Away from the party, quite some time had passed since Kelly had confided her woes to Luna and reached a new arrangement. Much of what was said had taken Kelly some time to come to terms with, but the more she questioned it, the more her mind had seemed to grow excited about it.

This new arrangement, and all of the day’s other developments leading up to this point, led to the new trio joining each other in a bat pony-drawn carriage, now heading towards the party. With Spike riding coach to direct the guards, the three had some time to discuss a few things along the way once the door was shut.

Inside, Luna tucked away a box, no bigger than a briefcase, but looked to be important and carried her seal. There was much to do and little time for small talk while making herself comfortable as the carriage started to move.

“Apologies again for the wait. There were some last-minute plans that needed to be addressed for the party tonight with the guard as well as a few letters that had to be sent out. I took the liberty to invite some honorable guests for the event tonight.”

Sitting opposite of Luna, Kelly curiously eyed the princess sitting in front of her. While it wasn’t her first time seeing them sit like a human, it was the first time she had allowed herself to really take in the sight. It was somewhat funny that in spite of all she’d seen up to this point, there were still some curiosities that still lay in store for her.

“That’s fine, we should still be getting there early enough that it won’t be a problem.”

She turned to her stud, sitting next to her, quiet as was his nature.

“Are you feeling any better, Mac?” Kelly asked, still worried about his condition.

Big Mac had woken up considerably more since taking his nap, but still wasn’t fully recovered.

“Well, I won’t be doing the Running of the Leaves tonight, otherwise I’m doing fine, hun. What about you? I hope yer feel’n as good as ya look.”

Kelly pressed her forehead to Big Mac’s and laughed.

“I’m fine, just worried about you… You’re not still trying to push me away are you?”

Big Mac nuzzled back into Kelly’s neck, still conflicted with what really was the right thing to do.

“I don’t feel right taking so much from ya when I can’t provide you what you need.”

Kelly reflexively punched Big Mac in the chest, not hard enough to do any harm, but she was just angry enough that he felt it and grunted as such. Not that his reaction changed how she felt.

"Don't… fucking say that again. Please… Mac, I know I put a lot of emphasis on this, and I really shouldn't have, but I don't want you to keep putting yourself down because of it. And don’t you dare imply again that I care more about getting my rocks off than I care about you."

Knowing he was in the wrong, Big Mac held a guilty grin as he rubbed his chest.

"Sorry, Kel. I won't bring it up again."

With that problem squashed, Kelly turned her attention back to her new royal, romantic interest.

"I'm sorry, Luna. Don't think that I'm leaving you out of this or that I don't care about you just as much. He should know me better than to think I'm going to ditch him because our first time wasn't… you know."

Luna, a bit uncomfortable from the unnecessary act of aggression nodded, trying her best to avoid making things more awkward.

"I understand, dear. I haven't had the same amount of time or experiences as either of you have together. Though, I hope I don't warrant such brute tactics to correct my behavior if we are to be so close."

"What?" Kelly asked, somehow forgetting she’d just struck Big Mac in front of one of the leaders of his nation. "Oh… shit… sorry. I guess after spending so much time with the guys I got used to hitting them to get their attention."

Luna nodded, still uncomfortable with such a mentality, as well as how comfortable Kelly had been using such a method.

"If that is how you must deal with Cerb and the others, I suppose that is your customary way to communicate. However, I do not approve of carrying on as such in the future with either of us."

Big Mac, feeling like this was largely his fault, came to Kelly's defense.

"I'm sure she didn't mean nothin by it, and I was being a little thick in the head."

Even if that was partially true, Kelly interjected, knowing she was wrong. In fact, she knew she needed to learn some more self-control.

"No, don't apologize for me. And Luna, I won't do that again. I need to work on my temper."

This was all well and good, but Big Mac still didn't know what all had transpired between the two while he was asleep. A quick kiss after waking up and a promise to explain how Luna intended to make his dream come true didn’t exactly make things any clearer.

"So, now that we can all talk about it, how exactly is this going to work? Cuz I don't think I'll be getten any work done tomorrow if we go again tonight."

Kelly and Luna both had a short laugh over that, but Kelly had enough clarity to answer the question.

"No, Mackie. I think you should rest up tonight and spend some time with Granny. That and I'd rather get to know how best Luna and I play together.” She gave Luna a cute and flirty look. “Girls require a more… delicate touch.”

Luna blushed, remembering the delightful sensations of feeling Kelly against her. Her reaction was enough to tempt Kelly into playing up the excitement.

“I need to know what she can handle and all the right ways to press her buttons so we can all play together some time. And… if Sniff is hooking up with Oven Fresh and Twilight, he’s already got it on with at least one of them. I… I’m going to ask him what kind of problems he’s had. We talk about this shit all the time, and if I tell him what I’ve done with Mac-”

She did a quick turn back to her stud.

“I mean, Mac, you don’t mind, do you? I can trust him to keep a secret like this, and we need help.”

Big Mac had a blush he tried to hide, as he sat awkwardly with his forelegs folded over his lap. Despite all that had already happened, it was kind of odd to see him bashful like this. Then again, given the setting, it was hardly unexpected, if not understandable.

“If you trust’em and think it’ll help, I trust ya tuh make that call.”

Kelly looked curiously at her stud, confident they were past his bashfulness, unless having Luna with them was making him uncomfortable. Though, keeping their relationship a secret for this long and now letting at least one of her friends know might have been enough to do the same.

“Are you embarrassed about what Sniff might think if he knows what we’ve…”

She must have been too mentally distracted a moment earlier to not recognize this. His blush was about as telling as his terrible delivery when lying. Now, thinking she had him pegged, Kelly pulled his folded forelegs. Of course, she was right.

“Oh, goddamnit. You’re already hard again?”

Embarrassed, Big Mac pulled his forelegs back and tried to cover himself up as best he could.

“I can’t help it. I was thinking about you and Princess Luna doing all them delicate touches and whatnot… and well...”

At the same time, practically having a birds-eye view, Luna was transfixed on the poorly hidden erection of the farm pony currently stumbling over his words.

“A thousand years on the moon, how many dicks could I have seen during all those years?”

Even before these new revelations, the princess had grown up mostly sheltered in the early days of her kingdom’s development. Even after maturing and venturing for her royal duties or fighting off the next threat, she had no romantic experience or training. Then, a thousand years of banishment had left a terrible void in her heart that needed affection, which was only amplified by Kelly’s informative session of sex for the purpose of pleasure and comfort. Now the stud they would be sharing was aroused because of simply imagining what Kelly would be offering tonight. What would her first experience with a stallion be like if Kelly was already this wonderfully tempting?

“Am I allowed to touch it?” The princess couldn’t help but inquire as countless other questions flood through her mind.

Kelly raised her hands to her head, ready to pull her hair out as the situation was quickly spiraling in a direction she’d like to avoid.

“You’re not helping, Luna.”

Such a reaction could have been avoided had Kelly thought out her words more carefully. Now, hours after not getting the relief she had needed, she stared at his erection, lewd thoughts running through her head and her self control struggled to remain strong.

“Goddamnit, Mac. Fuck… I could try blowing you, that shouldn’t leave much of a mess for us to explain, but then you’ll just be fucking unconscious for the party and… fuck… that’s not going to work, knowing how much you… goddamnit.”

This wasn’t supposed to be a long ride, and Kelly could only think of one thing that would work, though it would also be cruel. Unfortunately, with so little time and no better options, she resigned to make a bad day worse for Mac.

“Luna… cover your ears, please. You’re not going to want to hear this.”

A little too overly trusting in Kelly, but also still focused on Big Mac’s cock, Luna covered her ears, even adding a few layers of magic just to be cautious.

In the silence, she watched as Kelly cozied up to Big Mac. It looked as though she was whispering something intimate to him. Although her expression looked a little callous, even a little snide maybe.

In the silent world in front of her, she watched as Big Mac’s ears perked up. His expression shifted to what she could only describe as uncomfortable nausea as his body cringed over this private conversation. Then, whatever Kelly said next had him give up on hiding his rapidly deflating erection to cover his own ears.

From her observation, only three things were clear. First, whatever Kelly had said worked. Second, Big Mac was repeating the word “no” over and over again. Lastly, Kelly no longer talking must have been a cue that Luna was in the clear to allow her hearing to return. However, Luna was too curious not to know what just happened.

“Should I ask what I missed? You are void of magic, so it couldn’t have been a spell or some incantation you spoke to derive such an immediate reaction from him.”

Big Mac cringed and held his hooves tighter to his ears, fearing Kelly would speak it again.

Kelly, not wanting to repeat it herself, decided to give the condensed version.

“I described what it would look like if he came home and walked in on Spearhead eating out Granny on the kitchen table.”

Luna’s eyes went wide and her coat quickly turned nearly as pale as the surface of the moon. And now it was only thanks to the lack of experience from a thousand years in isolation that prevented her from accurately painting such an image in her mind.

“Thou art capable of speaking such evil?”

The carriage came to a halt, jarring all three from the terrifying imagery Kelly had drafted for them. Still, as horrific as the method was, it had worked just in time, and Kelly gave a sigh of relief.

“A necessary evil. Crisis avoided.”

Luna looked upon Kelly with a mix of disgust and pride.

“Thou arts a crafty one, Kelly. We look forward to uncovering further mysteries thou will provide from henceforth.”

After Luna’s reaction, Kelly should have worried or apologized. Instead, she grinned and chuckled at the princess.

“I love how you go back to the old speak when you get angry.”

The absurd observation and cute delivery made Luna turn up her nose.

“Hmph. Thy words are neigh of anger nor… goddamnit.”

Just in time to end the unfavorable conversation, Spike had dismounted from the reigns and opened the carriage door from the outside.

"Alright, everypony, last stop. Destination, Party Town."

Unaware of the proper etiquette of who was to depart first, Kelly was the first to exit.

"Thanks, Spike, and didn't you party with us at the dance?"

Before the answer came, Spike's face turned sour.

"No. Because somepony had to stand at the Cutie Mark Crusaders sales booth."

That certainly explained his absence, and Kelly's heart went out to the poor guy. The Crusaders were adorable but had proven more than a handful even with the little time she had with them.

"Oh, that's bullshit. Come on let's get you a drink. You deserve it. Mac, hurry up, and Princess. Might I escort you inside?” Her neck snapped back to the open garage when she finally noticed something rather vital.

“Holy shit. Are the lights on?"

Currently distracted, Luna stepped out just behind them and turned to one of her guards.

“Would you be so kind as to fetch the box stowed inside for me? It will be needed for later this evening, so make sure nothing happens to it.”

As the guard nodded, they made their way inside, with Kelley surprised to see how lively the house already was. Lunar Guards were surrounding the TV, watching Benny and Sniff swapping cable behind the TV, and another group of ponies was playing... beer pong?

Somehow, amongst the chaos, Cerb was the first to notice the three new arrivals. He couldn’t pass up the opportunity to make the guards jump and shouted loud and proud for all the guests to hear.

"Attention on deck!"

All the guards immediately rose to attention while Benny excused himself away from Octavia and Vinyl to hurry over to the Princess. He was all smiles, looking unusually upright and proper in his approach.

"Luna, glad you could make it. Kelly, good to see you and Mac together… here.”

The familiar look of fatigue, even if on a stallion, made Kelly’s position on human/pony relations all too clear and he couldn’t help but play ignorant in such a way to draw attention to it. That and she’d have done the same to him.

“You feeling alright Big Red? You look a little run down."

There was something off about Benny's tone, and Becky wasn't oblivious to it. However, if he knew, she wasn't going to give him the pleasure.

"Big Mac did a lot of work this morning, like the trooper that he is. Poor guy also had trouble sleeping last night. Having nightmares about… how is AJ anyway?”

A quick glance around the room revealed more than she could process all at once.

“Is she wearing a skir… Why are they all dressed up? Do me and Luna get new outfits?"

There was no doubt about it, Benny knew what was going on, but Kelly changed the subject too quickly. However, that didn't stop Luna from wanting to enjoy the fun she came for.

"Everypony, at ease. Please, relax and carry on with the festivities. This is a party, is it not? Are there going to be mojitos served tonight? And please, tell me there is a matching set for me to wear. I wasn't told to dress up for the evening."

Rarity trotted up as the party got back into motion.

Her nose caught a strong scent of Kelly on Big Mac. Not only her scent, but another scent that was oddly familiar with its tang that tickled her taste buds as she breathed it in, yet was drastically different in its fragrance. There were certainly others that would notice, but she would have to ignore it for now.

"My apologies, Princess. These were a product of inspiration after a special order came in. However, I can get you fitted for one if you like, and I think I know just the style that would be perfect for you."

A window of opportunity to speak finally opened up and Big Mac, oblivious to Benny or the others already knowing, answered what had been asked of him.

"I'm fine. Still waking up is all. I'll be right as rain here in a few."

There was no need to call the two out, but Benny could at least get one in before pulling Luna away to fill her in on what was going on.

"No worries, my man. Take the recliner seat and rest up. I know what it's like working that grind after a sleepless night. Probably didn't help having to give Kelly a pony ride or two today. So just grab a drink and take a load off, but Luna, if you would follow me for the grand tour. Oh, and of course welcome to my home. Mi casa, su casa. And Kelly, if you would help Big Mac to his seat and give whoever is in it the boot."

It was now obvious after all those puns Benny made, and Kelly silently cursed him in her thoughts.

“That son of a bitch, he knows. No doubt about it, but at least he wasn't being a dick about it. Playing cute, sure, but not like an asshole. Even still, I have to talk to Sniff and… Jesus fucking Christ. What is Chris-”

Obviously, there was a lot Kelly had to get caught up on after taking care of Big Mac like she was asked to do.

"Come on Mac. I'll get ya a drink."

Meanwhile, Benny quickly pointed out the kitchen, the living room, and said he would explain the rest of the electronics when they start up the next event. Until then...

"And let me show you the upstairs real quick. Can't have too many up here at one time until all the repairs are done, but there's a lot from our world you can see up here."

While this was going to alter Luna’s plans since she had arrived later than intended, she could humor him. Besides, she figured Twilight could follow the outline in the box she brought.

She turned to one of her guards that had accompanied her in.

“I’ll be fine with Benny, but could you take the box to Twilight? Tell her the contents are for her eyes only until I return and to get things started for me.”

While looking for the purple princess, she noticed Cerb catching up with Night Guard and welcoming a hug from the stallion.

“Actually… tell her I would like Cerberus involved as well.”

Walking up the stairs, now a few steps ahead of his guest, Benny quickly pointed out the basics.

“Sorry, I thought you were right behind me. But, we’ve got a guest bedroom, second bathroom, and master bedroom right here.”

As Luna entered Benny’s room, she eyed the many trinkets and items of interest.

"A very impressive and extensive collection… but-”

Having seen him still with his two dates and picking up on the tomfoolery between him and Kelly, she decided to have a little fun of her own. Starting off with speaking in the same low, soft-spoken tone Kelly had used on her.

“Since you have me alone, was there something important you wish to speak to me about, or did you reconsider taking me on a real date and would rather ask me in private." She fluttered her eyes in a shameless act of flirting. “Or do you desire to skip the date and entertain me here.”

Benny froze as those words left Luna's lips, leaving him speechless and transfixed at the sultry smile she gave him. His jaw hung slack as if his mind had just gone comatose.

That was the best reaction Luna could have expected and broke into a hysterical laugh, effectively dropping the act, breaking Benny from his spell.

"I’m sorry, Benny. I simply could not resist. I was informed just prior to leaving by my guards that you had a wonderful time on your blind date, or dates, I suppose. And it's obvious by your... selection of words that you know about Kelly and Big Macintosh."

Benny relaxed, but just barely. Luna really had gotten one on him.

"Jesus… you really had me going there. And you’re right, I-” He sheepishly grinned, remembering her well-wishes for him. “-had more fun with those two than I’d expected. Given that, I wanted to bring you up to speed on that and everyone else.”

Luna smiled knowingly. It was wonderful to see him happy with the outcome, as well as assuming the fair lady Octavia and Vinyl, both ponies she held in her favor, were likely happy with him as well. Not only that, but the others downstairs were also likely in support of him as well as Sniff, given how close those two were with him currently, in spite of the guests.

“I presume you are referring to Peter with Twilight and Oven Fresh? I know of their arrangement, as I happened to be there when Twilight proposed that he take her as his own as well.”

It was looking like they all really needed to work on their communication skills, but Benny figured even she was out of the loop if that’s all she cared to mention.

"Okay, I wasn't aware you were there for that, but what about Cerb with Flutters and Rarity all dating each other?"

Luna paused, yet didn't seem to be surprised.

"Oh… Well, it was assumed that they had become intimately close with him, but we were not aware of that union. When did this occur?"

Benny shook his head, seeing just how far behind she was, knowing this might require a long explanation.

"This afternoon, a few hours before the party. Then just before I got back, Lumberman asked Applejack right in front of Cerb, Sniff, and Chris with their girls a few hours ago."

Luna blinked again, believing she had missed something in the update.

"You mentioned Chris with the others and those they are with, has he taken somepony to be with as well?"

Benny grinned, intentionally misleading her as a little payback for getting one in on him.

"Well, he was with Starlight when that happened, but he's also taken more than one special somepony, as the more popular term seems to be. And I'm guessing they're all dating each other too. Care to guess who they are? And by all means, name as many girls in town you can think of, you're bound to get a few of them right."

Luna wasn’t taking the bait and stood defiant to what was being implied.

“Surely I am not one to doubt the capabilities of Chris to attract a lovely mare as Starlight, but how many others could he possibly-”

“Nurse Redheart, Derpy, Cheerilee, Prim Posy, and Cream Heart,” Benny bluntly answered, rattling off the names without pause. “Unless there’s others he hasn’t told us about.”

There was only one proper response Luna could think of to properly capture what she was feeling, and she hoped she could deliver it correctly.

“Sir, Benny. Art thou fucking with thee?”

Benny threw his arms up in a mutual display of disbelief at how quickly Chris had racked up his collection of new lovers.

“No! Jesus Christ, even I’m dating both Octavia and Vinyl at the same time now. Somehow they’re both cool with it, and I offered them the chance to walk away after they found out that I lied about there never being other guys for the blind date fuck up… Which is something else I wanted to follow up with you on.”

Despite the levity Benny tried to bring to the conversation after Luna had pulled a fast one on him, he had to be serious about what had happened. At least for what she had been roped into.

“Pinkie fucked up bad with setting all four of us up on the blind date today, but her heart really was in the right place. I talked to her and set her straight. So, if you are going to talk to her… don’t be too hard on her, everything worked out. Somehow.”

The shift in Benny’s conversation and tone had her full attention. She still was trying to get a fix on where Benny and the rest of his friends stood with their pony relationships. From what Kelly had told her about their opposition upon arriving, the acceptance of being with mares should have been a sign for the all-clear. However, that was only the males with mares. Not a female like Kelly or Becky with a mare. It all left her unsure about admitting that she was lusting for Kelly herself.

Was it lusting? How did her longing for companionship turn to sexual conquest so quickly?

Hands… It was definitely those hands.

After noticing Luna had no interjections, Benny continued, albeit with a mournful tone.

“We’re all grateful for everything you and Twilight and all the others have done for us. We know you all have our best interest in mind, and… I mean, come on. I’m sure half our friends are already sleeping with each other at this point. I’m sure the feeling is mutual… but I also think the guys are right.”

Given the humor Luna had approached him with, she was clearly happy for him. Although, she was unaware of Cerb hooking up with Fluttershy and Rarity, as well as Lumberman and Chris no longer being single. If she had her eyes set on any of the other four guys, she had missed her opportunity. If that was the case, there was oddly something sad about knowing that, since he wasn’t about to give up his two.

Of course, his reaction to her question earlier, even if just as a joke, likely would leave a mark on her self-confidence. That wasn’t going to sit well with him.

“After I killed the Pony of Shadows… it’s a safe bet we’re all stuck here for good. So, if we’re not going anywhere, I think we’re giving up on the chance of going back. That’s why we’re so ready to settle down. And I don’t mean that as an insult, like we’re settling for something less. I mean that-”

Those words were already said and there was no taking them back. Even if he could better explain himself following up, he was going to regret saying those words for a long time to come.

“I mean, if we know we’re staying here, we want to make the best of it. I guess some of us realized it sooner than others.”

Luna nodded, knowing what Benny was really trying to say and sympathized with him.

“My brave friend, Benny… You need not explain your actions nor motives. None more so than yourself and Justin. I would not believe a word of malice intent from any of you, even if you spoke it yourself. We... “

For the first time, the collective deception of what led up to the human’s arrival began to weigh on Luna. The fact that her ponies were not guilty parties wasn’t the issue. They had kept this fact from them and still held it. Even if harmless, it was wrong but that would have to be addressed at a later date. For the time being, all she could do was show her support for them, and being how Benny had brought this on, she would show him first.

“Benny, we are happy to see things have ended on such a positive note, but I cannot help but wish that we could do more for you. None of you asked for these problems you’ve taken on so impressively. We know that the compassion and acceptance you’ve shown us was not something that could have come easily. Had the circumstances been any different, it would be unlikely that any of us would have been desirable… yet…”

There were no words to continue with. Even if the humans were Twilight’s responsibility, and each had already been delegated guardianship under the watchful eyes of others, Luna felt responsible for so much that her sister had left unaddressed. She would find a way to make things right, starting with a heartfelt hug to Benny she enveloped him in.

“We do not deserve such kindness or compassion, Benny, but we are grateful for it. Yet, for all we do, I do not believe you understand just how much all of you mean to us. We all fear for your safety, long to have you close, and with Cerberus soon leaving us to the Crystal Empire with Becky, I worry endlessly about Kelly. I plan to keep her close when Macintosh cannot, but I would ask that you do the same. You and Cerberus may be the strongest amongst our kind…”

Luna’s words trailed off as she tried to find some resolution to provide the most good for all of them. Something to reward Benny’s goodwill and service that wasn’t superficial or gave the wrong impression.

Then, all of Benny’s traits and acts came together for a brilliant idea that would benefit her other concerns as well.

“Would you continue to stay close and protect us as we protect you? Whatever the cost, you will be compensated. Rewarded handsomely if Kelly is to never be harmed again.”

Benny awkwardly returned the hug, pondering where this sentiment was coming from. None of the others had shown such concern or dedication to them, which left him struggling to understand what she meant.

Then, slowly, the pieces started to fall into place as trends of previously forbidden knowledge, secret loves, and multiple attachments were recalled. The final piece was realized as every action, and even the choice of words spoken from Luna made the reason behind her last request clear. Just as clear as that fact that Applejack understood what the “phrasing” joke meant.

“Kelly isn’t only dating Mac, is she?”

If the humans had inadvertently provided any asset to improve the quality of life for Luna and the rest of pony kind, it was new and ironically colorful ways to express themselves.

“God… damnit.”

Benny offered the now exposed princess a sympathetic pat her on the back, finding it comical that Kelly was just as bad as Sniff. In retrospect, it probably should have been expected.

“No wonder you ditched me this afternoon. I’m also guessing Pinkie didn’t know, did she?”

Now embarrassed, as well as silently kicking herself for making things so obvious, Luna removed herself from the embrace and dried her eyes.

“So many apologies are building up, we fear it will become a nuisance to you. To your question, though, Pinkie could not have known. It was not until after leaving you to the care of Octavia and Vinyl Scratch that I approached Kelly about my desires to have her as my own.”

It was still amazing to her just how accepting Benny and the others seemed to be with her. All the more comfortable that made her confiding in him privately.

“Twas good fate that I long fancied Big Macintosh as well from years ago and that he, if even only by association, fancied me as well.”

She grinned and blushed. This wasn’t something she had planned on going public with for a multitude of reasons. Still, if she was going to entrust Kelly’s safety to him, she could trust in having his silence as well.

“Benny, there is much we do not fully understand about your arrival. However, I stand by what I wished of you before. You were all brought here to be our demise, yet by chance, you have saved us without much of a struggle. If the Pony of Shadows was not acting alone… Kelly is no warrior and Big Macintosh, as valiant as he may be, he is not human. We wish to keep our ties with Kelly secret for now, for both our safety.”

Benny gave a concerned look around the room. Nothing was ever easy with these ponies.

“If safety is your concern, you’re not alone in this. Cerb has felt the same way and wants to make sure we’re all ready and work with our counterparts for the next big threat.”

He shook his head, so many unknown threats likely still remained hidden in the darkness, underground or sealed away, all waiting for their chance to strike.

After the moment it took for his concerned display to end, his eyes landed on an old shoebox filled with comic books. He had more somewhere, but the theme was there to remind him of why Cerb had been so ready to prepare the others.

“There’s always a next big threat,” he said with resolution ringing out strong in his voice. “I’ll work with him first, probably bring Chris in on it, too. I know you said you wanted to keep it secret, but with at least those two, they have the know-how and insight we needed for the best results… and you and I both know there are bigger threats out there than Timberwolves, but I don’t think there’s anything more dangerous than all of us working together.”

Okay, that sounded a little corny even for this world, but given the previous results in the Everfree Forest, it had to be true. Still, it shouldn’t have taken this long to give a tour of two bedrooms and a bathroom, let alone with a princess. In fact, Benny could see a rumor getting started if he didn’t bring her back soon.

“However… this isn’t the time or place for that. We’ve got a party to get back to and appearances to keep.”

As they left the room, Benny found it such a relief to see how much more open of a dialog he could have with Luna. Although, in an afterthought, if he was already dating two mares, and six didn’t seem too many for Chris, Luna would have been a good choice for a third if he was greedy.

She was fun to be around and was one of the most supportive ponies. Not to mention her size was more compatible than the shorter stature of the others.

Actually, why did Kelly get the two biggest ponies of the group? Then again, why would he be jealous of Kelly having Big Mac? Nix that thought, for now. The ground floor of the house was a lot more crowded than he had left it.

“Holy shit… How many ponies were invited again?”

Luna stepped down from the stairs, equally stunned with the number of ponies in attendance.

“Indeed. Though, it was supposed to be everypony that helped with the efforts during our time in the Everfree Forest. Perhaps we may have underestimated just how many ponies were involved.”

As the pair continued to gawk, Sniff could be seen rushing his way inside with Oven Fresh and Vinyl following close behind.

“Ben! Yo, Benny! Dude, quick.”

Benny held fast as Sniff made his way through with an overly excited, if not giddy face, but was pulled close to his friend. In too much of a hurry to be discrete, Sniff spoke only loud enough in Benny’s ear so that his one-way conversation was private.

“You missed it, but we all know about Kelly and she’s in on it with us, but that's not what's important right now. I got your back, but right now stick close to your girls or you're gonna get mobbed.”

Benny reeled back, thinking this was the lead into some elaborate prank.

“Dude, the fuck is going on?”

Instead of answering, Sniff let Vinyl tug on Benny’s shirt with her magic to get his attention.

“Hey, stud, Tavi’s getting anxious outside waiting for us. Grab my tail and follow me out so everypony knows we’re together.”

Benny tried to get a grasp on what was going on but was distracted by Sniff grabbing Oven Fresh’s tail and letting her guide him out. So, while expecting nothing but trouble, he rolled his eyes and groaned.

“Good Christ, this shit’s getting outta hand… Gimme your tail, Vinyl.”

The two made their way outside to the fire everyone had gathered at after the house became too crowded.

It seemed like everyone had shown up in the short time Benny spoke with Luna. Cadence and Shining had arrived and were standing next to Twilight… actually there were a lot of other mares by Twilight also dressed up. Heck, even the mayor was dressed to kill.

All the more to make him wonder what the fuck was going on and whether he was being led into some elaborate prank.

"Oh, Benny, you're here." Top Shelf spoke up amongst the crowd and raised a knockoff Red Solo cup with a drink for him. "Take this, we were waiting on you to make a toast so we could get started."

Still trying to catch up on what was all going on, he took the cup and hurried over to the others, never letting go of Vinyl’s tail all the way over to Octavia, currently standing next to Kelly and Big Mac.

Kelly, forcing a smile through her growing impatience and annoyance from earlier, wasted no time giving him a piece of her mind in a whisper.

“Yes, I’m fucking Big Mac. Thanks for rubbing it in and making me think I was the only one screwing around. We’ll catch up later on how balls deep you’ve been getting after we toast. Now shut up and smile.”

With the crowd all together, Twilight kicked off the event.

“Everypony! May I have your attention, please!”

She waited for the crowd to quiet down and the rest of the stragglers to funnel out of the house.

“I’d like to thank you all for joining us at this private event for everypony who pitched in when our new friends needed your help the most. There are so many that I would like to personally thank, but that would take far too long, so I will now turn things over to the co-host of this event. Cerb, the floor is yours.”

Cerb stepped up with Fluttershy and Rarity on either side and raised his fist in the air.

“If you’re ready to party, can I get a hell yeah!”

The crowd remembered this from days earlier and erupted in a unified cry, “HELL YEAH!”

Cerb chuckled, finding it funnier than it should have been, but quickly returned to his speech.

“We invited you all here tonight to say thank you for the hard work and dedication you showed in helping us find what we needed to make a cure for our friend Becky. And if you heard the nasty rumors, yes, things didn’t go as planned for us out there. We ended up having to fight our way out. So before we go any further, it is with great pride that I have the honor to call a few special ponies who have been noticed for rising to the occasion and put their lives on the line, despite only being civilians volunteering their time.”

The crowd started up in a clamor with whispers and hushed words of speculation but silenced themselves as soon as Cerb looked to be ready to speak again.

“Rare Find, Night Guard, Cloud Chaser, Stormwalker, and little miss Oven Fresh, please step up and get recognized for your valor and making me so damn proud to see the warrior spirit is alive and well in Ponyville! Get on up here and take a bow!”

The four ponies from the crowd emerged from the crowd and joined Oven Fresh in front of their audience. They weren’t expecting any type of recognition but gave their respective bows, though it was obvious some weren’t used to such public praise.

That was Luna’s cue to take her place behind them and called out to the crowd.

“Fillies and gentlecolts. Given the short notice and other obligations, my sister will be unable to join us. However, that allows me the distinct honor of recognizing these brave ponies for their acts of valor.”

Cerb tapped Luna on the side and whispered just loud enough for most ponies to hear, “Can I do the next part?”

Luna stifled her laugh as best she could and gave him the nod to go ahead.

Cerb, Quickly putting on a stone-cold face, straightened up, stood at attention, and shouted, “Lunar Guard! Attention to award! Awardees, about-face!”

A column of Lunar Guard bat ponies formed up and stood at attention on either side of the ponies being acknowledged for the efforts… still facing the crowd.

After three seconds too many passed, Cerb stage whispered to the group, “Guys, that’s you. Turn and face Luna.”

Luna grinned, humored by how uncoordinated these ponies were. At least Oven Fresh should have known what was going on. Regardless…

“Rare Find and Night Guard, as volunteer members under the leadership of Captain Onyx Armor, in the active roles of supporting his Recon Team, and by circumstance, React Team, facing overwhelming odds to allow the safe retreat for Zecora, and your continued support to secure safe passage for Cerberus and his guardians Fluttershy and Rarity, from the hoards of Timberwolves, I am proud to recognize you for your acts of bravery.”

The two stallions bowed and Luna did the same in return before moving on.

“Cloud Chaser and Stormwalker, as volunteer members under the leaders of the Element of Loyalty, Rainbow Dash, in the active roles of supporting her Overwatch Team, doubling as a React Team, facing not just overwhelming odds, but also employing advanced tactics normally seen only from seasoned soldiers, with precision and constant lightning support, and continued protection of Cerberus and his guardians, I am proud to recognize you today for your acts of valor under pressure, as well as your bravery.”

The pair bowed and Luna again bowed before moving onto Oven Fresh.

“Lastly, Miss Oven Fresh. Not only did you provide nourishment to the troops and volunteers during their exercise in support of Ambassador Justin, Cerberus, Husk’s mission to find a cure for our new friend Rebecca Landon, who we all lovingly know as Becky. In the last-minute efforts to gather support for the extraction of those in danger, you selflessly volunteered your expertise and proved yourself essential to the success of our final rescue efforts. Not only in fighting off the hoards of Timberwolves, but also the impressive task of taking down multiple Timberwolf Kings that gathered from their ruins.”

Oven Fresh bowed, and one last time, Luna bowed with her respect and praise for their efforts, but wasn’t finished yet. She addressed them again as she floated over a box that had been held by Twilight since her guard had delivered it.

“For these citations, as they are to be recorded in Equestrian history, for all to see, I am proud to award you five brave souls with the Equestrian Pink Hearts of Courage.”

She opened the box and levitated out medals of pink crystal hearts, each encased in gold rims decorated with gold wings extending out from behind. Each was attached with pink ribbons that were placed around their necks.

The crowd went wild in celebration, not only excited to see some local heroes be recognized, but that proved that the rumors were true, and Ponyville was even more amazing because of it. They cheered so loud that most couldn’t even hear Luna dismiss only three of the awardees.

“Rare Find, Night Guard, you may return to the crowd. Oven Fresh, please rejoin Peter and Twilight.”

Singling out the last two, Luna grinned.

“Cloud Chaser and Stormwalker, if you could bear with me a while longer, as I call Rainbow Dash... to join you.”

From the sidelines, Rainbow yelped, “ Me?! I mean, right away Princess.”

Luna smiled warmly at the sight of Rainbow grinning nervously next to her Overwatch Team members. Given the genuine shock and confusion from Rainbow, she knew this next award had not been spoiled by Twilight or Cerb, and she could enjoy every moment watching their reactions as she went on.

“Rainbow, you not only shared their responsibilities and fought alongside them, your quick thinking and ability to adapt to an ever-changing battlefield and selfless sacrifice that ensured the safe retreat of all those deployed with you. It was your leadership that ensured the necessary actions were taken to guarantee the safe return of all those entrusted under your care. Because of this-”

She levitated over the box, but opened it only to peek inside before unceremoniously closing it.

“Well, I suppose for this announcement, I should leave it to the professionals.”

Luna stepped back, leaving a wide gap between the three as she turned her eyes to the horizon.

Slowly, all eyes turned to see where Luna was staring.

Off in the distance, three white cloud trails, arching with lighting that discharged sporadically, were approaching fast. What caused the trails had yet to be seen, but the roaring that grew louder was all that any fan would need to hear to know who was approaching, and their excitement grew.

The roar grew louder until it buzzed over the crowd and three pegasi in blue and yellow body-conforming flight suits, complete with aviator goggles, arched up high towards the sky.

The center pony turned sharply, arching back down to the ground as the two on either side split off and crisscrossed the whole way down. The three ariel ponies landed perfectly with a gust of wind following them down that rushed over the all in attendance.

Fleetfoot, Spitfire, and Soarin, the three most notable active duty Wonderbolts, stood before the remaining awardees and Rainbow.

After Fleetfoot removed her goggles, she turned and bowed to Luna.

Fleetfoot had a majestic light teal colored coat. Her mane and tail as pure white as the clouds she commanded. The only strong contrast of colors she had were her deep magenta eyes everyone now could see.

“My apologies for the delay Princess. We flew into some strong winds along the way and had some trouble locating the new embassy.” She turned to the pegasi in front of her. “Are these the three?”

Luna simply smiled and levitated the box over to the Wonderbolt.

“Would you expect them to be any other ponies if they were not standing next to Rainbow Dash?”

Fleetfoot laughed as she took out three pieces of paper from the box.

“Point taken, Princess.”

Rainbow’s heart was beating a million miles a minute. Her idols were here to personally give her an award? How could this day get any better?!

Well, with the help of Fleetfoot, she was about to find out.

“Trainee's Cloud Chaser, Storm Walker, and Reservist Rainbow Dash… Oh, Dash, I’ve been waiting too long for this.”

She raised the paper to read it aloud.

“In observance of exemplary skill, service to crown and country, while in the performance of duty, aiding those in need, and showcasing the merits and qualities of Equestria’s finest, I have been granted the distinct pleasure of announcing that these ponies being recognized today, to be removed from any trainee or reserves programs and be granted their wings so they may join the E.U.P. Guard’s elite flying force.”

She lowered the paper and handed them out to each of the awestruck pegasi. After they could all see their letters of acceptance, she proudly greeted them formally.

“Cadets, welcome to the Wonderbolts.”

Rainbow held the paper in front of her, rereading it over and over silently in her head, wishing somepony would pinch her to make sure this wasn’t a dream.

“Accepted. Accepted. Accepted. Accepted. Accepted. Accepted.”

She lowered the paper, it had to be real. She wasn't dreaming… or drunk… yet. She actually made the cut.

Slowly, a smile began to grow. An abundance of joy and pride began swelling up inside… She was smiling too big and it was kinda creepy. Then again, she didn’t care, she’d waited for this moment her whole life and NOTHING was gonna spoil it.

Luna, happy to see Twilight had managed to get everything in order without spilling the beans, called out to the crowd in a cheerful decree.

"Let's give it up for our new Wonderbolts!"

The crowd erupted in a bigger cheer. This day had gotten even better for their little town.

Luna gave a nod to Cerb, letting him know this portion was over and he could bark a few more orders.

"Lunar Guard! Stand by for announcement! Fall out! … And grab a beer if you’re not on duty! It's a party!

Unfortunately, that left only Midnight and Ralph to head towards a cooler full of beer, making Cerb feel like an ass.

"Awe, shit guys. My bad. I'll make it up to ya. Promise."

Rainbow, finally accepting what just happened as reality, bolted from the front and flew into Becky to wrap herself around her with a powerful hug.

“I’m a Wonderbolt! Becky, I made it! I finally made it!”

The group quickly surrounded the happy mare and congratulated her as the crowd settled in for the next announcement.

After the quick celebration, Cerb moved with his two girls next to Benny to whisper to him.

"You're up after this. Sorry we didn't have more time to clue you what was going on. I only found out when you went upstairs, but also, Top Shelf told us-"

"Thank you all again," Twilight took over before Cerb could say any more. "As you all know, our new friends here have all made some amazing contributions to our community. From considerable acts of charity, medical advances, improved methods to strengthen the security of Equestria, to simple acts of sharing heartwarming stories, a few kind words, or even a helping hand in the kitchen.”

Sniff facepalmed and grinned like a buffoon while Oven Fresh folded her ears back, blushing and sporting one hell of an embarrassed grin.

Likewise, Twilight chuckled, proud of herself for sneaking that one in there before getting back to business.

“They have graciously shared and given so much of themselves, that trying to match their pace can be exhausting."

Big Mac cringed, Oven Fresh blushed again, Chris's entire harem giggled, as every human and most of their counterparts turned into a heap of muted laughs.

That was the last one, and it was time for Twilight to give up the floor.

"With that being said, I leave the official start of this successful Post-War-Party Party to my Executive Officer for our training exercises gone Rescue Mission, Ambassador Benny Yale."

Benny stepped up, looking out to the many faces that came out to see them. Of course, the majority of them being mares that were looking at him like… oh shit. So that’s what Cerb was trying to tell him. That also explained why Tavi must have been getting nervous, though him sneaking off with Luna must have only made it worse. He’d have to make that up to them.

"Ahem, uh… I hadn't put much thought about what I would do with my time here. I hadn't planned on staying that long but it's not likely I'll be leaving any time soon."

He turned to either side and motioned for Octavia and Vinyl to move closer to him. The idea must have been that a public display of being close to his two special ladies would stop him from getting mobbed by those looking to stake their claim on him.

As they happily took to his sides, he felt an odd sense of peace and comfort come along with them. Of course, that comfort he was putting on display for the now many confused and disappointed mares made him realize something he could only silently think to himself.

“Holy shit, I have two girlfriends that are ponies.”

Oh well. At least he actually liked them. So, showing that would hopefully avoid any undesired attention from any random potential advances from others. Now if he only knew what to say.

“I… was pleased to discover how welcoming and accepting of us you all have been. What I didn’t expect was to find those among you that…”

He paused for a moment, wondering what he was really trying to say. What he was even doing that he felt the need to bring Octavia and Vinyl up next to him. It wasn’t until only a few hours ago he hadn’t wanted this. Yet, even when the thought of being approached by some other mare wasn’t an issue, he still wanted those two by his side.

Perhaps he was fighting this too hard and needed to be a little more honest about what he really felt. Plus, a little honesty would make it easier to find the right words to say.

“I haven’t been happy for a long time. In a lot of ways, I don’t think I wanted to be. Not if I had to deal with the life I left behind. So, I think it’s important to point out what makes your world so amazing. It’s not just the brave acts like those who were awarded today. It’s not limited to facing the fears of being hurt or laying your life down for another. It’s the courage to risk putting yourself on the line to make sure those you care about are taken care of. Even something as simple as making sure that a friend can find what they need in their life to stay happy enough to keep smiling even when no one else is around.”

Off to the side, Pinkie’s heart swooned. Benny recognized her and he cared enough to acknowledge her efforts. He even turned to give her a wink, which she returned with a thankfully lustless smile.

Now feeling more comfortable with his settings, Benny laid his free hand on Octavia and his other with his drink around Vinyl, accepting what he had allowed himself to participate in.

“Coming here has allowed me to realize that there’s a lot more life left for me to live, and a lot more happy days ahead of me when I keep the right company. So, let us raise our glasses for a toast.”

Sniff snickered as he raised his glass.

“God damn, not every gathering needs a fucking toast ya goofy bastards.”

Benny pulled his free hand up and flipped Sniff off behind him as he continued on.

“I'll keep this simple.” He raised his glass. “To a better tomorrow!"

Together, the large collection of hands, hooves, wings, and magic aura’s raised their party glasses high.

"To a better tomorrow!'

After their toast ended and the crowd started to mingle, Swifty approached Benny with an exciting question.

"Excuse me, but Thunder Glide and I wanted to know if it would be okay to give a demonstration of pegasi combat. Kind of like what your fighting sport Cerb showed us."

Benny took another sip of whatever concoction Top Shelf had thrown together and thought about what that would look like. After another thought, there was virtually nothing planned for the party. Why not provide a little entertainment?

"Sounds awesome." He turned and shouted towards the house. "Pinkie! Come here a sec!"

Luna had been just close enough to catch the request, and the request had her interested.

"Would this be like the sparring match Cerberus had against Onyx and Helix?"

Thunder trotted up past Luna, eager to put her skills on display.

"Not likely, Princess. This won't be so one-sided."

Onyx heard the comment and just grumbled, but it caught the interest of Cerb enough that he had to chime in.

"You're not expecting me to fight the winner are ya?"

Spitfire, in spite of how good this new drink was, sprayed out what bit she hadn't swallowed.

"Ha! Wow, I'd love to see that. No offense, Cerberus, was it? But from what I heard, if you needed rescuing, you don't want to tangle with these two."

Soarin and Fleetfoot joined in to laugh at the thought of this new guy trying to spar with two of the elite guards left to protect Twilight and the others.

In fact, it was so funny that even the two Solar Guard mares, along with everyone else joined in to laugh. But after the Wonderbolts had thought the joke ran its course, the others were still laughing. Not only were they laughing, they were pointing at the Wonderbolts.

To clear up their confusion, Rainbow shouted over the laughs to set the record straight.

"Take it from your newest Wonderbolt, I don't think any of you would stand a chance against this Devil Dog. And that's if he even wanted to fight you."

The laughs finally tapered off, but it didn't seem like Rainbow had convinced them yet. To avoid any possible contentions, she needed to make them understand just how wrong they were.

"Believe me, whatever rumors you heard about him, they're true and probably toned down to make it believable."

Spitfire was stuck somewhere between doubting this new creature's capabilities and embarrassed that even Luna was laughing at her claim.

"Yeah, okay, noobie. He must be something special if even you're fawning over him."

Spike, being as short as he was, wasn't noticed by the boasting Wonderbolt. Just the same, he hadn't picked up on the attitude and decided to give his own account of Cerb.

"I'm guessing that word hasn't traveled far out of Ponyville, but Cerb is probably the best fighter in all of Equestria. He beat Captain Onyx in a boxing match in less than a minute and didn't even flinch when Helix Ray attacked him with a double spell. Neither of them could hurt Cerb when they sparred."

Fleetfoot, a little older and a little wiser stepped up to try and calm the rivalry that was quickly brewing between the two groups.

"That's all well and good, Spike, but sparring in boxing and sparring with practice-magic are a little different than a real fight."

Spike furrowed his brow, agitated that they weren't believing him. Clearly, they needed more proof.

"I literally watched him decapitate at least three Timberwolves with one swing of his ax. And I'm pretty sure he took out just as many, if not more than any of us who went out there and fought them off. And he did that while saving Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, Onyx, Rare Find, Night Guard, Zecora, and me."

By the look on the Wonderbolts' faces, they hadn't heard any of those details. They probably didn't even believe it, which only made Spike double down on his need to convince them.

"He tackled a Timberwolf and ripped off its head after burying it in the ground when he flipped it over while he had it in a headlock. How much stronger does he have to get? Seriously, don't underestimate Cerberus."

Sadly, despite all this support, it didn't seem like this was going anywhere and Thunder stepped up between Spike and Spitfire. Given her admiration for Cerb, she was not taking the criticism from the flight suit-wearing mare with any grace.

"Let it go, Spike. Some pegasi leave their head up in the sky even after they land. You're not going to change what isn’t here, her mind I mean."

"Excuse me, Tin Can?" Spitfire roused up with some spite. "You got something against the Wonderbolts?"

A little too hot-headed, Thunder wasn't backing away from this.

"A problem with the Wonderbolts?" She sarcastically asked. "Of course not. You're all so entertaining, both in your air shows as you are-"

She paused for a moment and gave an expression of being in deep thought. Not like she was working out a problem or strategizing, but more of a mock attempt to try and recall something.

"I'm sorry, what else have you done? Tirek, changelings, Discord? Noooo, don't recall seeing any of you there."

All three Wonderbolts grit their teeth at the slight, but Thunder wasn't done.

"You would think that the elite flying force who pride themselves on their responsibilities for emergency responses would, ooooh, I don't know, respond to an emergency for once?"

Those were fighting words and Spitfire stepped up to challenge the mare but was cut off by Luna stepping between them.

"Excuse me, ladies," she said in a frighteningly cheerful voice. "It sounds to me like there is some civil rivalry brewing between you two."

Spitfire stepped back and bowed.

"No, you're majesty. Just a-"

"More than that," Thunder defiantly stated out of turn, not letting the matter go. "Cerberus is a guest to our nation and fought with the best of us. Spitfire has insulted his capabilities as a warrior in her ego-fueled arrogance, but she also insulted all of our integrity, even yours as well."

Spitfire reared back, insulted, and furious at the accusation.

"Fine, we do have a problem, Princess, but you can't expect me to believe-"

"Spitfire," Luna gleefully interrupted. "I apologize for not correcting you earlier, but everything they have said is true. I even hoof picked his combatants to test his fighting prowess."

She tilted her head slightly, smiling down at the blaze colored pegasus. However, the smile was anything but comforting. This smile let Spitfire know that she was indeed insulted.

"I knew right away that he was a capable warrior when I caught a glimpse of his dreams. Not even all of it, mind you. So if you will not take heed to Rainbow Dash’s advice, heed my warnings."

Her deceptive smile dropped to a look of anger that could only come from a disappointed royal.

"Cerberus is more familiar with death than you are with the clouds, and a fight with him would not be dictated by the weather, no matter how much control you think you have over either of them."

She turned her eyes to Cerb, a faint smile that showed the admiration and respect she had for him. Perhaps a little something more, but she turned back to Spitfire, ending the pause she created to raise the levels of tension she wanted to escalate.

"I did not test Cerberus so I could see how strong he was… I wanted to see his restraint. So, if it is your egos that have been challenged, let me say that you both should settle it here and now."

She looked out to the crowds, only a few seemed to have noticed the conflict being interrupted. At least they were standing clear and not rudely gawking, though perhaps that was going to change soon.

"However, take some time to ready yourselves while we get this event ready. And before we start, some warnings for you both."

She turned to Twilight, still smiling, but at least it wasn't as frightening to look at.

"We are about to be entertained, Twilight. Would you be so kind as to prepare us an arena? Everypony else, make room for an exhibition."

As the crowds cleared away, Luna was ready to make a few things very clear to her new combatants.

"Spitfire, do not think that your duty and services are not valued by us. Tis unfortunate that your Wonderbolts were unable to assist with the disasters that occurred so far away from you. However, do not underestimate any of our human friends, especially Cerberus. He exceeded my expectations when he bested Onyx and Helix, but even then, he was holding back. He has a good heart and did not wish to harm any of my subjects.”

Even if her heart was set on Kelly, and she accepted Big Mac as their shared stallion, she took a moment to fondly look back at Cerb again. Despite being the living war machine that he had become through his struggles, he was a beast of peace. Secretly, she might have even loved him for everything that he had offered through his kind heart. But for now, her focus was to return to these two.

“You should take a lesson from Thunder Glide. Even with her ego, she never insulted Cerberus. She tried to meet him on equal ground.”

Spitfire wilted under the harsh scrutiny from Luna, though the princess had more than one mare to scold. That was when she turned her attention to Thunder, not sparing any pity.

“And you, Thunder, while it is easy to commend you on your loyalty to our allies and defending the honor of our friends, you should not preach to others to keep their ego in check when clearly you cannot control your own.”

Thunder stood tall at attention but was shrinking in stature inside. The harsh truth of her own faults being brought to light felt much worse coming from her princess. Thankfully, the stern tone from Luna shifted to something more bright and cheerful.

“Now, then. When you spar, keep it clean and professional. You two seem to think the other inferior, and there is no doubt troubled days lie ahead of us. I expect you both to do all you can to prove the other wrong. Between lurking shadows and old rivals, I’d wager we all have room for improvement.”

Happy to finally break from Luna’s wrath, Spitfire returned to her fellow Wonderbolts while Thunder returned with Luna to the others. Once they were back, Cerb immediately tried to apologize.

“Luna, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to stir up any trouble.”

Luna instantly laughed, not taking his concerns seriously.

“Justin, please. This is not the first altercation my Lunar Guards have created, certainly not Thunder’s first. However, if you wish to make amends, coach her properly. While I will not be playing favorites, I do not wish to allow any of the other E.U.P Forces to hold any clout of superiority over my guards.”

She turned to Sniff, batting her eyes and speaking so sweetly it could have been mistaken as a bit of flirting.

“Though for now, could you do me a favor and drum up some excitement for this? I want this to be fun. It is a party after all. And Rainbow Dash, Becky… and Chris, could you accompany me until the fight begins? I wouldn’t want any of the knowledge you possess to be used by either side to draw your allegiances into question.”

She gave a happy sigh, anticipating the demonstration between the two factions. Then, one last desire came to mind and she turned her attention to Top Shelf.

“Could you put something together for us? Something fitting of our combatants.”

As Luna trotted off with her new entourage, Cerb left with Thunder, knowing that this was going to be a challenge. At least he had some good words of encouragement.

“That bitch is fast, but she ain’t a Lioness. Let’s take a little walk so you can show me what you're workin with.”

Over with the Wonderbolts, Spitfire was irate.

“Ooooh, I can’t believe her. Who does she think she is? And we fought Tirek.”

Fleetfoot rolled her eyes and sighed.

“We never got close to Tirek. He didn’t even need Discord’s help to take us down. I hate to say it, but at least the Solar Guard put up a fight… as futile as it was.”

Still refusing to accept her mistakes, Spitfire caught sight of two ponies that could possibly help.

“Hey, cadets. Yeah, you two. Cloud Chaser, Storm Walker, get over here.”

The two new cadets fluttered over, clearly uneasy about the recent turn of events. Unfortunately, Spitfire didn’t seem to care.

“Did you two happen to see Thunder Glide fight out there in the Everfree Forest? What am I going up against?”

Cloud Chaser swallowed hard, too nervous to hide his discomfort.

“Umm… I can’t say for sure. She had a sword at one point, but Rarity took it, so all she had was a spear. I didn’t see much of any hoof combat tactics she used, but she took out a lot of Timberwolves.”

Storm Walker couldn’t think of much to offer in terms of help either and was afraid to admit as much.

“We were too busy fighting for our lives to have been able to see enough to give you any help, but… you really shouldn’t have said that about Cerb. He…cut through Timberwolves with less effort than what alicorn magic seems to need.”

Cloud Chaser nervously nodded in agreement.

“He’s stronger than any Earth pony, and can’t be hurt by magic. He even had a bunch of blood-related injuries, but he only seemed to get stronger and fight harder the more he got hurt. And even when the fighting was over… he laughed and made jokes about it. That guy…”

He shook his head, remembering what few moments of combat he could remember seeing of Cerb. The Ponish language lacked the words to describe his ferocity and efficient brutality of dispatching whatever got in his way.

“He’s unnatural. He took a hit from Helix Ray, the same offensive magic spell that we watched him take out a Timberwolf King with… Cerb didn’t even know it hit him when it landed. He’s unstoppable.”

Storm Chaser frowned, thinking about what he wasn't.

"He's also taken, or at least being guarded by Rarity and Fluttershy. Pretty sure it's Rarity. They already went on a date."

Cloud Chaser chuckled under his wing.

“Lost your special somehuman, Stormy."

Storm Chaser groaned, playfully shoving her fellow cadet away.

"Oh, go eat a rotten apple. Not like you got the guts to ask Becky out on a date."

Comically, the two went after each other with one joke after the other of who was going to stay single longer, leaving the three seasoned Wonderbolts to strategize amongst themselves.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the house. Cerb was working with Thunder under the watchful eye of his two marefriends.

"So, most of their attacks are based on hit and run tactics then. Makes sense for aerial combat. Are you going to be good to fight without your armor? I know for me, a lot of my mobility is lost with armor, but if I had my weapons, I wouldn't fight the same.”

Thunder took off her helmet and started to remove her breastplate.

“The Wonderbolts do not fight with weapons or armor. I would not be meeting her on equal grounds if I came at her with mine… don’t even know why I brought it in the first place. It’s supposed to be my day off.”

For the first time since their short-lived confrontation, Rarity started to warm up to this aggressive Solar Guard.

"What you said to Spitfire earlier, that was completely unnecessary, but I certainly do appreciate it. In fact, had you not said what you did and tried to pull Spike away, I likely would have escalated the matter much further."

Cerb snorted a laugh.

"Please don't. Her carcass might make for a flashy hat, but I don't think her color would look good on you."

Thunder matched his laugh as she pulled off the last shin guard, remembering the threat Rarity gave her days ago. However, that fiery reaction and the closeness she held to Cerb the whole day put things into perspective as well as dampening many of her aspirations.

"While it may not be your market of trade, she would have made for a lovely rug. Probably better as a doormat.”

The three snickered at the joke, but while Fluttershy looked down to cover her laughs and Cerb facepalmed, Rarity noticed the look of disappointment Thunder tried to hide. It was faint, but it was unmistakably the look of a mare who wished things were different.

Sadly, while Rarity could only be so generous, this mare deserved at least some compensation for all she’d done.

“Well, then. With all jokes out of the way, Justin dear, what can you teach our Solar Guardian to help put that flight suit-wearing bitch in her place? Our pride is on the line, and if you're going to be training us, what better way to demonstrate that we are not to be trifled with than by having Spitfire spit out her teeth.”

Cerb held an uneasy grin, this didn’t seem like something for them to be so worked up over.

“You aren’t serious, right?... Holy crap, you are serious.”

Rarity grinned, a devious look in her eyes that answered the question readily.

“She insulted you, and by our attachment, she insulted us. Thunder Glide has taken you as her mentor and thus has insulted her. Everypony, from Luna, and Twilight, all the way down to the ponies that supported you in the Everfree Forest has been insulted. So, if you haven’t noticed, this is personal.”

Cerb thought about that for a moment. Even while he might not have been insulted, per se, he hadn’t considered the emotional weight so many others carried because of him. Still, did that really justify beating Spitfire into the ground?

Whether if it was or wasn’t, Cerb was already thinking of the best way to have his new student take her opponent down.

“Thunder, Spitfire thinks you're full of yourself, and I think we can use that to our advantage. Show me how you two will likely fight. I don’t think she’ll be able to handle what I can show you. So long as you don’t mind getting close.”

“So, I’m thinking about how I’m gonna do this. What can you tell me about Spitfire?”

Twilight rolled her eyes, not pleased with having another fight on her hooves, but knew she probably couldn’t talk either party out of it.

“Spitfire is probably the best flyer of all the Wonderbolts, on top of being one of the most seasoned. She’s actually performed some amazing feats and saved a lot of ponies during natural disasters. And she’s tough, so she’s not to be taken lightly. Then again, I’m not sure about what exactly Thunder Glide is capable of. Though, if what she did against the Timberwolves is any clue, I can’t say who would win.”

Ovens had very little else to add to the situation.

“When I was younger, my mother showed me a lot of what she could do with those she trained with. Most of the Solar Guard doesn’t do a lot of combat training. They mostly focus on de-escalation and how to spot trouble, but it’s clear that Thunder Glide has trained beyond what the guard offers. And if I had to guess who trained her, I can only assume that’s why she has such an attitude and is so quick to anger, but that’s more of a complaint against who trained her. As for the Wonderbolts, they focus mostly on rescue operations and their air shows for recruiting. But Spitfire has been involved in some covert operations. I’m not sure what, but they weren’t all rescue related, so I doubt she’d be involved unless she could fight.”

Sniff nodded, trying to think of how he was going to build her up.

“I can work with that. I think with a little more info I can get a good introduction for them, but I need a good song for Thunder Glide. Spitfire's is gonna be great… have either of you ever heard any metal bands or is that not a thing here?"

Luna was chatting it up with Chris's harem while he sat under the questionable gaze of Becky and Rainbow Dash. It would have been a more lively conversation if Luna and half the harem weren't so distracted by another UFC fight playing for them.

"So, you all are dating Chris while dating each other at the same time?" Luna openly asked the group of mares, all too curious about this bizarre arrangement.

Derpy smiled warmly with no concerns about who might be listening.

“We sure are. We all got together because we all liked Chris and wanted to see him again after the welcome party. We were lucky that he liked all of us and we thought we would all take turns going on dates with him to see who he would want to keep dating.”

She giggled warmly, thinking about her short date with Chris. It was an exciting thought to see what the next set of dates would lead to, and her excitement was reflected in her voice.

“But after only two dates we all decided that we could just share him together. Then we all got together and he said he would date all of us when we said that's what we wanted to do. Then Starlight wanted-"

Starlight knew what happened next and jumped in to censor the story.

"If I could tell the next part, Derpy. Please!"

Derpy smiled, happy to let Starlight get to the good part, not knowing there were some things better left spoken only in private. Although now stuck having to save the story, Starlight tried to curve the intensity.

"Well, after we all started our relationships together, I wanted to let the others know what they were getting into with Chris—you remember how good their hands are. Well, they got a taste of that and that led to the realization that if we limited ourselves to only sharing him, it would lead to jealousy and hurt feelings. So, we decided that if we were all in this together, we should all be together."

Prim laid a wing over Starlight's back and nuzzle cheek to cheek, ready to give her own interpretation of their new relationships.

"Starlight is the reason we were able to find out how wonderful Chris is. And we became so close in the process. She helped us to see just how amazing we all are together."

She muzzled in again and snuck a kiss on Starlight’s cheek before gushing even more. "There's no doubt that Chris has a magic touch, but there's certainly something magical in all of us."

Derpy held hooves with Redheart, sharing the same sentiment.

"We're all going on dates with each other to get closer to before having another date with Chris again. I'm having lunch with Nurse Redheart tomorrow."

Redheart made eyes with Derpy, excited to see how much fun they could have with each other.

"Yesterday, I would never have thought about such an arrangement. But after today, I'm really looking forward to getting to know everypony better."

Derpy giggled, also looking forward to their time together.

"I can't wait. She’s going to help me get ready to rut with Chris."

Everyone went silent, stupefied at Derpy's lack of a filter. It would have been incredibly nerve-racking had not it been for Luna bursting out into laughter so hard she started to tear up. It was only after several moments of laughter she finally gave a reply.

"My goodness, Derpy. I certainly appreciate your honesty and wish you the best of luck with that."

Chris facepalmed with an audible slap as Becky gave him a half-disgusted half overly-amused grin.

Derpy, still clueless, smiled brightly, never losing her excitement or gratitude.

"Thanks, I'm going to need it. Chris has a huge penis."

At that point, even Becky lost it and was laughing just as hard as Luna.

While AJ was sitting contently and enjoying the warm flames, Kelly and Lumberman were making conversation about their recent life choices. Namely, Kelly was still curious as to when Lumberman decided to make the switch.

"So, when did you figure out AJ was the one for you?"

Lumberman ran his fingers up Applejack's leg, content with where his life was at this point.

"I think it first started when they saved you. Little miss Apple Hat here tried to ask me out during her bath."

Not tolerating the mistelling of the series of events, Applejack tapped her foreleg against Lumberman's chest.

"Don't be fucking lying, Woody. I was just messing with ya. You were the one with yer hands all over me."

Lumberman flicked Applejack's ear, being just as playful.

"Don't act so cute and innocent, you wanted me there and then."

Knowing now that it was at least partially true, Applejack chuckled.

"Nah, just yer tequila and the hands that brought 'em. I didn't know how alone I was til the first night I had tuh sleep alone."

She turned back to Kelly, curious about what turned her human friend around so soon.

"What about you Kelly? That night at the dance when you talked tuh me in private, you seemed pretty committed to Big Mac by then. What got ya over any of the doubts you had?"

Kelly was struggling to keep up the pace, needing to maintain her energy for the rest of the night, on top of finishing a quick checkup from Nurse Redheart. She needed only a little more rest to deal with the pain, however, Applejack was clearly needing some completely different kind of help.

Now that Lumberman and Big Mac were sent off to fetch them some drinks, Kelly could let the troubled mare know she didn't have to worry about her so much.

All she had to do was find the right words to say.

“How you holding up, Applejack?” She finally asked, effectively breaking the ice.

“Me?” Applejack asked like a child caught in a lie. “Oh, I’m good. I might be a little tipsy at the moment. That tequila is a real-”

“Jesus,” Kelly angrily huffed. “Y’all can’t hide a lie for shit can you?“

She pinched the bridge of her nose. A lie that bad had to mean things were terrible, and Kelly wasn’t going to let that stand for much longer.

"I'm fine. You just watched me dance, but I get it. What happened to me sucked. It really fucking sucked, but because of you, I'm alive and healed without needing surgery... that's literally impossible where I come from."

Applejack really was a terrible liar and dropped her usual tough persona, finally showing some vulnerability.

"I'm so sorry, Kelly. I was right there, and I couldn't stop it. Them jerks tried to kill you and I was powerless."

Not sure how to convince her new friend to stop blaming herself, Kelly rested her head in her hands.

"Applejack… did you know they were going to stab me? Did you even think they could?"

Those were good questions, but Applejack couldn’t clearly answer either way.

"I don't know. I've faced up against so many close calls and near misses… but even still. I never thought anypony could just up and try to murder somepon… I mean some… you. Why'd they have to go and hurt ya like that? I shoulda never let it happen. Had it not been for Big Mac…”

She realized she was talking in circles, but bringing up Big Mac brought something else to mind.

“And thank you by the way."

Kelly raised an eyebrow, not sure why the sudden turn in conversation.

"Thank you for…"

Applejack removed her hat and held it to her chest.

"I'm probably not supposed to know, but Big Mac has been sweet on ya since he first laid eyes on ya, and I saw ya both sneaking kisses in the morning after he saved ya."

"After you all saved me," Kelly corrected her. "But… this doesn't bother you? I mean, I know he’s not concerned about me being what I am, but I'm not a pony like you. You don't see anything wrong with that?"

Another question that Applejack didn't want to answer.

"Kelly, I don't know what I'm supposed to feel about this. Big Mac thinks the world uh ya, and I didn't understand it till…"

It took Kelly a moment, and maybe the liquor helped to loosen her thoughts to realize it, but the events of the day became sympathetically clear.

"Oh, my God you're in love with Lumberman aren't you?"

Applejack didn't say anything, but it wasn't like she had to, her face gradually turning apple red was a pretty solid giveaway. So, now Kelly had to find some common ground for the two to speak on.

"AJ, I've never been with a guy who treats me like your brother does. He never makes me feel bad for who I used to be, only happy about who I could be and am now. In a lot of ways, he's a lot like Lumberman, so I can't blame you. He's a good man and… I think he likes you, but… I don't know if he…"

What was she supposed to say? She had a hard enough time crossing the species barrier as it was, and she knew she was a slut, for lack of a better word. But Lumberman? He may have wanted a woman like Applejack, but “like” was the keyword in that sentence. Even if he did kiss Applejack once… and was fawning over her… he had to only be playing nice. There was no way he was ever gonna cross the species line.

She was the fucked up one while Lumberman transitioned to being squared away years ago. That being said, maybe she didn’t really know Lumberman’s true intentions, given all the time and attention he was devoting to her.

"He likes you, that's all I can honestly say I know for sure. But if anything, me getting stabbed helped me realize… or see, or finally accept… I don't know how to explain it, but despite everything telling me I shouldn't want him, I want to be with Big Mac. So, maybe I had to face my death to see that there was a better life ahead of me. And I didn't realize it until I woke up that night when you were all asleep and it was Mac there watching over me. I want to be with someone that loves me like he does."

There wasn't much change in Applejack's demeanor, and maybe it was too soon for that. However, there was no point, nor enough time to dwell on it, Kelly figured.

"Shit happens, Applejack. We deal with it. It might take some time, but we move on. I'm over what happened to me because I have something better to focus on… and a terrible habit of throwing myself at cute boys when I'm sad."

Applejack laughed at that, even though she didn't want to. At the same time, now having this open dialog with Kelly, she could hopefully get a better understanding of where to keep her expectations.

"You think Lumberman could ever… change his opinion on ponies, or is that why you and Big Mac won't say nothin ‘bout being together?"

Kelly dropped her smile, she wasn't comfortable enough to admit what she had done, so how could she encourage Applejack? Even worse, how could she give Applejack the go-ahead when she had no reason to believe Lumberman would return those same feelings?

"I told Mac that we could only be friends… then I told him I wanted to give it a try… If I can't be sure about what I feel, I can't say what Lumberman might want, but thank you for not saying anything about me and Mac."

Applejack might have had more to say, but she could see her brother and Lumberman slowly heading back their way.

"Don't worry about it, and don't worry about me. I got Lumberman with me, I'll make it through this… eventually."

Kelly shrugged, rather apathetic to the question.

"Like I told you before. We just wanted to take it slow at first, but I wanted to be with Mackie since he made it clear he felt the same. It wasn't until he fucked up those guards that I gave in. Call me a damsel in distress, I don't give a shit anymore. I got Mac and I don't have to hide now. And I certainly don’t give a shit what anyone or anypony says."

Lumberman pulled Applejack closer, giving her a quick kiss.

"I hear ya on that. I'll be driving my girl all around town, letting everybody know that I got my girl and everybody else can eat a dick."

With a deep gut felt laugh, Applejack shared her agreement of their union.

"That's right, Woody. Yer mine now, and I'm yours. We ain't sharing shit."

All Lumberman could do was laugh until the urge to love even more on his girl had him pull her closer for an even longer unabashed kiss. It lasted past the point of normal public acceptance and ended with another admission.”

"Just you and me girl. That's all I want."

A small collection of mares had separated themselves from the party to discuss their intentions towards Sniff, and Roseluck was leading the conversation.

"Oven Fresh said we should come here, as if any of us had a chance with Peter, but are we sure that we are going to want to do what… whatever it is I think Cream Heart is doing with Chris and the other girls?"

Top Shelf, wanting to be the voice of reason, offered her counterpoint based on what she saw.

"Well, if you haven't noticed, Princess Twilight has been just as close to Peter as Ovens. Are we just to assume that it's her who is with Peter and not both?"

Not too far behind them, Twilight spoke up, all but confirming the theory.

"Why not both?"

The small group of Mayor Mare, Roseluck, Lily Valley, Daisy, Top Shelf, Spring Forward, and Amethyst Star turned to see Twilight trotting up with Ovens.

"Oven Fresh told me about the situation with all of you and I think we need to give some clarification. Also, how much do you know about the dating habits of Peter or his friends?"

Top Shelf deadpanned at the question with a look that screamed, “are you serious?”

“But… that’s why we’re here. We don’t know. We want to know. Is he even single? Who isn’t single? I know Cerb is, not for much longer though if I had to guess-”

“Only Becky,” Twilight embarrassingly answered with a grin. “Things have been really crazy with us figuring all that out, and it’s only been today that we all finally started to be open about it. Both Fluttershy and Rarity asked Cerb out this morning. I'm also guessing you must have heard about Chris and at least one of his dates… and everypony knew Applejack and Lumberman was going to happen.”

Mayor Mare, stepped up a little closer to Twilight, mentally struggling to keep it together.

"What exactly are you wanting from us? Just what in the wide world of Equestria is going on between humans and ponies?"

Twilight made some uneasy adjustments with her hooves in the grass, less than thrilled at finding another proverbial minefield for her to traverse through.

“This is going to sound a little crazy at first, but hear me out, because I think everypony will benefit from this. In fact, many already are, and we were able to convince Peter this morning to give this a try as well. And the reason I think it will work is because it's been naturally happening before we even knew what it was. The process is called herding."

Nothing but blank stares from the collective mugs of mares. Seeing this, Twilight rolled her eyes, realizing it was going to be harder than she thought.

"Okay, so originally, Oven Fresh and I, as well as Fluttershy and Rarity, called it sharing, which is what we're doing. Chris and Starlight called it a harem. However, I've read some literature with a surprisingly more fitting name of herding. Which, just like it sounds, that means there's more than just two sharing the love of their special somepony."

Even if these humans left much to the imagination, and there were examples they could all see, Amethyst wasn't buying it.

"You expect us to believe that Oven Fresh is going to share Peter? Because, why? Because you thought it would be a good idea? Or is it because you’re a Princess?"

Ovens turned to Twilight, looking confused as to why it wasn't obvious yet. Then again, this was a radically new concept, but the mares were making assumptions that she needed to correct.

"First off, this was my idea. And Twilight, you're not doing a very good job of explaining this. You're the only one I've shared him with so far."

Lily brightened up, amused with her own inability to comprehend what was happening.

"I'm confused. Why are you both trying to have more than one pony be with Peter?"

Ovens had a giddy giggle and an ear twitch, but Twilight was quick to hold that ear still while giving her a glare that put a stop to giving too much away. This needed a princess’s touch, specifically hers.

"Look… the fact of the matter is that there simply aren't enough stallions to go around. And to be honest, for all of the… affection that Peter needs, Oven Fresh isn't enough, and I'm having some trouble meeting his needs as well. Essentially… we can’t give him all the time and attention he needs, but we know that you want the chance to have some time with him.”

Ovens smiled a little harder, eager to really help sell this idea.

“Just think of it this way. You all want a chance to get close to Peter and see where things could go. Peter would like to get to know all of you, and maybe even a bit more than just knowing you through conversation. However, if you don’t think this is what you want then you can just let him know and he can better help you find the one you are looking for. It’s something he’s good at and would like to start doing here.”

Curious, Daisy quietly spoke up from the back.

"So, it's kind of like practice dating?"

Twilight happily took this one.

"Peter has a lot of knowledge on dating and has helped many girls find lasting relationships. So, if all you want is advice then you can just talk to him about that. Things like what you should do on dates, what to look for in a partner, what your strengths are, or even the more physical side of intimacy. I’ve seen what he can do, and there is so much I didn’t know could be shared or experienced with something as simple as the caressing of his hands or a kiss.”

That seemed to be enough chatter on the subject for Mayor Mare. So, with her mind made up, she cleared her throat to address the others.

“Well, ladies, I think I’ve heard enough. If you wish to continue debating on whether or not this is something you want to be convinced of, by all means, you may carry on. I for one know exactly where I stand on the matter.”

Without another word, she walked off from the group with her head and tail held high, leaving the others to question what they were going to do.

Top Shelf was the first after the silent reaction to voice her thoughts.

“Well, I can’t say I blame her for walking out on this conversation. Finding a special somepony is something you can’t carelessly approach. When you find a stallion that you really want to be with, it should be something special that two are willing to-”

Daisy abruptly pointed past the small crowd and interrupted the moral being made.

“Why is Mayor Mare talking and laughing with Peter and the Wonderbolts."

The rest of the group turned their attention to Peter standing in front of Fleetfoot and Soarin. Mayor Mare was shouldered up to his side, laughing and carrying on about something while Peter kept his hand comfortably attached to her shoulder, welcoming her company.

Twilight watched Mayor Mare press herself harder against Sniff before he turned to see her. He smiled and gave a goofy shrug, acknowledging that her request had been heard and he was playing along. It was enough to pleasantly amuse Twilight with how well he took to the mayor and the sly move she made.

"Huh… what a clever bitch. Just left the others in the dust like that."

Top Shelf was taken back by the display and left a befuddled mess.

"She just… the nerve of that old… grr… he can't be. I… How can?"

Twilight chuckled under her hoof and thought she needed to better educate the clueless mare.

"I don’t blame her. She had him to herself for thirty minutes at the spa, and he didn't even make it intimate like he did with Ovens. She must really want to see what else he can do."

After that maneuver, Daisy had her curiosity peaked.

"I kept hearing rumors about their hands. There's a lot of girls at the spa that have said-"

"Oh!" Ovens excitedly shouted to interject herself, thrilled to put this rumor to bed. "Believe me, those girls have no idea just how good he can be. Whatever they told you, they haven't seen what he only does in private. He can't use his other techniques on the public, they're only meant to be shared in more intimate settings. Goddamnit… Twilight, is there a place we could sneak off to for a few minutes?"

Twilight scoffed, but couldn't help but laugh.

"Ovens, you are incorrigible… and maybe. I'd like to see how his methods change depending on the environment."

Oven, though slightly annoyed at being denied a little...private time, gleefully turned back to the others.

"Hey, you know, come to think of it, this is a party and you all probably just want to have fun and relax. We could always talk about this some other time. There's no need to rush-"

Seeing the window closing, Spring Forward jumped ahead of the three flower mares that took off together towards Sniff without further coaxing, leaving Top Shelf and Amethyst to ponder what they should do. Luckily, Ovens had a good grasp of these two and offered one last piece of advice.

"Amethyst, Topsy, I’m honestly a little glad to see how hesitant you two are in agreeing to this. Not because I don’t want you two to have a chance to get to know Peter like I have, but it’s because I know you two are actually taking this seriously.”

She gave the two a warm look of confidence, which in turn they gave a lukewarm response to.

“Amethyst, I know you’ve been trying to help Peter when he was spending a lot of his time by himself. And Topsy, you’ve helped me when you could have gone after Peter, and a girl like you, you probably could have gotten as far as I did. But you were a true friend the whole way through. Even now, you both want to take my feelings into consideration. However, I’d like to let you experience at least a little of what he has to offer. Nothing too intimate, but more than what you can get when paying for his time at the spa… and the spa charges a lot, plus you saw how colt-crazy the Mayor is over it. Wouldn’t surprise me if she used her position to monopolize all of Peter’s time.”

Top Shelf was still a little hesitant and tried to find the reasoning in all the offers being thrown her way.

“Ovens, we’ve been friends for a long time now. If Peter really is as good as you say he is, why are you so insistent on not keeping him to yourself?”

Ovens sighed, though her thoughts were clearly pleasant ones.

“Peter is the most amazing stallion I’ve ever met, but I don’t know how long he’ll be around. Eventually, I’m sure Twilight will figure out a way to send him home. When that happens… it’s possible we’ll never have the chance to bring him back, or at least that’s how it’s looking. Interdimensional travel is difficult as it is, even for somepony like the princesses.”

Despite all the praise and thanks she had for Twilight, there were other obstacles to address.

“The world Peter comes from, it’s not likely we’d have the power to provide anything more than a one-way trip. If that happens, then yes, I want as much time with him as I can, but if it’s not going to last forever, and I can never have a full relationship with him, or even give him everything he needs, it shouldn’t be me that has him all to myself. That, and I think their species are made to have more than one lover.”

She directed their attention over to Chris and his mares walking out with Luna and the others.

“A good example is Chris. Starlight was his first special somepony. All of those girls you see there surrounding him, besides Luna, Rainbow Dash, and Becky, they’re all with him. The funny thing is, I think he’s got room in his heart… and his bed, for more. Even they all have a hard time keeping up with him, I guess.”

Ovens turned back to the others, still smiling, but there was a softer expression in her eyes that asked for some understanding.

“Just the two of us, Twilight and I, we can’t give Peter all the affection and support he needs. As odd as it sounds, we could use your help when you're ready. Or, like Twilight said. Just get to know him, be a friend, let him help you find the stallion you’re looking for… or mare. Apparently that’s something to consider, and honestly, from what I’ve experienced, even that's a lot better than being alone. A lot more enjoyable than I would have imagined."

Amethyst cocked an ear to the side with a bit of a sneer, clearly not liking part of what had been offered.

"Okay, what you two want to do alone is fine, but I think it’s gross that you would even suggest that I might want to be with another mare. And Peter needs more affection? I think-"

Twilight had to interject with another correction.

"Technically it's more of him giving affection than needing it for himself. Regardless, if you're not comfortable with this, that's perfectly fine."

She looked over to see Luna was getting something worked out with Peter and thought of a slight abuse of power to get her point across. After all, as worked up as Amethyst was getting, she could use something to help put her at ease.

"I think you'll be missing out, but at least talk to him first. Besides, from what he told me, you made it sound like you were just being friendly. Plus, you do still owe him dinner."

That was right, she did agree to share dinner and some company with him, and even if what the offered seemed like something she wasn't interested in, he was handsome. At the very least, she could use some help finding a pony of her own. However, there were still those rumors about his hands.

"I'll… I do owe him dinner. It would be rude to back out just because he already has a special somepony, or however many he has now."

The last two followed Twilight and Oven Fresh over to Sniff, indeed getting the last few details explained to him by Luna.

"-the best two out of three, just like Fluttershy explained, but with full rounds this time. That is of course assuming they will last the full three rounds. I can only hope our fighters tonight will be just as entertaining as the human fighters I watched inside."

Sniff nodded, agreeably.

"We'll do five-minute rounds, see how that goes. Also, I think Chris should be the ref for this. He's got the most experience."

Somewhere in the front of the house, a commotion had started, drawing the attention of more of the Lunar Guard.

Luna looked back over her shoulder, an uneasy feeling growing as the humans began to group up with her. However, the concerns were about to be given purpose when a guard flew down with an update.

"Princess Luna, Ambassador Benny Yale. Two ponies without invitations have arrived and requested entrance… and permission to park next to the human's wagons. Actually, it’s not just two ponies. One of them is-"

As a flurry of questions had grown between the humans and their counterparts, but Ovens made an unexpected announcement that drowned out all the other voices.

"My MOM is here?!"

Well, things with the new trio of Kelly, Big Mac, and Luna seem to look promising. And Kelly is getting surprisingly comfortable with her new mare interest... who is also getting a little antsy and curious.

Sadly, Big Mac's quick solution for getting rid of his desires is... harsh.

Getting to the party though, it's nice to see Luna joining the fun of messing with people. Too bad she sucks at keeping things discreet. Thankfully, Benny is getting just as chill with everything. Also, kinda cute to see the little moments where Luna looks back at one of the guys and things so fondly of them. Something even Benny did for a moment.

Then... my God... the award ceremony. I'm not sure what everyone gets emotionally invested in, but for, this was one of them. Getting their nation's highest honor must have been huge for them. Then Cloud Chaser, Storm Walker, and Dash getting their jump-start into the Wonderbolts and having their wings given to them by their idols in front of Two Princesses in front a large portion of their town. Probably most importantly would have to be Dashing getting her first milestone crossed to help show Becky there's still hope... heartwarming, to say the least.

If you got a laugh out of Derpy admitting to Luna that Chris has a huge penis... your welcome.

Later on, and maybe not as big, if anyone was wondering what the conversation was between Kelly and AJ... there it is.

At the same time, Ovens and Twilight seem to be making some progress with their perspective shared mares. Mad props to Mayor Mare for ghosting the competition like that.

However... something wicked has arrived. Sergeant Major Cutter has come to see her daughter.

What's going to happen next? Stay tuned for the next action-packed continuation in:

Side note*
Shooting for a bonus Saturday release. Let's hope.