The House

Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Twilight Sparkle slowly and carefully approached the nursing home that housed the murderer they were all so keen on capturing. He was likely laying silently in bed alone and unguarded. This task came with an exceptional amount of risks, and all three mares knew it. But, the preservation of the greater good was the only thing spurring the three of them to continue in their venture. The three of them, after what seemed like hours of sneaking and skulking around, stood before the nursing home and looked up at their seemingly unobtainable goal.

"Well, here we are." Rainbow Dash said with a small sigh. She looked at her two friends who looked up at the building, intimidation on both of their faces.

"What if the window is locked, Rainbow Dash?" Twilight asked with a raised eyebrow. "I can't believe that the question hasn't crossed my mind until now..."

"Even if it is locked, I can pick it." Rainbow Dash said with a smirk.

"And where exactly did ya acquire such skills?" Applejack inquired with a raised eyebrow. Rainbow Dash scoffed and looked ahead.

"Come on, it's me." Rainbow said. "Now let's go. You both remember the plan? Twilight, you and me search around until we find his room."

"Ah go and cut the power..." Applejack said. "Assumin' ah can figure it out."

"If worse comes to worst, just buck the fuse box." Rainbow said.

"And after Applejack cuts the power, you and I get into the murderer's room and take him. You'll be carrying the murderer and I'll be carrying Applejack." Twilight said. "I still can't help but feel guilty about this."

"This monster killed and ate part of Spring Moon, Twilight." Rainbow said.

"I know, I know! I'm still going to do it. I still just can't help it." Twilight said with a sigh.

"Alright, Twilight." Rainbow said. "Let's go. The sooner we find him and give Applejack the go, the sooner we can get this done."

Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash flew forward as quickly as they could and began looking into each and every window. Some windows actually had the curtains drawn, which completely threw everything off. For some stupid reason, they had forgotten to account for curtains. If the worst happened, they could go and visit the nursing home under the guise of helping the elderly at a different date. Still going to the different cleared windows, Rainbow Dash eventually came to the window where the elderly killer slept. He had luckily kept his curtains open. Rainbow flew as quickly as she could to find Twilight.

"I found him!" Rainbow whispered.

"Oh, thank the goddesses." Twilight responded. "I thought he would have had his curtains drawn. I can't believe none of us thought of that."

"Come on! Let's give Applejack the signal!" Rainbow said. They both flew out before their farm mare friend, who stood before the fuse box. They both spread their wings as widely as they possibly could. Receiving the signal, Applejack nodded and approached the fuse box. The farm mare's legs shook as she walked, her breathing increased in frequency. She had never committed a crime in her life, even for the right reasons. She examined the box and the padlock hanging from it. She knew that there was no possible way she could pick the lock so she groaned and turned around.

"Oh, consarn it!" Applejack said. "Ah'm sorry!" The farm mare let loose a powerful buck that nearly crushed the entire fuse box. She then ran as quickly as she could to the other side of the building to hide in a bush a good distance away from the care center. She knew eventually that the security guards would come looking in the immediate vicinity of the building. She prayed Twilight and Rainbow could achieve their goal in time.

Rainbow and Twilight waited patiently, hovering under the window of the killer, trying their hardest to keep the sound of their flapping wings to a minimum. When the pegasus and the alicorn registered the sound of the fuse box being crushed and they caught a glimpse of their friend sprinting away, they immediately came up to the window. Luckily, the old stallion remained asleep in his bed. The two mares placed their fore hooves on the window and pushed up. It didn't budge an inch.

"Buck! It's locked!" Rainbow Dash whispered.

"So? Pick the lock!" Twilight responded. Rainbow Dash lowered her ears and blushed.

"I...don't really know how to pick locks. I just said that so you'd come." Rainbow said, rubbing the back of her head.

"What?! Are you bucking kidding me?!" Twilight whispered shrilly.

"Calm down! Calm down!" Rainbow responded. "We...we can still get in." Rainbow Dash then flew back a good distance away from the window.

"Rainbow?! What are you doing?!" Twilight asked before she realized just what it was her friend was planning to do. "No...No Rainbow, NO!" But the pleas fell on deaf ears as Rainbow barreled toward the window, breaking through it loudly. Twilight immediately rushed up to see Rainbow Dash wrestling with the stallion. The alicorn quickly entered the room, shocked with disbelief.

"You, shut up you pathetic piece of trash! I'll kill you right here, I swear to Celestia!" Rainbow snarled uncharacteristically. It actually sounded evil.

"Rainbow! Let's go! NOW!" Twilight said as Rainbow pulled the stallion toward the window.

"What the buck are you doing?" The stallion cried.

"If you struggle, I'll drop you and you'll break your back. Then you won't be able to struggle anymore." Rainbow said, holding the stallion's head between her fore hooves and jerking him around roughly. He breathed heavily and stopped struggling as Rainbow held him and the two of them flew out of the window. Twilight, seeing so many errors in the plan, decided to take action. She let herself drop to the ground. Her body collided and she cried out quietly in pain. She then stood up and ran quickly toward the bush where Applejack was hiding.

"What the buck happened?" Applejack asked, her eyes wide.

"Applejack! Let's go, now!" Twilight said as the cries of security guards echoed from the broken window. The alicorn allowed Applejack to climb atop her back before she took off and flew as quickly as she could after Rainbow Dash. Applejack was a lot heavier than she looked, her weight causing Twilight to run out of energy much quicker than she thought. By the time she reached Rainbow Dash and the killer, she nearly fell on the ground as she landed.

"Whew!" Rainbow said. "That was some escape, huh? Why did you fall on the ground like that, anyway-" The pegasus was interrupted by Twilight's fore hoof flying against her face. Rainbow stumbled back, completely stunned at Twilight's outburst. The pegasus quickly regained her senses and began moving toward Twilight, her eyes narrowed and her teeth gritting together, preparing for a fight. Applejack quickly jumped between the two of them and stopped the confrontation.

"Stop right there!" Applejack said, pushing Rainbow Dash back.

"Are you bucking kidding me, Rainbow Dash?!" Twilight screamed, still out of breath from her fly with Applejack. "Why would you do that?!"

"There was no other way to get in!" Rainbow yelled back, not nearly as loudly as Twilight.

"We could have gone back tomorrow!" Twilight immediately cried. "You risked everything by doing that!"

"I had it under control!" Rainbow said.

"Bull!" Twilight responded before finally catching her breath. "You...I...If...If we had been caught...We all would have lost everything."

"Now hold on a gosh darn second here!" Applejack yelled at the quarreling duo. "What the hay happened?"

"Me and Twilight flew up to his window..." Rainbow said, gesturing to their still-stunned captive. "But it was locked, So-"

"Rainbow made the completely ridiculous and idiotic decision to smash through the thing!" Twilight yelled.

"We weren't gonna get him out any other way!" Rainbow countered.

"We could have gone back!" Twilight said.

"Alright, alright!" Applejack yelled loudly, shutting the two mares up. "Yeah, that was a stupid decision Rainbow. But it's in the past! We have him now, so let's get goin' on our task." Rainbow and Twilight scowled at each other before continuing to walk. The stallion regarded the two of them.

"The two of you have some issues or something?" He asked in a gruff voice.

"Shut the hay up." Rainbow growled, shoving him forward roughly.

The group moved through the Everfree along the path they now knew well in complete silence. The tension between Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle was palpable. They sent angry glares back and forth at each other along the way. Applejack awkwardly moved, being the only force stopping the two of them from tearing each other to pieces. It was an emotional burden for the farm mare, having two of her closest friends wanting to strangle one another. The stallion moved as best as he could. He was noticeably quicker than Granny Smith, moving with relative ease for such an old pony.

"So..." He said. "What did I do?"

"You know what you did." Rainbow said.

"Really, I don't." He said as he looked around. He actually had the audacity to pretend that he hadn't committed the atrocity that he did.

"Yes you do." Twilight said, now feeling the unadulterated hatred for him described by Rainbow Dash. "Rainbow, you're right. He deserves whatever he gets." The agreement seemed to be the antidote for the stress between the two friends. It lifted the angry cloud from above them and helped Rainbow to turn to Twilight and smile. Twilight guiltily looked away from Rainbow Dash.

"Look, Rainbow I-"

"Don't worry about it." Rainbow stopped Twilight. "It was a really stupid thing for me to do."

"But I still shouldn't have hit you." Twilight said.

"Hit me? I barely felt it." Rainbow said. "You hit like a foal." Twilight blushed and smiled sheepishly. Several landmarks along the way confirmed that they were in fact nearing their goal.

"I seriously have no idea what any of you are talking about!" He said.

"Even if your tellin' the truth." Applejack said. "You'll start rememberin' in just a few minutes." The stallion grumbled as the three mares forced him further down the trail. As soon as the house came into their view, the stallion's eyes widened.

"I...I...You all...How..." He stuttered.

"How do we know?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Good question. It's a secret."

"I...I didn't do it!" He said as he turned around to them. "You've got the wrong guy!"

"Actually, I'm sure we do. Right, girls?" Twilight said, earning nods from her friends. "I'd like to inquire if you're familiar with the name Spring Moon." The stallion's eyes clouded with tears as he sat down. He looked to be full of regret for a moment.

"My...My love..." He said as he looked at them. "She...She was the only mare for me. We were destined to be together. She's always gonna be part of me. She'll always be inside me." Rainbow Dash grimaced and groaned in disgust before turning him around and shoving him forward.

"Disgusting!" Rainbow cried. "Get moving!" The stallion began sobbing as they moved closer and closer to the old, dilapidated house. His crying became more and more frantic as they got ever closer. He looked up at the house as they reached the front staircase.

"Still as beautiful as ever." He said before twitching violently. "You're still a gem!"

"Shut up!" Rainbow said. "Get up the steps!" He slowly and steadily moved up the steps before coming to the front door. He stopped at the doorway.

"Move!" Twilight said as she pushed him forward into the house.

"This is the place where we first became one." He said with a small smile as tears continued streaming down his face. He sobbed as he continued. His words became very shrill with his closing words. "This is where we became one forever!" The entire house seemed to shift violently as something underneath the house rumbled.

"Say her name!" Applejack said.

"Say it!" The three friends said nearly in unison. The stallion seemed to search within the depths of himself for the words to say. His breathing rapidly increased to hyperventilation as he raised his face to the ceiling.

"Spring Moon!" He cried. The entire house went completely silent for a moment. Nothing within eyesight stirred, not even the dust on the several surfaces in the living chamber. Suddenly, the sound of rapidly approaching hoof falls reverberated throughout the chamber right before the stallion was thrown violently across the room away from the three mares who had brought him. A small snapping sound was heard as one of his fragile legs broke. He cried out in agony as he struggled to get up.

"Spring! Spring, I love you! Don't you see?! We'll be together forever! But you have to wait for me!" He said before some unseen force lifted him from the ground. It turned him to where his belly faced the three mares and pulled his limbs to extend outward, putting him in a vulnerable position before the three mares. "Spring, please! It can't be this way! It'll only work if you wait for me!"

He floated in the air for a few moments frantically working around to see anything at all. A loud shriek then sounded throughout the house, very similar to the scream Rainbow Dash and Applejack heard their first time at this house. His broken right foreleg began to rotate slowly. It wasn't long before the limits of its rotation were met, but it kept rotating anyway. The fragile bones did nothing to prevent themselves from breaking as his limb was slowly twisted in the air. The sickening sound of his bones shattering sounded throughout the room as he began crying out pitifully in pure, unadulterated agony. Twilight let out a scream of horror as she backed up, covering her mouth. Applejack's face went completely pale as she stood and watched the awful fate of the stallion. Rainbow Dash nearly stood where she was, her eyes narrowed and her mouth contorted in a happy smirk at the scene before her. This stunned Twilight and Applejack, but they said nothing.

Shattered bones broke from horribly twisted skin, sending blood pouring down the stallion's body. Soon, his other foreleg moved in the same manner, as did his right and left hind legs. Blood had pooled beneath him as he screamed himself hoarse at his slow and grisly torture. His mangled body still hung suspended in midair before. Spring Moon had seemed to finish in her retribution as he stallion panted heavily, sweat and blood pouring down over his body and tears pouring down his face. Twilight Sparkle and Applejack had just begun to thank Celestia that it was over when his neck began rotating, along with his limbs once more.

"Spring! PLEASE, NO! I'll wait for you! We can be together if you'd just-" The stallion was interrupted by his neck snapping. Even after his death, the horrible rotations of his neck and limbs continued. His face slowly turned to reveal his eyes rolled back in their sockets and his mouth hanging open, his tongue lolling out in a grim death mask. The neck and limbs rotated until they were completely severed, blood pouring from the individual pieces as they were dropped down to the floor finally.

Twilight Sparkle, unable to stop herself from trembling looked over at Applejack and Rainbow Dash. The happy look had strangely disappeared from Rainbow Dash's face, now replaced with a look of horror similar to Applejack's and her own.

"Are you guys..." Twilight gulped loudly. "...Okay?"

"Yeah..." Rainbow said. "Yeah, I'm alright." Applejack breathed heavily and looked at Rainbow and Twilight.

"Ah...Ah didn't think she'd exactly do...that to him..." Applejack said. "But Ah guess Ah'm alright. Just gotta remember what he did to her first...What he said confirms it."

"I'm glad that the two of you now know for yourselves." Rainbow Dash said as a strange, dark veil began to envelop the three of them. Stunned and frightened, Rainbow looked at Twilight and Applejack. "What's happening?!"

"I don't know!" Twilight said, equally frightened. A distorted, horrifying voice suddenly called out to them.

"See..."

_____

Spring Moon hummed happily as she wiped the glass that comprised the front of her display case clean. She was preparing herself for her busy day of baking sweets for the various regulars she knew would be visiting her bakery that day. Once she finished, she sighed in satisfaction, appraising her job. She'd done better before to be sure, but it'd do for that day. The baker mare turned and walked outside her shop. It was still relatively early in the morning, the dark shadow of the building still covering the dirt road in front of her bakery. The mare walked around the back of her building and looked to the sky with fondness. Spring Moon always loved waking up early in the morning to watch the sunrise come over this newly established town called Ponyville. It had only been in existence about a year, and Spring Moon and her husband had just moved to Ponyville several months prior. That being said, they both loved it in the town. He husband was frequently away on business, however. He would be returning that night and Spring Moon had everything planned out for his arrival. She smiled to herself and began to move back into the bakery when she spotted a familiar mare approaching her.

"Miss Smith! So good to see you!" Spring Moon said with a wide smile. "I suppose you'll be wanting your usual order?" The beautiful, light green mare moved toward her and smiled happily before nodding.

"Yes ma'am!" She said with a cheery tone. "Ah love the apple pies and apple fritters back in the orchard don't get me wrong, but your chocolate chip cookies are just too hard to ignore!"

"Well I'm very glad your of that opinion, Miss Smith." Spring Moon said. "Please come in. The cookies are baking as we speak."

"Whoo-Whee! Fresh baked! Ah love your cookies, but when they're fresh outta the oven..." Granny Smith closed her eyes and shook her head and hummed lightly as she followed Spring Moon back into the bakery. Spring Moon giggled.

"Just take a seat. They'll be done in just a minute or two." She said before moving back into the kitchen. She opened the oven and smiled to see that her estimate had been absolutely correct. The cookies were a rich golden-brown, ready to be cooled for the farm mare waiting outside. Spring Moon pulled the cookies from the oven and laid the rack on top with a small smile before moving back out.

"So, Granny- Oh, I'm so sorry. I know you prefer to be called Miss Smith." Spring Moon said with a heavy blush. The young farm mare smiled and threw a fore hoof in Spring Moon's direction.

"Oh don't worry about it, sugar." Granny Smith said with a small eye-roll and a shrug. "Ah do prefer to be called Miss for now, but Granny Smith's the name my mama gave me, for whatever reason. You were sayin'?"

"I can't believe I've never asked you this, but why are you here so early every morning?" Spring Moon inquired.

"Well every mornin' until fall Ah get up and buck the apples down from the apple trees from dawn 'till dusk." Granny Smith replied. "It's heavy work, but every now and again, Ah find some time to get down here and get a cookie or two before gettin' to work."

"Sounds as solid as any plan to me." Spring Moon said before moving to the kitchen. "How many did you want?"

"Ah'm gonna go ahead and pig out today. Ah'll take four." Granny Smith said.

"Four it is!" Spring Moon said. "One moment." The baker mare went back into the kitchen and slid four cookies down into a small, white paper bag before delivering them to Granny Smith.

"There you go. Have a nice day!" She said cheerfully before Granny Smith left the building. With a small sigh, Spring Moon looked around her bakery and waited behind the counter.

What followed was the incredibly long, drawn-out and awkward part of the day when ponies were just getting out to work and getting sweets at the bakery was the last thing on their mind. Truthfully, Spring Moon didn't mind this part of the day much. She would sit in one of the comfortable chairs in the small lounge area of her bakery and read the book she was currently going through, occasionally getting up to run to the kitchen to take out a cake and decorate it or let some more cookies cool. Between the baking and reading, the slow part of the day passed by rather quickly for the baker mare. Ponies were beginning to get out of work and school and some of them were feeling in the mood for a delicious treat.

Spring Moon served several school foals, smiling happily at their expressions when they'd take a first bite of their brownie or cookie. She'd always be extra cheerful for them, delighting in the way they'd interact with her. Many adults came in as well, requesting more complex things like pies or even a cake at one point, which Spring Moon luckily had one of the variety they had requested premade. The midday rush was beginning to cool down when another two familiar ponies walked through the door. The mayor and his daughter that stopped by her bakery at least three times a week.

"Mr. Mayor! So good to see you!" Spring Moon said happily. She addressed the timid-looking foal standing behind him. "Hello there, sweetie."

"Go on, baby girl. Go and order your cookie." The mayor said softly to his daughter. The small tan, pink-maned foal blushed heavily as her father ushered her to move up to the counter. When the foal arrived before spring moon, she blushed heavily and looked away from the mare before barely squeaking out-

"I'd like one chocolate chip cookie."

"Say please, honey." The stallion said with a smile.

"Please." The foal added. Spring Moon giggled and slid two cookies into a small white paper bag before leaning down and whispering to her.

"You can have two." She said. "But don't tell your father." The foal smiled brightly and hopped up and down before taking the bag.

"Thank you, missus Moon." She said, louder than previously before immediately running back to hide behind her father.

"How much do I owe you?" The mayor said as he approached the register.

"One silver bit." The baker said with a small nod. "Second cookie's on the house because your daughter's so darn cute." The mayor smiled happily and nodded at her before turning to exit the store.

"Thank you very much, Mrs. Moon." He said with a small nod. "If you need anything, just give me a call."

"Will do!" Spring Moon said with a small nod as the door closed. Truthfully, the mare was waiting for the father and daughter to leave so she could close up the shop. As she walked toward the door, a stallion suddenly entered. She immediately recognized his silver coat, brown mane and racetrack cutie mark.

"Oh. Hello, Silver Sprint." Spring Moon said with a small nod. "What can I get for you?" Spring Moon wasn't thrilled in the slightest to see him. It was no secret to the mare that he harbored strong feelings for her. He was a perfectly nice pony, never sparing her any courtesy whenever they interacted, but he seemed to have a natural aversion to her husband. When she and her husband moved to Ponyville, he was one of the very first ponies she befriended, but their relationship had become rather thin when she had discovered his affection for her.

"Oh, I'd like a brownie." Silver said with a small smile. "So, whatcha doing?"

"I was just about to close up shop." Spring Moon said before slipping his brownie into a bag for him.

"Oh, I didn't keep you for getting something done, did I?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No, no you're fine." Spring Moon said with a small sigh. "It's not like I wouldn't do it for anypony else."

"Well, that's good." Silver Runner said with a sigh. "Hey, I'd like to ask you something."

"Alright." Spring Moon said. "Shoot."

"Well, there's this house I found out in the Everfree Forest just past that apple farm. It seems to be completely built and everything. It even has furniture. I checked for any records to see who it could have belonged to, but I couldn't find anything. I've even spent a few nights there. Part of the house isn't done, so I think it's a house that was going to be shown for sale when the people who were building the darn thing realized they'd built it in the Everfree Forest..." Silver began to ramble slightly.

"What were you going to ask me, Silver?" Spring Moon asked with a raised eyebrow.

"The kitchen works. I'd like to know if you'd join me there for dinner tonight." Silver said with a small smile. The request immediately sounded strange to Spring Moon. She trusted Silver, sure, but this seemed very off the wall. "Or maybe just a coffee..."

"Silver..." Spring Moons said, shaking her head. "You know I don't feel that way about you. I'm married."

"I know that." Silver said. "Just a friendly visit is all I ask. I'd just like a conversation companion for a while."

'No. Absolutely not.' She said in her head. Her husband was to return that very evening from one of his many business trips. There was no way she'd even consider doing this. That night or any other given night, for that matter. Still, Silver seemed so hopelessly stuck on her that she feared he might go into a deep depression if she shut him down outright.

"I'll think about it." Spring Moon said. She had no intention of going, but the statement was merely to get him off her back and away from her.

"Alright, then." Silver said, a small glimmer of hope in his eye. "It's visible from the path leading past the Apple Farm. You can't miss it. If you can't make it, I'll understand." He took his brownie and left the shop without another word. Spring Moon sighed to herself and waited a few moments before moving to close up the bakery for the day. Her mind stopped fretting over the stress of Silver Runner's constant affections and began focusing on her plan for her husband when he returned home from his trip.

First, she'd prepare a candlelit dinner of lasagna and red wine, which would take quite a bit of effort to arrange, decorations and all. After the dinner, a delectable dessert of her trademark triple chocolate cake for the both of them. Then, to wrap up the night, a bout of sex between the two of them would finish things off quite nicely. Spring Moon and her husband hadn't engaged in any intimate activities since he had left.

Spring Moon happily ambled toward her house in anticipation of the coming night. She smiled as she opened her front door and moved inside before using her telephone to call her husband at the number for his train he had told her he could reach her at. After waiting for several moments a stallion answered.

"Hello?" He said.

"Oh, yes. Um, may I speak to a Mr. Rough Axel? It's his wife." Spring Moon said.

"One moment please." The stallion said politely. Spring Moon waited for a short while before she heard her husband pick up the phone.

"Hello?" Spring Moon heard her husband say.

"Hey, honey!" Spring Moon said happily. "How are you?"

"Bone tired." The stallion replied with an audible sigh. "What about you?"

"Oh, just waiting for you to get home." Spring Moon said. "I've missed you."

"Well I'll be home in about three hours." Rough Axel told her. "Then I can spend as much time with you as I want until my next assignment, which shouldn't be for a week at the very least."

"I can't wait." Spring Moon said. "Our bed's chilly without you." She put a saucy tone on the second statement.

"Alright, well I only get a set amount of time on this thing." He said to her. "I see you at eight."

"Eight o'clock." Spring Moon said. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"Bye."

"Bye."

As Spring Moon hung up the phone, she turned to her kitchen, knowing that all the supplies for her lasagna and cake were present in her kitchen.

"Alright. Time to get to work." Spring Moon said cheerfully to herself.

_____

With a heavy sigh, Spring Moon took another bite of her lasagna, staring into the flickering candle before her. It was ten thirty at night and Rough Axel still hadn't arrived. She felt like a complete idiot sitting there, waiting for him to come through the door and smile at her. Now feeling slightly sick to her stomach after eating too much lasagna and feeling impaired after drinking half of the bottle of wine, she regretted completely setting up this elaborate surprise for a no-show husband. As she slowly chewed her food, she heard the phone ring. Sighing as she stood, Spring Moon skulked to the phone and answered it.

"Hello?" She said tiredly.

"Spring Moon?" Rough Axel said to her.

"Axel?" Spring Moon said. "Where the hay are you?"

"I've stopped on the way home last minute for one more business meeting." Rough Axel said. "I won't be home until late tomorrow night."

Spring Moon's stomach sank. She had just slaved away for three hours straight preparing a dinner and decorating their dining room for absolutely nothing. He had let her waste five hours before telling her he wasn't going to be there. Anger welled up in Spring Moon as she replied to his statement.

"Well thanks for not wasting a minute telling me!" Spring Moon said angrily.

"Whoa whoa! What the hay's gotten into you?" Rough Axel said.

"What's gotten into me? Well, I've cooked you a welcome home supper of lasagna and red wine, and you didn't show up, so I ate it. I guess that's what's gotten into me. We were gonna have a candlelight dinner, Axel." Spring Moon said.

"Well don't get mad at me!" The stallion angrily replied. "It's not my fault that I've been called away again!"

"We were gonna do it tonight, Axel." Spring Moon said with a frown. "I was gonna rock your world."

"Why am I at fault here?" He said. "I didn't ask for any of that!"

"You just don't get it..." Spring Moon said, scowling at her phone.

"No, I guess I don't." He said. "Bye." Spring Moon heard the audible crack of her husband slamming the phone back on the receiver. She growled as she knocked the phone over off of the table. She walked back into the dining room and blew out the candle before taking the leftover lasagna to the kitchen and placing it inside a container. She then placed the container in the icebox before shutting it softly. She was just impaired enough to feel a sharp pain in her head, but still maintain her motor skills. She took the dish the lasagna was in and placed it in the sink before washing it out. As Spring Moon placed the pan on the drying rack, she let out a small sob and moved into her living room. She plopped down onto her couch and laid down for a moment. She pondered what to do next. Perhaps she'd go to sleep and wake up for the next ritual the next day. But she was feeling the need for companionship this night, and against her better judgement, she stood up and left her house.

She was going to see Silver Runner.

Spring Moon knew she was wrong to do what she was doing. It didn't suit her personality. She had always been a fairly loyal pony, especially to her husband. But she knew that this was not the first time her husband disappointed her. He often neglected her in favor of spending time with his friends gambling. He was also vocally abusive, screaming at Spring Moon most of the times she angered him. Rough Axel was not without his loving moments however. He was a good husband a good amount of the time, kind and gentle to his wife as a husband should be. But for every time he'd prove himself a good husband, he'd disprove the notion with a burst of rage or a bout of negligence; and Spring Moon had had enough of it.

The walk to the place that Silver Runner had described was a lot longer than she had anticipated. But that was probably because of her inebriation. The night air was chilly, but Spring Moon cared not about the temperature or the repercussions of the actions she was about to take. All she cared about in that moment was getting back at her husband who had scorned her. Eventually, she found her way to what she was sure was the house Silver Runner had described. She straightened herself as much as she could and knocked on the door. Silver Runner answered and smiled at her happily.

"Spring Moon! I'm so very glad you came." He said. "I was sure you wouldn't." His smile was a bit creepy, but he was a good-looking stallion. She smiled back at him and stepped into the house. The place indeed looked to be ready to be shown for anypony willing to buy. It was slightly incomplete, but that didn't matter. It was still a nice-looking place.

"I decided 'What the hay.'" Spring Moon said with a small nod. "So, how often do you come here?"

"Oh, whenever I need to clear my head." He said. "With so many crazy things happening, I find this to be a nice retreat from my cluttered home."

"It is really homey." Spring Moon said with a small nod, taking a seat on a chair. Silver Runner poured himself a glass of wine he had apparently brought. He held the bottle up to her and raised his eyebrows. "None for me, thank you. Do you have water here?"

"Ah, that I do." Silver Runner said with a smirk before pouring her a glass of water. He had made a fire in the fireplace, giving off a warm, happy feel to the house.

What followed the drinks was light and humorous banter between the two ponies. They talked and had fun, and deciding to go all the way with her bad judgement, Spring Moon eventually accepted more wine. Completely intoxicated, she smiled at him.

"You're actually a good stallion, Silver." She slurred. "I like you." Silver chuckled to himself and looked at her.

"Spring Moon, can I tell you something?" The silver-coated stallion asked. She nodded with a smile.

"Go ahead." Silver Runner sat down next to the mare and sighed.

"I...I know you have a husband...But...I love you. I know that it's really early to be saying that, but ever since I first met you, I can't stop thinking about you. You smile, your laugh, the way you walk through the streets after you get off work...the way you brush your mane at your window every night..." He said. The statements would have alarmed Spring Moon in any other circumstances, but tonight, she was too tired, too beat down and too drunk to care.

"That's..." Spring Moon said before letting out a small hiccup. "Really...sweet." She moved her muzzle closer to his and connected their lips in a soft kiss. Silver Runner let out an audible moan into her mouth before pulling her closer to him, gripping her shoulders and impassioning the kiss more and more. Spring Moon returned the kiss and separated from him.

"Lay me down..." Spring Moon whispered huskily as Silver Runner did as he was told. Knowing what was going to happen, his member had completely revealed itself. Spring Moon looked down at it and smiled. He was definitely bigger than her husband. She kissed his ear before whispering saucily to him. "Let's do it..."

Without another word, Silver Runner pushed himself into her and moaned loudly. The size of her new partner stretched Spring Moon, but it wasn't anything she couldn't handle. She moaned happily at the physical pleasure she received from their exchange and breathed heavily as he thrust into her.

"Oh...Oh, goddesses! Spring Moon! I-I love you!" Silver Runner yelled as he sped up his thrusting, smacking into Spring Moon's bottom harder and harder. As his thrusting became rougher and rougher, his large member actually began to hurt Spring Moon. But she still didn't care. "Spring Moon! I'm...I'm..." With horror, Spring Moon realized what was about to happen.

"Pull out, Silver!" Spring Moon said, seeing past her intoxication. Seemingly not hearing her, Silver kept thrusting and moaning. Feeling a spark of pleasure, Spring Moon couldn't help but moan herself, but she once again yelled. "Pull out!"

The mare barely shoved the stallions pelvic area away from hers in time. He moaned loudly as he let his seed loose on her lower belly. She moaned herself as she felt her own orgasm, but she grimaced at the sticky goo now on her belly. Still, it was better than inside her. He flopped down on her and panted heavily into her ear.

"That...was...amazing..." He said to her with a smile.

"The next time I tell you to pull out..." Spring Moon said before moving the stallion's head to look at her in the eyes. "You'd better bucking pull out."

"You mean...there's gonna be a next time?" Silver said with hope. Spring Moon sighed before standing up in front of the spent stallion and raising an eyebrow.

"Just tell me where the bathroom is so I can wash off and go home."

_____

Rough Axel returned home as he said he would when he said he would. He had been penitent for his tone with Spring Moon, but persisted that he had done no wrong under the circumstances. This led to another long, drawn-out argument between the two the resulted in Spring Moon going to bed and Rough Axel going out for a drink. The couple eventually made up however, but their relationship continued to be strained from that point. They got into more fights and became less and less intimate when opportunities presented themselves. They certainly still had sex, but the encounters lacked any sort of passion or connection. It'd always end in only momentary pleasure, presenting no satisfying afterglow. Rough Axel began to drink more and more, and Spring Moon began to visit Silver Runner more and more. Every time Spring Moon would return home from one of her excursions, she'd give Rough Axel an excuse as to why she was home so late or why she didn't give him any notice about leaving. He became more and more spiteful as time went on.

The seasons came and went. Rough Axel's relationship with Spring Moon slowly died as her relationship with Silver Runner flourished. Her new lover was very strange at times, exposing his unhealthy obsession with Spring Moon to her at times. She craved the attention though and merely accepted his fawning over her. They met up as much as they possibly could, caring less and less whether or not Rough Axel knew. But one day, something happened to Spring Moon that completely filled her with debilitating fear.

She had missed her cycle.

She was pregnant.

Once she sat down and thought long and hard about it, she eventually came to a decision about what to do. Her sexual escapades with Silver Runner were selfish and wrong. She had never felt true feelings for him, only being attracted to his physical form. But she had married Rough Axel for a reason. He may have been mean to her, and he may have treated her wrongly on several occasions, but she knew that he still loved her dearly, and she loved him. She had even heard him sobbing down in the living room one night after they had a particularly brutal argument. She would visit Silver Runner one last time, break off her relationship with him, and raise this foal with its father. She would rekindle her relationship with her husband or die trying. On their coffee table, Spring Moon left Rough Axel a note.

Axel,

I know things between us lately have been very rough, and I acknowledge that it is just as much my fault as it is yours. I miss the days when we'd lie together under the stars and just talk to each other. I miss you and I going to do fun things like taking walks and visiting with friends. Why don't we fix things and make it right again? I'm going out to run some errands, and when I get back, how about we go to dinner?

I love you so much.
Spring Moon

Obligatory End-of-Chapter Author's Note: Hey guys! I know it's been a long time since I updated last. I've recently had a death in the family and it's been rough between that and college. I've come to a decision on my updating times. I'm going to take my time with updates. No one has ever told me that I absolutely have to update weekly. I will update whenever I update. I'm not on any sort of schedule with this. I hope that you guys can survive with just my promise that no matter how long it takes, I will update. Now, this small sub-plot is not yet finished. Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle and Applejack still have a few things to see. Cheers!