she nodded. "I've never been on a cloud before. I, um, wouldn't really mind to see everything from up there."

"Alright, then," I stood up and revealed my wings by making my necklace drop the magic around them. I stretched my wings and... Damn, their span is very big. I guess I can be a bed for Moonshine if she ever wants to sleep on a cloud. Heck, I can cocoon her completely. "Prepare yourself."

I flew up and hovered above Moonshine for a few moments. Thankfully, my wings weren't touching any trees around us. I looked up and saw a cloud that looks pretty good for our future activities. So, I lowered myself. Dang, my erection is in the way. Using my magic, I adjusted it and slid it underneath Moonshine's belly, right between her hind legs. She gasped due to my dick rubbing against her vagina slightly. It winked, making me moan as well. Nghh, I need to focus...

I locked my legs around Moonshine and lifted her up. She's rather light to me and the grip I have on her is tight enough to securely hold her in place as I carried her.

"Whoa!" she exclaimed as her hooves lifted off the ground. "This feels weird."

I flew up effortlessly and we were soon above the trees. F-fuck, my penis is rubbing between her legs and it distracts me. Just a little bit further and we'll be on the clouds. Then I'll put my man thing to use. I flew around the cloud so we didn't get drenched, soon I hovered above one of them.

So, I carefully turned around so that my back was against the cloud. I stretched my wings so that they covered as much as they could, and then I fell straight down on the cloud. Moonshine yelped as we landed.

O-oh, I never knew clouds are this soft and comfortable. The view from this cloud is breathtaking, too! Everything seems so small from up here. These clouds are nowhere near as high as those on Earth but they're still pretty high up. I can see a part of Ponyville from here as well as Canterlot. I hope no one has binoculars to spy on us. I also hope that no pegasus comes to retrieve this cloud. It'd be... embarrassing if they did.

Alright, I need to return my attention to my fillyfriend. I used my magic to place Moonshine in such a way that we would be face to face. My dick got sandwiched between my body and hers.

"It feels... weird," she said. She fidgeted on me, eliciting a moan out of my mouth as her wet pussy rubbed against my erection. "But it's good. Let's do it!"

She raised herself by using her forelegs that were on my chest, her hind legs on mine. Then she used her magic to align my penis with her wet entrance. She lowered herself and moaned loudly as I penetrated her for who knows what time. I kissed her on the lips, muffling our moans.

The cloud under me feels like a very soft springy mattress. It bounces under my body slightly but it's still very comfortable and... fluid. It's like sitting on one of those water-filled big pillow thingies except that they're not made out of rubber but of something extremely soft like... Silk? I don't know how to describe what material it feels like.

Soon Moonshine slid all the way down to the base of my dick. I used my magic to lift up her butt, helping her hind legs relax. We began slowly, then picked up a steady and comfortable pace. I thrust and pulled out with ease due to how wet she was down there, her own love juices and my semen mixed there.

I moaned alongside my fillyfriend as we made love on the cloud. It's pretty romantic if you ask me. You could never do that on Earth, too. Shame earth ponies and unicorns can’t experience it without help.

I slid in and out of Moonshine, moaning and grunting each time. I used my full length to please her, going balls-deep into her and then pulling out until just a tip is in. Even after who knows how much sex we’ve been having I still want more. I don't know if it's simple lust or love but I want to feel Moonshine in body and soul. We connected together in an act of love. Uh, it sounded awkward even in my head. Well, I'm really madly in love with her, what can I do? I want her completely, there is no way around it.

"I love you, Moonshine..." I whispered to her. I can't say those words enough to emphasize just how strong my feelings for her are.

I've loved only once before and now I have a lot of accumulated love to share. Moonshine is the one I would very much like to spend an eternity with.

Speaking about eternity, why not think about it while I have sex? All those who say that living for eternity is boring probably don't realize that things change and new opportunities appear constantly. Just look at what humanity went through during the course of just two hundred years. Electricity, cars, TV, aircrafts, internet, and it only grows and grows! You can never get bored unless you ignore everything and decide to be boring.

I will try not to become boring. Think of all the things I can bring to Equestria! Internet, video games, animation and more! I could make all those ponies happy and still give them ideas that might not be possible on Earth.

Think about all those video games? Damn, I might even help Half-Life 3 to come out! Damn Gaben still doesn't want to move his fat ass to make the game. Wait, maybe it's already there back on Earth? I've not been there for a long time.

...

Who am I kidding? Half-Life 3, what? Pffft, Valve would rather sell hats for Team Fortress 2 and skins for CS:GO than make good games.

I'll make damn sure Half-Life 3 comes out here at least.

...

I think my mind should return to sex.

Moonshine moaned softly and cutely as she rode me, and I made sure she felt appreciated as I placed small kisses on her lips, cheeks, horn, jawline, and neck. I slightly nibbled on her ears, too. It's a weird thing to do but she seems to like it. She shivers on top of me as I make love to her.

I felt my edge growing close. I quickened my pace slightly, and the sounds of bodies slapping against each other became louder. Moonshine's cute moans grew in volume and my own grunts became louder as well. I felt my balls tightening as another orgasm grew quickly.

Finally, I let out a primal growl and hilted inside Moonshine. I sprayed her insides with my white seed once again, so much so that some of it leaked out of her pussy. I panted from my orgasm as it washed over me, making me shudder in pleasure as I sent my semen inside the one I love.

I relaxed, not even pulling out of Moonshine. She fell atop me with a soft groan of satisfaction. I smiled and kissed her cheek, eliciting a muffled moan as her head lay on my chest.

I think we need to get down, wash ourselves and the blanket. The evening's coming soon and we need to get everything ready for the night.

After we finally decided to finish our sexual activities, we cleaned everything that needed to be cleaned, including ourselves. Right now we are resting in the tent — we're spent completely. We cuddled together, too. It feels nice and warm, definitely.

We decided to wrap everything up in the morning and return to the apartment. Moonshine is beyond satisfied (dare I say, for a good reason) and I am as well. The heat week will soon pass and everything will return to order, hopefully.

Speaking of order, there is school. I still need to go to it, obviously. This week of rest (kind of) is good and all but doing something, um, mentally productive would be good, too. I also have to take part in the performance of a musical group... Nox Obscura? I believe that's what it's called.

Speaking of heat, I have another filly to satisfy as a payment for what she did. I still remember that, she won't catch me off-guard with it. Since I've got some practice, satisfying her won't be a big problem.

Yeah... I can say life's good. Even after Discord messed some things up, it turned out to be good in the end. I mean, who am I to complain? I'm finally big enough to be having sex.

Big enough in body, of course.

Sexual innuendo aside, I need to sleep. We're going back to Canterlot tomorrow and rest will definitely be nice for the two of us. We have a few days of the heat week ahead of us and then everything will return to order. I actually can't wait for school to start again. Studying in it is in no way a chore, it gives you a feeling of satisfaction when you finish the day. It doesn’t give you the desire to never wake up when you fall asleep after a tiring day at the school. Schooling had given me some problems back on Earth but right now things are going smoothly. It looks like I will be doing music soon, too.

I can't wait for the next day to start.

Chapter 6: Payment

Author's Notes:

It's the last porn-centered chapter for a while, expect more actual plot and development soon. Also, my editor left to pursue their own goals in life. Wish them best of luck!

I woke up in the early morning to the warm sun shining through the tent's window. We forgot to close the flap, ugh. Well, at least it's not cold. In fact, it's warmer than yesterday, and I'm not even talking about the warmth of Moonshine lying by my side. She's still sleeping and I can hear her calm and deep breaths. I turned my head to her and saw her sleeping body. She was hugging me with her forelegs, keeping me close. I think my own foreleg went numb from being under her for so long.

Wait, if it's numb it means there's no circulation, right? Do I have to amputate my leg now? It'd be unfortunate, to say the least.

I used my magic to get that foreleg from under Moonshine and then took a look at it. It seems normal. I touched it and felt something. Huh, I guess my irrational fear isn't confirmed and my leg stays.

As a human, I wouldn't really care if one of my legs was amputated. Sure, it would look pretty bad and even thinking about it is messed up, but hey, I didn't go out much. Also, having protheses would be cool. You can replace them unlike your leg and they work just as fine if not better. Of course full leg amputation wouldn't be nice but I'd rather have something metallic and replaceable than organic and easily broken and irreplaceable.

I'm for cyborgonisation all the way. I'm not sure if that's a word, though.

At any rate, human, or pretty much any other organic body, isn't perfect. A body needs to be sustained with food, water. It also needs exercise. You can't lie down for long without having health problems, too. I know that robotic bodies would need some kind of energy as well, I'm not stupid. I think that there are more efficient ways to get energy or at least get a bigger coefficient of efficiency than we currently have.

Hmm... It's interesting how a numb leg can lead to these thoughts. Well, that's my mind — it likes to go pretty much anywhere. Thinking about the meaning of life while having sex, how about that, huh? Scientifically speaking, life has no meaning but to survive and procreate, but whatever. I can make my own goal and live my own life without any meaning. Animals don't think about the meaning of life and that's why they can be smarter than humans by a long shot. I don't need anyone to tell me my destiny, fate, purpose, whatever comes to their minds. I will just do what I like, and that's pretty much the ultimate meaning of life.

I have no idea why my mind works like that but I don't complain, at least much. Maybe I do, I don't remember. My memory is a bit messed up after Discord tampered with my whole body and probably even touched my mind in a few ways.

Not... lewd ways, mind you. At least it didn't seem so. Otherwise, I'd be traumatized. Let's not go that dark path, shall we?

I heard Moonshine moaning in her sleep. I looked at her and saw her nuzzling me. This felt nice, and I didn't hesitate to nuzzle her back.

Where was I? Ah yeah, Discord. He (I don't know what gender he is but let's assume it's a he since his voice seems male) is a very strange... whatever he is. He gave me a better body just because he could. That's odd. I also remember he told me something about.... uh... I don't think it was that important since I forgot the specifics. Ah well, whatever. I'll figure it out someday if it's actually important.

Moonshine yawned and hugged me tightly, and yet it looks like she's still alseep. It seems she's enjoying whatever she's seeing in her dreams. It certainly doesn't look like she wants to wake up right now.

I think it goes without saying that she deserves some rest since, well, I banged her a lot yesterday. I hope her butt's alright. I mean, it wasn't exactly rough sex but she was a virgin just a few days ago. Every good thing should be in moderation, at least in the beginning.

As for me, I'm well-rested and ready for the day. I'm sure I can do whatever I want and not get tired fast. My stamina is great, much better than it was before. I could either exercise or do what I do best out of all physical activities — have sex. Though, it might count as exercise. Maybe that's why I didn't gain much weight ever since fifteen? Regular sex is healthy for you, after all. It's not like I'm a pervert looking to get myself off of anything with a hole in it or even without that, but sex is great. I might be addicted to it, too.

Addictions aren't exactly healthy but sex haven't had any negative impact on me. Well, besides me being... kinda nymphomaniac? Wait, that's the term for women, as far as I'm aware. Ah, I remember — hypersexual. Something like that, definitely.

Right now, I'm thinking about sex and, honestly speaking I wouldn't mind having it. I'd use my fingers to show Moony a great time. Playing musical instruments takes skill, especially considering the movement of fingers, and I had pretty long and agile fingers. I'm not exactly best in fingering either an instrument or a girl but I'm definitely good. Still, I should let Moonshine rest after our yesterday's activities. Besides, I have Night Breeze to please. Hey, that rhymed!

Finally, Moonshine's waking up. She stretched her limbs and opened her eyes, immediately looking at me. I smiled at her, silently greeting her. Her eyes trailed down my body and she blushed. I looked down as well and...

...

Let's just say that thinking about sex can bring some very obvious results.

I readjusted my body to hide those results and then blushed at the filly brightly, my ears flat against my head in embarrassment. In times like this, I wish ponies wore clothes. Nudism is good and all but it doesn't prevent some very awkward moments from happening outside of your control. I could've not thought about sex in the first place but why wouldn't I?

I shouldn't even blush because of this moment since the two of us did some really naughty things yesterday, including having sex on a cloud. Sex. On a cloud.

"Um, let's pack things up and get going." I suggested while still blushing. "I bet Molniya's waiting for us."

"Yeah... I guess so." she nodded.

We stood up, my body calmed down, allowing me to walk without having, ahem, a third leg. Wait, fifth leg. Yep, that's right.

First of all, I took a look at the blanket that I washed in the stream. The white stains are gone and it looks as good as new. It has dried out, too. I rolled it up and attached to a saddlebag. The next thing I did was scattering the ashes and coal to make the campsite less obvius. We've not thrown any trash, and that's good. I never liked how a lot of people dump just about anything in the forests, turning them into nasty trash storage. I believe that nature should be preserved. Besides, we're wasting a lot of resources by not recycling the trash in one way or another. I can't believe people don't understand that. The resources we have on Earth are finite. While there are ways to synthesize more, we shouldn't be careless.

At least ponies don't litter. Well, a point for them.

That little bit of misanthropy aside, I still need to pack everything. Better get to doing it.

After a few hours, we got back to Canterlot.

Woo-wee, here I come! Speaking about coming, Night Breeze expects me to do it for her but in a different, much more sexual meaning. I must also remember to cast that condom spell on myself so that I don't impregnate her on accident. I'm not ready to become a father just yet. Besides, I don't love Night, and having a child conceived without love would be weird. I know some people do it but I'm not one of those.

We entered the apartment and went into our part of it. Immediately, I saw Molniya lying on my bed, sleeping. As soon as I noticed her, her eyes opened slightly. She saw me and her eyes opened wider as she meowed. She jumped down and ran to me, and was soon rubbing herself all over my legs. I pet her gently, returning the greetings.

Well, it seems that Night Breeze did well. Molniya looks good, her bowls have food, and I can see a couple of her toys lying around. My cat is satisfied and so am I, then. Time to return the favor, I suppose.

"Are you ready to go to her?" I asked Moonshine. I still remember her condition.

"Yes, I think." she nodded, blushing.

Time to sate her dark desire. I guess most people are voyeurists since they watch porn, but doing it in reality... That's new. Well, it might not be unusual to, say, use virtual reality to simulate pretty much anything in a couple of decades.

Nothing beats real sex, though. As much as there are porn vids, pics, even drawings and animations, as well as a lot of sex toys (I bet there is a rubber horse vagina and a dragon cock somewhere on Earth), nothing can replace feeling a real partner doing it with you. I've had multiple partners over the course of my life, and they were definitely better than anything I could do with my hand or both. There are more body parts I could use for it, though.

I've not considered sucking myself off. That's kinda gross, to be honest. I'm not a cat to lick my own balls. I know that some people are definitely into it and I don't judge them (it feels good when someone sucks you off, after all) but for me it's... not what I'd like to do. I've not tried it and I won't. I'm not so desperate or in need of conserving my proteins.

I do have some kinks but they are moderate in comparison to what some people are into. My, there are more ways to find pleasure than there are months I've lived.

That topic aside, Moonshine and I went to twins' room. I knocked on it and soon the voice of Night Breeze answered, allowing us to enter.

"Hi, Flame." the filly greeted me. She was lying on her bed, her hind legs spread wide. I could see her pussy winking and dripping juices. My, that's a sexy view. "So, I suppose you brought the payment."

"I did." I nodded, and then lifted one of my hind legs up just enough for Night to see my ballsack. A grin appeared on her face as she caught a glimpse of what I'm about to give her.

"So... you want a threesome, right?" she asked, her eyes turning to Moonshine. My fillyfriend blushed and averted her eyes, mumbling something under her breath.

"She's here to watch." I replied for her. "Also, where's your brother?"

"Watch, you say? Huh. Such a kink is rarer among ponies than us lunar kind." Night Breeze chuckled. "As about White, he's out with his fillyfriend. She's one of his classmates and she'd recently gone into her first heat. She invited him to come over." she winked with both parts of her body that were capable of doing so.

Making love to a fillyfriend during the day, plowing his own sister at night? Ain't that something, huh. I guess that besides me, no one knows about his relationship with his sibling.

Suddenly, Moonshine walked up to the filly and whispered something into her ear.

"Really?" Night asked, her eyes going wider. "Oh, it will be a good day, definitely..." she looked back at me, her eyes half-lidded as a lustful smile spread across her face. "Fuck me, big colt. For a warmup, let's do something really good for you..." she shifted on her bed, and let her head hang on its edge, her neck straightening. I actually know that position, and it's hot as hell. "Moon's saying that you can last multiple times. I have a really hard time believing it, but it's definitely worth a try. You'll soon have your own hard time." she winked, biting her lower lip. "So... Fuck my throat. Don't hold back, be as rough as you want." she opened her mouth, moving her tongue out of the way. Her horn glowed, her magic encompassing my balls and massaging them.

I couldn't contain my moans as I felt my stallionhood growing. It was already almost completely erect by the time Night stopped talking but it still needs a bit more stimulation. Well, time for us to start.

I walked up to her and adjusted my position so that the tip of my penis was very close to her open maw. I glanced at Moonshine and saw her blushing. She was sitting to the side, watching the two of us.

I tilted my body forward, the tip of my dick entering Night's mouth. She immediately started using her tongue to stimulate me, making me groan in pleasure. F-fuck, she's eager to milk me...

Something tells me she did that a lot with her brother. That's some good sibling love alright.

I'll never be able to think about siblings without imagining them having sex. Another perversion is in my mind, huh.

I pushed forward, more of my shaft entering her mouth. She moaned, sending shivers down my spine. I pushed halfway in, making her moan even louder as my dick bumped against the back of her throat. I pulled back slightly, and then pushed forward, my medial ring disappearing inside her mouth. I saw her throat bulge as my dick entered it, and damn that's hot! F-fucking hell, her throat is so warm, moist, and tight...

I couldn't resist but push all the way in, my balls slapping against her muzzle. I groaned in satisfaction, feeling my whole length inside her. I stayed like that for a few seconds and then started fucking her. I pulled almost completely out, and then I thrusted, bottoming out in her. She moaned even with her throat completely full, slurping on my dick and trying to use her tongue to please me even more.

I went faster and faster, my balls slapping against her muzzle as I fucked her throat without restraint. She wrapped her forelegs around my hind legs, pulling me in, expressing her desire to be fucked.

Who am I to complain or disagree? All I can do is fuck that tight, wet, w-warm throat to the best of my ability. F-fuck, it feels so good... I heard moaning to my side. I looked there and saw Moonshine using her magic to masturbate.

Just for her viewing pleasure, I slowly pulled out until just a tip of my rod remained inside Night's mouth. I winked at Moonshine and then thrusted deep inside.

"C-come here, Moony." I told her. I don't want her to remain completely out of action. She walked up to me and I locked my lips with hers, meanwhile not ceasing to fuck Night Breeze.

Moonshine moaned into my mouth as my tongue found its way into hers, and the lunar filly underneath me moaned as I pleased myself with her mouth and throat. It feels like she enjoys it as much as I do, though. I don't really know why girls like giving blowjobs. Emotional satisfaction? Does it really feel good to suck?

I can just ask them but I don't think I ever will. I learned something after finding out how sausages are made.

If it feels good, don't ask how its done.

Speaking about sausages, mine feels like I'm about to explode into Night's wanting mouth. I grunted as I felt my balls tightening. I fell on top of the filly, my dick deep inside her throat. I began fucking her very hard while I used about a quarter of my length. I took her hind legs and pulled them closer, giving me easier access to her vagina. I began licking it eagerly as I thrusted in and out of Night's maw. She shivered and shuddered under my touch as I fucked her roughly. Yee-ah, that's what she wants, and I deliver.

Maybe Moonshine will be willing to try that, too. Who knows? She didn't mind giving me blowjobs, after all. But how does she feel about being throat-fucked? I don't know if she wants rough sex.

My balls slapped against Night's muzzle for the last time, and I came deep inside her throat. I grunted loudly, pushing even harder, making the filly moan as well.

I pulled out and let the final spurt of my white seed go into her mouth, filling it to the brim. Some of it spilled and streamed down her muzzle and dripped onto the floor. Damn, I'm sorry for staining that carpet. Though, I'm sure there's a lot of White Light's seed there, much more than a few drops of mine.

I pulled out completely, letting even more cum to drip onto the carpet. I feel bad for doing that. Poor carpet, I bet it's traumatized.

"F-fuck, you're big..." Night Breeze said. "I've never felt so ravaged before, huh." she licked her lips, my cum still staining some of her fur. "You're good, you know?"

"Thanks." I replied, chuckling.

"Moonshine told me that you can go more than once." the filly winked. "Are you ready?"

I feel as hard as ever, and so I nodded. Night Breeze smiled, and then rolled over. She displayed her butt to me and moved her tail away, revealing her wet entrance, ready to be fucked. She raised her rump slightly and wiggled it, swishing her tail. She spread her scent all across the room and I inhaled it without much thinkng. She's definitely still in heat, that smell is really good.

Before going at it, I used the contraception spell. Nope, no foals. As much as some people hate contraceptions and deem them sinful or something, I'm not like that. It's not just me avoiding responsibility, I don't want to put anyone through the pain of birth. I would do that only with explicit permission.

If not using condoms is avoiding responsibility, then wearing hardhats at a construction site is avoiding it, too.

Dumb people and their opinions aside, it's time to fuck, and fuck hard.

I got onto the bed and took my position behind Night Breeze. She was dripping' ready for me to take her. I glanced at Moonshine and saw her biting her lower lip, awaiting my next move. I moved forward, and successfully penetrated her with ease. Oh fuck, she's tight! I grunted as I thrusted deeper, going balls-deep into her.

"Fuck, you're d-definitely not small, Flame!" I heard Night moaning under me.

Actions speak louder than words, and so I pulled back and slammed against her body, making her moan into the sheets as I pushed her into the bed.

She wanted rough sex, and so here it is. I established a fast and hard rhythm, making sure Night was constantly moaning under me. Subconsciously, I bit into her mane and pulled it slightly, showing my dominance.

I glanced to the side and saw Moonshine blushing madly. I winked at her, and then returned my attention to the filly under me. Her scent was driving me mad with lust as I pounded her, grunting as I used my whole length to make her feel good.

F-fucking hell, this is so hot... I would've never imagined my girlfriend would like watching me doing someone else. I doubt I would even suggest that myself. And yet, it's incredibly sexy to actually do it.

It's also interracial (or whatever the term here is) sex, which is almost always hot as fuck. I've never really thought about it, though. It's kind of strange, too. I'm definitely not racist but having someone of different race as a lover would be... different. Or maybe not, I don't know.

On the inside, Night Breeze isn't that much different from Moonshine. Though, it feels like my filly's a bit tighter and maybe softer. There is a subtle difference in texture, definitely.

I felt my orgasm coming closer as I thrusted into Night Breeze full-force, leaving her a shivering mess of moans under me.

And here I thought that I will take more time to actually create a band. Equestria mustn't stay without it for long!

I guess having sex takes precious time. At least it isn't wasteful. Well, at least to me.

I finally hilted and released my seed into the lunar filly, a loud and long moan escaped her mouth as my liquid warmth filled her depths.

"Oh my gosh... Flame..." she gasped as we both collapsed. "Moonshine... you're lucky to have that colt!"

"Um, thanks..." my love replied. "He's really good, isn't it?"

"Hell yeah he is!" Night Breeze declared and chuckled. "Big colt... Are you ready for more?"

Who am I to disagree?

Chapter 7: Afterthoughts

Finally, I'm resting on my bed after satisfying Night Breeze. She was definitely pleased by my, uh, abilities. I hope that the anti-pregnancy spell I used actually worked that time (or multiple times, come to think of it. Does it work per ejaculation?), otherwise there's no chance I won't be a father. As I previously mentioned, I'm not ready to be one for at least a few years, possibly more.

Anyway, I'm thinking about different things that have happened to me recently and not so recently. I breathed lightly as I lay, the sun shining through the window, illuminating the surroundings and casting its light on me. To my side, Moonshine lay, sleeping peacefully, her eyes closed and a small smile on her face. As it turned out, both of us needed rest.

My life has turned to a direction I've never expected it to. I mean, getting into new world, having a new body, discovering a vastly different culture, and then finding a love interest that is twice as young as me is... interesting to say the least. I don't really know how I feel about all of this. I mean, I do know how I feel, but... While I accepted ponies as, uh, my new... specie, I can't begin to describe how weird it is to experience something like this. I can describe my own experience but...

...

Let's stop here, it becomes too confusing for me.

Anyway, I think many people would've done differently. I don't really have a way of knowing it for sure, though. I can only speak for myself, after all. I have no idea if there are more humans around, living their own lives and looking like native ponies. There could possibly be hundreds if not thousands of humans living in Equestria and possibly other countries. There aren't just ponies, after all. Griffons, minotaurs... Some other intelligent species I missed. Oh, horses!

Yes, they do have horses. I remember seeing pictures of horses, and I can say they have more in common with what we have on Earth. And those horses live in... Saudi Arabia? Wait, there's a horse pun to it... Saddle Arabia or something.

I have no idea how such names came to exist.

...

Yeah.

Also, I've never thought I'd love someone who's way younger than me. Even in pony years, um, in pony culture, this is... questionable. It would be completely illegal in human world. In its more civilized parts, at least. I don't know if what I do is alright. I became a child again, true. But my consciousness is way older than my body. Or is it? I think I became like a child but also retained some of my maturity.

If I only knew how that body transformation worked and what was done to my brain to make me accept things others would consider questionable at best. Questioning myself isn't something I usually do but I feel the need to do it. It's not really a need, actually...

Anyway, I've already accepted everything but... my mind returns to it time and time again. That's how my mind works — I tend to trail off from different stuff and think about, uh, distant and strange things.

I can't help but think that I am no longer welcome on Earth. I don't really want to return, but what would my family think of me if I'm suddenly back? What would my friends think? Would they understand my situation? People tend to assume and not investigate the situation to see what it truly is, after all. Even I am guilty of it, though I try to act reasonably and logically.

I... I don't know why I'm thinking about this all of sudden. Maybe I'm being homesick? Maybe because I've still not done what I promised myself to do — bring metal to Equestria? I got what I wanted — a good relationship, but that's not all there is to life. I still want to play songs, to entertain thousands upon thousands of different people, let them enjoy music that I'm enjoying. It would be very nice to meet ponies, probably griffons and other intelligent beings that share my tastes.

I got up from the bed and walked to the window. I opened it and inhaled the fresh air, the sounds from the streets filling into the room. I watched as ponies passed by on the streets, chatted with each-other or worked.

Equestria is very strange. Would it be able to coexist with humans peacefully? I can see how many people wouldn't like this place. Politics, resources, economy, all that stuff aside, there are more things to talk about. The culture is different, and people often can't accept even each-others' opinions. Some people can't accept that, for example, someone doesn't like soups. That's ridiculous, right? I know I can't accept opinions on religion and other stuff, that's true. I'm definitely not perfect myself of course but I see some things.

Sometimes, people have way too much freedom. I guess I think like that because of my distant German and Russian roots. Possibly British, too. I've not looked into my family's history in a long time, but I'm pretty sure I come from at least one country that used to be very oppressive towards its citizens. Isn't that interesting, huh?

There are cultures that are, well, disturbing. Would Equestrian culture count as disturbing? Well, some things from here were okay in Medieval times and early Renaissance as far as my history lessons go, but those times aren't as well perceived nowadays, and frankly, I'm glad they aren't. A lot of messed up crap had happened during those times.

Anyway... Equestrian culture is something to get used to, definitely. If I stayed a human and with humans, I would probably never accept ponies. After all, people tend to stick with those they know and they don't accept those too different from them. Look at all those ghettos and chinatowns, those are the definition of sticking with what you know.

I think I shouldn't let negative things affect me. My life has become much better than it used to be, and letting past go is very important in order to embrace a brighter future. I should do just that.

Alright...

I sighed as I leaned on the windowsill. I need to ease my mind.

Music. I still haven't done it. I've been focusing on different things, and most of them concerned my relationships and thoughts. It's time to return to something that I like just as much as sex and whatnot.

I've always dreamt of becoming a musician. While I was and still am shy, I often imagined crowds of people listening to the songs I play, banging their heads to them. They would try to sing the lyrics only to be very off-key and have no rhythm, but it would be alright. It would mean that they love the songs even without the ability to play or sing them.

I dreamed to inspire people to create music, be it metal or otherwise. However, I can't perform on stage while everyone's looking at me. I can sometimes play in front of a few dozen people and even sing while doing so but that's it. I think I did it once in Ponyville. If my memory doesn't fail me, that is.

Anyway, all I need is a mask and I can play whatever in front of anyone. When people don't see your face, it's easier to do things you wouldn't do otherwise. Internet is a large proof of that.

Maybe that's why I chose Ghost to represent metal in Equestria. They wear masks, no one really knows who any of them are. There are unconfirmed speculations and guesses since there were a few people who were invited backstage to see the Ghost members without masks on.

I don't really want to know who they are. Mystery has its charm, after all.

Aaaand that's how my mind easily went from my life to music. Ain't that something?

I smiled slightly. I'm really weird sometimes, and that's a trait I won't get rid of.

Besides, I'm happy.

After resting for some time and waiting for Moonshine to wake up, I decided to clean the room. There's some dust, and besides... Yeah, Night Breeze forgot to clean the litter box.

Molniya curiously looked at us as we used magic to clean dust. It's a neat spell we use that creates pressure differences, allowing us to sort of vacuum-clean the room without actually using anything but our magic. We collected dust, some crisps, a bit of spilled litter, and then proceeded to dump everything into a plastic bag.

Equestria is weird like that. They have some of modern technology but their capital is medieval-like city. I've never really liked modern architecture that consists mostly of squares. It's practical but not very beautiful. You can paint the walls with colors but it won't change the fact that the building is just a large rectangle.

After the cleaning was done, Moonshine and I went to the bathroom to wash away the dust we managed to catch. Also, I think we'll be having some squeaky fun...

I feel as good as new now. What we did in the bathroom was rather relaxing, and now all the tension in my body is gone. There wasn't much but still, it feels good to have a very nice kind of addictive fun.

It's not like I can't control my urges but I'd rather have sex when I want to than not. I don't think anyone would disagree on that matter unless they're asexual or... whatever kind of people don't like consensual sex.

I know what the two of us haven't done in a while. We haven't really played music together for some time, and I think now it's time to do it. Practice makes perfect, after all.

"Hey, Moony?" I called my fillyfriend.

"Huh?"

"Would you like to play some music?" I asked her, levitating a bass guitar to myself. I need those fat and low tones.

"Yeah, why not?" Moonshine replied, getting behind the synthesizer.

Together, we started to play. I made a simple rhythm while Moonshine improvised a melody. All of it resulted in an atmospheric, ambient-like tune one is likely to hear in a sci-fi game or movie. I don't know how to describe it, really.

Synthesizers can do a lot of things, truth be told. They can be used as a substitute for piano or any other classical keyboard instrument (sometimes even stringed ones) or it can be used to create something completely new. Sounds is a wave, and it can be tweaked in a lot of ways.

I remember handling an analogue synthesizer, and it was a blast. It had a lot of knobs, and the sound could be changed in so many ways I can't even think of right now. Make a sci-fi theme? Easy. Something aggressive for metal? No problem. Scary music for horror? A cakewalk. Really, a synthesizer can do a lot.

While I prefer metal, I don't understand why some people hate electronic music. Sure, it's an easier thing to do sometimes but effort must be put into any kind of music to make it sound good. Give a guitar to someone who has never handled it before, and you'll end up wishing you had no ears. Same with piano, drums... Anything that can be played.

But when there is effort, things become beautiful. Even simple tunes need effort put into them. Work, work, and work. Nothing is ever done without it.

Speaking about work, Moonshine had become a good synthesizer player in a short while. How? She learned and didn't give up. The beginning of pretty much anything can be frustrating. You just need to continue moving forward until you become good, and that's it. Some people have it easier, sure, but it doesn't mean no one but them can do it. I have some very interesting natural abilities (changing my voice, remembering notes, etc.) to play well, but there were a lot of people who didn't have that natural advantage, and... They are creating bands, thousands of people enjoy them.

It all depends on your will to go forward. While I can't draw or write or, hm... Do other things I don't do already, I am able to learn those things and eventually become good. If I ever want to do that, I will succeed.

The key is — don't give up and manage your expectations. No one was a pro from the very beginning. Frustration, anger, all those things you'll go through will eventually disappear once you figure out what to do and how to do it.

Time and effort is what everything requires.

Author's Notes:

Well, it's time to return to this story's roots. I hope clop wasn't too distracting or frustrating, and I also apologize for having almost no updates for a long time. I had doubts about this story but everything is clear to me now.

Chapter 8: A Reminder

The heat week has finally passed and everything seems to return to normal. During the last days, Moonshine and I were having different kinds of fun, if you catch my meaning. I could share some touching stories, but... Well, there are already a lot of them. Being able to endure multiple sexual sessions in succession (hey, that rhymed!) is a real blessing. Hm, maybe Discord gave me it? That would count as God's blessing. He probably didn't but I can't be too sure. Taking Zeus into consideration, I'd say that gods can be perverts.

Anyway, Moonshine's not in heat, so it was all okay without a contraception spell. I gave her my whole attention, and I'd say it turned out well for both of us. We pleased each-other, and neither of us complained. My sex drive is going through the roof as if it were I who was in heat.

Actually, can stallions go into heat? Logically, they shouldn't because mares already do it. I mean, you don't need to smell to be able to smell... If that makes any sense. However, I still feel the urge to have sex. It's just as it was back when I was going through my first puberty. Maybe even more than that, actually. When I was younger, I was able to, uh, tame my one-eyed snake about three times a day. Right now, I can have sex about five if not six times in a row. That's a lot.

I'm happy that I'm experiencing it with the one I love. I achieve not only physical but emotional satisfaction as well. I'm also able to do more things with Moonshine since I'm comfortable around her. How can I not? She knows I'm an alien, she knows how weird I am, how different I am from ponies, and she still loves me. I could never ask for anyone better than her. She is cute, shy, beautiful, and I'd say she's rather smart. As long as she's happy, I'm happy as well.

I no longer feel that gnawing feeling of being... undesirable. Sure, women found me attractive and good in bed, but I paid them for their services. To think about it, it's pretty low for me to do that. Hire hookers, that is. Many other people around me were loved and desired while I was very lonely. It's time to admit that I hired prostitutes to fill that hole in my life, even though it was I who was filling holes in the end.

I guess I'm just not your usual likable guy. Besides, I was and still am a shy introvert. I used to spend days without going anywhere. I was just browsing on the internet for different things, including porn. Some things that I found weren't that good. I mean... Uh...

Women sucking off stallions. As in horses.

...

No, I didn't masturbate to that. First of all, those women weren't that beautiful.

...

I'm not helping my situation, am I?

Strange porn aside, my personal life improved, but that's because I now have higher confidence and I believe in myself more than I used to. I'm still unsocial, and I bet I wouldn't find a filly for myself if it wasn't for the fact that Moonshine was my roommate.

Maybe I would, I don't know. I know that fillies looked at me in a very interesting way, and I suspect they will give me even more attention. But hey, things could be way different.

Pausing my thoughts for a moment, I looked around. I've recently woke up but haven't gotten up from the bed yet. It was early in the morning, and I was lying on the bed with Moonshine. The filly was hugging me in her sleep, nuzzling me slightly. I smiled and put my own leg around her. That's better.

In truth, I wasn't in a very good mood during the latest years of my life on Earth. I felt out of place, extremely lonely, and... Well, I was depressed even though I hid it from others and pretended to be alright. I don't like bothering people with my problems. Maybe I should've... I don't know.

I'm not going to speak about the circumstances that led to me appearing in Equestria, not to mention that they are still somewhat cloudy and I don't really want to think about my darkest days. Ultimately, I found what I so wanted. Not everything, yes, but I just need to work to get that, right?

Equestria has become a new home for me. I like this country a lot, definitely much more than where I previously lived. Let's put it this way — less bullshit happens around here. Most ponies know what they're doing, and here is the only place where I actually enjoy studying. The school doesn't make me want to, well... Let's not think about that.

Maybe because of the monarchy? Celestia and Luna lived for thousands of years, they have the experience to deal with pretty much everything. Hm, I suppose monarchy works here because of that exact reason. They're immortal, that is. Ageless would be the right term but whatever.

All human rulers are mortal and prone to dying a lot. Even if they manage to stay kings and queens for a long time, the old age will get them. A variety of mental issues, general weakness and pain... Yeah, being old isn't great.

I doubt I'll ever get old now since I'm an alicorn. There is one problem with it, though... I want Moonshine to live with me as long as I do. I need to find a way to make her immortal, and then give that to her. However, I will only do that if she agrees. I'm fairly certain that she will but I need to make sure. And before I make sure, I need to find out how to do it. If there is a way to make her ageless, it will be great.

I paused my thoughts again and looked at the clock. It's seven in the morning. Well, I don't have to wake Moonshine up for another hour. I guess I can just relax and continue lying on the bed. I could get up and do something but...

Actually, wait a second. I can make meals for the two of us. Breakfast is important if not the most important meal.

After carefully getting up and softly kissing Moonshine, I went to the kitchen. Making something for the two of us wouldn't be bad, definitely. I could go for something simple like a salad. Or a toast... A sandwich or something similar.

I quietly opened the door, slid out of the room and into the main hall. From there, I proceeded into the kitchen itself. Inside the room, I saw White Light.

"Hey, White." I greeted him as I entered. "How's it going?"

"It's great!" the colt replied. He was mixing some fruits together. "My fillyfriend and I spent a great time together!" his cheeks got a red tint. "Aside from, well, you know what, we went to the cinema and amusement park!"

"That's really good." I smiled at him.

"But there's a problem." his smile turned into a small frown. "You know... Night Breeze and I, uh, do stuff that isn't really appropriate among ponies, and... Should I tell my fillyfriend about it?"

"I don't know your fillyfriend, so I can't really give an advice." I shrugged. "But... Maybe you could educate her on your culture. Ease her into it, and I think she'll understand. Just don't dump it on her."

"Sounds... reasonable." White Light nodded. "Thanks, Flame."

"No problem."

Here I am already giving relationship advice. Well...

...

I don't have anything else to say.

"Oh, thank you!" Moonshine said to me when I brought a couple of sandwiches to her. She happily grabbed one of them and started eating. "Mmh, they're great!"

"Thanks." I replied. I'm not that good at cooking but my lifestyle demanded that I must be able to cook something. I never really liked microwaved food. It tastes bland most of the time.

I sat down and started munching on my own sandwich. Huh, it's pretty tasty indeed! Well, if I'm satisfied with my work, then it's good enough. I bet I can be better than this, but becoming a chef isn't my dream. I could become one but... I don't really want to. I don't have the passion for making food as for making music.

So, the two of us ate in silence, comfortable and content with it. We have the first school day waiting for us ahead, and we need everything we can get to make it through. I'm not saying that the lessons are boring but I h—

*pzzzzt POP!*

Nice!

...

Why did I say that? I mean, why did I think that? Whatever, a letter was just teleported to me and fell on the floor. Let's see...

Dear FM,

The next and last rehearsal will be tomorrow night. Prepare a costume, we go on stage at Saturday.

Rehearsal... Oh, right! I'm performing with Nox Obscura as an organist!

...

Crap, I forgot about the costume. Well, it's time to do it, I can't hold it off any longer. I remember I was... Yeah, I need a simple black robe, a bunch of white strings, and face paint. Or body paint, whatever would work best.

"Well, I need to get some things done." I said to Moonshine, putting down the letter.

"Um, there's something in there." the filly said, gesturing at the letter.

...

Huh, there is. Let's see... I carefully levitated another piece of paper to me which has gone unnoticed until Moonshine pointed it out.

Oh, it's a ticket. Actually, I remember that I agreed to participate in the performance on a condition — front row ticket for Moonshine.

They keep their word.

"That's for you." I said, handing the ticket to my fillyfriend. "You know, I'm performing soon."

"That's great!" Moonshine replied gleefully. "You'll be able to show yourself, and that way you'll become famous!"

"I... don't think it would be as simple." I replied, a light blush creeping onto my cheeks because of the appraisal. "I mean, I do have an idea... I hope it works."

"I'm pretty sure it will, Flame." the filly winked at me.

With an eye, you perverts. Wait, whom am I talking to right now? I don't remember having multiple personalities.

"Thank you." I replied after shaking off the feeling of being watched. My mind is weird sometimes. "I'm off to buy a costume for that. I'll be back soon."

I've been waiting for this for a long time. If I don't mess things up, I will greatly benefit from my performance. I must be careful and considerate, and certainly not rush things. I need to make a plan, too. I remember having one but... I don't exactly remember what it was. Well, maybe it just wasn't that good of a plan if I forgot it.

Alright, here's the plan for now: one, make a good performance and give a great first impression. No, just not fuck up. Next thing on my least would be assembling the actual band, which requires me to find ponies for it. Or not ponies. Whoever wants to play, really. I don't discriminate against griffons, minotaurs, uh... whoever there is else.

But to get into my band, you'd need at least the ability to learn. It'd be good to be able to play decently, too. I'm not in a hurry but I'd rather have competent band members that know how to play the instruments.

Let's stick with this small plan for now.

Also, before enacting it I need to get the costume done. Shouldn't be too hard.

As I discovered, we have some leftovers since we raided the old castle and got some fancy fabric. However, we don't have white strings, and I'm too lazy to make a robe right now. I think that either of the two would be easy to find.

I'm walking through the city and searching for the shop I need. I can already see one that deals in sewing stuff, and so I only need to find a place with robes and such. If I don't find one, I will make my own. Sounds easy enough.

I also mustn't forget that the school starts in an hour. Moonshine and I received our schedules, and they revealed that the morning is almost free for us. It's time we go back to studying. Magic, most importantly. I already know it can do wonders, and I'm very eager to learn more! I bet Moonshine's just as eager as me. She can't teleport yet, but I'm sure she will be able to do it soon. After all, she is able to teleport small things around.

I'm excited for the school as I am for the music.

Both are going to be great!

Author's Notes:

It's time for Flame Metal to really work on creating a band, wouldn't you agree?

Chapter 9: Return to Celestia's School

The school started as usual. Well, aside from the classes starting a bit later. I guess teachers were getting ready after their own week of fun, and especially the last night. Truth be told, I could hear moans coming from somewhere. Now they're gone but I know just how sex-filled heat week is.

I started getting more looks from fillies. Like, a lot more. I could even see their tails rising from time to time. Am I that handsome? I mean, I'm certainly not ugly. A tall, slim stallion with a healthy figure... Aside from being tall, there's not much going on. Other colts I see around aren't too bad themselves, and if my sexuality was a bit towards untraditional, I'd absolutely love to get some sexy times with them.

It's not gay to call people of your sex handsome, shut up. And even if it is (which it's not), you should have no problem with it.

Anyway, there's really nothing too special about me that would make me so attractive. Well, my horn's long, but so is my... Ahem, that's not where I want my mind to go right now. I'm walking to my class right now, and I can't afford an erection swinging around for all to see.

I probably can, but no, I'm not into public sex or anything like that. Besides, I remember having nightmares about being nude at school. I think everyone had them at one point or another in their lives. I don't want those to become a reality.

...

Actually, they already did. I'm completely nude. In truth, it's not that bad. Having my dick free from underwear is a strange feeling but it's more comfortable than having underwear. Maybe that's why Scotsmen wear kilts?

Never say that kilts are skirts. I'm not from Scotland but I find kilts quite beautiful in their own way. Who said that men wearing kilts is bad? While they do look like skirts sometimes, they really aren't.

...

Why am I defending Scotland? Those highlanders can take care of themselves quite well, after all.

Anyway, having a boner right now wouldn't be good. I'm not ashamed of my length but the school is for studying, not for orgies. Well, aside from, uh, a couple of porn movies... Whatever. Sex is good and all, but fucking in front of kids would be... well, I don't think I have to explain this.

Hm... Actually, do ponies have sex ed? If they do, I'd rather have it being taught by a beautiful young mare. Someone I can... relate to. Who am I kidding, I just want to pay attention and learn from someone who actually had sex and looks attractive enough to be having sex with.

My school taught me a bare minimum of procreation. Like, penis goes into vagina, rub rub, semen comes out of penis, yadda yadda, impregnation, nine months, and boom — a baby. Kills womens' figures, ruins lives of fathers for a few years... That's what they didn't say. I must mention that the teacher was an overweight woman with temper problems. I'm pretty sure she was still a virgin.

We weren't taught about condoms or any other similar things, and we certainly weren't taught about how to handle our sexual urges. The principal we had was quite religious, and questioning sex with that guy around would be asking for a painful death by burning. Well, at least he wasn't a pedophile. If he were, he'd fit a stereotype of catholic priests quite nicely.

So... I want to attend sex ed class. First of all, I want to know how well ponies know sex. That is, how well they're taught. Second, maybe there's something I don't know. And third, I really want to fuck. I've already had fun with Moonshine today but it's simply not enough and I want more. I'm not sure she can handle my sex drive since it's going through the roof and tearing my metaphorical pants.

Imagine a nuke that, say, North Korea has. That's normal peoples' libido.

Mine is Tsar Bomb.

I guess that's how alicorns hit puberty. It crashes down on them, making them sex machines. I think it can be scientifically explained. Since there are but a few alicorns, my body wants to make sure there are more of my kind. Basically, I want little alicorns to run around. Even though I don't truly want it, my body heavily disagrees. Besides, I'm in a very good physical shape. No health problems, that is. So, my body wants to pass its good genes to as many mares as possible.

I... don't really remember if it's right. I can be wrong, after all.

Trying to control myself, I entered the classroom. The first class we have is History. Well, learning new things is never too bad, especially after a week of learning nothing but sex positions. Besides, what they have here is interesting and useful. We're not forced to remember dates and useless things like that, we actually discuss important historical events, what led to them, and what results they had, the consequences that influenced ponies and the whole world.

Who knew that discussing historical events can be so much fun? It makes things much more clear, too! I didn't volunteer much since I don't like attention, but I do like what they do. They make us think, not just memorize and repeat endlessly. I guess it develops critical thinking, and it's definitely a good thing.

Speaking about attention, I think I should, uh... rethink my position on it. I like how fillies look at me, I like that kind of attention. I want to become a famous musician. So... I want attention. I just want to keep my personal life separated from it. Being constantly watched by haters and fans alike? People trying to dig up everything about me? Stalk me? No, I don't want that. All's fine as long as I can live my life somewhat peacefully.

It's difficult to explain what I think, sometimes even to myself. Attention... Yeah, that's a difficult topic for me.

The bell rang, signaling the start of the lesson. Everyone calmed down as the teacher began to speak about... Hearts and Hooves day? Sounds familiar... I think I've read about it somewhere.

Oh... It's a celebration of love. Kinda fitting to have it in spring. Remember, heat week. It's all connected, after all.

In the corner of my eye, I noticed some suspicious and eye-catching movement. I turned my head slightly and saw a filly wiggling her butt ever so slightly. She was sitting to the right of me, giving me a perfect view of her left flank, her private bits out of my sight. I noticed that she was looking back at me, a smirk on her face.

I averted my eyes, a pink tint appearing on my cheeks. She's teasing me, I see...

No, not a boner. Not now. Besides, I have Moonshine. I mean, I mustn't really look at other fillies without her permission. I know that she likes watching me banging someone else, but I won't abuse her desire. I love Moonshine and only her.

As the teacher continued to speak about this St. Valentine's day knock-off, I tried to hide my eyes behind my mane, adjusting it so I couldn't see the flirting filly. I succeeded... almost. I could still see her eyes looking at me with what I assume is lust.

I must think about something else because I mustn't pop a boner. Hard rock. Music.

My rock-hard dick pene—

No. No. Three times no.

Why the fuck am I so horny? Are there mares in heat here in class? I don't see a reason for me to be so horny otherwise.

*sniff*

Doesn't seem so but I heard giggling coming from the filly who was teasing me.

"You're cute, you know that?" I heard her whispering, barely audible to me. My ear twitched slightly as my blush deepened.

I am cute? Well... Maybe. I mean, that's a compliment from her to me. Some girls like shy guys, after all. And... shy guys are cute? I don't know how girls think about different kinds of guys, really.

Moonshine leaned to me, opening her mouth to say something.

"I heard her." she whispered into my ear softly. "I wouldn't mind a show, if you know what I'm talking about."

Dammit, Moonshine! You're not helping my boner disappear. I mean, I wouldn't mind pinning that filly to a wall and fu—

Ngggh, stop! This is embarrassing...

Think about something else, Flame. You're on a scene, playing a song. A good song. You sing, your voice carried across the crowd as they listen to you. Holding a guitar, you play it perfectly. You swing that big d—

No, that's what Rammstein does. Dick cannon? Yeah, that's easy. Swinging around what looks like a dick, spraying everything with what looks like semen? No problem. BDSM gear? Pfft...

I wouldn't mind making someone bück dich, but hey, not during a concert. Performance is performance, but I won't represent Rammstein. I don't even know if ponies have their equivalent of German. If they don't, playing Rammstein would be pretty pointless. Well, their music is good even if one doesn't understand the lyrics, but those lyrics are fire! Also, they can be very offensive. Not that I care since, well, a satanism-themed band is just as offensive. I don't really care if I insult anyone's religious views and such, so whatever.

Do you know what bück dich stands for, by the way?

Bend down. Or bend over. My German is a bit rusty, unfortunately.

So... Pretty straightforward what the song is about.

Bück dich befehl ich dir...

Rammstein is a really good band. They're pretty controversial, but that doesn't make them bad. In fact, I like how they shake some people up. Politics, sex, they sing about everything, and they do it damn well. Their popularity doesn't come from nothing, after all.

Whew, it feels like I'm not popping a boner right now. Good.

But since Moonshine expressed her desire to see another show, then I'll go at it. If that filly wants me, then she will receive. She's gotta pay for almost making me embarrass myself in public, after all.

I don't think of it as a punishment for her, though. Punishing the willing with sex? What? Unless I deny her orgasm... No, I'm not a cruel person.

She's lucky I'm not.

...

Wait, does it mean school will involve just as if not more sex than what I had during the heat week?

So much for being productive and careful about studies.

...

Now, it's reproductive.

...

I have to pay attention in class.

So, Hearts and Hooves day is a lot like Saint Valentine's Day on Earth. Celebrates love, that is. Heart-shaped everything, like greeting cards (or whatever they're called), cookies, chocolates, and so on and so forth. The symbol for love is the same, a heart that looks like a triangle with a butt. I don't know the exact history of this symbol but I think it has something to do with how real hearts look. Maybe not, actually...

Either way, this holiday is celebrated at the end of March when minds are clear from estrus. True emotions take place, untouched by lust. There was some sort of religion that created this celebration in order to prove that ponies don't need estrus to love each-other. And hey, at least that religion was right. Neither Moonshine nor I have ever had estrus (I can't possibly have it but I thought it'd be right to mention), and we love each-other deeply. We certainly need no estrus for that.

It's a tradition to get married on that exact day. It's believed to bring luck to the relationship and keep it strong through years, keep the fire of love going through the hardest times.

It's rather sweet, really. Maybe I should arrange my own wedding to happen at the end of March? Not this year, of course, and I don't really see a point in big celebrations like that, but I'd propose to Moonshine someday for sure. We're happy together, and marriage will only strengthen our bond once we're ready for it.

Speaking about marriages, one takes place soon enough. Maybe I can attend it to see what it looks like? Ponies have different traditions, and I assume it includes marriage as well. It'd be interesting to see everything in person, definitely.

I looked to my left and noticed Moonshine having a dreamy look in her eyes.

Well, I can only assume we're thinking about the same thing.

Author's Notes:

Finally, a new chapter!

Flame's going through puberty again, and it hit him really hard. Maybe it's more than that but...

Well, I can say for certain that there'll be more clop in the future.

Chapter 10: Afterschool Activities

Since we have two History classes today, I just rested after the first one, lying down on the bench and relaxing my body. Yeah, there's enough place for that. After all, the auditoriums are big enough for them not to be cramped too much. We still have quite a few students, but it's not bad.

The thing I hate about school is that a single teacher has twenty or more students to teach at the same time. It leaves little time for individual advice and such, but ponies with their talents seem to be able to do pretty much everything in time. Well, I guess that's what happens when actually talented people who like teaching work in schools. Who could've guessed? It must be magic!

Yeah, magic!

...

I don't really have anything to do during the break other than make fun of things in my head, as well as complain about what I've gone through during my childhood. The first one, that is. While it wasn't too bad, I still had my share of negative moments. I'm glad I'm not facing them for a second time. Once was more than enough.

I left the smartphone at the apartment, so no digital entertainment like games or music. Hm, maybe I should get something like a Rubic's Cube or some other puzzle thing? Or maybe I could go for a quickie with Moonshine or someone else, but... I don't want to be caught doing that. There's simply no place in school to have sex, someone's gonna notice. Maybe I could lock myself with someone in the toilet but I don't think no one will notice that. Even though toilets aren't divided into male and female, they're almost never empty, and me exiting the classroom with a filly during the lesson would be very suspicious. Especially after we return.

Sex smells, after all. Mix of sweat and other... liquids. Now you see why it's good to have scented candles during romantic sex. They smell better and less... wild, even though I don't necessarily dislike how pure sex smells.

Sex, sex, sex... That's all I think about now, doesn't it seem like so? I guess I'm really horny thanks to this sudden age-up. Puberty can be a bitch. Thankfully, no one can look into my mind and see how large a part sex is. Well, Luna can, but I've not seen her around lately. Maybe she does watch my memories, I can never know. She's just another pony, another person, and everyone has sexual desires in one way or another. If I could have this dream magic, I might watch porn. That is, watch memories of someone who had sex. It'd be fun even though it's invasion of privacy.

...

When I put it like that, it makes me look like a perv. But what can I do if I'm so horny?

When you have great power, you will use it for yourself. That's true for everyone, even though a lot of people have good intentions. Those intentions don't necessarily correlate with what other people consider good, however. The truth is, rarely anyone thinks of themselves as a villain.

With that little bit of philosophy out of the way, let's return to sticks and holes.

Even though I'm often thinking about sex, I'm breaking all records now. My first puberty was easier. Well, at least I don't have terrible acne now. I'm also handsome and not fat. I used to be fat until puberty hit me, actually. At about twelve or thirteen I started working out (or else I'd be constantly thinking about sex), and so I burned that fat and became slim. Also, good genes helped me lose fat faster. Thanks dad and mom! Anyway, I don't want to boast, but my muscles were quite defined, even though I wasn't too muscular like some guys.

Well, that's what you do when you desire girls' attention. I've not gotten much until now, but at least prostitutes were glad that not some disgusting fatuous, hairy fat ass was fucking them. So yeah... that was a plus, I guess.

I must also notice that the filly who was teasing me decided to continue doing so by, well, continuing what she was previously doing. I could see her butt wiggling, her tail swishing, almost exposing her private parts. How am I able to see all of that? Well, there's a huge gap between the desk and the floor, allowing me to see quite a lot even while I'm lying down.

I could just close my eyes and not look but... Where's fun in that? That fine butt is hypnotizing. Besides, Moonshine is alright with it. With the butt and with me looking at it, that is. If she is okay, then so am I.

Actually... I can have some fun, too.

I used my magic to squeeze the butt, eliciting a yelp from the filly. Yeah, you little horny pony... I bet you didn't expect it, huh? A payback for all that teasing you did to me during the class, almost making me pop a boner. It would be alright if I had pants but I don't have them. And even if I had, there'd be a nice and noticeable bulge in them, telling everyone that I'm horny as fuck.

Bulges are sexy and all, but not when you see a pair of boobs and a bulge in the crotch area. Just no. It's not that it can be applied to me, I'm not from Thailand.

Gladly, I won't meet that issue with mares. There are some... girly stallions, but in the end they're still stallions. That is, they want pony pussy. I've yet to meet someone gay or bisexual, really. I've never met one anyway. There's a reason they're a minority, after all. It's a surprise how often you may see them on the internet even without going to LGBWhateverRainbowStealingCunts-specific websites.

Yeah, I don't like them because I can't wear something including a rainbow without people asking me if I'm gay. I don't like bright colors too much but rainbow looks good. I know that LGBWhatever uses a rainbow without... blue, I think, but no one really cares.

So yeah, make rainbow straight again! Even though it's curved...

Back on topic. I can't be deceived into thinking that girly stallions are mares because, well, stallions have balls and it can be clearly seen. Not only that, but stallions are mostly bigger than mares and their bone structure is a bit different, making it easy to tell one gender apart from the other. The line blurs sometimes but can still be clearly defined most of the time.

I think it's time I stop thinking about physical differences between males and females of pony race. Or gay things. Or bi things. I have something better to do.

I noticed that the filly bent down and looked at me, a smirk on her face. I winked and squeezed her butt again, eliciting a quiet moan and a bright blush from her, her tail flicking.

Oh... My Willy Wonka becomes Tom Hardy.

...

That was a bad joke. Either way, I'm popping a boner. In class. In public. That's not what I want. Well, at least I'm lying on my belly, and I can hide my dick even though it'll certainly become uncomfortable if I don't calm myself. Arousal is arousal, and it feels good, but... not right now.

"After school~." I whispered to the filly, winking. I gave her butt another firm squeeze and then sat upright. I looked at the filly and saw her tail twitching, a bright blush on her cheeks, and...

*sniff*

Well, I bet there's a puddle underneath her.

I fidgeted in place during the last class, barely able to wait. I'm excited for, well, my future activities with that filly. I should probably get her name first since, uh, I'm going to have sex with her. Whose name should I moan? That's very important information.

Let me remember her coloration first. So, she's a filly of deep blue fur and a simple purple mane, no streaks of different color or anything like that. She has a musical note for her special mark, which is nice. Hm... Maybe I can persuade her to join my band. Hey, that might be a good idea! I need to find a few ponies, and all will be set and ready to go. Not entirely, but whatever.

So yeah, double plus if she joins. It's not like I'm offering her a position because he wants to have sex with me, but... it kinda is. Well, I decided to do it because I noticed her special mark. I wasn't really looking around much before or even bothering to make new friends.

I guess that the only way I can make friends is by fucking them first. At least the female part of my friends.

Well, at least it makes me socialize more, which is a plus in its own way. I'm much more confident around opposite sex now, and that confidence makes me less shy. I kind of like it, actually.

Now I'm excited for both the sex and asking her to join the band. I hope she's interested in the latter.

After the bell rang and the classes finally ended, I almost jumped out of my seat in excitement. Keeping myself, especially a certain part of my body, calm, I exited the class and waited for the filly to pack her things and join me. Moonshine was by my side, a smile on her face as her tail flicked slightly, telling me of her own excitement.

Soon, the filly joined us and stood to my left, her eyes passing my flank. Speaking about my flank, I'm yet to get my... special mark. I refuse to call it a cutie mark, it's just silly.

"So..." I decided to start a conversation. "What's your name?"

"I'm Nota." the filly replied cheerfully, a warm smile spread across her face. "Glad to properly introduce myself. I know you're Flame Metal, by the way."

"I don't have, like, a good memory for memorizing names of those I don't, uh, interact with often." I replied slightly awkwardly. "So, uh..." I paused for a moment, thinking up of what to say next. "Why do you want to, um, have sex with me?"

Kind of a stupid question. I mean, sex is pretty casual in Equestria. You can go like 'nice boots, wanna fuck?' and it'll be alright. Well, probably. I won't try that, so don't quote me on that.

"I just want to have some fun, and you seem like a good colt to do it with." Nota explained. "Besides... Your smell is all over Moonshine." she smirked, glancing at my fillyfriend. "And it's rather intense, even though you two look clean. So... I think you get what I'm saying."

"Wait, so... Every filly can smell that I've had, uh, very passionate moments with Moonshine?" I asked, stuttering from surprise.

"Yup." Nota grinned at me. "I bet I'm not the only one who'd like to have some fuck with you. Even though the heat week is over, a lot of us are still pretty much horny."

...

I have nothing to say about this.

"O-okay..." I nodded slowly. "So, um... Let's go to, uh, my apartment."

So much for not stuttering.

Soon, Moonshine, Nota, and I were in the apartment. I locked the door to our room, placed my saddlebags where they belong after the lessons. I stretched myself, preparing for action. It's my first casual sex here. I don't even know Nota at all. Aside from her being my classmate, that is.

"Um... Is it threesome?" she asked with what I assume is hesitation.

"Not really... Moonshine likes to watch me having sex with someone else." I explained. It feels weird talking about things like that openly.

"I'm not too comfortable with that." the filly replied, fidgeting in place nervously.

Performance anxiety? Huh...

Anyway, I have an idea. I walked up to Moonshine and whispered something into her ear. A blush appeared on her cheeks and she nodded. Well, with her permission...

"Nota, what do you think about a real threesome?" I asked the filly.

"I've not tried that before... I guess I can try." Nota nodded a bit hesitantly. "Well, but I need to get you excited first, you know? Sit on the bed and I'll do something very nice to you."

Before we started doing anything sexual, I kissed both Moonshine and Nota, making them blush. I guided both of them to the bed, not forgetting to kiss them softly with each step I took, and also nuzzle them. Well, now my scent is all over both of them. What am I, an alpha male one, taking all the pussy?

...

It sounded so stupid in my head.

Anyway, I took my place on the bed, spreading my legs. My dick was already almost erect, some stimulation would definitely help it reach its fullest.

Nota sat down in front of me, her half-lidded eyes looking at me with desire. She used her magic to grasp my dick at the base, and then used her tongue to lick from the bottom to the top, ending it with a kiss on the head, removing the precum. I moaned slightly, feeling my dick becoming even bigger and harder. The filly opened her mouth and engulfed the head with her lips, her eyes looking into mine. I love when it happens... It's just so hot! And so, she did a few circular motions with her tongue, and then spread the saliva all over my dick with both her magic and mouth. I moaned, my legs twitching in pleasure as she rubbed against my erection.

Moonshine was lying down next to me, her head in my crotch as she licked and nuzzled my balls.

I've not been in a threesome before, and I can say it feels good to finally experience it. After all, what guy wouldn't like a threesome with two girls? Not to mention that both of them are quite beautiful.

Nota's dark colors contrast with Moonshine's, especially the emerald eyes of hers contrasting with the blue eyes of my fillyfriend.

While I was being pleased, I decided to do something for them in return. I used my magic to shift Moonshine's position slightly, bringing her butt closer to me. I bent my neck and turned my head, and found her wet nethers right near my face. Her tail was raised, letting the view be clear. I could even see a pair of teats. Hm, can this position be considered sixty-nine?

At any rate, I'm here to please the fillies. I started licking Moonshine, making her moan into my crotch. Mhhh, she tastes good... I lapped on her juices, getting as much as I could into my mouth, and then swallowing them. Hm, can love juices replace water as a method of hydration? I wouldn't mind that even if it's a bit weird.

Meanwhile, I used my magic to finger (is that the right verb? I have no more fingers, after all) Nota, making her release small and cute gasps. I could feel her lower body twitching as my magic slid in and out of her wetness.

It feels amazing, really. Having two girls at the same time is really good, especially considering how Moonshine likes it. I bet she's enjoying it even more than I do.

Suddenly, Nota backed off, her mouth no longer stimulating me. Aw... Well, I think it's time for main action. I don't want to release the info about me being able to go more than once. I'll be covered in fillies if I do that, most likely. It's not that it's bad, but I'd rather not become a fuck-machine.

I noticed Moonshine's confusion as she watched Nota climbing onto the bed with us. I carefully whispered into my fillyfriend's ear that my secret shouldn't be revealed yet, and she agreed.

Even though I fucked Night Breeze real good the other day. Well, if Nota asks for more, I'll deliver. Lunar unicorns have a bit more stamina, it looks like. She wasn't really satisfied with just one go, or maybe that was her heat speaking?

Nota presented herself, her butt wiggling in the air as she bent her forelegs and pressed her head into the sheets of the bed. She winked with, well, everything that could do so, and then I stood up and took my position as well, aligning my rod with her very wet entrance. My fingering did a really good job, it seems.

Moonshine decided to slid underneath Nota, but the other way around. Does she want me to fuck her throat? That'd be nice, actually. I guess she's eager for experimentations in sex.

Hm, I have an idea... First of all, I thrusted into Nota, bottoming out in her instantaneously. She gasped, her legs starting to quiver. She's all wet and slippery down there, I had no difficulty sliding in completely.

I pulled out and lowered myself a bit to let Moonshine capture my dick with her mouth. She moaned as I gently pushed forward. I turned my head in a way that I could see her throat, and soon there was a noticeable bulge in it. Mmh, so sexy...

I gasped as Moonshine used her magic to pull me in, my balls suddenly slapping against her muzzle as I went the deepest I could into her. I let out a shaky moan, feeling the unbelievable pleasure and warmth her mouth and throat gave me.

O-oh my...

I slowly slid out, my dick fully coated in saliva. I grunted lowly as my dick was finally released.

"Moony, how's the taste?" I asked playfully.

"She's good." the filly giggled in return, licking her lips.

Well, here's Moonshine's approval.

And so, I fucked both of them thoroughly, switching between the two quite often, letting both of them experience what they wanted. I fingered (still not the right verb, but whatever) Moonshine, making sure she receives pleasure as well.

All their moaning, soft gasps, and them calling my name, all of that stimulated me immensely, making me feel very good emotionally. They were enjoying it, and I enjoyed it just as much, trying to give all I could to them.

When my orgasm finally came, I erupted deep into Nota, releasing my white seed into her. Trying to control it, I pulled out and thrusted into Moonshine's throat, feeding her nicely. I've spent the last moments of my orgasm by leaving my dick inside my fillyfriend until I was empty. Some of my seed dripped from Nota and fell on Moonshine's jaw. Well, I do come a lot.

After our activities, we all took a nice shower and cleaned ourselves. Before Nota left, I went up to her.

"Nota, I want to ask you something." I said. "You're good with music, right?"

"I... wouldn't say that." she replied. "I compose well, but I can't really play anything outside of something simple."

"Oh... I'm just searching for someone who'd like to create a band with me." I explained.

"I don't think I can help you with that, sorry. I'm the only one into music among the ponies I know."

Well, that's a bummer.

"Alright... See ya later, Nota." I said my goodbyes.

"Yeah, thank you for, well, helping me a bit." she chuckled. "Bye."

I'd say Nota is a nice pony. I don't know her at all but I'd say she can be a good friend. For now, a friend with benefits. Not that I want it too much but hey, if she wants me then I can do nothing about it.

I still need to find ponies for my band, though.

Author's Notes:

Puberty... The time when sex is all you can think about. People have it differently, but for Flame, hismurges are intense. Fun fact, mine were almost on the same level.

It can be a good thing but it made me less concentrated on studies, which is a negative thing. Maybe if I had regular sex back then, I wouldn't be as distracted. Who knows?

Chapter 11: The Rehearsal

I'm finishing the costume right now. Whew, it took a lot of time to get it all right. I used rulers to make sure everything aligned perfectly. I also prepared body paint to color myself dark-gray later, but also leaving white parts on my face in the shape of a skull. It would look absolutely amazing! Even though I don't really need to paint almost my whole body, I will still do it. I'm kind of a perfectionist, truth be told. Well, not OCD-type one, but... sometimes, very close. It also would just look weird if I don't paint myself properly.

As for Moonshine, she's finishing the homework for tomorrow. It's evening now, about seven past midday. I know that p.m. isn't past midday but it kind of is. Anyway, why is she doing it so late? Well... we had a lot of fun after Nota left. I was in the mood, she was in the mood, and everything clicked together perfectly. It's not like Nota wasn't alright, I just needed more. Can't really throw around my ability to go more than once in sex. I'd be drowning in pussy.

Anyway, my mind is now more or less clear so I can focus on something aside from sex.

Sex is certainly not a bad thing, but too much of it, and bam — you're bored. In my youth, I sometimes took a month or so to rest from sex so that my next sessions would be far better. And the orgasms... magical.

Alright, the robe is ready. Looks good, in my opinion. An inverted cross combined with G sewn into the back of the black rope, a silvery line along the edges of the hood, it's simply perfect. I also added some silver lines along the edges of the sleeves, and yup, looks very well. It's not too fancy or anything but it's good enough for what I have in mind. Time to apply paint.

The thing about paint is, it's not uncomfortable in the slightest. Like, at all. It feels a bit weird and if you overdo it, you will feel itchiness all over the body. When I first did it, on Nightmare Night that is, I felt a bit of itching but dismissed it, thinking it was my suit. After all, it wasn't the best quality. But it turned out I was wrong. I didn't really think much of it back then but now I understand.

Well, now I'm completely dark-gray save for the face. I need a mirror... Even if it's just a rehearsal, I need to look my best. Maybe I'd need to change something right before the live performance, too. Alright, here the mirror is.

Magic is very useful. It's not as limiting as having just two hands. I can use telekinesis to move a bunch of things at the same time, much more than I would be able to with just hands. So yeah, fair trade. Two hands for a magical horn. Unicorn body is all around superior to human body.

Yay magical unicorn superiority. I don't fart rainbows (at least I've never noticed it) but I have a lot of magic.

I'm not saying that a pair of wings is bad, though. Truth is, I have them, too. Obviously, since I'm an alicorn.

Anyway, wings are good as well. Pegasi can control weather and fly. Flying is great. Controlling weather is good. Maybe unicorns can control the weather with certain spells but pegasi have talents for that. Besides, I bet it's easier to control the weather while flying. The clouds are really soft and comfortable, too. Better than any artificial bed, that's for sure. Fit for sleeping and certain activities.

And then there are earth ponies. Well... They're not remarkable in appearance but they give us all food. They're also pretty strong, which is a good thing.

But my all-favorite is unicorn, aside from alicorn. Why?

...

Well, I can't wipe my butt or masturbate with hooves or wings.

I teleported myself directly to the entrance of my previous school. The choir was already warming up, stretching syllables. Even if what they sang had no words, it was still beautiful. As much as I don't like churches and such, choirs are absolutely amazing. There is something about them that makes them... spiritual. I, I don't know how to explain it, really. I don't think I know enough words even though I'm fairly well educated. Not a single A in my graduation, but it's because I rarely bothered to do the homework or to work on assignments properly. I'm all for results, but the teacher wanted me to write everything down, every though process in solving a problem. Obviously, I didn't like it at all. Waste of time.

Before my mind turns into a rant about public education, I should focus on something else. The choir, for example.

I walked through the hall, my robe waving slightly as I went. Hood up, covering most of my face in shadows. Illusion magic in place, making my eyes mismatched: one normal dark-brown, the other icy-blue with a small pupil. Definitely freaky and certainly recognizable.

I hummed in tone with the choir as I reached the door. I often hum to things I like hearing, and the choir is no exception. I slowly opened the door and finally entered the concert hall.

Most ponies were wearing dark-colored robes, but Argentea, the head of the group, was wearing a nice, victorian-era styled dress of dark colors: some red, some black, and some silver. At least I think it's victorian... Could be wrong. I'm not much into styles or history in general. I can differentiate between music genres. Like extreme vegan grind and masochistic pornogrind.

There's also an interesting genre. Christian black metal. Imagine someone growling out 'God loves us all!' to the blasting beats and tremolo distorted guitar. Yes, it exists. Isn't that something, hun?

As the choir continued to sing, the pegasus mare approached me. And wow... That is something... Yeah, she does look beautiful. Also kind of creepy... Well, that goes well with the theme of the musical group.

"Greetings, Flame Metal." she said, a small smile on her face. "You've grown up since we last met."

"Hello, Argentea." I replied, nodding politely. How did she recognize me? Wait... I guess she knows everyone, and I'm the only one who stands out. Yep, it's pretty logical.

"The costume you have is great." the mare complimented me. "Just perfect... Was that you who won the Nightmare Night with a filly?"

"Yes, I did." I nodded. "Now... Do I need an alias?" she nodded. "Well... Call me Euronymous, then."

"Such a good name." Argentea replied with a small chuckle. "Well, then... Let's start, Euronymous. It is the final rehearsal, and then it will be on-stage. I hope you are ready."

"I am." I nodded.

After our small talk, I was led to the pipe organ. I sat at it, stretched a bit, and started playing. Without a hitch, without a single mistake, I performed my part as the choir sang. Strings joined in soon, and all of us played in a perfect harmony.

This... this is majestic. I am certain that the crowd will absolutely love us once we play it live. The choir, the organ, the strings, brass, some percussion... They all act perfectly, completing each-other, making this song whole. Making it... complete. There is nothing to add, really.

But wait a second... There was a considerable time since I was offered this place. Shouldn't the organist be back? It was... Two weeks? Something like that, I think. I lost the track of time a bit, and so I don't really know.

I think they just don't want to throw me out yet. Maybe they see my eagerness to play, and so they allowed me to be here with this group for one song. I'm very thankful for that. And besides, maybe that organist pony took a vacation or something. Spend time with the family, visit some relatives... Whatever ponies do in their free time. I have no idea, really. In my free time, I read stuff, practice music, and have sex. Not much else, really.

Hm... Maybe I should do something else. I've not visited my friend Blueblood in a while. Might as well fix that. And other friends... Yeah, I'm a bit socially awkward.

I already found love. I wouldn't mind having more friends. Not just fuck-buddies. Sex is good and all, but I want to do something outside of it.

Anyway, it's nighttime right now. No one is really awake at this point outside of Luna and maybe some other night-loving ponies.

After the rehearsal ended, I removed all my body paint and went back home. It wasn't tiring or anything but I'd rather get some sleep.

This thought got me thinking... Friends, right? I've only been searching for love and I got it. Moonshine, the perfect girl for me, I have her. Heck, I will marry her! Not yet however, I need to make money to afford children first. They take quite a lot, trust me. Then I'd need to figure out how to propose, plan things out, and if Moonshine wants foals, then I'd need to be a good father for them. No knowing how many foals I'll have but I'd rather have none. Maybe one, but that's it.

Anyway, I was thinking about friendship. I do have some... acquaintances here, but none of them are really my friends. Blueblood, Coral, and other foals aren't too close to me to be friends. Maybe I should change it. After all, I kind of want more friends. I'm not too sure about it, though. I was never social, and... Yeah.

Besides, trust is very important in any relationship. I would have to let my friends know who I truly am. Alicorn plus alien. Double A. Isn't that something?

So, theoretically, if I reveal myself... I don't know. I really don't. I'm kind of scared, to be honest. Alicorns are like gods here, and aliens? Reaction is unpredictable.

Sometimes, I wish I were just a unicorn. Though... I think I wouldn't be quite as handsome and my stamina would be nil. No, it's better I stay an alicorn. Too many positive sides to give up for being not popular.

At any rate... I yawned, interrupting my thoughts. Well, it means I do need some sleep. The school is tomorrow, and I bet Moonshine's waiting for some snuggling. And frankly, I want to feel her warm body against mine as we cuddle.

As I returned back home, I went to the bathroom and took a quick shower. Cleaned my teeth, that sort of thing, too. I'm glad I don't have to shave my armpits since hair there grew pretty fast. Yeah, nothing shameful about shaving that hair off. I think I bought a hair-growing shampoo and used it for quite some time. It made my hair grow quickly. Any and every hair. That's really unfortunate, isn't it? I don't think that even George Bush had the bush that I did.

After taking a shower and drying myself off, I joined Moonshine in bed. She was half-awake, patiently waiting for me to get in the bed with her. I pressed my body against her and hugged her, nesting my head near hers. I nuzzled her softly and lovingly, eliciting a quiet moan as a bigger smile appeared on her face. She stretched one of her hind legs and put it in between mine. She snuggled even closer to me.

I decided to scratch her behind the ears and soon I got the same treatment in return. Oh my, no wonder cats and dogs like it so much. It feels really, really good... Her ears and mine twitched slightly as we both sighed quietly and softly.

Some time later, I kissed her good night and both of us went to sleep. New day waits ahead, and with it — new things.

Author's Notes:

Sorry for the delay. Too much stress at the moment, but I hope to resume normal writing when and if things become better for me.

Chapter 12: Friendship

After another day of school ended, I decided to visit Blueblood. Our lessons ended a bit before his would, and so I decided to go to my previous school to meet him. It's been a long while since I saw him last, and some reconnection would definitely be welcome. Besides, I want to have fun, and I have no doubt he wouldn't mind some as well.

Moonshine was alright with all of it, and she decided to visit her own friends and spend some time with them. With such an agreement, we parted ways. She trotted off to her friends, me to mine. Even though it's just Blueblood for now... And Luna, probably. No, not probably — definitely. Even though she's a princess, should her status disallow her having friends? I remember a saying — 'It's lonely at the top'. Money, power, all of that, but no friends. I'm gladly providing Luna with friendship, and it seems like the thing she indeed wants.

It would be really good for ponies to invent mobile phones. I'd just send a message or call Blueblood. It's definitely easier than going all the way to the school and look for him. For all I know he could be at home already. I have no idea what his schedule is, so it might be difficult to find him. Maybe his parents transferred him, too. I have no way of knowing, unfortunately.

So, as soon as I get money, I will invest it in the development of internet and phone. While I'd like to make computer games and such, communication is more important and much more beneficial for everyone. The Internet is one of the best ways to share all kinds of information, and I bet ponies will like it just as we humans do. Though, I'm also a bit scared of things appearning. Like... Darknet. Selling weapons, drugs... people. All kinds of nasty stuff, ugh. While ponies seem like they'd never do such a thing, I'm still scared.

Maybe I don't have anything to worry about. I've yet to see anything too bad. Yeah, there are bad ponies, mean ponies, but that's alright. I don't think that even they would be interested in drugs and such. Besides, humans often wonder what the meaning of life is. For example, destiny.

Truth is, ponies have destinies. Their marks tell them what to do. From what I know, those butt marks are sometimes very vague, making it easy for ponies to be flexible in their work and such things. It also seems like some kind of invisible force that makes those marks makes sure there is balance. No unemployment, no powerty, and why? Because everyone knows what to do.

While I don't believe in anything supernatural, the marks and what they represent make me question it. However, there could be a scientific explanation, but with creatures like Discord running around, it's hard to tell. After all, magic is science here, at least in some way. I can't really understand it because it's been in my life for less than a year, but I'm sure I'll figure things out someday.

I follow this — if we can imagine something, we can explain it. We humans imagined a bunch of things. For example, cars. There were stories and dreams of horseless carriages. And here they are! Maybe not as they were initially imagined, but they are here. We imagine things, and then reality adjusts those things to make something plausible.

Anyway, I need to make money before investing into anything even if I know that it will definitely work. I actually have an idea how to start it all but I need to assemble the band first, which will be quite tricky. Then we would need money to buy things, probably rent a stage, all that. I don't really know, I've never been in a band before. Being shy isn't good for making friends or performing on-stage and live.

Since I was lost in my thoughts for so long, I didn't even notice how my legs carried me all the way to my previous school. Just as I opened the door to enter it, the bell rang, signaling the end of the classes for today.

Alright, it seems I'm on time. I need to find Blueblood now... wherever he might be at the moment.

First of all, I washed my hooves. They picked up some dirt, and I wouldn't like to stain the carpet. So, after I was done, I entered the hall and started looking around. Soon, many ponies appeared, making everything a blur of different colors. Well, at least it's easier to spot someone if you know their color scheme. Ponies and their colors... I wonder why they have so many of them.

It doesn't matter much now, I need to find Blueblood. Blond mane, white fur... I forgot what color his eyes are. Blue? Or green? I'm not really sure. I think it's blue. At least it fits the name, even though the eye color has nothing to do with blood. At least from what I know.

My scientific knowledge isn't that good. After all, I'm more into art. Music. All that sort of thing, not biology, physics, chemistry and whatnot. I could probably devote my life to science but I like music most of all. That's how it all came to be.

Wait, I think I can see Blueblood. I'm a bit too shy to just shout for him out in the public, so I must reach him before he disappears. For now, it looks like he's heading towards me. At least in my direction, that is. It doesn't seem like he's not noticed me yet for some reason. I'm tall and handsome, how hasn't he noticed me yet?

With that bit of narcissism out of the way, it's time for business. I started making my way towards who looked like Blueblood, hoping that it's indeed him. Also, my height helps me stay above the crowd, making it easier to see him without interruption.

Alright, it does look like he noticed me. A smile is spreading across his face, it seems. Yeah, definitely. By the way, he does have blue eyes.

Wait... white, blond, blue eyes... Well now, he's aryan. O-ho-ho...

...

I'm probably partly aryan. Well, I did have some relatives in Germany. My roots are from all over the world. Not counting Africa, probably. Though, I don't really know. All this family tree is pretty complicated stuff.

My line of thought was interrupted by Blueblood who seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Well, I better pay attention next time.

"Flame, is that you?" he asked, looking up at me. Huh, he definitely needs to grow to match me. He isn't that small but he's not large either. "Wow, you've grown so much!"

"Just a bit of discord happening in my life." I shrugged. "How're you?"

"Things are going fine, I guess. A bit boring." he replied slightly dismissively as we made our way to the exit. "I... didn't take drums much." he paused. "My parents are still against it. We shouldn't even meet, but..."

I listened closely. It seems he does have pretty restrictive parents. There can be reasonable restrictions, sure, but in music? No way. Gladly, my parents didn't interfere much with my playing. I had a few arguments but it was not like what Blueblood has.

"Well, uh, you came for me, thanks for that!" he smiled at me. "You're pretty much the only pony that saw the real me. I have to act all that pish-posh to please my parents or they get all salty..." he grumbled. "Anyway... what do you have in mind?"

I... actually don't know. I want to spend time with his but... I don't even know what activities there are! Well, that is what being unsocial does to you. You roll around but you never get anywhere because you don't know where to go.

Wait...

...

Rolling... hmm, I think I have an idea.

I mentally slapped myself in the face. I'm so stupid! There are thousands of different things we all can do, and yet I can't imagine even one? Wow, good artist I am — no imagination whatsoever!

Anyway, I do have an idea.

"Blueblood," I addressed my friend. "Let's go bowling!"

When we got to the nearest establishment that provided us with balls to roll, Blueblood and I ordered some snacks and prepared for a game. I'm not that good at bowling but I've been there a few times. It's not too hard once you figure out how to make the ball spin. It greatly increases the accuracy if done right. After all, we invented rifles — they make bullets spin, and thus give more accuracy.

So, the balls are a bit different here. Instead of having three holes like they usually do, they have a small cut-in handle. It doesn't prevent the ball from rolling while providing pegasi and earth ponies the ability to roll it pretty easily. Though, I wouldn't hold anything with my mouth that is even remotely heavy. Ponies must have really strong teeth, muscles, and bone to pull off something like that.

Blueblood had to roll it first. He prepared for some time before sending the first ball across the floor. He managed to bring down five pins. That's certainly not bad. He followed it up with a second role, managing to bring down two more. It was a pretty hopeless situation: he only left pins on the side, so he had to choose which side to strike. Yeah, that's one unlucky turn of events.

Alright, I go now. As pins were reset, I used my magic to weigh the ball. Seems about right... I think. Not too heavy and not too light. Anyway, I'll have to adjust to this handle, I'm more used to three holes.

Here. I go.

*rolling noises*

C'mon!

*CRASH!*

Alright, not bad. Eight down, two to go. I have my second roll, so let's do it.

It seems I'm not so bad after all. Now, I only need some luck and a bit of skill to beat Blueblood in the game of bowling.

Yeah, fun!

After the first round, we sat down for a quick snack. It consisted of some garlic toast strips and apple juice. Yeah, they have apple juice everywhere. It's no surprise, considering how successful the business of Apple family is. Hm... Would they produce computers later on? That'd be a fun coincidence.

"So, how is it?" I asked Blueblood as I munched on my toast. Oh my, it's delicious!

"I've not had such fun in, I dunno!" he replied joyfully. "My parents want me to be more serious but it's boring." he threw his hooves up in the air. "Ugh! I just want to have some fun or I'll end up like my snooty brother."

"Yeah, I had some family problems before." I replied. "I moved here and they stopped. Now, well... I have... things." I averted my eyes, a tint of pink surely appearing on my cheeks. I cleared my throat before continuing. "Anyway, how's your studying going?"

"Okay, I guess. Sometimes boring." Blueblood replied. "And you?"

"Everything's going well, really." I answered. "I'm really thrilled about magic! It can do so much!" inner child awoke in me, a sense of wonder long lost returning. "Teleportation, levitation, transformation... It's just unbelievable sometimes. I want to learn more all about it!"

"Hey, that sounds great!" the colt clapped his hooves together. "What can you do?"

"This." I replied, and then teleported a piece of toast right into my mouth. "See?" I replied in a slightly mumbled way as I chewed on the toast. "It's not much, but I'll be able to do more someday."

"Cool!" Blueblood said with the same childish wonder I had. "Can you teach me that stuff?"

"Why not?" I smiled at him. "I'm sure we can spend some more time together. But are you sure? If your parents find out..."

"Yeah..." his ears drooped as he looked down. "I dunno... Maybe on weekend? I can go pretty much wherever I want during that time. You game?"

"Yup." I nodded, standing up after downing a glass of apple juice. "So, let's go another round?"

After another round of rolling balls across the polished wooden boards to strike some pins, we said goodbyes and parted ways. It was about four-thirty in the afternoon by that time. Not too late but already into the evening territory. I still have a lot of time before dusk. Homework? Well, I have some, but it's pretty easy to do. It'll probably take no longer than half an hour at most.

I've never thought I'd be top-grade student anywhere at all. My grades used to be mediocre. Average, nothing special. I had my share of bad marks, too. But by now, things changed. I've yet to earn any bad mark, and... I genuinely started liking school and public education as a whole. No more soul-crushing work or homework, no more boredom, and no more wasting time on things we don't need. Well, at least things we need come first. We were already taught about the basis of laws, for example. I think we will be taught about first aid tomorrow. And hey, that is definitely more useful than knowing that mitochondria is the powerhouse of a cell!

Alright, I need to stop ranting in my mind. There are many things I dislike but they're gone now, replaced with something new. Good education, friendship, even love, all of it is within my grasp.

This day was a good one. It's time to return home, do the homework, and then spend some quality time with Moonshine. Actually, maybe I should bring her out on a date... Like a real date. A restaurant or something else. Hm... Yeah, I definitely need to think about it.

Chapter 13: Surprise

Alright... Let's review what I have. I have Moonshine, some money, and desire to do nice things to my cute fillyfriend. My task is to set up a date for the two of us. But... what should I do? What kind of date should I set up? Honestly, I already want to dump it all and forget it. My confidence in success isn't that big.

...

No, I won't do that. I must set up a date, no way around it. Relationship isn't all about having sex and cuddles. At least I believe so. I already had my share of sex-only relationships... If you can call them that way. It was more like customer service, and you don't really have a relationship with, say, a stewardess, now do you? It's just buying something for money, and relationships can't be bought with money.

I just... I feel like I need to do more than what I already to. I need a real date, I guess. Not to prove to anyone anything but... Wait, actually... I just want to prove to myself that I can be romantic and such. And by that I mean... Uh... I just really want to make Moonshine happy, show her my appreciation. Even though she seems fine without any of it, but... I really want to put some effort into our relationship. Sex isn't that much taxing. It's not entirely effortless but every single being can mate. Well, aside from a few exceptions.

Even though I'm horny a lot. Well... Aside from Moonshine, I had sex with two other fillies. Isn't that a bit too much? Old habits die hard, and I used prostitutes a lot before, so... I guess I'm addicted to sex. It's not too bad of a thing, not in my eyes, but I need to control myself better. It became a bit too hard after Discord aged me up.

Wait a second... Just a small second... Discord, magic, me... Hm...

Ponies need more people like you

*internal mind click*

Discord... You perverted bastard! He... He... Fucking hell...

...

He made me want to mate so much because ponies need people like me. My children. That is, I need to make them. Make kids. Why do I repeat that?

...

Anyway, it explains my constant horniness. It really explains it all. My handsomeness, fillies wanting to have sex with me, all that. And...

Oh fuck no... Something really bad might've happened. What if he cast a spell on me to make my semen more potent? Just... made it in a way that no magical contraceptions would stop it. Condoms can break sometimes, even though it never happened to me. Magic can fail, too. Especially if said magic goes against something as strong as Chaos Magic of Discord. So...

Alright, let's think about it. Nota wasn't in heat when I had sex with her, she's out of the list of my potential wives. Neither was Moonshine, but I'll definitely marry her. However, I'm not sure if she wants kids or not and neither am I sure if I want them. Raising a pegasus or a unicorn? It'd be a nightmare.

So, with those two fillies out of the way, it leave only one possible option.

...

I might've impregnated Night Breeze.

You might have.

What the fuck? Discord, is that you in my head? What're you doing here?

You're quite right, it's me. Just chilling, don't you worry.

Were you here all the time?

No, it becomes boring after a while. Relationships, sex, yadda yadda, friendship... Almost no fun.

Well, okay...

...

So... Is Night Breeze pregnant or what?

How do I know? I'm a statue again. I can't exactly move around, listen, do magic and other things.

Makes sense, actually. But... why did you do it? That is, why did you make me... horny?

...

Why are you silent?

Did you say that I made you horny?

What? Uh...

No! I didn't mean it that way! I'm a straight guy—

I can arrange the change.

Please. Don't. Do. That. I don't like anal.

Alright, alright! Don't become all this angry, I know how most colts feel about fillies. Besides... Three holes versus two. No wonder making love to fillies is better. From what I've heard, it's so much fun!

From what you heard? Wait... Discord, are you a virgin?

...

Hello?

...

Ahem... Alright... So... Why did you, uh, make me want to mate so much? There must be a reason for it.

Why not? Dear Flame Metal, chaos happens not because of some... ugh, reasons, no. It happens just because it can happen. There is no fun in explaining every single action, now is there?

Err... But each action has a reason, right?

Applying logic to chaos is impossible, trust me. Chaos describes itself. It just is as it is. It doesn't need a reason or logic or anything that makes sense to normal minds. At any rate, the ponies will definitely need more of people like you.

What do you mean by that? Do they need more humans?

Not exactly, one human is pretty much enough. But ponies do need something to shake them all up. Ponies are boring and slow to change. Victory has defeated them, too — they became quite lazy, living their perfect lives and rarely making anything daring. I lived for thousands and thousands of years, I know what I'm talking about.

But I'm not ready to be a father! I don't have much like money or anything like that and I... I don't think I know how to be a father.

Oh, trust me, no one knows. However, you have many things and you definitely can achieve more, much more. You have... About a year. And one year is a long time for many things to happen.

So what should I do, then? What must I do to make sure that my foal — or foals — get enough of everything and grow up into good people? How do I do that? I've never been a father before and my own dad isn't exactly the best example of a good parent, neither is my mum, so...

...

Hello? Discord? Are you still there? You lived for many years, I bet you know something about that sort of thing.

...

Well, fuck. I guess I have to do everything on my own. Maybe with Moonshine's and Luna's help, actually. I bet that the princess would be more willing to share the knowledge with me than with this weird chaos god.

Anyway, I suppose it's no surprise that an omnipotent being doesn't give all the answers at once. He didn't even have a reason to talk to me in the first place. He just... did. Because he wanted to? Well... hard to say with someone like him. He could definitely just surprise me much, much later, and...

*Sigh*

I like when things make sense. All of this — doesn't. Damn chaos...

Well, at least he warned me so I wouldn't be too surprised later. I have time to prepare.

I don't think I'm in a dating mood anymore. Since I'll most likely be a father in a year, I need money, lots of it. Gather information, lots of it. How to raise foals, what food give them, what school to choose, how to help them become better and not lose motivation... Yeah, I need to know a lot of things to be a good father. I also need to finally become mature and stop banging every female at every possible moment like my boner commands. It can turn out bad as I was just given an example of.

I hope my kid doesn't become Voldemort. After all, Tom Riddle was conceived without love and under a love potion. Whomever I made was made without love. They could be a colt or a filly or both. Not a hermaphrodite obviously but two foals, possibly twins. I can't know... not yet. Anyway, I've never given anyone a love potion to anyone unless my semen qualifies. I do like getting blowjobs, after all.

Voldemort is magic Hitler, and I don't want to be the father of pony Hitler. This world is pretty peaceful and I'd rather have it remain peaceful. I wouldn't mind some change, certainly, but anything war-related? Nope.

I looked around and noticed that I was walking in a seemingly random direction. Oh well, Discord was in my mind at that time and I forgo— actually, I was going home, I remember it now. I wouldn't mind some rest, definitely. Especially after my little talk with Discord... Ugh. I still have a hard time thinking about becoming a father. He didn't really say if I will be one or not but there's a very strong possibility that I will.

And if I will... I guess it's my own fault. I of all people should know that any condom, magical or not, may fail. No, I'm not saying that I've impregnated anyone before, but I certainly know of different dangers that sex can lead to, especially if done with strangers. I'm still free of STDs (I checked after every single sex session), and so contraceptives have never failed me before, which is a relief.

Alright, I see the hostel. Time to do the homework and then rest for a while, figuring out a plan of action. I need to think a lot, more than I usually do. Making a family is a very important part of life, I mustn't take it lightly.

I entered the hostel, greeted the receptionist with a polite nod, and then went upstairs to my apartment. I hear something unpleasant... arguing. It's not too loud but it's still quite audible. Voices are familiar, too... Wait, is that Moonshine arguing with Night Breeze?

I have a bad feeling about this.

"...impossible, he used a spell!" I heard Moonshine arguing.

"Well, it failed. How many times need I say that?" Night Breeze retorted. "I'm now pregnant with his foal!"

Fuck. Fuck fuckeddy fuck fuck. A royal fuck-up without actual royalty taking part in it.

"That spell is from Princess Luna herself, it couldn't possibly fail!" my fillyfriend continued to argue.

Well, I guess it's my turn to tell the truth that I've recently found. Here I go...

"Uh, hello?" I said quietly as I rounded a corner. Moonshine and Night Breeze were in my room, both of them looking quite angry. Oh no... I hope I stopped them in time before fighting began. I don't want either of them to be hurt, certainly not because of my actions.

Both turned to me and blushed, their anger replaced with... shy looks? I don't know how to describe it.

"Flame," Night Breeze cleared her throat, looking really nervous: her ears down, her eyes not even looking at me, and... well, her overall posture is pretty shy, I suppose. "After that sex we had, my estrus ended. Um... I'm pregnant. You're the father."

...

Well... I mean, I kind of expected it. Discord prepared me for it, so I'm not frozen in place. I'm just thinking what to say. But, uh, when is it okay to test whether someone is pregnant or not? A week after sex or so? I don't really know. Doesn't really matter now anyway.

So, what do I do? I won't abandon Night Breeze but... how do we live together? I can't leave Moonshine either, she's my love. Do we make a herd? Do we, I don't know, live together? We already kind of do but... How do we share a bed, do we share it at all? I also don't really have any feelings towards that unicorn aside from friendly affection, so... I have no idea what to do. I know that herds are allowed in Equestria, but will Moonshine accept it?

The two fillies are looking at me, waiting for me to say something. But what do I say? Saying anything about Discord isn't necessary, it changes nothing. I'm still going to be a father no matter what.

"I, uh..." I began awkwardly. "Well, um, uhm..." I let out a long sigh. "I don't know what to say."

"I don't have money, I don't have anything, and I'm young, what do I do?" Night Breeze said in a defeated tone. "It's just... so sudden. I... I don't know what to say either."

...

"I, uh..." I tried to speak again after a few awkward moments of silence. "I can definitely say that I will not abandon you." I said, a small smile appearing on my face. I walked up to the filly and hugged her. I gestured for Moonshine to join the hug, and soon all of us were together, hugging. "Moony, and what do you think?"

"Dunno..." she replied in a slightly confused voice. "But you'll be a good father, that's for sure. I guess... all three of us can be family." I saw a smile appearing on her face as well. "Right?"

"Absolutely." I agreed, planting a kiss on Moonshine's cheek. "Night Breeze... I suppose it's time I get to know you more. How about... all three of us go on a date?" I can't believe I've just said that. Anyway, no going back now. I wanted to make a date for Moonshine, so... "All three of us, spending time together."

Everyone agreed to it but our hug stayed strong. None of us wanted to let go yet, and I can understand. Those are pretty big news for us all.

I'd be fucked in more ways than one if I impregnated someone when I was fourteen. Right now, I have more freedom and more possibilities, it makes things much easier. And... my parents wouldn't shout at me for having sex before marriage. They still don't know about me hiring hookers. Or just having sex in general. I bet my dad thinks I'm gay.

Anyway... I suppose my life becomes even weirder. Two fillies to take care of, even though I don't have romantic feelings towards one of them. Maybe I will discover it in myself, I don't know. I need to get to know Night Breeze more, after all.

Wait, does this count as polygamy?

...

I'm a mormon now, I guess. What gods do they have?

...

Hail Sithis.

Author's Notes:

Flame Metal is going a bit insane. Also, he'll be a father in a year. How good of a father will he be, what do you think?

Chapter 14: Future Problems

Father, father, father...

I will be a father. That's... something. I will have a kid, maybe two... I remember reading about a woman who gave birth to, like, uh, seven children simultaneously. Or was it nine? What I remember is that none of them lived. I don't want to put Night Breeze through it. I already feel bad about impregnating her and making her go through twelve months of pain. Twelve, not even nine! An entire year of carrying a growing foal... One year is a long time.

I'm sure that I'm fertile enough to make my foals be born healthy. As for Night Breeze... she looks healthy. Unless there were more than one egg, I will only have one foal. But whom would they be? A colt or a filly? What colors would they have? What pony race would they be? Would they be an alicorn?

Father. I will be a father... Father.

I repeated this word in my head as I entered the bathroom, turned on the shower, adjusted the temperature, got into the bathtub, thoroughly cleaned myself, washed my mane with a shampoo, turned off the water, stepped out of the bathtub, dried myself off, cleaned my teeth, splashed some more water onto my face, and then stared at myself through the mirror.

Father... I will be a father. For real. These young stallion features of my face... the face of a father. The face of a someone who will raise a foal. A father...

I shook my head. I need to calm down and think. It's not the end of the world, not unless Night Breeze gives birth to Antichrist. I don't think I'm satanic enough to be given such a... gift. She will give birth to a normal foal. Well, considering how "normal" I am, probably not too normal.

I'm just not sure about whom or what my foal will be. What are my genes? Are they a mix of human and pony, however possible it may be? I do think differently than ponies... maybe it counts as, uh, some sort of a mental... disorder... thingie?

I don't know. I don't know anything right now. It's all happening so... suddenly. I'm just twenty-three and I will be a father when I become twenty-four. I know that people marry and have children at eighteen, sometimes even less, but... I don't have an experience in it whatsoever. Sex is the easiest part.

Also, Night Breeze is way too young for this. She's what, thirteen? Even by pony standards it's not okay. Ponies marry when they're at least... sixteen? I don't want her to be ostracized for this.

Even if it was Discord who fucked up, I am partly to blame. I should've known better, I should've asked Luna to, I don't know, magically scan my body. Maybe I wouldn't have impregnated Night Breeze if I just thought for a bit. Alas, I was too blinded by my seemingly positive change I didn't even think of anything going wrong.

Too late now, I must accept the consequences. I will not abandon Night Breeze, it would go against all that I'm for. People say that atheists, and especially anti-theists lack any morals but no, that's not true, at least for me it's not. I have a stronger moral foundation than any believer would ever hope to achieve. I do good for the sake of doing it, it makes me feel... good and complete. Abandoning Night Breeze would bring a ton of pain on her for something that isn't even her own fault. She doesn't deserve to suffer like that. She's done nothing wrong to me, and so I shouldn't do any to her.

I know that a lot of people, especially young people run away when they discover that they've impregnated someone. I despise those people even though I kind of understand their reaction. I'm scared, truth be told. I believe so were those people. The thing is, raising a child is no easy task. I don't think that many people actually want kids, and even if they do, they probably don't understand how hard it is.

I don't love Night Breeze. I don't think I will love her either. But I will support her all the way through, I will do whatever it takes to help her. I must accept the consequences and deal with them.

Finally, I unglued myself from the mirror and exited the bathroom. I saw Moonshine sitting on the bed, looking at the wall blankly.

"Hey, is everything alright?" I asked her. Moonshine, Night Breeze and I are going on a date tomorrow, actually. I hope all of them will feel comfortable and happy. However, something is definitely wrong with my fillyfriend. Her ears are drooped, her head slightly hung...

"I'm just..." Moonshine let out a lot sigh. "I'm not your first to bear a foal."

"I'm sorry about it..." I said, sitting down next to her. Should I hug her?

"You cast the spell, didn't you?" she turned to me slightly. "Why didn't it work?"

"It's Discord to blame." I replied. "He... did something to me that, uh, makes my bypass magic contraceptions."

"Why would he do that?" Moonshine asked with resentment in her voice. "It's unfair and... wrong!"

"I agree, but it's nothing I can do." I let my wings our and placed one of them on Moonshine's back, softly stroking it. "Trust me, I wanted to be with you and only with you. We would have foals, but only once both of us are ready. Moony, I... I'm still not ready but I must take the responsibility." I explained to the best of my ability. "I still love you and I will love you. And... you're not angry with Night Breeze, are you?"

"I... don't think I am." she shook her head. I kissed her on the cheek, hoping to make her feel better. "She's not to blame, I know. Besides... she's kind of nice. I, I don't have siblings but, uh, she could be my sister... I suppose. But, um, she already has a brother... I'm coming to terms with all of this, okay?"

I recoiled back slightly as her voice raised. Fucking hell, it hit her hard. I don't blame her at all. She must feel cheated and... dang.

Discord... you're a perverted monster. Why did you do this? Did you think that me causing pregnancy is good? Accidental, teen pregnancy? Do you even know how such things can ruin lives?

...

You are silent. But know this — what you did was wrong, chaos or not. I will become an unprepared father, Night Breeze will become a very young, unprepared mother, and Moonshine will feel bad because it all looks like life itself told her a big "fuck you"!

...

Fun is fun, and it's okay to have fun from time to time, but accidental pregnancy is not funny at all! I hope you realize it, Discord. Maybe someday you'll understand it, too. Messing with lives, playing God... No. It's exactly the reason I hate the idea. No one must be in complete control of our lives, certainly not you or gods that are described in ancient books.

...

You still don't say a word. Fine. I will manage to bring a foal, and I will raise them right. I accept this challenge. It doesn't even matter if Night Breeze loves me or if I love her. I will love my foal and I will not abandon them. I will give them material and emotional support, I will support Night Breeze throughout all of this, too. It's my duty as a good person and good father.

"...I'm sorry." Moonshine said finally.

"It's alright. I understand how hard it is for you." I replied, returning to her and hugging her closely. "Don't worry, it'll all be fine, I promise."

"I trust you." my fillyfriend said, nuzzling me and then guiding me to the bed where our snuggles continued. "Let's just... rest for a while, okay?"

"Okay." I nuzzled her and kissed her on the cheek, continuing the lovely snuggles.

We continued doing it for quite some time and neither of us noticed how we drifted into sleep.

"...No, dammit!" I cursed, following my son as he flew from his room into the hall. I walked tiredly, feeling parenthood weighing me down. I've not slept in ages, my mane's an unwashed mess that I keep tied behind my head, and my beard is longer than ever before. I just wish I could get some rest... Suddenly, I heard an electric buzzing and then an explosion. Cursing under my breath, I quickened the pace.

"Is everything alright, honey?" I heard Night Breeze asking from her own room.

"Ugh, he's at it again!" I replied hastily. "Hates changing diapers..."

I rushed to the end of the hall and saw that the door to my room had a noticeable chunk missing in one of its corners, burn marks around it and splinters lying on the floor.

"Fucking hell..." I muttered, opening the door and looking inside. I will have to replace this door. Already

My son was nowhere to be found, and so I flicked on the light. I walked to a chest of drawers and looked around. I heard electric buzzing to my left, and I ducked just in time to dodge a bolt of magic. He hit the wall, burning off some wallpaper. Great, now I have to hide it somehow.

I turned to my son, preparing to chide him and finally change his diaper, only to see it and its contents flying my way. Masterfully dodging most of it, I was ready to proclaim my victory when the dirty diaper caught the tip of my horn and hanged from it, right in front of my face.

...

Great...

I recoiled, taking a few steps back, shaking my head, which only resulted in some more crap splattering the floor. Great, now I have to clean the carpet as well... Meanwhile, my son dashed past me and flew on top of the drawers.

Hearing another charge-up, I only wished that I were gay.

Suddenly, everything around me disappeared, leaving me in an infinite cosmic void. What, did my son cause it? Wouldn't be surprised if he did...

I saw Princess Luna walking towards me. Wait... this was all a dream? Phew... Can't imagine myself having to deal with an alicorn foal. Well, technically I can imagine it, but...

"Hello, dear Flame Metal." Luna said, cutting off my thoughts. "Why art thou dreaming about the hardships of parenthood?"

"Uh, why have you switched to the old language?" I asked in confusion.

"Ah, forgive me, foals like it when I speak like that, and frankly speaking, it doth sound much more majestic and royal than simplified modern speech." Luna replied.

"Alright... So, uh..." I stuttered. I don't know what Luna's reactions will be to me, well, doing what I did. "The thing is... remember when Discord changed me into, uh, adult?" after receiving a nod, I continued. "Uhm, um... Well, aging me up wasn't the only thing that he did... He made me, um, more potent in, uh..." I kept on stuttering, a bright blush on my cheeks. "In procreation. So... your contraception spell failed. I, uh... I impregnated Night Breeze." I turned away, unable to look into Luna's eyes.

Silence fell for a few seconds, and I just awkwardly stood there, waiting for the princess to say... something.

"That sleazy piece of garbage... Still playing with lives like they're his personal toys." she huffed. "Well, then... Unfortunately, neither I nor my sister can do anything about it without a chance of severely damaging Night Breeze. All we can do is offer help, be it material or otherwise."

"Well, I guess I'd need some help in the future, but for now I must do everything myself." I said. "I must become a good father, I must know how to solve different problems by myself."

"I agree, it's a pretty wise decision." Luna said, nodding. "You're a responsible person, and it is why you will be a good father."

"I... Uh, thanks." I replied, blushing slightly. Me, a good father? I... I don't know. Maybe I will be, it's just so uncertain and, uh... I literally have no idea how to raise kids in any way. How do I raise them not into assholes? "But, um... I know nothing about raising kids."

"Trust me, no one knows until they do it." the princess told me. "I'm sure you'll be just fine, Flame."

"I sure hope so." I replied with great uncertainty. "I just... well, usually I know things before I do them."

"You didn't know know how to deal with Moonshine and her love for you." Luna reminded me, which made me blush slightly brighter.

"...A fair point." I nodded, agreeing. "Well... Thanks for the help, I suppose. I will do my best!"

"I am certain you will. Sleep well."

With that being said, I drifted into a peaceful and long slumber, a smile stretching on my face as I slept, hugging Moonshine closer, feeling her warmth and giving her mine.

I will get through all of it.

Author's Notes:

What do you think about the picture? I find it quite funny, especially when I first got the idea.

By the way, it's not certain if Night Breeze gives birth to an alicorn. I actually want to hear what you think about it. That is, what foal or foals will Flame and Night have?

Chapter 15: Setting The Date

I slept very well on that night. Just pure nothingness: no dreams to enjoy, no nightmares to fear, and no memories to relieve. I'd say it was just a regular night like many others.

I still can't get that image out of my head. I've been thinking about it before and I find myself thinking about it again and again. Family. I will have a foal in a year, I will be a father to a pony. It feels really weird because... to put it bluntly, I'm still kind of human. Having a kid that definitely will be not human is definitely strange. I don't have anything against it but it's just...

Anyway, why should I think of it right now? I'm in bed, waking up. I should start my day as I usually do.

I yawned. The first step in the morning, yep. I got up from the bed, stretched myself, sighed in relief, and went to the bathroom. Moonshine's still sleeping, having tugged the whole blanket to herself. Oh well, I suppose she needs it more than I do. I'm out of bed anyway, might as way do what I usually do and then make some breakfast for us both.

After relieving myself and flushing (never forget to flush), I got into the shower and turned on the water. It cascaded from the above, soaking me up nicely. I lowered the temperature of the water, making it a bit chilly. Nothing like a cold shower to wake you up! Even though I don't like when it's too cold (my balls would agree to that), I still like cool showers from time to time, especially now. I have good fur, and showering with hot water makes it feel like I'm in jungles, and trust me, it's not a good feeling. You feel damp, hot, and it's not good, not at all.

I followed up my shower with some teeth cleaning and then dried myself off. Straight, soft, silky mane and tail, fuzzy and warm fur, snow-white teeth... Ah, perfection. Hey, I also have some muscles to flex! Yup, being fourteen and in this good shape is definitely a good change from what I was when I first hit puberty. Fat acne-face, that's who I was.

Suddenly, my cat jumped onto the sink and meowed. Knowing what Molniya wants, I turned on the cold water and let her lap at the water for a bit. After everything was done, I turned off the water and exited the bathroom, my cat following me. She jumped up on the bed and nestled near my fillyfriend, beginning to purr soon after taking that perfect, the most comfortable position. And by that, I mean stretching across almost the whole bed, belly to Moonshine's side. Cats seem bigger now that I'm smaller. I don't think I reach that hight I used to when I was fourteen. Was it one-eighty? Pretty tall, yeah, but now I'm about... one-sixty-five, probably. I could never estimate my own height, unfortunately. And besides, how do you even measure the height of a pony?

At any rate, Moonshine's still asleep and the breakfast isn't ready. I can fix both of those things but I'd rather not wake my fillyfriend up. Making something to eat would be my top priority for this morning.

I made my way to the door and opened it slowly. It creaked slightly, which was unfortunate but didn't wake anyone up. I suppose I need to oil the hinges or something like that. Is there a maintenance team that does it? Maybe I could borrow some oil from them.

I exited our part of the apartment and walked into the kitchen. White Light was making some food already, squeezing out some juice from an apple.

"Hi, White." I greeted him as I walked to the fridge to grab a few vegetables to make a salad. I might also need bread, some juice... Yeah, I'd be pretty busy.

"Hey," he replied, turning his head to me. "I've heard what you've been up to."

"I will take care of your sister," I replied, sensing some hidden anger in his voice. "I have someone to blame for the failure of contraception spell but I must take responsibility. Besides, I like her, even though I don't love her."

"I sure hope so." White Light sighed, returning to making breakfast.

Without saying anything else, both of us made breakfast for our special ones, even though why those ponies were special to us was different for each of us.

Though, it got complicated with me and Night Breeze. I had sex with her, casually. I was kind of friends with her, also casually. I think it's called being friends with benefits. Not the most usual thing back on Earth, but it is usual in Equestria... I think. However, it did get complicated, much more complicated than just having sex for fun. I impregnated her, after all.

I sighed quietly as those thoughts went through my head. I've never expected to start a family this early, and not with someone I didn't love. There is the first time for everything... I, uh, guess?

Anyway, salad. I need to make it for myself and my lovely fillyfriend. Let's get those cucumbers, bell pepper, onion, a bit of olive oil, a pinch of black pepper... I think that's all. Actually, how ponies would measure black pepper powder? Pinches don't exactly work because they have no fingers. Do they measure the powder in hooffulls? Mouthfuls? Wait, no, a mouthful of pepper would leave you coughing like that cinnamon powder challenge. I still don't get why people accepted such a challenge, but whatever. I suppose that one can measure powder in grams but not everyone needs exact grams to put into food. Maybe it would measure in spoons? Not everyone can hold a spoon. Scratch that, everyone can. Ponies don't have to have magic to hold something, after all.

Ugh, I'm thinking about something that shouldn't be thought of. Not exactly that but...

Anyway, salad. I need to make it for myself and Moonshine, and it will be exactly this.

I returned to my fillyfriend once I was done cooking stuff, and by that time she was already in the bathroom. The door was slightly open, I might even say that it was done on purpose, in an inviting way. However, sex wasn't on my mind now. Hm... Maybe it was but I need to do something first.

I went to the table and placed the bowls there, as well as a plate of daisy sandwiches I decided to cook. Cooking or eating flowers would still be weird for me for a long time but hey, experimenting with food might get you somewhere. I remember when I discovered my ability to drink hot sauce without dying, and it was fun. I've made a few bets, won a few hundred dollars over this. I was able to buy a guitar. Oh, memories of my youth... There weren't many memorable things during that time but it made those that were count.

Speaking about counts, maybe I should become a prince? Become wealthy as fuck, live off of all that stuff, make Moonshine my princess, start a royal harem or something, and done. But the thing is, I don't want to be a prince. Aside from fun, I will have to do a lot like, I don't know, actually running the country? Celestia and Luna would help me with that, sure, but there is one thing... That's a ton of responsibility I can't put up with. I already need to care for a foal, which will be delivered in a year, and that's already too much for me, and I have no idea how to handle this!

...

I need to calm down. Sure, I'm nervous as fuck about this whole situation but it doesn't mean I should cry about it. It's not the end of the world or my life, it's just a tough path that I must take in order to be a good man. I don't really like my family but what they taught me about being good is the right thing, the best thing they've ever done to and for me. At least I'm not an asshole like both parents of Moonshine. I will never abandon my child. I will not hate them. Even though they will be born without love between parents, I'll make sure they will be born into a good family that will love them.

I let out a long sigh. It will be a long time before I will see my foal but I must get ready for it.

Finally, Moonshine exited the bathroom, her mane and tail wet. A small smile appeared on her face as she made her way to our bed. She pulled out a manedryer and started blowing hot air on her mane. She closed her eyes, enjoying the waves that the dryer sent her way.

"Breakfast's ready." I announced as I took a seat at the table.

Now I just need to wait for Moonshine to finish her stuff and eat with me like we did every morning before it. Then we would pack for school, pass the classes, and then the unusual part would come in.

Bringing Night Breeze out on a date with myself and my fillyfriend. It would be some very unusual time-spending indeed.

We breezed (no pun intended) through the classes pretty effortlessly. This day was sure easy, and now to the hard part.

The Date. Yes, with capital D, and not the D one might think of.

Anyway, we chose to spend our time together just taking a walk through the forest near Ponyville. Yes, we would be near that strange and eventful village this day, which might add to the strangeness of our own situation. Might be fun, who knows?

On our way there, Moonshine, Night Breeze and I were mostly silent, not knowing what to talk about. However, we did have a few things to get ourselves busy with. There were free magazines for us to read, and I decided to look at two of them. First was about celebrities. Why would I read it? Music stuff. I've read about a few ponies who became famous for rap, classical concerts, folk music, pop music (Songbird Serenade reminds me of someone for some reason, actually), and orchestral music. Nothing really caught my eye but an article about a new Nox Obscura concert. I suppose it's pretty obvious why it caught my eye.

The second magazine was about family stuff. It was all pretty generic but still useful. How to buy a house, how to choose a perfect house for a family (I could go with a simple one because our family most likely wouldn't be huge), how to choose preschool stuff and school stuff, then university and whatnot. Toys, shops that sell them... diapers. Yep, I'd certainly need those in the future. It was also recommended to visit a family counselor, which from what I've understood would be a kind of therapist to help new families. I honestly don't know what to think about it, I've not seen a therapist before. I know my father did because, well... He had PTSD. Working for US military was not an easy job, not for a common soldier that went up the ranks. At a cost to his mental health, unfortunately. It might've been the main reason for why he raised me the way he did. And honestly, as much as I hate that way, I could never blame him for it. He's seen some serious shit I know I don't want to see.

Anyway, this magazine sure did me a few favors by answering some of my questions, and I might visit that therapist someday.

As for Moonshine, she was reading some foals' magazine with comics and such. I've never really liked comics for some reason. I was always more of a book guy, film guy, music guy, but never a comics guy. Seems weird but that's how it always was and probably would forever remain that way. After all, I was always slow to change. Just look at how much time it took me to adjust to this pony culture and I'm still unsure of a few things.

Night Breeze read the same family magazine. Her tail and hind legs were twitching, she was obviously nervous. I absolutely got it. Even when she became older, she would still be too young to have a family, especially with someone she barely knew. Well, that was why I brought her out on a date. I need to get to know her otherwise arguments would come, lots of them, especially after the foal or foals were born. To avoid doing to that foal what was done to Moonshine, I needed to make sure that Night Breeze actually liked me as a person. Maybe not a lover, not a coltfriend, but just a friend.

As we disembarked the train, a pink blur suddenly covered my vision and I felt someone hugging me. Pink, giving a hug...

"Hi, Pinkie Pie," I greeted the mare, hugging her back. "How's it going?"

"Some stuff happened, but it's alright in the end!" she replied joyfully, soon releasing me from her hold. "Whatcha doing?" her eyes shifted to the two fillies. "I think those two fillies have something to do with it."

"Yeah, right," I replied slightly nervously. "Moonshine, Night Breeze, meet Pinkie Pie, my caretaker when I lived in Ponyville. Pinkie Pie, meet Moonshine and Night Breeze, my dates today."

"Oh, you lucky colt!" Pinkie Pie said and I could swear I heard a tiny squee sound coming from her. "So, where are you three going?"

"I was thinking about a stroll in the forest," I replied with a smile on my own face.

"I think I have an idea!" the pink mare said, bouncing in place slightly. "There's a special road, it's called the Path of Lovers. It's really beautiful there, especially during spring."

"Sounds nice. Can you show us the way?" I asked. I was interested in her offer. After all, I wanted to show the girls some good time that wouldn't include sex (unless they want to) and a beautiful place would definitely suit those beautiful fillies. Yes, I do consider them quite beautiful, both of them.

"Yeah, sure!" Pinkie Pie replied and began to bounce in a direction.

So, I do consider both Moonshine and Night Breeze beautiful in their own ways. Moonshine is a cute and shy filly. Blond mane, white fur, blue eyes, everything about her is just perfect, and it's not just my German roots speaking. Night Breeze is quite unique, being the first lunar unicorn. Her colors are dark but it makes her look good, and those purple eyes with slitted pupil are just magnetizing.

Wait a second... Moonshine has all the bright colors of the day, Night Breeze has the colors of the night... Hey, they're the perfect fit for me, having that balance of light and dark! So, they effectively make the perfect duo. Huh, I've never thought about them in that way before, but it does fit. Even though I'm light-colored myself, not counting wearing dark colors.

Maybe all of us can indeed be a family and love each-other, however strange it might seem at the first glance. Family life, here I come!

Author's Notes:

Hey guys, if you like my story and have money to spend on things, you may want to support me on Patreon.

If you want to talk about stuff with me and such, join my Discord server.

Chapter 16: The Date

Pinkie Pie was joyfully bouncing towards our destination, the so-called Path of Love. As for me, I want to punch myself in the face. Why? Because I don't know what to do next. I've not planned it through. Yeah, I want to take a stroll through the forest, but then what? I need some stuff to talk about, after all. I've never had such a problem with Moonshine, I was always comfortable around her and we just did whatever we wanted to, talked about different stuff, but I don't know what to do with Night Breeze. Sure, we're friends, kinda, but I don't know much about her in terms of personality and all that.

So, what should I talk about during the date? Sex is out of the question, I'm sure she had enough of it. Uh... girly stuff? I don't really know what it is. So... politics? Yeah, we can praise Luna together, she's the best princess out of the three, but it'd be weird to worship living beings. Speaking about worshipping, maybe we should discuss religion? I think that a fair amount of ponies believe that alicorns are actual gods.

According to Oxford Dictionary, a god is the creator and ruler of the universe and source of all moral authority; the supreme being. According to monotheistic religions, anyway. So, alicorns don't really fit this definition.

The second definition goes as follows: a superhuman being or spirit worshipped as having power over nature or human fortunes; a deity. Discord fits the definition but alicorns don't.

How do I know these definitions? Well, I used to spend a lot of time arguing over religion on the Internet, I know a lot of stuff about beliefs so that I could trap believers in their own bullshit. It was fun albeit it was pointless and unproductive. The Internet is full of trolls anyway, I was just a lesser one and I'm not really proud of it. I don't think I've ever managed to change anyone's outlook. I guess it doesn't matter anymore anyway.

Alright, back to topics of discussion. I don't think that I should talk about religion with Night Breeze. It's a good way to ruin the mood, and she's already carrying my foal. I don't think that their fate should be decided by anything religion-related. I just don't want them to grow up into Discord worshippers. For all I know, he might make me into a mare and then make me pregnant by changing Moonshine into a stallion and then do some other stuff to make us have sex during heat season. And voilà — another foal or two or more. How would I even explain all of that to them? "Hey, I'm your mom and dad, Moonshine is your dad and mom." That'd be... something. The only comparable thing on Earth would be, hm... I guess a gay pair explaining to their adopted children how it all works? I don't know probably something like this. My birth-world doesn't have magic, certainly not gender-changing one, so I can't really say anything

Ugh, my mind's going places once again. And all I'm trying to do is to come up with something to talk about during the date! I can come up with hundreds upon hundreds of topics to talk about to myself, however crazy it may sound, but I can't find a single thing to talk about on a date. It's embarrassing, really. Or maybe not, considering that I've dated only with Moonshine and it wasn't exactly about getting to know each other, it was just spending time together in a good way. Aside from that, I don't know a thing about dating. I stayed away from the topic for a long time, after all, and prostitutes don't count as dates, obviously.

Actually! Actually... Yes, I do know what to talk about! What do I excel at? What do I like just as much as I like sex? What thing have I spent a lot of time on learning?

Music! Dang, I'm so stupid to not come up with it in the first place. Music is probably the only hobby that I will ever really like. I wish I brought my guitar... Oh wait, I still can! I can just teleport it from my apartment all the way to me. Though, not now — I should keep the guitar part a secret. Besides, I can show the two fillies the distorted, overdriven guitar. I'd keep it low and not too heavy, it's not heavy metal club meetup, after all. I'll play something light. Besides, I don't have drums to give me a beat, so I would need to improvise. It's not that hard, my fingers usually find good notes to switch to, and so does my magic. I guess it's an inner feeling of sounding good. I can always find just the right note to continue the improvisation until I get bored with it.

I still need something more to talk about. But what? I can't really figure it out...

"Here!" Pinkie Pie said as we reached our destination. She walked to me and put her hoof behind my ear. Um, what? "There's something in there... These!" she exclaimed and pulled out three cookies.

...

I shouldn't question it. Nope. Totally shouldn't.

Aaaand, my mouth is stuffed with that cookie. Thanks, Pinkie! And so, she bounced away.

Alright, now the three of us just need to chew the cookies and continue moving forward. And hey, these cookies aren't bad! While we eat them, I might as well think about what we should talk about.

So, now I date Night Breeze. So... since we're kinda close now, should I reveal my wings to her? Hm, revealing the wings on the first date... Sounds a bit dirty for some reason.

Anyway, should I or should I not? I need to think quickly, I'm running out of my cookie!

Ugh... I mustn't lie to someone who's going to be the mother of my foal or foals, but how do I approach this situation? Should I just say "Hey, I'm an alicorn, ta-da!" and then wait for a reaction? No, that'd be pretty stupid. But still... I need to do something about this whole thing. Well, I can probably trust her with keeping the secret... probably. I mean, she has kept the secret of me being able to do some really good sexy stuff. I assume that she has because I'm not constantly followed by horny fillies wishing to be plowed until they can't feel their fields.

It's not the best time to make puns. I need to do something.

Oh no, I've just eaten the last of the cookie! Damn, now I need to say something. Uh... Er...

I looked at this Path of Love, finally. It's a tunnel made of flowers, vines, and trees.

"This looks lovely." I commented aloud as the three of us walked into the tunnel.

"It sure does." Night Breeze was the first to reply, nodding. "I wish it wasn't spring. I wouldn't mind snatching a fruit from somewhere around here."

She likes fruit. Note taken.

"Yeah, this place looks pretty." Moonshine added and then grabbed a flower with her mouth. And then she ate that flower. "Flowers are certainly good!"

I still need to get used to it. Eating flowers just like that... Well, aside from sniffing flowers, I painted my skin yellow once by using dandelions. It was actually fun! Hm, can it be used for disguise? My fur is white and I can definitely paint it.

"I don't really like flowers." the lunar unicorn replied, breaking my line of thought. Also, another note taken. Hm, am I taking this too seriously? "But they're okay, I guess. I prefer to sniff them." are you a human in disguise, Night Breeze?

"I've heard that all lunar pegasi like fruit." Moonshine commented. She's doing me a favor by making this small talk. "Is this true?"

"Pretty much." Night Breeze nodded in confirmation. "We grow a bunch of fruit, actually! My favorite is orange. You just peel them with the wings and then you sink your teeth into it and suck out all the juice!" not the way I eat oranges but hey, now I know that lunar pegasi and this one lunar unicorn are fruit vampires!

"That's funny." Moonshine giggled. "I just imagined you doing that! That'd be cute!"

"C-cute?" the lunar unicorn blushed. What do I hear here? Is my fillyfriend accepting the new fillyfriend? I'm speechless.

"Yeah!" Moonshine teleported an orange and held it in her grasp. "Like—" and she suddenly dropped it, her eyes widening. Before the orange could hit the ground, I snatched it. Alicorn reaction for the win! "Wait... Did I just... teleport something?" her eyes shifted from her horn to the orange. "Where d-did I even get that?"

"Hey, you're making progress with teleportation!" I congratulated her, peeling the orange to take a bite. I can't allow this good-looking fruit to be wasted, after all. "That's pretty good!"

Also, I'm pretty sure we don't have oranges around the apartment. Not in our room, not in the fridge or anywhere in the kitchen... Really, where did she get one?

Anyway, I gotta try this juice-sucking technique. But before I do that...

"Hey Night, wanna some orange?" I asked.

"Yeah, sure!" she replied. I gave her a third of the orange, and she bit into it. Yeah, it does look kind of cute... and she's giving me a somewhat sexy look. Uh. Why?

"Um, Moon, what about you?" I turned to my fillyfriend, avoiding that somewhat sexy gaze of Night Breeze. Moonshine just nodded, and so I handed her the rest of the orange, leaving the last third for myself.

After Night Breeze sucked out all the juice from her parts of the orange, she chewed the rest of it. I followed her steps and, well, it wasn't that bad. Though, I'd rather eat oranges like I always did.

"So, guys..." Night Breeze spoke after she swallowed her parts of orange. "You've been dating for a while, right? I, uh..." she scratched the back of her head. "I've not really dated before."

"We just do things that we like." I replied and Moonshine nodded.

"Huh... and how did you even get together?" the lunar unicorn asked.

"We just... click together, I suppose." I answered. "I've helped Moonshine a bunch of times, and, well... It's hard not to love someone like her." I kissed my fillyfriend, making her blush. "She's cute, beautiful, pretty smart, and... she is who she is, and I love her for that."

"Aww, that's adorable!" Night Breeze commented, this time making me blush. I mean, she's not wrong...

"So, um, Night, do you like music?" I asked, deciding to go to another topic.

"Yep, all kinds of it but it shouldn't be too loud." she nodded. "That's why I've never been to a concert or anything like that. My ears are pretty sensitive."

"Alright." I replied. I also noticed a cave... well, not really a cave, just enclosed space in the middle of all this green. It had a long and thick log lying nearby, perfect for sitting, obviously. "Hey, I think I can show you some music you might like."

I led the two fillies into this little green cave and we all took a seat. I teleported my guitar and held it like I did as a human. Well, without using my arms since I no longer have them, obviously. I just placed the guitar in between my forelegs.

Girls like guitarists, but why? I know the answer. We guitarists have very dexterous fingers, and said fingers can be used for many things if you catch my drift.

Unfortunately, now I only have magic. But hey, using magic with a guitar is easier than using hands!

"This guitar looks weird." Night Breeze commented. Yeah, it was the guitar that Moonshine gifted me on my birthday. It's thinner than acoustic guitars and doesn't have a hole for the strings to resonate into.

"Yeah, but look at what I can do with it." I replied, adjusting the knobs, bringing out some distortion. And so, I started playing, making sure that the volume wasn't too high.

It was a rather slow solo in the major scale, having a ton of vibrato, as well as sweeps and slides. Why not show off when I can? Besides, it's my true skill and I didn't practice it for nothing, after all. What musician would I be if I didn't practice?

So, doing a solo like that felt a bit weird because I almost always had some drums in the background and a prerecorded rhythm guitar track, making my improvisation time pretty much a complete song. But now I didn't have any of it, and so the only thing I could add was my voice. I'm still quite too shy to sing, especially around girls, and so I just hummed softly.

Both fillies seem to enjoy it, tilting from side to side slightly, smiles on their faces as they looked at me with admiration. What can I say, playing the guitar does give you girls. You just need to play well, and my own skills are pretty high. All those hours of practice do pay off one way or another someday, trust me.

Maybe I should play a metal version of Careless Whisper someday, it'd be... interesting.

Anyway, I soon finished the solo as not to make the fillies bored.

"That was pretty good!" Moonshine was the first to comment.

"Yeah, it was!" Night Breeze added soon after. "It sounded like some of the electronic stuff but it was, I don't know, softer and more... lively? I've not heard anyone doing anything like that with a guitar, though."

"I didn't invent it—" I can't take the credit for something as big as this, nope "—but I really like it. Maybe I'd be able to make it more popular here."

"Please do that! More variety in music wouldn't hurt." the lunar unicorn said. "What you do sounds pretty unique."

And then I received a kiss on the cheek from her. Uh, okay... I guess. I looked at Moonshine and I could swear that there was some jealousy in her eyes. To dispel it, I kissed her on her cheek.

"By the way, there's a thing in our culture..." Night Breeze said with uncertainty. "Well, um... Basically, it involves sharing of a fruit. Which we just did, right? So... I don't know if you knew it, but it's a huge act of trust." she looked at me.

"Well, I don't think I can trust you more than I already do." I replied, and then quickly added: "You're carrying my foal, after all. I don't think there's anything beyond trusting you to carry them."

"Yeah, you're right." the lunar unicorn nodded. "And since we're on the topic of trust... Maybe we should share some secrets?" her eyes shifted from me to Moonshine and then back at me. "I'll start, I suppose. Are you two game?"

"I am." I nodded. I have a really big secret to share and it will come up eventually. Though, I'll try not to overwhelm Night Breeze, and so I won't speak of my alien nature. Not yet, at least.

"Me, too." Moonshine nodded as well.

"I'll start, then." Night Breeze said. "So... My brother and I are from two different mares. We usually don't talk about it but... here it is, I suppose."

That's pretty interesting. They look pretty much like twins, but... I don't know.

"I'm a few years older than I am officially." Moonshine spoke next. "My parents, um, weren't that nice, and so... My granddad had to do a few things for me, and to make life easier for me he had to manipulate the papers a bit."

All of sudden, Night Breeze hugged Moonshine, patting her on the back.

"Um... Thanks..." my fillyfriend blushed, hugging back the lunar unicorn, soon, the two separated and looked at me.

"Well, uh..." I nervously looked around. I saw no one, I guess we were safe... I was safe to reveal one of my biggest secrets. "Night... I'm an alicorn."

With that being said, I released my wings, unfolded them for the filly to see. Her eyes widened, her ears perked up. For a few seconds, everything was silent. I was quickly becoming nervous, too. What was Night Breeze thinking about all of this? I couldn't bear this silence for much longer, certainly.

"I... I..." she stuttered. "Oh my gosh..." this is becoming awkward. "I'll be a mother to a foal of an alicorn!"

And then she fainted. I quickly caught her and gently placed her on the log.

Well...

...

Fuck.

Author's Notes:

Sorry for not updating more frequently. Unfortunately, my mental health is in a steady decline but I will try to deliver more chapters over shorter timespan without affecting quality in a negative way.

I hope you're all having a happy New Year.

Chapter 17: Date Gone Wrong?

Moonshine and I stared at Night Breeze, who was unconscious and lying on the log I placed her on. After my little but big revelation about being an alicorn, she fainted, which was very unexpected from my side. I mean, it surely was surprising, but... Was it that surprising? Huh... Anyways, I needed to do something but I didn't know what. Should I consider this date as failed or successful? That's a hard one to think about.

On one hand, Night Breeze was positively surprised... I think. On the other, she fainted. I don't think it's a good sign. You never truly know, though. I just need to wait for her to wake up.

"I took it way easier." Moonshine commented. "You even told me that you're an alien and I didn't faint." she giggled. "Anyway... will you tell her who you are?"

"I don't know..." I replied, tapping my chin. "I mean, she deserves to know the truth about who our foal's father is, but... I'm not really who I used to be anymore. Aside from memories, I'm perfectly and completely a pony, although of a very rare kind." I shrugged. "So, I don't know."

"I don't think Night can handle more of you." my fillyfriend chuckled. "I think it's better to wait."

"Agreed." I nodded. "Now, we just need to figure out what to do with this lunar unicorn lying on a piece of a tree." I looked at Night Breeze. "Should we continue the date once she wakes up?" my eyes returned to Moonshine.

"I don't know. I'm fine in any way, especially with you." she nuzzled me, which made my wings twitch. Speaking of my wings, I need to hide them again. In just a moment, they disappeared, hidden by my magical necklace. Done!

"I think we need to discuss everything with her once she wakes up." I suggested. "We need to be somewhere more private. I suppose we should return home. Just hang on, let me charge up a teleport..."

I channeled my magic into my horn, concentrated on a place I wanted us to appear at, and then released the energy. In a blink of an eye, all three of us appeared at our place. The room I shared with Moonshine, to be exact.

I carefully placed Night Breeze on the two joined beds, letting her rest comfortably. Then I went to pull the curtains to cover the windows. After all, I might have to show my wings ago.

Hm, maybe I should've at least brushed her first to remove a few things from her fur and mane but touching an unconscious girl like that would be kind of weird. I'm not afraid of physical contact but I'd rather know that my, uh, partners agree to be touched. I know about a few stories that included girls suing guys because they touched them without permission, and I'm not even talking about touching them there, if you know what I mean. As for me, I don't want to be labeled a rapist because that would be pretty dumb and it would destroy whatever reputation I already had. I'm all for consensual fun, anything non-con is a big NO in my book. People who are into non-con are pretty much losers who can't get laid and take it way too seriously and way too violently than it should be. Of course, my position is pretty biased because I've been getting laid since I was a teenager, but all of that was pretty consensual if you ask either me or my past partners in sex.

Anyway, I trailed off into a territory that wasn't entirely good to discuss. It was time to return to what was actually happening. For example, Night Breeze waking up.

"Ugh..." she rubbed her head, blinking slowly. She noticed Moonshine and me and looked at us with suspicion. Then she turned to me. "Uh... Flame... Are you an alicorn or was it just a weird dream?"

I let my wings go once again, a grin plastered on my face. I couldn't help it, it was pretty funny if you ask me. And so, Night Breeze looked at me with both wonder and interest, as well as amazement. Should I expect her to faint again?

"Wow..." she whispered, looking at my wings. "So... you really are an alicorn..."

"Yeah." I nodded, my grin slowly fading away into a simple smile. "I've been one since birth." the second birth, but she didn't need to know it yet. Hm, was it actually a birth? I mean, I didn't come out of a mare's womb, so... I don't think it's that relevant anyway.

"That's... something." Night Breeze sighed. "So... uh..." she looked at her own belly. It wasn't even big yet. No surprise, just a few days passed since I impregnated her. Unless she was getting fat, there would be no way for her to look bigger. "Will the foal be an alicorn as well?"

"I don't know." I shrugged. "I have no idea how to deal with normal foals. Raising an alicorn would be..." I shuddered. "I don't even know."

"So, whose son are you? Celestia's, Luna's, Cadance's?" the lunar unicorn kept questioning me.

"No, I'm nothing special like that..." I replied, a small blush appearing on my face. "Just a regular guy..."

"Hah, that's funny, because you're sure as fuck not a regular guy!" Night Breeze let out a short laugh. "Though..." she looked at my flank. "Where's your mark?"

"I still don't have it." I replied. Obviously, duh... "I have some talents, yeah, but I'm still to earn my mark."

"Well, duh, talents! You plowed me how many times?" she replied giddily. I blushed harder because I did plow her fields well and, uh... nicely? "Anyway... you're a prince, right?"

"I have a right to become one but I don't really want to." I replied, looking away. Would she tell me to take the title? It would help me to get money, I guess. I didn't know what I'd say if she did ask me to take the right. "I... I'm not that, uh, public as a person. I don't think I can rule a country either."

"Yeah, I get that." the filly replied, getting up from the bed. "Anyway, why am I still dirty? You could've cleaned me, at least."

"Um, you were unconscious." I was unsure of what to say besides that.

"You're an alicorn, you do whatever you want." Night Breeze shrugged. "Well... I'm kind of glad you're not in Hollow Shades. If they knew who you were, you'd be covered in mares. Trust me, they wouldn't let an alicorn stallion go before you impregnated every single one of them." speaking of non-con, I guess... "You have no idea how many stallions of ours want to become lovers with either of the two princesses. Cadance doesn't count, she has a coltfriend or something, and we respect that."

"Wait a second. You've just said that I wouldn't be let go before I fuck ever mare in Hollow Shades. But I do have a fillyfriend!" I noticed a contradiction.

"I don't know, maybe they'd let you go." she shrugged again. "Stallion herds are really, really uncommon, so it would most likely be a line of mares asking Moonshine if they could join the herd."

"That is simply insane." I raised my hoof in protest. "I can't possibly... Ugh, fuck! I mean, I'm pretty content with Moonshine and just her."

"Be glad that no one besides me, her, and whomever else you told about yourself know you're an alicorn." Night Breeze replied. "Trust me, any alicorn has a big line of suitors. A really big line."

"I'd be okay without one, thank you very much." I chuckled. "Anyway, you were going to the shower..."

"Yeah, I was. I just decided to tell you something." Night Breeze winked and then entered the bathroom, not even bothering to close the door behind her.

...

Are alicorns that popular? I'm not surprised but it's still... something. I'm the only known male alicorn in existence, so I guess mares would love to bed someone like me be it out of love or just this weird culture thing about alicorns being gods or something.

My final decision is this - I will not reveal myself to the public, ever. Ever. It'd maybe eventually get out because alicorns are ageless but by then I would be ready, I guess. I hope so, at least.

I sat down with a long sigh. Being an alicorn is great because being an alicorn is good... I guess. I have a lot of benefits, I'm just better than pretty much everyone else, but do I really want it? I'd settle in for a somewhat quiet life... not counting anonymously creating a band and playing in it, of course. Other than that, I would be content with living a simple life with a small family.

So, my current family consists of myself, Moonshine, Night Breeze, and the foal from the latter. Also, White Light becomes my brother-in-law. Parents of those two lunar ponies become my parents-in-law. I'm pretty sure I will never meet Moonshine's parents, so they're all out of the question.

Great.

"Are you alright?" Moonshine asked me.

"I'm more or less fine." I replied and looked at her. "Being an alicorn is harder than I'd like. I just need to be careful. I don't want you to have that mare suitors line to deal with, after all."

"That's definitely right." Moonshine chuckled. "We already have unexpected family members... I don't think we need more."

"Neither do I." I nodded. "Night Breeze is a good pony, though. I don't mind her."

"Neither do I, she's nice and pretty." my fillyfriend said. "And-"

"I suddenly want ice-cream." Night Breeze said, peeking from the bathroom. "You fine with that, guys?"

"I wouldn't mind some ice-cream." I replied and Moonshine nodded. "Alright, let's go then!"

We've spent most of our walking in silence. I didn't forget to hide my wings again but Night Breeze kept glancing at the place where they were supposed to be, sometimes even applying her magic to that place, kind of massaging me. It felt nice so I didn't stop her. Moonshine or anyone else on the streets didn't mind it at all. I guess it was a normal sign of affection.

"Sorry, it's just interesting." Night Breeze said after a while, stopping her magic.

"Nah, that's alright." I replied. "It feels nice, to be honest."

"Yeah? Can I massage your wings when we return?" the lunar unicorn asked with interest.

"I wouldn't mind." I replied and then decided to make a small talk to dispel the silence. "Anyway, what kind of ice-cream do you want?"

"I'd go for a vanilla-chocolate mix." she replied, licking her lips. "With some fruit added, too."

"That's certainly not a bad choice." I nodded. "Moonshine, you?"

"I just like vanilla." my fillyfriend said. "It's simple but tasty."

"Yeah, I agree. I'd go with something... raspberry." I added my own bit to this ice-cream flavor discussion.

"Yeah, that's a good one!" Night Breeze commented on my choice. "It's pretty good, though I prefer a mix of fruit. Hm, maybe I should get a popsicle? The long one." she winked at me.

"I guess." I shrugged, pretending that I didn't notice the obviously suggestive tone she said it in.

At any rate, we soon reached the ice-cream vendor. A small line was in front of the shop, consisting mainly of foals. The weather wasn't really hot, it was just pretty warm and not much else. As for me, I like ice-cream regardless of the weather. If it's hot, I eat it outside. If it's cold, I bring it home and eat it there. I've tasted a fair share of tasty treats in my life even though I cut down on many of them when I decided to keep myself healthy and fit. Even then I would still get something from time to time to sate my cravings for such kinds of food, and ice-cream was probably the best thing to ever be in my mouth.

...

That was suggestive but whatever. Anyway, I like ice-cream the most out of pretty much anything that is tasty but not too healthy. I like some pizza but it's mostly meh. Potato chips were the thing I went for when I was younger but I stopped eating them after I discovered what real cooking is. I've never eaten many burgers or anything of that sort. Ice-cream is possibly the only thing that I don't want to make by myself.

When it was our turn to make an order, we asked for exactly what we were talking about minutes prior to this moment. Night Breeze did order a pretty long popsicle. Twenty centimeters, no less. It was pretty thick as well, judging from the picture on the counter. Do they sell these just to make something perverted? I guess so.

Soon, our desires were fulfilled with cool and tasty goodies. Almost immediately, Night Breeze showed me how well she can get the popsicle inside her. All the way until just the bottom was visible in her mouth.

"Night, I know your skills." I teased her, almost making her laugh with that big thing in her maw. "If you want to, we can all have some fun when we get back home.

"M-wah~" she exhaled as she pulled out the popsicle. "Yeah, I'd like that. I just feel a bit horny."

I tapped her on the horn.

"W-what?" she stuttered for a bit before bursting out laughing, tapping my own horn. "Hah, you're the horniest one here!"

"You bet!" I replied, joining her in laughter and also tapping Moonshine's horn, and soon all of us were laughing along on a stupid horn joke.

I suppose that the date was ultimately a success. I just need to prepare for the threesome that I'm in once we all get back to the apartment.

Chapter 18: The Concert

Fun comes in different shapes. Playing with your friends, games like tag, hide-n-seek. We do it as kids, really young, and we get a lot of fun from it. At least I did even though I've never had many friends. And so, we grow up and start playing more dangerous games. Football, volleyball, basketball, other sports games that require more strength, agility, and awareness.

We scale up the fun and eventually, we may come to a position I'm in. Having a popsicle deep inside the mouth and being sucked off by someone you knocked up, that sort of fun. So, the two of us could only moan. How does it feel to have a popsicle deep inside the mouth? Simple. It feels exactly as it sounds like. A bit cold, too. I think my maw is numb, too.

At any rate, you might ask where the third one is. It's simple — Moonshine's been onto a different popsicle. My long white horn. So, I was assaulted on all fronts aside from the rear. The pleasure bombardment was mutual — I didn't have magic for nothing, after all.

A hot threesome on a warm spring day... Do I need to mention that even with my alicorn strength it would be hard to shake these two fillies off? Not that I would ever want to, I'm just thinking. So, they were onto me, latching on me like hungry sharks. If sharks were sexy and not dangerous, that is. Honestly, I wouldn't put my dick in a shark. They have what, three rows of sharp teeth? One sudden movement and bye bye magical baby-making wand. Their scales are like sandpaper, too. Well, at least that's what I know about sharks. Basically, they aren't fuckable. Don't try this at home, provided that your home has a pool for sharks in the first place.

Kids, don't have sex with sharks.

My weird line of thought was halted with a screech as I felt something very familiar and very intense. I believe it's called an orgasm. After a few seconds of it, I relaxed, knowing well that the two fillies were satisfied just as I was.

"M-wah~" Night Breeze released me and licked her lips. "My neck was getting tired."

"Mh-hmm." I nodded, the popsicle still not fully melted in my mouth. I felt a drop of saliva hitting the bridge of my muzzle. I looked up and saw Moonshine, she was blushing and wiping her lips.

"Alright, time to get this thing out." the horn of the lunar unicorn glowed and the popsicle got out of my mouth with a loud pop only to disappear in hers soon after. She swallowed it whole, not forgetting to detach it from the wooden stick in its bottom. "That's some nice saliva exchange, right?"

"Ri-ight..." I wheezed out, feeling cold in my throat. I coughed a couple of times, feeling not so well in my throat. "Ow..."

"Ma~aybe it wasn't as sexy as I thought it'd be." Night Breeze apologized, blushing in embarrassment. "Sorry about that. It looked kind of sexy from the side."

"I guess..." I replied, my voice still suffering from cold.

Remember, not all things that seem sexy are actually sexy. Learn your fetishes, kids. I have quite a few myself but they are sexy for both sides.

Either way, I should be preparing for the concert. Yep, it's tonight, and I should probably practice my— oh wait, my synthesizer doesn't have pedals. Dang, can't practice on that thing. Well, there goes another point towards pipe organs. They're a sort of multi-purpose keyboards of the old. They can do brass, percussion, and wind instruments. Pretty nice, huh?

Speaking of pipes, all of us need a shower. You know the aftersex smell? Yeah, that one. And my groin's sticky. So yeah... Shower time! Without further ado, I picked up my fillyfriends and carried them to the bathroom.

"Feels good..." I remarked as Night Breeze massaged my wings. I was lying on the bed, leaving my wings revealed for the filly to do the thing with them. And it did feel good! It's like popping your knuckles or neck, it's just so relieving... Sex is sex but a massage is probably just as good and it doesn't require you to sweat to achieve results. Heck, I'm so relaxed right now I fear I will turn into an amorphous puddle of fur and purr. Especially the latter since I definitely feel like a cat being pet. Speaking of my cat, Molniya was lying at my side, her paws tapping against my side. A sort-of massage, I suppose.

That's why I like cats, they're nice!

"I did a lot of massages to my mum and bro. Your wings are different but at the base, they're pretty much the same." Night Breeze commented, not stopping the massage. "I think you also need some preening. You have quite a few feathers that are... well, they don't fit."

"How do you know that?" I asked her.

"I've read a book or two about pegasi wings. It's really interesting." she replied and then turned to Moonshine. "Would you mind preening him?"

"Uh-huh." Moonshine nodded, and with the directions from Night Breeze, started removing the wrong feathers. It feels pretty good like... I don't really know how to describe it. It's like scratching an itch you didn't know you had. It's just... amazing.

"By the way, do you know that Nox Obscura is playing tonight?" the lunar unicorn asked.

"Well..." she's in for a surprise. "We know it. I'm playing in it tonight."

For a few moments, Night Breeze was silent, staring agape at me. I was grinning from ear to ear, knowing that I hit a spot. Wait for it...

"Oh. My. Gosh." she whispered, her eyes widening. Wait for it. "That's amazing!" here it is.

"It's a one-time thing. Their organist is sick." I explained.

"So, you play pipe organ?" Night Breeze asked me, continuing the massage.

"Yeah." I nodded. "Well, good-enough for them, at least. I know a few things, I guess..." I blushed slightly. I have talents but, well, admitting them is another thing entirely. I just... I don't like it when too much attention is on me. "Just, don't tell anyone, alright?"

"No problem, the secret's safe with me." she nodded, giving me a firm squeeze. "You're a stallion of many talents, you know?"

"Yeah, I guess I am..." I replied quietly.

"You're adorable when you blush like that." Moonshine commented, and it didn't help me at all, especially after Night Breeze followed it with a giggle. I guess I'm just that... cute. At the very least, these two think so.

"So, what's your costume?" Night Breeze asked. "I doubt that they would let you preform without one."

"Yeah, I have one." I used my magic to reveal a set of clothes. Well, it's just a robe, but whatever. "I would also need some fur paint, but that's taken care of."

"Looks pretty good." the filly commented, eyeing the outfit. "Fits the theme, definitely. What about the fur paint?"

"You'll see." I answered vaguely. "I don't want to ruin the surprise."

"Alright, no probs." Night Breeze nodded. "Anyway, too much talking. Your wings need to be tended to."

Having no complains about that, I relaxed once again. Massage combined with preening was really relieving, making me feel damn good. I'm glad I have such loving fillies with me. I can say for certain that love is good.

Deep in the evening, I packed the outfit and the fur paint in a saddlebag and set for the place of the concert. I told my fillies to wait for a bit before following me. Precautions, all that. After all, the group is all about secret identities that are kept secret. The same thing as with Ghost, really. Though, I'm pretty sure that the identity of the vocalist is well-known, just not officially confirmed. After all, people tend to slip up. Besides, I've heard that Ghost do backstage interviews with no cameras, and that's when they reveal their faces.

I feel a good feeling about this. I believe that the performance will be spectacular. Since no one will know who I am (aside from the two fillies), I will feel relieved and I will play well. I call this "sunglasses effect". If someone doesn't see your eyes/face, your confidence is immensely boosted. That's the case with me, at least.

When I reached my previous school, the place of performance, someone ushered me from the side. There were a lot of ponies around, waiting for the concert to start. The pony that snatched me was dressed in a black robe, the hood of which concealed his face. Or hers... this case was really uncertain.
And so, I was led behind the stage. Ponies were preparing, putting on their own costumes and makeup (is it makeup? That is, is it the correct word for that? I don't remember). The only one who looked the same was Argentea, and she was smiling at me as I approached.

"Greetings, Flame Metal." she told me. "I believe you made your costume."

"I did." I nodded and unpacked the thing. I soon put it on, letting the mare decide whether it was good enough or not.

"Simple and yet has some beauty to it." she commented. "Well done. But I believe there is more, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I just need some time to prepare." I replied.

"Of course. You have half an hour to do so." the mare nodded and walked away to other musicians, leaving me to finish my business.

Alright, let's do it! I pulled out a large bottle of black paint and started applying it. First was the face as I turned it into a skull. I did everything carefully as not to ruin the look. Next came the rest of my body, which I didn't bother with too much. Alright, now for the mane... Also black. Red is actually a difficult color to hide since I basically need to dump a lot of paint on it to hide the fact that my mane isn't naturally black. Okay, now a simple magic trick and voila, I have different irises. The look is complete!

I suppose I'm set and ready to go. Stage performance, here I come!

Everyone clapped thunderously as the curtain rose, revealing us, the musicians. A huge drawing of an alicorn shrouded in dark robes aflame was placed at the center pf the stage. In the magic of the alicorn, a sword was clutched tightly, but the eyes of the being were full with madness and despair.

"Tonight," Argentea spoke. "We shall be witness to the fall of Laurence, the Blood Prince. He hath given his blood, his very essence to empower his subjects and bring them closer to the stars." she outstretched her hoof, gesturing at the ceiling. "His Crimson Majesty failed," she put the hoof on the floor with a loud thud. "For he had not heed the warning: Fear the Alicorn Blood. He, along with his dear subjects, paid the most awful of prices — their minds. Forsaken, alone, filled with despair, the prince hid in his grand castle. But one day... a pony came to the castle. Fighting many upon many of the mad, he opened the heavy doors. Exhausted, he entered the castle, hoping for shelter. But alas..." she hung her head and paused for a few moments. "The Prince was waiting."

https://youtu.be/BCDEDi5gDPo

I started playing on the pipe organ, its grand and deep sound filling the entire hall as the air went through pipes. The choir sang along with the pipe organ, the voices carrying through the air, enchanting and enthralling.

Sic filii scite tibi vi sacramentum
Erit praemium sanguine sanctum
Erit praemium sanguine sanctum absconditum
Vel venio hūmānitās tendo pendēre

Sanguine sanctum.

The choir silenced, pipe organ playing alone, slowly, deeply, making shivers run down my own spine as I pressed the keys. The sound went through my body, putting me in trance as I started tilting from side to side, consumed by the music.

Honesta rete sanguinem
Expectare iste blasphemia
Es vītae ita dissimilum
Terrēs vīcerit trānem bestia

Honesta rete sanguinem
Expectare iste blasphemia
Hac mystērium obsumus
Arguam vitae ere non absolvis

Dido tuus
Timere

Dido tuus
Sanguine

Timere
Venēna scitis.

The choir silenced once again, pipe organ and strings playing together as a beautiful duo, bringing a feeling of sadness and loneliness, dark despair seeping into the very air. But it was not the end, no...

Festiva praestābere
Sanguine Sanctum
Ita venīte iste vinum
languēscendum
O, succus temero!

Brass, strings, percussion, and pipe organ joined together to deliver an suspenseful ending, and the lone bass remained, a single note sustained and the abruptly ended.

The whole crowd exploded in cheering, thunderous clapping assaulted our ears as we placed all our instruments and got together in the center of the stage. I noticed Moonshine and Night Breeze, both close together in the front row, looking at me and cheering with other ponies. Flowers flew through the air, landing on the scene as we bowed, happy for the joy we bring to these ponies. The curtains slowly closed, separating us from the crowd but the applause didn't cease even after no one could see us.

"You've done well." Argentea complimented me. "I'm looking forward to working with you in the future, if you don't mind." she extended her hoof to me.

"We'll see." I replied as I bumped her hoof, a polite smile on my face.

"And one more thing..." the mare stopped me before I could go to undress. "What does the symbol on your robe represent?"

"You will find out..." I replied mysteriously. "You will know when you do."

"Ah, a mystery! I would like to solve this one." Argentea's eyes brightened. "We will see indeed."

Things are set in motion. Soon, my plan will be realized and I shall play the music of metal!

Chapter 19: A Night

The concert lasted for another few hours but my presence wasn't needed anymore. I stayed with my fillies and listened to music, and it was certainly majestic. It was an orgasm to my ears for sure! Aside from Nox Obscura, there was another orchestral group, but that one was more... light fantasy? Happier tunes and all that. It kind of reminds me of the Lord of the Rings for some reason. I wouldn't say that I dislike things like that but I'm drawn more towards the darker stuff, even though it doesn't have to be Game of Thrones style of killing someone while they're trying to take a dump.

That aside and back to music, any musical piece in minor key turns into something beautiful or dark. I remember listening to that Happy Birthday song and it sounded like something for a funeral. Well, that's not exactly illogical — the older we are, the closer we are to death.

But not me, I'm ageless now, so hooray!

"That was awesome!" Night Breeze told me as we exited the school. "And your costume... That's something! And the skull paint... for a second I thought that it was a mask of sorts. You looked good for sure!"

"Thanks..." I replied, blushing slightly. Oh, praises... Not that I mind them, it's just that I get, uh, shy.

"Yeah, you surely did well, Flame!" Moonshine added, kissing me on the cheek. Well, now both my cheeks are on fire. Thankfully, this slightly cartoonish world doesn't turn metaphors into literal things.

Not most of them, at least.

"Also, I wouldn't mind dining somewhere." Night Breeze said. "I feel... unusually hungry." she rubbed her belly with a hoof. "Yeah, eating something would be nice."

"Why not?" I shrugged, my eyes already searching for a diner that would be open at this time. "We just need to find a place."

"Well, I do know one." the lunar unicorn added. "It's mostly for nocturnal people. Lunar pegasi, mostly. Princess Luna keeps them around as guards, and I think..." she tapped her chin. "Yeah, there's around fifty of them. Maybe more." she shrugged. "Anyway, there's that cafe 'At Midnight'. Pretty suitable if you ask me."

I asked Moonshine if she'd like that, and after she agreed, the three of us went to the cafe. I just need to remember not to reveal my alicorn identity to anyone there. I still remember what Night Breeze told me about lunar pegasi culture.

Basically, I would be fucked to death. Or not to death, but definitely a lot. It'd take many sessions of sex to impregnate all the lunar pegasi mares, after all. I am really not sure if I can last as much. I mean, that'd be a few hours of constant sex. It'd result in heart failure for sure.

Like that guy who masturbated an hour without a pause. Or more, I don't remember. Even I was never that horny to make such, uh, a grand solo performance.

Speaking of sex, it occurred to me that there should be cutie marks for it. I mean, you can be talented at it, right? Fastest hand on the Wild West, that sort of thing. So, if such cutie marks exist, prostitutes possibly have them. And that's probably why such a thing is even allowed here since ponies can get marks for anything.

I passed by a pony and saw their mark. I think it's... oh, that's actually a sex mark. You know, connected symbols of a man and a woman. I forgot how they're called...

Anyway, that's a coincidence. Huh. Well, it confirmed that ponies do get sex talents. Whaddaya know, right?

"We're here." Night Breeze announced, pulling me out of my weird thoughts. And indeed, we arrived!

The filly led us inside. Dim lights coming from blue candles, some soft piano music coupled with violin playing in the background... this place certainly has the atmosphere of the night! Dark and yet gentle, bringing warmth maybe not for the body but for the soul.

https://youtu.be/T7k2pmKUXxI

The establishment was around three-quarters full at this time. Most of the patrons were lunar pegasi, and I could see some other ponies mixed in. In one of the corners, I could see a couple of a unicorn mare and a lunar pegasus stallion nuzzling, smiles on their faces. Aww... I'm a man but cuteness wins against masculinity every time.

Everyone was chatting quietly, letting the music flow through the cafe like a gentle breeze. I have no idea if I'm good at metaphors or not but that's how I can describe this place. Otherwise, I can only say one word — nice, which is... not very descriptive.

As Night Breeze, Moonshine, and I went deeper, we passed a small stage in the center. Oh, my...

...

Luna! My favorite princess is here! My joy aside, she was playing the violin while a lunar pegasus was handling the piano. Hm, isn't it difficult to play it with hooves? You can't really play chords or anything. Oh well, another mystery that can probably be answered with magic. Anyway, the princess nodded and smiled at me as she saw me, and I replied in kind, not disturbing her beautiful performance. Huh, never knew she wanted to perform on stage, even though the audience isn't too big. That aside, I can certainly say that her violin skills have greatly improved!

Soon, we took a place not too far away from the stage. The seats were soft and nice, and even big enough to lie on. They'd give me some difficulty since I'm larger than most but hey, it'd still work!

Anyway, the menus were already on the table, and I picked one for myself. Suddenly, a small flash appeared on my table, and a dark-blue piece of paper with silver writings caught my interest. Huh, let's see what it is...

I grabbed the paper and looked at it with interest. There, with great cursive skill, were written the following words:

Feel free to choose anything you and your fillies like. The payment is on me.

Luna

Unexpected, but not unwelcome. I glanced at Luna and saw her smiling at me, giving me a wink. Well... I feel slightly uncomfortable with this but I'll go along. I won't choose much since I'm not too hungry, but I will definitely pick something interesting.

Let's see the menu now... Hm, most of it is fruit and combinations of it. Juices, mashed fruit, cooked fruit... lots and lots of fruit for sure! Anyway... tea, coffee, some ice-cream (mostly with fruits or fruit-flavored), and... Oh, now we're talking! Some vegetable salads, and even some meat! Mostly fish, though. I don't dislike fish but I'd rather eat something that isn't, well, a fish. Preferences, all that.

Once a waitress came over, I ordered a vegetable salad with some fish mixed in, some orange juice, tea for all of us, and of course, some ice-cream for dessert. Moonshine ordered a vegetable and fruit salad, same ice-cream as me, and simple water. As for Night Breeze, she picked a bunch of fruit stuff, mostly mango for some reason.

In just a moment, our drinks were brought. I poured some tea into my cup to let it cool for a bit, downing a glass of orange juice meanwhile. I love oranges! I remember when I ate a ton of them during New Year celebration at my grandma's. I got a bit sick afterwards but it was definitely worth it.

"I love this place." Night Breeze said, using a spoon to stir up the tea in her own cup. "It has more fruit than pretty much any other place." she took a sip. How can everyone sip hot tea but not me? Do I need to learn a special technique from an Asian guy living in a village hidden in the leaves or something?

"Everything looks nice in here, yeah." Moonshine added, looking around. "I like it."

"Yep." I nodded. "I'd probably visit this place once in a while."

"That's great!" the lunar unicorn clapped her hooves together. "You know... maybe we should hang out together here, um... maybe once a week?"

"Sounds nice to me." I replied, then looked at Moonshine.

"Why not?" she smiled. "I'd love to!"

On that note, we continued to chat about small and not very important things. I think it was the first time when I actually enjoyed sitting in a cafe. I doubt this counts as a date, but still... Anyway, when I was younger, I've never really gone to any cafes or restaurants, at least not willingly. My parents brought me along from time to time but I didn't like it. I always asked to go home but my dad always replied me with something about tolerating it. But why? Isn't it supposed to be enjoyable? Why should I stay if it's not enjoyable?

Some people just like to ruin the fun and enforce their rules for no apparent or good reason. That's probably why I dislike traditions and such. They just don't make much sense to me, especially if they are obligatory, and the only reason that is given is 'don't upset others by not coming'. But isn't being dishonest worse?

People are sometimes very stupid. However, I'm not among them anymore. Heck, I'm an alicorn, I do whatever I want and no one can stop me! Well, aside from other alicorns, that is.

"Flame..." Night Breeze brought me out of my thoughts. "Maybe it's too early, but... What foal will we have, what do you think?"

Oh... this takes me by surprise. I've thought about it already, though.

"I think it'll either be a unicorn..." I leaned closer and whispered: "Or an alicorn."

"Oh eeee, that'd be so nice!" Night Breeze squeed cutely and nuzzled me.

This public show of affection is surprising but... fine. I mean, it's more than fine, but still... Either way, we're still not in love. Weird, huh? She'll be a mother to my foal and yet we don't love each other. That will be... difficult to explain. I can't just say 'Well, she invited me to have sex with her after she helped me take care of my cat while I was gone with my actual fillyfriend'. Saying this would be awkward, to say the least.

"So, um..." I nervously fidgeted in place. "How will we name them?"

"Oh, I don't know." the filly replied. "As far as I know, names are given only after the foal is born." she shrugged. "And... I really don't know. Nothing comes to mind."

"I can't think of anything either." I admitted. "I suppose we'll just wait and see."

"Well, we still have about a year." Night Breeze replied with uncertainty. "We'll figure something out anyway... I think."

"Flame, you'll have to do the same to me one day." Moonshine kissed me on the cheek. "Not now, though... I'm not really ready for that." she blushed. "Maybe I will be, but, um... in the future."

Future... That's true. I will definitely have to do a lot to make sure that my future, the future of my fillies, and the future of my children, however many there may be, will be safe and secure. I already need to be, well, ready to raise a foal, and I'm only twenty-three. Well, some people already have children at this age, but I don't and I would wait even more if not for the accident that changed pretty much everything I planned for the future.

Calling it a plan wouldn't be right, though. More like... a simple direction, I guess. At any rate, everything changed with Discord.

...

I'm gonna make him pay child support. However... how would I do that? What would he pay me with? I think he could just conjure up a ton of money, but... wouldn't that make economical inflation skyrocket? Huh... Maybe I need to think about it a bit more. Discord definitely needs to pay for what he did, be it literally or figuratively.

A weird future that will make me a father... Well, it's not the worst that could've happened to me. At least I'm not a teenager anymore, so... a point for me, I, uh, guess.

Author's Notes:

I'm finally back to writing this story! It has been a month and a half already, and I'm very sorry for that. Things in my life were... hectic, to say the least. But now things seem to go a bit better. At the very least, I think I'll soon get my first date, and it is exciting! Though, I do fear that it might go wrong in some ways since I've not dated before and I'm not very social. Well, at the very least, the girl I want to date seems like a nice person and things point towards her liking me in a way that is a bit further than "just friends".

And Flame's here lucky with two fillies already, hah!

Chapter 20: The Double... Trouble?

The next few days were relatively calm and peaceful. There was nothing but a simple routine of waking up in the morning, going to school, doing homework, maybe taking a walk with one or both of my fillies, and then sleep. It would've been completely boring if Moonshine and Night Breeze didn't keep me company, and I say that two fillies are definitely good for spending time with. It might be unusual and... somewhat odd, I guess, since I'm being with two girls at the same time, but... It's working reasonably well. I still don't know how I feel about the polygamy thing. I've never personally known anyone who practiced it. I mean, a lot of guys sure said that they'd love to bang more than one girl, but I wouldn't consider it important since, well, pretty much anyone considers something similar at that age. Not to mention that I had more than one partners myself, even if it was not love.

Speaking of things related to sex and love... Can my super-fertility thing be changed, reverted, something like that? I mean, I can just not have vaginal sex with fillies in heat, but still... I just don't want any more accidental impregnations to happen. One is definitely enough, that's for sure.

On a certain day, once the school was finished, I went directly to the Canterlot Castle where Luna was already waiting for me. She promised to try and help me, although she said that there might not be a solution to my problem aside from what I've already thought about. So yeah... not much hope for me here, I'm afraid. It's still worth a try, I suppose. It won't solve the existing problem of me soon to be a father, but it will prevent future accidents from happening... I hope.

Anyways, the weather is certainly nice today. The spring has come fully, most of the snow is gone, and more and more leaves started to appear on the trees. It was raining recently, and now the scent of wet wood, grass, and stone was in the air. I inhaled deeply, enjoying this after-rain smell. Ponies around me were smiling as they passed by, a certain bounce in their steps, and soon it spread to me.

I don't know why but I want to sing and dance. If I were a bit less... self-aware, I would definitely do that. Thankfully, I can sing even though I'm rather shy and I don't do it often. Hm, can I dance? I'm not too sure of that. Back in high school, I missed that prom thing. I didn't have anyone to go with and neither did I want to go there at all. I remember that I spent my time practicing my guitar skills and... I probably did something else but I don't really remember, it was some time ago.

Speaking of schools, what will I do after I graduate Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns? I mean, I do plan to become a rockstar (Oh yeah!) but... Maybe there's something else to do? I will have to settle down someday, especially to raise my kid or kids, make sure they get enough parental affection and don't think of me like I'm some distant guy who cares more about his career than his children. Bands need to travel a lot, as far as I'm aware. Selling albums would just not be enough, the majority of money that a band makes is from concerts and such. I should've really looked into it on Earth. Unfortunately, I was just a musician without a band and I, well, wasn't actually looking up how to make a band since I had no idea what I would even play.

I bet it will be a pain in the ass to assemble the band even if the results pay off. After all, I still need a drummer, a... Dang, I need pretty much everyone. Then I will have to regulate finances and such, make appointments, assignments, and so on and so forth. I think I will have to hire a manager or someone else since I have absolutely no idea how to, well, manage stuff. I am a pretty responsible person when it comes to things but I wouldn't say that I know much about the adult world. Taxes, all that is still pretty much a mystery to me. It was way simpler when I was just a kid, heh.

I will have to think about it later. It's time for me to talk to Luna about my more personal problem. Soon, I entered the castle and went through the many halls to my destination. Despite having been to this castle on a few occasions, I still have no idea what its layout is, I only know one path through it. Most halls look way too similar. Maybe there are some small differences but I haven't been able to point them out just yet.

Anyways, I hope that something can indeed be done about my... reproduction problem. Hm, actually, from a practical and biological point of view, it's not a problem, but... I want to have kids only when I'm ready, so I'd rather have my thing fixed and brought back to norm.

I finally came up to the doors that lead to Luna's personal chambers. I knocked twice, and after I was told to enter, I opened the doors and stepped inside. I have no idea why Luna decided to discuss it here other than it's a private spot. It does look comfortable here, too. The lighting is dim, everything is either a shade of blue or purple, and the style is reminiscent of gothic. I can safely say that I like it a lot.

"Good day to you, Flame Metal," Luna greeted me, snapping me out of my thoughts. She gestured at an armchair in front of her and said: "Take a seat."

"Hello, Luna." I smiled at her, nodding and proceeding to do as asked. This armchair is sure comfy! I bet Luna falls asleep on it from time to time. I sure would. For example, if I were sitting by the warm fire on a cold spring evening, reading a book. Ah, this is really cozy.

"So, I've been doing research on the matter, and I came up with some results," Luna said, breaking my line of thought yet again. I suppose I should listen to her now since, well, I came here to discuss my problem. "The spell I managed to dig up is safe but it might not work. The probability is something around seventy to eighty percent." she paused for a moment. "Manipulating reproduction is something that not many attempted or could even do. There were many contraception spells, fertility spells, but it was nothing extreme. Once again, this spell is safe, but are you sure you want to proceed?" she looked me in the eyes and raised her hoof before I could say anything. "Take a bit of time to think of it now."

Well... Even if the spell ends up not working, I won't lose anything. At least, if it is as safe as Luna says it is. If the spell works, future accidents will be prevented and, well, I can get free hot sex! So yeah, it's definitely a win situation.

"Let's do it," I said, nodding.

"Alright, then." Luna stood up from her armchair. "Sit in place while I prepare the spell. Try to relax."

I nodded once again and let out a long sigh, sinking into the soft armchair. Relaxing in it is certainly pretty easy!

Luna's horn began to glow and I felt a tingling sensation in my crotch. I looked down and saw, well, a blue aura around my private spot.

...

I have no idea what to say if someone catches the two of us. I doubt anyone would listen to the explanation since we have, well, a really compromising situation right here. It kinda looks like Luna is preparing me for some fun action. It's not that I would mind, having sex with a princess is possibly a big honor, but I have no idea what my fillies will say about it and I want to stay loyal to them. Well, Moonshine might not be against me doing this, but sti-

Suddenly, I was blinded by a flash of bright light of mixed purple, pink, and blue. I let out a yelp, almost falling from the armchair, and blinked to dispell the light.

Fucking hell, if this spell takes away my problem with my damn eyes, then it was not worth it! Nope! I want both sets of balls to remain: my eyeballs and my... balls balls!

I also heard someone falling. Was it Luna? If so, I need to see, as in actually see what is going on here. I really think something went really wrong!

"Luna, are you fine?" I managed to ask, my voice a bit too loud.

"I am fine," the answer came. "However..." Luna paused. I don't like this. I don't like this at all. I kept blinking to clear the blur and the blinding light out of my eyes. "Something very... interesting happened."

"Just gimme a sec to see..." I muttered, continuing to blink rapidly. Soon, I was able to see. Luna was standing in front of me but she was looking off to my side. Oh no... I looked at my private spot and... oh phew, for a second I thought that my balls got detached. Well, it's a relief they weren't, but what's that thing Luna is looking at? I'm kinda afraid of looking...

Gathering my courage, I stood up from the armchair and turned to the side. There, right on the floor, a mare lay.

...

The thing is, she looks exactly like me. Same white fur, same long red mane... okay, she's just a unicorn, but otherwise, she looks exactly like me. How did I define she was a she? Well... she's lying in a position that allows me to, well, easily see what is needed to define her sex.

...

Now, the question is - what the actual fuck?

"Uh, I don't get it..." I said, turning to Luna. "Who... who is she?"

"Frankly, I have only one guess that remotely makes at least some sense, Flame." the princess replied, her eyes fixated on the unconscious mare. "This mare... is your gender-bent clone."

...

Well...

...

I mean, I did dream about meeting a female me, but, uh...

...

This... this is certainly, uh... weird. I... don't even have words. I mean, magic and stuff, ugh...

I need to restart my brain, it's stuttering way too much. Okay...

*reboot*

Yeah, this should work. Anyway, I don't know what to think about this situation. A gender-bent clone of me? That raises a lot of questions. A ton of them, actually.

"The magical scan confirms my words, at the very least," Luna said, her horn glowing slightly. "Now, I have a theory. I think it was Discord who made it all possible, considering that it is well-known that cloning or changing sex is impossible. Chaos magic, however, is unpredictable. Its only user is, well... uncooperative." she snorted. "Either way... Perhaps it was intended to be a fail-safe of sorts in case you ever tried to lift this procreation spell. I think it is reasonable to assume that by doing so, you would turn yourself into a mare for... who knows how long." she sighed deeply. "What we got instead is... Now wait, wait." she raised her hoof and looked directly at me. "Do you feel any change inside you?"

"Well, uh..." I said, thinking. Hm... "I think I'm less... aroused as before. It's just a guess, though."

"For now, let's assume that you are no longer super-fertile, so to say," Luna said. I think she's in her... nerd or theorist mood or something. Just give her a blackboard and she will write complicated mathematical equations. "So, I think that your natural passive alicorn defensive magic negated some of the effects-" yep, a perfect lecturer "-but deflecting powerful chaos magic required an output of sorts, and so it might have used your increased fertility to birth a pony right there and then." Luna tapped her chin. "My estimation is that this mare is around a year younger than you, possibly a bit more or a bit less." Was I that fertile to make a kid into an adult in an instant? Wow. "Either way, my theory is that chaos magic made her grow up like this." Okay, so not my fertility. "Anyway... I need to think more about it." she sighed, her eyes switching from the mare to me. "But that comes later. Right now, we need to make sure if she's alright."

Since I have no idea if or how to check a pony's pulse or whatever, I just let Luna do her thing. Her horn glowed once again, and the same glow appeared on the mare's horn. It soon ceased, and Luna opened her eyes with a sigh leaving her lips.

"She is fine, merely asleep," Luna said, her magic gently lifting the mair off the floor and moving her onto her bed. "She needs rest. Once she wakes up, we'll see what we can do."

"I... I have no idea what to do," I admitted. "I mean, uh... this is an unusual situation even for you, right?"

"No record of anything similar happening before, at least," the princess replied, nodding. "My theory possibly has some flaws but it's the most plausible one I have yet. It also explains why she doesn't have wings - the magic wasn't powerful enough to make another alicorn. Once again, your natural passive magical defense made it so."

Interesting, does it make this mare my daughter or my sister? I mean, she technically came from me, so she could be my daughter. At the same time, I didn't conceive her, so does it make her my sister? Even then, she doesn't have a mother, technically.

I... I better not think about it. It's already hurting my brain, and, well, I have only one brain. Hurting it too much might make me braindead, and it will be very bad both for myself, those I love, those that love me, and my children. I guess the latter falls into either or both of the first two catego-

Stop. I need to stop.

"Are you alright, Flame?" Luna asked with worry. "You're looking... strange."

"Considering what has just happened, I'm far from looking strange." I chuckled, sitting down right on the floor and allowing myself to sigh deeply. "I just... I don't know." I glanced at the mare that is supposedly a clone of me but female. "I, I... Ugh..." I hung my head.

"It's fine, you just need some rest as well." the princess said soothingly. "I expected it would be quite shocking to you. There is a guest room nearby, you can rest there."

Shocking? That's definitely an understatement. And... I think I do need some rest. I need to calm down, bring myself together, and think more clearly.

"Alright..." I inhaled deeply, counted to three, and exhaled, achieving at least some calm. "Does... does it have a shower room or something?"

"It does." Luna walked up to me and extended her wing, putting it on my back. "Alright, let's go now."

Frankly, I don't mind her guiding me. I do need rest. I do need... something to calm down. I don't drink, so I guess I'll just take some juice, take a shower, and then go to bed. Hopefully, something will be resolved by the time I wake up.

Actually, wait... If she has the same skills I do, then I have the second guitarist for my band!

...

Yeah, I need to lie down.

Author's Notes:

DUN DUN DUUUUUUN! It was hinted at ever since Discord did the thing.

Well, with a sister-daughter, what will Flame do? What do you guys think?

Also, no new alicorns for now! :P

Chapter 21: Confusion

Ah, what a nice dream I had... I was flying above the clouds, watching as the sun rose and set time and time again, and the moon above became brighter or dimmer. It was silent and yet full of different noises: the wind blowing in the ears, the slight hum that seemed to come from the celestial bodies themselves, and other things I, unfortunately, can't remember. What I do remember is that it was very peaceful.

I stretched my limbs, let out a yawn, and prepared to get out of the bed. There is a problem, however... It's not my bed. I'm not at home, neither Moonshine nor Night Breeze are around, it's just... foreign and kinda weird.

Wait, wait, wait... I remember something...

...

Oh crap. Oh no.

...

Alright, I need to calm down right now. What was done is done, there's nothing I can do about it now, and... I don't think it's as catastrophic as a part of my brain wants me to believe. Well, since another part of my brain thinks that it's not that bad, it shouldn't be too bad, right?

Uh, moving on.

So... I have a clone of myself now. Adding to that, the clone is female. Now, there are two me's, which is... Certainly unusual, to put it lightly. But... what happens next, I have no idea. I mean, what will the clone do? How long will it stay here? If it is just like me, a living being, what... just what can I do to, uh... Okay, I don't even know.

I finally got up and shook my head, getting my mind back in order. First of all, I am not insane. I need to remember that. Second, now there's a second me around. Third, I need to get Luna to sort out the mess.

Alright... alright... Deep breaths, Flame. Deep breaths. Inhale, count to four, exhale. Repeat. Repeat again. Relax. Done...

Okay... Now, what's my course of action? Wait... I have already thought of that! I need to get Luna, then... talk to my clone.

...

It will be awkward, I guarantee it. There is no way in the world it won't be! It's like talking to someone who knows every single bit of you. Your... website search history, for once. It's not something anyone would like for others to find out, is it? While I did use incognito mode most of the time, some things were still left on my PC. Oh, wait...

...

Back on Earth, the search history is not erased!

Well... Not returning there at all, then.

Ahem...

Anyway, I straightened myself and went to the door and exited the guest room. A guard was standing outside and he turned to me as soon as I exited.

"Princess Luna is waiting for you in her chambers," he told me, gesturing in the direction. Nodding and thanking him, I went on my way.

No matter how... weird, awkward, and overall... strange it will be, I would need to approach the issue one way or another. I better do it now than later. Putting off the issue for a long time can have very negative consequences for me and not only me. I mean, the clone probably thinks that she's the original turned female, so... Yeah, I need to sort it out with her... myself... No idea how to call my clone.

Soon, I was at the doorstep to Luna's chambers and I stopped. Slowly raising my hoof for a knock, my heart pounding in my chest. Here it comes...

*knock, knock*

"Enter." I heard Luna reply.

Inhaling deeply, I opened the door. Here we go... Immediately, the female version of myself caught my eye. Looking exactly like me but feminine, resembling Luna in appearance in some ways, my clone was sitting on Luna's bed. Our eyes locked, and both of us froze.

Welp... No idea what to say from this side. Knowing myself, I'd say that my clone doesn't know what to say either. Can't blame her, considering that I know nothing that I should say.

I think I'm repeating myself, but I bet the same thing is going on in her head. I mean, me is me, female or male, so... Anyway, I guess I need to say something. But what?

"Is it incest if we have sex?" I heard my clone ask. Okay... it seems her way of thinking is slightly different even though I kinda had the same thought.

"Well, uh..." Luna said, blinking. I bet she didn't expect it either. "From what I managed to understand... It is definitely incest since you are technically completely identical save for gender and wings."

I see... Well, I have no idea how comfortable I am with the idea of having sex with my own clone. I mean, who didn't think of that, but... Facing such a possibility, in reality, is very confusing at best. I mean, it's like giving a blowjob to yourself. Haven't done it myself but I do know that some people like it and get their lower ribs removed for that, so...

And yes, that was an unfortunate part of my search history. Glad my mom didn't see it...

"At any rate, all of us need to think about something to sort out this problem," Luna stated, breaking my line of thought. "First and foremost, it seems like the clone, you-" she pointed at... Flametta? No idea how to call her yet "-is just another living being like the original. Conceived by the magic of chaos, but still a pony." does it make Discord a... dad-mom-whatever-he-actually-is-in-this-case? Hm, can I make him pay double child support for both my kid and my... twin sister? "So, necessary papers need to be filled, and I think that a new name must be chosen for you." the princess turned to my clone. "Any ideas?"

Frankly, I would come up with something like Iron Lady, but... No idea how it would wo- wait, wait, wait... Iron Maiden!

"No idea." the clone shook her head. Okay, that's just plain unoriginal. She definitely isn't me if she didn't think of Iron fucking Maiden! Although, can't really blame her. I mean, she's possibly really stressed right now and doesn't think about that stuff. "I mean, I am... still... me... kinda." she looked at me. "The only difference is that I am, well, a mare. Younger, too, right?" she turned back to Luna.

I wonder if she loves Moonshine, actually. I have no idea if I as a female would be... homosexual or bisexual, and I have no idea if Moonshine is bisexual or not.

Complications!

"Indeed." the princess nodded. "You share the same mindset. On the inside, you are one and the same sans minor changes. I cannot say exactly yet." she paused, looking away for a moment. "So, let's start with a name... You need to come up with one by yourself."

I will wait, then. Iron Maiden still sounds cool, though. I wonder if my female clone picks something cool...

"Iridia." she finally said. Now, this is something unexpected. From my knowledge of chemistry (extremely limited, unfortunately), iridium is a metal, so... I suppose it makes sense. Iridia sounds pretty... Well, just pretty. And kind of grand, too. If she were an alicorn just like me, she would be Princess Iridia. Now that sounds awesome!

"That's an unusual name but it does sound good." Luna nodded. "I have a lot of other questions but I don't want to overwhelm you, considering that you need to adjust to this new form. How do you feel?"

"Just... weird," Iridia replied. "I mean, I'm fine with it... Kind of. I don't know what to think just yet." she rubbed her head. "Ugh... Just... I have no idea what will happen next."

"Neither do I, unfortunately." the princess frowned. "But fear not, I will help you, and I have no doubts that Flame will provide the necessary assistance as well."

"You can count on me, Iridia." I nodded. "I mean, we're one and the same, it'd be weird if I didn't want to help you."

"That's true." she chuckled. "Well, at least you now have someone to jam with, right?"

"I like the way you're thinking!" I grinned. Yus, a member of the band found! This is certainly odd but not bad. Maybe I should just clone myself more? Huh... That would be interesting. Although... no, I don't really want it. One clone is enough. I still need to help Iridia find a place to live at, figure out what she thinks of Moonshine, and other stuff that needs to be done to make things more or less normal.

"I will go fetch the papers to fill." Luna stood up and headed towards the exit. "It's the easiest part of what is needed to be done, fortunately." soon, the princess exited the room, leaving me and Iridia alone.

And the silence fell.

...

...

What to say? No idea. What to talk about? No idea. Have sex? M-maybe. I mean, why not? I guess... I'm not as horny as I used to be but there's still something left.

"So, uh..." I began. "Do you, well... love Moonshine?"

"Yes." Iridia nodded. "You know... it'll be weird." she let out a soft laugh. "Let's hope that she's bisexual, right?"

"Yeah..." I chuckled as well. "At least we can understand each other." I paused. "What... what do you think about being, well, a clone?"

"...Can't really say," she replied. "Once again, it's weird, but... I'll get used to it." she looked in between her hind legs. "That thing is something to get used to, at the very least. No idea if I would want to find a stallion." she looked back at me. "I'm not against it much but..."

"Wait, are you implying that I'm gay?" I demanded to know in a fake slightly angry tone. "My... our mom wouldn't like that!"

"That's for sure!" she laughed and I joined her immediately. Disarming a weird situation with some humor is never bad. "So yeah... I mean, if you were in my situation, which you kinda are, uh..." she scratched her head. "It's confusing, isn't it?"

"You don't need to tell me that. I'm about as confused as you are." I replied. Nervously shifting in place, I added: "So... that question you asked when I entered..."

"Having sex with myself is what I often did in the past." Iridia shrugged. "A more handy experience back then, yes, but now... You know, I bet that we could be fulfilling pretty much every teen's desire to find their perfect female copy for sex. It's definitely within grasp for the two of us now."

"...I have no idea what to think about it." I shook my head slightly. A lot of 'no idea' today, that's for sure. "I mean, we could, but definitely not here. It's Luna's bedroom, for fuck's sake."

"Yeah, that's true." Iridia nodded. "So... like my new name?"

"This one is literally metal, so yeah." I chuckled in response, relaxing. "Mine isn't as cool in comparison."

"Perhaps." she nodded again, a smile touching her face. "So... you know, we'd have to explain who I am to Moonshine, Night Breeze... everyone. How do we do it?"

"Uh, well... I think we should be honest with those two." I replied. "Others... let's just say that you're my twin sister."

"That works for me." Iridia shrugged. "I definitely need to find a way to sort things out with Moonshine. It's getting out of hand since there's two of us now." she laughed. "But hey... threesomes, am I right?"

"Hah, yep." I let out a chuckle. After a few moments of silence, I said: "I wonder what would happen if you were also an alicorn."

"No idea here." she shrugged. "That'd be... something, that's for sure. I'm glad I still have the horn, though." she went cross-eyed as she tried to look at it. "Wings are good for flight, but without a horn, there is no magic to move things around. I have no idea how I would play the guitar or the keyboard or, well, pretty much anything." she paused. "I'm really glad I won't have to learn much new. I only need to remember that I can't fly anymore."

"On an unrelated note, we also need to get a new bed for you." I added.

"Yeah. But hey, we can connect all three, and it becomes really big!" Iridia smiled. "Just imagine how wide and long it will become!"

I stifled a snicker.

"That's what..." wait for it. "She said!" I burst out laughing. This is a dumb joke but fuck it!

Iridia face... hoofed (I definitely need to remember this term) and let out a fake groan, a smile not leaving her face. I continued laughing, content with my stupid joke.

This is going to be fun!

Author's Notes:

Double the Flame!

Chapter 22: Twin Flames

Sooner than I expected, Luna found all the needed paperwork, and Iridia filled it all. There's when absolute monarchy shines — getting stuff done as soon as possible without going through the struggles of bureaucracy. Well, you need to be friends with the ruler, so yeah... At any rate, everything is done now and the two of us (or me, depending on the perspective) can go home... and explain stuff to Moonshine and Night Breeze.

I expect this to go very awkwardly. Might end up in sex, though. Well, and might not... In this situation, I can't say for sure. I can't even say why I'm even thinking about it in the first place. Shouldn't I be less horny? At least that was the entire point of going to Luna and getting that spell cast in the first place. It sorta worked, I hope... Otherwise, I just ended up with a female clone of myself, which, duh, wasn't the result I was looking for. Unfortunately, I can't travel back in time to change anything, so I have to go with the flow.

Luna told us that she'll send the necessary paperwork to the school and everywhere else that we need, so we won't have to worry about anything. I'm glad about it since I always hated going from place to place, submitting paperwork and getting more paperwork when I was still a human. It was tiring, especially if you have to sit in a line and wait for who knows how long.

Anyway, Iridia and I were soon outside the castle and walking through the city of Canterlot to our apartment. Speaking of... Isn't an apartment designed only for two ponies to live in at the same time? Shouldn't Iridia be getting a new one? I mean, she still loves Moonshine and she'd definitely want to stay with her, but, you know, space is an issue. Ugh, dilemmas...

At any rate, first and foremost, we have to tell Moonshine and Night Breeze about all of this so that, well, we can sort it all out. We definitely need to do a lot of sorting out today and later. Just... a mess. I bet that magical accidents of any sort, be it growing an extra limb or losing all body hair are the nastiest and hardest to deal with. I'm not even speaking about clones... yeah, magic. It is probably the most complicated thing in the world, at least on par with quantum physics or something else I don't know anything about but heard of... At least I'm studying magic and I might understand some of it by the time I finish the school. The theoretical lessons have been pretty simple so far even though they do sometimes require extra time to understand.

First and foremost, magic is basically everywhere. It's an energy of sorts that binds us, penetrates us... Well, probably not in the sexual sense, even though I'm pretty sure magic can be used for sexual pleasure because of a rule: everything is a dildo if you're brave enough. Well, and if there's a hole wide enough, it will be at one point used for sex. There's just no way around it, internet and its weird contents have proven it to me. I, well... I wish it hasn't, but oh well, my mind is irreparably damaged by the internet.

Where was I? Oh right, talking about basics of magic. My dirty mind decided that it was a good time to change the subject to sex, so... Ahem, anyway, magic. Unicorns use their horns to transform the said energy into various things. The mechanism of it is being studied but there's no definitive answer, just a bunch of different theories floating around as to how exactly unicorns are able to manipulate magic so precisely. Earth ponies and pegasi, on the other hand, use magic passively. It helps with strength, flight, weather control, and some other things, especially different senses.

Yeah, that's the basics. There's more to it, and I listened to it closely but I still don't understand some bits here and there. Thankfully, Celestia put more time into practicing spells that would be useful in day-to-day life, so that's good. I've had a lot of mostly irrelevant theory back on Earth, thank you very much. It's not like the theory of magic isn't useful, it's far from being useless, but the practical application of it in real life is what I'm looking for. I don't think I will spend more time studying magic deeper, so thanks to Celestia for letting me choose an easier approach. I even remember her saying that the theory of magic isn't for everyone, so yeah.

So, from what I learned, there is a magic reserve called mana. Heh, that's a classic. Each and every single instance of magic, at least in the games and such, has the mana stat. After all, magic is pretty overpowered everywhere, and so some sort of limitation is always needed unless you want mages to dominate everyone every single time. Anyway, mana depends entirely on the user. It's also genetical, so you can get either very lucky or, well, not lucky, but there is always enough mana for telekinesis. That's a sort of an axiom. Even the weakest unicorn will have the strength and mana to use telekinesis. Well, unless their horn is broken, but I've not read much about that. Besides, as far as I know, horns are actually very sturdy and extremely hard to break. At any rate, mana reserves can be expanded but only to a certain limit, and that limit is also defined by the genes. Next comes the strength of magic. It also depends on genes and can be trained. I suppose it's all like muscle, but magical.

We've never gone so far as to discuss clones and such, although they were mentioned... I think. But I bet, oh I bet that clones were summoned by higher-tier unicorns to have sex with. There's a reason why mages are often portrayed as loners living in towers. Why would you like to have anyone if you have magic at your disposal, after all? Just clone yourself and do fun!

Well, being a magician isn't what I see for myself in the future, even though it's a nice thing to fall back to if my band plan doesn't work. I could still study magic if anything else fails and then find a job that requires high magic skill. Being an alicorn, I'm naturally pretty much the best at magic aside from unicorns who have a talent for it and have been studying it more and better than I have. Well, and older alicorns such as Celestia and Luna are pretty much unrivaled and unparalleled in power right now. That's probably why they're still the rulers; I doubt anyone would want to challenge them to, well, anything, considering that they can probably create a magical equivalent of a nuke or something. I seriously doubt they would do that, though. The princesses seem very nice, serving their country well, and... I can't really see anything going too wrong with them unless something extremely extraordinary happens.

On a side note, I noticed that Iridia was also silent as the two of us walked. I wonder what is going on inside her head. Is she thinking about the same thing as me? Is there something else that would have her attention? It really does make me wonder just how different a clone is from the original. I mean, Iridia is me but there are certain changes, and if you apply the butterfly effect to that... She might be thinking about something entirely different than me because one small thing differs in our recent experiences. Stuff like that.

So yeah... I wonder just how much different we'll grow, what is waiting for us next... There are a lot of questions I'd like to know answers to. This whole day, the whole clone situation is making me go crazy, that's for sure. And that's not even the end of it! The two of us still need to explain it to my... our loved ones. Well, I don't exactly love Night Breeze yet and I have no idea if I will, but the point stands.

And speaking of that lunar unicorn... her foals are mine and also Iridia's. Now that's quite something, that's for sure. Iridia will also be a, uh, mother? No, that's not how that works, but she definitely won't be a father. Or will she? Or should I just treat her like a twin sister? How does she actually feel about it? I... I guess I can ask.

"Hey, Iridia..." I said, gaining the attention of my clone. "Uh... what do you think about Night Breeze and the foal?"

"...Absolutely no idea," she replied, shaking her head slightly. "I mean, I'm kinda a father, but... I don't have the male bits to say that," she chuckled. "But I'm also not a mother since the foal isn't in me. So, no idea, really."

"Yeah, I think the same," I nodded in agreement. Both of us are thoroughly confused about this. "What do you feel about Night Breeze, though?"

"The same as you still do, I suppose," she replied. "I don't love her but, well, she has my... your... our foal," she snorted. "Ugh, this is really confusing..."

"At least you won't be the one giving birth," I let out a short laugh.

"Yeah, I'm thankful that doesn't come with becoming a mare," she responded with a smile. "But, I mean... I'm a mare, I can theoretically get pregnant," she shrugged. "No idea if I ever do, though. I don't feel like I want a stallion, that's for sure. I still need to get used to... that thing between my legs."

"Can't imagine how hard that'd be," I replied with a slight grimace. "Not having balls, and most importantly not having a dick... I mean, you... we... uh, well, you lived with male stuff for twenty-four years."

"Yeah," she nodded. "This... change is certainly... something," she paused for a second. "I will probably get used to it eventually... but now I need to sit down when I use a toilet," she let out a chuckle. "I'll try not to forget that."

"Yeah, that's true," I nodded. Even as a pony, I can still stand while doing the small business, even if it makes me look like a dog marking its territory. Honestly can't imagine myself sitting down to do the same. I used to use my magic to hold the tail the right way when I take a dump, but still...

Things... Things will definitely change for Iridia. Something as trivial as going to the toilet room will be a challenge for some time. Then comes... Oh no...

"Iridia..." I addressed her once again. "You do realize that you will now have heat to deal with, right?"

Her eyes widened.

"...Oh no," she said, blinking slowly.

"Oh no indeed..." I replied with my head slightly low. Dealing with that... I'm glad I'm still pretty much a male.

"Ugh..." she facehoofed. "I can't believe this..." she snorted. "Well, what can I say?" she looked away for a second before returning to me. "I'll need you for this one."

Oh fuck no.

In a few more minutes, we finally reached the apartment. We haven't entered yet, however, waiting outside as Iridia nervously shifted in place. Quite frankly, I'm really nervous myself, but I bet that it's way worse for her. Unfortunately, we can't stand here forever, so...

I slowly opened the door and looked inside. Moonshine was lying on the bed, reading a book. She greeted me with a wave as I entered. Alright, here we go...

"Moonshine..." I began slowly, trying to find words in my mind to explain everything to her. "Well, uh... I went to Luna to fix my, uh... The thing that, uh, made Night Breeze pregnant." I'm great at words. Yes. No doubt. "It turned out that... Discord did some other stuff, and now..." I looked back and gestured for Iridia to come in. Soon, the two of us stood before Moonshine as she looked at us with curiosity. "Meet Iridia... my mare clone."

And the silence fell. The book Moonshine was holding fell on the bed as her eyes widened. Well... I expected something like this. Okay, now I just need her to say... something, anything, I dunno. I mean, I would also be struggling for words and, uh, so on.

A few more seconds passed and I became worried. I hope that Moonshine won't, uh... Shut down? Overreact? Ugh... Fucking Discord, he's done way, way, way too much to me, definitely way above what I'd allow. I mean, I'm glad he made me a bit older, but fuck... If I knew it would bring all these problems, I would tell him to revert everything to how it was. I'd rather spend a few extra years growing up than spend a few extra decades making sure that my kid doesn't turn into an asshole.

Because of Discord, I will be a father, I have a clone, and... Well, he caused a lot of confusion and uncertainty. He might even have more tricks up his sleeve. At this point, I want to find him and... do something to him, preferably hurt him. A lot. Well, maybe not a lot, but still... He deserves a few punches to the face, that's for sure.

"I... I don't know what to say," Moonshine finally said. Phew...

"I'm not surprised," I chuckled. "But, well... Both of us love you. That should count for something, right?"

"I'm glad to hear that..." she blushed, a smile appeared on her face. "But... I don't know how to deal with it." she looked at Iridia. "I... I'm sorry, I just don't know if I'm into mares..."

"We'll figure something out," Iridia said. "Now, we just need to tell about it to Night Breeze."

Knowing her, I bet she'd collapse unconscious like she did when she learned that I'm an alicorn. She seems to be pretty... impressionable? I hope that's the word to describe wh-

*THUD*

Huh? That doesn't sound quite right.

I looked back and saw that... Oh well... There's Night Breeze lying on the floor. What did I say? It turned out to be true. And, uh... I hope she didn't hurt her head. That looks like a nasty fall right there. No blood or anything, no, it's just... Well, first of all, no fall looks good. I... I'll just stop thinking about this for now.

Iridia and I exchanged glances. Even without saying words, I can understand that both of us are thinking about the same thing. And that thing is definitely not pretty. Well...

...

We're fucked and not in a good way.

Chapter 23: Resolution

Alright, things are going just as well as I expected... sorta. Moonshine is looking at me with interest, curiosity, probably a bit of confusion mixed in there too, and Night Breeze, well... She's resting on the floor. And by resting I mean lie unconsciously after seeing my twin-sister-clone-me-however-to-call-Iridia. Will I hit a triple if I tell her that I'm also an alien? I bet that would knock her out just as easily as when I told her that I'm an alicorn. I don't want her to go insane because of it, so I'd rather wait for a bit before revealing anything else that would make her faint. After all, she might hit her head hard and, well, that's not something I want to happen to her, especially since she's carrying a foal from me.

Without saying a word, Iridia and I moved Night Breeze on the bed. Moonshine was watching us silently, shifting slightly to allow us to lay down the lunar unicorn. Her eyes were open but she didn't say anything and didn't seem to notice anything at all. That's... a weird look for sure. I hope that she wakes up soon so that we can just sort all this mess out. Things are just getting complicated with each passing day...

I let out a long sigh, sitting down right on the floor. I feel like a rag that was thoroughly twisted. Too much stuff going on, I suppose. Having a foal, having a clone that is also a female... That would certainly drive some people crazy. Almost drove me, that's for sure. I hope nothing of that sort happens in the future, otherwise, I might as well book a padded room in a mental hospital right now. Though, I doubt ponies have those, but, well, you never know. They probably got used to weird stuff, considering that Discord is real, magic is real, and possibilities are endless. Also, it would probably not be a good idea to bring more humans here. I'm more or less mentally, uh, capable of accepting magic and stuff, but for a lot of people, it may prove impossible. Not that I would know, but still... Kinda makes me wonder about the possibility of more humans.

Speaking of more humans, technically Iridia is the second human in Equestria. So... yay exploration? I don't actually know if I am the first human here, I might be not, but, hmm... Now, that makes me think... Since Luna hadn't told me about any other human, it is entirely possible that, if there was one before me, they were there before Luna was born.

...

That's actually... plausible? Possible? No idea what word to use in this situation. Oh well, thinking too much hurts me brain, me need think of... sex! Yaes!

...

Not really. The small dumb aside, I need to think about Night Breeze and Moonshine. They're who are impacted by the events the most, I think. Well, not counting me and Iridia, that is. After all, now they need to understand if they love my clone, if they want her around, if... A lot of ifs, basically. Iridia has a lot coming her way, and possibly not in a good way. Still, I hope it will resolve well. I can't imagine what she must be going through right now. In her place, I would probably be panicking. Or something... No idea how she is able to remain more or less calm. After all, her whole life is being changed, starting right from the balls and all the way to the top of the head.

Hm... I actually wish for us all to be a family. It will be totally strange and odd and stuff, but... That way, I think all of us will be happy: me, Iridia, Moonshine, and Night Breeze. Once again, it will be unusual and probably will take quite some time to get used to, but I'm pretty sure once we're fine with each other, we'll be a pretty happy and wholesome family. Oh! If we buy a house, it will be more lively, too!

I rented my own house for a few years. It was nothing spectacular and it wasn't in the best part of the town, but having your own house does feel good. Well, it wasn't exactly mine, I would've never been able to afford one, most likely. As for mortgage... I thought about it but I wasn't making enough money, unfortunately. Either way, I managed to have a small house for myself. It was more like two rooms under a roof than a good house, but it was... something. A simple bathroom without a bath, and a bigger room that had everything else I needed.

And now, maybe I will be able to actually afford my own house someday, considering that living in Equestria seems pretty easy as long as you don't sit on your butt doing nothing. I have some talents, I will be able to make at the very least a bit of money even if my bring-metal-to-Equestria idea fails. However, I'm pretty sure that my idea has high chances of being a success as long as I don't mess anything up.

Anyways, Night Breeze is finally stirring, waking up. Time to talk to her about Iridia situation.

"Am... am I seeing doubles or are there two of you?" she asked, looking at me and Iridia.

"Yeah... that's Iridia," I replied, nodding at my clone. "I, uh, wanted to get rid of the being-super-horny thing, and, uh... Chaos stuff was involved, and, well..." I gestured at Iridia. "She's here now. It's, uh, me but a mare."

"...Al-right," Night Breeze said, blinking slowly. "This is... um... something..."

"Yes..." I replied awkwardly. "It, uh, is," I looked down at my hooves.

This silence lasted for a few small eternities before someone spoke up. This someone was Moonshine.

"Um, I won't have to choose one of you, right?" she asked, gaining my attention. That is actually a very good question... that I don't know how to respond to. I mean, I probably will feel jealous, but... Iridia is just me. So, can I be jealous of Moonshine basically loving me? Ugh... This is frustrating to think about because, well, it's just weird.

"I... don't know," I replied honestly.

"Neither do I," Iridia nodded to my words.

"I... I can say that I, um, love both of you because you're the same," Moonshine added to her words. "It feels weird but it's true."

Did this just turn into a love triangle drama or something like that? Some weird stuff going on, all of it relating to love and such, and no one knows what to do.

Discord, I will make you do something to repay me for what you did. Even if it turns out good in the end, you still messed things up to a degree I wouldn't want in the first place if I had the choice.

"I still love you, Moonshine," Iridia said. It's so weird to hear those words from someone who's not myself but still is me. Like, her voice is mine but female. It's still almost the same as mine but... some things are different. "Even if I'm a clone and a mare," she chuckled, and I followed it with a chuckle of my own.

"Well, I guess both of us can love you," I said, nodding. "We'll need time to figure out how to do it but we'll do it."

I suppose I'm more or less comfortable with allowing this... weird polygamy thing. If I ever feel jealous, I can just fuck Iridia.

...

Okay, this is weird. Moving on...

Ahem.

"So, uh, we still have school stuff to do," I said, breaking the silence. "Let's do that and think about personal stuff later," and we can have a foursome but I decided not to voice it just yet.

The next few hours were relatively peaceful. The four of us did the homework, helping each other when needed. Thankfully, there wasn't any trouble with Iridia since, well, we had almost the same magical abilities and definitely the same mind. I did catch her looking under her own tail from time to time. Frankly, I wouldn't be able to resist the temptation of doing just that if I were in her place. At least she's not masturbating here... that'd be way too weird for my brain to handle and it might just shut down.

Yeah, I'm still quite shook about the whole thing of female-clone-chaos thing that happened. I know I need to think of something else, to distract myself with something, and... Hmmm... I have an idea!

Since I was done with my homework, I looked under the bed and got out the synthesizer. Without much thought, I turned it on, put the volume on low, and started playing some simple tunes I know. Some Powerwolf pipe organ lines, some softer solos from Ghost, as well as some other stuff I know. Seeing how no one reacted negatively to it and actually popped a few smiles, I continued playing, building the atmosphere for studying.

Iridia pulled out a guitar from under the bed. Jam time it is, then! She turned up the distortion slightly, making the strings release a ringing sound which wasn't too heavy but was still different from the usual sound of the guitar. Without the drums, it was pretty peaceful and light on the ear. No idea how I'd name this or what genre it is, but it would suit as a... background track for something. Damn, my knowledge of musical genres diminished a bit since I appeared in Equestria. Unfortunately, ponies seem to have fewer genres or, at the very least, most of them aren't widespread in any big way. By now, I have only heard classical/orchestral (however you'd like to call it, really), some folk music, and some dubstep-like electronic-like music. Yes, a lot of "like". I think there's also rap but I forgot. Yeah, a lot of stuff happened in my life, not really allowing me to think of other things that were, well, much less important than, say, knocking up someone and then getting a female clone of myself.

Ugh, I'm trying to distract myself here and yet I return to the current situation. Focus. I need to focus. I need to play music. I have the keys, I have my magic that replaced my fingers. I have the notes. So, it must go on!

My mind finally relaxed, accepting the music. It flowed through me like a river, making me almost melt and pop an erection at the same time. Yes, music can be that good. After all, a sound is a vibration traveling through the air, and right frequencies do feel very good on a physical level as well. Ever wondered why the sound of rain or fire is so relaxing? It's just... right. Music is on a new level, and I'm not even sure that either humans or ponies even know why we enjoy music so much and why we want to make it in the first place. As far as I'm aware, animals only make noises that are beneficial in one way or another like cries, roars, and mating calls. And their own language, too. Cat meows, dogs woofs, and so on. I think animals can also enjoy music like we do, at least I saw videos of cute dogs bobbing their heads to songs or tapping their paws in a rhythm, but I have yet to see animals make music. Maybe there is such a thing but I either haven't seen it or remember it. Hm, birds are actually singing, so... I might need to think about it more once I have the time.

I'm very glad that ponies make and enjoy music. Otherwise, it would be very boring and just... depressing in a way. Music, after all, is a part of all cultures, a part of who we are, and I think it might even be a part of consciousness. At the very least, ponies like it as much as humans do and seem to have very similar tastes in it, although I have yet to anything brutal. Maybe it can be explained by ponies being not as violent? I have no idea. I bet there's an explanation somewhere and I just need to find it.

Anyway, Iridia and I will continue to play. All of us need to relax today, and then I will be able to think about such things as creating a band. After all, Iridia can count as a second guitarist or keyboardist! Or singer... although, I don't know how that would fit. I think there are some synthesized female vocals in a few Ghost songs, simple "Ah" and "Oh", and I think Iridia will be able to replace them live. After all, she might be able to have an even greater vocal range than me, and I'm already pretty good due to a thing in my vocal cords and something like that which allows me to sing or talk in a variety of voices.

Huh, the two of us can actually go practice together someday. Maybe tomorrow. Heck yes, we will begin assembling and building the band tomorrow! Finally, I have the opportunity to do it with some help. After all, two heads are better than one, and Iridia knows precisely what I want.

I would laugh maniacally right now since my plan will be set in motion but that'd be sorta weird. But hey, I'm going to bring the band of Ghost to Equestria, which is pretty satanic. So...

Hail Satan!

Chapter 24: Friendship

On the next day, I had to introduce Iridia to the class. Well, not the class, but the teachers, for the most part. The explanation I came up with is pretty simple, really — Iridia is my twin sister. Even if she's physically a bit younger than me, the legal paper stuff she has is almost the exact copy of what I have. Luna made sure that no unnecessary questions would be asked, which I'm grateful for. I don't want too many people to know that I have a clone of myself. That would obviously be weird and draw attention that neither I nor Iridia wanted. All in all, the legality of the situation was settled quickly and reasonably well. However, there are still some problems with housing her since the current apartment Moonshine and I have isn't big enough for the three of us. I'm sure we'll find a solution soon, though. After all, Luna is my friend, and she's a princess. I'm really glad she's helping me, otherwise I'd be stuck with... honestly speaking, a lot of things would've already gone wrong if she wasn't there to save my butt.

Speaking of Luna, I should really do something for her to thank her for all the effort. Hmm, I need to think about it... Oh! I think I have an idea! Although, it's relatively long-term and... well, perhaps it's not the best idea in the current situation but I'll still keep it in mind. I need to figure out something else, however. I do know that she doesn't need anything but my friendship as gratitude, but hey, I like thanking people for stuff they do for me. It makes me feel... good, for the lack of a better word. Actually, what is better than good? I mean, according to the rules of English language, the better of good is the best. Or something like that...

Okay, I'm thinking about dumb stuff again, I shouldn't get distracted so easily. At least not yet.

So, back to school stuff. I caught quite a few colts glancing at Iridia with some obvious romantic or plain sexual intentions in mind. This makes me... I don't know. It feels somewhat weird. After all, she's me, and the female version of me is liked by guys. So... I'm both handsome and beautiful? I guess that's what being an alicorn — or a good-looking unicorn in case of Iridia — gives. We're complete copies of each other, so we have the same genetic stuff... At least I think so. I don't remember biology very well, unfortunately. In any case, that would mean that Iridia has alicorn genes... I think. So, if she ever has kids, they might be alicorns. Just like my kid might be one. Or kids. Oh no, I'm thinking about being a father again...

Focus, Flame. Focus. After all, I'm playing dodgeball right now. How can I think about all these things while I'm trying to, well, dodge a ball? I don't know. What I know is that I'm pretty agile. Everything is... slower. At least it seems so. For example, right now, I see a ball flying towards my face. It's still flying as I dodge it. It passes by me and I'm pretty sure I could see all the details on it.

Am I the One? Is this Matrix? I mean... I bet I look like I'm super fast. I don't know since I only have my own perspective.

Another ball flies past me. This is fun! Right now, it's relatively easy since there are three more ponies dodging balls with me, including Iridia. She's not too bad herself, doing things just as well as me. And, uh... She's sorta flashing her privates because her tail keeps going places. Oh, I think my tail does the same thing, so... There are more balls on the field than those that fly around, hah.

I don't know why I'm even thinking about this. I don't want to fuck myself. At the very least, I don't think I do. I might want it but it's a bit weird. Well, not a bit — it's really weird.

Okay, two more ponies are out. Iridia and I are the last ones standing. Welp, here come the balls, and it's not in a good sense.

Whoosh here, I dodge. Whoosh there, I also dodge. Hah, they can't hit me for the life of them!

*WHOOSH*

Okay, I don't need to be cocky. On a random note, I'm glad I'm quadrupedal. I don't need to shield my balls in case a ball flies straight to them. Unless someone hits me from behind, and that'd be a really lucky — or unlucky, depending on whether it's my perspective or not — hit. It also seems that ponies are more strongly built as well. Most of us take a hit to the head without any trouble whatsoever. Of course, the dodgeball balls are relatively light but still, I don't remember humans shrugging off headshots.

*thump*

Iridia is out! The original is always better! I smirked at her as she picked up a ball and went to the rest of the ponies.

Oh no. Now I need to dodge it until I'm hit. Or until the timer runs out, which is exactly one minute.

Oh. No.

I dodged this! Dodged that! And this, too! Phew, this suddenly became really hard in a non-pleasant way.

*whoosh*

Dodgy dodge! And another dodge! And-

*THUMP*

Oof... Alright, Iridia is standing there, grinning at me. Welp, no surprise she was the one to hit me right in my chest, almost knocking all the air out. That was definitely a powerful hit without a single doubt. Should've expected that...

Anyway, this is the last class for today. Iridia and I planned to have some music practice after it, inviting Moonshine along. After all, we need to make a band, finally! The only problem is, I need to find a drummer. I remember Blueblood wanted to be one, I should probably check on him and see how well he's doing with that. I wonder if he made any substantial progress. I no longer have the benefit of programmable drums on a PC, unfortunately. Frankly, I can barely play drums, so I'd rather get some help with that. I knew I should've learned to drum but, well, the past is the past, and I can still learn it when I can. I must remember that I can't be a one guy band. That's way too much stuff to do at the same time. Thankfully, now I have a theoretically infinite amount of hands and fingers, so I probably can play multiple instruments at once since I don't have bodily restrictions anymore. In any way, I think a band of multiple ponies would look better.

So, Iridia, Moonshine, and I will first and foremost go to Blueblood's place. I already sent a letter to him so he should be there to meet us and talk to us about drums and stuff. Once we fetch him, we'll go straight to Canterlot Castle. Luna was helpful once again, providing a hall for us to practice at. I don't know how she does it but I'm thankful she does.

Time to go!

Uh-oh. Uh-oh. As we finally came to Blueblood's place, we weren't met by him alone. Unfortunately for all of us, his parents were there along with his older brother, all of them bearing frowns on their faces. This won't go well... This won't go well at all...

"Well, well, who's here!" the father stepped forward. Well, if that's not the closest to Aryan, then I don't know what is. His fur was purely white, the mane was blond and slicked back, his beard was neatly combed as well, and his blue eyes looked at me with anger. "A group of no-good teens..." he snorted. "So, you are those who have been a bad influence for our son. Making a musical band? Rabble..." he turned his snout away in what I presume is disgust.

"I'm sorry, guys..." Blueblood Junior said only to be cut off by his father.

"Silence! I'll deal with you soon..." the father said menacingly. "Now, you three, you will stay away from our family or else you will face terrible consequences!" he stomped angrily at us.

Frankly, I didn't expect something like this. That's just... poor parenting on his part. Reminds me of my parents a bit, but even they weren't nearly as restrictive to me. Blueblood's family surely fits into the "Christian family" stereotype. Or... how do I even call it here? Well, I can say that they're stuck-up nobles that seem to know that they know the best for everyone else. Yep, that'd be pretty accurate.

Actually... Now I have an idea that might work. I looked at Iridia and saw her looking at me. Hah, it seems we came to the same conclusion, judging by the look in her eyes. Well, I hope it works. And if it does, we'll have to get Luna to help us sort this mess out. No way am I leaving Blueblood Junior like this. I bet, oh I bet it will cause a big scandal but hey, he's my friend, and I should've helped him with family stuff long ago. I suppose this is the best time!

"Blueblood..." I looked at my friend in the eyes, trying to suppress a mischievous smile. "No offense, but..."

"Your family fucking sucks," Iridia finished, and both of us ignited our horns.

Before anyone else could say anything, the four of us disappeared in a blinding flash of light. After a moment of seeing nothing but a white void, we appeared in the hall Luna promised to get for us.

Yes, four of us. As I've said before, no way was I going to leave Blueblood there. And now he's with us, blinking slowly in the stupor. Yay, it worked! Not the stupor, of course, the teleportation. This rescue plan, thankfully, worked as we wanted. It'd be quite... unfortunate if it didn't. But the good part is, we won't have to worry about Blueblood's family for a while. Plus, the guy's here with us now!

"W-wow, guys..." he finally opened his mouth. "T-thanks..." he let out a long sigh, turning to me. "And... I didn't know you had a sister."

"Now you do," I smiled at him. We're not the closest of friends but I'm sure glad I managed to help him. "Now... I'll go get Luna, you guys stay here."

I turned to the exit from the hall. From what I remember, Luna promised to meet us at the entrance. I feel slightly tired, so I should save up energy for the practice. So, I walked through the halls of the Canterlot Castle, and the guards didn't mind me. It seems they now know me quite well. And I bet some of them think that Luna and I meet for some... not so safe for work activities, if you know what I mean. Ironically, I've never had sex with her and I doubt I ever will, even though sometimes it seems like she wouldn't actually mind it.

Okay, I need to focus again. Even though Luna helped me get rid of most of my sexual thoughts, some still slip in like a lubricated di- alright, I stop here and now. No need to think about that just yet.

"Flame?" in all my perverted thoughts, I didn't notice how quickly I came to (not in just yet. Argh, damn my brain!) Luna. "I was expecting you'd come from the other side of the door."

"Well... my friends and I have a problem," I said and then told the princess about the situation we have. It was a short tale but it left quite a deep frown on Luna's face, which is to be expected. I remember her reacting when she heard about Moonshine's parents... Yeaaah, that was quite fearsome. This reaction is mild in comparison.

"I see..." she said slowly. "I'll see what I can do about it. Bluebloods have been quite a nuisance for Celestia and me for quite some time and we've been desperately trying to find a reason to take away their status. Unfortunately, the family has grown quite... snobbish to an extent we don't allow," she paused for a moment. "Now, we have the perfect reason to bring them down. Thank you for informing me, Flame," she made a small smile, looking at me. "Blueblood Junior will be fine. Though, I believe quite a few things must be made to ensure that he would have a better future, possibly with another family."

You know, if that's how the government takes care of kids, I don't mind it. I don't remember that... how's it called, actually? When the government separates a kid from their parents due to abuse and such? Hmm... I don't seem to recall what it is. Whatever, I'll just look it up later when I have the time. In any case... Welp, and here I forgot what point I was trying to make. Ugh.

One thing I can say is that Blueblood should have a better family that would help him with his tastes. I mean... That's pretty insulting what his family said about me. Bad influence? Fucking hell, we don't offer him drugs! Unless you count music as a drug. I don't even think that Equestria has a drug problem or a smoking problem or whatnot. Hell, I don't recall seeing a single pony smoke. It's not a family-friendly cartoon, so what gives? Actually, some older cartoons had smoking characters. In any case, it doesn't seem like ponies smoke at all. Which is good for sure!

Why am I going on about this? Ugh, I get infinitely distracted by just about anything. Do I have a disorder of some kind? I should be able to keep my mind on one thing from time to time, that's for sure. Instead, it seems I keep jumping from one thing to another in a span of a few seconds. Maybe that's another Discord effect? Or is it my personality? Honestly, I don't know anymore.

Anyway, everything about Blueblood is more or less settled. Time to return and actually practice!

After around half an hour, all of us were finally ready. Iridia and I had the guitars, Moonshine was behind a keyboard, and Blueblood was on the drum set. That's a classic set: kick drum, three toms, a snare, a crash, a hi-hat, and a ride. As I found out, the traditional position is sitting on a stool, holding drumsticks in the hooves. I mean... it makes sense? Not for a unicorn, though. In any case, I think it will work well, even though fancy spinning tricks with drumsticks wouldn't be easy to do.

"So, uh... I'm really just a beginner," Blueblood admitted. "I can't do much just yet, especially not with my parents almost constantly watching me. Getting this set was hard, finding a place for practice was also hard, and finding a teacher... Well, uh..." he blushed in embarrassment. "Yeah... I only had a book."

"Let's see what rhythms you can do, I suppose," I said, nodding. Blueblood started a metronome at... I think that's one hundred and twenty beats per minute, which isn't bad in itself. Then, he grabbed the drumsticks and started drumming.

Okay... this beat is basic, even I know that. Yeah, Blueblood needs a lot, and I mean a lot more training to be able anywhere near close to what Ghost needs. Not to mention that he's a bit off the beat. It might not be noticeable to most right away, but to me, someone who practiced with a metronome for plenty of time, it is. And it irks me to no end!

"So yeah... not much..." Blueblood said, placing the drumsticks on the drums. "Sorry guys..."

"Don't worry, I think we'll be able to get you a teacher," I assured him. "None of us started talented. Moonshine here had to spend plenty of time to become good, and I'm sure you can develop your skills just as well," I smiled at my friend. "You know what... since we can't really practice that well due to the difference in skill, how about... hmm..." I tapped my chin. "Why don't we go get some ice-cream? Leave all the stuff here, I'm sure we can come back to it later. Plus, maybe we'll find a teacher for you, Blue!"

"Sounds good to me!" his ears perked up and his mood lifted up. That's the spirit!

Even though the plans changed, I'm sure all of us will have fun together in one way or another. But first and foremost, ice-cream!

Author's Notes:

Don't ship Blueblood with Iridia... or do

Chapter 25: Hanging Out

With the situation resolved by Luna, my friends and I went outside to grab some ice-cream. I heard that it helps with stress, so I think it'll do good for all of us, and especially Blueblood. Even now, as we walk through the streets of Canterlot, he often looks around in fear, probably expecting his parents to suddenly appear and take him back. Poor guy, seriously... I'd hate to have his parents as mine. I know my parents were on the strict and less reasonable side of, well, parenting, but damn... Blueblood's are a few levels above that. Fortunately, we managed to help him break out of that bullshit.

Thankfully, he didn't just run away without telling anyone. That would probably result in him being returned to his family, and then... It would only get worse. I doubt it would be hard to convince the guards that he ran away because he just was rebellious. They might not even listen to him saying that his parents, well... abuse him. I don't know if that's the right term, I don't know if his parents ever beat him, but I'll go with that. Forcing kids into stuff they don't like isn't that good.

Some would say that it is important to get a kid into school. But... if the kid dislikes the school, hates it, then what would he get from it? Better yet, why not search for an alternative? Our world isn't perfect or anything, but there are always options. We should definitely show love to our children, not just treat them as if we own them in some way.

Whew... that is one hard topic to think about. Parenting is a sensitive thing, a lot of people have a different opinion to mine. I mean, they treated kids like adults in Medieval, from what I know. Same expectations, same responsibilities, and... we all know that Medieval wasn't that good of a period in our history. I'm not the smartest, but I know for sure that we could use some improvement... everywhere.

Anyway, Blueblood now needs to find a new family... and that might be pretty difficult and stressful. I know he dislikes his parents but, well, they're still his parents. Natural instincts and whatnot would still make the separation at least a bit painful.

When I moved out of my parents' house, I felt better and worse at the same time. I felt... even more lonely than before, I suppose. Despite the arguments, disagreements, they were my family. They did support me, even if it wasn't exactly the right way. But they never hated me, they just... mis-loved me. No idea if that term actually exists, but let me invent it now: loving someone and wanting better for them but doing the opposite without knowing or acknowledging it. I think that fits my parents rather well. Blueblood's, though... They seem like the manipulative, controlling kind that don't want better for their children, only for themselves. But isn't that what nobility and similar kind of people do? I don't want to generalize, but there are plenty of shitty people high up in social status.

But what do I know? I'm not a parent... yet. I know I will be, but I'm not one yet, and I still don't know how to deal with children, my own or not. However, in around a year, I will have to deal with not just any kid, but a pony kid. Pegasi can fly, unicorns can do magic, earth ponies are... uh... strong? In any case, I could be dealing with someone shooting lasers out of their horn or a restless flying featherball or overly energetic earth pony... I'm definitely fucked and not in a good way. Well, it did feel good until I learned that I just made a kid. But, uh... yeah...

Ugh, I'm thinking about this thing again... I definitely need that ice-cream to relax. Thankfully, the closest place that sells them is in my sight, so let's just go there! A simple sign saying "Ice-Cream: All Kinds of Flavors!" hung above a small colorful building; the display showed pictures and descriptions of everything that it had. And hey, that's plenty of flavors! Now, what do I get... I tapped my chin in thought, browsing the display with my eyes until I stopped at a particular flavor.

"One raspberry cone, please," I placed my order, giving the needed amount of bits to the shopkeeper. Yep, I'm in a mood for some berry. Why not?

"One chocolate waffle cup, please," Moonshine was next. Not a bad choice — a simple one and yet a good one! I'd get a mix of vanilla and chocolate, though... But I already ordered the raspberry cone.

"Another raspberry cone, please," Iridia said. Well, can't say I didn't expect that, but still... too many similarities. It's like having a twin sister... which is a clone...

Okay, I need more ice-cream than just a cone. But that's for later. Now, I just need to think about something different.

...

I wish they had Spongebob. That was a fun little cartoon that I've almost forgotten. To be honest, I wouldn't mind refreshing my memory! The only thing I can remember is a stupid video that edited an episode or two of Spongebob; he and Patrick found over who would be Dirty Dan. I think that video also had a lot of dildos involved... Oh right, that was a YouTube Poop! My favorite kind of idiotic amusement!

"A vanilla waffle cup, please," Blueblood was the last to order, breaking my line of thought. Then, his ears folded as he looked at me as he muttered quietly, "Uh... I forgot that I don't have any bits..."

"No worries," I smiled at him, putting the money on the counter, "That'd be on me, I'm fine with that."

"Thanks, dude!" he returned the smile as his ears perked up, "You're like... doing a lot for me!"

"That's what friends do," I told him, "Helping each other, even if it's something small like getting an ice-cream."

I heard clanking of armor all of sudden. I turned around and... oh no. Blueblood's family is here, and they're coming for us with two royal guards. This can't be good. Can't be good at a—

"Blueblood!" I heard a booming voice coming from above. I looked up and saw Princess Luna with four night guards.

And that is how the Equestrian Civil War started. Did they have a civil war? Oh wait, that's what formed Equestria. Wait, what am I even thinking about? Why is my mind so... random?

So, I returned to my friends and saw Blueblood looking fearfully at the princess. His eyes shrank to pinpricks as he cowered, ears folded against his head.

"Don't worry, she's not here for you," I assured him, keeping an eye on what was happening over there with his family.

"Thou art coming with us, Prince Blueblood!" Luna told the father of the family strictly. Also, what's with their names, couldn't they be a bit more original? And I noticed Luna used her ye olde English, uh, Commonlang. That does sound pretty good, so why not? "Thou art under arrest!"

"W-what?!" he angrily replied, "You have no right! Y-"

"If another word of defiance cometh out of thy mouth, it would be forcibly shut!" the princess snapped back at him, "Do not forget, We are the rulers. Not thee, not other nobles. My sister and I are thy rulers," she exhaled slowly, keeping her eyes on the father, "It was brought to my attention that thou commitedst a crime against a foal, Blueblood. It is completely inexcusable, and thou shalt face the due punishment."

"It is called parenting, it is none of your concern, Princess!" he aggressively replied. Oh boy... that can't be good for him.

"The happiness of all of our subjects is Our concern, and thou art denying the happiness of one of them," Luna retorted sternly, "Now, dost thou come freely or do We need to use force?"

With that being said, the princess, the guards, and the family of Bluebloods soon disappeared. I heard my friend Blueblood let out a sigh of relief.

"Are you alright?" I asked him with worry. I mean, he probably feels bad or something... In any case, as a good friend, I must provide support to my friends when they need it. Even when my brain wants to think of something else and whatnot.

"I'm fine," he replied quietly, "It's just... I feel free. But... what do I do next?"

"Princess Luna will help you, and I definitely won't leave you hanging, buddy," I put a hoof on his shoulder, "I'm with you to the end of the line. That's what friends do, remember?"

"Yeah..."

"Anyway, let's finally eat the ice-cream before it melts."

Thankfully, this situation was resolved quickly. But if Luna were just a minute too late... Things wouldn't be pretty. I wouldn't simply let Blueblood's parents take him away, so I would probably have to fight the guards. As a human, I knew some moves. My father made sure I could do at least something if I'm attacked. And hey, it probably saved my face from being permanently... modified. A broken nose is a nasty thing to deal with, and I've never had to do it, mostly thanks to my slightly above average skills when it comes to swinging fists at someone. In any case, I don't know anything about fighting as a pony. I can probably use magic, but that's all I can. I am an alicorn, so that means I'm strong, but... They are from the Royal Guard. Probably trained professions who know what they're doing. I wouldn't want to stand in their way.

Just like usual, many things could've gone wrong in a different scenario. But that's life, am I right? If you just think about it, you might wonder how you even came to where you are now. Hm, is it philosophy? I feel like it is.

"I'm sorry for all of this..." I heard Blueblood say.

"It's not your fault, Blue," I was quick to assure him. And it is indeed not his fault. Crappy parents are never a child's fault, "Stuff happens. I'm just glad I was able to help you. Look at the bright side of things!" I actually hate saying that but... it's still true in some way.

"Oh, right, I'll be getting a teacher for drums!" he exclaimed in joy, "Dude, I almost forgot! Like... I can actually start that now!"

"Yup," I nodded, smiling at him, "We'll be able to hang out together more, too!"

"Yep, that is another good thing!" he nodded vigorously, his smile brightening even more, "I really, really wanted to hang out with you more but, you know... My parents don't like you that much."

"I figured," I chuckled, "It's not a problem now, though."

"For sure! And... do you remember the castle exploration?" he asked, and I nodded in response, "We could do something like that again if you want."

"I wouldn't be against it, that's for sure," I told him happily. Exploring abandoned stuff? Exploring castles and whatnot? Sign me in, really! What kid or teenager doesn't like running around and exploring stuff? Boring kids and nerds!

In all seriousness, I just like exploration. Places have history, things to discover. In videogames, I did the same — I explored each and every corner of the map to the best of my ability. Sometimes, it was rewarding, I found some useful stuff. Sometimes, it was nothing. And in some modern titles... Invisible walls and "Return to the field of battle in five seconds!" type of crap. Why, just why? Please... just don't do that. Exploration should be rewarded, not punished. Like when Blueblood and I found that set of armor and fabric we used for our Nightmare Night costumes. Was that rewarding? Heck yes!

Not to mention that I like castles on their own. I don't know if I'd like to live in one, but they're interesting to just be in. Their scale, it's absolutely magnificent! And that's probably why a lot of kids like castles as well. They're just... interesting. I know I'm repeating myself, but I can't stretch that enough!

Castles. Are. Amazing.

Unfortunately, our time together was cut short when Luna arrived. She had to take Blueblood to ask some questions and make things clear to him. After all, he needs somewhere to live, a new family, all that. It would require much more than just, you know, taking him away from the existing family. Even though Equestria has magic, it doesn't mean that any and all issues get magically resolved. Ponies have real problems just like us humans. Some of those problems might seem mild in comparison to what some of us face, but hey — different worlds, different problems.

I've already encountered two ponies that had trouble with their parents. There are probably more ponies with similar problems, and I'm glad I managed to help already. Equestria is really a nice country, and I want it to be even better! It's a giant step from what I was used to seeing back home, and I definitely don't want to see Equestria degrade into my country. That didn't sound very patriotic but frankly, I don't care. Patriotism shouldn't mean overlooking your own country's errors and such. I'm not blind to Equestria having problems either.

As perfect as the two ruling princesses seem to be, they're still ponies. Living, thinking, emotional beings. They make mistakes, everyone does at one point in our lives. If we didn't make mistakes... would we even be able to become better? Some probably could but not most people. I'm not sure where I am in there... Probably in the "most people" category. I've done my share of mistakes, I regret making them, but they shaped me as a person. I bet the same is the case with the princesses.

Anyway, it's time to return to the present, as in this day. Today. Ugh, my thoughts are so awkward sometimes... Anyway, stuff's going well, in my opinion. Blueblood will have a new, better family; we will hang out more, hopefully; he will get an actual drum teacher. And most important of all, we will finally make a band! Though, that only comes after Blueblood is good enough with the drums. Until then, we can't really do much.

Actually... we could start at least thinking about attracting ponies to us. Show them that there will be a band, make them have interest in it. I just need to think about how to do it without hyping it to the point that they can't handle the wait... That can happen, and I don't want to tire them out before the performance even begins. I'm not the smartest person in the world (or two worlds, depending on how you look at it), but I think I can figure out... something. Gotta use my brain for the right purposes, after all.

I might have an idea indeed... But I need to assemble the band, there's no way I can pull this off on my own. Well, I probably can, but I'd rather not stretch my luck. I've been caught up in many different things that prevented me from doing what I want — making a band to play metal, bring this genre of music to ponies. Problems won't stop here but I can at least start making my dream come true.

Author's Notes:

I'm very sorry you had to wait so long for a new chapter. I've been having a lack of inspiration and I finished another story, but still... I know such things will keep happening, but I'll try to minimize the negative consequences.

Chapter 26: Legal Procedures

For a few days, I've been brainstorming, trying to come up with a good way of starting a band. Getting costumes and instruments, as well as learning the songs isn't enough. Ponies don't have YouTube or anything like that, so I can't simply record a video of us playing and expect a lot of ponies to see it. Once I have enough money, I will try to develop the internet, that's for sure. Though... I don't have much knowledge about the digital side of things. As in, I don't know anything about coding. I know that computers use a binary system to operate, and that's where my knowledge ends. Yeah, I can use the internet easily and even assemble a computer from existing parts, but creating one from scratch? Impossible.

Anyway, I trailed off from the main topic, which is creating a band and advertising it, I suppose. I should've done some serious research about creating a band while I was still on Earth... Well, what can I do? Hmm... Actually, I think I have an idea! I've already played for a band here, so I should ask them about this sort of thing. Nox Obscura got popular somehow, after all. Unless they started famous, as in they are a branch of another group... But in any case, they might give me some good answers. The only problem is contacting them. I should've found the address for sending letters... Nevermind, that thing is probably not efficient for what I want. I bet there's plenty of fan mail, and my letter might not get a reply in months.

Oh, I think I know! Luna was the one who brought me to Nox Obscura, and she can be the one to help me contact them again. Seems like a good idea.

...This is kind of ironic, though. I never liked the fact that you have to know someone to get famous. It's not always like this, of course, but it's often the case. I just got really lucky to have Luna as my friend, so... I have royalty on my side! That's the highest you can go to in Equestria, I believe. Princess Celestia is on the same level, and then there's Princess Cadance. Haven't really seen her do anything as of late, though. She seems... not as royal? Well, I've not seen her public appearance... ever. Luna also seems not to like publicity, but her sister sure likes to appear in a lot of things. She's a teacher at her own school, she appears in a number of public events. There's not a week that Princess Celestia doesn't use to partake in something. But she's a princess, what did I expect? A ruler needs to be close to their subjects to know what they want and what they don't want, after all. If a ruler doesn't do that... Well, we've seen multiple revolutions happen on Earth that threw away monarchy or loosened its grip on power. Revolutions happen for a reason, after all. If all were good, then why would people go out in the streets, grab weapons, and defend their beliefs and such?

Okay, so what I need to do is to ask Luna for help... again. This has become pretty ridiculous if you ask me. But hey, I can't just search up the answer on the internet, now can I? And I seriously doubt libraries have the books I need for that. So, help from Luna it is!

However, today is a special day. A court is taking place about Blueblood's parents, and I am asked to go and provide evidence. This is somewhat frightening, to be honest. I've never been to a court before, and, well... I don't really know how it will go. Not to mention that all the evidence I have comes from Blueblood's words. The only thing I've personally seen was when Blueblood was held back by his parents from going with me and my other friends. However, if anything I can do will help, then I'll do it without hesitation.

Speaking of stuff I do for friends and other close people... Night Breeze really needs my attention once I get back. She's been having... certain urges. First is the mix of, uh, cucumber and ice-cream. No, not ice-cream with cucumber flavor, even though that would be strange enough. I'm talking about slicing the cucumber and mixing it with vanilla ice-cream. Yeah... That's weird. And after that, she wants to have sex with me. I mean, I guess that's fine since she's already pregnant. Although, when the later stages come, I'm not sure I'd want to have sex with her. That would just be... weird. Eve though I'm pretty sure my dick won't touch the foal-

...

Why did I even think of that? I really should transform my brain into a computer so that I could delete stuff I never wanted to imagine in the first place. Bad Flame Metal. Bad. Don't think about things you shouldn't think about.

...

Phew. I think that thought is gone. Aaaand I'm pretty sure I'm not as horny anymore, at least for now. Weird thoughts tend to do that... Though, I wonder how many ponies get pregnant in their early teens. Probably not many, considering that what happened to Night Breeze is the result of Discord's chaos magic stuff (I'm still going to make sure he pays child support in one way or another), but still... I guess it's an, uh, interesting statistic?

Anyway, I should focus on something else, something that is immediate and much more important. So, early in the morning, Iridia, Moonshine, and I all went to the court building. Moonshine was obviously the most nervous out of the three of us, and so I walked close to her and gently nuzzled her from time to time. It seemed to relax her, which is, well, a good thing. Dang, I can't really form words today... In any case, all of us will provide evidence in a separate room. It was my condition since all of us are pretty nervous and I don't want to butcher my own words under the glare of Blueblood's parents or something. So, in fact, most of the court will happen without our presence. Blueblood Junior is staying at the Canterlot Castle, for now, doing... stuff. I don't actually know but I'm sure he's fine. Once the court is done, and I'm sure it will be done in his favor, he'll find a new family and hopefully, will live happily ever after. At least, that's the best thing that could happen to him.

However, I'm pretty sure his biological parents will try to do something to get him back. I have no idea what it might be but... they're rich and somewhat powerful. So, they have connections and money to use to get things done other legally... or illegally. Or semi-legally. Rich people often have the power to shape laws in such ways that benefit them. You know, making them vague and filled with loopholes that only people with connections or money can exploit. Just look at the tax code... When I was around seventeen, I took a look at it and, well... Putting it in words is difficult. But definitely not as difficult as figuring out things like tax returns and whatnot. Rich people have the money to hire lawyers that do all that job for them, but regular people? They can't do that.

Anyway, let's get back to the current thing. While I was thinking about all that stuff, the three of us finally reached the building. The Royal Courthouse... It's somewhat greek in style for some reason. A lot of columns, decorations on the triangular roof... I've not been to Greece but this sure reminds me of it. Canterlot really has everything... Some gothic buildings, some Victorian-era (or its equivalent, I have no idea how it's called here) houses, and some ~20th Century stuff. The castle reminds me of Orthodox churches a bit, too. Canterlot is a mix of a lot of different styles, and it somehow works together without problems. That's surprising but not unwelcome. And for some reason, I barely noticed it before. Interesting...

Once we entered the building, we were directed to the Witness Room №3. I wonder what the first two are... Probably reserved for more important cases and trials. So, we made our way to the right hall and almost to the very end of it. The door for our room was a plain wooden one with a golden plate at its top with its number. Before entering, Iridia, Moonshine, and I exchanged nervous glances. We all know we're doing it for Blueblood, but none of us has been to a court before.

Speaking of that, aren't we supposed to be with adults? Though... I'm technically an adult. Iridia also is. At least she should be. But, well, we can't exactly call our parents, now can we? Mine's are on Earth, which is inaccessible from here, from what I know. Same with Iridia's since, well, she's my clone. Moonshine's parents just... straight up abandoned her. It still makes me feel pretty bad... Not because I had anything to do with it but because, dang, that must've been a traumatic experience. I want no child to go through that. I suppose that's also the part of the reason I'm helping Blueblood right now. He's a good guy, he deserved to have good parents. Bad guys also usually have bad parents... So, to be honest, everyone deserves and needs good parents. Humanity probably wouldn't be nearly as messed up as it is if only we had more good parents that made good people.

And I will also try my best to be a good father myself. I'm having an unexpected child, and it's something I'm not too thrilled about, but... He or she doesn't deserve to be abandoned just because of that. Bad decisions like this may lead to even more bad decisions, and all of that often results in a catastrophe. So, I'm going to be a responsible and reasonable parent and make sure that the foal will be raised well under my... wing? I think that's how to say it.

...

Yeah, what hope do I have as a father if I can't even speak right sometimes? Heh...

Anyway, I finally opened the door and the three of us entered the room. To my surprise, the one to question us was Luna herself. It's not an unpleasant surprise, but... I expected someone else. Someone other than Luna, that's for sure.

"Good day, Flame Metal, Iridia, Moonshine," she greeted all of us in turn, a warm smile on her face, "You may take a seat."

With some hesitation, all of us sat in front of Luna, and the only thing separating us from her was a table. She changed her usual royal attire to a dark-blue plain gown, and small reading glasses were on her muzzle. Her mane was flat, its ethereal flow gone. Instead of how she had it usually, this time it was tied behind her head in a ponytail. Uh, do ponies call that style ponytail? Or do they have a different name for that? That doesn't really matter, but... Still, small facts are interesting.

"So, I'm going to ask all of you to provide me with everything you know about Blueblood Junior and his family situation," she told us, "And while I am your friend and sympathize with you, don't forget — I am first and foremost the ruler of Equestria. If I am to judge someone, I judge them based on objective facts and not on my feelings."

"I understand," I nodded in response. Yeah, it'd probably be legally problematic for all of us if Luna judged in our favor just because we're her friends.

And so, we proceeded to tell her of what we've seen and heard from Blueblood. Luna nodded to our words, writing it all down swiftly with the use of a pen. That's surprising, considering that most ponies still use quills. The paper also seems different from a glance... Are ponies technologically advancing? Huh. That's good, maybe someone will be able to come up with the Internet before I do! I mean, it'd be nice if I were the one to give the idea, but hey, the original idea is not mine, so... I'd probably feel bad for taking it. I don't know.

"Alright, thank you," Luna said after she wrote everything down, "One last thing, however... Do you swear on your memory that everything you have told me is correct?"

"What does that mean?" I asked in confusion and interest. I've heard about swearing to God, swearing on the Bible, swearing to a person by looking them in the eye and saying 'yeah', but this... This is new.

"If the defender denies the accusations, you will have to provide proof regarding your words," the princess explained, "So, in that scenario, you will have to let me view your memories directly. Everything outside of those specific memories needed for the trial will be safe under the Privacy Act number thirty-one."

"Well, if I knew what that Privacy Act is..."

"It says that no one has the right to view the memories you have outside of those deemed necessary for the legal procedures," Luna gave an explanation, "So, everything regarding your private life is still with you and cannot be accessed without your explicit willing permission."

Honestly? Sounds like a decent way to go about this mind stuff. Well, and law in general. I'm pretty sure this mind-reading legal procedure is the thing that keeps crime to the minimum. If you are caught, I'm pretty sure you will face punishment regardless of anything. Your brain can't lie to yourself, after all. Well, not without a brain trauma or something, but let's not think about that.

"And what if our words are accurate? Does the defender have to provide their memories as well?" I asked with interest.

"Depends on the case. If your evidence is enough, their memories aren't accessed. If what you have is vague or uncertain, they do. And if there are no witnesses, they have to provide their memories as well."

"Doesn't it break the principle of 'innocent until proven guilty'?" I asked probably one of the most important questions.

"The accuser will have to compensate for the lost time and money if the accusations are proven to be false," Luna replied, "It's been an established practice for centuries. It has put more real criminals behind bars and is one hundred percent efficient. With this practice, it is impossible to put innocents behind bars. And usually, multiple Mind Judges-" what a ridiculous name "-are summoned to provide their own expertise, and they may not communicate with each other until the trial is over. This anonymity makes sure that there is next to zero corruption at play. We've not had corrupt Mind Judges for almost a thousand years now, and all of them are extensively trained in what they do."

This answer satisfies me, and so I nodded. I think it's pretty complicated but who am I to argue if it works? Legal stuff is never easy.

"Alright, then, you may go," Luna told us, "I will notify you about the results of the court, but I'm pretty sure it will be ruled out in the favor of young Blueblood and you."

All of us nodded in response and got up. Once we left the room, we headed out of the building. When we got into the main hall, we saw what we really didn't want to see — the Blueblood family. The father glared at me as if I am the devil himself but didn't say anything, passing by with his wife, another son (Blueblood Senior), and another pony who I assume is the lawyer. As much as I'd like to see the trial and those guys getting demolished by Luna, I'd rather not spend another moment under that murderous glare. I see that Moonshine isn't fond of it either, judging by her folded ears and her gaze aimed at the floor. So yeah, it's better that we go outside and wait for the trial to end.

I have a good feeling about it!

Chapter 27: Solving Problems

Author's Notes:

Yay, I'm back to writing it! It's been a long time since the last update, and I'm sorry for it. Fortunately, however, I managed to get some stuff done. Enjoy!

I have no idea what happened during the trial, but it took nearly five hours to complete. While it seemed like it should've gone faster... it didn't. I suppose that the only way to explain it is, well, the complications of legality and law. From what I've heard back on Earth, courts might take months to make a decision. Sometimes, even years. But since Equestria has magic to help with all that, maybe Blueblood Junior won't have to wait that long. Hopefully, at least. I wish for him to get a good family, something I couldn't quite get right myself. Well, not counting the current situation with me creating a family. This is where I can choose a family for myself.

Speaking of that, we had just enough time to get cucumbers and ice-cream for Night Breeze. She thanked me with a smooch on my cheek, as well as making a sucking motion on one of the cucumbers. I guess, uh, she wants some 'stallion meat' after all is done. I'm pretty sure she wanted a bit less before this moment, but whatever. I guess I can do some sexy stuff once the trial is over.

So, about halfway through the court session, we were called to provide our memories. Due to Blueblood's family request, we had to present ourselves in front of the court. Once Moonshine, Iridia, and I entered, we were met with furious glares from the family. There were a couple more ponies in the room, and I think they were also nobility. They met us with neutral or judging looks. Labeling it 'uncomfortable' doesn't quite do it justice if I'm being honest.

I kept close to Moonshine because she was the most nervous. Her ears were flat against her head and she avoided looking at anyone present in the room. I too wanted to be as far away from the courtroom as possible, but... legal stuff didn't allow me to. However, I looked right in the eyes of the family's head. Neither of us could make the other look away, but I will not back down just because of his status. People like him need to be put down. Well, not in the 'kill' sort of way, I'm not suggesting that, but... Effectively eliminated in a, uh, political sense, I suppose. And in any case, I have a bigger status because I'm an alicorn. I could say something like 'bow down, bitch', and they will do it. At least, that's how I think it works when you're an alicorn. Haven't tried, probably won't try it, but... Just in case things go extremely wrong, I can do something to fix them. I should probably ask Luna about how it exactly works, but that comes later.

Back to the matter at hand. The process of accessing our memories felt... weird. Yeah, that's pretty much the only word I can think of to describe it. It was like someone massaging my brain with fingers, pulling on certain parts. It wasn't painful or anything but it was... uncomfortable. Thankfully, it didn't last long, and soon our memories were on full display. Seeing my own memories from the third person was definitely odd, and they looked like as if I had cameras installed in my eyes. But hey, my eyes are good, so the quality is top notch! The image itself resembled a flat borderless screen that is as thin as... I don't actually know, the image seems completely two-dimensional.

For around fifteen minutes, our memories were viewed, and the only sound in the room was coming from them. The glare of Bluebloods became way more intense, and I'm pretty sure they feel helpless now. No matter how good of a lawyer they have, no matter how high up the society they are... they can't evade facts. And I'm glad I have a reasonably good memory. While some faces were blurred, what I had was still enough to show what was needed.

I couldn't hold my excitement. I looked in the eyes of the father of Blueblood Junior and smiled.

"How disrespectful!" he slammed a hoof on the desk in front of him, and I bet he wanted to tear me to shreds there and then.

"Quiet, Blueblood," Luna ordered, "Or be removed from the court."

"But..."

"Quiet," the princess ordered more firmly, "Thou art in no position to object. Dost not disrespect the court or thou shalt be judged accordingly."

"You will pay for that!" he shook his hoof at me.

"How much, and do you accept nothing?" I replied with a challenge.

"Flame Metal, please do not antagonize the defender," Luna told me in a neutral tone, though I swear I can see a hidden smile on her face, "Blueblood, this is thy last warning. Misbehave again and thou shalt face judgment."

With a heavy huff, the father slowly sat back down, even though his glare didn't cease. As for me, well... I couldn't be happier. While I should've probably remained silent, I do have a lot of words to say to him. Most of them consist of swears.

"So, with the evidence provided, We shall exercise Our right to judge fairly and justly," Luna said, "The facts speak for themselves, and they show us that House Blueblood committed crimes of foal abuse against their youngest colt by the name of Blueblood Junior. Per section one of the Family Protection and Safety act, Blueblood Junior will no longer be in the custody of House Blueblood. The latter is to provide foal support to the new family starting from the time of the adoption. The titles of House Blueblood are to be removed, starting from this very moment. A vacant residence is to be confiscated in favor of the new family starting from the time of the adoption; the maintenance of the residence is to be paid for by the Bluebloods indefinitely or until the family willingly moves from it."

That glare I was receiving turned into seething, burning hellfire. If I'm being honest, he'd be intimidating if he was, well... intimidating. So... all Bluebloods can do is to glare at me. As for me? I'm very satisfied about the outcome. For nobility, it is certainly unacceptable to do what they did, and I hope they'll either learn the lesson or keep getting punished. Fine with me either way.

It might seem like a very harsh punishment, but it would serve like a very good lesson. Hopefully, they'll change their ways. And I'm sure that if they try to pull something like this off again, consequences will be even more severe. What's more important, however, is that Blueblood Junior – also, do I still call him that name? – is free now, and I'm sure he'll get a way better family. Probably not nearly as rich or influential, but does money matter when your life is controlled to the point of not being able to choose a harmless hobby if your parents don't support it? A similar thing happened to me. My mother, despite being reasonably smart, believed that heavy metal is the music of the devil. I mean... it can be? I listen to Powerwolf and Ghost, so I suppose she was right in some way, ironically. But! I've not sold my soul and neither have I been to hell. Equestria seems more like heaven to me. Well, at the very least, it's far from hell and it's better than Earth in plenty of ways. Does it count as heaven?

"Flame Metal, Iridia, Moonshine – you are free to leave the courthouse," Luna told us, breaking my line of thought. Good thing, otherwise I'd go into thinking about heaven, hell, limbo, and whatever other stuff my mother tried to push into me. Hours of studying the Bible... Ugh. I kinda forgot most of that just like I forgot plenty of stuff I learned from school, but the time I wasted on that could be spent somewhere else.

Anyway, the three of us can leave now and get some fresh air. This courtroom is a bit filled with negativity and anger from Bluebloods.

After that happened, we had to wait around two hours until the trial ended. No idea what was discussed during that time, but I'm glad it's over, and it ended in the favor of my friend. Can't wait to see his smile! At least, I hope he'll smile. Despite what Bluebloods did to him, they've not done nearly enough to turn him away completely, I think.

I didn't have more time to think about that because I saw Luna exiting the courthouse and heading to us, a smile on her face.

"It seems everything went rather well indeed," she told us, "Since we still have plenty of time, I suppose we can visit Blueblood and bring him the news."

"Why not?" I asked rhetorically, "Let's go!"

Iridia and Moonshine also nodded, and the four of us headed towards the Canterlot Castle. And, well, we were met with looks and stares as we went. I'd say that's not surprising, though – we're in the company of a princess. Not to mention that we weren't in a chariot or anything, we were on hoof.

I have one fear about it, however... What if it is viewed as being friends with the princess in a legal sense? Wouldn't it warrant an investigation into the trial that has just finished? I'm pretty sure Bluebloods would try to pull something like that off. Fortunately, the evidence is there to prove that they are guilty, and my relationship with Luna didn't alter it in any way whatsoever. As she told me, she sympathized with my cause an all, but she is first and foremost a ruler of Equestria, and as such she must judge fairly. I fully understand it, too – I wouldn't want bad stuff to happen just because Luna swayed the court decision in my favor. Yes, I did want it to go my way, but who wouldn't? I also didn't know Luna would be the one judging.

"Luna... can I ask you a question?" I turned my head to look at the princess. She nodded, and so I continued: "What motivates you to do good things for everyone? Where I'm from, we have a saying 'Absolute power corrupts absolutely'. And, from what I know, you do have absolute power."

"That's a very good question," Luna nodded to my words, "I suppose my sister and I grew out of the more greedy phase of our lives. Believe it or not, we used to be not as good as we are now, pardon my, ahem, bragging. We used our power to get what we wanted, whenever and wherever we wanted. However... after some time passed, rebellions raised. Of course, ponies didn't want to live under someone who didn't care about them.

"One rebellion was prevented. Another put down... And yet they kept appearing no matter what we did. It came close to one of us being assassinated," she let out a sigh, "Lives were lost before we came to an understanding of things. Perhaps, it was a random thought, but nevertheless, we started doubting ourselves. We were very powerful, much more powerful than any other pony, and yet they were not afraid to stand up against us. What could be the driving force behind what seemed like a hopeless endeavor?" she paused, letting her words sink in.

"...Desperation, I guess?" Iridia answered her question after a few moments of silence. I wanted to say the same, but, well, she was quicker.

"It was hope. Hope for a better future," Luna countered, "Once we saw it, once we could understand them, we could see the fault in ourselves. And since then, we did everything in our power to fix what we and countless others did before us. It took many years, and even now we sometimes struggle to fulfill our duty, but we march forward nevertheless."

"How long did it take to understand?" surprisingly, it was Moonshine who voiced the question. To be honest, I also had it on my mind. I bet Iridia also had the same thought.

"We were around eighty years old. Our bodies and minds were as young and as flexible as of when we were late teenagers," Luna answered, "Perhaps, this is why we managed to understand and so few could understand it before us. Time... not enough of it."

This... actually makes sense. Thankfully, Celestia and Luna managed to fix their mess before it was too late. Perhaps, all we need is someone old enough to understand the errors? Probably not since a lot of young people do see the problems, but... I guess it's hard to say. All of us are mortal, none of us have magic. Celestia and Luna have a lot that we don't.

"Unfortunately, not all things were changing as quickly or as easily as we hoped," Luna continued, "I had an especially bad image in the eyes of the ponies. I suppose I was... harder on them than my sister. Even now, such view persists. Let us not think of the past now – we have the future to look forward to."

I nodded in understanding. It's obvious Luna still doesn't like to talk about why she became Nightmare Moon. And, well... I definitely wouldn't like to speak of it if I were in her shoes. Horseshoes? Whatever, this wasn't literal.

We spent the rest of our journey to the castle in a reasonably comfortable silence. I might've struck something inside Luna that she didn't want to discuss, but... She's not angry at me or anything. Perhaps, she understands my curiosity.

Soon, the four of us reached the gardens where Blueblood was currently playing around. As soon as he saw us, he galloped to us, a bright look in his eyes.

"How did it go?" was his simple question.

"Everything's fine, Blue," I told him with a smile on my face, "You'll soon have a new family."

His face beamed a bright smile at me, almost blinding me. How? Metaphorically. Anyway, he hugged me, and I somewhat awkwardly hugged him back.

"Thank you, dude!" he said to me, "Like, wow... You totally did the impossible! You, Moonshine, Luna... Iridia... Damn..." I swear I could see a tear rolling down his cheek.

"No problem, I'm always glad to help a friend," I replied, "Say... would you like to do something together with us?"

"Yeah! I've been exploring this place, and there's a ton of spots for hide-n-seek!"

"Well, I'm in," I nodded without hesitation.

"Me, too!" Moonshine was next.

"I'm also in," Iridia was the third.

"If you don't mind, I would like to join as well," Luna said, surprising all of us, "I've not played in a while... Might as well do it when I have the chance."

Well... Am I against it? Nope. Blueblood nodded, too. So, hide-n-seek with everyone, including Luna! Just the right sort of thing after a fairly stressful day, that's for sure.

Chapter 28: Stress

A few weeks have passed since the trial. The days went by quickly even though they mostly consisted of school stuff. Some would say that this is boring, but not me. School is actually fun for once! Even subjects that are usually boring like math went pretty well. For example, aside from the usual formulas, we were learning practical applications of math in real life. I'm not talking about complex engineering or anything like that, but things like calculating electricity bills and financial management. Even taxes! Imagine that! The government can no longer leech off our money without us knowing. At least, now we know just how many taxes are there in Equestria. I was pleasantly surprised that they don't have income taxes for anyone who earns under a certain amount of money per year. From what we were told, I learned that it was done to promote economic growth and competition. I'm not too sure about the competition part, but it would certainly allow ponies to earn and spend more money, thus doing good things to the economy. I certainly know that money is good for the economy as long as it keeps moving and isn't stashed away.

The longer I live in Equestria, the more I'm pleasantly surprised about its state. One of such surprises is the fact that we're prepared for everyday life. Though, that is to be expected in the best school of Equestria. Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns lives up to its name. I'm reasonably sure that the situation in other schools isn't that much worse even if lessons aren't taught by the princesses themselves.

Speaking of lessons taught by the princesses, we had astronomy classes taught to us by Luna. And oh boy... I've never thought studying stars would be so exciting, not to mention beautiful. There's a very interesting fact about the night – the sky is not dark-blue or black. It has many, many colors. One of our first lessons was a field trip to study stars with the least amount of light pollution. Luna gave us special necklaces that seriously enhanced our vision to the point where we could see the surroundings almost as well as during the day. However, that wasn't the point at all. We looked up and collectively gasped. What a view it was...

On the horizon, where the sun had already set, we saw a mix of orange and yellow like a burning fire. Among the proverbial flames, there were many stars. I counted at least fifty before I gave up, for there were many more stars than that. Hundreds, thousands, they covered the sky. Imagine... noise on a picture. It looked very close to that, but it was not purely black and white. Even the stars had different shades, ranging from simple white to shades of yellow and orange, sometimes even red. Then... there was cosmic dust. I'm not sure I can name all the colors present in it because of my limited vocabulary, but... Imagine, uh... splats of paint that were smoothened and brought together in a pleasant mix. It is difficult to describe with words, you have to see it to understand.

The class brought tents, so all of us stayed there for the rest of the night. Personally, I couldn't fall asleep because those stars were magnetizing, and I often came out of the tent to put on the necklace and look at them again and again. Many other students did the same. In the end, Moonshine, Night Breeze, and I settled under the stars without the tent blocking the marvelous, wonderful sight that the night sky was. Despite how thirsty we were for the view, we all soon fell asleep under the stars. And even in my dreams, I gazed at the stars and all that surrounded them.

Perhaps, this was one of those events that will stay with me for the rest of my life. I can now understand why Luna became Nightmare Moon, why she wanted to bring the eternal night. To be honest, I wouldn't mind it. I know the implications, which is, well, everything dying because of cold, but one can dream...

Despite all the good things that happened during these weeks, there is one blot, a spot that, well, didn't ruin anything, but brought some bad thoughts. I'm talking about Blueblood and his upcoming adoption. I don't know why, but no family has come yet to as much as look at him. A week after the trial, I could already see him becoming less joyful. On a second week, it was obvious he was only pretending to be having fun with us, but the sadness in his gaze was apparent. And now...

To start it off, I went to him alone because both Moonshine and Night Breeze were resting at home, and Iridia finally got everything sorted out about the apartment, so she was busy doing stuff with it. Don't know what it is, didn't ask, but whatever.

At first, my mood was good, and I wanted to do something fun with Blueblood. Maybe do some dumb stuff like fighting with sticks, running around and all that. However, what I saw canceled all the plans. When I was right at his door, preparing to knock, I heard something I was afraid to hear.

He was crying. Not loudly, but it was obvious if one was to stop and listen. My own mood plummeted, and I couldn't find any words to tell him. So, there I stood in front of his door awkwardly, trying to decide what to do next. What will I tell him? What words could I offer that would give him hope? I could never imagine myself in his place, so I don't have any advice or comforting words. I mean... I can say that everything will be alright, but do I know that it will be? I'd rather not talk out of my ass when it comes to supporting a friend.

While I was thinking, I heard steps from behind me. I turned around and saw Luna coming towards me, a concerned expression on her face.

"Why hasn't he found a family yet?" I asked a question I really hoped not to ask in my life. I was quiet, too, fearing that Blueblood would hear it. I really don't want to put him through it, and I'm sure he doesn't really want to hear stuff like this.

"I've talked with some of the families that I personally would consider good candidates, and they are... simply afraid," Luna replied just as quietly, "Bluebloods lost their titles, but that doesn't mean they lost their influence completely. Even now, many families that are looking for foals to adopt, don't want to go for Blueblood."

"Can you do anything about it?" I asked with hope in my eyes. She's a princess, so she should be able to do something about it... I hope.

"I'm looking into it, but so far, I've not found any evidence that would point towards the Bluebloods making threats or anything of that sort," Luna shook her head to my disappointment, "Oh, how I would love to squash them... But first, I need evidence."

An idea popped into my head. I don't know if Luna will like it, but it's worth a try.

"Can you... adopt him?" I asked her slowly, trying not too sound too insistent.

"Me?" she blinked in confusion, "Well... Perhaps I can, but it'd come with many problems. Yes, I am a princess, but... To be completely honest with you, I'm not sure I can be a good mother."

"Why can't you? I'd say you'd be a very good mother, Luna," I assured her, eliciting a blush, "I've seen bad moms, and you're not one of those, that's for sure."

"...Thank you," she nodded, trying to sound calm, "Nevertheless, I'm not sure I can take him. I'm busy as is, and I don't want to leave him without attention he needs. As much as I'd love to help him, this is where I, unfortunately, can't."

"So, what will you do?"

"The only thing I can do is to continue searching for a family. I'm certain I will find one sooner or later. As for now, I suppose you can help Blueblood by comforting him. He needs friends more than ever."

Nodding, I finally knocked on the door. The crying stopped for a moment, and Blueblood's voice muttered from behind the door: "Go away, please."

"It's me, Flame," I said, hoping that he would change his mind.

"Oh," a pause ensued, "I... I'm sorry, I don't feel like playing..."

"Can I just talk to you?"

"I, uh... I guess..."

I slowly pushed on the door, opening it. I entered a dimly-lit room and saw Blueblood lying on his bed, looking up at me with tearful eyes. His mane was disheveled, his expression was sullen, and his ears were drooped. Tear trails were evident under his eyes.

"Hey Blue," I greeted him, walking up to his bed and sitting nearby. For a few moments, I was silent, gathering my thoughts and trying to figure out what to say next.

"I'm not good enough, am I?" he said, nearly startling me.

"What?" I blinked, "Blue, that's... that's not the thing at all!"

"Then why is no one coming?" he said with a strained voice, looking me somewhere between my eyes, "Why am I still here? I, I like things here, but I... I want to go!"

I really have no words to say. I wish I did, but... I can't say anything without it sounding like something, I don't know, generic? I just don't want to say anything that won't help the situation. I don't want to give blanket statements, but they're the only things I can get out of my mind at the moment.

"I should've just listened to my parents..." Blueblood sighed, "Thing would be fine..."

"Trust me, you wouldn't feel much better if you stayed with them," I told him.

It was a mistake.

"How would you know?!" he yelled, jumping from his bed. I instinctively backed away, folding my ears, "You don't know how it's like! Each day is so slow, slower than a... turtle! I'm sitting here, waiting and waiting, and nothing!"

"Man, I..." I stuttered, trying to come up with something, anything to say.

"I really should've listened to them!" he continued to yell, "And now, I don't have any family at all! And you? You have everything! How can you ever understand this? You... you fucking can't!"

I felt a sting on my cheek. It took me a second to register that he... punched me. A moment slowly passed as I raised my hoof and touched my cheek. Then, I looked at my hoof and saw... is that blood? He... does hit hard. It stung. Huh. I've not seen my blood for a long time. It's red. Huh. I mean, I knew it was red, but...

I know I'm just avoiding the fact that he hit me. But... I'm not angry at him, no. Not at all. I know things like that happen sometimes, and if I were to retaliate, it would only escalate the situation. I don't need that, he doesn't need that.

I looked back at Blueblood, my expression calm and somewhat relaxed. His anger was gone, his eyes were wide, and his ears flat against his head.

"I'm... I'm sorry..." he whispered, tears rolling down his cheeks and dripping down at the floor.

Well... I didn't expect this to happen, but... It doesn't matter. I started walking towards him, and right away his expression changed to one of fear. I probably look... weird. No idea, I just feel... weird. You know, kind of off. It's been a long time since I was hit last, and it's just... surprising, I suppose. But I think we can get out of this situation well. Once I was close to him, he closed his eyes and shook.

Instead of hitting him back or hurting him in any way, I hugged him. He let out a small gasp, but soon he hugged me back. I rarely hug anyone, but this time, I feel it is necessary.

"It's all fine, Blue. You're just stressed out," I told him, and we separated, "I have a feeling you'll find a good family," while it is close to a blanket statement, I do have that feeling. We're not very close friends, but he's a decent guy... colt... stallion... whatever. He's not bad at all, he deserves a good family to take care of him.

"I'm sorry I hit you, Flame..." he repeated his apology.

"It's fine," I assured him, "You know, you actually hit hard, I can still feel a bit of pain in my cheek," I smiled at him, eliciting an uncertain smile back from the colt, "Anyway... wanna do something to relieve the stress?"

"I don't know..." he shook his head slightly, "I, uh didn't feel like doing anything..."

He obviously still feels uncertain about the whole thing that has just happened. However, a random idea appeared inside my head.

"You know, it's warmer now," I said, "We could go to a lake or something, take a swim. The time allows it, especially if we teleport."

"...Doesn't sound bad," he nodded slowly, his body visibly relaxing, "Um, what about others?"

"Moonshine and Night Breeze are sleeping, Iridia is busy," I explained, "Though, I can drop by and tell Iridia to tell others where to find us if they wake up before we're done."

It didn't take long for Blueblood to agree. After notifying my twin sister (I think I'll call her that way since calling her a clone is weird and I'm not sure she wants to be called that way), the colt and I teleported down to the base of the mountain. The shore was rocky and empty, but it was fine. I didn't forget to bring a saddlebag with food, water, and a couple of towels. Once I set it not too far away from the edge of the water, Blueblood and I raced each other to the lake. I was the first one to jump in, and I almost immediately regretted it.

Water. Cold. Touches my balls. This is bad. My balls don't like it. I don't like it.

I let out a shaky sigh, trying to think about anything else than my next foals being made of snow and ice.

Blueblood went after me and soon, both of us were silently sitting in the water, shaking slightly, waiting to adjust to its temperature. I'm pretty sure he's experienced the same problems as me, judging by his expression. Nevertheless, there was a smile on his face, and I was immensely happy to see it. Even though it cost me a cut on the cheek to get that smile. Nevertheless, it healed really quickly, not leaving a scar. It probably has something to do with the fact that I'm an alicorn.

Speaking of that, I probably should tell Blueblood about that. Sooner or later, it'll come to his attention that I'm far from average, and I'm only going up. I'm not saying that I need to show off or anything, but... I need to show trust. He's my friend, after all. Granted, we haven't been the closest friends, but I'm sure we can fix that.

And it's starting now with this... ball-freezing little adventure. Ugh, it's still cold, even though it's a bit more tolerable. Either that or my balls are freezing off. Too late, I already have a kid on the way.

But whatever, enough about my or anyone else's balls. I'm having fun, Blueblood's having fun, and that's all that matters.

...

Fuck, it's still cold. Swimming probably wasn't the best idea.

Chapter 29: Fun of Different Shapes

Moonshine, Iridia, and I did everything we could to cheer Blueblood up after the talk I had with him; even Night Breeze joined and befriended him. Thankfully, her pregnancy has only recently begun, so it's safe for us to do physically active things like playing tag, for example. Yeah, we're growing up, but that doesn't mean we can't have some fun here and there. We will eventually get jobs and families – I sure will – and maybe then it'd be less if not no time at all for simple fun. Until that happens, however, we're going to enjoy ourselves to the fullest.

And that's why we went to a local water park! Damn, I really missed the water slides and just swimming in general. The five of us chose the slides for teens since we're definitely much bigger than the foals. We don't want to hurt anyone, that's for sure.

"You're it!" Iridia yelled, tapping me on the shoulder and running away. What can be better than playing tag in the water park?

I laughed and then dashed after her. My friends scattered, trying to get away from me, but I sure know no one can outrun me. Well, maybe Iridia can, but we'll see. She jumped straight into a winding tube, and I followed her. Feeling the rush of adrenaline, I yelled in excitement as I slid down, my head almost spinning because of all these turns. In what seemed like a small eternity, I was shot out of the lower end of the tube straight into the pool. Iridia wasn't too far away from me, so I hastened, using my hind hooves to propel myself from the back wall to her.

I wouldn't say that I can swim very well just yet, but surprisingly, it's easier to learn. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I have four legs now, maybe I'm lighter as well, but at least keeping afloat is extremely easy. I kept my balance so that I wouldn't tip over to the side, and soon I was near Iridia. Her tail was almost right next to the end of my muzzle, and all I needed was a small push to reach her.

"Divebomb!" someone yelled, and I went tumbling as they splashed the water next to me. Losing sight of Iridia, I shook my head and tilted it back, moving my mane away from obstructing my face. Blueblood was the one who divebombed, and he was grinning widely at me. Guess who's gonna get tagged?

With one small lunge, I reached him and tapped him on the chest, saying, "You're it!"

Ah, I've not had such good fun in years. For a long time, all I knew was my computer, on which I played plenty of games. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it, but something more active, something that got my body moving – and not being sex at the same time – is what I really like and enjoy doing. Granted, sex gets my body moving and it is a lot of fun, but... Too much of it and you get bored. I like mixing it up with some more traditional sort of fun.

Anyway, I ran away from Blueblood and hid underwater in one of the pools for a few minutes. My lungs can hold plenty of air, and all I had to do was press my ears firmly against my skull so that water doesn't get in there. Plus I had to resist the urge to inhale water. It makes my nostrils tickle, and that's one of the most annoying things in the world.

I reemerged, taking a lungful of air, and looked around. Blueblood was chasing Moonshine on one of the water slides while Iridia and Night Breeze hid from sight. I think I can see one of them, but... Nope, that's a different pony. Oh wait, there's Iridia! Can't miss that red mane, that's for sure. She's lying right under a slide, in the shadow it provided. Not bad if I say so myself.

"You're... it!" Blueblood said, panting, and then quickly jumped straight from the top of the slide into the water. Nice! Moonshine sat down for a bit, catching her breath, and then started searching for us. I hope she doesn't- ah dang, she sees me. A huge grin appeared on her face and she headed to me. Oh damn, I better run!

Moments like these make me remember my early childhood back on Earth. Me and some of my friends playing in the schoolyard or near one of our houses. Heh, I've never thought my life would go from those moments to these. I'm a talking magical pony with a horn and a pair of wings... If I could travel back in time and tell the past me about it, he'd- I- whatever, wouldn't believe the present me. Or maybe they would if I appeared to them in my current form. Or still not... my voice is a bit different now.

In any case, the situation I'm in... it's crazy. I'm technically a prince, I have a baby on the way, I have a clone of myself, I have magic, I had and regularly have sex with aliens... And yeah, that baby is also an alien. But no matter how unusual this experience is, I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. What I have now is more than I ever wished for. Well, I still have to make a band, but that's not going to be too difficult.

After our activities at the water park, all of us went home to do the homework for the next school day and just to relax. Even my muscles feel a bit sore after all this running.

"Alright, what about the band?" Iridia asked me, "We can't just procrastinate forever, you know."

"Yeah," I nodded in agreement, "But you know... stuff's gonna be difficult, at least a bit more than it would back on Earth."

"Well, we already have the instruments – most of them, anyway – so we have to do..." she paused, looking up, probably counting in her head, "We need costumes. That's pretty easy, but we need to do it well or else it'll look stupid."

"Yeah, true," I nodded once again. Indeed, we should make our preparations carefully or we'll look like a bunch of... dark clowns playing weird music. That's not the impression I want to leave, certainly.

"Next, we need a place to record our music at."

"That's for sure. Equestria doesn't have internet yet... or YouTube," I chuckled, "Can't get famous by recording stuff on phone and posting it somewhere."

"The only phone that can record anything in the first place is mine... or, well, yours," Iridia pointed out, "So yeah, a place to record things at. I bet it'll cost us some..."

"And that's why we need to make a live performance first," I continued for her, and she nodded, "That might just get us a bit of money to start recording out stuff."

"Yep, I think that'll do," Iridia nodded and then tapped her chin, "You know, we still need to wait until Blueblood learns how to play the drums. Without a drummer, the band won't be complete."

"Eh, I think he'll learn quickly," I shrugged, "So, we may begin promoting the band. And I have a decent idea for it..."

But before we can do any of what I have in mind, Iridia and I went to Luna for an advice. This concerns some legal and magical stuff, and I'd rather not do anything wrong here. I doubt there will be any problems, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.

In the evening, we went to the Canterlot Castle to meet with the princess. She told us to come to the small garden she has in the corner of the castle, and she described it as a quiet place to have conversations at. And indeed, it is a very beautiful place far away from any busy areas of the castle. The garden, contrary to how most do it, will be open during evenings and nights. Why? Because flowers Luna has only bloom during the night. And they glow, too! That's something I'd never even hope to see back on Earth.

"So, what is it you need my help with?" Luna asked us as we settled near a small pond surrounded by purple flowers. For the life of me, I can't remember the names of any flowers at all. Maybe dandelions, but that's it. Roses, too. Uh... maybe something else. Anyway, that's not what I came here for.

"Well... we're thinking about creating a musical group," I began, "Recreating one from my world, that is. It has a certain symbol, I painted it on my clothes before, but I have no actual idea if we can use it. It wouldn't happen that, uh, any weird magic stuff could happen if I used it?"

I handed her the simple drawing I made. And damn, I hate drawing circles, I was never good at it. The symbol itself is an inverted cross with a capital G embedded into it cleverly.

"It does resemble some interesting symbols, but I am fairly certain it wouldn't cause anything magical to happen," Luna assured me, "It is not a forbidden symbol either, considering that it's a new one to me. If you complete the circle and remove anything outside of it, the symbol would then be representing darkness. If, however, you remove everything inside the circle and make the rest have equal length, and still complete the circle, it would be the symbol of light. Tell me, what does your symbol represent?"

"Its basis is an inverted cross. The normal cross is a symbol of a religion in my world, and the inverted cross is regarded as a symbol of evil. Though, from what I know, it's not the case if you dig deep enough into that religion, but people, well... They still think it's evil," I shrugged, "As for the circle, it's not exactly a circle. It's a capital G added to the cross. The name of the band is Ghost."

"Very interesting," Luna made a slow nod, "Why is this particular musical group your choice?"

"Um, I guess I like its music and meanings behind lyrics," I replied with some uncertainty, "But, if I'm being honest... That's the group I listened to because, well... My parents were into that religion which this symbol sorta makes fun of. Plus the lyrics praise the, uh, being that is regarded as evil in that religion."

"You should be careful with things like this," Luna warned me.

"It should be fine. In my world, it doesn't seem like any religion is right – not a major one like that one, at least," I replied, "Plus, if it indeed spread evil, then... it's doing a bad job," I chuckled, "And if you knew what the followers of that religion did... A lot of times, it's much more evil than singing songs, that I am certain about."

"I see," Luna nodded to my words, "So, this is a symbol of your rebellion against what you heavily dislike?"

"That's about it, yeah," I nodded, "I suppose it's also a symbol of fun in some way. I'm not taking their lyrics too seriously, that's for sure."

"And what are the lyrics about?" she asked me with interest.

"Uh..." I said, nervously shifting in place and thinking about my next words carefully. I have no idea if she will like it or not, but here we go... "Well, to be honest, I didn't delve too deep into it before, but on the surface, some lyrics talk about sacrifices. The kind where you use a knife or something like that if you catch my meaning."

"I see," Luna raised a brow, but her tone didn't change, "No harm in it as long as you're not promoting such sacrifices."

"I'm for sure not going to do that," I winced, "Anyway, there's a more pleasant side to things... Sexual stuff. It's, uh, a taboo in that religion I told you about."

"Some of our own religions would shame their followers for what is natural and pleasant as well," the princess nodded in understanding, "It is the easiest way to make someone feel guilty and therefore feel the need to do something 'good' to redeem themselves. Such thoughts are easy to manipulate, unfortunately. However, some of the ideas are reasonable in certain situations – pleasures should be thoughtful and, let's not say restricted... done in moderation and without fanaticism."

"I've been having sex for around eight years more or less regularly, haven't seen anything bad happen so far."

"Trust me, there were plenty of ponies who lost themselves to lust and forgot about the rest," Luna told me in a serious tone, "Just like eating too much food without something to balance it out, having too much sex can be detrimental to your health, especially if you indulge in... exotic activities or forget to tend to your other needs."

"I know that, and I'm fine so far. I don't forget that there's more to life than just sticking it into someone," I chuckled, "Anyway, let's return to the musical group."

"Indeed. Is there anything I should be aware of?"

"Well... I guess I can say it involves dressing up like necromancers or something," I shrugged. I guess that's the best analogy I have. I mean, who else would paint skulls on their faces?

"This is fine. What about the music itself, is it... pleasant to the ear?"

"It can be loud, but it's not incomprehensible noise or anything like that. Sometimes, it's actually pretty relaxing. Like a... like a ritual, I guess," I shrugged yet again. Damn, I really should've read more into the lyrics and the composition of music... Well, too bad for me, I'll have to figure things out myself and try to fit them together nicely.

"I don't suppose I can listen to one of the songs?" she inquired. Oh, I have a surprise for her... I ignited my horn and teleported my smartphone from the apartment to me.

"No problem with that," I said, browsing through my songs until I found the song I wanted to show her, "Here' the first song."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXJZlLJeA_E

For a few seconds, Luna simply listened, her eyes looking at the smartphone.

"That's an unusual sound," she commented, "However, it definitely gives the impression of something... evil."

The song progressed, and the first verse came. Luna listened carefully, her ears aimed straight at the smartphone. Soon, I noticed that one of her hooves started tapping to the rhythm of the song. She remained silent through the first verse and the chorus.

"Very interesting," was her comment during the instrumental pause, and she continued listening without speaking a word. Adding to her hoof taps, her head slightly bobbed forward and back. Heh, even the princess of Equestria can't resist the headbanging power of metal! Though, she's not banging yet... We'll soon see if she will, however. I'm certain she will.

Another instrumental pause took its place after the second chorus, but Luna remained silent until the very end of the song when it started to fade out.

"I suppose this song is just the beginning of a greater story, is it not?" she asked with curiosity, "It certainly reminds me of what Nox Obscura plays. Through their musical album, the songs evolve and tell a story, and sometimes, it spans multiple albums. The style of Ghost is interesting, and personally, I find it likable. I'm definitely looking forward to hearing more. If you are indeed going to show it to ponies... You have my permission. In fact, I encourage you to do it – it might bring a push to our music. Even just a few months after my return, I found the current selection of music to be... stale."

What can I say? Yay!

"I suppose you're free to spread the symbol of Ghost. It might work out, for I feel like Ghost would very well represent a hidden cult of evil. Such a thing needs not be promoted excessively. It will travel by the word of mouth."

"That's what our idea is, basically," I nodded, "We'll go home now, I suppose. We still have to do our homework and all that, after all."

"I wish you farewell," Luna nodded with a smile before turning to my... twin sister. Still weird to call her that, "However... Iridia, if I may..."

"Yes?" the mare looked at the princess with curiosity.

"I would like to talk to you in private."

"I... suppose that's alright," Iridia looked at me, "I'll catch up with you, don't worry."

I wonder what Luna wants with Iridia, but it's obviously not my business. At least, not at the moment. So, I turned around and left despite my curiosity telling me to stay and eavesdrop on their conversation.

Frankly, I have no idea what Luna would want from me. I mean, Flame Metal already has all things sorted out pretty much without any of my assistance. After all, we still think almost identically – he said what I wanted to say. The only difference is that he did it quicker than me, heh. I feel like a sidekick now even though just around a week ago I was, well, him. Am I still him? I guess that in some sense I am. Up until this... cloning thing, the memories he and I have are identical.

Huh, I wonder what clones in Star Wars thought of all this. They probably didn't, considering that they were bred as soldiers that follow orders. But still... it's an interesting thing to think about, especially if you're a clone. It's just... weird, but I'm still curious.

"Iridia, may I ask you about how you feel?" Luna asked me after Flame Metal left.

"I feel fine, why?" I asked in confusion. I don't really understand why'd she ask that, and... I do feel fine. Not sick, not sad, not depressed, just... Like I usually feel.

"Well, to be slightly blunt with you, you are just Flame Metal but in a female body," Luna continued, "Do you feel comfortable with this change? Your name is different now, too. How are you holding up facing all of this?"

"It's just weird, but I'll adapt soon. Couldn't be worse than adapting to being a talking magical pony in the first place," I chuckled, "But... I guess I do miss my wings. Sometimes, I feel like they're there, but they're not. But I've never used them much before, so I think I'll manage. As for my gender... I'm not really sure what I exactly feel. I mean, I lived as a guy all my life, and... it's weird," I let out a sigh.

"While chaos magic can't be easily countered, I could try to change your gender back to what it was before the incident," the princess said, "However, it includes some dangers... Would you like to stay female or return to being male?"

"Why didn't you say that before?"

"Frankly, I wasn't sure it'd be possible, so I didn't want to raise your hopes only to bring them down immediately," Luna said in an apologetic tone, "But if I knew, I would say, and I apologize for not researching it sooner."

"It's not your fault I got turned into a mare," I shrugged, "While it'd be nice to change back... I think I'm fine with how I am now. Discord was probably a bit more thoughtful than you expected, so he put some extra in my brain to make me adapt to the change better or something like that."

"Are you sure about it?"

"I think I am..." I said slowly, "Maybe most guys would panic in my situation, but I feel... okay, I guess. I would only have to figure out if I still like girls or I can switch to guys..."

"You're taking this very well indeed. I know not of any other similar incidents, but I imagine others wouldn't be as calm as you are about it, Iridia," Luna told me, a small smile on her face, "So, are you absolutely certain that you feel like you belong in your body?"

"It's kinda like what happened when I turned into a pony. I just need to get used to it, but that's it," I assured her.

"I hope it is indeed so, for I would not want to see you suffer when I can be of help," she came closer to me and hugged me. For a second, I didn't know what to do, but then I hugged her back. Damn... she's really worried about me, and I'm definitely grateful for that. I don't feel like I have a big problem having teats and a vagina instead of a penis, even though returning the latter would be nice. I'm sure I can combine the two if the internet and its widespread dickgirl fetish is anything to go by, but I'd rather not go in that direction. I'm not going to be a trap, heh.

However, Luna does have a point – I will have to adapt. I definitely don't know whom I like, even though I'm sure I still love Moonshine. I need to sort out my feelings, I suppose. If my gender changed, am I now lesbian or will I become bi? I'm not sure that's how sexualities work, but I might discover something about myself I didn't know before. I've not had sex since this transformation thing happened, and I don't think I've ever gotten horny. I guess I'll find out in time.

"Thank you, Luna," I told the princess, "I really appreciate your concern. I'll tell you if anything goes wrong."

"Please do so indeed," she nodded, "You may go now, and I wish you and Flame Metal luck with creating that musical group. If I can be any more of help to either of you, don't hesitate to talk to me."

And on that note, I left the gardens and went to catch up with Flame Metal. It's weird to say my name that is no longer mine... But I'm Iridia now. It's not a bad name at all, and I think it fits. And hey, I sometimes dreamed of having my own clone... Never knew how it would feel, but now I know. I'm a clone, and I have to live with that. It's going to be weird, but I'm sure I'll adapt.

To be honest, one question still bugs my mind, and I've been thinking about it for a long while now. It's a silly question and I'm not sure if it's even serious, but...

...

Is having sex with your own clones considered incest or the ultimate form of narcissism?

Chapter 30: Surprising Occurences

Author's Notes:

Finally, made an update! Enjoy!

A few more days have passed since then. Iridia and I were trying to come up with a reasonable and relatively easy to execute plan to start the band, for once. However, most of our days still consisted of a rather simple routine of waking up, going to school, studying and stuff, maybe later playing with Blueblood and such, and then rest back at home. On a side note, I should mention that Celestia declared a proposition – remove the obligatory homework altogether from the curriculum. At first, I couldn't believe my ears – remove the homework? That's something I'd never expect to hear anywhere. It aroused (and I would've made a joke here but I won't), well... a reaction of 'What?' from pretty much everyone. However, the explanation proved to be really interesting.

"I know you are wondering why it's done, but I have very good reasons to believe that it will be better for everyone in our school," the princess told us, "I have consulted various academicians, pulled up different researches, analyzed them, and came to an interesting conclusion..." she paused for a moment, "There might not be a substantial benefit from homework. In fact, the researches found out the negative correlation between the amount of homework and academic performance. So, from now on, I'm going to test whether making the homework option will improve the performance and the well-being of students. And I can already see smiles on your faces as I say it. Perhaps, your well-being has already improved," she smiled.

She gave us some time to discuss it among ourselves, too. So, for the next half an hour, my friends and I had a discussion about it. Some other ponies joined in, too.

"Homework never bothered me too much," I admitted, "It's never been that hard for me."

"I think it's good we don't have to do it anymore," Moonshine said, a bright smile on her face, "Means more time for us to do what we want, right?"

"Yeah, that doesn't seem bad," Night Breeze agreed as Iridia and I nodded, "I can relax a bit more now. I've been growing more tired with each day..." she looked at me, and I felt uncomfortable right away. I sure know why she might be feeling... off. Noticing my expression, the unicorn giggled girlishly, "Don't worry, I'll be fine."

"Hey guys, what'dya think?" a colt interjected, saving me from being, uh, awkward, "I think it's good thing. More free time!"

"You really should study more, you know," someone else turned to us as well, "You're not doing so good, especially in Commonlang."

"I'll be fine, shush," the colt waved dismissively, "Ya know... If I don't do stuff right in school, you think it's good at home?"

"This school is for gifted unicorns, not for unicorns who can't spell 'schedule' right," the second one rolled her eyes.

"I can't spell it right?" the colt buffed his chest.

"C'mon, spell it, then."

"Easy as pie-makin'! It's es, see... uh... eich, ay..."

"It's ee, dummy, not ay," the filly laughed, "Told you, you don't know how to spell it!"

"As if ya can," he replied grumpily, "You know what I can that ya can't? Teleport far-, fur-, furthererst than ya!"

As they continued to throw words at each other (can't call it any other way), the four of us sat aside and tried to stifle our laughter. I noticed Celestia had her ears aimed at us, corners of her lips up as she listened. As she saw me looking, she winked at me before letting out the slightest giggle I've heard in my life. Well, well, well... seems the Princess of the Day herself likes joking around. Or, at the very least, getting fun from listening to others being stupid.

In any case, once the bell rang, we had to go to the next classroom and resume learning. After all, the absence of homework didn't mean that we wouldn't have to work at all, now did it?

As the day went on, I didn't notice anything else that would be unusual. The classes just had no homework to give, but otherwise, the load's still the same, and we're progressing as usual. Although, obviously, some progress quicker than others. And, as it can be easily guessed... I'm one of them because I'm an alicorn.

Let me explain. Each class has certain things we need to do, but we don't have tight time constraints like on Earth. For example, we can take longer to learn a specific thing. One might learn it in one class, and others struggle to understand it in five. Celestia's very patient with them and tries her best to help them personally. Then there are ponies like me who rarely if ever need any assistance. And, as a result, when it comes to exams, each of us has to go to Celestia personally when it comes to magic. The exams aren't like traditional exams. Instead of answering standardized questions, we simply show what we can do. We're not given any grades, we're just observed and then told whether we need to improve something or not.

"So, teleportation?" Celestia nodded after I approached her about the thing, "Very well, then. We shall test your precision, stamina, and concentration. Now, here is a nail," she teleported it in front of her, letting it hang in the air, "Look at the board across the room."

Alright, here it is. It's a simple wooden board hanging on a wall. Rather small, maybe about five by five centimeters. Hm, I think I know what will be asked of me...

"Try teleporting the nail exactly where I'm pointing at," the princess continued. Her horn then ignited, and a tiny, barely visible golden dot appeared on the board.

I lit my horn and concentrated, the sounds of other students around me fading. In the corner of my eye, I noticed Moonshine watching me with interest as she stopped her exercise. She hadn't achieved as much as I had in teleportation, but she's still pretty good at it. Anyway, I need to focus on my task.

The nail needs to be in the board, it needs to appear exactly where Celestia is showing. That tiny golden dot... so tiny it'd be easy to miss with such a thin and small-cap nail. However, if I do it just right... I can see it with my eyes, which makes the whole thing much easier. Now, I can feel the nail in my grasp. Its shape, its metallic texture, its temperature, even its weight... And all I need to do is lightly tap it. Not like a hammer, but a gentle and yet firm pressure...

My vision zoomed in, the board appearing so much closer. I could see the pattern of the wood, and... is it spruce? There are a few cracks running along, too... And the dot, it's much bigger now. Much easier to hit.

*Zzz-zap!*

And right in the bullseye! Not sure that's correct to say in Equestria, though – I heard cows and bulls are intelligent. But still... right on the thing!

"Very good," Celestia smiled at me, "Now, turn around, and try to do the same thing with this one," she handed me another nail, "You won't be able to see my dot directly."

Now, that's interesting. I turned away from the board, now facing the princess as she ignited her horn again. Now, I need to concentrate...

"Don't close your eyes," she told me, and I nodded. Closing my eyes would've made it a bit easier, but I can manage.

Slowly but surely, the image of the board appeared in front of my eyes, fading into what I could see. The board wasn't there in front of me, but I could see it almost clearly. It was blurry, unfocused, as was the new dot on it. I could see the previous nail I placed into the board nearby. I just need to concentrate a tiny bit more... Aha, here is a clear picture! Now, all I need to do is...

*Zzz-zap!*

I turned around to see my result, and oh yes, perfect! Haven't missed it by a millimeter.

"Very, very good," Celestia told me, "How are you feeling now?"

"Everything's fine, I suppose," I replied.

"Alright, then let's move to something more practical. On average, unicorns who are able to teleport do so rarely, only around four times a day on average, not counting small teleportations across the rooms. So, you're living in the dormitory, correct?" I nodded, "Very well, then teleport there and back here four times. You can also do it more than four times if you wish."

I nodded and then prepared the spell. Considering that I can teleport from Ponyville to Canterlot, it'll be no trouble for me to teleport pretty much anywhere inside the city many times. My stamina's great in pretty much every aspect, so...

*ZZZ-ZAP!*

Here I am in my room. Hm, I probably should clean up a bit. Some stuff's lying around that should be placed somewhere else. Wait a moment... I can hear someone! I swiftly looked around and noticed a couple of small things. First of all, the beds have been moved. The entrance door is ajar, and the door to the bathroom is also cracked open. And someone's in there. Without taking a step closer, I swung the door open, revealing two ponies in masks and cloaks. As soon as I saw them, they dashed forward, but I knocked them down using magic. I saw one of them was a unicorn, and he or she or whatever lit their horn.

Teleportation? No, I'm not gonna let them escape so easily. So, I slapped them across the face, breaking their concentration. Then slapped again for good measure. I inhaled deeply in preparation for a call.

"Thieves!" I shouted as loud as I could, and I soon heard hoofsteps coming from downstairs. I looked out the window just to make sure there's not anything else I should worry about, and...

Without having time to think, I teleported outside, grabbed the third suspicious figure and teleported us both back to the apartment. The third one had long, rectangular boxes attached to their saddlebags, and... Oh fucking hell, they were after the instruments! I slapped this one as well, cutting the ropes with my magic and setting the boxes aside. Let's count them... yeah, seems I got everything back.

Using the same ropes, I bound the three thieves together before they could run away. They started to struggle, and then I slapped them again, making sure they couldn't concentrate enough. I sure hope their ears are ringing!

I swiftly took off their masks, and... well, can't recognize any of them, unfortunately. They're unremarkable ponies: two stallions and one mare, all relatively young.

"Relax, dude-" the mare started to say before I slapped her across the face. What? I'm all for equality – everyone gets a slap, no matter their gender or sexual preference or whatever.

"Shut the fuck up," I told her, "Relax? Oh no, you don't try to steal my stuff and tell me to relax when I find you out!"

"Look, we'll tell you who hired us but you'll have to let us go," the mare offered a deal. So, I did what I do best, apparently – slapped her yet again, "Hey, stop it!" Slap! "C'mo-" Slap!

"You won't get away with this sort of stuff, bitch," I told her, raising my voice. I'm in no mood for any jokes, that's for sure. I don't care for her reasons, the money she and her friends were paid to steal stuff from me or any of that shit. No one, and I say no one can touch my instruments. If I were back in the US, the thieves would have to think twice before ever dashing towards me. Thankfully, I lived in a state that allows people to shoot thieves on sight. Or something along those lines... In any case, she and her friends are lucky, very lucky.

"Is there a problem?" a pair of guards appeared in my doorway.

"Yeah, a big one," I replied and then gestured at the thieves, "These sacks of crap tried to steal my instruments!"

A sudden bright flash blinded me for a short while, and Princess Celestia appeared in the middle of the room.

"Is everything al-" she began but then saw the scene. Everyone stood in place, and the eyes of the thieves were wide open. A long pause ensued as the princess looked over the room, taking in the situation. Well, if the thieves weren't fucked before, they are now, Once Celestia concluded her thoughts, she turned to me and asked, "I see... Tell me, Flame Metal, did you subdue these three by yourself?"

"Yes, I did. I had to catch the third one as he was running away on the street," I explained, "Had to teleport to him and then back here," I chuckled as a thought appeared in my head, so I asked, "Heh, did I pass the test?"

"As a matter of fact, I think you have done it excellently," she went along with my joke, the corners of her mouth rising, "I'd say you've done more than the test required. Not only that, but you apprehended... troublesome individuals," her gaze shifted to the thieves, "Well, then, who might you be?"

"They told me they'd give me a name of who hired them to steal my stuff if I let them go," I added. I think it was quite stupid of them to say that, but eh... I guess they really didn't want to get caught. At the very least, they're now knee-deep in shit and they have no way of running away from this. Especially not after Celestia got involved.

"A-and we can still do the same..." the mare thief said. This time, I didn't slap her, not knowing what the princess would think of that. Luna might've slapped her, but Celestia seems... calmer?

"We do not negotiate with criminals," she replied sternly, "To put it simply, you have broken into this building and apartment, tried to steal valuable things, and you admit to being paid for it... You do not get to negotiate anything. Instead, you shall be punished in full, for it was your choice to commit the crime. Unless, of course, you can prove that you were coerced into it. However, this is a private discussion, and I shall tend to it after the classes are over," she turned to the guards, "As for you, I'm disappointed. This dormitory is supposed to be the safest in the country, and yet three unidentified individuals managed to break in without raising any alarms. The security was compromised, and it warrants a full, thorough investigation," and finally, she returned to me, "Do you feel alright, Flame Metal? Would you like to return to the classes or rest instead?"

"Once I clean everything up, I'll be back in the class," I promised, "I don't want to return here to find the same mess."

"Very well, then I shall be waiting for you back at the school," she nodded and then turned to the guards, "Take the thieves to the dungeons and not let anyone visit them before I do. I suppose I don't need to remind of the consequences of letting them free, do I?"

"We will not fail you, your majesty," the guards bowed.

"I definitely hope you won't," she nodded with a frown on her face and then turned to me once again, "One last thing before I go... Perhaps, you should join a fighting club or attend some self-defense classes. You have the potential."

"I'll think about it," I nodded. To be honest, doesn't sound like a bad idea. Kicking ass, becoming more muscular and stuff? Why not? That's one of the most metal things a guy can do, after all.

Phew, what a day... And if I didn't appear in my apartment in time, my instruments would be gone. Not only that, but the guitar Moonshine commissioned specifically for me would be gone as well, and that's way more personal than just any instrument. I have no idea what the three intended to do with the instruments or who hired them, but I have my suspicions, and they're not good...

But all that comes later. First of all, I need to fix the mess they made.

Chapter 31: New Activity

Author's Notes:

It's been three months. Three damn months. I've been trying to finish this chapter for at least two weeks now, and I finally managed to do it. I apologize for this wait (one fourth of a year!), but I hope you will enjoy this chapter nevertheless. I can't say when I will update it next, but I will do my best to make sure it won't be as long as it took me to write this chapter.

After making sure everything was where it was supposed to be, I teleported back to school to finish the classes. For a few minutes, I was shaking with adrenaline, fidgeting in place, ready to jump back into action. I've never had anyone break into my house before, and despite the safety of Canterlot, I instinctively expected to be stabbed or shot. You never know when it comes to robberies and such. Some thieves are just random people looking for something easy to steal, but others are ready to leave no witnesses, and that's the scary thing. I'd say I'm lucky that I didn't stumble on that kind of people.

Fortunately, the rest of the classes went as usual. During a break, I told Moonshine, Iridia, and Night Breeze what happened. Iridia complained that she wasn't there to kick butts with me, but oh well... what happened, happened. Maybe next time, we will kick some butt together. But, to be honest, I don't want any next time, I'd rather just not get robbed or have my stuff stolen.

I told Moonshine, Iridia, and Night Breeze what happened while I was gone, but since it all ended well... We just did our classes as usual. Thankfully, this time, no one tried to break in while we were gone. Maybe the security started doing their job like they were supposed to. I mean... As Celestia said, the building and apartments are supposed to be the safest in the entire city. They definitely can't be the safest if someone can break in and the only reason they were caught was an accident.

I guess I'm still a bit shaken because of the whole thing. Hopefully, it won't happen again. And I should probably learn some spells for self-defense. I think I've seen a poster about it somewhere... Hm, let's see.

After I told the girls that I'll catch up to them in a moment, I turned around and went to the news stand that is situated on the first floor of the school. From the glimpses of it I caught while passing by, it was mostly stuff about sports events, concerts, reminders about the no litter rule, and so on. Basically, general school things, as far as I'm aware. I didn't really look at them much since I just go to the school to study. But hey, I might pick some extracurricular activity or two someday. Not sure about it yet because I still need to create the band to bring metal to Equestria. I've been planning, or, well, just thinking of it, for far too long. I have almost everything I need to finally start, and now I understand that it's not as simple as getting people together to play things.

In any case, I need to look up things relating to self-defense. I might be an alicorn, but that doesn't mean anything if the only thing my body is good at is sex. I need to learn more.

Alright, here's the news stand. Let's see... chess club, hoofball club... a reminder to flush the toilets... Wait, what? Someone doesn't flush after relieving themselves? That's fucking disgusting. Anyway, the next thing is a list on students that need to see Celestia about their grades. Good thing mine are fine. Alright, here it is, a note about self-defense.

Mares and stallions! Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns invites you to partake in classes dedicated to self-defense!

Planning to take a vacation in a foreign country? Want to become strong and agile? Want to enlist in tournaments and matches? Want to feel safe and prepared for anything?

We shall teach you how to properly fight in any situation! As a wise master once said, "It is better to have a sword and not use it than not to have it and get in a situation where you need it." We shall teach you in hoof combat and magic combat, and if you are inclined, combat with weapons as well. Come to the sports hall at 16:00 each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The training is free of charge.

Courtesy of the Royal Guard of Equestria.

That sounds very nice! I remember when my father taught me how to fight. Sure, it wasn't really pleasant, but it did come in handy a couple of times. My father wasn't one of the fat officers in the army, he was pretty fit for his age, and as flexible as a trained child. Heck, I think he looked younger than anyone his age in the neighborhood. He was harsh and nearly broke my fingers once, but I wouldn't say that his training wasn't effective. But now, I'm a pony, and whatever my father taught me can't be applied. Besides, I've not trained in almost a year. I'm definitely a bit rusty, so these self-defense classes will help me remember what it means to fight. I probably won't end up needing it, but as a wise master once said...

So, the classes start today in a bit. I can go home for now and deal with things. Maybe even practice the guitar or keyboard. That'll help me unwind after the earlier events today.

Ah, home... Not quite the home, but still a very nice place to sleep at and such. The room isn't too small, the bed is rather long and wide, the colors are nice and soft... A nice dorm overall. I remember when I called it an apartment, but, well, it's not one. It's a dorm. Funny how I didn't remember that word. But I've never lived in a dorm, and no one ever bothered to fix me, so...

In any case, maybe one day, I will have my own house. Live together with Moonshine, Night Breeze, and the kids. However, I don't know what will Iridia do. Chances are, she's thinking the same thing I do. However, she'll be pretty different from me once enough time passes. And... I can't help but wonder if she feels lonely. In just one moment, in what seemed an instant, a small trick from Discord made her real. She's me but at the same time, she's no longer me. We share over twenty years worth of memories.

As I practice my guitar, I wonder how she feels about everything. She's not living with us but a dorm across the hallway. You know what? I think I'll visit her.

I put down the guitar and stood up from my bed. After telling Moonshine of what I'll do, I exited the dorm and went to Iridia's. Her door wasn't closed but I knocked a few times and waited for her to answer. I know I can probably barge in without a problem, but I don't want to walk in on anything.

"Enter," she said, breaking my line of thought. I nudged the door open and stepped inside, "Oh, hi Flame. I thought you'd be practicing guitar."

"I was, but I kept thinking..." I paused to gather my thoughts.

"About what?"

"About you, Iridia," I walked closer and sat on the bed with her, "How do you feel?"

"You know, it's funny you're asking," she chuckled lightly, "I expected you to. And... To be honest, I don't know how to answer it," she looked down, her long mane obscuring her face, "I am you, and yet it seems I've lost everything you had. You know... I love Moonshine. I care about Night Breeze. And now it seems I was just... torn away."

I listened silently, my mind completely blank. Her words were painfully true, and I had nothing to say, not a thought.

"One day, I was you, we were one person, and the next... I'm a mare, I'm a clone... And you're still you," she let out a deep sigh, "I don't even know how to explain it..."

"I understand what you mean," I nodded, "And if I'm honest, I don't know what to feel about it either. I can't ignore it, but I have no idea what to do. You're not just my, uh, sudden sister. You're me. And... you should be a part of my family."

"That's what I want, yeah," she nodded, slightly straightening her posture but still looking down, "But I don't know... I can't be a father if I'm a mare. I can't be a coltfriend if I'm, well, not a colt," she let out a short, somewhat sad laugh, "Even if I were an exact copy of you, I don't know if I could be you even though I am you. Ugh, this is complicated..."

"Yeah..." I sighed and nodded, and then stated half-jokingly, "Maybe we can make clones of those we love?"

"That'd just make things worse," she chuckled, "Imagine trying to figure out whom gets whom and all that stuff."

"Yeah..." I nodded again with a chuckle of my own. And then, silence came upon us again as we sat on the bed together.

"I've never thought something like this would happen," Iridia said after a short while, "But you know... we're in the land of talking colorful ponies with magic and stuff. No surprise something weird happened, am I right?"

"True enough," I agreed, "You know... maybe we should all get together and talk about it. Figure things out, you know?"

"Sounds right, yeah," she nodded, but then her ears folded, "But... I don't know how. I mean, how do you even begin?"

"...I don't know," I replied honestly, "But maybe we'll figure it out. I have something interesting on my mind, actually."

"Oh?" she raised a brow and looked at me.

"There's a self-defense class in..." I glanced at the clock, "Twenty-five minutes. Wanna go with me?"

"Hm, maybe beating things will clear my head, yeah," she nodded, "So, are we going now or..."

"It's better to be early, I suppose. Get to know the trainer, all that stuff," I replied and stood up. With a nod, Iridia stood up as well, and both of us exited the room. We headed straight to the school.

Maybe the class will help Iridia relax a bit. Sure, it's a physical activity, and we might get some bruises, but... that's better than sitting in one place staring at a wall, isn't it?

Iridia and I soon reached the sports hall. We nudged the doors open and entered it, and saw the trainer placing training equipment around the hall. The trainer was a unicorn stallion maybe in his thirties. He was a bit smaller than me in height, but definitely made up for it in muscle. His mane and tail were both rather short, which I understand – long hair can get in the way. That's why Iridia and I got hair bands to tie the top of our hair in the back so that it wouldn't get in our eyes while training.

"Good day, young ponies!" he said once he noticed us, "I'm Steady Steel, your trainer," after we named ourselves, he continued, "Pleasure to meet you both! Now, I'm going to ask you a couple questions, alright?" both of us nodded, "So, have you been into any martial arts before?"

"No, not really," I replied, and Iridia shook her head in turn, "We know a bit, but... I guess we're new to this thing."

"Very well, then I will personally train you," Steady Steel nodded to our reply, "I've been training ponies for almost a decade now, so I would gladly pass on my experience to those who need it. Now, I see you two aren't exactly muscular, but that doesn't mean you won't be able to become good at self-defense. However, I'd recommend getting more protein for muscle growth. It helps a lot when it comes to any physical activity."

I can attest to that. Or, at the very least, I used to be somewhat fat and not at all muscular. It changed later on, and that change really, well, changed stuff. I've never been into gym life myself, but I can understand people who are. After all, it's pretty damn impressive to lift more than your body weighs. Heck, even manipulating your own body can be difficult. Some people can do pretty crazy stuff like parkour, and it requires strength, dexterity, agility, endurance, and whatnot.

"Well, to start it all of, you should warm up. Just remember your usual warm-up routine and stick with it," the trainer said, "Once all the students come in, we'll begin."

The warm-up started with the two of us trotting laps around the sports hall. Then we switched to side-stepping. This does get the heart pumping in the right way for sports stuff. But unlike what I did as a human, the routine consisted mainly of trotting in different ways because of four legs. I didn't have to swing my arms or anything like that. I also couldn't slap my butt with my hooves like I could with my feet because, well, pony legs just don't bend that way.

I'm actually glad I don't have to work my arms. I always disliked that part because of its awkwardness. Just flapping my arms around like I'm drowning or something just didn't seem right. Watching others do that was also quite funny. So, now, I glad I can do without that. However, my forelegs do bend in some weird ways like my arms normally would. That's what allows me to do clapping and other human-like movement. I don't know much about equine anatomy, so I could be wrong.

Anyway, I like this warm-up. You just do the breathing right, move your legs, and you're free to think about all the things you would want to think about. I looked to my side and saw Iridia, and I bet she's thinking about... something. Don't know what, but she is. Because I often think about stuff, so should she because, well... she's my clone. We're not too much different just yet. I hope she'll have fun here, because I definitely will. I mean, all boys got into fights, real or friendly, and we loved it. I, for once, loved to fight with sticks. Because they were swords in my head, so... Picking up a long stick and pretending to be Darth Maul was fun. Or picking an even longer stick to use as a spear. Shame trees don't grow stuff that looks like shields.

I noticed that a bunch of other students funneled in as time went by. Some of them were obviously not new here. They were rather fit and had a certain bounce in their step. All in all, there was about twelve more ponies coming in. That's not really that many, but hey, maybe more people will come a day after tomorrow. Or just different people. Whatever. My point is, I'm probably seeing just a half if not less. But on the other hand... Celestia's School For Gifted Unicorns is a fancy place, so fancy people go here. I bet most of them can afford private lessons. Some maybe don't do it at all because they can afford to hire security. And... most ponies probably don't even bother. The streets are safe, the country as a whole is safe. In the city I lived, it was mildly dangerous to be around at night, so I carried a spray can with pepper. I would've bought a gun, but there were certain hoops I would have to go through. And besides, a gun can be expensive, and I wasn't in the best financial position to afford one.

In any case, soon the two of us were ready for the main training to begin. The trainer addressed each student separately, and soon our turn came.

"Now, I suppose we should test how strong you can buck first," Steady Steel said. Did I mishear or... "Bucking is the main method of defense equines have, and it's the most powerful one." Bucking. Not fucking. Good. I mean, I'm good at one of those two things, so it should count for... something. I noticed that Iridia was giving me a knowing look. It took us a lot of strength not to give even the smallest of smiles. "Let me just set this thing up..."

He proceeded to set a pillar made of some soft material upright, and it had a wide plate at the chest's height, as well as a small monitor on the other side. Once the thing was up, Steady Steel moved out of the way.

"Alright, you two need to buck the plate as hard as you can. Of course, not at the same time, but one by one," he instructed us.

I was the first one. I positioned myself like the trainer told me to, and then bucked. This is a weird move I've not done before, but damn, it does feel pretty powerful.

"Huh, that's not what I expected," Steady Steel said after a small pause, "Your technique is far from perfect, but the raw power behind it is impressive for your size."

I guess it makes sense. After all, I'm an alicorn, and alicorns are supposed to be stronger than anyone. Hm, now that I think of it, I probably should hit the gym to become even stronger. Definitely no harm in that, so I might give it a try.

Iridia took my place and bucked the plate. Hm, maybe we can hit the gym together?

"Pretty identical results, but just slightly weaker," the trainer commented, "You two are inseparable twins, aren't you?"

"Y-yeah, I suppose you can say that," Iridia replied, and I nodded. In a manner of speaking, what he said is true. Or, at least, was. We were literally inseparable. That is, until we were separated.

"That explains just how similar your techniques are. I say, they're identical," he continued, "In any case, you two have a good base, and now it needs to expand. I'll gladly help you with that. First of all, the proper stance..."

It has just started, but I already feel excitement. I've never been to a martial arts class before, and I didn't imagine it would go down like this. My father left the impression that I would be shouted at and stuff so that I would push through and succeed, but here... The trainer is polite and explains everything patiently. My father could explain things calmly, but he much preferred yelling. I wouldn't say it didn't help, but he was loud, and by loud I meant that he could outshout a heavy metal concert.

Don't trust me? I bet my nipple he can. I can't prove it now, but if anyone ever meets my dad and hears him yelling, they'll get it. But for now, I'll focus on training.

Chapter 32: Wings of Fate

I remember my first time at the gym when I was around sixteen. Overweight and weak, I wasn't ready for what the training would put me through. I could see all those muscular guys bench-pressing more than I weigh, doing more pull-ups than I could do, and they looked great as well. I felt like I didn't belong there, but there was a guy named... Jay? Yeah, I think that was his name. He approached me and offered to help me begin my training. I wasn't really comfortable with that, feeling shame that I couldn't do much, but I didn't refuse. Day by day, I lost weight and gained muscle. I remember how my muscles aches, how I sweat like a pig in the sun, and how many times I wanted to collapse and die.

Martial arts training I've just begun is as close of an experience as that one, although now I'm more prepared. However, this mental preparation didn't help me at all with what came next. It was just a few hours, but it was a few hours of absolute hell. Despite my alicorn strength and endurance, I felt completely drained by the end of the training. My body was beaten, metaphorically broken, and now I felt like a piece of tenderized chicken.

...

I wouldn't be against having some chicken, actually. Mmm, chicken... with onions and pepper... juicy. Yeah, I'd gladly go for that for sure. Maybe some beef...

But cows here are sapient, as far as I know. I better not give them the idea that I find them delicious. Hm, but what about chickens? Are they also sapient? That would be a nightmare for anyone who likes meat. But I suppose it would be heaven for vegans. I've never dabbled into veganism, but I guess I've been doing it for almost a year now simply because I had no access to meat. And, well, I'm a small horse now, so I guess I'm a herbivore, and I will remain one for the rest of my life. It's not really that bad, I just like the taste of some nice, cooked meat.

In any case, I'm tired and sore, and now I wish nothing more than to take a relaxing shower and crawl into my bed to rest. I'd teleport myself straight to bed, but I'm too sweaty. And I don't want to gamble on teleportation, my focus wouldn't be as good now. I don't want to end up teleporting to Celestia having a bath or anything like that. Already happened once, and it was awkward, to say the least. Good thing I didn't teleport to anything, ahem, more private.

Iridia was walking alongside me, her shape exactly the same. Yeah, the trainer wasn't kidding when he said it was a long and difficult way for us. Sure, we had good initial strength, but we needed to apply it properly if we were to fight well. To completely destroy our egos, he demonstrated a few tricks that rendered us unable to move. That was a hard wake-up call I didn't know I needed. It definitely confirmed that I wouldn't stand a chance if I were attacked by anyone with experience in fighting. The trainer even showed us how to disable unicorn magic – all you need is to tap the horn in a specific, small point, and it would disable magic for a few seconds. One might say that a few seconds isn't enough, but in the fight, they're way more than enough, that's for sure.

I wish it were easier, but then... it would be too easy. It took me quite a few years to learn to play the guitar, and I bet martial arts are barely any different when it comes to learning. You need consistency, practice, and effort to succeed... but I guess that applies to literally everything. Except breathing, maybe. But then, I heard about a breathing technique that warms the body up, making you able to swim in nearly-freezing temperatures. It was some... Wolf method? Wilf method? I think I came across a YouTube video a few years ago, but I don't remember the details anymore.

Anyways, it seems that literally everything needed those three things I said. Consistency, practice, effort. Maybe add 'will to learn' to that. It's possible I'm forgetting something... but eh, I guess these four are enough.

In some sort of haze, Iridia and I reached our apartments and went our separate ways to rest. I stumbled into the bathroom, all but flopped right into the bathtub, and turned on the water. Oh yes... if I believed in God, I'd say it was some sort of holy rain... but no, it's just water that feels nice. And I didn't even need to adjust anything, it's perfect as is. Aaah...

And so I lay there in the tub, soaking in the water. It feels so damn good... the water is just the right temperature: cold, but not freezing. I don't feel like I want a warm shower now. Oh, and one more thing... I took off my necklace and placed it nearby, making my wings visible again. They're also somewhat sore, and I bet some water procedures wouldn't hurt. ALthough, there's oil on my feathers that makes flight easier or some such, but... I don't really fly much anyway. Luna did her best to teach me to fly properly, but I don't think I'd be able to fly freely without revealing my alicorn nature.

Maybe I should reveal it one day... but how? And how would I deal with the consequences? There's no way I would be left alone. I heard stories about paparazzi harassing actors and other celebrities, and it terrifies me when I imagine the fallout of my reveal. I'd be, what, fourth alicorn in Equestria? Sure, ponies got used to their princesses, but I would be a new one, and...

"Are you alright?" I heard Moonshine call me from the entrance to the bathroom, breaking my line of thoughts

"Yeah, just... tired," I replied weakly, "The training was... tiring... yeah..."

"I can make some food if you want," she offered, and I heard a smile in her voice.

"That'd be... very nice," I replied with a sigh of relief when I felt the water reach my more aching muscles, "Thank you."

I don't know how much time I spent bathing, but it was probably more than an hour. When I got out, I was completely soaked from head to hooves, water streaming from my body. Once I dried off, becoming very fluffy, I finally exited the bathroom. Moonshine did her best to cook some veggies and fruit, but personally, I'd like some meat. Hm, maybe I should go and search for a meat place somewhere. Hopefully, I won't stumble into some 'Stallion Meat Gay Club', because that type of establishment is not what I'm looking for, that's for sure.

Anyway, I quickly devoured the food my fillyfriend made. Mmm, delicious... I'd still go for some chicken, though. I think I'd take two chickens. Maybe all the chickens.

I'll deal with that later. What was I thinking back in the bathtub? Oh right, my alicorn nature. I would really love to fly around all the time, but then this problem of revealing who I am... Yeeeah, this is difficult. Ponies would also start asking questions about how I became an alicorn, and I really have no answer to that. I appeared in Equestria and was already an alicorn, that's pretty much it. I didn't earn it, didn't work for it, I just... well, it's like being born into a rich family. You can have everything you want, but you didn't earn it yourself. My parents were regular people, too, so I doubt they had anything to do with me becoming an alicorn. Unless what they told me is true and God blessed them or something. Weird shit, I'd say.

So, on one hand, flight. It feels amazing to fly. It'd be much quicker to fly somewhere than to walk, and I'd spend less energy flying than teleporting. On the other hand, it's likely my face will be printed in every single newspaper, broadcast on every TV channel, and I'd be harrassed to death by ponies just wishing to see yet another alicorn. I guarantee that there would be some... 'gold diggers', if you know what I say. That is, women looking for a rich husband for the purposes of doing nothing and receiving money just for being women and doing women things. In this case, do I call them 'alicorn diggers'? And I already get plenty of attention from other fillies in the school. The looks they give me have no other meaning than 'I'd like you to fuck me because I think you're handsome and nice'. While it's flattering in some way, I already have a fillyfriend – almost two, in fact. And I'm about to become a father. I'm not looking for more attention, mostly because I already have partners and I will never cheat on them. I have to admit, some of those fillies do look very appealing to the eye, but, as I said, no cheating. I'd be a complete asshole to cheat on someone like Moonshine. She's a nice, cute filly, and I love her, there is literally no way I would ever consider being with someone else without her approval.

Anyway, yeah, I'm not looking forward to getting more attention. I have no personal experience in this, but women can fight for men if they want to, and that fighting wouldn't be pretty. I don't want Moonshine to be subjected to it, I'm certain she would be targeted by some fillies or even mares as an obstacle to my heart. Or so they would think – I definitely wouldn't love anyone who'd even think about hurting Moonshine. She's like a cute little kitten – it's a deadly sin to hurt someone so lovely.

After I finished eating, I went back to the bathroom to clean my teeth. Surprisingly, my body doesn't ache as much anymore, so maybe I'll do something other than sleeping. In any case, I got the toothbrush, put a pea-sized drop of toothpaste on it, and started cleaning. My teeth aren't perfectly white, but then teeth are never perfectly white naturally. There's a light yellow tint to them. I don't think that matters much, all I need my teeth to be is clean. Although, I think dentists can do a deeper, more thorough cleaning, so I might visit one someday. I don't feel anything off about my teeth or any other part of my body, but it's better to be safe than sorry.

Once I finished cleaning my teeth, I returned to the main room and sat on my bed. The tiredness washed over me and I felt the bed calling once again. Without offering any resistance, I let myself fall on the bed. The bedsheets touched my body, and I let out a shaky sigh of absolute pleasure. I never thought just lying down could feel so good, but now I do know...

I still didn't put the necklace back on, allowing my wings to spread, covering pretty much all of the bed. Damn, they're huge indeed... I can use them instead of a blanket, and there would be enough left for Moonshine to cover herself. Until now, I didn't think about just so big my wings are, but hell... they're beautiful, and they're mine. It's a sin not to use them to fly. But it's a dilemma... one I will think about later.

"I'm gonna sleep for a bit," I told Moonshine in my tired voice, "Wake me up if y'need anything..."

"Sleep well!" she wished me, and I think this wish would soon come true.

It was deep in the night when I woke up to the sound of weird rustling. For a few moments, I tried to ignore it and just go back to sleep, but the more I listened, the more weird it sounded. I blinked a few times, trying to see through the darkness, but I remained mostly motionless. My body froze when I heard someone whispering next to me. It wasn't Moonshine, it wasn't Night Breeze, it wasn't anyone I knew. This could only mean one thing...

"Do you think these are real?" someone said quietly, amazement in their voice.

"They do look real, man," a reply came from a somewhat feminine voice. I tensed up but didn't act just yet, "Look at these feathers. Look at these back muscles! No way to fake that. My sis has wings, and I would definitely know real stuff from fake."

"Shh, be quiet, he might wake up," the first voice warned, "And don't touch that!"

A freezing chill ran down my spine. Someone broke into the apartment and saw I am an alicorn. I had to act somehow, and quick. But what must I do? What did the intruders want? The veil of sleep still gripped me, and the gears in my mind turned slowly.

"Let's take the stuff and go already," the answer to his question came from another voice. Was this a second attempt at robbing me of my musical instruments?

I swiftly jumped from the bed, swearing internally as I felt my muscles ache again, and fired off some magic at the intruders I managed to catch in the corner of my eye. Someone immediately dropped to the floor with a heavy thud, and the rest began to make their escape. I reached out to the door, quickly closed and locked it, and then fired off another ball of magic at the second intruder. They stumbled for a few steps before meeting the wall of the apartment with their head. The third and the last one was panicking, trying their best to unlock the door. But I was quicker, and soon they dropped to the floor. I snatched them and dragged them across the room further away from the exit.

"What is going on?" Moonshine sprung up from her bed, rubbing her eyes.

"Bring the guards, and make them call Celestia," I said quickly, "Do it!"

This situation smells like deep shit for both me and the intruders. Their trouble is obvious – they broke into my dorm to steal things. But mine... mine was deeper, much deeper. Not many would trust them, of course, but rumors would spread, for they know...

They know I'm an alicorn.

Author's Notes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cphNpqKpKc4

Chapter 33: Alicorn Thoughts

This is bad. This is really bad. I managed to snatch the necklace and put it back on to hide my wings, but the three ponies I caught saw them. There was no way they would attribute it to... I don't even know what! I might still be able to hide the wings from the rest, but the rumors will spread, as they always do, and I might find myself in a bad spot. Of course, I can deny that I'm an alicorn – who would be crazy enough to believe that I am now, right? But then...

"This happened again on your watch," I heard Celestia and her heavy footsteps coming towards my door, "One slip-up is forgivable, they happen to the best of us. But two in a row? A thorough investigation will be launched, and you will lose your job regardless of the outcome. We will discover just how much incompetence played a part in this... or corruption."

Since no reply came, I assume the guard in charge knew better than to argue. I've never seen Celestia angry, and I don't think many things can anger her in the first place. But it was pretty obvious this situation didn't please her at all.

In a few seconds, the door to my dorm opened, and Celestia walked in, her eyes passing me and focusing on the three intruders. She scrunched her muzzle, glancing at the trembling guard by her side, disappointment and a hint of anger in her eyes.

"Stand at the door and don't let anyone in," she ordered sternly, "This is your last duty as the guard."

The guard bowed low and rushed out of the room, closing the door behind himself. Celestia was now alone with all of us in the room. For a few moments, everyone, including her, was silent. Yeah, this is... awkward. Same situation but different ponies. I'd burst out laughing if I felt it was appropriate. I mean, I would expect the thieves to sneak in in a few weeks, not... immediately after the first attempt. Someone is either stupid or very, and I mean very impatient.

"He's an alicorn!" one of the thieves blurted out, "We saw his wings!"

"That has nothing to do with the fact that you three broke into a student dorm," Celestia said sternly.

"But... he's an alicorn..." the thief visibly deflated as if he just lost the free get-out-of-jail card.

"Even if he is, it's not illegal," the princess countered, "But what you three did was certainly illegal, and you shall face the appropriate punishment," she turned to me, "I apologize for this, I thought my guards would learn their lesson the first time. It seems I hired the wrong ponies for the job."

"Yeah... better security is needed, that's true," I nodded.

"What if they hurt us?" Moonshine added, "They didn't, but... what if they did?"

"This is why security will be vastly improved, and the incompetent guards shall have their posts revoked, and an investigation will be launched into the issues that led to this awful breech," Celestia nodded to her, "The security in my school must be the very best in order to protect the students... and their privacy," she gave me a meaningful look. Yeah, I know precisely what she meant, "And once again, I apologize for this situation. I will remedy it and make sure the thieves – and whoever is behind them – shall be brought to justice. You shall also receive a monetary compensation from the thieves once the trial passes. Have a good night, my little ponies."

I'd argue that I'm not little by any means, but alright. Wishing Celestia the same, we let her take the thieves and leave the room. Now, did I hear correctly? Will we get some free money out of someone's stupidity? I'm all for that. I doubt the compensation would be great, but I bet it'll be enough for a small café trip, and I'm all for that. I heard certain Canterlot cafés serve delicious cakes and even better tea. I'm not a tea person, but I wouldn't mind drinking a cup or two from time to time.

"And I'd consider bolting the room shut during the night, just in case," Celestia half-turned to me as she exited, "And... please, visit me during the day, I want to talk to you about something important."

*Gulp*

I don't like where this is going. I mean, she knows who I am, but... someone else found it out, so now action has to be taken in some way. Celestia might offer me to come out as an alicorn, but I'm really not sure about it. However, the countdown to our next meeting has already started, and there was nothing I could do but wait until it comes to zero and I stand in front of the princess once again. The way I thought about it sent shivers down my spine, although I'm pretty sure nothing bad would come to me. After all, being an alicorn isn't illegal, and it's also not illegal to hide it... right?

"What's all that noise?" Night Breeze peeked into the room, blinking with her tired eyes, "I heard... thieves?"

"Yeah, and they were taken care of," I replied with a nod, "You'd better return to sleep. You need to rest, you know."

"I do," she replied but didn't leave. After a small pause, she asked, "Can I ask you... um... can you sleep with me? You're going to be a father, and I... want you to be close."

This is another bad situation. Well, it's not bad bad, but this is something that has been irking me for a while. I love Moonshine, and I had sex with Night Breeze with her permission, and now a foal is on the way... or twins. I have no way of knowing until way later. In any case, isn't this situation just really damn weird? I looked at Moonshine, and she seemed calm. But... shouldn't she be jealous in some way? After all, I bet she wanted her to bear our first foal, although I don't think I'd be ready for one until both of us reached the pony age of twenty, at least. I still have monetary issues, I don't have a house, and I have zero idea about how to raise a kid. My own parents aren't the best example of parentage, so I can't use their example. As for me, I'm just... not sure.

"And Moonshine... you're his, so you too should join," Night Breeze suggested with some uncertainty, not looking at my fillyfriend, "If... you're fine with that, that is."

This is not quite a love triangle, but I feel somewhat torn. On one hand, I should show more care for Night Breeze as a future father. On the other, my love belongs to Moonshine. What kind of weird drama is this? Can I just merge Moonshine and Night Breeze into one being to solve all the problems? Unfortunately, I can't, just like I can't make Iridia a part of me again. You know, it'd be wonderful if there were simply less people to deal with. Just combine them into the superproblem and solve it at once, right?

Unfortunately, that's not at all how it works, and so I'm stuck with pretty weird problems. A clone, two mares to take care of, a band to create, and I'm also an alicorn. A problem on top of problems, seasoned with some more problems, served with some additional problem sauce. How do people even deal with things in polygamy? One partner is enough in relationships to cause issues, but two?

I should've kept my dick in my pants. Shame I no longer wear pants.

The solution to our sleeping problem was found, thankfully. Despite my size, Moonshine and Night Breeze managed to fit on the two beds in my dorm easily. I bolted the door (Thanks for the advice, Celestia) and unfurled my wings again, using them like blankets to cover both fillies. They soon fell asleep, and I followed around an hour later after some weird thoughts kept invading my head. But, well, they often do that when I'm about to sleep. And, in any case, I still slept for a few long hours after that.

We woke up at the crack of dawn to some birds chirping right outside our window. I woke up with a loud, long yawn. I feel so comfy right now, I just want to lie on the bed forever. The memories of the night came back, however, and now I was stuck with thinking about them. Really, what a night it was... too many things to deal with, too many problems to solve. Even the morning didn't bring anything fresh so far. But then, I'm still groggy, so maybe all I need is wake up.

I stood up and stretched every limb, including my wings. Damn, it feels so good, especially flexing my back muscles that controlled the wings. I really wish I didn't have to hide them all the time. They're wonderful. They're like arms but with feathers everywhere, and they can make you fly. They also look majestic. I bet I look like an angel with those wings. But, unfortunately, I'll have to hide this behind the mask of just some handsome and tall unicorn.

...I guess that's a dead givaway I'm an alicorn. Alicorns are just too beautiful for their own good. Both Celestia and Luna are staples of beauty, and I'm also desired by plenty of mares around. The princesses don't seem to have any lovers or husbands, and maybe they're doing it to avoid having to deal with relationships. I bet they have tons of suitors, ready to give them all the love they can, but the princesses are still single. Or maybe they're into mares... but then I bet plenty of mares are into princesses. So, maybe the princesses are asexual. Hm, that could be true, and that would explain a lot...

However, it's not really my place to think about such things. The princesses can deal with their own relationships, and I must deal with mine. I don't know how, but I must.

But, first things first, it's school time. Moonshine, Night Breeze, and I need to prepare for yet another day of learning. Same with Iridia, and she's not really behind me when it comes to anything I learned so far, including magic. She's in my class, of course, and so we will always learn together. Our progress is pretty much identical, which opens up certain possibilities. Who can be the perfect partner to solve a math problem or to do a magic trick than someone who knows everything you think? She's the perfect partner for any and every group activity there is to do in shool. Even if we're not as smart as we could be, we understand each-other, and it makes working on projects so much easier.

Anyway, didn't take us long to prepare for the school – we just put some textbooks and notebooks in our saddlebags, arranged them in a neat order, and that's it. There was still plenty of time left for us to just do... nothing, I guess. It's too early to practice music, and there's nothing else to do, really.

A few knocks came from the door to the dorm before Iridia entered. We all greeted her, and then she sat right next to me. Moonshine proceeded to kiss me and her, and I don't know why she did that. Maybe to show that she loves us both? I'm probably supposed to be jealous to see her kissing someone other than me, but then... Iridia is still me, in a way. And it keep the possibility of threesome (or foursome if Night Breeze is willing) open.

But I must keep my dick in my pants. But I guess it's too late now, and I still have no pants. Well, at least I can be sure I won't impregnate anyone outside of heat season. Which, by the way, would come for Moonshine pretty soon. I must be very careful here, although-

"Flame, what do you think about foals?" she asked the dreaded question again. This is what I feared.

"I don't know... I already have one on the way," I glanced at Night Breeze, who nodded with a chuckle, "Maybe we should wait until we're ready to support two. I mean, where would they live? In this tiny dorm? We need a nice house for our family," I looked at Iridia, who seemed down, "And you are also the part of the family, of course. Wanna share the father... ship... uh... You know what I mean. Wanna share it with me?"

"That'd be nice," her ears perked up and a small smile appeared on her face. Did she think I was going to leave her behind? No way! She's me, and she will be a... uh... stepmom? I guess. Or aunt. Yeah, I think she'll be an aunt. Although, I'd be fine if she wants to be the mom alongside Night Breeze and Moonshine. That'd feel more personal for her. I don't really know, I'll just let her decide once the time comes.

Night Breeze and Iridia... that one is a complicated situation. Sure, Night Breeze knows that Iridia is just my female clone, but there is no idea how to connect the two. I think that Iridia would just be an aunt since that's the most logical conclusion I can make. In some way, she's my sister, so...

This whole situation is a huge fucking drama I wasn't prepared for. I let out a silent sigh and looked down at the floor, grimacing. Iridia glanced at me with understanding. Yeah... this is some weird shit, and it would be avoided if Discord didn't cause it all. He made plenty of chaos with just me, and I really hope he wouldn't twist any more lives. But, knowing him, I bet he already did, and is now laughing there in his stone prison.

Ugh... I wish I could kick his nuts. But I don't think he has them. He could shape-shift them away. But I will find them anyway and kick them someday. Argh.

But let's focus on something positive. We'll have one nice, big family, and our kids will be taken care of well. That's the least we can do to remedy the situation.

At the school, we were met with whispers and glances. It seems that the thieves managed to spread the rumors before they made their way to prison... welp, this is going to hurt my brain for a while. But, thankfully, no one dared to ask me about it so far, only discussing and murmuring among themselves. It unnerved me, but I tried not to show it, simply ignoring all the commotion around me. After some time, the rumors will be gone, I'm sure of it. At the very least, I hope they will be gone, because I'm already getting irritated. I really don't like being the topic of any talk, frankly, and this whole situation is another level of that.

Or maybe it wasn't the thieves, maybe someone listened in from the corridor of the dormitory and heard it. After all, sound insulation isn't the best in there. Could definitely use some work so that ponies wouldn't eavesdrop on what they're not supposed to hear.

In any case, the rumors were out now, and, unbeknownst to all, are one hundred percent true. Unless someone mixed in the fact that I'm also an alien. Oh wait... In all seriousness, I hope that there are inconsistencies and plain false things in the rumors, that would definitely help to dispell the core of the rumor. And maybe, just made, I'll be left alone to my devices. Unless, of course, it forces me to come out as an alicorn.

I mean, I do have some legal power, I just don't use it. I'm clear before the law, I just agreed not to use my power because I simply don't want to. But, by all means, I'm actually a prince that simply wasn't declared to the public. Yeah, laws are fickle things sometimes, so they can allow some weird things to happen.

However, I can see some students heading straight to me.

*Sigh*

This day isn't going to be easy, now is it?

Chapter 34: Future Parentage

This day is a bowl filled with headaches, and I'm so deep in it I can see my brain painfully pulsating. I would think of more and better metaphors to emphasize my point, but I was never good at Literature or writing. Everything that I've ever written was pretty plain and uninspiring. In any case, all I wanted to do was go to the class, sit down, and spend my time studying... something. Math, Commonlang, Equestrian Literature, Griffon Cuisine, anything that wasn't about me. However, someone decided to approach me before I could do that, and now they were looking at me as if I stole their cookies and now refuse to admit it.

"You're an alicorn, aren't you?" one of the students stepped in my way. I seriously don't want to deal with it right now, especially since my musical instruments were almost stolen by a bunch of thiefs for the second time in a pretty short while. Celestia did promise to make the security better, but I'm having a few ideas of my own. If only I wasn't pestered about my nature, I could maybe think about it more.

"No, I'm not," I rolled my eyes in an attempt to look like the very thought of me being an alicorn was ridiculous in itself, "Anyway-"

"Let me guess, this necklace hides your wings," he interrupted, gesturing at Luna's gift around my neck. Sure, he's right on the money, but that doesn't mean I will admit it. Who I am and what I do is no one's business but mine, and I'm not hurting anyone, so they can all buzz right off.

"That's a gift from a friend," I replied somewhat forcefully, showing that I don't really want to continue the discussion.

"That's the symbol of Princess Luna," he continued. Ugh, this is becoming awkward and annoying... "You can't possibly be her friend!"

Oh wow. 'Can't possibly be her friend', dang. I can't possibly be Luna's friend despite being one for almost a year now. To be honest, I think she's somewhat lonely. But does that mean she can't have friends? Does that mean I or someone else can't be her friend? This colt talking shit is a fucking asshole. I'd flip a bird but I don't have fingers anymore. So, I'm going to use something else, a more direct approach.

"Go fuck yourself," I growled at him and shoved him aside, "Get out of my sight."

I half-expected a fight to occur, but the colt quickly retreated, and his friends urged him to do just that. Well, I am at least a head taller than him, so I guess this made him consider retreating. And even if he did fight me, I'd gladly retaliate. Some people just don't stop with their shit until they're hit in the face a couple of times, and I bet being hit with a hoof hurts.

Anyway, the crowd around me and my friends thinned after this little confrontation. While I still got occasional glances from ponies around me, no one else approached me to ask about me being an alicorn. How did this rumor get out so quickly anyway? If I believed in conspiracies, I'd say Celestia did it in order to make me recognized as an alicorn. It doesn't make much sense, but hey, I've seen and heard worse. All in all, these rumors are an inside job, duh.

Thankfully, I was soon able to divert my mind and thoughts elsewhere. As mundane as this day was supposed to be before thiefs came into picture, there was something quite interesting to it – the first class was cancelled throughout the whole school, replaced by something new. Summer was coming, and so would come estrus in mares. Thus, everyone can and should attend a lecture and discussion about possible parentage and the means to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

Well, I could've used that last lesson, but at least I can learn how to be a parent so that my future foal won't be ashamed of having a dad like me. Sure, I still have around a year before the foal is born, but the time is ticking, and it's only going forward. I should be responsible and not procrastinate when it comes to learning how to be a father. Plus I need to know how to handle Moonshine's advances as her estrus would come this year as well. I don't want to end up with another pregnancy, definitely not now.

We entered the auditorium and settled in the back, putting our saddlebags beside us. Celestia herself would be leading this lecture, and she was already there, preparing for it as students assembled. She greeted us, we returned the greeting, and nothing else was exchanged. The princess didn't pay much mind to us as she arranged the papers and a few... I'd say pretty colorful pictures. At a glance, I could swear I saw a picture about how to put on a condom. Well, I will definitely put on all the protection I can next time I have sex with someone in heat. Not going to take my chances with just magic anymore. As it's said, once bitten, twice shy. I have no plans to become celibate, but I definitely will think more than twice before putting my thing into anything that even remotely resembles a vagina in function.

And I should never, I must never trust powerful beings to do anything to me no matter how good it seems at first. I'm never going to fall for that again.

"Good morning, everyone," Celestia spoke once the bell rang, beginning the lecture, "As many of you already know, the estrus season is coming. This means that many of our mares will be able to get pregnant, and I thought it would be wise for everyone to know how to prevent unwanted pregnancies or what to do if one does happen."

I could've used this way earlier, that's for sure. Well, my fault I didn't use all the protection I could. When I was a human, I made sure I bought the best condoms on the market, and I always used them. I've never 'gone in raw' before becoming a pony. I relaxed too much, and it allowed an accident to happen, and it's definitely not a happy little accident.

"The first sign of estrus in mares is increased desire to mate," the princess continued, "The first physical sign is a certain sensation between the hind legs one can describe as heat." Not sure if it's too much information, but if I had to say... it is. "Stallions will smell the hormones emanating from the mares in estrus and will, in turn, have an increased desire to mate as well, releasing their own hormones in response."

A few minutes passed as Celestia explained the process of impregnation. I don't mean to say that she was speaking porn, but... I'd say it's, uh, a scientific version of porn? All in all, I've read about it plenty of times as a human, and it boils down to this: rub rub penis against vagina, cum, and bam, a child is on the way. Sure, it's not quite as simple as that, but that's the very basics.

"If you want to avoid pregnancy, there are a few things you can use," Celestia continued, "For males, using a condom is one of the easiest and most available choices. I will now give you the instructions on how to find the right size and put it on."

A stack of papers flew around the audiotrium, individual pages placing themselves in front of everyone, including me. Not sure why mares needed that, but maybe they will give it to their stallions or just put on the condoms on their dicks by themselves. Oh, and this pamphet contains a penis drawing. Pretty graphic instructions, but hey, at least they explain everything perfectly so that people don't end up putting the condoms on their heads. Yeah, sometimes, people are that dumb.

"There are certain herbs that can be mixed to prevent the sperm from entering the egg, but I wouldn't recommend it," Celestia said, "Instead, you'd all be better off buying contraception pills from authorised stores. They're well-tested and were wholly approved by the Equestrian Ministry of Health. Perfectly safe, and the dose is just right to cause no side effects. You will now receive a list of addresses where you can buy the pills, both male and female variants."

I think Night Breeze or White Light talked about using herbs as their means of contraception. I guess it worked so far, but yeah, taking pills makes more sense. Once a note flew over to me, I grabbed it and took a look. Hm, there's actually a shop right near the dormitory. I'll be sure to visit it pretty soon to buy both the pills and the condoms. If I were to give in to the irresistable smell of a mare in heat, I'd rather have some protection nearby.

"And, of course, there is a magical solution," Celestia continued her lecture, "However, I would advise against it. While it can bring down the chance of pregnancy to zero if cast correctly, it offers no protection if there is a mistake. Condoms and pills, meanwhile, can be used by anyone regardless of magical skills."

Very good. I don't want to end up with a broken magical condom, and this magic seems to be bypassable by entities like Discord. He can probably pierce regular condoms as well, but... let's not think about it for now.

"Now we must talk about the possibility of unwanted pregnancy," the princess cleared her throat, "If it does happen, the state will offer to help you deliver the foal successfully and would also offer financial support in order to make sure you have enough to buy everything your foal needs. There are also parentage courses you can attend for free, and here are the addresses of places that offer them. Unfortunately, I can't offer an extensive explanation of how to raise a foal, but the courses were approved by the state after extensive review that lasted a decade. It is a very serious topic, and I don't believe I can sufficiently cover it without hurting academic schedule of our school."

There is a Parenthood Preparation Center near the dormitory, right next to the condom shop. I mean, if one thing fails, sell the solution to the consequences. In any case, I'll make sure to visit that Center someday and learn how to be a good father. However, I'm certain a lot of it would only come from personal experience once my foal is born, but at least I'll be prepared for it to some degree. Hopefully...

For the rest of the class, Celestia told us how we shouldn't be afraid of pregnancy if it does happen, how we should immediately look for help, and how important it is for us not to delay it. Surprisingly, there was no mention of abortions – do they not exist in Equestria? Are they illegal? I'm not sure, and I'm not certain I should ask publicly. There was a mention of some pills that stop the pregnancy at the early stage, which is the two week period after the last sex, but that's it. That begs the question... Did Night Breeze use that? So, I decided to ask her just that, trying to be quiet.

"I did, but... that didn't work," she told me with an apologetic expression, "You know... at least we had fun," she chuckled, trying to make light of the situation. And it's true that we had a good time fucking, it was less than a day, and we'll have to take care of our foal for many years. I wouldn't call it a fair trade. The worst deal in the history of the worst deals ever, that's for sure.

"Don't worry," I said, "I'll take care of you and the foal, I promise. We had our fun, but I guess it's time we accept responsibility for it, too. Especially me..."

I noticed Iridia looking at us, a somewhat sad expression on her face. Does... does she want to be a part of the family? I told her she's welcome, but until now, I wasn't sure she wanted it. After all, I didn't really want to be a father. But... I think I can understand her. She caught my look, and I gestured for her to nudge closer to me and Night Breeze. I turned to my other side and looked at Moonshine, who was also listening to our conversation.

"I might make you a mom someday as well, Moony," I promised her, "But when we're ready. I know I repeated that, but... I hope you understand. I love you, and nothing is going to change that."

That sounded cheesy, but I felt like it was the right thing to say. Moonshine might not look like she's jealous, but... I don't know how it must feel to have your special someone be a father of a foal that's not your own. Sure, she gave me a go-ahead to have fun with Night Breeze, but really, none of us thought it would result in me becoming a father. I hope the future loveless marriage – if marriage is necessary for this, that is – won't negatively influence my son or daughter, because that would suck for all of us.

"But don't make me a mom," Iridia chimed in, letting out a quiet laugh, "That'd be weird."

"I can imagine."

After all the classes were done, I prepared to head out of the school with all my friends. A walk through the city would probably ease my mind, and I'd also have time to talk about things with, well, everyone. Iridia and I exchanged some words during a break, and we might just go and practice a few songs that we want to bring to Equestria. The whole band thing has been on my mind for so long, but problems just kept and kept popping up like acne on my teenage face. I almost felt like I lost my purpose and my goals, especially now that I impregnated a girl. Yeaaah... This life proved to be much more eventful than I anticipated.

In any case, I remembered I needed to visit Celestia. My friends decided to wait outside her main office. Well, here I go...

"Enter," Celestia said when I knocked on the door. With a quiet sigh, I opened the door and walked into the office. The princess was sitting at her desk writing something, "Oh, hello Flame Metal. Good thing you've come – I believe we must discuss... the truth about you."

"Yeah..." I said, sitting down in front of her, "I didn't think it'd get out anytime soon."

"But it did, and the suspicion grows," she replied, putting down her pen, "I heard of your denial, and... it only breeds further suspicion. Alicorns, unfortunately, have visible features going beyond having both a horn and a pair of wings. A slender, tall figure is one of them. Ponies your height are usually more burly, and their features more square. Most ponies don't take it into account usually, but now, they are suspecting there is a connection between our looks and the fact that we're alicorns."

"But that doesn't prove I'm an alicorn... in their eyes, at least."

"It doesn't," she agreed, "But the suspicions will continue, and one day, someone else will see your wings. I believe you'll have to come out as an alicorn sooner or later."

"I don't know..." I said nervously, "I... don't want to be seen as a celebrity of some sort."

"I heard you wanted to start a musical group," she raised a brow. Is she omniscient?

"I'm going to perform in makeup and clothes," I replied, "Other than my height and my horn, nothing will tell anyone that it's, well, me. My image will be famous, but not me. I won't be going public about it."

"I suppose that makes sense," she nodded in understanding, "I understand why you don't want to come out. As an alicorn myself, I too often receive attention I don't like. It makes it difficult to make connections with ponies..." she trailed off for a moment, "Very well, I suppose you don't necessarily have to come out now. But someday, ponies will find out, and I believe it would be better for you to be clear about who you are. I wish you good luck, and feel free to come to me or my sister if you do decide to come out."

I nodded and stood up.

"And don't forget we're here to help," Celestia added, "Luna told me about your peculiar... situation with a certain mare. Your foal might just be an alicorn, and then you won't be able to hide anymore. At the very least, does the mare in question know who you are?"

"She does," I nodded, "And... I don't want to think about my foal being an alicorn."

"I understand, but it is a very real possibility. You should take it very seriously," she warned me, "If your foal is born an alicorn, you'll have a giant responsibility on yourself to make sure they grow up well and loved, as well as disciplined. You, too, should remember that being an alicorn is a huge responsibility in itself."

I nodded yet again, and now Celestia gestured for me to go, a gentle expression on her face. I can tell she cares, but... I just don't know. This is probably the most difficult situation of my life, even more difficult than when my parents found out I don't believe in God and oppose their views. That was a difficult time, but I bet this whole situation is much, much worse. I might not be in danger of being kicked out of anywhere, but...

If my foal does turn out to be an alicorn, then how do I deal with that?

Chapter 35: Practice

After all the school stuff was done, Iridia and I decided to go together to play some instruments as practice for the band we'll be making. I grabbed the two guitars I had and we headed out. I don't exactly know where we should practice, but we'll figure out along the way. It would also help me clear my head and think about some other things. But mainly, band stuff, for it is indeed time to unfold the plan I have.

...

I don't really have much of a plan, do I? I mean, I know the basics, but... Ah, well, I'll figure it out along the way. Plus I have Iridia to discuss it with, which is effectively a discussion between myself and myself. Hm... Well, I hope it won't just be me talking and her nodding or the other way around, that'd just be boring.

And then I remembered a thing – Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns has rooms for music practice. Hm, they seem like a perfect place to play undisturbed, as well as discuss things. After telling Iridia about it, both of us headed straight into school yet again. Celestia really thought out her school, that's for sure. It has pretty much everything the students would need. Cafeteria with free food, playgrounds, gyms, music classes, condom shops, it's all there. Plus I've seen a few condom dispensers in the bathrooms. I mean, why not? Better to let students have some protected fun than not allow it and see pregnancies sprout. Although, condoms are only needed during the estrus season... and I think I didn't see those dispensers before this week. I can't say for sure.

In any case, CSGU is like a small town with everything. Plus we're paid stipend if we study well! Now that's motivation. Having some money to spend on ourselves is always nice. I have some bits in my savings.... well, a jar of coins under my bed. I think it's large enough to afford a few more musical instruments. Definitely enough to buy a decent guitar, but I'd rather save up more to buy something better.

Speaking of that, I should get Iridia her own instruments because, while I can share mine with her, it's not like she owns them. And she's me, so I bet she feels like these instruments were taken from her. We'll definitely remedy this situation. I feel like she's going to receive a gift from me pretty soon. Hm... should her birthday be my birthday or is it the day of the cloning? I'm not quite sure, and I don't really want to ask her about that, at least not yet. In any case, I don't need to wait for her birthday to give her something good. Maybe it'll take me a week or so to do, I just need to find the right person for the job I'm thinking of.

The school building is nearly as full as it is during studying hours. Some students are indeed still studying, for the schedule can be rather finnicky from time to time. Others, however, are engaged in some extra activities like music, art in general, and additional voluntary classes. Some students are even cleaning up the school – it's not really that much, but it still warms my heart to see people actually caring about public spaces. I never understood why a lot of people outright disliked stuff like cleaning floors and toilets. I mean, if no one did it... it'd be really shitty in all senses of the word. Personally, I enjoy a good cleaning from time to time – they make everything look nice and shiny. Sweep the cobwebs, vacuum the carpet, clean the dust... and everything suddenly looks as good as new.

That reminds me, I should clean up in the dorm. It's not really that dirty, but I swear I saw a couple spiders, and the layer of dust is surely growing in thickness, especially in the corners. Yep, that's decided – we'll clean stuff up during the weekend. Although, I'm not sure vacuums have been invented yet. I think they were, but I don't think- actually, scratch that, I can hear one further down one of the halls. Yep, so I'm going to get a vacuum and really clean the place up.

Anyway, Iridia and I proceeded to the music practice rooms. The first one we tried to enter was locked from the inside and some really muffled sounds of... brass, I think, could be heard. The next one was locked as well, featuring a lone guitar and a set of drums. Hm, they sound like beginners, so this is probably a lesson in progress. The third one was unlocked but there were some ponies inside unpacking their own instruments. Hmm, seems to be a busy day today as far as music is concerned... But the fourth room turned out to be empty. We went inside, closed and locked the door, and placed the guitars on one of the tables inside. We should buy actual cases for them so that we don't have to carry them via magic all the time.

Anyway, we placed some chairs close together and sat down, preparing our guitars. I checked the tuning, adjusted the volume knob, fiddled with distorting for a bit, making sure it didn't sound like electric fart. Iridia was pretty much mirroring my actions with the second guitar I brought. I pulled out my smartphone from a small bag I carried around my neck and placed it between us. I navigated to the folder with different beats to different tempos. Hmm...

"What should we actually practice today?" I asked Iridia, "I didn't really think of that, I just wanted to, you know... do stuff."

"Neither did I," she shook her head, "But I think I have an idea..."

Iridia took the smartphone in her grasp and browsed through the drum beats. She turned one of them on – a rather fast beat resembling stuff from Death Metal and other brutal styles of metal. Hm, I don't know why I have it here, but... I think I need to unwind, spend some energy.

So, I stopped the beat and rewinded it to the start. Iridia and I adjusted our positions on the chairs, and some sort of mental link allowed us to understand who would lead and who would set the rhythm. The latter was what I wanted to do today.

One. One, two, three, four!

I don't know what, but something clicked inside both of us. A switch was flipped, a button was pressed, call it however you want, but what happened next was akin to having an orgasm, but... at least twice as powerful.

Energy exploded inside me like a Tsar Bomb, my magic quickly picking the strings, playing a fast tremolo on low strings. A rhythm appeared, and a mind-shattering insane solo followed. Iridia and I banged our heads so much they threatened to fall off as we improvised for the next few minutes, playing as fast and as complicated as we could. Tremolo, sweep-picking, pinching harmonics, tapping, everything that we knew, we laid out in music, and it forced us to cover our ears so that we wouldn't go deaf. Without hands limiting us, we were able to get seemingly impossible sounds out of our guitars, blasting music to our hearts' content.

My red mane was covering my face, but I didn't care – I flowed with music as if it were a river. The notes penetrated my ears pleasantly, although loudly, and I was in the state of absolute bliss. With my brain almost completely turned off, I sang wordlessly. My vocals were rusty and I was unable to change the tone of my voice quite as well as I usually could, but I hit the notes where I intended and didn't miss a bit. Soon, Iridia joined me in this weird symphony from the other world as we sang and played until our throats dried and our guitars somewhat detuned from just how hard we played. I don't know how long we spent in such a fast-paced and yet slow-flowing musical trance, but when we reemerged into reality, we were sweating profusely, our manes clinging to our faces. I grinned like a complete maniac, breathing deeply, then I carefully placed the guitar nearby and turned off the beat – the phone showing that barely five minutes have passed.

"We needed that," Iridia concluded, and I could do nothing but nod. We sure did.

"Feels good to play music with someone who knows the same stuff, that's for sure," I commented, wiping the sweat from my brow, "With that out of the way... Wanna play some songs in particular?"

"Sure," she nodded, "You know... we're going to start chronologically, right? That first song is just some happy organ song inverted, so we're going to play the second, and then move to the next one."

"Sounds good to me," I shrugged and quickly navigated the phone to the beats I needed. I didn't know where to find the needed drum track when I was still a human, so I had to listen and recreate the same stuff with digital drums. Took me a few months, maybe even half a year to get every Ghost song transcribed properly for drums, although I managed to find some sheet music for a couple of the songs. In any case, at the end of the day, I had everything I needed.

"We will also need to get proper suits, you know," Iridia reminded me, "Some robes and masks. We'll probably have to make some ourselves. I think the masks of the first Ghouls were from some movie, right?"

"The one with an orgy at an expensive party?" I asked, trying to remember. Then it hit me, "Ah, right, the one Kubrick directed? Something about eyes?"

"Yeah, that one," Iridia nodded, "But I'm not sure that's the masks I like... But, you know, we should maintain the continuity somewhat."

"I love Papa Emeritus the Second. He looked fucking badass," I added, "I'm definitely going to keep that painted skull. The first one is... fine. The third? A bit too simple for my taste. And the robes... That's going to get expensive if we go for it, you know. Maybe we'd have to start with something simpler."

"Makes sense," she agreed with a nod, "We'll change the legend surrounding Ghost, but still, we'll have to maintain the looks and not change the songs at all. You know, leave all the sacrifice, orgies, and all that in. We can't just modify the songs how we see fit, don't you think?"

"I wouldn't want to lose the original intention," I nodded, "Although, I'm not sure ponies would understand everything... But eh, neither did I when I first listened. I still loved the band, so yeah, we'll just let the ponies hear whatever they want to hear. Maybe they'll come up with something interesting we can use..."

"Yeah, we're kinda crappy at writing," Iridia chuckled, "Remember that story we've written during the eigth grade? About a cyborg taking over?"

"Don't even remind me..." I let out a sigh of embarrassment. What seemed badass at the time turned out to be some pretty edgy fiction. Or, at least, poorly-written. Or both. I don't really remember much about it other than it having plenty of sword fights. Yeah, in a sci-fi world with guns and stuff. That wasn't too bad, but then I don't remember most of what I've written, and that's probably for the better.

"Anyway, Con Clavi Con Dio, let's do it," Iridia reminded me of what we should play. Alright, here's the beat, and... One. One, two, three...

The song was relatively slow and started with a guitar plus bass. I didn't have the bass guitar with me, so I had to make do with what I did have. It didn't sound quite right, but, well, we're here to practice, not play an accurate representation of the song. And finally, the first verse came – we arrived to praise Lucifer. Oh, the evil one... When I was just a teen, this was the perfect song for my rebellion against my parents. What's better than to praise someone they were so profoundly against? I didn't praise Lucifer openly, but it gave me great pleasure listening to this song, knowing well that it was going against my mother's Christian values. Ah, how this song reignites my memories... Good and bad ones.

As I played and sang the song, I remembered how I went to the church with my parents. I never really understood why I had to go – I had little understanding of what my parents even believed. The church service was just... boring. Some hard to understand Bible verses were spoken, there was some singing, and a lot of praying. It was so long ago I barely remember the details. But I think that's what set me on the path of liking what I do now and disliking a lot of things about my parents and what they believed in. And Ghost is just a perfect mocking of religion using religious stuff. Or, at least, religious in a fictional sense. I doubt anyone in Ghost actually worships Lucifer with human sacrifices. But, funny thing... Drinking the blood and eating the flesh is a Christian thing. Why not sacrifice the whole human, right?

The chorus came. I tried to translate it, but it seemed to be some mix of Italian and Latin, as far as I can remember. I think it translates roughly as "We're with our Dark God" or something along those lines. No matter how much of a mix of languages it was, it sounds pretty nice, so I won't complain.

The second verse came, the one about Lucifer coming back to Earth through the birth of Antichrist, and the Satanists did it from behind their masks. Or, at least, that's how I see what is sang. In any case, I loved it just as much as the first verse for pretty much the same reasons. Isn't Satanism as a whole about disobedience to God? As I saw it back then, it was disobedience to the faith of my parents, and although I've not yet come to proper, logically-defined atheism, the seed was already planted by these songs. I wouldn't call myself a Satanist, and I would never sacrifice anyone in the name of the Devil or anything of that sort, but... I enjoy the aethetic? Probably because it reminds me of my own rebellion, and this is the part about Satanism I can accept. I heard about different versions of Satanism, and, apparently, at least one of them was simply made to provide atheists a way to get the benefits of religion while simultaneously pissing off Christians.

Sathanas. We are one, out of three. Trinity... This line simply sounds evil in a good way. Like, in a way someone can like Emperor Palpatine or Sauron. I semi-growled that line, and it sounded just perfect.

And next came the solo, and I couldn't resist the temptation to bang my head to the beat. This time, I played the solo, so I wholly enjoyed banging my head to it. I don't know what it is about the solo, but it sounds evil, proper evil, and this is what I like. The tone of the guitar I set probably helped a lot with that, but I don't know.

Soon, the song began to fade away, and so did our guitars as we slowly turned the volume knobs until strumming the strings produced no sound. Usually, guitars don't do that, but ours had some magical stuff built in that simply silenced the strings completely. It's weird, they produced absolutely no sound as if they weren't and couldn't vibrate. I watched as the strings vibrated, their amplitude and decreasing until it all came to a stop.

"I think that went well," Iridia said, "Fingers still remember... Or, well, not fingers, but muscle memory. Or magical memory... Whatever, I'm just glad we still know what we're doing."

"Yep," I nodded, "So, wanna continue? We have plenty of time and seven songs to cover. If it goes just as well, we'll be going back home pretty soon."

"I'm not against that," Iridia turned the volume knob up again, "Next time, we should bring Moonshine. Do you think she's good enough with the keyboard?"

"Maybe not, but hey, we have time to teach her," I shrugged, "Plus I think it will be fun even if she makes mistakes. You know, you never learn if you don't make at least one mistake. Remember when we tried to play our first songs on the guitar?"

"That sounded horrible," she let out a short laugh, "Yeah, you have a point. Alright, let's continue."

And so we did, even going through the songs again after we were finished with the ninth and the last song of Opus Eponymous, the first album of Ghost. So far, they had... four albums, as far as I'm aware. Maybe more, considering that I was away from quite some time, so maybe Meliora isn't their last 'storyline' album anymore. Shame I can't buy their latest album if it's out, I'd definitely like to hear.

In any case, I'm happy to see Iridia being so energetic and lively. Maybe I'll be able to give her a good life without making her feel like she can do nothing without me. It's hard for me to understand her situation, but then it's not me who was forcebly separated from myself. For me, nothing really changed, but for her... a lot of things surely did. And now, through music, she begins to heal somewhat. I just hope I will be able to give her a life because, well... in a certain way, she's as much my child as she is a part of me. Discord created her, true, but... I don't really know what to say. I feel a strong connection, one that probably only parents can feel to their own children.

That sounded pretty cheesy, but that's how it is. I feel an invisible obligation to make sure I don't forget her and move on like nothing happened. For her, a lot happened, and it's my duty to make things right. And the least I can do is play music with her.