It was quite a busy day in Ponyville. Then again, what day hadn't been since the humans had arrived?

Today though was busy for much better reasons. It was going to be a great day to celebrate coming together, building new bonds, strengthening international relationships, and celebrating the new loving ones that had developed over the passing weeks.

Over at the human embassy, however, after finishing a long romp with two amazing musicians, Benny finally ventured downstairs to assess how his live-in observer was fairing.

Judging by the fact that Trixie was rewatching The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, he imagined she was doing just fine.

"No hangover, I take it?"

Raising her head just enough to match eyes with Benny, Trixie seemed unenthused about her morning now turned noon.

"No hangover. A little tired and dehydrated, but nothing like yesterday. So, how long are your two special someponies going to be sleeping off your morning rutting?"

Was that sarcasm, a joke, or was Trixie more hungover than she said she was?

Maybe it was both?

"Uh… who said-"

"You three weren't very quiet about it," Trixie quickly answered, removing any possibilities of plausible deniability. "Trixie doesn't care that you three are into that. Trixie was confused about waking up in her wagon again and almost walked in thinking you were in danger but overheard Vinyl saying she was going to suck it instead… So it was decided that the Great and Powerful Trixie would busy herself with finishing her movies instead."

"Oh," Benny sighed, realizing he didn't have any reason to pitch a bitch about her reaction. He should consider investing in some form of soundproofing for the house.

"Sorry about all that. Last night's threat was actually uneventful at The Castle of the Two Sisters. There wasn’t any threat there, but thanks for staying back to watch the place for me."

Unabashedly, Trixie raised up the same bottle as last night, bit into an orange, and chased it with a sip of vodka.

"Uh… Trixie… I think we need to have a talk about how much you're drinking."

Puzzled, Trixie swallowed hard and turned her sad eyes to Benny.

"Trixie feels much better when the bad dreams don't trouble her, and Trixie doesn't have bad dreams after she is drunk.”

Okay, and this officially went from a minor problem to seriously concerning. Now seemed like just as good a time as ever to cross this bridge, even if Benny was alone for it.

"Your vision that said me and my friends were the key?"

Now Trixie was on the spot and couldn’t use alcohol as a quick escape route. Having been told not to say anything, the only way Benny could have known was if Twilight or one of the others told him.

And since he wasn't lashing out at her, that meant he likely didn't know about her direct involvement. Yet, surprisingly, she wasn't freaking out like she would have.

She'd still have to play this cool.

"Trixie hoped they were all just bad dreams, but you killed The Pony of Shadows… Trixie feels safe here… Trixie can stay?"

It still might have been Benny’s nostalgic side kicking in, but he still held a soft spot for this magician. He'd take it easy on her since she was hurt from their arrival as well, making her just as much of a victim as him.

"How about you tell me about this dream vision and you can stay without any issues? On one condition beyond that."

So far this didn't seem too much like a bad deal to Trixie.

"I'll level with you, Benny. I don’t take vacations, and this is the closest thing I've had to one. So long as you're not going to ask anything crazy of me, like getting involved in that sex stuff, I just want to rest and kick back until I know this has all blown over."

A bit extreme, but all things considered, understandable. Plus it was nice to finally find a mare looking for a purely platonic relationship.

"No sex stuff, I promise. I was just going to ask that you cut back on the drinking. I've been there. It doesn't really help. Not the day drinking at least."

His concern prompted Trixie to eye the bottle cautiously. Perhaps she could wait for the night to drink again.

"Tell ya what. You let me get drunk all I want at night, I’ll keep watching your place so you and those two upstairs have somewhere to keep doing what you’re doing."

Now there was a gamble, knowing Trixie's track record as a spellcaster and the obvious hazard of letting such an individual get perpetually plastered. Still... why not?

“Deal, but after I get back, I want to offer you some help so you don't have to drink so much."

A deal is a deal, and Trixie was making out like a bandit on this one. So, rather than simply accept the deal, Trixie capped her bottle and sat upright.

"Well, it started off with Trixie performing for a packed audience."

A unicorn waitress was pouring hot water into Becky’s cup.

"Thank you for letting me bring my own tea."

The waitress just smiled sweetly like it was nothing.

"It's fine. Anything for a friend of Peter and the prince."

Becky couldn't help but laugh at what had to have been Sniff making his rounds, but it quickly turned to a coughing fit.

Shining, of course, didn’t want this drawing any more attention than needed and dismissed the helpful mare.

"That'll be all for now. Just bring the food when it's ready, thank you."

With that, the waitress bowed and left Becky to treat herself to some soothing tea.

"Oh, thank god," she said with a slightly grating voice. "You don't know how badly I need this stuff in my life."

What should have been a friendly conversation starter, for some reason, left Shining smiling nervously and not very talkative.

Naturally, his silence left Becky curious.

"You alright there, Tin Foil?"

As happy as Shining was, he was walking a rather thin line, and this wasn't the proper setting for what he really wanted.

"Sorry. I guess I'm just thinking about what you said about ponies getting the wrong idea."

This again? Well, at least Becky could take comfort in how smart he was finally acting.

"Don't sweat it. We're having tea with some PB and J's. I couldn't wait to get back to the castle for this… It's my fault for not asking to have Zecora brew me a cup back at her place."

That seemed to calm Shining down. She was keeping this friendly and formal. Just what he needed.

"Probably… But those two were so deep into their science magic, it's better that we didn't distract them."

Getting him back into a more chill vibe made the mood easier to work with, and Becky finally decided to toy with an idea that Rainbow had annoyingly pushed on her.

"Hey, I know we already talked about not giving off the wrong impression, and I trust you enough for an honest opinion. Do you think I'm attractive?"

Immediately Shining started sweating bullets like he was on trial for a crime he didn't commit.

"What? I never-"

Exactly the reaction she’d expected.

"Stop," Becky playfully laughed, causing her another short cough before she waved him off while taking a long sip of her tea.

With her throat and lungs back in the clear, she re-engaged the question.

"I'm not putting you on the spot. It's just…" She took a moment to collect herself. "Look, between you and me, Rainbow had been nagging me to open up and find a pony to hook up with. And I'm not looking for anything serious, mind you. But, I never wanted to get involved with my lifeline getting cut shorter every day. Now though… maybe if I'm stuck here… maybe one day I'll be open to it."

This was too good to be true, but Shining had to carefully capitalize on it.

"Becky, of course, you're attractive. Any stallion would be lucky just to have you look their way."

That was sweet to say, and Becky couldn't help but feel flattered by it.

"Well aren't you just the sweet talker? But I still don't really know how I would feel about being with a pony. I know that makes me sound terrible…"

Shining listened to her trail off, but now he was curious about what was holding her back.

"I don't think you're terrible, but what would make you not be interested in a stallion?"

Of course, he would be so direct. Becky didn't want to be so honest as it would likely offend, so she'd be a little misleading about it.

"I'm barely experienced with guys back on Earth. I… I dunno. Maybe part of it is just me realizing that all my guy friends are taken and I don't have a lot of options… I just thought it might be nice to have some company and… I dunno. Sleeping alone gets boring."

Of all the times to have the perfect opening but no stable ground to stand on. This was a terrible spot for Shining to be stuck in, and now he needed an out.

"Maybe you should talk to Cadance?” He cautiously asked. “Princess of Love, you know. I think she had a hoof in Cerb finding his two."

Thinking back, Cadance had been surprisingly interested in Cerb from the start, even encouraging him with Fluttershy and Rarity. Becky could see this as a good starting point.

"Maybe… I guess? It's just a thought anyway… I'll think about it. But please don't tell anyone. I don't want our friends trying to push me into anything."

As she took another sip from her cup, Shining could see where she really stood and ran her position through his mind.

“She really needs a friend more than anything. Not that I wouldn’t offer my bed to share, or join her where she sleeps, but… I don’t know anymore. She really needs to talk to Cadance, but I’ll let her know how Becky really feels.”

It was settled. Shining might have a chance for something, but wasn’t going to push.

“I might bring this up to Cadance, if you don’t mind? But otherwise, your secret is safe with me. We’re not going to push you into anything. Just let me know if you have any stallion in mind and I’m sure we can help with whatever you need.”

Narrowingly avoiding another bout of exhaustion, Twilight lay pinned under her gracious lover, mashing tongues as he firmly held his erection against her well-satiated snatch. Her heavy moans screamed of her praises, confirmed by her limbs wrapped around him until she knew she could handle no more without consequences.

Urgently, she turned her lips away to gasp for air.

“Oh, Peter… you shouldn’t have eaten me… out for so long… You’re not… even close to… cumming.”

Wanting to keep her high going, Sniff reached down and forced the head of his cock between her folds, coarsely running it down her length.

Unexpectedly, a trail of his pre-seminal fluid had leaked out with some remaining cream he hadn’t released during his previous encounter. Her reaction pleased him in a nearly evil way. Her legs went slack to her sides, offering herself up to be taken, shaking and panting desperately for him to do as he pleased.

Instead of plunging deep like he wished he could, he kissed her neck down to her collar bone, letting her dwell on such thoughts.

“Now, now. I believe my princess protests too much. You give me far too much freedom with all our lovely ladies. Lyra and Swifty helped me more than enough to be taken care of before I wore them out. But I’m sure you would have loved to watch me hump between their wet pussys from behind, wouldn’t you?”

Twilight gasped, feeling his cock slide up her length again. The imagery in her head of them essentially stealing her technique with Ovens to make him cum, but where he was doing the work excited her in horrifically wonderful new ways.

“Awwwwe… Is that how…. how you… how you came with… with them?”

Sniff released his hold on himself and laid softly over his alicorn goddess; his perverse princess of debauchery.

“And they loved it. Just you like and Ovens did last night. Like you and I will enjoy it again tonight… Just the two of us. Isn’t that right?”

Struggling to hold it together, Twilight brought her forehooves under Sniff’s shoulders to push him up far enough to kiss him again. He was teasing her something awful, and even if she loved what he was doing and offering, she wanted him to be thoroughly taken care of.

She tried to keep her thoughts in line, and when they came through, she parted lips to speak longingly.

“Lyra will be heading home after the delegation, so it will be just you, me, and Swift Sails. If you want, she can join us if you-”

Sniff silenced her proposal with another kiss but refrained from grinding himself again. He’d given her more than she needed and wanted her to be of clear mind for the rest of the day.

“You’re spoiling me with all this sharing, Twigs. You won’t be getting the most out of me unless you act a little selfish every once in a while.”

Staring up into his eyes, she could tell how well she was going to last based on how badly she wanted more of him and how drained she felt.

“We’ve done so much today, I don’t think I can handle you alone tonight… but tomorrow I’ll spoil you with just the two of us…"

She stared longingly into his eyes as she reached up to hold his face in line with hers. Her near exhaustion still leaving her a bit short of breath.

"Fine restaurants, extravagant spas, the theater, whatever you want to do... Then, I’ll take you back to my old place with a bed big enough for just the two of us... and you can wear me down.”

Very sneakily, she wormed her right forehoof behind Sniff’s head and pulled him closer so she could whisper in his ear.

“Then I want you to cum wherever you want, as many times as you want. I’ll be all yours, all night.”

His breaking point was so close. It was almost too… No, it was too tempting, and he couldn’t give any promises.

“We’ll see how I want to finish our night together. But bring your short skirt, just in case.”

Twilight gave a low delighted chuckle as she gave up on her pursuit for further sexual gratification and just enjoyed having him close.

"Whatever makes you happy."

Sniff held her just as close, basking in her warmth and affection. Her praise was brimming with her appreciation, but not mindlessly so. It was all genuine, and I loved it as much as her body.

"Keeping you happy makes me happy. All of you, as much as I can for as long as I can."

Another bushel of apples came falling from their branches, shaken free from Big Mac’s kick, kicking off another chunk of bark and gouging the tree.

Laying in the bed of Lumberman's truck, Applejack was ready with another lecture.

"Goddamnit, Mac. How many trees you gonna fuck up today?"

Frustrated, and tired of being accused, Big Mac was practically at his wits end. And unlike usual, he had no shortage of words to share.

"Would you just leave me alone already? I'm not even kicking that hard. There must be something wrong with the trees, sis."

Lumberman, not very much of an apple expert or dendrology, just picked up another barrel of the day's harvest.

"Will the tree be okay, or is this a death sentence for the damn thing?"

With a roll of her eyes, Applejack tried to hold back the urge to repeat the same explanation that had been passed from generations of Apples. There was so much those not in this business just didn’t know about the finer intricacies of apple farming.

"A few scuffs won't kill a tree, but we grow the best apples in all of Equestria because we know how to take care of our trees and nurture them. It might be only a few scuffs, but that’s gonna take away just enough, if not patched up, to keep that tree from having the best apples. It would be like somepony scratching up the engine of yer truck. It'll probably run just fine, but that little bit still takes away from it… right?"

As Lumberman loaded up the apples, he gave that analogy some thought. It certainly made sense given the comparison.

"I get it, but I think it's more like if the body of the truck got scratched up or something got inside the engine. Scratching the paint would take away from how damn good it looks and probably the value. A scratch, on the engine, on the other hand, wouldn't change anything, but something getting inside would eventually ruin it completely."

It was a big to-do with little fallout, and Big Mac wasn't going to keep any further attention on it.

"Maybe I'm just a bit on edge on account uh' Kelly spending the night in Canterlot without me. I know she'll be safe with Luna watching over her. But until Applejack is back on her hooves, somepony has got to send the orders out. And tomorrow is gonna be a busy day."

All things considered, Applejack couldn't hold Big Mac’s aggressive performance against him. Certainly not when walking on her own was the max of her physical capabilities.

"Sorry bout' all this, Big Mac. With any luck it'll be just a few more days and I'll be back bucking trees and lightening the load for ya. Give ya more time with Kelly… Things going good with her at least? I mean, I imagine you must uh' kept her up all night if she's still sleeping in."

The big red horse froze in mid lift of the last batch of apples. He didn't want to lie to his sister, heck he was almost as terrible at it as she was. And it wasn’t like he didn't trust Lumberman either. There was just one royal secret he knew had to be kept quiet.

With little time to think, he dropped the last bushel next to Applejack and sighed in relief that this part was done.

"Kelly has been nothing short of amazing in every way possible… but that girl loves her sleep."

Knowing Kelly better than either of these two ponies Lumberman was with, he had to agree.

"Kelly loves the nightlife, and always hated waking up early. Hell, even our first day here she was the last one to wake up. You're gonna have a lot of fun breaking her out of that bad habit."

What were the odds that things just happened to work out that way? Not that Lumberman was aware of everything, but Big Mac could see a correlation between Kelly and Applejack.

"Well, shucks. Might as well let the poor girl get the sleep she can. She still has a lot of healing left to do. Much like somepony else I know."

Unfortunately, Applejack couldn't be all that intimidating laying on her side, but that didn't stop her from talking tough.

"Awe, don't you go lecturing me about none uh' that. Woody is taken care uh' me morning, noon, and night, and already twice today."

Hearing Applejack take one liberty too many with their love life, Lumberman reached out from behind, jokingly tipped her hat over her eyes.

"Calm yer tits there, little lady. Ain't just anybody gotta hear about our business. Now come on, let's let Mac hop in the bed and put you back up in the passenger seat."

Applejack had to admit she was really enjoying the many perks that came with Lumberman. All of them making her quite the merry mare on the slow ride back up to the barn.

"Gotta say there, Woody. I really do love this truck uh' yers. One hell of a bonus on top of having ya all tuh myself… Speaking uh' which, having ya all tuh myself hasn't given me anypony else to work things out with ya. And I'm sure you'd like for it to be only us knowing what we do together, but Twilight wants us girls to get together before you and I leave tonight. Talk things out about how… uh… I guess how tuh' safely go about doing more?"

Lumberman turned a quick glance to his passenger, showing enough interest to encourage Applejack to offer a little more.

"They also want to discuss what we need to do tuh make sure none of us run into one of them Tealove situations, or potentially worse. So... I guess it'll be kinda like how Chris and Sniff both let you and the others know what was going on and how tuh be careful with me."

They were nearing the barn by this point, so Lumberman didn't have much time to think about it before another set of ears or two would be on them. In the pinch, he rationed if others knew better, perhaps he should follow suit.

"Yeah. You and the girls can discuss whatever. Me and the guys should probably do the same, but… anything you don't want me to tell them?"

Almost as if she had practiced for this question, her answer was direct but not overly stern.

"Just all them noises you got me making when yer all up in me… and I don't plan on saying all too much outside how gosh darn good you are at everything and that… ya know… yer dick is huge."

Childishly, Lumberman snorted and covered his mouth to stop from laughing. He almost didn't stop his truck in time and nearly overshot the barn entrance.

"If you tell'em anything. Make sure you tell'em that."

Preparations were all getting in order for the delegation, as well as Bon Bon giving her first face to face report to Celestia under her new position.

Needless to say, she was not having an easy go of it.

"Princess, with all due respect, I believe I should have the authority to discipline Agent Golden Mentha. She's started a romantic relationship with an alien stallion, who's already special some-"

Abruptly, Celestia spoke up as she looked over the report provided.

"He's not technically special someponies with Oven Fresh or the other mares you mentioned."

"Not the point," Bon Bon protested. "Lyra isn't ready to be this deeply imbedded with a hostile force."

As expected, such a claim warranted a rather flat response.

"A practice date with the human Sniff seems about as hostile as a conversation with Prince Blueblood. And probably just as pleasant. Such a rude individual. I'm not even sure what Lyra sees in him."

"He's a sweet talker, that's all," Bon Bon groaned, mentally gagging as she recalled their romantic banter. "I don’t think there's a mare in town he hasn't flirted with. Which is all the more reason I don't trust him. None of them."

This whole meeting with Bon Bon had been awfully hostile towards the humans, making Celestia think that perhaps Bon Bon was overstepping the parameters of her mission.

"Agent Sweety Drops, have you observed any indications of hostile intent or mistreatment of my ponies by any of these humans?"

Despite not having as much time with as many of them as Lyra had, Bon Bon didn't come empty hoofed.

"The night of their welcome party, target Becky used an unknown technique to render Filthy Rich unconscious after he paid for a dance with her. That has caused some marital strife between him and Spoiled Rich."

Celestia nodded, but after reading Lyra's report, she had little sympathy for that stallion and even less for his wife.

"Was he injured?" She asked as if she already knew.

"N… No," Bon Bon slowly admitted but quickly rebounded. "But the following day, they fought-"

"I am aware of the sparring matches with Onyx Armor and Helix Ray," Celestia immediately interjected. "Both of whom have recovered quite readily. That matter was dealt with and I fault my sister for what happened there, as well as everything else in the Everfree Forest and the Castle of the Two Sisters."

With each word spoken, it was becoming clear that while she hadn’t come unprepared, this agent was running low on ammo.

"I'm still finishing the report involving Hard Hat losing his business. There are conflicting reports of what actually transpired at the Apple residence and who instigated the confrontation. I was unable to question Hard Hat since he left town shortly after he was approached by Lumberman and Applejack at the hardware store in town."

Now there was something still worth looking into for the princess.

"Hard Hat has always been quite a stubborn individual, but for him to so easily lose his business is grounds for suspicion. Him leaving town only makes it appear as if he'd been threatened. Do look into that, but what else have you witnessed?"

Well, that was going to be more work, but Bon Bon was used to these kinds of follow-ups.

"You're aware of the fights at their Post War-Party Party?"

Celestia nodded but didn't seem all that interested.

"I am, though only the fight with Spitfire and Thunder Glide has me bothered. I suggest you read Agent Golden Mentha's report now that I have cleared it for you. Otherwise, I will deal with the other two directly if needed."

That was really all Bon Bon had. She hadn't been able to get close to the other humans, and barely spoke to Benny at the Castle of the Two Sisters. Everything she saw there already went into an earlier report with nothing to directly indicate any ill intentions. All she had left was her own personal concerns.

"Princess… when the humans are gone… Will I be able to go back to the life I had with Agent Golden Mentha?"

Celestia relaxed her stature upon the throne. She knew the threats she made against them were vile, but desperate times require desperate measures. That being said, both agents were in good working order, so she could show some compassion.

“Bon Bon, the fact is you violated protocol that left you open to discipline and Lyra liable for her memory to be wiped. Had I not still held the same faith in you before the Bug Bear incident that had you lose your position in the first place, I would have done both long ago. So, continue to observe and report, act only as needed, and when all is settled, everything will go back to as it was before this nightmare began.”

Bon Bon grinned deviously and Celestia started to see where this was going for her secret agent. That was something she would have to nip in the bud.

"Agent Sweetie Drops, you are familiar with the Ursa Majors, aren’t you?"

That question seemed to come out of nowhere, but of course, she did and answered as such.

"Yes? You should know that I do."

Switching to her lecture mode, Celestia spoke calmly, but her voice clearly demanded an honest answer.

“Would an Ursa Major simply wander off in search of a fight, or do they typically stick close to the territory they live in?”

Confused as to why she was being asked such a rudimentary question, she promptly answered.

“Ursa’s stick close to their dwellings. They typically won’t become aggressive unless their young, or territory, are threatened.”

Obviously, that was the right answer, just as Celestia expected her agent to respond with.

“That is correct. Now, if I am to properly stress this point to you, these humans, I first feared them to be agents of Sunset Shimmer. Thankfully, they are not. You seem to be looking at them as another Tirek or King Sombra. Hungry for power and without a care for the well being of ponies or other creatures. From here on out, think of the targets Cerberus and Benny, and especially Lumberman as Ursa Majors and Minors.”

For the type of devastation and resilience they’ve demonstrated, Bon Bon could easily see that being the case, but Celestia had more to explain. Something she knew Bon Bon needed to know so as not to approach them incorrectly.

“Twilight and the others have seen fit to welcome them to the point they clearly feel as if they are at home with us. While on one hoof that could be viewed as a good thing, that would still make them Ursas viewing Ponyville and perhaps the rest of Equestria as their new territory, and each other, as well as their ponies as their Minors. However, can you see the problem if they feel the need to protect any of them against somepony they see as a threat?”

Analogies could do wonders to help any pony understand complex topics better, and this seemed to set Bon Bon straight.

“So, you think the real danger they present would be from becoming overprotective and we could end up becoming viewed as a threat because of it?”

Happy to hear her message clearly received, Celestia nodded like a proud teacher.

“Precisely…however, that doesn’t mean that there are other problems that could exist from their involvement. I’m sure you’re well-read up on the procedures and prospective plans for F.R.O.W.N. Do you not see how their involvement could derail those plans?”

A cold shiver ran up Bon Bon’s back. If plans that sophisticated were put at risk over the human’s involvement, then this was very serious.

“Of course, Princess…There’s always a plan.”

Celestia now knew for sure that Bon Bon understood the severity of a threat these humans presented, and she narrowed her gaze down at her agent.

“There is… always... a plan... agent. Much like your plan in that little nest egg you’ve been establishing with Lyra.”

Bon Bon gulped, fearing she had been outed as some deviant.

“You mean Agent Sw-”

“No, Bon Bon,” Celestia coldly answered. “I mean you and Lyra. I will tell you quite frankly that there is nothing stopping you from hiding away from the world with the mare you’ve come to trust your secrets with. In fact, it’s rather fitting for you. Neither of you held any aspirations outside of that little home she welcomed you into. And since your plan did not interfere with the Agency’s, I made sure they did not interfere with yours."

With the air a bit more clear for them to share, Celestia’s tone was no longer as cold, though it was more serious.

"Twilight’s future is vital to the future of a safe and vibrant future for Equestria. An Equestria I could not guide or dictate into one we all would wish for. So long as the humans remain, my plan gives no guarantee for yours or any other ponies. As a matter of fact, intuition tells me that your plan fits so well into mine that I would say both are tied to each other. Do you understand?”

Now completely understanding, Bon Bon nodded despite a slight look of hesitation.

“Yes, Princess… For the future of Equestria, we must remove the humans.”

Outside the chamber doors to the throne room, a commotion started from the guards.

“Wait, please let us announce you first-”

A voice that should have been cheerful and loving, not to mention still be in Ponyville, demanded no such pleasantries.

“She knows who I am! Step aside!”

Celestia knew this could only be trouble, and sought to limit further explanations.

“Agent, exit out the back. Whatever she wants, I’ll handle it. You know what to do.”

With all of the Stranded Seven assembled, only Becky was oblivious to the source of the pleasant sweet aroma that filled the room. Yet, somehow, so distracted by it, she didn’t even bother to follow up why they were meeting in Cerb’s room or why he couldn’t get out of bed for this.

“If it’s not a candle or incense, what the fuck is it? My room doesn’t smell like this.”

It was so hard for the others not to giggle like school children at the fact they all knew what it was. Cerb’s activities were by no stretch of the imagination a secret to anyone but poor clueless Becky, but it was a bit much for Lumberman.

“Dude… seriously. Crack a fucking window once and a while. Jesus.”

Having no room to judge, Chris couldn’t keep it to himself.

“Naw, this ain’t that bad. Believe me. I might need to keep my clothes in a separate room from now on.”

In much of the same position, Sniff could easily understand what Chris was going through.

“No shit, man. I spend most of my time in Twilight’s bed, but after today, even my room isn’t safe.”

Benny couldn’t help but laugh at this point.

“God damn. I’m pretty sure it’s in my carpet at this point. I’m just glad it washes off easily.”

By now, Cerb was turning red and slowly started to crack from the humor of it all, though also a bit of frustration.

“Goddamnit, guys. Stop. I get it. But… I'm guessing at this point since it's only Becky who can't smell what The Rock is cooking, shit is getting crazy for all of us and there's probably a lot more we can catch each other up on."

Cerb’s dated reference didn't seem to fit the context of the meeting at first, but Becky was quickly starting to figure it out.

"Oh, shit. This isn't something gross, is it?"

Having enjoyed himself enough, Cerb wanted to break it easy to Becky, no matter how funny he found his predicament to be.

"What you're smelling is the love in the air from last night."

Pastel-colored ponies, rainbows, cupcakes, and the picture-perfect pony three-ways or orgies for any guy who wanted them… Why wouldn't pony pussy smell like an angel food cake queefed Gucci perfume?

"Ohhhhh, you gotta be fffffucking kidding me."

Even if the setup was horrifically inappropriate, the hilarity trumped all and Cerb couldn't pull a straight face if the Pope had entered the room.

"I'm sorry. I'm stuck in bed until they cart me around in Canterlot. It wasn’t my choice, and with all the delegates still around, this is the only room I have access to that we can have any privacy."

And with that, Becky was all checked out.

"Okay, sorry, but I'm not gonna stay in a room where all I can smell is pony chooch. You all can talk about whatever and clue me in later. There is certainly something going on, pun… almost intend, but this is a no for me sticking around."

Having similar thoughts on the setting, Lumberman shifted to the meaning behind Becky's joke.

"Hey, Becky, I agree the aromatherapy session isn't the best choice for a sit-down, but if you’re gonna dip out, you mind sharing with the class what's got you worried?"

If that's what it was going to take to get out of this room, Becky could spare another minute or two, though it displeased her to stay.

"It's everything about sex. I thought Dash was just clueless because… Well, she's not the most well-read individual. But then she tells me none of your girls knew what it was either. Not even the medical staff have a literal fucking clue about intercourse, and now here you all are. Some of you have been smashing pony puss for days and making it a regular thing like this is a common practice for them. You don't think that's a little fucking odd?"

The group all gave each other some collective stares, but Sniff quickly put some thoughts together to share.

"On the surface, yeah, but this is a totally different culture we entered. They've put so much emphasis on friendship that sex wasn't even on their radar. And besides, it's some type of magic right of passage for them for when they want to start a family or end up having strong emotions to have a relationship.”

While that should have been a logical explanation for this magical world of ponies, Becky’s response was something to be universally expected, if not agreed upon.

“Wut!”

Knowing it sounded like nonsense, Sniff got a little over-dramatic with his responses.

"Okay, yeah. It sounds a little fucking stupid… Okay, ALOT stupid, but is it really that hard to believe? My first girlfriend here breathes fire for God's sake. They’ve never even seen blood until we showed up. Maybe that's why we're here."

Saying it out loud both seemed like their purpose was both validated yet too ludicrous to accept if that were the case. Even still, he said it and wasn't ready to give up what he had.

"I mean… maybe their world only worked a certain way and we were brought here so they don't all fucking die trying to figure out how reality works… You saw what happened to Applejack. They didn’t properly understand the concept of death or what it takes to make a life, let alone how to save it.”

If that was the case, Cerb had his own insight to back up that claim.

“Kelly getting stabbed was the first time they had to deal with anyone getting close to killing another being. A thousand years and no murders? If it’s not bullshit and The Pony of Shadows brought us here so he could kill them, then that already goes outside the purview of what they could likely handle. As for the sex, Fluttershy sounds like she was the first one to start figuring it out, but she made it sound like sex is a normal thing that happens here, but she might have repressed the memory of it.”

With the life-saving efforts pretty well covered, Benny picked up the conversation with his own experience.

“Octavia told me that even in a world where there’s more mares than stallions, finding love is pretty much a joke. That girls like her and Vinyl go single for so long they end up shaking up together, but it’s like some taboo topic that none of them admit that it happens. They’re emotionally and socially repressed, so it’s no wonder they’re so horned up. It’s like uh… shit... Chris, what’s the name of that anime where dirty jokes don’t exist?”

Again, cartoon logic defaulted to the group relying on Chris to work his nerd knowledge into this reality.

“Shimoneta: A Boring World Where the Concept of Dirty Jokes Doesn't Exist. But we’re not in a… Oooooh… Yeah, that makes sense…. Fuck…”

Now there was an anime Sniff distinctly remembered...then again it was pretty hard to forget.

“Yeah… This is a lot like that, isn’t it? They’ve all been raised in a world where they’ve been so heavily sheltered from sex and violence that isn’t slapstick, it’s only natural for them to embrace this.”

For all the things they could have gravitated towards, it was a pervy anime? Becky wanted so badly for this not to be what they were going to go off of. She had to make sure, even if it wouldn’t make anything better.

“Isn’t that the one where the chick wore her own panties over her face? That… goddamnit. Doesn’t that mean you’re all taking advantage of them then?”

Sadly, Chris felt that way at one point and held quiet, but Lumberman, of all people, spoke up to shut that down.

“No… We might have jumped in the sack a bit faster than most other people would, but they knew what sex was before any of us started hooking up.”

Cerb had been doing his best to keep what he was feeling in check, but hearing Becky talk down what they had started was getting under his skin.

“Becky, they knew what they wanted and were scared shitless of asking for it. But thanks to you, they figured out in greater detail what sex was and that us and them getting together wasn’t going to be a thing because they aren’t human. Thankfully, they wanted it enough that they took their time to make sure we weren’t so closed-minded.”

The tensions were rising and Becky knew she was in a losing fight if she stood her ground. Thankfully, she thought quickly enough to find a way out of looking like the bad guy.

“Justin… just tell me one thing… Fluttershy or Rarity… Who did you sleep with first?”

Cerb’s irritation started to grow. Even if they were there to talk about sex, the way she asked after saying everything else before that just seemed like a slap in the face.

“Both, if you really wanna know, but Fluttershy made the first move on me.”

It was still looking fifty-fifty on what really happened, and as much as it pained her, Becky had to find out for sure.

“So you had sex with Fluttershy first?” She asked innocently.

The sudden change in Becky’s tone completely threw Cerb off, making him a little uneasy about answering.

“Uh… Yeah… I didn’t think she’d be so aggressive to-”

“Fuck!” Becky shouted, with no one understanding where her anger was coming from, but her anger quickly turned to remorse. “Chris… Sniff… which one of you two got laid first?”

No one knew what was happening, but Chris took a gamble with answering first.

“Um… I know me and Sniff were neck and neck for getting close, but unless he went all the way before the night Cerb and them got back from the Everfree Forest, I’m guessing it was me.”

Not surprised, but a little disappointed in himself, Sniff shrugged and gestured with his hands towards Chris, letting Becky know that Chris in fact did beat him to the punch.

“Gawd fucking damnit, Dash,” Becky greaved aloud, completely changing the feel of the room.

Now looking defeated, Becky reached into her pocket and pulled out a small sack of coins and tossed it at Cerb’s side. What was about to happen was going to make her look like a terrible person, but she had no choice.

“A bets a bet.”

The flickering light of the one lone candle gave the room a comforting glow for everyone to softly drift away to sleep in. A pleasant day of recovery, getting more comfortable around the ponies, a prank turned to a date, and one bad encounter with Starlight, ended the night with everyone poking fun at each other. The last target of jokes was Cerb’s romantic future.

All was quiet, but Kelly felt compelled to put one last thing out to the group.

"I got twenty bits on Fluttershy.”

What should have been the last comment simply wasn’t that, and even Becky decided to have a little fun at Cerb’s expense again.

“Twenty on Rarity. She’s already landed her first date.”

Benny snorted and figured he’d keep the joke going.

“Twenty on Pinkie. She’s already halfway there without the date.”

Taking things in a different direction, Sniff made his bet come out of left field.

“Twenty on one of the capital Royals. Royalty dig the knight in shining armor types.”

While funny, Lumberman wasn’t going to let Sniff pass off that pony so easily.

“Eat shit, Sniff. We all know you got your eyes on that big white ass of Celestia’s. If anything Rainbow Dash will pick a fight with Cerb sooner or later and they’ll hate fuck each other. That’s my bet.”

That was enough, and Cerb wasn’t going to let the jokes get the best of him.

“Y’all are a bunch of dicks. Go to bed.”

For some reason, having missed out on that conversation that night, Chris was offended.

“What the fuck? You made bets on who would get laid first?”

Quick to defend herself, Becky put her hands up, trying to look innocent.

“You were upstairs when that happened. It was all just… Well, the bets on Cerb was between us. The bet between you and Dash made with me the morning before the Post-War-Party… And both times I didn’t think there would be a winner… or... Really, I was in denial for the second bet.”

No use trying to save face with this event anymore. Becky thought it was best to take her leave.

"Look, I'm sorry I'm still like this. I don't want to be the bitch of the group, but I just don’t get and… it just doesn't add up that they have no knowledge on sex… But they need to know and I'm willing to help. I just don't want to hear all the extra details."

Having said her piece, she started for the door.

"Just leave me alone for a bit. I'm gonna go have a drink and clear my head. We can talk about the rest later."

They were sorry to see her struggling still, but they weren't going to make her stay. And as soon as she left, Chris asked the most poignant question they all missed.

"What was her bet with Rainbow Dash?"

With all the mares gathered, plus a few extras, Twilight brought their first meeting to session.

"Ladies, I'm glad I have you all here today, and I hope you don’t mind, but we’ll be joined by Princess Luna who will be overseeing our progression with our human relations. Also joining us will be Princess Ember, who has taken a mutual interest in understanding mutual sexual relationships, as well as the joint efforts to ensure the safety of the humans that wish to protect.”

The gathering of mares finished exchanging their pleasantries as they got settled in, letting Ember have a short exchange of whispers between Twilight and Luna.

“Why aren’t there any yaks or griffons here? Aren’t they involved in any of this?”

Discreetly, Twilight whispered back to Ember, just loud enough for Luna to listen in.

“I wanted it to be just us girls to discuss these things, so the yaks left early with Pinkie to see more of Canterlot. Yona is too young for any of this, and Gilda was… is still hungover and sleeping.”

True in every right, that did leave out one important royal pony who wasn’t in attendance, making Luna lean in to whisper another question.

“Did you not invite Cadance? I would have imagined she’d have clawed her way to get in overall this loving going on.”

There was a lot to discuss about that, but with the audience getting settled in, Twilight didn’t have the time.

“Cadance left for Canterlot before I could talk to her. Shining said she was going to talk to Celestia, but she didn’t even tell him about what, but we can find out later."

In with the crowd, Top Shelf was getting properly greeted with Thunder.

"So… are you with Justin now?"

Thunder sat upright and proper, but wasn't pleased to admit, though still spoke proudly of her position.

"I am tasked with watching over Justin and training with him from her on out. My relationship with him is professional, but given the nature of the relations developing between our wards and the rest of you, it was decided we be just as informed as the rest of you on the matters of sex between humans and ponies."

For Cutter, there was a bit more to it than that, but she wanted to keep the conversation focused on what the rest of the mares were there for.

“For now it will only be the female guards involved with these matters. The few stallions in our ranks will be brought in as needed. Same for the Wonderbolts. Twilight granted this arrangement since the issues primarily revolved around mares and human stallions, the one instance of Kelly with Big Macintosh would be monitored by Princess Luna and assessed on how to integrate any other males if needed.”

Swifty, now particularly chipper since waking up, was happy to toss her opinion into the conversation from behind Cutter.

“Oh, Topsy. There are so many things you need to try while on your date with Peter. I think we’re going to discuss some of them here in a bit. If there’s anything you might want to practice for him, just let me know. Lyra and I have had a lot of experience, and I’m sure she wouldn't mind having another mare to share a bed with if I’m not around.”

Next to Swifty, Lyra happily accepted the invite.

“Twilight said you wanted a real date with Peter before doing anything else, and I think that’s really sweet. When you’re ready to join the rest of us, just let me know and I’m sure we can get together.”

Hearing Sniff’s growing herd getting along so well did Cutter’s heart well, but she still had her interest invested heavily towards her would-be son-in-law.

“Lyra, dear. How did things go with Peter this afternoon?”

Lyra felt a little rush return from what had passed only a few hours ago, and still hadn’t fully recovered her stamina from it.

“Oh, my goodness. Cutter, it’s such a shame you couldn’t have stayed and seen how much fun we had. Peter was amazing as always, but Swifty and I totally took care of Peter. He was very satisfied.”

Cutter started to crack a grin at the corner of her mouth but pulled it back to hold steady and proper form.

“Well, I’m sure he enjoyed himself. Such a shame you weren’t available when Twilight returned and had him running to her room.”

Swifty’s eyes went wide, looking as if she had been caught in a lie.

“But… how? We worked so hard to make him cum for us. He came so hard that he got some of it on my chin.

Close enough to take in the passing conversation, Twilight would have to apologize for that.

"Well, that's as good of a conversation starter as any. As I'm sure you're all aware, Applejack is the only mare here that opted to have a closed relationship. The rest of us know the troubles that can arise while trying to return the same sexual gratification to our stallions. Even in pairs, it can be an exhausting experience. And it can be equally difficult trying to control our own needs, which is what Peter was helping me with."

Still glowing for her time with Sniff, Twilight gave a knowing smile at her herd mates.

"And believe me, Peter was very satisfied with his time with both of you this afternoon. He just happens to have a lot more stamina than any of us."

Wanting to brag, Starlight shuttered her shoulder next to Derpy.

"He's not the only one. Chris put all of us to sleep last night.”

Not to be outdone, Rarity had her own reasons to brag.

“Six at once? You girls really need to spread yourselves out more. Chris certainly seems like a healthy young stallion. Play your cards right and you might be lucky enough to have five glorious mutual embraces a day.”

Taking that as a challenge, Vinyl nudged Octavia with her elbow.

“You hear that Tavi? If we’re counting on Benny keeping us up all past midnight, this morning makes two. How about we take turns between your performance tonight and then tag team our stud and break in a new bed together with him?”

Not exactly ready to be this open, Octavia tried to keep a low profile, but her ears gave her away.

“What? I mean… I need you on stage with me. I swear to Celestia, if I have to pull your unconscious body away from Benny’s cock to get you to play with me-”

Not wanting to let Octavia get too worked up, Vinyl wrapped her foreleg around Octavia’s neck and pulled the excited mare’s face down into her chest.

“Oh, stop worrying, babe. Benny didn’t want me to stop and you enjoyed watching me.”

Like petting a dog, Vinyl stroked Octaiva’s main, knowingly annoying her the mare with how comforting it was.

“Come on sweet-cheeks. You know I wouldn’t leave you hanging. And hey, while you're down there."

Immediately, Octavia shot back up appalled at the request, looking about ready to strangle her friend.

"My goodness, we're amongst royalty here."

Luna, practically jovial to see the bonds that had formed, was happy to support such a request but knew this wasn't the time nor place.

"Calm thyself Vinyl Scratch. There will be plenty of opportunity for that on your own time. We are here to discuss such kinship, not demonstrate them."

Clearly joking, Vinyl didn't want to give the wrong impression.

"I'm just teasing, your highness. I know you’re all cool with us being together. I'm just trying to bring Tavi out of her shell a bit is all."

To that remark, Derpy was happy to give the okay.

"You shouldn’t have to worry about us judging you. We've all come to appreciate what we can do for each other when our stallion is away. I love it when one of us helps each other when we want to feel that special feeling when Chris is away."

"Yes," Twilight proudly announced to the room. "I've been very fortunate to know what it's like to have a fellow mare assist me, just not one on one, but we need to know that we're in this together. Our bonds are what make us special. This old notion that a mare with another mare is something that should be hidden away needs to go away. I’m personally planning on spending a night with Oven Fresh while Peter is busy indulging himself with Top Shelf. Even Oven’s mother has shown her approval of such an arrangement, so we shouldn’t concern ourselves with the opinions of those not involved with who we want to be with.”

Quite readily, the room broke out into agreements with each other about having mares love each other, inspiring Vinyl to speak openly about her aspirations.

“Fuck yeah! I’ve been in love with this mare for longer than I should have waited for. And now with Benny with us, we both can be open about it and I can love on this cutie all I want. Ain’t that right, Tavi?”

In a brave moment of not fearing the outside world, Octavia took Vinyl’s fetlock in her own.

“I’d sooner give up my bow than deny the fact that I love this mare. Benny has accepted us despite the world he came from saying none of us should be with who we want to. Now I look forward to the three of us living happily together.”

It was too brave of a moment not to commit to. So, in front of the small crowd, Octavia showed her like-minded mares how she felt and kissed Vinyl on the lips for all to see.

The room cheered the two on while they felt something uniquely special they hadn’t felt their first time experimenting. Their lips were alive against each other, the familiar feelings they experienced with Benny now not feeling too distant as they shared their affection for all to see.

Seeing how well this gathering had started off, Applejack figured she’d get to the heart of the issue most ponies were probably still stuck at.

“Alright-Alright, everypony. Maybe not all of us are with the mare on mare romancing, but I’m certain all of us are focused on one thing in particular maybe only a few of us have been able to accomplish…and that’s how to get this rut going with our stallions."

Being the most successful, Starlight cleared her throat, only half ready to say what she could on the matter.

"Well, I think this is my time to step up. I was the first to manage a real rutting. I'm here to tell you that while it is doable, even with practice, it's not easy and can take a long time to adjust."

Curious, if not desperate, Applejack spoke up again.

"Can ya tell us how to get through the painful part of it? If my Woody is anything like y'alls partners, that dick ain’t going in easy.”

Knowing that was true, Starlight sadly gave her testimony.

"My very first time with Chris was what I'm sure all of us started out with. But I wanted more than just rubbing against each other. I wanted him inside me. And while I was able to get it, it took Chris and nearly an hour."

"An hour!" Rarity blurted out in horror. "Chris must be ginormous! You poor thing!"

Redheart, being the only pony to truly have a clue, quietly interjected.

"Actually, I think Chris and Justin are probably around the same size… Judging by what I saw of them while not in a state of arousal, I mean. In fact, from what I’ve seen even while covered up, human males seem to have very little anatomical differences with their genitalia. I could probably say more, but that would be going beyond patient confidentiality. Although I can say that my first time took less than Starlight's first."

That brought the nurse's attention back to Rarity.

"You and Fluttershy have accomplished fully rutting with Justin, haven't you?"

Now Rarity was really on the spot. Despite being a gossip and a bit of a bragger, she didn't want to give up too much over intimate secrets with Cerb.

"Well, yes, but trying to fit him as it were was so unpleasant, I wasn't going to just lay there and let go on any longer than needed."

This brought everyone's curiosity to the forefront, bringing all eyes leaning in closer and Applejack to ask the burning question on all their minds.

“How long did it take you and Fluttershy to get it done?”

There shouldn’t have been a reason to fear admitting her experiece among friends, yet here she was barely able to raise her voice.

“Um… Fluttershy went first and took maybe… twenty minutes?”

“TWENTY MINUTES!” Starlight belted out, glaring down at Fluttershy. “It took me nearly a fucking hour until I could actually fit all him inside of me! How did you get that dick inside of you so quickly? And how long until it stopped hurting so you could actually enjoy it?”

Retreating back to her more docile and timid appearance, Fluttershy recoiled in her response.

“That’s how long it took until I could enjoy it. But Rarity made it happen a lot faster than I did.”

All eyes immediately shot to Rarity, who of course went on the defensive.

"What!? He was treating me so delicately. The sooner I got it over with the better… so I…"

"I helped Justin speed things up a bit," Fluttershy finally admitted, saving her mare the embarrassment. "Justin didn't want to hurt either one of us, and while his slow approach did make adjusting to his size not as painful as going at our own pace, it only ended up making it last longer."

The air of sophistication no longer seemed to apply to any of the mare’s experiences. Rarity could see by all their expressions that what she had been hiding was essential for their relationships as well. Discussing more just seemed like the right thing to do.

"If you would, ladies. I'm not saying to simply jam them up inside you and let your man force himself as hard and fast as he can. Going faster most certainly makes it hurt far more than even I cared for, but I didn't allow him to go faster than I felt like I could tolerate. You simply have to listen to what your body is telling you."

It was all good information, but Fluttershy could tell this group would likely run with it faster than what would help them.

"There’s more to it than just listening to your body," she announced to the group with a tone that cut through their enthusiasm. "You have to take their feelings into consideration, too. We don't fully understand why, but their emotions change how they physically feel. If they don't like what they're doing it will make trying adjust hurt even more."

She looked around the room, a few seemed to know enough not to question her claim, the others could be seen trying to work out the logic behind such a reaction. It was going to be a struggle for Fluttershy to put what was still a theory into a practical explanation.

"When Justin is angry, his hands can hurt a pony or another creature. We've seen him shrug off unicorn magic, block powerful punches… he's even over powered me when I wasn't holding back. When he's sad or scared, his touch is… colder. I can't think of another way to describe it, but that feeling of comfort and warmth is gone from him. And that's what I felt when he was worried about hurting me our first time. It wasn’t until I was able to calm his concerns, and help him want what I wanted, that we were able to keep going."

As Fluttershy’s warning made its way through the room, Starlight had a change of tune.

"I guess that does make sense. Chris was very worried about hurting me our first time, and even wanted to stop. I never thought that making him uncomfortable made having sex so much more difficult… He also wasn't nearly as concerned last night with Redheart."

Still trying to take this all in, Ember sat, puzzled at the explanations being given. Every moment with these ponies was another reason to regret her hasty decision to try and steel Cerb away for herself.

"I can't believe this is what I've gotten myself into."

To that remark, Luna softly sighed.

"I know. Tis unfortunate there are so few loving stallions to go round."

Chris sat and pondered for a moment. Nerd knowledge and Fandom theories mixing with as many real-world references as he could gather.

"I think the stroking contractions are some evolutionary advantage to make sure the males cum as fast as possible during sex. That or to help extract as much semen as possible, if not both."

This was frighteningly tempting news for Sniff. Sex toys weren’t this advanced, or sho he heard.

"So… the mares are literally built for sex? That's what you're telling me?"

With Kelly's own secrets out, even she was willing to come clean about it.

"Well, seems I'm the only one to have both, I'd say that's what it is. And with Luna not wanting to get knocked up, that really limits what we can do."

Sitting on the other side of the bed, Lumberman had a slight grin and shook his head.

"Can't fucking believe you, Drip."

What could Kelly do or say at this point? She knew who she really was and found it to be a little funny.

“Yeah, well, I’m keeping myself to just one of each. Mac is a good guy, but just like you, I need my lady lovings… And if your Apple Hat is just as good with her tongue as-”

“Not doing that,” Lumberman playfully protested. “You all do you, and let’s keep the deets to a minimum.”

Chris, momentarily sidetracked, noted something of interest.

"I'm not sure if it's relevant, but I was a bit too distracted at the time to notice something that doesn’t match up with the show.”

Away from the bed, Benny was leaning against Cerb’s dresser, not looking all that invested in anything not related to the reality they were living in.

“What you got for us, Harem King?”

Chris turned his eyes to Sniff, as if to question such a title, but lamented saying his piece.

“Jokes aside, let’s all acknowledge one thing… And that is that despite our girls not being knowledgeable about sex, they’ve done a lot to still keep themselves covered. Or is there anyone here who thinks they’ve been flashing us left and right or had no qualms about their genitals?”

There was a silent consensus around the room, being how it was a rhetorical question. After the moment had passed, Chris laid out his observation.

“I don’t know how much you remember of the show from watching it or what I showed you when we got here, but in the show, they keep their tails positioned high and away from their bodies.”

Knowing that wasn’t going to give away much on its surface, Chris had to stress his point.

“It was a big joke in the community that if they were drawn properly, it would be pony pussy out in the open everywhere. But here? Their tails are almost always relaxed or held tight against themselves because they thought their genitals were gross. Now… I’m just saying… To have no sexual interest in each other or even having a problem being seen exposed, they still covered up. That’s… That’s like having a concealed carry pistol, not knowing what it is, not caring if anyone sees it, but still trying to keep it hidden, and I don’t think that makes any sense.”

An interesting point, but Cerb wasn’t seeing the relevance.

“Neither does sex longer than thirty minutes making them exhausted.”

Having wondered that for even longer, Chris had a theory over that attribute as well.

“True, and I wish Becky would have stuck around for this, but I think that’s easily explained by what we already know."

Again, Chris prepped himself for flexing his nerd powers.

"One, our touch feels amazing to them. Two, their bodies have evolved to have sex be as stimulating as possible so it’s over as quickly as possible. Thus, an already highly stimulated body being treated to ours, it’s overstimulation to their systems, increasing adrenaline and dopamine releases… Why wouldn’t it be exhausting?”

Again, the room silently pondered these thoughts, and none seemed to have a counter-argument. However, to further solidify his point, Chris decided to give a few more details that might cross the line with a few of his friends, as well as leave him open to ridicule.

“Sniff, Benn, Cerb, guys… if you’ve seen your girls fool around with each other, I’m sure you’ve noticed they take longer to get each other off. And even when they do, it would be like a normal orgasm one would expect. It feels good, but they can get up and don’t feel worn out from it. Just the same, fooling around with them for only a few minutes, they’re still fine. And even going all the way, if you cum too fast, they’re the fucking energizer bunny.”

Of course, Sniff couldn’t forget Chris’s early morning quick-fire story but didn’t want the poor guy to be mocked again over it. Instead, he took control of the narrative by pulling Cerb into it.

“Justin, buddy… Yesterday morning at breakfast? Clearly, you, me, and Chris all had a great wake-up call before heading downstairs.”

Knowing this was revealing a lot, Sniff held up his hands and turned to everyone in the room. It was a display to show he was going to be crossing the line but needed them to hear him out.

“I’m sure none of what we’re talking about will leave this room, but I only fooled around with Twilight for about ten or fifteen minutes. Nothing heavy… pretty tame, but I’m sure you can guess she had no complaints. And just like Chris said, she was as perky as my cup of coffee... Chris… you made it out of your bedroom before I even got out of mine. How long did you-”

“I didn’t,” Chris admitted. “Cerb knows what happened the night before when he caught me carrying her back to the castle. That morning she just went down on me so she didn’t spoil her date with Prim."

There was a long pause from Chris, seemingly stuck on what to say or how to say it. Thankfully, despite his embarrassment, he managed to squeeze the words out.

"Sheeeeee reeeeeealy likes oral.”

Seeing this was how open they were going to be, Cerb gave up his humility and answered as soon as all his friends turned their attention back to him.

“Jesus… Maybe ten minutes each until they blew me, too. They… knew better than to get carried away and exhaust themselves with all the shit they had to do. But they certainly were practically giddy after that.”

Lumberman saw his need for modesty diminishing and answered as well.

“Same for me this morning. Although the second time took longer and she got a little sleepy.”

Newest to this game, Benny gave up his ghost.

“Vinyl about passed out last night, but Tavi wasn’t nearly as tired because she focused on me. This morning I ended up putting them both to sleep, but Vinyl really pushed herself and passed out trying to go down on me, but I was still pretty handsie with her… So, I guess we understand the why of this, just not the how.”

All their shared stories had left out Kelly’s input, but she had another thought about it.

“Seems to be the same for me, but Mac didn’t get knocked out when Luna went down on him, although I think we’re all overlooking the fact that absolutely all of them go nuts when it comes to going down on us, or eating pussy in general… but I don’t think it’s the same way for them with stallions.”

She stopped to draw attention to her discomfort, needing all of them to take extra caution about not repeating what she was about to say.

“Again, this doesn’t leave this room, but I have a hard time pulling Luna away from me… She wasn’t overly thrilled with sucking off Mac at the end. From what you all are saying, your girls sucking dick is like crack to them.”

Benny, despite having his shit luck with having his own theories fall apart, decided to shoot from the hip on this one.

“Maybe our magic touch isn’t limited to our skin? I wasn’t going to say this earlier, but my first time last night started with Vinyl and Tavi experimenting with each other. Neither one of them seemed to really enjoy it, but my first kiss with Vinyl, and as far as I can tell, my kiss was better than what either of them tried doing with each other. So… maybe it’s any part of us that touches them that has the same magic… anti-magic… fucking… I dunno? Why haven’t we even figured that part out yet? Our magic touch is just as confusing as our magic emotions.”

Another mystery they had to deal with, which had effectively brought them back into a full circle of not really understanding anything in any helpful way. Or at least that’s how Cerb saw it.

“Right… There’s still too much we don’t know, but at least this will help make our girls happier knowing a little more about how to safely be with them. Namely for Lumberman and Benny. And… Chris… try not to go too crazy with your harem.”

After hearing that term so many times, Chris had a difficult time trying to fight it.

“Fuck me. The funny thing about that is that here it should be called a herd, not a harem.”

And there was that word again, which now made Sniff curious.

“What do you mean by herd? Twilight mentioned herding yesterday with the rest of the girls. What is it?”

Chris looked puzzled for a moment, then he realized how true it was.

'Yeah… guess we are starting our own herds, aren't we?"

Now that the mood had lightened up and the bulk of the conversation had been taken care of regarding sex, Cerb figured he might as well check with the expert regarding their nightly plans.

“Alright, we covered our first times, a few embarrassing stories, some important cultural shit that still confuses all of us, and some more theories that don’t make any sense. I think we just about covered Sex Ed well enough to educate Becky on later. For tonight, though… Chris? Anything we should know about Canterlot, or the Castle there, or whatever this event is?”

Not much of any thought had gone into their trip for the night, but Chris could only speculate at this point.

“Umm… It’s probably the richest part of the kingdom, so you can expect a lot of royalty and nobles there. Generally a lot of rich ponies, too. Some are real uptight assholes, I guess. Probably wouldn’t start a fight over anything. Sure as shit couldn’t handle one if they did, but you would end up with a pompous shit talker or two.”

Sounds like the kind of ponies Sniff needed to keep an eye out for.

“Any in particular? You know I play a good defense in these kinds of situations.”

To that, Benny had a slight change of plans.

"Oh, I need to make a run back to the house to drop off a gift for Trixie. Girl’s been having a rough go because of the vision she had. Her vision doesn’t make a lot of sense though…She was already kinda drunk when she told me. I’ll have her retell you guys about it."

Celestia’s calm demeanor had done well to keep Cadance from going on the offensive, but patience was wearing thin between both of them.

"Aunty, please," Cadance all but begged her adoptive figure. "You taught me about Hopeless Magic, you must recognize the type of danger it poses to Equestria. Can you think of nothing? It's nearly taken your sister, my kingdom, and your most faithful student, yet you wish to keep the humans free from confronting it again-"

"It is not their battle to fight," Celestia insisted again. "They do not belong here. We can't have them fighting our battles and killing every-"

"It was clearly an act of self-defense," Cadance insisted, trying to remain civil. "And Justin was right. The Pony of Shadows poses too great a risk if it sought all our destruction and already tried to kill Benny. These threats are greater than that of King Sombra… and I will be taking both Justin and Becky back with me to the Crystal Empire to ensure all our safety.”

“You cannot simply remove-”

“It’s their wish to join Shining and I to help them.”

“Twilight is in charge of-”

“Twilight agreed to this arrangement. The Crystal Empire has more healers and Justin will be under my personal care.”

The exchange was finally starting to grow heated as Celestia began to realize how deep the human’s influence had begun to grow. And with that was going any sense of subtly.

“Cerberus is dangerous-”

“Do you think I don’t know that?” Cadance growled, her own composure slipping. “I know more than most, the capabilities Justin presents as a living weapon. He is like a well-sharpened spear that has not been properly holstered. He needs counseling and a better understanding of where the safeties and dangers of Equestria lay. He only knows of who to protect and has done so vehemently without regard to his own safety. Beyond that, the amount of love he possesses and his capability of sharing it might very well usher in a new era of peace and compassion for our Kingdoms.”

It was then that Celestia felt her hold on the situation had slipped away completely. With it, her proud composure and passionate resistance were lost as well.

“Do as you wish. If all of my warnings are to be ignored, then so be it.”

Cadance looked up upon the throne Celestia sat. Once a proud shrine to all the glory and promise of a better future looked closed off and dim. Like she had been defeated without a fight.

It was sad to see and did little to instill confidence in the Princess of Love.

“If you are to abandon assistance that does not come without the dictation with clarity then you need not concern yourself, aunty. Busy yourself with the goings-on of Canterlot. We shall deal with these challenges as we see fit and ensure they are safe in our care for as long as they reside with us.”

Sad to leave things so unresolved, though more frustrated with Celestia’s stubbornness, Cadance bowed and turned for the exit.

"Just be sure to smile nice and pretty for them when they arrive tonight. They don't have a clue how you really feel about them… As if anypony truly did."

As the doors opened, the many mares were still a flutter of comments being exchanged from the conversations they held. All of them excited and eager to return to their humans, save one mare in particular who was all too happy to return to pick up on her bet.

“Hear ye! Hear ye! No departing! Pretty Pretty Princess Twiggles!”

Twilight, feeling too optimistic to let the title bother her, continued out into the hall.

“Thank you, Dash, and thanks for joining us in there. I know you didn’t have much to contribute, but if Becky ever changes her mind about finding some pony to be with, she’ll need a friend she can trust to confide in. Plus, I’m sure you’ll find some pony of your own.”

Such a comment should have been a morale booster, but it only seemed to sting as Rainbow watched Fluttershy and Rarity walking out together. Somehow, she managed to keep all that to herself and avoided further inspection of what she was thinking.

“Yeah, pretty sure I’ll start my own herd one of these days when things get settled down in the Wonderbolts.” She turned with a smirk. “But knowing me, my herd will be of stallions at my beck and call at the rate you’re pulling all the other mares into yours.”

Twilight smiled back and rolled her eyes, not letting her growing interests be used as a vice against her.

“Well, I can’t say I’m not looking forward to having more chances to see what else can be enjoyed by it.”

Still close enough to catch that, Rarity stopped and doubled back to hopefully cash in on that knowledge.

“Twilight, darling, that reminds me. I know there are some things we didn’t share in there, but knowing your mastery of all things you put your mind to, and the praise you’ve given Peter for all he’s done, if Justin agrees for us to swap our secret techniques for two mares pleasing their stallion, would you be willing if Peter agrees as well?”

Twilight’s response was confident, borderline cocky.

“Peter is still taking his time with us, and we’re enjoying learning as much as we can with him. So, how about we both take our time perfecting our techniques and wait until when we both start running out of new ways to share our stallion.”

While probably well-intended, Fluttershy had swung back and noted an issue with that request.

“Well, that seems a little unfair. It’s only me and Rarity with Justin. You have three times as many mares for sharing Peter with.”

Such things were true, and Twilight had to own up to that.

“Heh, well, yeah, but I think that’s also going to slow us down. We might have overextended ourselves by inviting Roseluck, Daisy, and Lily into all this. Peter doesn't seem to enjoy the idea of going beyond the basics until whoever he's with has a better understanding of what they like before moving onto something else. He's also extremely concerned with causing us any discomfort, emotionally or physically. I get the feeling he doesn't want any of us getting upset by doing something new unless the rest of us can do it as well."

That seemed to settle the argument and left room for Swifty to join in.

"Peter cares about ponies more than anyone I’ve met. He even seems to question himself about how much good he's doing. We're willing to help him learn that what he's doing is so much more for us than he knows. When he comes around to do more, then we'll really spoil him."

Trotting up from behind, Lyra shared the same sentiment.

"Oh, he's already done more than he's needed. He's brought all of us together and is helping all his friends with the same thing we're doing. He doesn't want any pony getting hurt or taken advantage of. You also need to remember that all this sex stuff is a lot to adjust to. We have to remember that he might not be ready."

She brushed her up against Swifty’s, just a little flirt to get the mare's attention.

"And I think we’re doing a mighty fine job helping want to do more."

The last to leave the room, accompanying Ember out, Luna, was most pleased with their meeting.

“For your sake, I truly hope you are right. Peter, just like the rest of our human friends have been nothing short of exceptional. They deserve nothing but our very best. Now if you all would be so kind as to help Applejack to her room and Nurse Redheart downstairs. Applejack needs to start getting ready and Nurse Redheart will need some assistance getting home.”

Thankfully, Starlight had been standing by to see and was already ahead of that.

“I’ll be taking Redheart over to Cheerilee’s for the night. My girls are going to start spending more nights together, but where can I take Applejack to?”

A swelling of pride rose in Twilight. Seeing how helpful and friendly her pupil was becoming was nothing short of admirable.

“You can take her to my room for now. Her things are already there. We’ll let the boys know where we’ll be while they go get changed.”

With all of that settled, Luna decided to give some of her time to one of the single mares.

"Rainbow Dash, would you mind joining me for a while? I think we both have some time on our hooves."

After a gentle nod and smile from Luna, the others gave the request no thought and departed, leaving Rainbow to wonder what this private meeting was about. Whatever it was, it must be important if they were having it in the study.

“Is everything alright? This isn’t about the weather, is it? It’s not that big of a deal, I can handle dealing with Weather Control.”

Luna took a seat and smiled softly, her tone sounding almost apologetic.

“How are you doing with all of this? Between your dreams and desires, I can’t imagine listening to all your friends galavanting with their escapades of what you’ve only seen in Benny’s movie… from what I understand.”

Rainbow gulped loud enough to make Luna think she was giving off the wrong impression.

“Twilight briefly told me about the movie prior to our discussion, about her interest in being with a mare as well as Peter. Something she was worried about even thinking of...and… I suppose what I’m getting at is that I think I understand what you might be going through… Knowing how things are... where your loyalty lies, but those thoughts you simply cannot stop thinking about what it would be like if it were you instead?”

Rainbow took a seat, looking as if the veil had just been cleared and she was seeing Luna in a new light.

"You got the hots for Justin?"

That was saying a lot, she couldn’t deny what she felt. Especially after entering Rainbow’s dream.

"My eyes have fallen elsewhere, but I would be lying if I said I hadn't thought about any of them. They're all such fine specimens. And, well… you heard the girls. It all sounds like such a wonderful experience to be rutted."

"Or sucking his dick," Rainbow quickly responded, having to double-check to verify the room was clear. "I mean, I don’t have the ear thing going on, but after seeing him naked and then the movie? How could any pony not want that?"

For a moment, Luna looked guilty of her admission. Even she knew it, but couldn't let Rainbow take control of the conversation.

"It is hard to say what is truly right or wrong in this. We all have so much as it is, we should not pursue that which could hurt those we care about."

She drew a blank for a moment as the thought of working her way into the bedroom with Cerb or Benny through some clever ruse. Some impossible scenario where she would allow for plausible deniability. A sacrifice she made to keep her secret with Kelly safe. Whatever it took.

"Sex has been shown to us to be a wondrous union between those who care for each other… We shouldn't want these things as badly as we do… much like I'm sure they felt as though they should not have desired us as badly they did."

That sounded more contradictory to what the resolution their friends had succeeded in, which confused Rainbow.

"But it all worked out for those who wanted it. Minus me, you, and Pinkie at least."

"Perhaps," Luna admitted, but quickly changed her tune. "Or perhaps not. I wished to see our humans protected and those that found love to embrace it in spite of my sister's wishes. You wished to help Becky above all else. Even Pinkie, in all her well intentioned buffoonery, sought only to make Benny happy."

She turned to Rainbow with a sad smile that was more for show, but still symptomatic.

"All in all I'd say we got what we wanted. Though perhaps we were a bit late to realize what we wanted for ourselves meant giving up what was best for others. And maybe being there for them could mean finding more, if the opportunity were to present itself."

Rainbow raised a questionable eyebrow, almost afraid of what was being suggested.

"Are you saying I should keep helping Fluttershy and Rarity with Cerb so that they might let him fuck me?"

Not the exact words she would have gone with… however.

"Fluttershy and Rarity are but two mares tending to the largest human who fucks them both, one after the other, five times a day. He hasn't even healed from his wounds in battle and is bed ridden under Fluttershy’s instructions. One would think that eventually at least one of them would need a break if even Chris can leave Starlight sore enough to turn down a rut."

The veil had been completely removed and Rainbow was beside herself.

"I'm not banking on that happening, Princess, but God damn do I hope you're right."

"So what you're saying is that you had feelings for this," Discord in a professor’s suit flipped through a series of notes. "Fluttershy?"

Lounging in an iconic therapy couch, Discord lay vulnerable and confused.

"I don't know anymore. She was my only real friend and I started to think that maybe we could have had something serious with more time. She clearly doesn't care about having a significant other not being a pony or the same gender. So it’s fair to assume I had a chance."

The psychiatrist Discord gave a questionable look, second-guessing everything.

"Would you even want to be with a mortal? She sounds like a nice pony, but how long would it last for someone that lives forever? What kind of existence would that be without her?"

The Discord in the chair immediately sat up, clearly not satisfied with the answer. “You know, I remember this gag being a lot more amusing in that one samurai show. Who would’ve thought another version of me would be taking it more seriously.”

Growing weary of his own self-therapy session, Discord flopped onto his side and left his couch. Then, walking back towards his many doubles working on patching up the inner-dimensional damage, he snapped his claws, making the couch and his psychiatrist double disappear in a puff of smoke.

“I think I’ve already answered that question by not giving her up in the first place. Fluttershy is still the most important pony in the world to me. She even still wants me in her life after falling love with that Justin character and… Uck… Why couldn’t it have been Pinkie Pie?”

So, this day is moving on a bit faster than most others. I just really wanted to get things moving. Even still, we can tell Benny had a good start to his day.

Back in town though, Becky is having to slow things down, and kind of sending mixed messages to Shining. Then again, all her prior hesitation and resistance is probably saving him from coming out and asking for something that would probably scare her off.

Then again, he's still trying to find that balance of understanding his attraction to her, keeping her sensitivities in mind while loving his wife, and still not knowing what's really going on.

This dynamic with Shining and Cadance is still my most challenging aspect of the story.

Over with Twilight... our dude Sniff is getting passed from mare to mare like the baton in a relay race.... AND HE'S WINING!

Meanwhile, on the farm, Big Mac is coming off might strong on those trees. Not intentionally, he's just... pissing Applejack off, unintentionally.

At least I hope you got a good laugh out of AJ and Lumberman talking.

At the same time in Canterlot, Bon Bon is having an eye-opening conversation with Celestia. Apparently, Celestia had been keeping a very close eye on her once former agent turned Director of her own branch. Seems she knew what Bon Bon really wanted with Lyra, but is what she saying being used to keep her working diligently and compliment, or does Celestia really want to see those two together?

Hard to tell with a leader who seems to both care about her subjects, but also lie and keep a lot of secrets from them. Although, it's clear that Bon Bon still really just wants the humans gone.

While that was going down, over in Cerb's room, they all decided to have a little pow-wow about what's been going on. Becky caught a nose full, but didn't want to stick around to get an ear full. A real shame, since she probably would have learned a lot about pony biology or helped with some of their theories.

What was that bet between Kelly and Rainbow, anyway?

Also, Shimoneta is a hilarious anime.

Just the same, Twilight and many ladies crucial to this story were sharing a lot of new information with each other. Some of it very eye-opening for the other mares, and might make some of them want to do more, or might have them reconsider the pace of their conquest.

Only time will tell, I guess.

Back in Canterlot, we get to see that it was Cadance who stormed to Celestia's throne room, and things just couldn't stay civil between them.

Celestia really is playing a really confusing role in all this.

Oh, thought the events between Luna and Rainbow was gonna be a one-chapter thing? Nope! Luna decided to follow up with it, and slowly starting to think about her other options more. Though it kinda feels like Luna is either trying to live vicariously through Rainbow or is just trying to help another mare out so they can gossip later.

Maybe more sexy dream fuel for stallionless friend so she can dream drop in on her again?

Sexy Battle Nurse Dashie. Ha!

Anyway, to find out how this evening is going to turn out, you'll have to come back next week for: