“And,” Rarity continues, relishing every moment as she twists the metaphorical screws, “you cannot say that both are important. That is a given.”

“Well, first off,” Doug says, smirking, “I want to go on record saying both are important.”

This draws a mock glare from Rarity.

“And it’s a difficult question. One without an easy answer.” Doug scratches at his chin while they walk, humming to himself. “And, just so we’re talking about the same things, the front half is more than just a pretty face and mane.” He reaches down, much to Rarity’s delight, squeezing between her ears and giving her a rough tap. “It’s also the brain, personality, that kind of thing.”

“Mm,” Rarity agrees, enjoying the light scratches.

“The back half,” Doug says slowly, his hand traveling down Rarity’s back. She glances up at him, curious as to how far he will go, though he stops just before her tail. “Is more than just the base pleasure one gets with their partner. It’s also the possibility of a future together, of starting a family.”

“Mmhmm,” Rarity stretches out, her flanks waggling back and forth a little more, succeeding in drawing extra scratches from his hand.

Doug walks along silently, staring at the trees as he ponders.

“I do enjoy listening to you think,” Rarity says after several moments. “And I promise not to hold your half-formed thoughts against you.”

If I said you have a beautiful body, would you hold it against me? Doug chuckles at the thought, closing his eyes and shaking his head as he fails to restrain his growing laughter. It draws a confused glance from Rarity. “Okay,” he says as he recovers, stretching his back as he adjusts the pack. “So, what I’m saying would apply equally to a stallion. That many of the arguments work the same way, and would come to the same conclusion.”

“You are trying to avoid me thinking of you as sexist,” Rarity guesses.

“True,” Doug concedes. “Obviously, it stems from how I feel. If I answered your first question from a purely physical perspective, I suppose the answer would be ‘mane’. I love the ‘ponytail’ hairstyle, though it doesn’t seem to be as common as I might have guessed.”

“Certainly,” Rarity says. Applejack is one of the few ponies that sports that particular manestyle. They are a good fit. I wonder if he considers mine a ponytail?

“It’s also partially because it’s considered rude to stare at a girl’s butt, and I don’t want to appear, um, misogynistic. Is that a thing here?” Doug glances down at Rarity, trying to avoid his gaze going all the way back to her flanks.

“If you are talking about looking at a mare’s flanks or a stallion’s, ahem, package? It is… acceptable, but one shouldn’t tarry too long on any particular feature.” Rarity glances up at Doug, smiling when she meets his gaze. He seems neutral, or at least repressing his negative reaction to being seen as an object. “As far as being misogynistic? You’ll get in trouble for saying the only use of a stallion is in the fields or the bedroom, though that doesn’t stop many mares from thinking it.” Rarity ponders for a moment, Doug staying quiet. “I suppose the sentiment would be equally insulting referencing a mare. But it rarely is applied so; she works, and carries the foal, though the stallion might take the bulk of the rearing after the foal weans. Depends on the herd, and the ponies.”

“Huh,” Doug says, processing this. “But, back on the question, while the front half of a mare might be more visually appealing, the back half has considerably more enjoyable parts.” Doug huffs. “And now I sound like I’m insulting somepony because I don’t value their mind highly enough compared to their body.”

“I wouldn’t say anything of the sort, though I suppose I can see how that might be construed.” Rarity shakes her flank, tail seductively circling about. “And while you are not necessarily wrong on the ‘entertaining’ aspects of that half, surely there is more to consider?”

Doug brightens at Rarity’s lack of condemnation. “Well, the physical part is important. More important than I’d like to admit.” Doug sighs at the admission. “It’s what’s stopping me from just saying ‘the front half’ and being done with it. Not only because sex is great - and after last night with Applejack, whew, the sex is great - but because of what that it leads to.”

“It takes a lot to admit that,” Rarity says, frowning a little. He sure is honest about this. Most stallions would have merely stated ‘the front half’ to avoid the conflict.

“And the front half has a pony’s, well, what makes them a person. Their personality. And I will probably spend far more time interacting with that half of a pony than with the other half. I don’t think I need to expound on the merits of the front half.” Doug shakes his head, grimacing to himself. “And so, not left with a clear winner, I think about what life would be like if I were to lose that aspect of myself.”

“That’s one method,” Rarity says. Does he think through most philosophical questions this thoroughly? I wonder if he has trouble making other decisions, a paralysis from too many factors. I know I am partial to trying out many different designs, on paper of course, before settling on a final product.

“If I lost my front half,” Doug says, chuckling darkly, “I’d be dead. Or, at least, the Doug from before would be dead, if I only got, like, a lobotomy or something. Shined a magical laser that cut out the parts some villain didn’t like. In the first case, well, I don’t exactly care anymore. I’m dead!” Doug chuckles again. “In the second half, the ‘me’ that remains doesn’t care, either. I’d just continue living with a new personality, regardless of the atrocity committed against me.”

“Ponies wouldn’t do that,” Rarity immediately reassures, hiding the horror she feels about Doug’s casual mention of those possibilities.

“Wouldn’t?!” Doug nearly shouts, more than a little worried at the implications. “Not couldn’t?”

“Well,” Rarity hedges, “I’m not exactly privy to the full extent of Princess Celestia’s powers, or those of every unicorn that’s come before me. But, trust me on this, Princess Celestia would not condone any mental manipulation of the sort.”

“And it’s not like I can do much about it,” Doug says resignedly. He takes a deep breath as he looks around. The trees on their right have thinned out, leaving more of a barren plains. The Everfree Forest on their left continues to be as twisted and uninviting as before. “If I lost my bottom half? Well, I’d survive, but crippled. And not just from the loss of my legs, because I’d still have my hands and mind. But I would never be able to fulfill that desire, to start and have a family around me.”

“Is that your answer, then?” Rarity asks, letting her disappointment in his answer seep through.

Doug thinks for a long moment before nodding. “And I’m not saying a person who can’t have kids is any less of a person than one who can. And same for a person who isn’t, um, all there upstairs. They’re still deserving of our love and respect and whatnot. Or that there aren't other options, like adoption. But if I had to choose between the two, I would keep the bottom half.”

“A bold choice,” Rarity says. And not one I agree with, but I can respect him for making it. “Many mares choose never to utilize that half like that.”

“More power to them,” Doug replies curtly. He glances over. “I did say that both halves were important.”

“You did,” Rarity responds just as shortly. They continue along, Rarity keeping an eye out for the path she takes to the Gorge.

After a few minutes of silent walking Doug says, “I, um, wanted to ask, if you don’t mind.” Rarity nods. “Rainbow Dash asked me to be her cooler buddy.”

“Really,” Rarity responds, glancing again at the human walking with her. Her muzzle twists to a lascivious smile. I knew I smelled something other than earth pony. “Does Applejack know?”

“Alright, now I’m worried,” Doug says. He sighs. “I haven’t talked to her about it. Rainbow just asked me this morning, before I saw you, and I told her yes.” He looks Rarity in the eyes. “Should I tell her no, and back out? What exactly did I get myself into?”

“Oh, you poor, poor stallion,” Rarity says sympathetically. “How much do you know about mares going into heat?”

“Um, something about it being related to the estrus cycle, and that’s about the extent of my knowledge.” Doug scratches the back of his head worriedly. “And maybe something about getting pregnant during that time. Animals would go into it, not humans.”

Rarity nods along. “You have the basic concept correct, though we are hardly animals. Once a year during the spring - you can expect it to start in about two weeks - a mare will go into heat. She becomes, how shall I say, receptive to a stallion’s advances.”

“He’ll get her pregnant, you mean,” Doug says, a bit of a frown at the ambiguity. Can’t she cut the euphemisms? “And not that she’ll let him, um, bed her.”

“Correct,” Rarity says after a brief delay. She titters at the thought, “If mares only wanted to be bedded when they wanted a foal, I would have far less business.”

“Good,” Doug says, breathing a sigh of relief. “And it’s just once a year? For humans it’s pretty much a year round thing. ”

“You always have to be worried?” Rarity’s eyes go wide at the thought. “Oh, dear. Many mares hate the reminder, especially if the time is not right for them to have a foal, or to have more. I can’t imagine having that happen year round.”

“We have some medication, birth control, that stopped it,” Doug says, hand stroking his chin. “At least temporarily. Condoms or pulling out were among the other options. And, I dunno, it was never that strong a feeling, as far as I know.”

Rarity considers for a moment. “There exists a medication that stops a mare from getting pregnant, but it does nothing to suppress the other desires. It is not a pleasant experience, to say the least, and the other methods you mentioned wouldn’t work. Not to give her relief, though that part does feel wonderful. It is something mares do for each other, and that is what Rainbow Dash would be requesting of you.”

“Of me,” Doug repeats, glancing down at himself.

Rarity titters again, shaking her head. “Not with that! With a cooler.” She stops to sit back and holds her hooves about two hoof lengths apart. “About this long, shaped much like yourself. A special fluid goes inside that ‘cools’ a mare off, tricking her body into thinking she is pregnant. Sadly, the respite is only temporary, and Rainbow Dash is notorious for wearing off faster than most.”

“So, why would she want me for this?” Doug asks, somewhat disappointed that he won’t be bedding the lithe pegasus.

“Not to spread any rumors,” Rarity says, glancing around as if the chromatic mare might be flying right behind her, “but she can be quite insistent when she feels the urge. Surprisingly abrasive, too, and not just in her words.” Rarity sighs. “I am sure she will have no hesitation expounding exactly how she wants things to go. She likely has not considered that she will not need to reciprocate with you, though not consciously or selfishly.” She winks at Doug. “Should you remind her, I am certain she would.”

“Fair enough,” Doug says, feeling a little guilty at the thought of trading favors like that. “I guess I was a little worried just now that Applejack only wanted me around to, um, have a foal with.”

“Is that not something you want?” Rarity asks plainly. “I am certain Applejack does, and would not have accepted you as her stallion without that in mind.”

“It is something I want,” Doug says, though his mouth purses a little. Assuming I stick around, but that’s looking more and more likely. He hides his face by looking out at the trees, just row after row as they continue along. “I just, um, I’m not sure it’s possible.”

Rarity slowly nods as they slow to a stop. She gently places a hoof on his leg, looking up into his eyes. Her voice goes quiet, filling with compassion as she says, “Liaisons between ponies and other species aren’t unheard of, but just because they rarely turn into anything more doesn’t doom what you and Applejack share. I’m certain you and Applejack will make it work.”

“Back home,” Doug whispers as he sinks down, feeling the tears coming to his eyes, “it would never work.”

“‘Never’ is quite a strong word,” Rarity says with a frown. “Surely there is one instance of spontaneous magic taking hold?”

“Well, that’s just it.” Doug motions to his body. “I don’t have any magic.”

“That’s preposterous, darling,” Rarity says with a shake of her head. “Everything has magic. Even the rocks and the grass!”

“Well, maybe I do, I just never use it. Or have heard about it.” Doug shrugs.

“Well, there’s a simple way of determining that.” Rarity’s horn lights, her eyes brightly shining white. She scans his body, or at least the black void where his body used to be. Everything else shimmers with latent magic, even the dirt underneath her hooves. Her mouth slowly hangs open, a horrified look swiftly overtaking her.

“You… you have no magic!” The white of her eyes fades to blue as she stares at Doug. “How are you alive?!”

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