"Okay." Sniff prepared himself for his introduction. "Ladies, I'm sure you all remember me from yesterday."

"Yeah!" Bulk bellowed.

"Not you, Bulk," one of the mares shouted back. "And quiet down."

In the middle of a large spa room, Sniff stood before a crowd of mares—and one excessively muscular stallion. He couldn't believe he fell into this, but then again, karma is a bitch, and turnabout is fair play. He couldn't even be mad at Cerb for setting him up like this.

"Okay." Sniff started over. "All you ladies—and you too, Bulk— hold your enthusiasm."

Giggles overtook Sniff's delivery. At least the audience was agreeable.

"So, as my good friend Cerb put out yesterday, we are all forever grateful for the considerations you have shown us. As such, my services, as a gesture of goodwill and appreciation, have been offered. So, with the assistance of one of your cohorts, Lyra Hamstrings—"

"Heartstrings," Lyra corrected him over the laughs and giggles of everypony around her.

"My bad," Sniff tried not to laugh through his apology. "But, yes. With her help, it has been established that I will be providing a cultural exchange of services and training on massage therapy. What happened last night was pretty much all of us messing around, just being honest with you."

He finally found his groove with the audience and could sell what he was doing.

"Full disclosure, my techniques have been developed from years of—" He raised his hands and wiggled his fingers "—hands-on experience with the women I know back home. So, Bulk, I might have a hard time with you and all that... bulk you have."

Bulk flexed his forelegs and examined his mass.

"Heh. I work out a lot."

Sniff deadpanned, "Kinda figured that... Anyway, here to assist me, before all of you are treated to these magic fingers, Miss Oven Fresh has been kind enough to provide herself for the first demonstration. Ovens, if you would get situated on the table, please."

Oven Fresh trotted up to the table, excited to see what the fuss was all about. It was a safe bet to say she wanted to see if this would be anything like what she felt this morning. If it was, she'd have to give Lyra a proper apology and thank her for giving her the hook-up with this deal.

"Comfy?" Sniff asked Oven Fresh.

"I'm good," she gleefully responded with her face sticking through the face hole in the table.

"Alright." Sniff brought up a sheet and laid it over Oven Fresh's lower half. "Where I come from, we don't normally like to expose any parts of ourselves from the waist down through the mid-thigh section. That's why you always see us wearing clothes. And yes, I know none of you do here. I have nothing against that. You do you. But for us, because I know you're all going to ask, it's a cultural thing. We prefer to keep our privates... private."

One of the mares in the back poked her head up with a question.

"What if you need one of those areas massaged? Do you have it massaged over the clothes?"

If only they knew what a happy ending was.

"Uh... Good question. But, generally, the glutes can be worked on without a problem. Just need to move the sheet, but the groin area itself isn’t worked on for obvious reasons."

"Why's that?" The same mare asked.

Now Sniff was being put on the spot. He knew these ponies were virtually clueless about sexual immorality and lewd acts, but they couldn't be that clueless.

"Uh... It's considered inappropriate and not very hygienic to go rubbing anyone down there. I mean... is that a common practice for you?"

Aloe was the one to offer an explanation.

"We understand your concerns about hygiene. You never know when a pony might have been in a rush to clean themselves or lacks the proper courtesy to do so in the first place. And while we don't offer any specific services dealing with that section of anatomy... We… um... Actually, I don't think we ever have dealt with providing massages for that part of the body... I wonder why that is?"

"Probably for the best," Sniff suggested before promptly moving on. "But working around those areas is fine. Might not want to focus around them for too long, but, yeah. Anyway."

Sniff picked up the first bottle of oil left out for his demonstration and applied a healthy dose in his hand.

"Okay, so, last time, I didn't bother with the oils. I didn't think I'd be doing more than only a few minutes of massaging. But, come on, this is a must to keep a smooth glide going over the muscles and... I was going to say skin, but all of your fur is already smooth. Regardless."

Sniff let the oil spill from his hand down the center of Oven Fresh's upper back and then started to slowly work it in.

"Now, since I don't have hooves—"

An unexpected groan escaped Oven Fresh's lips, halting the demonstration and bringing everypony’s attention to the mare on the table.

"That's normal," Sniff stated, trying not to make the situation any more awkward than it already was.

"I'm proof of that," Aloe cooed in a manner that got the rest of the mares all the more invested.

Sniff, however, even if he did find the attention rewarding in some old familiar way, continued on as if that didn't just happen.

"Like I said, I don't have hooves, so I have to apply more pressure with the palms of my hands or my fingertips."

He continued to work over the mare's back, guiding his fingers over the muscles, tracing them over her joints. Just like with Twilight, he could feel her going limp and the tension in her limbs relaxing. The more he worked on her, the more he started to have some of those old feelings come back again. Not lust or desire, but a sense of accomplishment and appreciation for what he could do for someone he was with. Truth be told, his real desire in life was pleasing others. And this, this certainly was fitting the bill.

"Can you tell me the most problematic areas you ponies need worked on?" Sniff asked with a calmer voice and spoke in a softer tone.

It took a moment, but Aloe broke out of her fixation on the display and started to answer the question instead.

"Well, the back and shoulders are always trouble spots for us. The neck is a close second. But for ponies like Oven Fresh and ourselves, who do most of our work not sitting down, the barrel and everything from the loin, croup, and dock need a lot of work. Also, the glutes, just like you mentioned before, as well as all the way around to the flanks and into the hips. These areas build up a lot of tension."

"Please," Oven Fresh moaned from under the table. "All of those. Yes."

"Alright," Sniff chuckled. "My next question is... what are those? The only one I know was glutes."

With a gentle pull of the sheet, Aloe revealed the rest of Oven Fresh's lower half. Essentially, everything from the lower back to the back of her knees was pointed out as the areas of focus. Pretty much all the danger zones he was afraid of. But what could be done to avoid fulfilling his duties at this point?

"Alright... Again... Still new at this," Sniff nervously stated.

"Aloe." Oven Fresh could barely mumble her name clearly. "Hire this stallion."

Every mare burst into a fit of giggles and laughter at the request. Even Aloe had to laugh along. Not because it was silly but because she understood why.

"Actually, it's man," Sniff corrected her. "Not that I don't dig being called a stallion. I get it. But... actually, yeah. It's fine. Stallion it is.... Bragging rights."

"Well, then." Aloe chuckled and rubbed her side up against Sniff. "How about you finish with your demonstrations on us, and we can put it up to a vote?"

Now Sniff was faced with a dilemma. Appeasing his new fans or catering to his own sensitivities.

"First things, first." He opted to play it safe and make no commitments. "Let's get you ladies taken care of. Then we can talk business."

It was about ten minutes from start to finish working over Oven Fresh's back. However, much to her dismay, Sniff wasn't able to make it to her thighs, which needed more attention than her back. She had to swap out and allow Aloe the opportunity to let Sniff demonstrate his skills on the glutes and the thighs.

"These are some of the thickest and hardest to wo-oh my Celestia," Aloe's warning ended with Sniff going straight to work.

Sniff had found a muscle groove between the semitendinosus and the biceps femoris muscles. And if you don't know what those are, that's okay. He didn't either.

Aloe couldn't hold back or contain her thoughts.

"Lotus... Everypony. Vote, yes."

"Alright." Sniff was done being worried about what this was alluding to and decided to have some fun with it. "Y'all are trying to embarrass me. And I don't know how to feel about that. But if you're going to keep up with this embellishment..."

Aloe didn't know why he didn't finish his sentence and was about to ask why, but what she felt next wouldn't allow it. With a sharp gasp, she held her tongue when Sniff's hand slid down her inner thigh all the way up until he could slide his fingers around and over her flank.

"Now, ladies, the inner thighs can be a very sensitive area to work on," Sniff went on to explain, pretending not to know how much she had to be enjoying it. "There's a lot of nerves packed into all these muscles. So that makes them hurt so much more when the muscles are overworked, and feel so much better to have all the stress released. You can go a little deeper into the muscles."

He pressed his thumb a little harder into the inner thigh and ran it down, causing Aloe to tense up and squeeze her forelegs around the table.

"Which can feel rather intense. But, it's usually needed to help release all that tension. The other option, Aloe, if you would be so kind as to roll over on your back for me."

Aloe did exactly as she was told without protest or question. She wanted to take a look at Sniff's face and show her appreciation for his demonstration but was greeted with the sheet.

"Are you comfortable and situated?" Sniff asked.

"Yes," Aloe answered in a dreamy, if not sensual, voice.

Sniff lowered the sheet, covering everything from under her ribs to her tail. Only her legs were left exposed.

"Sometimes—" Sniff started to go into another demonstration as he lifted Aloe's left leg up and rested her hoof on his shoulder. "—going deep into the tissue isn't what they need or even want. Sometimes, it's all about being gentle and helping the muscle relax."

Another dose of oil in his hands, and he was ready to get back into it again. He gently rubbed his fingers and thumbs down her leg from her knee to her lower torso. After only a few strokes, he noticed an uptake in her breathing and could see things were going too far. Enough that he would have to back off.

"Do you see the difference in how I can use my hands?"

Aloe let out a soft sigh, basking in the warmth his hands delivered, "Ooh, yes. This feels incredible... please don't put us out of business."

All the girls laughed again, and even Sniff joined along.

"Don't you worry," Sniff warmly answered. "I wouldn't be so cruel. And besides. Where would I go to get my massages?"

Sniff paced himself just long enough to rub down both legs before letting her know her time was up and another would get her turn.

"Lyra!" Sniff called out to the unexpecting mare. "You're up next, and we're going to show them something a little different."

"Cool!" Lyra trotted up to a reclining seat Sniff was standing next to.

One of the mares nudged another's side and leaned in to whisper, "Hey. Since when has Lyra worked here? I never once saw her clock in. And what's a music coordinator anyway?"

"I don't know," the other mare whispered back. "I never heard about it until Bon Bon was talking to Aloe and Lotus this morning."

"Shh," Lotus hushed the two of them. "Pay attenshun. Petair is sharings."

Back in the front of the crowd, Sniff was helping Lyra into position.

"Now, just lean back all the way and tilt your chin up. Yep, just like that and let your arms re... God dang it. Sorry, still not used to your front legs not being arms. Anyway, let your front legs relax."

Another hand full of oil, and Sniff started down her shoulders into the cusp of her neck.

Lyra let out a small moan that melted into a light whimper before she could express her thoughts.

"Best... job... ever."

"What was that?" Sniff playfully asked.

"Mmmph," Lyra let out a deeper moan as she drew in a full breath of air and let her chest rise up into Sniff's ministrations. "I love hands. Hands are the best."

"This looks and almost smells a lot like alcohol," Starlight protested, eyeing the glass jar of gasoline.

Chris frowned over her commentary, "Well, it's not. And don't drink it. It's toxic and will royally mess you up."

Starlight played coy with a carefree voice, "Right, Right. Relax, Chris. This is me you're talking to. Not Applejack. I know when not to drink."

Chris huffed in frustration, "Yeah, well, give it a try, but only do a small amount. If this really will blow up if you can't duplicate it right, this is going to make a killer fireball. You'll pretty much be blowing up a firebomb."

"How fun," Starlight groaned, growing steadily more anxious. "Stand back... Here goes nothing."

Starlight levitated out an ounce's worth of gas and floated the jar off to their side.

Right away, she knew something was wrong as soon as the spell started to replicate the material provided.

"There's way too much in here.“ She could feel the spell starting to go haywire, trying to handle all the complexities of the gasoline's composition. “Chris, I don't think I can—"

The disconnect was complete. She had no control over the spell as the magic went critical.

“Get down!"

Despite Chris's own warnings, he still had complete and utter faith in Starlight. While it may have been well-intended, it left him unprepared for the spell going horribly wrong. The swirling lights grew bright enough that he tuned out Starlight's words. The lights flashed with an eruption of flames that blinded him. He clenched his eyes shut and thought for sure he was either going to die or need to be rushed to the hospital as he was slammed to the ground.

The spell had failed with an explosion, just as he had been warned could happen. It was the last thing he heard after Starlight screamed at him. He was certain he heard it. But there was also another eruption. Maybe the spell and gas were two separate explosions? Both noises seemed to have gone off at the time that he felt the impact on his chest. It must have knocked his senses loose as the sound of the explosion seemed to have cut off when he hit the ground. It was like listening to movie special effects playing over a speaker, and the power was pulled. Just the hum and chime of something magical hung in the air: that and someone calling his name.

"Chris! Chris!" Starlight's voice called out to him.

Chris groaned and tried to roll over but couldn't seem to move. His back felt like he had been body slammed, and his chest and abdomen were much hotter than it was just a moment ago. His torso felt heavy, and the pressure made it a little harder to breathe.

"Chris! Say something!" Starlight shouted again.

Chris strained to get his words out.

"Oww... I think I stood too close. Am I on fire? I think I'm on fire."

Starlight sighed in relief, "Oh, thank goodness.”

Chris started to have his senses return to him. The heat on his chest didn't seem as hot as he thought, and he felt around to check for flames. Thankfully, where he thought there should be flames was a warm body covered in fur. He finally decided to try and open his eyes and was greeted with the sight of Starlight lying on top of him under a glowing violet hue of her magic.

Chris reached up and patted her face gently.

"Oh, good. It's just you. I thought I got blown up or something."

"I'm so sorry, Chris." Starlight started to tear up as she apologized. "I had no idea your gas was that volatile. How is that stuff even safe? But are you okay? You're not hurt, are you? Do you feel any pain anywhere?"

"Did you tackle me?" Chris asked.

Still in a panic, Starlight looked over his chest for blood or any other sign of injury.

"Chris... Oh my gosh. I'm—"

Chris lightly hugged his arms around Starlight.

"This was all my fault. I fucking owe you. And before you try to take credit for this cluster fuck, don't. I knew a lot more about how dangerous this could be and still asked you to try and do it, even though you're not supposed to. So before you try and apologize again, let's agree that this never happened. At least not the way it did."

Starlight searched for a better excuse but fell back on repeating herself, "But I knew this spell could be dangerous—"

"And I still stood close enough I could spit on it," Chris retorted. "And you still saved me from my stupid ass not even moving when I watched it explode."

Even if it was true, Starlight still wanted to blame herself.

"Chris—"

"Starlight,” again, Chris tried to compel her. “You don't know how glad I am to have you as a friend. But you can't put me on a pedestal. I made bad choices that could have hurt both of us. And after Cerb's long brief about how to do everything as safely as possible, shit I've heard before, I have no excuse. You didn't know how bad this could get. Let me take the blame for this so we can move on and find another solution, if there even is one."

Starlight stared into his eyes, speechless at how well he was able to control this whole debacle.

"Or we can just lay here like this," Chris suggested with a sly smirk. "You think I'll get lucky and have one of the girls want to be this close without needing to set off an explosion?"

Starlight gasped loudly and threw herself off as fast as she could back away, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to—"

Thunk! Clank!

Starlight ran her rear-end into the shield she had put up around them. She slammed against it so fast that her momentum had the back of her head sling back and have a good crack against it.

"Ah! Son of uh!... Chris! Give me a good curse word for this!"

Chris didn't know if he was supposed to laugh at that or be worried about his safety now.

"Uh... probably want to go with 'son of a bitch' on this one."

Starlight gave an angry nod.

"Thank you!... Son of a bitch! Wow, that smarts."

Thankfully, Chris could see she wasn't mad at him, just her own stupidity and overreaction.

"Are you okay? Not just your head and ass. I didn't mean to freak you out with the joke. I know you were on me like that to protect me. I didn't mean to imply that you were... trying to make any moves on me."

Looking more sad than in pain, Starlight asked, "Can we agree that this never happened, too?

Chris looked down at his gut, assuming she must have been upset over the notion of her being even remotely attracted to him.

"Never happened... Gotcha."

"No-No-No-No!" Starlight could see the misinterpretation all too clearly. "Oh, son of a bitch, twice! For Celestia's sake. How do I keep screwing this up with you?"

"Glimmy, it's fine," Chris regretfully told her as he sat up straight. "I know I'm not—"

"Nooooooooooo! Stop! Please!" Starlight was now desperate to undo the damage she just created. "Chris, please. For the love of everything, we've managed to fix and turn into a friendship that I never knew I needed so badly; please don't think I'm not attracted to you!"

Unphased by her plea, Chris turned to look away, only to snap his eyes back on Starlight when he realized what she just told him.

Realizing she inadvertently let the cat out of the bag, Starlight was burning crimson in her cheeks.

"I... I... I..." She flopped her hind end on the ground with a pathetic thud and sulked as low as she could. "I keep messing everything up. Every chance I get with you."

Chris could have kicked himself at this point. Lord knows he wanted to.

"Starlight, I didn't know. Believe me. I didn't mean to... Fuck me. I wish I would have known sooner."

"What?" Starlight turned her attention back to Chris. "You mean? You think... You'd—"

"Yes!" Chris said a little too loud. "But you kept introducing me to all the other girls, I thought... Why would you try to hook me up with so many other mares if you wanted to... What do you—" Chris took a short pause, trying to think what she was really trying to say, so he didn't jump the gun in the wrong direction "—want to do?"

Starlight took a good long look at Chris, and a rush of emotions left her conflicted and confused.

"I want to redo our makeup attempt at Applejack's... I want to make you happy and feel loved." Her tears started welling up, and that painful heartache started to settle in again. "I want to have you hold me closer to you than anypony else and not turn me away."

A lot of treatment Chris had been receiving started to make sense.

"Starlight—"

The moment was here and now, and Starlight's voice started to break, "I don't ever want to see you hurt again, but I can't stop it from happening."

"Starlight," Chris spoke again, softer and more clearly, holding his arms open, "Come here."

Even with Chris’s new acceptance, she was still too scared to hurt him again, if not feeling unworthy of his affection.

"Chris, no. I'm just going—"

There was no way Chris was going to let all of Starlight’s goodwill with him go unrewarded, and he again made his intentions clear.

"If I have to come over to you, I will."

Starlight didn't budge.

This was kind of cute, so Chris went on with his ploy to coax her over to him.

"Don't think I won't. And don't think I won't get a hold of you. You don't have much room to run."

Starlight looked up to see she still had her shield around them.

Chris tilted his head slightly and shot her a welcoming smile as he again broadcasted that he was waiting to give her a hug.

"If you don't want to hurt me, don't leave me hanging like this."

Starlight looked up with a hopeful smile and conflicted, sad eyes.

"You'll have to teach me more of your curse words." She coughed out a weak laugh, "Because all the words I know aren't doing me justice right now."

Chris shot her a glance that told her he understood and called her over again, "Come here."

Sniffing and soft whelps of laughter bubbled up as Starlight cautiously closed the distance between them. The few steps she took felt like miles until she walked into Chris's arms and she wrapped her forelegs around his neck. She sobbed quietly over his shoulder while Chris pulled her closer.

Starlight wanted to resist at first but gave in and sat herself in his lap, just like she did in her drunken stupor days earlier. She had given into the temptation to bring him some semblance of happiness for once. Only this time, she knew neither of them were so black-out drunk that they would forget it ever happened.

Thankfully, It didn't take long for the sobs to subside, and she could enjoy what they were sharing. She constantly nuzzled her cheek into his neck and ran her fetlocks over his back. Chris returned in kind by pressing his lips against the crook of her neck and rubbing his hands down her back and over her hindquarters.

All of it felt indescribably wondrous. Her fur against his skin. His skin against her fur. The warmth from their bodies heating each other to an almost uncomfortable level. Just touching each other and feeling all the compassion and acceptance they provided each other. How could she not have gone after this sooner?

Finally, Starlight swallowed hard and hoped the timing was right for what she wanted to ask him.

"You wouldn't turn me away or tell me to stop if I kissed you right now?" She swallowed hard again and held a little tighter at the fear of losing him over such a request. "Would you?"

Chris's heart might have skipped a beat at the question, and his body responded the only way it could. Of which, he hoped, she wouldn't notice.

"I think I'd only hold you closer so you couldn't get away."

That was all she needed to hear, she moved in to give him the kiss he wouldn't reject and pressed her lips to his.

Their kiss was soft and tame, yet still passionate and loving. She wasn't going to be sloppy and aggressive like when she was drunk. This time it would be mutual. And even if Chris didn’t remember what he told her, she knew this was how he wanted it. She was going to make sure it was done right for him.

Chris pushed the envelope timidly, only inches into the miles he wanted to travel with her. He parted his lips just slightly and gently sucked on her lips. Even bolder, he let his hands venture further inward towards her tail-covered center, stopping short of what he thought would warrant a slap for going too far.

Both of his endeavors paid off with a glorious moan from Starlight. She involuntarily pressed back into his hands and sat deeper in his lap against his rigid member, finally drawing a moan from him.

"Mmm." Starlight pulled back from their kiss. "I don't know what's better? How good you kiss or how good your hands feel."

Chris playfully grinned, "Well, lucky for you. You don't have to choose."

"Emmhmm," Starlight hummed her approval before leaning in for another short kiss while Chris gave her rump another good squeeze and gentleman's rub.

A few more moans and Starlight pulled back again; a heavenly smile graced upon her face.

"I don't deserve to have a stallion as good as you, Chris."

"Better take that up with somepony else," Chris jested. "Because now yer stuck with me."

"Yes, I—" Starlight suddenly suffered a terrible case of remembering important shit. "Oh, crap... All the other mares. I built them up so much about having a chance with you and told them I wasn't going to..."

Either Starlight.exe just crashed and needed a reboot, or Chris had to help her through some terrible revelation she was having trouble expressing.

"Fuck," Chris stated. "The expression you're looking for is fuck."

"Fuck," Starlight grunted painfully. "I'm not even supposed to get this close to you if I'm taking care of you. Fuck..." She gave Chris a very concerned look. "You know how things work here better than any pony does. I need your help to make this work for me, you, and every pony else so the others don't get suspicious about us."

Chris looked at Starlight and could see how serious she was. From that alone, he knew this was going to take a lot of thinking to keep the other ponies in the dark while avoiding suspicion from his friends. The ponies wouldn't be too hard to work around, but his friends?

"Fuuuuuuuck."

Sniff had worked his way through the entire roster of mares and was finishing up with a hoof rub from the fetlock down.

"Now that I think about it, I can't tell if I should treat this like a foot massage or a hand massage. All four of your hoofs look the same. Even the frogs... Why are they even called frogs? At least one of you girls have to know?"

The room was a mix of giggles and gossip. All the mares were sharing different bits of insight from their time with Sniff and other private thoughts. However, the origins of the term 'frogs' were only met with guilty smiles and shrugs.

"No, takers?" Sniff joking asked the crowd. "Oh, I see. Yer all holding out on me. Gonna wait until I'm at my most desperate and offer up a trade of info for services. That the plot I just uncovered?"

Sniff ended the question with some quick tickling to the poor mare's hoof.

The young mare playfully bucked her back leg under Sniff's hold, but not enough to shake free.

"Alright, I think that's all you get," Sniff announced with one final rubdown between the folds of her frogs. "Ladies, it was fun. It was interesting... Probably my most interesting interview. But, Bulk, congrats. You get to be the one who benefits from all my prior experience with these young ladies and everything I've learned... Bulk?"

Sniff surveyed over the room, yet the giant mass of white muscle and feathers was nowhere to be seen.

"Am I going blind? There's no way I can miss a guy that big. Where'd he go?"

"Bulk had a client," Aloe informed him. "He is very much a stallion that's all business. He's as dedicated to his profession as he is to his fitness."

"Oh?" Sniff thought about it but shrugged it off. "His loss, I guess."

"Now, Petair," Lotus sauntered up slowly. "Vee all voted. And thair is openengs vee vould loves for you to fill."

Sniff summoned all his will power not to imagine she was intentionally using a play on words.

"Oh, my god. I hope phrasing is still a thing."

Lotus cocked her head to the side.

"Vhat?"

"My apologies," Sniff said with a bow of his head. "But, I don't think I can accept your offer at this point in time."

The crowd collectively groaned and awed in disappointment.

"Not that I don't appreciate the offer. I do," Sniff continued. "But this would be a very big investment of my time that I simply cannot afford at the moment. Unfortunately, as I'm sure you can tell by now, most of my friends need a lot of help. We're good on funds for now, but what they really need is to be put in contact with the right ponies. And that's what I'm the best at. I'm a..." A conversation he had early came back he could use. "I'm a real pony person. I'm good at getting to know you, forming good relationships, and helping you all out the best that I can while making sure my friends are taken care of. Once they're in a better place, then I can start to settle down more."

"Which ones need help?" One of the mares asked.

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Another spoke up.

"What else do they need?" Yet another asked.

A series of questions continued to flood in until Sniff had to put a stop to it.

"Girls! Ladies! Please!" He called out with a mix of laughter and bemusement in his voice. "I'm touched that you are all so eager to get involved. The biggest favor that was needed was help with my good friend Cerb. And you all pulled through miraculously. That's why I'm here, after all. But... since you all want me here so bad, I'm willing to offer my skills on a temporary basis." He turned to the owners."Aloe, Lotus? Do you think we could schedule a get-together sometime after Cerb gets back?"

"Of course," Aloe said with a welcoming smile. "In the meantime, to help make sure, you don't forget about us—"

Sniff quickly answered, selling his admiration for them all, "Amnesia wouldn't make me forget all of you.”

Aloe giggled uncontrollably.

"I would hope not. But as I was saying, our doors and services will be open to you whenever you like."

Sniff smiled and thought to work in a little more goodwill with his new friend.

"You're making it hard for me to say no, but... might I be able to extend this favor to Miss Oven Fresh? After she was so gracious to lend her time to us to help with the demonstration for this cultural exchange. Not to mention all the time she's going to be devoting in helping me hone my craft in the meantime. Because, well..." He intentionally paused and tried to look as apologetic as possible. "I know I didn't bring you my best today, but I want to get better for all of you if I am so fortunate enough to work here."

The mass of mares were collectively without a proper response.

"You can do better?" One mare asked in amazement.

"Well, that's the goal," Sniff answered as he shrugged.

"Peter—" Aloe was almost shaking with excitement as she trotted up to shake his hand. "—everything you said is perfectly understandable. And we will most certainly extend the favor to your friend if she is going to help you—" A quiver of some unfamiliar sensation ran up her legs as possibilities ran through her mind. "By Luna's starry sky. Better? Just please drop by every once in a while so we can see what new improvements you make."

Sniff smiled and clasped his free hand around Aloe's hoof.

"I'll be more than happy to share whatever I learn." He drew a deep breath as he pulled back from the hand/hoof shake. "And unfortunately, ladies. I am a man about town with plans to make, ponies to meet, and some friends to check up on before the day is done. If you need to get ahold of me in the meantime, I'll most likely be at Twilight's castle or our embassy just outside of town over the hills. It's literally the only house out there. You can't miss it."

It took Sniff a few minutes for a lot of hugs, thank yous, invitations, and special requests for lessons or sessions, and pandering to the likes of which he couldn't believe, but he finally made it out with Oven Fresh.

Once clear, Oven Fresh had some thoughts to share.

"What are you really doing here?"

"Okay, so get this," Sniff chuckled for a moment before being a little more clear with his cultural exchange. "So, me and Cerb went in there last night. Last-minute reservation to get his leg taken care of, and everything's going fantastic for us. But then he gets—"

"Not what were you doing in there, specifically." Oven Fresh tried to be serious but was still on a high from the overstimulating massage. "I mean, here in Ponyville? In our world? There has to be some reason you're all here."

"Oh, you mean that," Sniff tried to keep his smile going but could only manage so much. "For the life of me, I really wish I knew. But I was completely honest yesterday when I told the town the story of how we got here. My friends and I went to the store to get some stuff to snack on and drink while watching a sporting event at Benny's house. We stepped out of our cars and didn't even make it past the garage. Some explosion ripped open time and space or some cross-dimensional vortex, and we ended up here. No explanations or instructions. Not a warning or anyone popping in to say 'Oh, by the way. We brought you here because, blah, blah, blah,' or anything."

Sniff thought about the whole trip here so far, and it bothered him the more he thought about it.

"We've met with every Prince and Princess that can help, and even the other Element ponies. None of them can tell us anything. And as far as I can tell, the only thing they know right now is that it's impossible for us to be brought here like we were. And all the more frustrating, that means it's impossible to send us back. At least until Twilight figures it out."

Oven Fresh didn't know the extent of how stranded they were, but that wasn't what she was asking about.

"Okay, but what I really meant was, umm, how should I put this?" She looked up to him with a pathetically frank expression. "You can't be seducing every mare you come across on accident."

"Seducing?" Sniff played off his reaction with mild shock and insult. "I didn't think that word even existed here. But, no. I, uh..." He shrugged and put his hands in his pockets, deciding to be a little more honest with her. "This is how I am... I don't know what you want me to say or apologize for."

"Apolo? Peter, I'm not mad at you for being..." Oven Fresh raised her eyebrows, feeling like she hit the same mental wall she threw him into and started over. "You are the most engaging and charismatic stallion, or man, that I've ever met. And not only does it look like it comes easy for you, and if you've been honest with me and everypony else, you haven't yet tried to take advantage of them."

"What? Psh." Sniff played it cool as he added a little pep in his step. "Never took advantage of any pony. I just set you up with an anytime and everything free deal at the spa because I gave you a free massage."

"Okay, first off." Oven Fresh had a burst of laughter before continuing with her point. "Thank you for that. Secondly, that was totally unnecessary, and I doubt I'll be using it."

Sniff snapped his attention back to her, "What? That place is great. Why wouldn't you take advantage of such a generous offer? I know I'm going back eventually... Once they calm down."

Oven Fresh had to stifle another laugh, "Ya think that maybe the reason they all need to calm down is the reason I don't plan on going back? Please. I'll take your needing practice—" She overemphasized those last two words. "—over their professional hooves any day."

Sniff shook his head and buried his hands deeper in his pockets, "Ovens, I need you to be completely honest with me. This whole thing with my hands and the massages, and I'm begging you not to tell me what you think I want to hear... Is it really that good? Because on top of this built-in fragrance me and all my friends have, I find it too hard to believe."

Oven Fresh wanted to answer immediately, but the question seemed so rhetorical she had to make sure he wasn't messing with her.

"You have to know how good your hands are? Are you honestly telling me that you never knew?"

Sniff smirked, not sure if this was her messing with him or not.

"Am I to take that as a yes they're ultra-fantastic and uber-amazingly, mind-blowingly good?"

Oven replied with an ecstatic laugh, "Yes! Please tell me you're not messing with me again about this."

"No," Sniff answered as he pulled his hands out from his pockets and examined them. "I've been good with my hands doing stuff like this back on Earth, but I had to do it in completely different circumstances. And not only can I do it impossibly easier with all of you, but the results are also better than what they should be under the best of conditions. And all of my friends seem to have the same effect with their hands."

"So, you're serious?" Oven Fresh asked, now trying to empathize with his concerns. "This isn't normal for you?"

Sniff let his hands fall back to his sides and tried not to let those thoughts take too strong a hold on him.

"Nothing about us being here or what’s happened to us since we wound in your world has been normal. And I can't tell if it's some fluke, like just random dumb luck that this naturally happens, or if something else is causing it."

Oven Fresh looked down at his hand closest to her, "Does it ever hurt?"

"No?" Sniff answered but sounded unsure about the question as it was asked.

"Then maybe you don't need to worry about it," she replied with an optimistic smile. "Like I said, you're a great stallion, man... human?"

Sniff reached out and brushed the back of his hand against her face, tracing it up along and over her ear.

"I'm fine with being called a stallion. I know what you mean. I'm a guy. It's fine."

She gave a satisfied sigh and returned her gaze to him, a little more relaxed this time.

"An incredible stallion. You brighten everypony’s day you come in contact with. And you're hands? If they feel this good and help them relax and feel better than they ever have before—"

"You're embellishing waaaaay too much," Sniff butted in.

"I'm not!" Oven Fresh giggled. "I'm trying to tell you, if your hands can do so much good so easily, do the most good you can with them."

She turned her line of sight over to the many ponies moving about town and the shops they ran, "Look at us. All of us are good at something. The unique talents we have, or other skills we've developed, have already done a lot for you and your friends. Many of our merchants and other business ponies that travel a lot offered the information your friend needed to know the safest places to travel through in the Everfree. Others offered up equipment Cerb needed for staying out there for as long as they'll be. Then all the dozens of ponies who volunteered to go out there with them because that's the best they could offer. Or... maybe all they were actually good at was making a few loaves of bread to help fill their stomachs at night or a few lousy scones to snack on."

"Alright," Sniff called out as he pointed an accusing finger at Oven Fresh. "First of all, you made your point pretty solidly well before you tried to win yourself some pity points with that atrocious fib about you only being good at making bread. Or your scones being lousy."

Oven Fresh played coy, "Awe. Did you see right through me? Darn. And here I thought I was pulling all the strings. Oh! Unless I can bat my pretty eyes a few times and talk you into finishing that massage, you stopped short on back in the spa?"

Sniff, stunned at her spin on the discussion, looked down to see her batting her eyes flirtatiously.

"Exclusive baked goods distribution rights to the Human Embassy, two dates, a free everything spa membership, and you're still trying... Oh, ho-ho. Girl." He waved his finger at her, "I don't know how you turned this all around on me so easily, but I'm impressed. Truly, you are my equal."

"Equal?" Oven Fresh let that idea float around in her head for a moment. "Are we?" She asked jokingly.

"Sure, I'll give it to ya," Sniff replied firmly. "But for all you've done, I have to thank you. I can't express to you how much I appreciate all you've done for me. But I... uh..." Sniff looked around them and the semi-busy streets outside of her bakery. "Can we finish this conversation inside?"

Oven Fresh took a look around town to see what would make him want more privacy but didn't see what might have had him grow so concerned.

"Sure. Let me lock the door behind us."

Once inside the bakery with the door secured, Oven Fresh approached Sniff with weary trepidation and asked, "Is everything alright?"

"No, everything's fine," Sniff reassured her. "Well, mostly. It's that... I'm a little unsure about my massaging techniques, is all."

That didn't seem like something to be concerned about for Oven Fresh.

"I'm not seeing what the big deal is. If you're actually that worried about not being as good as you could be, I am definitely willing to help you get better."

"No, it's—" Sniff didn't know how to explain this without going into his debauchery and promiscuous lifestyle. "I understand you all enjoy it. But part of it feels... wrong... in a way. And I'm sorry, but I can't properly explain it to you. But really, it comes down to what those techniques really are."

"Are they something bad?" She asked.

"It's complicated," Sniff lamented. "Normally, a lot of these techniques are... Gah! This is—" He took a moment to collect himself. "Okay. So, some of the stuff I demonstrated today aren't typically performed in a spa the way I do them. They're usually done on a more one-on-one type of situation."

"Aren't all massages a one-on-one?" Oven Fresh rhetorically asked.

"I mean—" Sniff realized he was going to have to be a bit more forthcoming with his explanation. "They're usually more intimate."

"Sooooo... you were seducing us?" Oven Fresh asked, trying to have a little fun with him.

"No!" Sniff was quick to put down the accusation. "I was more..."

An unsettling silence fell over the two, while Sniff struggled to put his thoughts into words that didn't make him sound like he was acting inappropriately.

"I don't do well being alone. And in some terrible way, I feel like I hit my peak in life a long time ago. So, I find my joy in life by helping others improve theirs. Make them happy. Let them know that there are better things out there and what they can look forward to. Part of that... a lot of times involved being physical."

Oven Fresh's smirk fell to the wayside, "Like the massages?"

"Among other things," Sniff admitted. "But as powerful as words can be, the power of touch can't be ignored."

"Magic fingers?" Oven Fresh asked, half-jokingly.

Sniff leaned against the counter and prepared for another explanation.

"There's a lot of psychology that goes into the power of the human touch. Or just physical contact in general. What we've come to understand is that every important and impactful relationship we have involves some type of touch." Whatever Sniff was going on about, he had her undivided attention. "Tell me if this is the same for ponies, but after having a baby, what's something every mother does with their child?"

Oven Fresh thought for a moment to see if this wasn’t a rhetorical question but answered, "Uh... She'll feed them, bath them, tuck them in at night—"

Sniff jumped in, seeing how she was already on the right track.

"And all that involves holding them. Touching them. Hugging them and keeping that close contact, right?"

"Well, yeah." Oven Fresh weakly answered.

Not ready to make the major point of his claim just yet, Sniff continued with more questions, "And as they start to grow up, how often are they hugging, and kissing, and climbing up on, or just reaching out to hold onto their parents?"

Oven Fresh chuckled, remembering how much of that she did as a foal, "Probably more than they should."

Since this was all in line with what he had in mind, Sniff moved in to make his point.

"Well, as we humans grow older, the types of touching between us changes, but we never stop doing it. Handshakes, pats on the back, our weird side hugs and bro-hugs, fist bumps, and other types of contact that we only do with people we know, like, and respect. The more contact between two people, the more we can tell how close they are. And even over time, more touching can lead to longer-lasting, deeper, more intimate relationships. Especially the more intimate or comforting the kind of touch is. The kinds that give us comfort or are meant to take away pain or help us heal can change the way we view our relationships with others. Sometimes it’s not even intentional, but the more positive contact between people share, there’s a chemical reaction in the brain that reinforces the desire to seek out that contact."

Sniff paused for a moment, reflecting on his own course of actions as of late. He probably did take things too far back at the spa. Even if, in some twisted way, he did enjoy it.

"But for these massages... There's a lot more trust and openness you have to be willing to have with each other to have that kind of contact. I mean, massages by nature involve touching those areas, so I'm kind of arguing against myself right now, but..."

"Okay." Oven Fresh gave an apologetic smile. "I was following along pretty close, but then you lost me at the end when you lost yourself."

Sniff ran his fingers through his hair and sighed, "Yeah. I guess what I'm getting at is that sharing that kind of touch is something I've only done with those I've been really close to. I've never been a masseuse, so I'm mentally mixing up things I've done with the girls I've been with to make them feel better in our intimate moments with doing what I did today... I'm sorry. My mind's all over the place. Bottom line is, I'm happy when I make others happy. But, I'm worried that the way I act is going to be taken as me trying to seduce every mare with a pretty face I come across. Because, at least for us humans, having a lot of that kind of close contact and touching of certain areas makes it hard for us not to start to change how we feel or think about whoever is doing it."

Oven Fresh hummed as she tried to process all of what Sniff had just explained to her, "Hmm... I think I see what you're getting at, but can you be honest with me about one thing?"

Sniff was almost certain he knew what the question was going to be but hoped he was going to be wrong. "I think I owe you that much."

"Ahem." Oven Fresh cleared her throat, making sure her question would come out clear and well-understood.

"Are you only being nice to me because that's what you need to be happy, or could I be hopeful for something more than a playful flirt and company for a night of fine dining?"

"I don't know," Sniff lied, hoping to keep her expectations in check. "And I know that sounds like the worst thing I could say outside of saying that I wanted to string you along, which I'm not doing. But at the same time—"

"It's because I'm a pony, isn't it?" Oven Fresh asked the question she figured she already knew the answer to.

After a moment or two, that question was left floating in the air, Sniff thought he would try to bring some humble clarity to the situation.

"You know... I swear I saw this coming over a dozen times with my friends and the ponies they've been hanging out with. And all of them... All of my friends, except for one, I knew, would never consider it. And every pony they were with, except for one of them, made it pretty clear that we're all just friends. And the only exceptions I saw on both sides, got shot down."

Oven Fresh went to ask the open-ended question, "Which makes you think?"

"Which made me think that everything I saw was just ponies being friendly to us," Sniff quickly explained. "But now I don't know what to do... Honestly, I... I don't think you'd want to be with me. I'm just here for a fun time, not a long time."

"Peter..." Oven Fresh slowly walked forward and reared up to lean against the counter with him and took a deep breath. "Years ago, my mother got a huge promotion into the Lunar Guard, and my father moved out to Canterlot with her... I was supposed to go with them, but I never left... That's why I stayed behind to do all the packing."

The tone of Oven Fresh’s voice left Sniff thinking he already knew where this was going,

"You were abandoned?"

"No," Oven Fresh huffed with a sad smile and hesitated to follow up with an explanation. "I loved baking with my father. I loved working here in Ponyville. And I love this quaint little bakery... And I loved it so much that I told him that I wasn't going to move. And..." She shook her head slightly, trying to hold back a mix of tears and laughter. "He was sooo angry at me. He so badly wanted to have me there with him. Work for him in Canterlot. Be a part of his business... But Ponyville needed a bakery. Well, Mrs. Cake could do some of it, maybe. But she's all cakes and pies and desserts. She doesn't have the equipment or the best ovens for a good rye bread, and she can't recreate my dinner rolls. Celestia, bless her heart, she tried, but we're better off with her abandoning that cause."

The two had a soft chuckle over that, and Oven Fresh was slow to pick up where she left off.

"But… my heart wasn't in it for baking in Canterlot. I wanted to be the baker mare everypony came to and appreciated.“ She gave a heavy sigh under the emotional baggage she was likely still carrying. “It took some time for my father to come around and realize that while I still wanted to bake with him, spend some time in the kitchen with him—"

Sniff finished her thought as best he could, "He had to accept that there could only be so many good times over a long time and that he didn't own you."

Oven Fresh looked up to Sniff with a forced smile.

"Pretty much," she answered with a fake laugh to carry her voice, but the watering in her eyes was more honest about what she was feeling.

"I... lied to my father for months before I told him to go on without me. And while he was angry at me—" She gave a heavy-hearted sigh. "—he had every right to be... Because I strung him along."

Sniff started to feel a bit more at ease, seeing what she was trying to convey to him. But he also had to sympathize with her in more ways than one.

She turned back to Sniff, still forcing another smile as her eyes were welling up.

"I struggled to make ends meet and had to make a lot of deals doing extra favors for everypony to keep this place open. All because I wasn't honest with myself or honest with the pony who just wanted to keep daddy's little girl close… So… it's okay if you can't commit to being serious and dating me. Or, maybe you like me, but you're being the kind stallion I know you are. Or maybe you can't bring yourself to tell me that you can't be with a pony, but at least you didn't lie about your intentions. And I don't want to do what my father did and be bitter and cold or distant to you because that’s how you feel."

Before Sniff realized just how caught up in her story, an itch grew in the scruff of his facial hair. He wiped a hand over it and discovered that he had been tearing up as well.

"I like you, Peter," Oven Fresh admitted again. "I've enjoyed every moment I've had with you. But even if you can't say yes to having me as your special somepony... I'd still love to have you visit me. We don't have to start a business together. I'd be happy if all we did was make a batch of sourdough dinner rolls together once in a while... Those were my father's favorite."

The offer was likely an honest one, but Sniff could see the analogy she was making at the same time.

"I was in this position once," he stated abruptly. "Long story, but she didn’t give me an answer at all for a long time. Kinda… strung me along, hoping I’d go back to how she wanted things to be… We never became a couple... but I enjoyed every minute we had together, even if I wasn't lucky enough to have her teach me how to make sourdough dinner rolls."

The thumps in Oven Freash's chest could have shattered boulders for as hard as her heart was beating. It wasn't exactly what she was hoping for with Sniff, but it wasn't him kicking her to the curb, either. And maybe. Just maybe. If she played her cards right, she could help him change his mind to see that she could be the special somepony he didn't know he was looking for.

"I'd be glad to teach you," she offered with a warming smile.

"Another time, I'm afraid," Sniff answered with an apologetic grin. "I'm a man about town, you see."

"Right." Oven Fresh forced another brave smile, much better than the last. "I think I recall you saying that once."

"Yeah. I did," Sniff said with a wink. "But how does eight sound?"

"Eight?" Oven Fresh asked, suddenly out of the loop. "Eight, what?"

"Oclock?" Sniff answered like it was obvious. "This man about town has to rush his happy ass on over to Grapes and Olives and make sure they got a table open for us tonight. We got plans, remember?"

Oven Fresh was so excited to hear Sniff wanted to stay good on his word.

"Oh, my gosh! I didn't think that!... I'm so embarrassed now."

"Here." Sniff stepped a bit closer with his arms open. "I think this is about the time you ponies like to hug it out, or whatever. Come on."

The two gave each other a reassuring hug that everything was good between them. Although, Oven Fresh might have hugged a bit tighter than needed, but she could tell he didn’t mind.

"And eight works for me. I'll meet you there."

Starlight was lying with her chest over Chris's lap on the couch, letting him caress his hands down her wherever his hands would roam.

"I think the simple fact that we both have such terrible luck with friendship and romance is the very reason why the dumbest idea that we both hate is the only one that will work if we want to keep this a secret."

Chris huffed, "I don't see how it could work... but I also see exactly how it would work. At least until the end of the season."

Starlight flexed her brain power with everything she had picked up from Chris’s explanations. After their makeout session, Chris had started to explain how this world is supposed to work based on what he knew from the show about them. Even sighting other examples from other shows that existed in his world or stories written about their world matching up with what he'd observed.

"How long is a season supposed to be in our world?"

Chris sighed, "I don't know. I don't think the show ever once pointed out a functional calendar or had you give an actual date. You all only use the name of the events or holidays happening when they come around. Do you even know what today is?"

"Uhh... " She didn't know.

Chris tried again, "What's the last day you do remember?"

Only one thing came to mind.

"Uhh... The Great... Crystalling day?"

Chris stopped petting her, and Starlight groaned into a couch cushion she pulled over her head to vent, "I don't think I even own a calendar." She popped her head back up. "Do you know what day it is?"

"It is," Chris started to answer as he looked at his watch, "Saturday, May seventh."

Starlight grunted indignantly, "Oh, yeah? What year?"

Chris turned his watch for Starlight to verify.

"2016."

"Son of a bitch!" Starlight belted out before burying her face in the couch cushion again. "So how does this harem deal work anyway?"

Chris let out another groan, "It's only supposed to work in animes. Your show isn't an anime, and harems existing in this world is getting way too deep into fanfic territory for that idea to work. And even then, it's a stretch."

"Chris," Starlight grumbled as she rolled over onto her back and locked eyes with the human she was desperate to keep. "What's more of a stretch to you so far? A human from another world being brought to Equestria and finding half a dozen ponies he fantasized about being with, wanting to be with him?... Or Celestia handing over a small fortune of bits to help them get settled into Equestria?"

The logic in that question was almost enough to make Chris pull his hair out.

"Son of a bitch."

"See?" Starlight playfully poked Chris in the chest. "I'm learning how this all works."

Chirs huffed again with a heavy confession, "Starlight.. two things. One. The whole harem concept only ever works if it's a bunch of girls going after the same guy before he has a chance to really make a choice, or two if the guy is super lucky and has a girl who wants to bring more girls into the fold to reach some stupid goal."

Starlight blinked a few times, her eyes searching for the words to say until she couldn’t find them and needed help.

"Which one are we? Because those both kinda sound like us."

"Goddamnit," Chirs sighed and hung his head.

Starlight's eyes lit up, "Oh. I like the sound of that one, too. Your curse words are so fun to say."

"I don't think we're either of those," Chris finally answered. "We already made out, which doesn’t really make us a couple. Unless if that's where you're at with this."

"I... well..." Starlight tried to put her thoughts into something she could verbalize.

Chris answered for her, "So, undecided..."

This was unexpectedly more difficult than Starlight had anticipated.

"I've never had a special—”

"Somepony of your own," Chris answered for her again. "I know. You're still sorting all this out and don't understand how you really feel, other than wanting to make me happy and being attracted to me."

"Chris," Starlight grunted as she sat up and moved to sit in his lap again, draping her fetlocks over his shoulders. "I want to see you be happy. Not just because of what happened between us before, or all the hard times you’ve had back in your world." She turned her head to the side for a moment. "Since I only made things worse." She turned back to him again. "I want it bad enough that I'm okay with you finding another pony that makes you happy instead of me."

"Glimmy—" Chris ran his hands down her sides and down over her flanks. "—do you have any idea how cruel that sounds to me? To do that to you after I know how you feel about me?"

Starlight hated to admit this, and it was even more difficult with him feeling her up like he was, "I know, and I think you're right, but it would only take one of the girls getting jealous and ratting us out and—“ She lowered her gaze, reflecting on what had been ordered. “I can't explain everything at the moment, but I know Celestia or Twilight would separate us if they found out how attached I've gotten to you."

Chris sadly answered back to her, "And I really don't know how my friends would react either. Part of me thinks they'd get over it, but given what's happened to some of the other guys, there's a good chance they'd try to separate us, too... But that doesn't deal with my other concern."

Starlight tilted her head slightly, growing more worried over his tone this time.

"What else are you worried about? Is it something I'm doing?"

"No," Chris nervously stroked his hands over her shoulders. "What if I end up falling for one of the other girls like you were originally hoping for?"

Starlight didn't have a response. She could blink and stare at him as if he held all the answers and was only moments away from providing them.

"Glimmy..." Chris lowered his hands to her hips and pulled her a little closer in a moment of weakness. "I thought you had written me off, and after meeting all of them... I thought about what it would be like to be with any of them... And now I feel like my heart’s getting pulled in half a dozen different directions."

"Well, how about this?" Starlight sat deeper into his lap while she wrapped her forelegs around the back of Chris’s neck and held him still for a good long kiss before offering her suggestion. "I screwed things up by not trying to claim you for myself when I had the chance. And I shouldn't let telling you how I feel now stop you from at least giving the other girls a shot. I mean, wouldn't you like the chance to do this with any of the other—what is that?"

Chris knew for sure he was caught. This was it. His body betrayed him, and a whole new shit storm was about to be opened for him to dredge through.

"That?"

Starlight looked down at the center of Chris's lap and declared, "I mean, I'm not complaining.”

Chris's mind was set ablaze with the thought of “What the fuck?" ringing in his mind.

Starlight shifted over his lap slightly.

"It feels... kinda like how your hands make me feel inside, or that tingly rush when we kiss."

She stared him in the face with a greedy smile and leaned in for another kiss. Not a slow, steady kiss, but mimicking what Chris did by opening her mouth just enough to draw his lips into hers and gently suck on them.

"Mmm. Hmm-hmm. Yeah... A lot like that." Her blissful smile suddenly twisted into one of rapid thoughts being processed, and she aggregated them all down to another question. "Is this something special you do like you can with your hands?"

"Uh, what?" Chris was too distracted by Starlight rubbing her crotch against his hardon to formulate a functional response.

"What? It wasn’t like this before." Starlight looked down again and bounced up and down a few times on his erection with very encouraging results. "Oh, wow... That... Oooou... Okay. We are definitely going to have to find the time to do this more often"

She looked up to see an expression on Chris's face she couldn't precisely define.

"Uh? Chris? Are you okay? Oh, my gosh! I'm not hurting you am I?"

"Oh, no!" Chris was so close to losing his V Card in an accidental dry-humping session with a clueless ex-supervillainous unicorn. "Believe me, I'm... enjoying this, too. But... it's a little bit too much enjoyment. Kinda..."

Chris rolled his eyes, hating himself for blue balling himself with this selfless act of restraint.

"Kinda like getting tickled so much that it starts to hurt, but not hurt at the same time... but... yes, again. Next time."

"Oh?" She looked down one more time and realized just what part of her was touching him that she was enjoying so much. "Oh! I didn't realize just what I was doing. I should—"

She started to stand up but was pulled back down immediately by one of Chris's questionable life choices.

"Oh-Mmmmph!“ It took her a moment to recover from the sudden burst of sensations that rose up inside. “Oooou... Chris, I should—"

Chris had come this far, and no matter the outcome, he wasn't going to let her walk away thinking this was a bad thing. Somehow committed to this lunacy, he pulled her back deeper into his lap and her lips into his for another kiss. Together they moaned and mashed their lips together, letting go of any restraint they had before Starlight's untimely finding.

After a few stops for breath and lots of hands and hooves exploring each other, Chris finally pulled himself away.

"Starlight... There's a lot we both have to learn about how a relationship like this is supposed to work for us. But this... as odd as it may sound or feel... is normal. If it were bad, it wouldn't feel so good."

That was all well and good, but how it felt wasn’t Starlight’s concern.

"But—"

"Trust me on this one," Chris firmly reassured her. "I wouldn't lie to you about this. I just... need to work some things out before I can start to show you more to help you understand."

Starlight jokingly asked, "So you really do like this, don't you?"

Chris drew a deep breath and rolled his head around. "Very much so."

"Me too." Starlight giggled before giving one last quick kiss. "Which is why you should give the other girls a try, too."

Chris groaned, "Oh, my God. Starlight."

Starlight stroked the soft pads under her hoof along Chris's cheek. "Chris, I'm always going to be here for you. But I also don't want to monopolize you. I came into this thinking you secretly still hated me or held what I said or did against me. Or that I was just one bad move away from you telling me to get lost. And even though I know better now, I want you to know who you want to be with. Who really makes you happy. Who is really going to love you the way you want to be loved. Because... yes... I really, really like you, and I love how I feel when I'm with you..."

Chris flatly stated the obvious, "You can't say that you're in love with me."

Starlight shot him a cute, know it all grin, "Can you say that you're in love with me? Or do you really, really like me too and love spending time with me? Because you also seemed to really, really like the other girls. And you certainly were excited to spend time with them."

Chris looked up with a smile that reeked of surrender.

"Yes... But I kinda also hate you a little for talking me into this."

"Yay!" Starlight mockingly clapped her hooves together and did a goofy seated dance in a mockery of his own clapping and dance he did for her. "Chris agrees with me. I feel so special."

Chris threw his hands up in surrender, "You made your point. You got me."

"Good," Starlight rolled over to his side and slid off the couch. "How about you go get washed up for tonight while I go make some more duplicates of some of these bottles Kelly and Big Mac didn't bring over last time."

Chris watched Starlight trot off into the garage and rolled around in his mind with the life he was now living.

"I must have lost my goddamn mind," he quietly uttered to himself as he started to stand up, but noticed something he should have expected. "Holy shhhhhhhit."

Starlight had left a damp spot on his pants, and after accomplishing that, even if by accident, this discovery sealed the deal for his bath time.

"Oh, fuck me. This bath ain't gonna last long."

The shop was filled with the low humming of a sewing machine and the soft tones blending in from Rarity's aura as she toiled away with her newest orders.

"These girls have no idea just how lucky they are to have someone like me who can put something together on such a short schedule. But if this really works, I'm really going to owe a great debt of gratitude to—"

That lovable sound of the bell at the front door chimed and pulled Rarity out into the showroom to meet her new customer.

"Good morning and welcome. How may I- Oh! Oven Fresh? Well, I didn't expect to see you here this morning. Or is it lunchtime already? Never mind. What can I help you with?"

Sounding unusually chipper, Oven Fresh said, "I'm so glad you're open today. I have a date tonight, and I just knew you were the only pony who I could turn to."

It had been a long couple of days, and this was just the kind of ego boost to put Rarity in a better mood.

"Well, if it's a special date you're looking to impress your special somepony with, I'm sure I have just what you need. So, who's this lucky pony of yours?"

Oven Fresh blushed and gave the cutest giggle, "No-No. I'm not here for help with a stallion. I mean, a pony stallion. I'm here because you're the only mare in town who has had a date with a human before. I'm going out with Peter."

"Peter!" Rarity exclaimed, shocked at both the announcement and the fact she didn't see it coming. "Peter, as in Cerb's human friend Sniff? Human, just shy of six feet tall, brown eyes with green flakes, and smells like he rolled in a field of clover?"

"I know!" Oven Fresh shouted out in excitement. "I can't believe I was able to pull it off, but I’m so nervous now.“ She turned around to look over the many wears she could fashion together to impress Sniff. “I’ve never been on a date, let alone with a human. What are the odds us two unicorns would be the first? And don’t get me wrong, I can see what must have attracted you to Cerb. He seems like such a nice stallion, but Peter?“

She felt her body turn to warm jello, and her heart swoon, “Oh! I can’t even begin to describe how incredible he is.“

She leaned in to take a closer look at the same black and silver piece that Cerb had taken a liking to.

“He’s a crazy flirt with every mare he meets, but that’s just the kind of stallion he is.“ She turned back to Rarity, smiling brightly and cocking her head slightly to the side. “He just wants to make everypony happy. Are they all like that?”

“I-well, yes. Mostly,” Rarity stammered as she tried to pull her sanity together. “They’re all incredibly kind, for sure… But, and you’ll have to excuse my nosiness, but this is a monumental occasion, so you’ll have to forgive me for inquiring so deeply… How did this come about?”

Suddenly, Oven Fresh was feeling like she might have made a mistake by being so open about announcing her date for the night.

“It just… uh… Did I do something wrong?”

“Oh! Most certainly not, my dear,” Rarity called out, shaking her head and trying to readjust herself to better approach the lucky mare. “It’s just that… Oh, goodness, me. You have no idea how we’ve all had our hooves full helping our new human friends get settled in. I can’t even begin to tell you all the drama we’ve had to deal with. I’m just surprised to hear that, well... Peter is most certainly a shameless flirt, but I was almost certain, with all he’s said before, that he had no interest in courting a mare.”

“Oh.” Oven Fresh started to calm down a little. “I know what you mean about having to deal with all the drama. That’s actually what brought Peter into my shop this morning. Peter didn’t… well *tsk* Bless that stallion’s heart, he wouldn’t tell me what happened between him and Princess Twilight. Must have had some misunderstanding or an argument, but he was really beating himself up over what he said. You saw him with me when you were walking out with Cerb and Benny. I had offered to help cheer him up and make him breakfast, and he wouldn’t accept unless he could repay me by taking me out to dinner.“ She grinned devilishly. “Just like I thought he would. Being such a gentlecolt, and all.”

“Gentleman, actually,” Rarity corrected her with a warm smile. “Semantics, though, my dear. Peter has shown himself to be a very charming and engaging young stallion. You’re quite fortunate to have won his heart over.”

Oven Fresh giggled again, “Well, I’m not that lucky. Peter is... I don’t know what he actually wants. I know he likes me, but like you said. I don’t think he can see himself loving a mare like us. That, or there’s something else holding him back.”

Something about that statement didn’t add much confidence to Rarity’s ambitions.

“Did he say something to you about humans not being willing to date a pony?”

Oven Fresh tried to remember the exact wording Sniff had used that morning.

“He said something about how a bunch of times he thought ponies were trying to date a human, but I guess they were just being friendly? Or that’s how he saw it, I guess. That, and that there was one pony who tried to date a human, and one of his friends might have wanted to try dating a pony, but they both got turned down. Do you know anything about that?"

Rarity answered with reserved hesitation, "No, actually. Did he say who they were?”

“No,” Oven Fresh answered with a sad shake of her head. “It was kind of an intense conversation we were having at the time, so I didn’t want to ask… Heh… If I was any less of a mare, I probably would have told him to take a hike, given how wishy-washy he was with me at first. I really had to hear him out on what he’s been going through. Although I’m glad I did. Really helped me to realize that coming from a different world means he’s coming from a different place in terms of social norms, and yet, we actually have a lot in common.”

“Yes,” Rarity quietly replied, trying to figure out who among both groups had been bold enough to ask to court one another, and who or how they were rejected. “It never ceases to amaze me how our new guest can be so incredibly different from us and yet surprise us by bringing such familiarity with some of our greatest traits. They’ve even surpassed us with them in some cases. Generosity, kindness, forgiveness, compassion, understanding, friendship. Those kinds of things. Even more impressive is how they strive so effortlessly with them despite their hardships.”

Oven Fresh nodded, “I don’t know all that much about the rest of the humans here, but I was surprised to see how much of a hard time Peter was having. I figured he had to be the happiest one of the bunch.”

Rarity softly spoke, sharing her compassion for the lucky mare, “Yes, well, if you spend any length of time with him, I’m sure you’ll come to find that he is likely to have many secrets. And if he’s already opened up this much to you and let you be the one to help him, it means that he must really trust you. And if he trusts you that much to share his fears and pains, I have no doubt that he must like you as more than just what we normally consider to be a friend. So… Who knows. Maybe you have a chance.”

A burst of hope renewed itself in Oven Fresh, along with a smile that showed it.

“Thank you. It means a lot to hear you say that, being the local expert and all.”

“Oh, please, darling—” Rarity played off the compliment. “—I’m not so much of an expert. My date with Cerb was more of… Well, just like with you and Sniff. More of a repayment or a thank you for all the kindness you’ve given him.”

Oven Fresh rolled her eyes.

“Well, that doesn’t sound nearly as encouraging when you say it like that.”

Rarity started flipping through a selection of dinnerware to best match the colors of her new customer.

“Not at all, dear. This is your chance to get closer to him. To show him… dare I say? A true mares romance?”

“Maybe.” Oven Fresh shrugged and looked away. “Right now, I’m okay with spending time with him and being that special mare that keeps him company when he needs somepony to talk to. I’m already going to have a lot of time with him, so it’s not like this is my only chance to win him over. Maybe if I knew he was interested in having a special pony, then that would be different.”

“Ah, yes.” Rarity pulled out a thin vest with a matching sash and blouse. “If only things were different. Then I’m sure we all—”

Oven Fresh was looking over another style of clothing and listening along, waiting for the next bit of insight to finish up.

“You’re sure we all, what?”

“Nothing, dear,” Rarity sweetly answered and turned around to join Oven Fresh at her side. “Just trailing off in my own thoughts. Now, what did you have in mind to wear? I will spare not a single thread of string or any of my finest jewels in sequence if it means you will look your absolute best for him tonight. I want you to look so ravishingly stunning that he won’t be able to take his eyes away from you.”

Oven Fresh levitated up a saddle in a soft pink color and matching skirt.

“I want something like this. It’s the only thing I heard Peter say that he likes.“ She draped it over her flank and let the fabric hang down. “But, maybe make it a little shorter? I mean, you have so many lovely gowns and dinner dresses, but that’s not really who I am or what I want Peter to see. I’m just a baker, after all.”

Rarity readily accepted the mare's preference graciously, “It’s a fine choice.”

She started towards a small platform surrounded by a half-circle of mirrors. “And I’m sure there’s more to you than just your career. So, come along now. Let’s get you properly fitted for tonight. I can have everything ready for you in an hour once I get the measurements down and pins in place.”

“Wow, that’s so fast,” Oven Fresh praised Rarity as she trotted up to the small platform. “Dinner isn’t until eight tonight. There’s no need for that fast of a rush job. And how much would that even cost?”

Rarity threw her head back and pompously laughed for a moment before she spoke very kindly to her new friend, “Worry not, my lucky unicorn sister. For today, what I offer you comes free of charge.”

Oven Fresh couldn't understand why the sudden act of charity.

“What? I can pay you. I may be a humble baker, but I'm by no means struggling.”

Rarity paid no mind to the offer of compensation.

“I have no doubts about your success in turning a profit, darling. Your bakery is the only one in town because no pony has ever had the need to go anywhere else. Certainly, no desire to find a better baker, that’s for sure. If anything, this is a gift from me to you for clearing up some miscommunication I was unaware of.”

Oven Fresh did her best to hold still as Rarity used her magic to move the saddle back and forth and ran the measuring tape over where adjustments would have to be made.

“Miscommunication? Oh! You mean you know what happened between Peter and Twilight?”

“Not in the slightest, sadly,” Rarity cheerfully answered. “The pony who turned down the human? I believe I know to which event Sniff was referring to. Though I have to imagine he was without all of the details and proper context. Probably the same for the human who the lucky mare was speaking to.”

That wasn’t precise enough for Oven Fresh to go off of or understand.

“Okay?”

Partially trying to avoid going on with that topic, Rarity asked, “And how about this length?”

Oven Fresh turned to one of the mirrors to see the new shorter length being offered on the skirt.

“Perfect! Peter seems to have an eye for cute little skirts, so I figured, why not wear something he likes? Ya know?"

Rarity replied with a smirk, "Clever girl, that you are."

Over Fresh eyed over the new outfit as more pins were put in place.

"So, this other mare Peter was talking about. Do you think she didn't turn him down, and you think the human doesn't know that? Oh! Or was it the other way around? Oh, my gosh. It wasn't Peter who was turned down, was it? That would explain a lot if he had a bad experience already."

"No, it wasn't your special human who was turned down," Rarity mumbled with a mouth full of pins. "So, don't you worry at all about this mystery human he spoke of. You need to focus on the stallion you've already set your eyes on. And between us girls, I really hope you win him over and can show him what us Equestrian ladies can offer."

Oven Fresh looked her reflection over again in the mirrors. Her mind flooded with sweet thoughts of how Peter would react to what she was sure he was going to love seeing on her. She felt so lucky just to have the chance to have a date with him. It kind of made her feel bad about the other mare who was turned down. Then a horrifying thought came to mind.

Oven Fresh's voice came out weak and trembled slightly.

"Rarity?"

Rarity seemed a bit too involved in her work to catch the shift in tone.

"Yes, dear?"

Oven Fresh was afraid to ask, but if Rarity was helping her, she should do the same.

"This other mare..."

Rarity may have missed the shift in tone the first time, but she knew what the question was going to be now that she had picked up on it and spoke up to avoid it, "Oh, my goodness! I almost completely forgot to ask. Have you had any problems with your ears or tails twitching uncontrollably recently?"

Oven Fresh did a quick glance up at her ears and then down to her tail.

"Uhhh. No? Why? Do you think there's something wrong with them?"

"No. They're as cute as the pony wearing them," Rarity was glad to inform her. "However, there's been a… Let's just keep this between us girls, but I'm heavily invested in you, making things work with our good friend Peter. But as for the ears and tail business, it shouldn’t concern you. Although, if it does happen that you start to have them going on the fritz, I implore you to come find me right away."

The confused mare did another strained examination of her ears.

"Am I supposed to know what you're talking about?"

"Miss Oven Fresh," Rarity spoke very firmly as she finished placing the last pin. "Nothing with our human friends has been easy. Not that it hasn’t been rewarding, because I certainly wouldn’t trade anything for the time I’ve been able to share with Mr. Cerberus and his friends. So, please don’t take this as anything other than me, offering my best advice and assistance where and when I can.”

Oven Fresh tried to smile but was still too fixated on what Rarity was trying to tell her.

“Which is for what exactly?”

Rarity took the saddle and skirt in her aura and removed it, leading it back towards her workshop.

”All I’m saying is that at some point, being how this is your first date, and with a human, most importantly, you might start to become overwhelmed by it all at some point. And it’s not a bad thing, per se. But, you may not understand how to handle what you’re feeling and… well… it’s rather bothersome when you don’t know how to release all those feelings. So much so, that your body starts acting out for you. Kind of like how when somepony grows so impatient that they start tapping their hoof on the ground. And I’d feel terrible if it were to create a problem between you and Sniff.”

“But with my ears and tail?” Oven Fresh almost yelped out her response.

”Precisely,” Rarity said with a knowing look and a coy smile before disappearing back into her workspace. “Now run along, dear. I want this skirt looking absolutely perfect for your date tonight and require the utmost concentration. Stop back early enough so that I can make sure everything fits comfortably and no further alterations are needed.”

“Okay!” Oven Fresh shouted out to Rarity as she stepped down from the platform and made her way to the door.

“I’ll be back around seven! If that works for you!”

Eager to see Oven Fresh succeed and turn the tide for human acceptance of romancing one of her own, Rarity reassured Oven Fresh to return, “I’ll be waiting!”

So, magic fingers is still a thing. And so is the sad reality that every pony is clueless about the space between their legs. However, things are looking pretty good for my favorite bread mare.

Then... finally... Chris... You lucky SOB. You bagged yourself a winner there, bud. So glad you stuck it out. (And so is Starlight, even if she is also clueless about the space between your legs.)

Hell, even Rarity got some vital intel that let her know she had some air to clear with Cerb. Definitely need to get that straightened out if she doesn't want to blackball herself out of Cerb's potential special somepony. That, and maybe take some notes from Oven Fresh on clothing options. Humans tend to dig that.

Also, a big thank you for B_25 for taking a look at this chapter and giving some input. Every little bit helps.

Otherwise, since things are heating up and a lot of relationships are evolving, stay tuned for the next release, which is really a three-parter: