It had been a few minutes since departing the human house. Rarity and Fluttershy were cheerfully making their way back together. Sweetie Belle, of course, was more interested in running back and forth and splashing in the puddles. Apparently, none of the three cared for how drenched they would get in the rain.

As they continued on their way, a game of cat and mouse developed where Sweetie Belle would run back to listen on her sister and Fluttershy just in time to hear them change the subject, get bored, then run ahead to entertain herself and wait for another chance to sneak back to listen in.

In another brief moment of privacy, Rarity picked up where she had left off before her younger sister interrupted them. "I can't believe that of all of us Applejack was the one to arrange a date with Mr. Cerberus and myself. I just can't for the life of me figure out why she would do that. It's so unlike her to play matchmaker."

Fluttershy wasn't so much confused as she was giddy at the idea of Rarity already having a date lined up with the man of their mutual interest. "Oh, I wouldn't put too much thought into it. If I were you, I'd be too worked up on what to wear or what I'd even do if I were in your hooves."

"Ugh, believe me, I am most certainly nervous about all of that as well," Rarity admitted. "But are you sure you're not upset over my good fortune as it were?"

"Of course not," Fluttershy affirmed to her friend with a smile. "I had to imagine you'd be the first one of the two of us to go out alone with him. And besides, I'm just not ready for such an intimate setting."

Rarity spotted the rosy flushed cheeks on her friend. She had to laugh for a moment at Fluttershy's innocence. "Oh, my dear. I would hardly consider a dinner at Grapes and Olives an intimate setting. I imagine it will be pleasant enough, for sure. Though I don't expect much to come of it, I get the feeling that they very much don't consider pursuing romantic interests with us at the moment."

That was a sad thought for Fluttershy to consider. "I think I know what you mean. It seems to me that they use the idea of being more than friends with us as a joke to make fun of each other. But then even that confuses me when you consider what Cerb said to you and how sweet he's been to both of us. And didn't you notice how close Miss Kelly and Big Mac have been with each other?"

Rarity thought back to earlier in the day. Those two had been inseparable. Big Mac carried her everywhere she went, was a pillow for many of her naps, and constantly would look away from Kelly or pretend to notice when she would pet him like some lap dog whenever someone from the group would look their way.

"Hmm, yes," She acknowledged the same observation, as well as Sweetie Belle quietly trying to creep her way up to earshot behind them. "It was rather heartwarming when Nala was able to find Simba out in the jungle."

Fluttershy was quick to pick up on the shift in conversation. "I know. Lions can be very loving. I have yet to meet a lioness like her, though. I'm sure they're much different than those we saw in the movie."

"Oh, come on!" Sweetie Belle protested playfully as she ran up between the two. "I know you're talking about Mr. Cerb and your big date with him. I wanna hear about it, too. Do you two love each other? It's okay if you do. I like him. Well, I like all of them actually. But he's really cute, even if he's not a pony."

"Sweetie Belle," Rarity feigned ignorance at the allegations and questions. "Please, Mr. Cerberus is just a very nice friend. He's simply repaying me for my hard work that he ripped."

Young or not, she wasn't buying it. "Yeah, right. Then why didn't Kelly offer to take Fluttershy out to dinner after spilling the tea she made for her? That was an accident, too. Right?"

She had a point, and Rarity hadn't thought of that. "Oh. Well, yes. That's true, Sweetie. But you see-"

Fluttershy butted into the conversation with some plausible excuse. "That's because they like to pull pranks on each other. Just like Pinkie Pie does."

Sweetie Belle cocked her head to the side. "Pranks? How is setting up a date with Rarity a prank?"

"Well, you see Sweetie Belle," Fluttershy looked onward, ready to sell this story like Celestia's autograph on a bar of gold. "Mr. Cerberus is just a good friend to all of us. He would never do anything mean to us, like rip up a gift from your sister. But they also wouldn't be asking us out on a date. So, all his friends pretended that he would do both of those things. And if he said no, then he would look like he was being mean on purpose."

That explanation did make sense. They all did seem to enjoy pulling pranks and joking with each other. They even had her help prank Rainbow Dash.

"So... it's not a date?" Sweetie Belle asked, looking a little sad to see that there was no romance brewing between the two.

Rarity tried to console her sister. "I'm sorry, dear. But I'm afraid that that's just not what's happening here."

"Oh..." She sighed. "Can I date him?"

"No!" They both shouted in unison to the young filly.

Sweetie Belle skipped ahead with a smile too big to be anything gloating for being right. "Ha! I knew it! You both have a crush on big old Cerberus! I knew it!"

Rarity could have kicked herself for removing any real deniability at this point. "You little scoundrel! This is of no concern to young filly like yourself. You must cease this unladylike behavior at once!"

Sweetie Belle continued her mockery in song. "Rarity and Fluttershy sitting in a tree. Both of them kissing the man of their dreams!"

"Stop that this instant young lady!" Rarity demanded.

"First comes love. Then comes marriage. Then comes the Cutie Mark Crusaders, each with a multi-foal carriage!" She finished off the song before adding was last zinger. “And they all belong to you two!”

"That's not funny young lady!" Rarity hollered out to no avail, watching her sister hopping and skipping here and there farther up ahead. "Ugh! What has gotten into that filly? I swear I'll give her a firm talking to when we get home."

Suddenly, Rarity realized that her wingmare was no longer at her side. "Fluttershy? Where did you-" she looked back to see Fluttershy had stopped a few paces back and was far more red in the face than before with her back legs shivering - "Are you alright, dear?"

Fluttershy stood there on shaky legs, holding her lips closed and trying to hide her blush behind her left forehoof. Small mumbles were barely escaping her throat as she decided to look away.

"Fluttershy, what's the matter?" Rarity asked on her approach. "Did she say something to upset you?"

"Ee ed moldz.. She mumbled behind her hoof.

Rarity stood a bit puzzled at her friend's sudden shyness. Even if it was Fluttershy, this was a bit much to be hiding from even her closest friend. "I'm sorry. I didn't quite catch that."

Eddie el ed molz...

"One more time, deary?"

"She said foals!" Fluttershy shouted. "Oops. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to shout... It's just that... Oh my..."

Rarity didn't see what her friend was getting at. "Yes... She did say foals. And while that's not quite how the nursery rhyme goes, it was rather clever."

She shook off the thought of Sweetie Belle reciting those lyrics again. "But anyway, it's not even if we were to become serious with our dear Cerb that we could even... umm... My word," - she gave an awkward chuckle - "You know, I don't even know how foals are... Oh just look at me here. A mare at my age, old enough to be a mother myself, and yet... Oh my... Fluttershy, is it strange that I wouldn't... Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy seemed stunned. She was still shaking, trembling even. She had this look about her of sudden urgency, yet too afraid to act upon it. It was starting to make Rarity think that she should be concerned for her wingmare.

"Fluttershy. What's wrong? Talk to me," She called out to her friend standing right next to her, yet seemed a million miles away.

Fluttershy carefully spoke out her words. "Making foals with Mr. Cerberus... just the thought of it. If it's anything like my little critters when they're ready to-"

She crossed her hind legs, squeezing them tightly together. At first it was to fight the sensations she was feeling building up behind her, but then she pressed even tighter to add to the pressure that seemed to fan the flames of these feelings. A slight buckling of the legs forced her to catch her balance, making the inner flesh between her thighs up to her tail slide against each other.

Her back arched in, raising her head and instinctively pressing her hips again with her tail lifting high. Her body was telling her what it wanted but not relaying the message to her mind. Whatever this confusing conversation of white noise her mind was struggling to have with her plot, it only could be conveyed by a primal and unfiltered moan.

Rarity took a step back, cringing with a level of discomfort she's never held against Fluttershy. "Umm... Should I get Nurse Redheart?"

Fluttershy twitched and fidgeted, biting into her lip while her tail flailed up and down and swatted itself back and forth against her. "No... I don't know... I just- Ump! - never felt like..."

She tensed up, tightly pulling her wings and tail inward, clenching her eyes tight and breathing sharply. Inside she was having a civil war with herself on whether to stand up proper or to hold herself as she was and let that feeling from her posterior continue to resonate like it was. She stood there motionless in the rain, slowly frightening Rarity with rapidly growing concern the longer she held her stance.

"I'm okay now," Fluttershy finally answered, carefully bringing herself out of her tightly held stance.

"What was that all about?" Rarity asked, still entirely lost with Fluttershy's odd behavior.

"I just... I don't know how to explain it. I need some time to collect my thoughts," She answered back with something of an empty expression, like she'd just been given earth-shattering news, but hadn't yet digested it. "I... don't like what I'm feeling right now. I need to go home."

After a stunt like that, Rarity wasn't sure if Fluttershy was good to go off on her own. "Are you sure you're okay to go off on your own in your... condition?"

Fluttershy had a slight twinge, but seem resolute in her decision. "I'll be fine. I need to... I need to do something!"

With a hasty jump, Fluttershy rocketed up and ascended into the sky. "I'll see you tomorrow!" She shouted, taking off much faster than her typical timid pace.

Rarity looked up into the dark sky above and watched as the yellow mare faded out of sight behind the rain. She lowered her gaze and stared blankly back towards her home, and a cautious thought crossed her mind. "I certainly hope humans don't have some uncanny power to drive mares mad."

It was a one mare race for Fluttershy to make her way home. It was a shorter trip than her normal travel time; her panic and confusion fueling her determination. She landed with a thud and immediately barged through her own front door. After the initial scare she gave the birds and other critters still dwelling in her house, they quickly all surrounded her with a warm welcome and a demand for food.

She forced her way through the entourage of her house guest, trying to make her way to a bookshelf. "Hello. Yes, um-hi again. Excuse me. Pardon me. I'm glad to be home, too. Hello. One second, please. Hello. Yes, I will. Hold on one second please," She rattled off her replies while dumping out the various snacks and seeds they had been denied access to while she was gone.

Finally, as the entourage had turned itself into a feeding frenzy, only one creature stood in her way, impatiently tapping his white padded foot up and down on the floor. "Hello, Angel. Could you please move- move out of- if you could just."

The little rabbit was not living up to his name. He hopped in front of every new path Fluttershy tried to take to pass him. Frustrated at his persistence, Fluttershy stood long enough to listen to his squeaky gripes.

The little beast ranted on and on about how long he had been waiting for her to come back so she could open the locked cupboard and give him a special treat. His rambling continued with cries of deserving more of her attention and how inconsiderate she was being... Basically just being the asshole he's always been.

Had this been any other day, Fluttershy would have bowed down and taken the verbal onslaught. However, tonight she was in no condition to take his abuse. What finally did her in was the rabbit telling her that she now had to go back out into town to get him a new box of treats because he lost the key, though he didn't say how, and then managed to break the lock and a fork trying to pry the cupboard open.

"Oh my gosh, Angel! It's just a stinking piece of caramel carrot!" She screamed before kicking the cupboard next to her.

A combination of her scream with the cupboard being sent across the kitchen and doing unknown amounts of damage to whatever it happened to fly into, sent the room a silent state of fear. None of the creatures there had ever seen Fluttershy so aggressive or loud. The scene was just as frightening as it was unsettling. Even Angel had dropped his attitude and crouched back with his ears folded.

Her tone had shifted to her angry voice that she used to scold bullies and baddies when they had crossed the line. "I'm sorry I wasn't back as early as I said I was going to be. But something came up. In fact, a lot of things came up," - she lowered her snout down to Angel's level - "thanks for asking by the way. But if you can't tell, not that you obviously care, I'm in a bit of a hurry to get to my books!"

Fearing for his well-being, Angel crawled his way across the floor, finally allowing her to pass with no further resistance. He didn't even bother to eye up any of his carrot treats that had been strewn across the floor from the busted cupboard Fluttershy had apparently broken in half.

"Oh, um," Fluttershy shifted her tone back to her apologetic voice as she turned to face the rest of the critters that had all huddled together and were cradling each other for comfort. "I'm terribly sorry for my outburst just a moment ago. That's so unlike me, but yesterday was a horrible day. I met up with my new human friends; you remember me talking about them, right?"

The huddled mass of frightened faces nodded vigorously in unison.

"Well, one of them was injured, very badly, and we almost lost her. Plus, I found out that Mr. Cerberus was still suffering from some terrible memories, on top of his friend almost dying. Then I had magic exhaustion, which I didn't even know a pegasus could get, and I might be suffering from something else now. So I really need to look into my books for a while. You don't mind, do you?"

The huddled mass of frightened faces shook their heads vigorously that they didn't mind, again all in unison.

"Oh, thank you so very much for understanding," She cheerfully spoke with a smile. "Just please keep it down for a while when I'm reading. I could really do without the distractions if you don't mind of course."

Another series of in synch nodding gave Fluttershy the confidence that she wouldn't be bothered. Trying to stay in control, she trotted over to one of her bookshelves and lit a candle. With the aid of the yellow light, she looked over the many veterinary titles she had collected.

"Hibernation of, no. Bovines in the winter... no. Helping Momma and Pappa Bears, yes, I need you. Rabbits in the Spring: A Harey Situation, I'll take you too. Mother Bear Is Hungry, maybe," She continued to read aloud the book titles, periodically grabbing one book or another off the shelves as she went along. Periodic twitches of her tail distracted her as she continued her search.

A short stack of books later, and the hope that she would find what she was looking for, she started up to her bedroom. The short trip brought her to the mess she made in the kitchen. "Oh dear, um," - she turned to the collection of still creatures who were silently waiting for a sign they would no longer be in danger - "could you all be a dear and tidy up a bit in here? I'd really appreciate it. I'm going to be busy for a while."

Finally up in her room, she set the books down to fetch a towel and her bathrobe. She was still dripping wet and wasn't about to ruin her bed if she wanted to get any sleep.

"Okay, let's just take a look here. I'll just take a quick read through these books and figure out what's going on with me. Then, I can figure out a way to cure it." She said with misplaced confidence as she opened the first book.

As the hours past and the pages turned, Fluttershy was starting to feel that no matter how much she read she wasn't going to find any of the answers she was hoping to discover.

"Erah!" She groaned in frustration, tossing another book to the floor. "I don't get it? Every book says the same thing. Twitchy tails. Feelings of fever. Increased feelings of affection. Easily distracted. Mood swings. But nothing after that. Just..." She lowered her head in defeat. Nothing about what happens after they want to make a baby. And how do I not know this? I've helped so many mothers-to-be find their special others, and even coached them through their... their..." - she stopped to search through a haze in her memory - "Didn't I? But even if I didn't-"

She slid off the bed and began to look over the scattered books on the floor, lifting each one and second guessing if she had missed something. "How can there not be any guides or journals that mention how I - " she shuddered as she thought back to her original reaction out in the rain " - feel when I think about - " - Sweetie Belle's words ran through her mind, bringing fantasies of being in Cerb's arms, held tightly against his bare chest - "ooohoo hoo hoo," she cooed.

Lapsing out of her situational awareness, as her visions of Cerb grew even stronger, she dropped the last book she grabbed and relished in the thought of his muscular figure holding her again. She didn't know why those thoughts ensnared her attention so tightly, or why they made her feel warm and flush all over, or even why she so easily welcomed it. She removed her towel and sat back on her bed, folding her forelegs around herself. If she couldn't find the answers she was looking for, at least she could spoil herself with a few innocent fantasies.

She moaned quietly to herself as she rubbed her forelegs up and down her sides, imagining it was the human arms she desired covering her. She could see him as clearly as she did when they first met. Her fantasy evolved from just hugging to his hands running through her fur and straining through her mane. She hummed out a chuckle as she thought about how cute she would look nuzzling up under his chin. Perhaps something they could do alone, outside under the shade of a tree after enjoying a little picnic. Her mind set the scene where he would lean against the tree, and she would cuddle up close against him and sit in his lap.

The more elaborate the ways their bodies touching became, the more her tail would twitch from side to side and grind against her. It gave her a funny feeling all over. She thought it to be rather lovely actually. Enough that she no longer concerned herself with resisting the urge to let her tail move as it did.

"Oh, Mr. Cerberus. I love the way I feel when you give me those big strong hugs," She carelessly spoke aloud the words of her daydreams.

"That has to be it," she tried to convince herself through her blissful smile. "This isn't about foal making. I'm just a little starved for some affection. That's probably why Pinkie Pie is so happy all the time. She gets so many hugs from other ponies wherever she goes and never has to spend too much time alone like I do."

Again she ran through her fantasy of being under the tree. She made little changes to improve the closeness and amount of contact they could share. This time she imagined the day had started out warm but suddenly cooled off, so she offered to keep his shirtless chest warm with her body heat. Then, instead of merely sitting on his lap, she would straddle it and let her legs rest against his, squeezing them tightly together and pressing herself down against them. The thought of resting her butt against his thighs seemed like an odd concept to dwell on, but it only made the private daydream all the better.

Enough of that, it was time to imagine his chest again. His pectorals were not as broad as a minotaur’s'. His were fuller and didn't look so blocky. They were comfortable even through his shirt. She imagined his bare skin must be smooth like his arms were. It would be like a piece of heaven to nuzzle in close. Maybe she would try to tickle him with her lips while whispering how warm and safe she felt when they were that close.

She giggled at the thought of him squirming and trying to get away, but she would only hold on tighter and wrap her legs around him. She squeezed her thighs together as she did in the rain, and it made her whimper. This little fantasy was becoming more and more enjoyable the rougher she imagined being with him, and she found herself wanting to explore it further.

She went back to the tickles and him squirming to get away, but this time she envisioned her wings wrapping around his hands. She would stretch her wings and hold his arms out at bay so he couldn’t roll himself over. Her back legs would hook under the back of his thighs so he couldn’t kick his way out. She would hold him there and have his whole bare body to tickle with kisses. Yes, now they were kisses. Of course, now her forehooves were free, and she would use them to feel up and down over his stomach and those funny looking nipples he had.

But she knew Mr. Cerberus wouldn't be the type just to lay there helplessly and take it. He would try to fight back. But if she could keep his hands pinned, all he would be able to do is buck his hips to try and throw her off.

Her giggles turned to laughs from the sight she could envision of her riding him up and down and thrashing side to side. Suddenly she realized that she was straddling a pillow on her bed and was acting out her fantasy. It struck her with a flash of embarrassment, not knowing which critter might have caught her goofing around so awkwardly. A quick survey of the room assured her that she was alone.

With her fears put to rest, she plunged herself back into her fantasy and retook her straddling position. "You think you're so big and strong, don't you Mr. Cerberus?" She giggled. "How are you going to let little old Fluttershy pin you down like this?"

She tightened her grip with her rear legs and thrust forward with her hips forward, imagining his struggles only becoming stronger with the teasing. It felt so good to hold him down in this little dream of hers. She just had to relive it again.

In her mind she had him fighting to free himself. He wasn’t scared or angry, it was playful and innocent, like a game they were playing together, but she wouldn't let him go. He was going to have to fight harder. And the harder he struggled, the harder she held on and deeper she would grind against him.

The pleasure building up made her blind to the world around her. Why did this little game of hers make her feel so good? She wanted him there bucking underneath her hips. She wanted this pillow to be him. He would feel so much better and being able to have him there would make her so happy.

The thoughts seemed silly and something so foolish that she should stop and go to sleep. But something inside her wanted to continue. Some guilty pleasure that it wanted to pursue. Something that wanted to feel Cerb's hard body grinding against her where the pillow was.

She couldn't understand why this foalish fantasy was so appealing, but she was too drawn in and committed to this juvenile horseplay to stop. Her embarrassment was thrown to the wayside so that she could fully embrace the pillow with all four limbs. She continued to grind against the imagined bucks, changing her role to bucking back against him in turn.

The soft pillow was losing its appeal as she focused more on what she really wanted. But instead of giving up, she moved her forehooves lower and stiffened the impression so to add to the pressure. Her efforts in this over elaborate hugging fantasy were becoming more demanding.

"Oh, sweet Celestia," she uttered with a quaking squeak.

She wanted this dream to be real. Whatever all this all ways, it invoked a new desire, giving her a new rush of excitement that compelled her to continue. But the more she gave in, the more her fear of being walked in on started to grow. It was as if the more intense this pleasure grew, the more she felt like she was doing something wrong. Whatever the reason, it only convinced her to move faster.

She closed her eyes one last time to see her no longer hold him down. She was holding on desperately to him, and he was holding her tightly against him while he bucked.

This fantasy had gotten away from her and made no sense, but it was far more exciting to envision him wanting to hold her against his body like this. She began to pant and buried her face into the pillow like he was actually there under her.

Something new was happening. It was like her mind shut off, and the body was on autopilot. At that moment she realized that she was trying to dip the folded creases of the pillow deeper into the soft folds of her most feminine of places. Such an act was disgusting, but her newfound desire was trumping her hesitation. She had to obey the demands of this mysterious impulse that had taken over.

Finally, whatever grand destination this act was leading to appeared without warning. She gasped with her mouth gaping open and her mind fully exposed to a new realization about a part of herself. This newfound pleasure spread far and wide throughout her core. Her legs twitched and shivered as each wave of pleasure resonated. She coiled inward, tightening her hold on the pillow and grinding her hoof through the fabric against the moist spot between her legs.

However, such concerns dissipated as her attention went to her hoof digging in and dragging through the opening folds of her flesh under the cotton fabric, then gently riding back down to repeat these little pings of warmth and... honestly she didn't think the words "nice" or "pleasure" fit what she was feeling anymore. Those words were too weak to describe this.

But sadly, like all good things, this too had to end. At least it mostly seemed to of ended. There was a memory of those sensations still lingering as an afterglow after the climax drifted away.

A peculiar thought slipped through her mind that it was a shame that whatever this new activity was made her sweat between her legs so much. That was going to make laundry and sleeping more complicated.

She removed the pillow from the death grip she had held it under and examined the aftermath. "That's... not sweat?"

A closer look showed that the liquid was thicker than any perspiration. It was somewhere between slime and goop. There was also no color or easily detectable odor like she might have urinated on accident, something she had feared for a moment. Though thinking back to the climax of the event, there was a similar sensation buried in there somewhere. Actually, given how close the pillow was, there was a unique scent there that made itself known. It smelled of something a bit tart and sour, almost like a spice with some bittersweet tang, and a touch of a perfume or something alluring that she couldn't define.

She dropped the pillow off the side of her bed and quietly sat there. "What did I just do?"

She looked at her hooves and felt a bit ashamed. While there was nothing inherently bad or wrong with any part of a ponies body, it was well understood that one simply doesn't touch those parts because of their use in the bathroom. To think that she enjoyed the thought of rubbing that part of her body against Cerb's crotch and probably ruin his jeans, that was both gross and just wrong.

"What is wrong with me?" She asked herself before leaning back and spreading her legs to examine herself. Her genitals didn't look out of the ordinary. Not that she had studied them in the past, but they didn't seem to be any different than normal. Perhaps a bit puffier, but that was probably due to the violent treatment she had given herself, which is what warranted this examination.

She took her hoof and softly pawed at it with a careful stroke. Some level of sensitivity was still there, and the touch alone sparked off some temptation to continue. But that would have to wait, or maybe not happen at all.

"No," She told herself that this wasn't going to repeat itself. However, she still had to understand what she was going through. Another paw at herself spread her labia open, and she could see just how wet she was inside. It reminded her of a pony's mouth salivating with strands of saliva stretching from its roof to their tongue. Whatever it was, it was the same substance on her pillow. Such an odd sight to see for her, considering that it was something that had been a part of her for her whole life. This new discovery came with a perplexing question; ‘What else about her body, more specifically this part of her body, didn’t she know about?’

"It looks so strange," she quietly told herself. "But at least I'm not-" She suddenly realized that all of her symptoms appeared to be gone. The fever and feelings of flush, the twitching and urges for contact had all stopped.

"Well, that's a relief." She said before looking forward, evaluating the last 20 or 30 minutes that went into this whole bodily excursion. "It wasn't even all that bad actually."

In fact, on top of feeling relieved, she finally felt ready for bed. And after such a stress-fueled couple of days, a good night sleep in her own bed is just what the doctor ordered. Whatever that was that she just went through left her feeling more relaxed and physically relieved.

Being back at home in her comfortable bed was a treat all to itself. Although, sleeping with Cerb was something she would still easily give up her bed for, even if it meant sleeping on the floor again. Even more so, sleeping in the same bed with him was a rather inviting thought. Her mind started to drift into what it would be like to share a bed with the man of her dreams.

"No!" She loudly grunted in defiance of her own curious desires. "Okay. Think only cute thoughts. Think only cute little adorable thoughts. Cute thoughts, cute thoughts, cute thoughts... I need to get to sleep. I don't want to make this into some kind of habit if I don't even know what it is."

One thing was clear about her condition. Thinking about her dear Mr. Cerberus was without a doubt the catalyst to her downward spiral. Though now she was struggling with a torrent of thoughts.

She needed more information about her condition. Maybe it was an ailment Zecora would know about, perhaps even have a cure. Plus, she needed to see if her zebra friend might have something to help Becky. Some type of lung healing potion, perhaps.

Yes. That was the plan for tomorrow. Meet up with Rarity, wish her well, then seek out Zecora for some assistance. Maybe sneak back in time to see Mr. Cerberus again.

"Cutethouths, cutethoughts, cutethoughts, cutethoughts."

Applejack took one last look over the destruction left in the kitchen. Everything was still a mess. A pony sized hole in the floor with plenty of broken floorboards scattered about made walking across the room a dangerous task. Then there were the three walls that were still standing, if only partially in some spots. Nearly every cupboard door and countertop surface had been either smashed or slashed. Most of their pots and pans fared no better than the busted up table and chairs. At least somepony had the foresight to cover the missing wall with the same tarps used on the human house in preparation of the storm.

"It's hard to look at, ain't it?" Big Mac asked, the bad memories setting the tone of his voice.

"They couldn't even bother to clean up the-" Applejack choked up looking down and the smears and blotches of blood still staining the room. "I'd of traded the tarp covering the side'a house for taken care of... ya know."

"Why can't I take a look at the kitchen?" Apple Bloom shouted from around the corner. "Dang nab it, Apple Bloom! If you don't march yer apple covered flank up them stairs and inta bed, I'll drag ya by the tail back to Granny Smith, and you can imagine what it looks like from there till we get it fixed."

"Fine!" The younger sister groaned. "I just wanted to see what happened to them jerks when Big Mac saved Kelly. One of the guards said that Big Mac was brave, and another one said he was scary and that I should feel safe having him as a big brother."

The two looked at each other, not sure how much she was told, or from who and when.

Big Mac was curious now. "And just where and when did you hear all 'bout that?"

Apple Bloom answered from halfway up the stairs. "They were talking about it when Spike took us to find y'all... Did you really fight three of Princess Celestia's guards and put 'em in the hospital? Granny wouldn't say anything about it."

"Eeyup. And if you ever wanna hear about it, you'll get to bed and go to sleep without another peep," He threatened half seriously.

"I'm going. I'm going," Was the last thing she rambled off before doing as she was told.

The reality of being back home being tougher on Applejack than she expected was discomforting, and she wondered if it was the same for her brother. "You gonna be alright there, Macintosh?"

He left out a heavy sigh before turning to give her some straight talking. "I dunno. Even after everything Cerb and Kelly both told me... I can't help but feel like in some way I let her down."

Applejack pulled up a now three-legged chair and carefully tried to use it for a seat. "Yeah. I know what you mean. I got the same talk'n too, about it. Mostly from Lumberman. Heck of a guy he is. All of'em really. But yeah... Cuz I mean, just one second faster, one step in any other direction... either one of us could'a saved'er. Maybe, I mean."

It was the same thing he had thought himself, so it gave him little solace.

"Well, shit," She went on again. "Who knows? Maybe that one second or one step could have made things worse. Maybe what happened was the least bad way it coulda gone down."

Perhaps it was all her near misses and brushes with fate that inspired her next string of thoughts, but they came with a greater sense of purpose. "Big Mac... them humans ain't like us. Like Celestia told Cerberus. We're pretty gosh dern durable. They ain't. Heck, you missed them talking the first day we all met up with 'em. Darn near all of 'em have had more of their friends and family die than ponies I even know that have gone and passed away."

"What you getten off too, sis?" He asked, not sure where her rambling was taking him.

Applejack found the best reasoning she could come up with to shine some light on that dark event. "What I'm trying to say is, I think that if this had happened any other way... maybe she wouldn't have made it."

Big Mac couldn't tell if she was saying what happened was a good thing or a bad thing, and his contorted expression told Applejack that he wasn't getting it.

"Big Mac," She cracked a weak smile through the pride and admiration she felt for him right there and then. "I think you're the only thing that could have saved her and got her outta this place alive. She's awful lucky you two are so smitten for each other."

The boost in confidence given to him made him fail to pick up on the note that she was onto his secret little romance. "Well, I suppose I can see where you're coming from about how different-err what? How did you?"

"Oh. Come. On, Big Mac," she groaned, leaning back into the unbalanced chair. "You hide yer secrets like Celestia hides the sunlight."

"Well, ya see, uh-" Big Mac nervously started to back away, mumbling and stuttering and nearly slipping into a hole in the floor big enough to force fit a ponies head through.

Applejack waved a friendly hoof to her brother. "Calm yerself down, ya big doofus. I ain't mad at ya. And I certainly ain't gunna try an stop ya."

This was an unexpected response by the big red stud. "Really?"

A bit of emotional unloading was about to work it's way out, but she had to be honest. "Well, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't confused or a bit agitated to see you making the kitchen a mess and then find out that you'd been slacking off on the chores just to go off to try and romancing some stranger. And yeah... the whole her not being a pony had me wondering a thing or two, but..." - she sighed with a bit guilt in her breeth - "after seeing her again and how thinking back to how sweet and innocent she'd been. Being bright-eyed and positive, helpful, even through all their hard times. Plus, she really seems to make you happy."

He answered back with a sigh of relief.

Truth be told, even all those things considered, none of those things were what led her to accept them being together. "There was never a good time to bring it up. Actually, I was gonna have Granny try and talk some sense into ya. But... ya know."

"You were going to have Granny..." His voice came off soft like he didn't know whether to be more shocked or hurt. "What? Kelly and I weren't even-"

"I dunno. Okay?" She was quick to cut off his accusations. "I wasn't feeling great since I woke up that morning, none of us knew much of anything about any of them, and there was something... kinda scary about them. I was worried about you. And you just plain out of the blue falling so hard for her, I overreacted."

As rash as her reason might have been at the time, he couldn't say she was wrong to be concerned. "Fair enough... but what made you change yer mind then?"

Applejack looked down to the floor. Her thoughts seemed to conjure up a lot in her head that she had to set in order. "Well... I hate to say it, but what happened to Kelly really started it." - She quickly held out a hoof and looked him dead in the eye - "Not in a bad way or nuthin. It was more of just how vulnerable they seemed to be. Then how strong they were together. I thought only ponies could band together like they did. They pulled together like they were a family."

Looking back on all the chaos that went down that night, it was rather impressive just how well they kept pushing forward, even when they all would later find out just how much each one of them was falling apart the whole time.

"But really, what did it was Lumberman," She finally confessed.

"Lumberman? What'd he do?" Her brother pressed with genuine curiosity. "Was it the whole bath thing?"

She gave a gentle chuckle to his inquiry. "It was more than that, Macintosh. As grateful as I am fer all he was willing to do to take care of me, it was the talk we had."

Big Mac was very interested now. Most of the males that he talked with had been very kind and welcoming to him. He never thought to ask how they had been treating his sister. He pulled up a chair that had lost its back support and was more like a stool to take a seat close to his sister.

"What you both talk about?"

"Lots of stuff. Helped me to see why I shouldn't uh blamed myself. Even managed to make me laugh," She chuckled, thinking back to how much she messed with him the whole night. "Laughed quite a bit, come to think of it... But... he gave me a lot of insight on how different we all are from one another. But then-" She drew a long breathe in and sighed, realizing she promised to keep much of what they discussed just between them - "I can't say too much about what all he told me. Lots of really personal and private stuff. But I guess it all boils down to everything where they come from says that they should never be with ponies like us."

"Cuz it'd be a crime for them?" He answered back with sad knowing eyes. "Becuz it would make their friends and family turn away from them. That maybe we'd be too different to really love each other?"

Applejack scratched her head on that response. Apparently, her brother had some very different conversations that addressed more issues then she had discussed with Lumberman. "Well, the crime thing is new to me, but given the way he talked about how ponies are back where they came from, it would make them looking at us all getting together as hard to get over as he made it sound. And yet, there was Kelly, getting all sweet on ya."

"You know she turned me down before I even asked her?" He said with a smirk.

"She did?

"Eyup. She sure did. Not because we were different. She said she liked everything about me, but I'd get hurt and have everypony turn against me if we were together. She made it sound like we'd never be allowed to be together because we were different. But really, I think she was scared. She didn't talk about it, but I think she's had a lot of heartbreak where she came from. Maybe other humans she was with didn't care about her and left her so many times that she thinks she can't be loved. Shucks... I think she's had such a rough time she forgot how to love herself."

"Ya know... I keep saying that everything seems to happen for a reason," She softly spoke to her brother. "Do you think they were sent here so we could save them? Not like the normal friendship problems me and the girls are sent out to fix, but something bigger this time?"

Big Mac could only shake his head with some hesitation. "I wouldn't know anything about that. I'm just an apple farmer, sis."

A subtle huff escaped through Applejack's smile at such a notion. "Oh, come now. You are without a doubt a lot more than that Big Mac. And I think Kelly certainly sees that, too."

A warm smiled grew from that as Big Mac thought back to how much faith Kelly had placed in giving them a shot. "I hope yer right."

The prospect of doing more than just a simple friendship mission with humans and their possible permanent residence to Ponyville sparked a curious thought that perhaps her brother could answer. "Hey, Mac? This might sound like an odd question, but can I ask ya something about Kelly's hands?"

He sat there silently with a look that gave her the go-ahead to ask him.

"Does it feel... different? I mean," - she reached behind her shoulder and gave the back of her neck a nervous rub - "you know... Like better than a ponies touch?"

He cocked his head slightly, trying to understand what she meant by ‘different.‘

Applejack was already regretting bringing it up but wanted some type of confirmation on her own experiences. "I don't know how to explain it, honestly. But when I was with Lumberman in the bath," - she was starting to become physically uncomfortable as she opened up about what she felt with her human caretaker - "I felt something I never felt before. It was... nice. Better than just nice."

She tried not to dwell on the feelings her body had, hoping to not to let them distract her. In some ways, she didn't want to share the level of attraction she had for how it felt either. The way she wanted it seemed a bit too personal and still had so much unknown to her about it.

"Something about it felt... I dunno. Wonderful." She dropped her posture, failing to adequately explain her experience. "I probably ain't making a lick of sense."

It took him a minute to piece together what she couldn't put to words and made him crack a vindicated smug smile. "Sounds to me like you got yerself a human crush a brewing, sis."

Applejack went wide-eyed at the accusation and ripped off her hat to treat her brother's snout with a generous swat of its brim. "You watch yer mouth there, lover boy. It ain't nothing like that," She asserted to the giggling red fool. "Just cuz I happen to like the fella doesn't mean I'll be carrying him off here and there to sneak in some puppy love petting and smooches when I think there ain't no pony watching," - an accusing glare in her eyes gave away that she knew what they had been doing - "Yeah. Don't think I didn't notice you two acting all lovey-dovey every chance ya got. I'd ah set ya both straight if I weren't so concerned about bringing any more attention that ya both already brought onta yerselves."

A familiar blush burned through Big Mac's cheeks as he tried not to make eye contact with his sister. "You-uh... You saw that?"

"Me and no pony else. But only cuz I knew enough to look out for ya and keep the others occupied," She explained grouchily as she leaned back in her uneasy chair. "I'd think given all her hesitation and warnings you'd be smart enough not to make it so obvious."

"Alright, alright. Yer right I suppose," He conceded far easier than she had expected. "But you might wanna be careful yerself, now."

She leaned forward with another displeased glare. "What'chu talking bout?"

He grinned, rolling his eyes to the side and he leisurely leaned away from her. "Oh please, AJ. You stick any closer to Woody's side, and you'll be just as bad as Rarity and Fluttershy."

"What!" She shouted almost loud enough to wake Apple Bloome upstairs, if she was even asleep yet, that is. "I... awe crab apples. I have been pretty much glued to him since waking up after using the elements, haven't I?"

"Mmmhmm," He gloated with a slow nod.

She had no explanation to explain her behavior, but it wasn't as he described it to be. "Okay, I can see how it must look. But believe me, brother. It really ain't nuthing romantic like that."

"Then what is it?" He asked like it were a rhetorical question.

"Mac..." She started to speak out in a hushed tone. "I ain't never felt so scared or powerless in my whole life as I did leaving our house last night."

Big Mac dropped his smirk. This wasn't the type of thing his sister would say so flippantly.

"I was... so beat up and defeated after I found out Kelly didn't wake up after everything we did," Her words were soft and mirrored her emotions perfectly. "I could barely stand on my own, and, well, there ain't no point just repeating how I felt emotionally. But I thought I was alone."

A strong hoof laid itself on Applejacks shoulder, and Big Mac did his best to console her. "Sis. I was there the whole time. If ya needed somepony to-"

"No, Macintosh," She stopped him short of the obvious comforts he would offer. "You were right where you needed to be. Taking care of Kelly. Pinkie was off with Benny, and all the others were still asleep or dealing with them and watching over Kelly or doing whatever else. Lumberman was there for me. Picked me up and took care of me, despite how stubborn and difficult as I was. And just like you, he was ready to take on the whole lot of Celestia’s guards. Probably even the Princess herself, if it came down to it. So... I felt safe next to him."

Big Mac withdrew his no longer comforting reach, feeling like he had ignored his own kin in her time of need. "Applejack, I-uh... I'm sorry."

She gently shook her head. "Don't be. Everything was just one big mess. It all worked out the way that it had to. And don't go around thinking I hold any of that against ya. But please don't go off thinking that I'm falling for the guy on an account of what he did for me. I appreciate and admire him, but I'm most certainly not falling in love with 'em. He had the strength I needed at the time. Also, he made it very clear he wasn't the type to go falling for no pony."

Her story was enough to have him convinced she wasn't pulling the wool over his eyes, though that made him feel bad for saying what he did, given her situation at the time. "I'm sorry, sis. I won't bring it up again."

Now a new dilemma arose in her thoughts after explaining her situation. "Hey, Mac..." Her voice was sounding curiously guilty of some unknown sin. "Would I be a terrible mare for loving how he made me feel without loving him for it?"

That didn't sound at all like the sister he knew, even with everything she had just told him. "AJ, the last thing you'll ever be is a terrible mare. And there isn't a single thing wrong with loving how your friends make you feel."

Those words should have calmed her concerns, but she knew that he didn't understand how much of what she was talking about was regarding his touch. It was true that she loved how he treated her and how well they got along. Even the playful flirts that she gave to get a rise out of him were only jokes that he was just as guilty for giving back in return, not some true form of affection. Reflecting on that actually made her feel worse. Almost like she was taking advantage of him in some way.

"I see what yer saying, Mac. And I can't argue with that."

He gathered that he had put her concerns at ease. "See, you got nothing to worry about, sis."

For a moment, silence settled over the tattered kitchen. Big Mac looked around at the unpleasant sight and came to a wise decision after a yawn. "How about we put this all out of her heads for now and call it a night?"

"Huh?" She was still lost in her conflicting thoughts and had to reprocess his suggestion. "Oh, yeah. I suppose that'd be fer the best."

"Come on, now," He ushered her off her chair with a brotherly nudge. "We gotta big day tomorrow. Get some sleep, sis. You'll feel better in the morning when they get here."

"Right behind ya, Big Mac," She said, not sounding as excited as she should have been.

Her tone went unnoticed by her brother, too excited to see Kelly again. She would have shared her excitement for what tomorrow was sure to bring, but she still questioned herself in her thoughts. "Why do I feel so bad about wanting to feel Lumberman's touch again? Is it just me that feels like that? Is it just him that can do that to a pony? Maybe a stallion can't... or maybe a side effects of the exhaustion or..."

Even with all the rest she had that day, she was still tired. Or maybe it was her emotions that were leaving her burnt out. Whatever it was, it left her guided by muscle memory to Apple Bloom's door, following the same path she always took before heading to bed. She peered in to see her sister blissfully asleep under the blankets. At least there was that comfort she could take solace in.

"G'night sugar cube," She whispered before closing the door softly.

Back in her room, she slid under the covers and again retraced where her thoughts had led her. "Did Lumberman do all those things to me out of pity? Well, no. Maybe not all of them. It was only certain parts he didn't want to... maybe I should just ask him. I don't know why... no, I know why he wouldn't want to wash..."

She groaned and pulled her blanket over her face dwelling on how she acted with her incisive request for Lumberman to tend to her. Without the alcohol in her system, so much of what he did for her and his cries of discomfort with anything sexually related seemed to make more sense. Or least she thought they did, still not understanding the physicality of sex.

She rolled hard between her sheets, feeling frustrated with everything that lay just outside of her understanding. It left her feeling like she was alone again. Not alone and vulnerable, more like she was lost and didn’t have support to turn to for help. She nuzzled into her pillow and yawned.

After a moment laying there, the fabric started to hold its heat, giving a clear contrast to the cool air of the night. She drew in tighter to her covers, though they didn't provide the same comfort she felt in Lumberman's arms. "I could have stayed one more night. My house is busted, Big Mac was helping Kelly, Apple Bloom wanted to stay... or am I just looking for excuses?"

A flash of lighting light the sky and cast a series of shadows through the window, causing her to jolt in response. There was no reason for it, yet she still flinched. After she collected herself, her thoughts immediately went back to having Lumberman with her again. "Am I... lonely?"

It was kinda fun writing this chapter out. Mostly it was fun trying to think how it would play out to have a completely innocent character like Fluttershy having her first experience in her sexual self-discovery. It was a challenge in some ways because everything she would do would all have to come from what little she knows in combination with her own curiosity and instinct.