Life's Left Hook

by Lucidd

Rating: mature
Tags: Human, Romance, Comedy, Adventure
Length: 137607

Anonymous, Octavia and Cadance on an adventure of love and intrigue, on the bill of the Canterlot Orchestra

Anonymous, the only human in Equestria is invited by Cadance to spend a week with her. However, soon after, Octavia arrives and invites him on a 6 month trip with the Canterlot Orchestra. Cadance decides to join Anon and hilarity ensues.

Oh and there's a rape (female on male), I've marked the chapter in case you get butthurt about it.

Cover Image belongs to a 4chan drawfag (I think)

It all returns to nothing
Just keeps crumbling down,
crumbling down,
crumbling down…

the password is mootispootis

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2015-02-17 17:41:42 UTC

Chapter 2

Now, time to call Cadance

With that, you go over to your phone.

Might as well tell her now, so you can get tickets or flights in advance.

You dial, and soon enough, she answers.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Cadance. It's Anon."

"Oh, h-hey, Anon. Did you call to talk to me?" she asks sweetly.

"Why else would I call you?" you deadpan.

She chuckles, and you can tell she's shaking her head on the other side of the phone.

"Oh, Anon..."

You chuckle a little yourself.

"But, anyways. Cadance. I just got a visitor at my door."

"A visitor? This late at night? My, Anon, so I'm not the only one?"

"Not at all. Octavia wanted me to go with her tonight on the train."

Cadance pauses. "Octavia? She's the cellist for the Canterlot Symphony Orchestra, correct?"

"That would be her."

"And she's leaving for Detrot tonight?"

"Correctamundo."

"Soooo?"

"What?"

"What'd you saaaay?"

Cadance is sounding more and more like a teenager every moment.

Not that you have a problem with that.

"I had to deny. I already had plans with you," you mutter, guilt in your voice.

"I had a feeling... I'm sorry, Anonymous," she says.

"But, there is one thing."

"Oh? And what's that?"

"She seems... Interested. In me. Evidently she's had a little crush on me for a while now, and she wanted me to come with her so she wouldn't be alone."

"Aw, how sweet... Wait, you denied her?!"

"Of course I did. I couldn't flake on plans I had already set. Besides, I'm certain you need me just as much as she does."

Her voice adops a rather depressing tone.

"That's really sweet, Anonymous, but..."

"But what?"

"I feel terrible now. Did I just doom that poor mare to Celestia knows how many months of being alone?"

"Not precisely," you say, a smug smile finding its way onto your face.

"Hmm?"

"It's actually part of why I'm calling you."

"Oh. W-Well, do go on," she says.

"In about a week, she'll be in Hosstralia. I was wondering if you could pull some strings and get me some tickets to fly over there once Shining gets back.”

"Of course I could,” she says confidently.

"Oh, great. ‘Cause, there’s no way I’d want to—“

”But I won’t.”

“Wait, what?” you ask, surprised at her firm tone.

”Because I have a better idea.”

You look at the phone, quite surprised.

”You know what? Anon, she needs you. Go to the station and find her.”

"Wait, doesn’t that—“

”Anon, I said go to the station.”

*Click*

Well, looks like she’s had enough of your adultery bullshit, it seems.

Even though she’s twice as guilty herself…

Oh well. Might as well make Tavi’s day.

Well, month(s), you should say.

With that, you head to the train station.

It's raining out.

Moving that cello around must have been hell.

Thoughts of Tavi in your mind, you meander around town and make your way to the station.

Soon enough, you make it.

You buy a ticket from some bearded guy at the booth, and go to find the cab Tavi is sitting in.

It's set to leave in 2 hours; you have plenty of time.

You walk down the line, looking for the boxcar she was in.

You believe she said 12-something, but you're not certain.

Before you can find what you're looking for, your eyes are caught by a giant ball of pink.

It's running at you very fast, and you almost scream before you're wrapped in a warm embrace.

"Nonny~!"

Cadance is squeezing the life out of you.

Holy shit she's strong for a pony.

"You listened to me!"

You try to wriggle around in her grasp.

"Course I did."

You awkwardly return the hug, still getting crumpled.

After a moment, she lets go, and you catch your breath.

"Come on, Anon. Cab 12-E. We don't wanna miss it."

Cadance practically drags you across the terminal and to cab 12-E, she's so excited.

After getting past the ticketman, you stand next to the door of the cab, both of you giggling in excitement.

You swing the door open dramatically, and step inside.

Octavia looks up from the book she's reading in annoyance.

"Ugh. Can you rustic fools jus— ANONYMOUS?!"

She leaps from where she's sitting into your arms, hugging you tighter than Cadance had a minute ago.

"I thought you were going to stay! I thought you had plans!" She rushes

You chuckle, returning the hug and patting Tavi on the back.

"Well, I still do have plans. I'm taking them with me."

Only now does she notice Princess Cadance standing beside you two.

You didn't think anyone could ever smile that bright.

"You... You brought... Princess Mi Am—"

"Please," she interrupts, "Call me Cadance. I have a feeling we'll get to know eachother very well over the next..."

"How long is your trip?"

"Six months," Octavia states matter-of-factly."

Cadance smiles. "Yes, over the next six months."

Octavia lets go of you, and steps back in a state of awe.

"Y-You... You're... You're going to...?"

Cadance smiles. "Of course I am. Who would pass up an opportunity to see the CSO performing live? Tickets are expensive, you know~"

And, with a squeal, you see Octavia flop on the floor unconscious.

"I think that was a little too much for her," Cadance says, finding a seat on one of the beds in the bunked cabin.

You pick up Tavi and set her on the bottom bunk opposite of Cadance.

"Just a little. I bet royalty seldom shows up to events like this, being so busy and all."

"Not at all. I'm typically swamped," she says. "Thankfully, I'm fairly certain my substitute will do a fine job.

"Who's that?"

She pauses for a moment. "Erm, let's discuss that later. But, for now, let's enjoy every moment we have."

She pulls you over and sets you down beside her. "Together."

You look at her, and she looks at you.

"Together."

She offers you a smile.

"You know, I hate being alone."

"I've noticed."

She chuckles. "I'm glad I have someone I can turn to."

She places a hoof on your hand.

"Someone I know I can trust, unlike... Some."

That sounded a little disturbing.

"Huh? What's wrong?"

Cadance looks at the floor.

"I have a pretty good feeling Shining is doing more than helping out at the castle, Anonymous."

"Oh. Oh, I'm... I'm sorry. I had no idea."

"Of course you didn't. He's good at hiding it, but these eyes know a cheater when they see one. It's part of my talent, after all."

You look at Tavi, and then at Cadance.

"Well, then where does this put me?"

"Who ever said either of us were devoted to being monogamous?"

She gives you a sly smile. "I certainly have no problem with you being with her. Besides, what we're doing is, well, special."

She slides her hoof under your chin. "Understand what I'm getting at?"

It takes you a moment to get your mind out of its testosterone gutter to mutter out a sentence.

"Of course I do."

With that, she gives you a quick peck on the lips before pulling back and looking into your eyes.

"Good. Maybe we can see what you're capable of, when we have some spare time~. Don't worry, I'll be sure to give you time alone with Octavia."

She looks at the unconscious pony for a moment. "...I can tell what she has is more than just lust. It's truer, purer."

She looks back at you. "She deserves it more than I do. And, who knows. Maybe she's more open minded than one would think..."

You blush. She does as well.

"But..."

"As much as I would like to get ahead of myself tonight, Anonymous, I'm afraid Octavia might not be out for much longer."

"That, and I don't want to spoil everything on the first night..."

She giggles, a lustful look on her face. "Now, Anonymous. Go tend to Octavia, and get some shuteye. You'll need to be wide awake tomorrow, and I'm certain we will all be busy—in more ways than one, mind you."

You oblige, and go to the other bed where Octavia is lying down.

She's still out cold.

She'll wake up soon enough, but not by your hand.

You lie down on your side and pull her close, like a big, fluffy, grey teddy bear.

After adjusting yourself and resting your head on your pillow, you doze off, awaiting the 6 months to come.

You lie there, unable to sleep.

Not that you mind; you're spooning with an adorable mare, and you're comfortable anyhow.

What's keeping you up is the thoughts.

Is this the right thing to do?

What will everyone think if they find out?

You suddenly realize you're going to have a lot of time to think.

It's an overnight train ride to Canterlot, at least 12 hours.

With a sigh, you rest your head again, thoughts racing through your mind.

Eventually, these thoughts die down, and you drift off into sleep.

Some time later, you feel something.

Something was shaking your shoulder, trying to get your attention.

You figure it was that annoying furry wolf-man that was bugging you for your squash earlier, so you grumble at him in annoyance.

Wait, what the hell are you talking about?

You open your eyes, and see Octavia's own peering into yours.

Whatever crazy dream you had a moment ago was instantly lost in her eyes.

As you come to, you realize there is a dim light in the background.

A single candle is lit; it's barely enough to illuminate the small cab.

But, you can see everything you need to.

Those gorgeous purple eyes are easy to get lost into.

After a moment, Octavia smiles at you.

"Anonymous," she says, her voice low and seductive.

Even though there was hardly any light in the room, you could see the blush on her cheeks.

Suddenly, you hear a thump.

You look over, and you see some sort of old record player on the nightstand.

A record needle drops into place, the needle falls, and, as if it's working by itself, some smooth music starts to play.

Smooth jazz.

Sounds like Octavia, in an odd way.

You turn back to the beautiful mare in front of you.

"I've been waiting for this day for a while, you know," she says, wrapping her forelegs around your neck and pulling herself closer.

Your noses are touching, and her eyes are half lidded.

You smirk slyly, looking back at her.

"I had hardly any idea, Octavia."

She chuckles.

"Well, you know what they say, Anonymous. Life is full of..."

Suddenly, you feel one of her hooves slide down your back and prod at your ass.

"Surprises."

Almost immediately, you feel little junior spring up from his slumber.

If you weren't blushing before, you definitely are now.

Even under all of this pressure, you maintain your cool, and slide one of your hands down her back, keeping one of them behind her head.

"This one's a pleasant one, I gotta say. I never knew you would ever be this forward."

She coos a little, leaning her face in a little closer to whisper in your ear.

You can feel her hot breath on your ear as she speaks, and it sends shivers down your spine.

"I want to show you something..."

Without breaking eye contact, you see her reach behind, and under the mattress.

She pulls up a magazine.

A PlayColt magazine, actually, with a coffee stain on it.

Wait a second, didn't you have—

Holy shit she got ahold of your pornos.

How long has she known about this?

You lie there, dumbfounded, staring at the magazines.

"You know," Octavia starts, "I never expected you to be the kind of stall—man, that would have such things hidden away in his closet. Concerning the pages are so worn, I bet this gets "used" often."

Christ, she's reading you like a book.

"And, I get the impression," she says, dropping the magazine and grabbing your collar, "that you are a very naughty, -naughty- young man..." She says with a sly look on her face

She pulls you close, lips almost touching.

"And I want it... I always have, since the first time I saw it..."

You return her lustful gaze, your hand gliding down and gently grasping her plot.

"I'm willing to give you a taste..."

You both lean in, lips locking with a burning passion.

You pull her head tight against yours, squeezing her rear.

She's sure to return the favor herself.

Your lips wrap around and suckle on hers as you kiss, turning your head.

Octavia adds in a playful nibble, before slowly sliding in her tongue.

Your tongues push against each other and writhe around, your hot, steaming breath blowing against each other.

After what seems like an eternity of wrestling with her delicious tongue, she pulls back, a tendril of drool connecting your lips.

She has a dopey smile on her face, and you’re fairly certain you do too.

You just lie there a moment, staring into each other’s lustful and passionate eyes.

Soon, you feel a hoof glide across your thigh, and up to your crotch.

It slides up and down, gently stroking your pride.

Octavia looks down at her prize, and then back up at you.

"As much as I would love to show you more… I have a feeling we would be seen…”

She glances over at the sleeping Cadance on the other side of the cab.

”Later. Later, I’ll show you what all I can do. Who knows, maybe she wouldn’t mind us at all, if we spoke about it.”

”She’d probably want a piece of the pie, too.”

She puts on a very, very seductive look.

”Not that I mind. I don’t mind sharing. And, concerning what I know about you, I’m fairly certain you won’t either…”

She giggles, and rests her head on the pillow.

"But, let's rest. We've a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

You nod in agreement, absolutely speechless.

"Good night, Anonymous," she says, closing her eyes, her smile still on her face.

"G-Good night," you say, resting your head as well and rolling onto your back.

Octavia wraps her forelegs around you and cuddles up to you, and soon enough, her head finds her way onto your chest.

You wrap an arm around her, lie back, and close your eyes, drifting op to sleep with the low, smooth jazz playing off in the background.

Some time later

You wake up in the middle of the night.

You're a little disoriented. The kiss left your mind about as consistent as scrambled eggs.

You notice the record is skipping, and you hear the constant plucking of a string bass hitting a rather detuned C#.

After a grumble, you take of the needle and shut the player off, sure not to disturb the Octavia resting in your chest.

After, you take a deep breath.

And it finally hits you.

You're in a room with a princess and a mare who loves you.

And both of them want your monkey dick.

As awful and shameful as that sounds to you, you can't help but feel like an alpha male on the inside.

Pride swells up in your chest, and you let out a sigh of satisfaction.

You glance at the clock.

Only four hours have passed, and you have 8 to go.

Odd. Time usually speeds up when you're having fun...

Chapter 3

After a while, your bladder starts nagging you to get up.

You oblige, sliding out from under Octavia and off of the bed.

You open the door to the cab and slide out, walking further down to go to the bathroom.

Soon enough, you make it to the train's bathroom, unzip your pants, and--

What was that noise?

You heard the door latch shut.

You didn't latch it, though—you only 'closed' it, so nobody would see anything. You didn't want to make noise.

Hmm. Odd. Must've been someone walking by.

Shrugging it off as something small, you pull down your boxers and—

*Gasp!*

You hear a rather feminine gasp from behind you.

You turn in a panic to see Cadance, standing behind you, staring at your shrine.

Had she surprised you a second later, she would be drenched in piss.

"Anon?!"

You blink.

"Candy, what the hell are you—"

"I want to aim."

"You -what-?"

"I want to aim. I never walked in on Shiney, and I've always wanted to see what it was like."

"Okay, but, why the hell did you follow me to the bath—"

"I'll -show- you later," she says with a wink.

"But, we have another problem to attend to."

God damnit, you were getting hard.

It's going to be impossible to piss now.

Before you can object in any way, she reaches forward and grabs your dick.

Her hooves are soft, and you shiver a bit at the touch.

Awkwardly, you turn to face the toilet.

"O-Okay, just... Aim downwards, towards the middle... No, no, more to the left..."

She closes one eye, squints, and sticks her tongue out, aiming

Even though it hurts a little bit with a kinked hose, you let loose, and spray into the toilet

It takes a while, due to the pressure, but eventually, your bladder is empty.

"That it?"

"Uh, no, actually."

"Now what?"

"You have to shake it."

She giggles a bit, covering her mouth with a hoof.

"What?"

"You have to shake it. Otherwise, it dribbles and leaks all over the place."

She thinks for a moment.

"Do you have the same problem when you... Pleasure yourself?

After a beat, you nod.

"Yeah, actually."

"I'll be certain to keep that in mind. I might have to suck a little harder later, then."

She starts shaking your dick, and your face turns a dark crimson.

After about 20-30 shakes, she thinks it's enough.

Her head is still down by your crotch, and she looks up at you.

"That good enough? All clear?"

"I-I'd think so," you stammer.

"Good. Now I don't have to worry about tasting piss"

Suddenly, the lights flick off, and all you can see is Cadance's faintly glowing horn, as well as some dim magic around the light switch.

Soon, that goes out too, and there's nothing but a small bathroom, barely lit by the moonlight shining through the window.

You can make out Cadance's silhouette in the darkness, as well as her head and mane floating in front of your crotch.

You can smell her, too.

Some sort of feminine musk, as well as some sort of flowery perfume.

Cadance looks up at you, her giant eyes glowing in the moonlight.

You can feel her gentle hoof glide up your side, and idly grasp at your sack.

"I've never done anything like this before," she says.

You can feel her breath on your dick.

Also, your cock seems to have been replaced with a giant diamond, it's so hard.

"Anything like what?" you ask, a tad confused.

"With... Something other than a pony. I've never been with anything else before."

"And I think it's actually fairly arousing..."

There's a pause, and you can hear the train chugging on in the night.

Suddenly, you feel her grasp at your length, and you feel something warm and wet tickling your tip.

She caresses your length with her hoof, while idly sucking on the tip.

She knew what the hell she was doing, too; her tongue glided across your head, and it was driving you so absolutely nuts you wanted to just grab the back of her head and shove it down her throat.

But, you hold back, and let her do her magic.

Soon after, she takes her hoof away, and she slowly slides her mouth down your length.

Her tongue drifts along the bottom of your shaft until she reaches the hilt.

After, she pulls back, and starts slowly bobbing her head back and forth.

By this point, you're against the wall, unable to support yourself with the pleasure taking your mind away.

She picks up speed, her tongue curling up and down, back and forth as she bobs her head faster and faster, making choking sounds all the while.

Just as you feel something welling up inside of you, she pulls back, your dick coming out of her lips with an audible pop.

"Pull my hair,” she demands in a low sultry voice.

You stand there for a minute, trying to clear your mind of the fog that has settled.

”I said, pull my hair,” she says again, demanding and forceful this time.

You reach down and grab her ponytail, and she gets right back to work on your shaft.

Her eyes are clamped shut as you yank on her hair, her head bobbing back and forth at top speed.

Soon after, you can’t hold it any longer; you’re about to blow.

You reach down with both of your hands and place them on the back of her head, pushing her along faster and harder.

She fucking takes it, and goes faster with the help of your hands.

In one last thrust, you jam your shaft down her throat and shoot your load, a gurgle coming from Cadance’s mouth.

She pulls back immediately, gasping for air.

A line of cum is still dangling from your dick, and her lips are covered.

As she catches her breath, she looks back up at you with those eyes, and moves forward.

"I’m not done yet…”

She gulps down what she already has, and starts suckling your tip, juicing you of all you have.

She reaches up and grabs your shaft, shaking it hard to get it all out.

After a minute of unbearable sucking, she takes her lips off of your dick, wipes her mouth, and looks up at you, a look of absolute astonishment on her face.

After you catch your breath yourself, you look down at her.

"Candy, that was—"

"Nobody has ever done that to me before."

A moment passes, and you respond.

"Done what?"

"Grabbed my head, and forced me onto it... I... I've never..."

"I've never loved giving a blowjob so much."

You both stand there, breathing heavily as the train rolls by.

"That was amazing," she says, finally standing on her four legs.

She was barely at bellybutton height, even then.

"Yeah, that was something else," you say.

You pull up your pants.

"Holy shit, you know what you're doing.

She chuckles.

"I know, Anonymous. I'm only the princess of love~~"

With that, she opens the door.

"Come, let's go back to the cab. Hopefully we didn't wake anyone up with our antics..."

After you zip up your zipper, you follow her back to the cab.

After that wild and seemingly endless ride, you wake up.

The train horn blows, waking up everyone in the cab.

You've arrived, finally.

Cadance and Octavia are both wide awake, conversing with each other about Canterlot in general.

However, you are no morning person, and your rub your tired eyes as you sit up in bed.

"Good morning, Anonymous," they both say, almost in unison.

"Mornin'," you respond, sliding out of the bed and standing up.

"We haven't much time," says Octavia, standing up and grabbing her cello case from the above bunk. "I have to be at the hall in a half an hour to practice, and our performance is in an hour and a half.

Cadance butts in.

"Mind you, Canterlot is a big city. Even if we manage to hitch a chariot, we'll still be in a bit of a rush. Come. Let's go," she says, trotting out the door.

Octavia soon follows, and so do you.

As you walk, Octavia starts some idle conversation.

"Cadance," she says, looking towards the princess, "are you sure walking around in Canterlot is a good idea? Being a princess, and all, your reputation may be... Tarnished."

Cadance merely shrugs. "I see no reason why. I haven't had some time to myself for a long time, Shining is busy, and my replacement is one of the hardest workers I know. She's always busy as a bee."

"And who is that?" Octavia asks innocently.

"Erm, I'd rather not reveal her identity, on her behalf. For respect, and... And such," she says, with a bit of uncertainty.

Octavia raises an eyebrow, and so do you.

"I know neither of you have malicious intent, but this is Canterlot; the eyes have walls."

"The eyes have walls?"

After a beat, Cadance facehoofs.

"Let's just keep going."

You hustle through the busy streets of Canterlot.

Thankfully, the ponies tended to part ways upon seeing a princess; you got there much faster than anticipated.

About 10 minutes before Octavia had to arrive, you find the auditorium.

Octavia waves goodbye, grabs her cello, and disappears backstage while you and Cadance both grab your seats.

You're forty minutes early; not many ponies were shuffling in. There were a few, but not too many to take away all of the good seats.

However, Cadance didn't want a 'good' seat; she drags you along, taking you up the stairs, supposedly to one of the higher levels.

You reach the fourth and highest floor, and Cadance finds seats in the very back row.

The seats are great. They're very soft and conforming, and they're a royal read -- just like the rest of the carpeting in the auditorium.

You have a good view, as well. You can see the intricate, impeccable decor around the vast auditorium, all of it hoof-carved from marble. It truly was a marvelous work of art.

Had the paintings and stonework been any better, you might've thought a ponified Michaelangelo stopped by.

Also, you're so high up you can still see where the orchestra will be.

And there's about a 50 meter drop to the floor from here, it looks like.

Cadance giggles as you look down, jaw low.

"What? Haven't you ever been to an auditorium before?"

You haven't, and shake your head no.

"I've never been able too. Too expensive," you say, resting back in your chair and trying not to think about the height.

"Well, glad I could help~" she coos, giving you a peck on the cheek.

"The CSO is one of the most amazing orchestras on the planet. It's on the same tier as the Marelin Philharmonic, or the Roaman Symphony Orchestra..."

You aren't a very musical man, but you can about imagine how highly this band must be respected...

Some time passes, and the orchestra starts pooling in onto the stage, creaking and playing their bows to prepare for the concert.

You see Octavia trot in proudly, cello in grasp as she sits down, grabs her risen, and prepares herself.

The lights dim, attention moving to the orchestra.

After the does a short into in an accent you can't even describe, much less understand, he turns to the orchestra and starts the first song.

They start, the music blasting up the auditorium with incredible clarity.

At first, it sounds like music that would play for some sort of epic news station.

You glance over at Cadance.

She's completely captivated, focusing on the music and on the music alone.

You decide to wrap your right arm around her shoulder as the music plays.

She doesn't object at all, but...

She doesn't seem to react much at all in the first place.

Only a short sideways glance and a smirk was what you got..

She must be really into this.

You just sit back and relax, letting the song pass by.

She takes a deep breath, relishing in the sound.

You turn your attention to the orchestra.

Namely, Octavia.

She plays with such... Passion. Such professionalism.

She genuinely cares about what she's doing.

Same goes with every other pony in the orchestra, be they playing a violin, a horn, a string bass, or a triangle.

This isn't an exaggeration. The triangle player is dinging away at his instrument with an absolutely professional posture, his chin high in the air.

"Wow, they really—"

"Shh."

"Uh, okay... I just—"

"Shh! Etiquette! After the song!"

Ah, that explains quite a bit.

Concert etiquette.

With that, you sit back again, letting the music pass by.

After a few more minutes, the song boils down to an explosive ending.

The audience applauds, and so do you.

After the applause dies down, the orchestra starts moving around.

They seem to be preparing for another song.

You're not sure if you can bear another ten minutes of listening to this and dealing with a snappy Cadance.

But, endure you must. You pull Cadance into a light hug as the conductor starts rambling on again.

"You really take this seriously, don't you?"

She glances at you, a condescending look on her face.

"Of course I do. As 'informal' as I may be when I'm with others, I'm still royalty, after all. You have to know these things. Besides, even if I wasn't royalty, it'd still be impolite."

She rolls her eyes at you, a smirk on her face.

You lightly boop her, and she scrunches her nose.

"Damnit, Anon!"

You share a chuckle, and you turn back to the orchestra as the lights dim again.

It looks like a small ensemble of strings has taken their leave.

Octavia included.

A stringbass is missing, as well as a couple other members of the string family.

They're now front and center, just out of your eyesight.

Octavia is there, alongside a few others.

In a moment, they start their song.

About a moment later, you can feel yourself drifting off to sleep.

Chapter 4

About a moment later, you can feel yourself drifting off to sleep.

They were playing it so sweetly that you couldn't keep your eyes open.

You rest your head on Cadance's warm shoulder and close your eyes.

She seems to understand and leaves you be, grabbing your hand with her hoof.

Soon enough, you fall asleep, the sweet, sweet music in your ear a melodious lullaby.

Some time later, after frolicing in the flowers in the merry old land of Oz with your two favorite ponies, you hear clapping all around.

As you come to, you realize it wasn't for the fact that you had just found a jar of oil under a lion's ass.

It was because the song was finished, and you immediately jump up and start applauding as well.

Whatever it was, it was beautiful; you could tell by the soothing colors and sounds in your dream.

Or maybe that was Cadance's perfume.

Either way, you had a good time.

The conductor takes his stand again and starts blabbering out more exposition you can't understand, and you turn to Cadance.

"That put you to sleep," she said, snickering.

"What? I can't help it!"

"You're a lot cuter when you're asleep, you know that?"

You blush a little, looking at the floor.

"Uh, thanks..."

She smiles again.

The conductor (who you learned, by reading the program, was a mix of Prench, Chodslovakian, and Bitish) was still blabbering on about some piece in what sounded like a foreign language.

He sounds like he's going to take a while, so you turn to Cadance.

"How much is left?"

"One more song, evidently. You slept through a few."

"Oh, that's—waitwhat"

She shakes her head and chuckles. "You slept for quite some time. I think you might've left a bruise on my shoulder."

Whoops.

After laughing sheepishly, you look up at Cadance.

"Sorry."

"Oooh, I don't mind, hun. As I said, you're cute when you're asleep."

"Oh, and you like to nibble."

Blood rushes to your cheeks.

"I—What?"

"You nibbled. On my shoulder, on my ear' it tickled. It was cute, too."

She giggles innocently. "Got me going a little, too. But I didn't want to wake you up, or make too much noise. We're in a concert, after all."

You let out a huff.

"W-Well, I'll... Uh..."

"Keep that in mind for later?"

She gives you a wink.

"Uh, of course."

She sticks her tongue out you, and suddenly the lights dim.

Your focus turns back to the orchestra, and after a short tuning session, they begin to play.

Cadance lets out a sigh as they play.

You can tell her heart is fluttering at the tune, by the look on her face.

As well as the fact that she's grasping at her chest.

She sits back and relaxes, closing her eyes and listening to the music.

You would probably be doing the same, had thoughts of nibbling been crossing your mind.

How the hell—why the hell did you do that?

You don't remember nibbling anything in the land of Oz...

You shrug it off.

No matter. You've always done weird things in your sleep, like the time you—

Your thoughts are cut off as something pink, purple, and yellow comes into view.

It's Cadance's mane, her head plopping on your shoulder.

Evidently it was her time to relax.

You let her rest, and you bring a hand up to idly pet her as the orchestra plays.

Suddenly, you notice something.

You can't see Octavia anymore, Because there's a big, pointy, pink horn blocking your line of sight.

Your curiosity gets the best of you.

You heard horns were very sensitive, and Twily absolutely freaked the fuck out the time you grabbed hers.

You made some fair assumptions, but you were never quite certain.

Curiosity overpowers your common sense, however.

You reach forward with your arm that isn't wrapped around Cadance, and lightly touch her horn.

She shudders a bit in your arms, and nuzzles into your chest.

God, that's cute.

You reach up again, and gently massage the tip.

She shuffles around a bit, and you can see some red coming to her cheeks.

She lets out a little whimper as well.

You think she's enjoying it, so you keep going.

You start running your fingers up and down along her horn, feeling the grooves and the smoothness.

It's hard and smooth, like ivory, yet it's still and warm.

You keep caressing it, each stoke causing Cadance to sink deeper and deeper into your chest.

Although part of you tells you to speed up, you keep going slowly.

Her breathing has become a bit erratic, and you can tell by her slacked jaw she's in heaven.

"A-Anon..." she mutters, not opening her eyes.

"Shh."

You keep going, slowly and gently stroking her horn.

It keeps getting warmer and warmer, and you decide you need to cool it off a bit.

You tilt her head back and reach forward with your own, licking the tip.

She shudders again, reaching for your now open hand.

You grab it as you start to glide your lips across her horn, feeling her warmth inside of your mouth.

There's no doubt in your mind this is what giving a blowjob is like.

But you don't care.

You keep going, gliding your tongue across her horn like a lollipop.

She bites her lip, and her hoof guides your free hand to her nethers.

You start gently rubbing her lower lips as well, still suckling on her horn.

Eventually, you decide to go deeper.

You slide your mouth down her horn, making it about halfway down before it pokes at the back of your throat.

You manage to resist the gag reflex and pull back out, before sliding back on again.

Cadance is breathing rather heavily now, and is trying to muffle her quiet cries with your arm.

You keep going; thankfully, the music was enough to drown out her moans.

You slide up and down your horn, making sure to lick every last inch you could.

Your fingers work at her crotch as well, covered in her juices.

Before long, you feel Cadance start to tense up.

She opens her mouth and starts panting a bit.

You don’t take your lips off of her horn; you had a feeling you knew what was happening.

Suddenly, she jams her muzzle into your armpit to muffle the loud gasp she couldn’t control.

You feel something spurt from her horn into your mouth.

There’s too much, and you dribble it all over your clothes and her forehead.

It’s sparkly, almost like glitter.

Except it’s gooey, like watery silly putty.

Although the aesthetic appeal isn’t much, it tastes sweet, almost like flavored sugar.

You swallow down what you can, pull your hand away from Cadance’s wet crotch, and look down at her.

She looks up at you with lost eyes, her mind in a haze.

”A-Anon…”

“Shhh!”

After a beat, she closes her eyes, and drifts off to sleep, her head in your lap.

You wipe up what you can, but there’s no getting that pixie-cum out of your suit.

The song comes to a conclusion, the audience applauds, and you wake Cadance up.

"Anonymous," she says, almost glaring at you with tired eyes.

You look at her, a sly smile on your face.

"Someone enjoyed themselves.

She still looks pretty pissed.

"Damnit, Anonymous, I try to bring you to a formal concert, and you... And you just—! Ugh! I can't believe you would just—do something like that! And what's this?! Oh, no... You got it on your suit?!"

She grabs the collar of your jacket.

"Oooohoho, no, no, no..."

You sit there, dumbfounded.

"What? How bad is it?"

"This is terrible, you stupid pervert! I can't let people see this!"

She tears off your jacket and stuffs it under the seat.

Thankfully that 'dress' jacket was just an old sweatshirt of yours.

Ponies didn't know shit about human fashion.

"Don't let anyone see that... And I hope to hell nobody saw -us-..."

"Anon?"

You look at her.

"Uh, uhm... I'm sorry, I just—"

"That took a lot of -guts-, to defile a -princess- in PUBLIC like that."

"Hey, look, it was there, and I—"

"If you ever, -ever- do that again, I swear, I will tie you up to the bed and grab Old 'Nessie."

"Old 'Nessie?"

A mischievous smile slides on her face.

"You don't want to know."

She stands, motioning for you to follow.

"Come. Let's go congratulate Octavia on a spectacular performance."

"I'm pretty sure she isn't the only one that needs a congratulation..."

"Hey—Wh—SHUT IT!"

You both meander down the hallways and staircases, finding your way to the rendezvous point to meet Octavia.

After a few odd looks from others and quite a bit of walking, you find yourself outside, behind the auditorium.

Out the backdoor the instrumentalists come, one after another, each carrying their instruments.

After a few minutes, you see Octavia roll out, her cello balanced on her back.

She offers you both a smile.

"Did you enjoy the concert?"

"It was amazing," Cadance says, lighting up her horn and grabbing her cello.

She's a bit skittish when people take her cello, but she doesn't react much other than a wary look.

"And you, Anonymous?" she says, turning to you.

"That was... Amazing," you say, chuckling. "Never heard anything like it."

"Well, I've been meaning to drag you along for quite some time, Anonymous, but something has always came up. Thankfully, nothing stopped you this time."

You all share a light chuckle, and Octavia starts again.

"I have a hotel room for tonight. There are two beds and a couch, so we can all sleep. But, we can check in whenever we like. Who's up for a bite to eat before we go?"

"...Mmm, I already had a snack, but I'm still hungry."

You smile slyly, and Cadance shoots you a light glare.

"Yes, a meal would be... Good, right now," Cadance says, turning away from you.

With that, Octavia nods. "Excellent. I know a great place on the south end. Follow me."

You toddle around town, looking at the interesting buildings and sights as you walk by.

Canterlot was really a nice city; everything was clean and pristine, and it has this certain... Mood, throughout the town.

Everyone is really pristine and proper.

It reminds you of Victorian England, except not as strict, and a lot more colourful.

It gives you a sense of pride, oddly enough.

You walk with a smile on your face until you reach the restaurant Octavia was talking about.

It's a really fancy place. There was a menu on the outside of the door.

The cheapest item, besides drinks, was 25 bits.

Concerning you got 5 bits an hour working at the rock farm, that was ridiculous.

"Don't worry about the prices, Anonymous," Cadance says as she walks in the door. "It's free. Being royalty has some... Perks."

She giggles and steps inside, and you soon follow.

After getting things in order, sitting down at a booth, and glancing over the menu, you ordered your drinks and an appetizer.

Cadance ordered a tray of oysters to share. Typical.

You all got sweet, friuty, alcoholic drinks. They tasted different, but it was by no means a bad taste.

You couldn't stop drinking.

Cadance and Octavia are idly talking to each other about happenings and such in Canterlot.

Fancy stuff you wouldn’t know about.

Or perhaps not-so fancy stuff you don’t care about.

But suddenly, you hear them stop.

Octavia is looking at you, an eyebrow raised.

You take a sip of your fruit drink, returning her gaze.

"Erm... Anonymous?"

You set your drink down, a bit confused at her tone.

"Uh, yeah?"

"What... What is that? On your shoulder? Is that... Glitter?"

Your face turns into a strawberry.

Cadance looks down at her menu, trying to look disinterested.

"Oh, u-uhm... You mean—"

"That, right there. That, pinkish stuff..."

You try to think of something.

"Oh, that's, uh... From my arts-and-crafts thing I did with the fillies in, uh... Ponyville Elementary a few days ago. Remember?"

She tilts her head. "Are you certain? I don't remember that mark being on your shirt yesterday, much less before the concert, even.

"Speaking of change, where's your suit jacket?"

God fucking damnit she had you on the hot spot.

And you had no idea what to do.

You look everywhere but at Octavia as you make up an excuse on the fly.

"Oh, uh... That! Heheh, actually, funny story — on the way to our seats, we, uh, accidentally bumped into some really snooty mare who had a big bottle of sparkly perfume and it shattered and ripped up my jacket and went all over."

She's taken aback by your rapidfire explanation.

"Hmm, that's... Interesting. A shame you had to dispose of that nice jacket of yours. But, why is your face so red? Our oysters haven't arrived yet..."

You shrug.

"Uh, 'cause it's hot in here?"

You can hear Cadance sigh, and it's clear she just died a little on the inside out of embarrassment.

Octavia shrugs.

"I'm fine, although I suppose that—Wait, I have fur, and you barely have anything on."

"That makes no sense."

You shuffle around a bit.

"Well, actually, the shirt's kinda—"

"Anonymous, are you having... 'Problems'?"

She scoots up a bit and peers down, looking at your crotch.

"Uhh..."

Fuck it, you decide this is better than getting found out.

"Y-Yes, I do, actually..."

She shakes her head.

"We're in public, Anonymous. Please, contain yourself."

You feel a sharp jab of an elbow from your right.

"That's right. We're in -public-, Anonymous," she says darkly. "With -royalty-, at that..."

You sigh. She has you there.

You sit back and wait for your food to come as you sit in shame...

Some time later, your food arrives.

Both Cadance and Octavia got some sort of very fancy salads, as well as some amazing-looking arrangements of fruit.

Thankfully, this restaurant had a section on the menu for gryphons -- you got to eat meat!

A nice whole salmon, as well as some shrimp.

Thankfully, Cadance didn't mind that much.

It bothered Octavia a bit, but she let it go soon enough.

You all start eating, and there's nothing but silence between the three of you.

You're embarrased, Octavia is upset, and Cadance is cringing so hard her intestines could squeeze out at any moment.

You finish your dinner in shame...

Chapter 6

"You might want to either cover up or pull out. The blinds are open, and I have a crystal-clear view of that creampie you've already baked."

She gave absolutely no fucks. But, after chuckling inside your head, you slide out of Octavia and slide her off of your chest.

She moans in her sleep, but she doesn't wake.

You wipe off your wet shaft on the fur of her crotch, and cover the both of you up with a blanket.

Cadance was just about done wiping up the mess with a rag.

"Don't hog all of the blankets. I still have to hop into bed with you. I hope you didn't waste all of your energy on her."

You look at her and shake your head. As hot as it would be, you were wasted from your last session.

"Sorry, Candy, I'm too tired, and I think I've been sucked dry. I can't—"

"Well that's too bad. You're going to have to deal with me anyway."

You're not sure, but you think this is what they call rape.

"Look, Candy, I'm out of the loop. I'm not going to be able to do much, and–"

"Who said you had to do anything, sweetheart?"

You blink.

"...I'm sorry, what?"

Cadance looks at you and deadpans.

"I have needs, Anonymous. And I'm willing to get them one way or another. If I have to tie you down to the bed and fuck your brains out, then so be it. I'm hoping you'll be a little more cooperative than that, however."

This was starting to get a little scary, really...

But you could feel John waking up for a midnight snack, and Ping and Pong were already starting to ache.

"What're you saying?"

She facehooves, throwing the drenched washcloth in the corner.

"I'm -saying- that all you have to do is lie on your back and let me ride you like a three-wheeled chariot. Does that sound like a deal?"

The seriousness in her voice was actually starting to chill you a bit.

She stared at you with those light green eyes, an expressionless look on her face.

"...Well?"

"...Uh... I... I think we can... Work something out..."

You gulp.

"...But, uh... What about Octavia?"

"Shove her to the side, or let's go to the couch. I could care less."

Reluctantly, you start to slide out of bed, and you start making your way to the couch.

"...Uhm... O-Okay..."

You sit down on the couch, looking at Cadance.

She soon follows, an evil smile on her face.

"Lie on your back," she says, coming closer.

You were honestly scared, and you complied without a second thought.

You rested your head on a pillow, staring at Cadance.

Those green eyes...

They weren't green befo—

You think you just shit your pants a little.

Metaphorically.

Cadance would gut you if you actually shit yourself.

Green eyes...

The need for love...

So demanding...

It all added up.

This is bad, This is really bad.

Your heart is racing, and your mind is running a mile a minute.

Do you give in?

What else can you do?

Is there any way you can—

Your thought train freezes as you find Cadance standing over you, staring down at you.

"C-Cadance?"

She puts her hoof on your mouth, looking down at your groin.

"Shut up."

A moment later, she slides down to grab ahold of your floppy member.

"Need some encouragement, do you?"

She almost looks pissed as she reaches down to lick it, cleaning it off from your last session.

She takes care of any leftover marejuice or manjuice left, and then looks up at you.

Your shaft started to take notice, and it was slowly growing, as much as you wanted it not to.

She spits it out and grabs it in her hoof.

"Damn it to the stars, Anonymous, I'm not going to let you take that mare and ride her like a roller coaster just to leave me up to dry."

She starts rubbing your cock, wet with spit.

"You're going to let me take you, and you're going to like it if it kills you. Which it might, if you're not cooperative."

As much as you don't want to believe it, you're solid down south, and Cadance stands up on top of you.

She looks down at you with those emerald eyes, a sinister grin on her face as she lowers her hips.

She sits on your length, and starts sliding back in forth, her petals gliding across your wet dick.

"Little plothole... I bet you were going to tell me to get the hell out so you and your marefried could have sexy fun time together while I was gone!"

She picks up the pace, and starts glossing your dick with her juices

"You little cunt. I don't care — I'm going to get my fill, even if I have to strangle it out of you like the little maggot you are."

Holy shit, she was angry, and she was scaring you.

You were breathing heavily by now, and your dick was starting to hurt from all of the strain.

"Well?! Do you like it?! Do you like doing this to me?! Treating me like this?!"

You turn your head and cover your ears in pain.

She was yelling very loud, almost using the Royal Canterlot voice.

Next thing you know, you get a hard smack across the face.

You let out a yelp and reel in pain, grabbing your jaw.

Holy shit, she could hit hard.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you, worm!"

You look up at her, fear on your face as she glares down at you with those glowing emerald eyes.

She slides forward and sinks back, your tip sliding inside of her folds.

"Tell me you like it!"

If looks could kill, you would be in the morgue by now.

Your brain locks up, and as she raises a hoof, you try to stutter out a sentence before she smacks you.

"...Y-Yes, I... I do!"

*SMACK!*

Right across the cheek, you feel a stinging pain.

She starts sliding up and down, wasting no time to hit the hilt and come back up

"You little shit! You love treating me this way, don't you?! Treating me like dirt? Like I'm some sort of stupid animal?!"

*PAMF*

She gives you the back hoof, and now both of your cheeks were stinging.

She was sliding up and down your shaft quickly, and your dick couldn't handle the transition without hurting worse than the smacks on your face.

"How do YOU like it, huh?! Getting abused? Taken advantage of?"

She reaches down and grabs your neck, picking up speed.

She squeezes. Hard.

Before you know it, you're wheezing, and you can't breathe.

You can't get a single gasp of air in. Not one.

You feel blood rushing to your face as she chokes you, slamming her hips against yours.

As you desperately wheeze for air, you look up at the roof.

You can feel something building up inside, but you're not sure if it's your dick getting ready to explode or your lungs getting ready to collapse.

Cadance is screaming at you, but by now, it's all a blur.

You have no oxygen, and you're getting more and more disoriented by the second.

Your vision starts to blur, and your head tilts to the side.

With every thrust, you bounce, and your head is pushed against the arm rest of the couch.

Suddenly, you feel a rush, and in the haze you're in, you don't know what it is.

But you feel absolutely euphoric.

You don't see or feel anything but this absolute, divine pleasure as the world seems to fade from existence.

As the feeling overtakes you, you hear Cadance let out a scream in the background, and only a moment later, she lets go of your neck and plops down on top of you.

You gasp for air, and open your eyes wide.

Breathing heavily, you look around, and try to recollect yourself.

You drift out of the haze, and start to put the pieces together.

You look at Cadance, who is breathing heavily on top of you.

You look down at your crotch, and see some white goo oozing from her pastures.

Before you can say anything, Cadance raises her head and looks at you with those innocent purple eyes.

"...Anon?"

"ohno"

You feel the bruises already forming on your cheek, and Cadance lifts her chest off of yours.

"ohno ohno ohnn"

She looks at you with worried eyes, and after a glance down and around the room she looks back at you.

"sweetcelestiaanonymousimsosorryiforgottowarnyou–"

Next thing you know, she's hugging you.

Tightly.

She still hasn't pulled off yet, but that doesn't seem to be the biggest thing on her mind.

You're afraid she's going to choke you again, but those fears are vanished once you hear Cadance start talking again

"ohnoo anonymousicantbelievewhatijustdidimsosorryareyouokay?!"

She pulls her head back to look at you, tears in her eyes as she notices the bruises on your face and neck.

A look of absolute mortification comes onto her face as she sees what she's done

She pulls you into another tight hug, and starts sobbing wildly, choking out loud, garbled, and rapid words.

"BYTHEMOONANONYMOUSIMSOSORRYICANTBELIEVEIWOULDHURTYOUPLEASEFORGIVEME"

You just look up at the roof, absolutely taken aback by what's happening.

"Holy fucking shit," you mutter, as you think about what's happening.

You pat Cadance on the back as she lips off words faster than a German Blitzkrieg, crying onto your shoulder.

After a moment, you decide to speak up

"THATHASNTHAPPENEDFORAGESANDIDIDNTKNOWIF–"

"Cadance!" you yell, cutting her off.

She pulls her head back and sniffles, looking at you.

Her eyes were violet again, and that green seemed to have faded into Oblivion.

"Cadance? Jutht thlow down... Jutht... thpeak thlowly... Exthlain to me what the -hell- jutht happened," you say with a fat lip.

Cadance was still crying, and she could barely contain herself.

"I-I-Anonymous! I can't! I can't believe iiit!"

She sniffles, and huffs a few times before continuing.

You think she's started hyperventilating by the way she's huffing and puffing.

"I-I-... I have th-this... Problem... J-Jealousy, and envy— it— it–BWAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAAAAAAA!"

She closes her eyes, and starts outright bawling, collapsing into your shoulder.

Your shoulder was more wet than your crotch from all of her tears.

You pat her on the back, trying to get her to calm down.

To think, just a minute ago, the mare crying on your shoulder was knocking the shit out of you.

"Cadanth... Pleath, hun, calm down," you say, gently petting her back."

"I-It's all my fault! I'm—I'm a terrible pony! I'm so sorryyyyy!"

She keeps crying, and you try to put two-and-two-and-two-and-two together as she cries.

This must be some kind of disorder, you figure.

After a couple minutes of constant crying, Cadance pulls back, and starts speaking in a quieter voice.

"I'm so, -so- sorry, Anonymous... I never wanted to hurt you," she says, looking at you with tear-glazed eyes. "It's... It's a problem, I've... I've had... *Sniff*... "I... I see things, sexual things, and I... I get jealous, and... And my eyes... My eyes glow... And I don't think straight, and I go crazy and—and—"

"Shh," you say, putting a finger to her mouth to get her to calm down. "I think I underthtand."

She wipes her eyes, and gets off of you, your dick sliding out and flopping to the side like a wet noodle.

"I can never apologise enough, Anonymous," she says, still trying to dry her eyes.

You stand up as well, wiping off your crotch on one of the pillows on the couch.

"Justh, Cadanth, I'm thorry, I... I'll try to watch—"

"Don't be sorry! You're not the one that got..."

The realization hits her again, and she hangs her head.

"R-Raped..."

She looks down at the ground, and you think she's going to start bawling again.

Before that happens, however, you decide to intervene.

You grab Cadance from under her forelegs and lift her up like Simba.

Your temptation to sing "HEYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASIAYAHMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA" is, fortunately, extinguished.

Instead, you offer her a smile, and boop her nose with your own.

"Jutht... Calm down, Cadanth. It'th going to be fine, now, let'th get thome thleep. We need it."

She merely nods, a slight smile on her face.

You carry her and plop her down on the bed.

You flop down in between her and Octavia, who is, amazingly, still asleep.

"Anonymous?"

"Hmm?"

You turn your head to face Cadance.

She reaches forward and gives you a peck on the lips.

"Th-Thank you. And I'm so sorry."

You smile at her, and nod.

"Good night, Cadanth."

"G-Good night..."

And, with that, you rest your head back and close your eyes.

Some idle thoughts pass, as you start to drift.

Did you really have an orgasm that amazing when you were being raped?

You've heard of erotic asphyxiation, but you didn't know it was like...

That.

That, and... Was Cadance really Cadance?

There was still a doubt in your mind...

It could be Chrysalis, the one you heard about...

But her story seemed very sincere, and oddly convincing...

A bit of a scary thought, but a thought, nonetheless.

Your thoughts slowly start to fade, and before you pass out, you turn your head.

The last sight you see before falling into a slumber is Octavia, with her messy mane and her glazed crotch.

As ridiculous as some of it was...

Tonight was a good night.

You fall asleep, a wide smile on your face.

Chapter 7

"right—I'M NOT A RACIST, YOU ASSHOLES!"

Your eyes bolt open at the yelling.

What the hell was that? Someone outside?

Soon enough, you come to, and you see it's the old radio, blaring some sort of morning talk show.

"I am a melting pot. Of friendship," he says as you stand up and get dressed, shaking your head.

You go on with your morning routine, the radio quietly playing in the background.

Holy shit, the room was a mess.

Blankets, pillows, and your clothing were strewn everywere, and things were out of place.

But, that mess pales in comparison to the rest of it.

There's cum on the beds, on the sheets, on the floor, on the couch -- everywhere, from you and the two mares.

There was still some mare juice on your crotch, and both of the mares still had a mess on themselves as well

The room absolutely reeked of sex.

You take in a deep, pride-filled breath.

Until it hits you.

The blinds.

Fuck, you never closed the blinds!

Anyone could have walked by and seen this!

It's bad enough that you're human, but with royalty?

You would be banished for sure, and so would Octavia and Cadance.

It just now sinks in how bad this could be.

But, you shrug it off...

You doubt anybody would walk by at that time of night.

You walk over and close the blinds, hoping to high hell nobody saw anything.

Or heard anyth—

Fuck.

Cadance was LOUD.

There's no way you didn't wake up at least one more neighbor.

You feel beads of sweat rolling onto your face.

You can't get found out.

You can't let this happen.

But what could you do?

Letting out a shaky sigh, you decide to remove at least one factor.

Or, well, try.

Room service would have to come and clean, and you don't want to have them mopping up cum for an hour and a half.

Although, it's going to take about 27 cans of Febreezie to get the smell to tone down.

Sighing, you walk over to the bathroom and grab a dry towel.

You walk out to the couch and start sopping up the mess.

Cadance's juices and your cum have already dried up, and it's going to be damn near impossible to clean out.

Soon after, you give up.

Room service is going to have a bad time, but hopefully the front desk will see it under 'Octavia' if there are any complaints.

You do, however, get a couple of towels and put them down where Octavia absolutely creamed.

Hopefully it'll sop up some of the mess...

By now, Cadance had started to stir.

Octavia was out cold.

"I'M SICK AND TIRED OF THIS CRAP, ALL RIGHT?"

And the radio is still going.

Cadance, irritated, smacks the radio and it shuts off.

"I can't stand that stallion," she mutters, getting out of bed.

And promptly snarling at the smell.

"Sweet Celestia, it reeks in here..."

"Huh. I wonder why."

She rolls her eyes at you, chuckling.

There was some concern in her eyes.

"You had a long night, didn't you?"

"Wasn't the only thing that was long."

She shakes her head and covers her face with her hoof. "I noticed"

A short pause follows, and she scratches the back of her neck.

"Anon?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you, are you okay?"

She looks really concerned, looking up at you.

"Other than the bruises, I... I guess I'm fine. Surprised, but... Fine."

You were still scared shitless of what might be.

But, you decide not to voice or show your fears.

"I can't tell you how sorry I am, I never wanted to hurt you."

You think she's tearing up again.

"I know. I understand."

"But..."

She looks up at you, wiping one of her eyes.

"That was pretty hot."

"Huh?"

"Choking me? Uh, it's hard to explain. Something about you choking me, and when I was passing out, I just, It's hard to explain."

She looks a little shocked, and a bit curious.

"You... Liked me choking you?"

"Well, when I came, I did. It's like everything else just... Faded. And all that was there was... THAT."

You proooobably just crossed a line.

Her jaw hangs low, and she looks at the ground with a bewildered look on her face.

"Anon, that."

"That's actually pretty, Interesting..."

Thank Celestia, she wasn't mad.

"I've heard of it before, but figured it was too dangerous to try..."

She shrugs a little. "Hmm. That's something to keep in mind, then."

After that, she starts grabbing the sheets on the floor and wadding them up, unknowingly tossing them on top of the sleeping Octavia.

"But, I'm a mess. I'm covered in Anon-glop," she says, trotting over to the shower.

"Want to come with? You're just as messy as I am."

You chuckle.

"Of course I do," you say, hobbling towards the shower.

It was one of those really old style showers. There were no shower curtains -- only a small glass wall and a shower head.

You step under, and Cadance soon follows, closing the bathroom door behind her.

She trots over to you, her mane grazing across your lower stomach as she walks by.

With a squeak, she turns the shower on, and some warm water trickles down onto the both of you.

Before she can say anything, you reach down and start scrubbing the mess out of Cadance's mane.

She rolls around a lot when she sleeps, and her hair is so sticky you'd think someone stuck bubble gum in her hair.

With a bit of shampoo and a lot of scrubbing, you work at her mane, making sure to get it nice and clean.

Meanwhile, Cadance is in heaven; her eyes are closed, and she has a dopey smile on her face as you scratch her head and brush her mane.

She lets out a little hum of satisfaction as you go, her ears lowering to the side of her head.

She's so adorable...

You keep scrubbing, sure to get rid of every last bit of evidence, be it yours, Candy's, or Tavi's.

After you're certain you're done, you look at her coat.

It's even worse.

"Candy, this is going to take a while," you say, gesturing to her coat.

You sit down on the floor, the water still trickling down onto you.

And, evidently some time between the start of the shower and now, you popped a boner.

You cross your legs, and gesture for her to sit on your lap.

"I need to take a few minutes and clean you off. It doesn't come out of your coat easily."

With a nod and a smile, she gently lowers herself and falls into your lap.

Her back rubs against your length, and her wet fur tickles a bit.

She's nice and warm, and her slick coat slides against your bare legs as she gets herself comfortable.Her head is resting on your left thigh, facing away from you.

Smiling, you scrub away at her side, your dick jiggling with every scrub.

Scrub scrub scrub...

You both shake as you roughly try to get out every last stain in her magnificent pink coat.

It's going surprisingly well — the soap is working well, and that, combined with this floofy sponge you have, makes for a great thing to use.

Eventually, you finish with her right side, and you grab her.

You flip her over onto her back, her belly showing.

Her forelegs curl up into her chest, and the back of her head rests on your thigh.

She looks up at you with an adorable smile as you start to scrub her belly.

The more and more you scrub, the happier and happier Cadance gets.

Especially when you head down south, on her lower belly and almost to her crotch.

You can see some blush on her cheeks, and her privates adapt and reddish hue to them.

After a moment, you put the sponge down, and start gently massaging her crotch.

You were cleaning it off as well, sure.

But at the same time, you were making just as much of a mess.

You can smell her musk in the air as you sink your fingers in, slowly pleasuring her as she rests in your lap.

She looks up at you with those violet eyes, biting her lip.

"A-Anon..." she says, the pitter-patter of the shower drowning out the sound of her voice and her squeaks

You keep going, gently massaging her as you look down at her.

"Yes?" you ask, looking down at her with 'the look'.

"I think I..."

You raise an eyebrow.

She wanted to finish the sentence.

But, by the sound of it, she wasn't cumming.

You wait for her to finish, but she never does.

"Yes?"

"N-Nevermind... J-Just keep going... Please... Your hands are wonderful."

She into your eyes again, pleading you to continue.

Those eyes

The same ones that were glowing green last night.

The same ones that were glaring at you as you got pounded.

The same ones that—

That begged for forgiveness, and had so much disbelief.

Your mind is pulled in 200 different directions, and without knowing, you slow down.

After a blink, you clear your mind, looking down at Cadance.

"Okay, hun..."

You keep gently massaging her, and she rests her head back onto your thigh.

After a beat, she grabs your hand and pulls it away.

"You... You need to finish cleaning me up."

She's right.

You had her left side to do yet.

But that doesn't help how you're so terribly confused.

"You sure?"

"Y-Yes, I'm... I'm sure... I don't deserve this. Not after last night."

"Oh, Cadance don't—"

"Just, Please, Anon."

You sigh, and do as she says.

You roll her over onto her side, her soaked coat still a mess of fluids.

You grab the sponge again and start working slowly.

She rests her head on your thigh as you work, a bit of sadness in her eyes.

You can't help but feel sorry for her.

As much as it hurt and scared you, it probably did so to her ten times as much.

As you scrub, you feel a sudden warmth graze your balls.

Cadance is laying there, idly licking your crotch like a dog.

She licks it again and again, sending a shiver down your spine.

You let her do what she's doing, scrubbing the last little bits out of her coat with the sponge.

You're almost finished, and suddenly you feel a tug on your groin.

You look down, and you see Cadance has sucked your balls into her mouth.

But she doesn't move much, except for her mouth.

She sloshes the twins around, careful not to bite or pinch them.

Her tongue works around them, gently massaging them and warming them.

It sends another shiver down your spine, and you let out a shaky sigh of satisfaction.

It's soothing almost, her tongue caressing your sack.

You can feel your eyelids dropping already, it's so relaxing.

But, you keep going, and you manage to clean up the last bit of the mess on Cadance.

Finally, you can't stand it any more.

You lay on your back, and let Cadance do her magic.

You let out a shudder, relishing in the feeling.

Suddenly, Cadance adjusts, and rests in between your legs.

You look down, and what you see is Cadance looking back at you with apologetic eyes.

She's so gentle with you right now, and it's heavenly.

Her tongue and lips work around your orbs, and you can feel stress leaving you.

You rest your head back, and a moment later, you feel Cadance's lips pop off of you.

She climbs on top of you, resting her chest on yours.

You look up into those innocent eyes, and she smiles at you weakly.

"You amaze me, Anon," she says, bringing her face close to yours.

You look back up at her, your eyes almost closed.

"How so?"

She looks down at your chest.

"You... You're just so... Caring. Understanding. I thought for sure you would've called the police, or do something after last night..."

"But you understood. You said it was okay, when it really wasn't... And... There's something I want to get off my chest."

"Is it cum?"

She blinks, and chuckles a little before lightly bopping you on the nose. "No, you dork, Damnit..."

She chuckles a little more, and so do you.

There's a warm smile on both of your faces.

Your noses almost touch, and Cadance peers into your eyes.

"But, Anon... I... I didn't really call you because Shining was gone. I called you because I wanted him gone."

You think for a moment, and your jaw drops a little.

"W-Without him, I knew there was a spot in my hear that would be empty..."

"And I knew there were only two ponies—Or, people, that could fill that hole."

She gulps, and arches her eyebrows in worry.

"And, after these past couple of days, I know I'm right... Anonymous..?"

She leans in closer to whisper into your ear.

"I think I love you..."

You're a little stunned.

Just two days ago, she gave you a booty call.

And now this?

Sure, you had known her for quite some time beforehand, and pulled her along though a tough time or two

But this was so sudden.

You look back up at her, concern in your eyes.

"Oh, Cadance... I... I'm not so sure..."

You can almost hear her heart shatter.

"You... You what?"

"This is all going so fast, and I... I'm just not sure..."

"Not to mention, I have another mare after my heart, as well..."

You look at the door.

You look up at the showerhead, too, which is still sprinkling down on you.

Soon after, you look back at Cadance.

"You're much more than a friend, Cadance, trust me... But I just need some time."

You smile sweetly, and reach up to rub her ear.

"Okay, hun?"

She smiles back, and you think you see tears in her eyes.

"O-Okay..."

She reaches down and gives you a peck on the lips.

"Y-You're not... You're not gonna think different of me, are you?"

You look down at the ground for a moment.

"I am."

Her face wilts a little, and her ears fall to her head.

"But it's not under a bad light by any means."

You scratch her ear, and she giggles a bit, the gloomy look on her face falling off in an instant.

"Now, come on, hun. Let's get out of here before Octavia gets... Worried."

She nods, rolls off of you, and grabs a towel.

"Good idea..."

You grab one as well, and start drying off.

After a moment, you look at Cadance.

She's all poofy again, like last night.

You surpress a chuckle, and Cadance gives you a playful glare.

It scares you, at first, and you flinch.

The last time she glared at you

But after a beat, you both chuckle, and you continue on drying.

After drying off, you head into the living room.

"'Tavi is still out cold, under the heap of blankets.

"It'll do that to you," Cadance says, chuckling to herself as she puts on her crown and horseshoes.

"First time?"

Chapter 8

"Eeyup."

You almost sounded like a certain crimson pony back in Ponyville.

The one you worked with for a few months before the bucking season ended.

The one with the sister that stole your eyes and your—

You're getting off track.

You grab your clothes and slide them on, thinking of waking up 'Tavi.

"—I'm done, I'm done, I'm sick of this CRAP! Engineer, get me outta here!"

And the radio just did the trick.

You see Octavia's hoof reach out of the wad of blankets and cum, raise menacingly, and come down with the power of Talos on top of the radio.

The thing is smashed to bits, and you jump at the sound.

A moment later, a groggy Octavia sits up in bed, her mane resembling that of a lion's.

"Coffee," she says, rubbing her eyes.

"Heheheh, well, good mornin', sunshi—"

"COFFEE!"

"All right! All right!"

You button your pants and walk over to the coffee pot to make some brew for fucking Botwie-zilla.

Soon enough, you have coffee brewing, and Fluffy is sitting on the couch, waiting for her fur to calm down.

You chuckle again at the spectacle as you pour Octavia's cup.

"Sorry, but it's just really hard to take you seriously..."

She shakes her head and smiles.

"I know. I remember one day, it was raining out when I was invited to a ball."

"I'll never forget the look on Shining's face when he saw a big giant pink cotton ball with a tiara that he would have to dance with."

You share laugh, and you set the coffee pot down.

"I could about imagine. Although, he's dancing with someone else now, isn't he?"

She sighs.

"Evidently he didn't like to waltz with the princess."

"Well, from what I understand, you plan on doing the tango, and you know what they say."

You offer her a playful wink, and she giggles as you walk over to Octavia.

She looks at you with groggy eyes. She blinks only one of them, and then the other right after.

Holy shit she's tired.

You hand her her cup of steaming hot coffee, as well as a packet of creamer and some sugar packets.

Octavia, however, pays none of this any mind; she drops the sugar packets and chugs the scalding hot black coffee like it's cheap booze.

After, she crumples up the cup, hands it to you, and hops out of bed to get ready.

Without saying a word, she trots to the bathroom, almost angrily.

"Well, isn't she just a bouncing ball of sunshine and rainbows this morning..."

"No shit..."

You and Cadance sit in silence, the pitter-patter of the shower comforting you.

It's a relaxing sound, really.

But you don't dare rest your head back, in fear of falling asleep.

Cadance just sits there beside you, looking down.

There's guilt and regret on her face, no doubt, and as much as she tries to hide it, it doesn't work.

You really hope you didn't hurt her.

She deserves better than what Shining did to her.

Then again, if Shining had ever seen those emerald eyes, he might have due reason to leave.

You almost smack yourself at that thought.

She doesn't deserve that. She can't help it at all.

She can only try to—

*RINGRINGRINGRING*

You look at Cadance and nod, standing up and walking over to the phone without a word.

You pick it up with a click.

"Hello," you say with a monotonous morning voice.

"Hello," the mare says in response. "Is this Mr. Anonymous?"

"Oh, uh, yeah, that's me..."

Huh. Evidently it wasn't for Octy, like you previously thought.

"Excellent," the mare says in a proper voice. "You have a visitor in the lobby."

You heart just skipped a beat.

A visitor? Nobody knew you were going except for Octy and Candy...

You grumble.

Must just be some maintenance pony that needs to get into your room—

FUUUUUUCK.

Your jacket!

You left it in the theater!

Oh shit, someone might have found it!

There's only one person in the world they could pin that coat on!

And there's only one princess that could have escorted him!

Your heart races, and beads of sweat roll down your face.

You're almost shaking, you're so scared.

You powerwalk to the door, passing Candy on the way.

"I-I'll be back, Candy," you say, opening the door and promptly closing it behind you.

You quickly make your way to the lobby, hustling past room service carts and gawking ponies in the L'Parfait.

After a number of twists and turns, you finally find your way to the lobby.

A quick glance around reveals that there're absolutely no ponies there, spare the employees.

And a shadowy figure with a dark hooded robe slouched over in the corner...

You gulp.

Suddenly, the figure gets up.

And it starts walking right towards you.

You don't move a muscle, absolutely paranoid.

Soon, the pony is almost at your ankles.

All you see is a light blue muzzle, and the tip of a sky blue mane.

"Follow," the mare says in a feminine voice. "You need to... Talk."

Your heart is pounding so hard you think it's going to explode.

You grasp at your chest as you look down at her, and nod.

"O-Okay..."

She starts trotting down the hall, and soon, you find your way to a door.

Room 1 - 6.

The pony pulls out a pair of keys, and starts working at the lock.

You swallow your own tongue trying to choke out your own words.

"Wh... Who are you, might I ask?" you say, trying to loosen your surprisingly tight collar."

She doesn't look at you, nor does she take off her hood.

"She is one who wishes to wishes to speak little in public, in fear of showing her face."

With that, the door swings open, and the mare trots inside.

You walk inside behind her, closing the door.

As soon as it's closed, the mare looks at you.

"Lock it."

"Uh, are you—"

"Lock it."

You oblige, turning the little knob and locking the door.

You turn back, and the masked mare reaches up to lower her hoodie.

"Anonymous... Surprises, surprises everywhere... Who would have thought you, of all ruffians, would be performing such acts?"

She tugs her hood down, revealing a light blue face and an almost white mane.

Alongside a pair of dark purple eyes...

Eyes you knew well...

"Although, Trixie must admit, some of them are almost as spectacular than Trixie's own."

She smiles wickedly at you, and you think your heart has stopped.

"T-Trixie?! What the hell are—"

"Hush now, Anonymous. The last thing you need right now is more attention, and, believe me, you already have plenty."

You were already sweating bullets, and you wipe your forehead with your shirt.

"Wh-Whadaya mean?"

She lets out an evil cackle, taking a step closer to you.

"Did you not think word would get out? There's only one human in Equestria, after all, and he left a noteworthy, 'Fashion statement', in the auditorium last night..."

She levitates your magiculate-stained coat.

You shoot her a glare.

"Where the shit did you get that?!"

She giggles gleefully, a sinister look on her face.

"You know, Trixie is no novice when it comes to invisibility spells. And, when all of Trixie's revenue was taken away from her by one Twilight Snarkle and a new monkey-man that arrived from the sky, Trixie had to find a way to listen to the CSO's recitals."

"Luckily, seldom does any pony sit in the back rows. But, Trixie was in for a pleasant surprise last night"

She giggles and looks at the floor, a sly look on her face.

"Even Trixie herself must say, that performance was impressive. It was more entertaining than the CSO. Of course, Trixie -would- show you how it's done, but that's not why you're here today..."

You glare at her, trying to snatch the coat.

You fail, and her magic pulls it away before you can grab it.

"What the hell do you want?!" you ask, aggravated.

The sliest of smirks slides on her face.

"Trixie wants you to do as Trixie says... Trixie wants you to know what she has felt in the past, and what she has to deal with now.

There's a pause, and she sets the jacket down.

"Trixie saw everything last night, Anonymous. Trixie has plenty of pictures of you with both Octavia Philharmonic, as well as Princess Mi Amore Cadenza."

"It would be an awful shame if a certain Princess of the Sun stumbled upon these..."

You wanted to strangle this cunt then and there.

But you couldn't.

She had your balls over the blender.

"Fine... What? What do you want me to do?"

She trots right up to you, standing on her hind legs and pinning you against the wall.

"Trixie knows how much they mean to you. Trixie knows they both love you, how much they both need you... And how much you need them."

She leans in closer, glaring at you with an evil grin that would make Queen Chrysalis shiver in fear.

"And, unless you want these pictures to get out, or you feel like becoming a lunar astronaut... You're going to shatter. Their. Hearts."

You think about this.

You ruined her act by drawing away her crowds; she was more than happy to inform you of that soon after you arrived.

But this?

This makes no sense.

She's doing it out of spite.

And if there's one thing that pisses you off, it's spite.

Without even thinking, you reach up to grab the blue cunt by the neck.

But you're promptly stopped by a blinding light, soon followed by a heavy blow to the stomach.

You double over and collapse, grasping at your gut.

She bucked you. Hard.

And you're almost certain there's internal bleeding.

You roll around on the ground, writhing in pain.

A cough squeezes its way out of you, and you feel some blood splatter on you from your mouth.

You look up at her, a glare on your face.

"You think you can just do this? The princess doesn't care about relationships! What do you thin—"

"Oooh, you're one hundred percent correct, dear Anonymous. However, it's not that you need to worry about."

She smirks, looking at a photo.

"I'm fairly certain, however, that the Princess has an absolute zero tolerance policy for rape."

"Not to mention that the social reputation of your dear Princess will be reduced to rubble, much like my act."

She smiles slyly, looking down at you.

"And poor Miss Octavia, Undoubtedly, her colleagues think low enough of her to have her stay with a monkey like you— they'd be glad to expel her in a heartbeat, regardless of talent."

"Is that what you want? For both of their lives to be ruined?"

You snort, and spit some blood in Trixie's general direction, unable to stand.

"No, it's what -you- want."

You glare at her as hard as you could.

"And for what? Some sort of sick, twisted revenge on someone that doesn't deserve it?"

She laughs at you, sliding her robe on.

"Oh, it's almost that simple. Listen to me, and everything will be fine, except for two little hearts left in the garbage..."

"Or, don't, and have three ruined lives."

"Two hearts left to rot? What of mine? Mine won't be any better than theirs when they're gone! You'll be ruining three for your sick, twisted games of—"

"Oh, dear Anonymous. You're so -ignorant-"

She giggles, sliding her hood on and trotting over to you.

Trixie knows how it will feel for you. Trixie knows all too well; when you took her away from Tr—"

She gulps, and her face visibly falters beneath her hood.

"From me..."

Her?

You're terribly confused.

Trixie seems to choke up a bit, looking at you.

"And, once you do as I say, we'd have a mutual problem... A broken heart."

She smiles lightly, and looks at the door.

"Make of that what you will."

You manage to muster the willpower to get yourself up off of the floor.

You would raise a fist and strangle her, but the slightest movement of your torso causes you to cringe and writhe in pain.

You were no Superman. You needed medical attention, and soon.

But first, you have a witch to deal with.

"You're not—"

"And don't even think of trying to talk to anypony about this. I have... 'Friends', in high places. It would be an unwise decision, and make for an unpleasant outcome."

She opens the door and steps outside.

"I'll see you in Detrot."

With that, she walks outside, and, quite literally, disappears.

Detrot?

That was your next stop on the CSO train.

Chapter 9

You clench your gut.

You need to head to the hospital, no doubt.

But you can't cast any suspicion. Not yet.

Not until you've thought all of this through.

You tripped, fell, and landed on... Something.

Now isn't the time for intricate details.

You hobble out of the room, and make your way to your own.

You swing the door open, and...

Welp, it looks like you've walked in on some sort if heated argument.

Octavia and Cadance are glaring at each other, their voices elevated.

However, they both come to a dead hault upon seeing you hobble into the room, your arm on your gut and blood coming out of your mouth.

"Anonymous?!"

"By the stars!"

They both rush over to you, and check you over to see what's wrong.

"Anon?! What happened?! Did someone kick you?!"

"Sweet Celestia, you need to go to the hospital!"

They talk at the same time, and you can barely make out their words between the confusion and the pain.

"Fell... Landed on somethin'... I need to go to the hospital. Fast," you say, barely able to grunt the sentences out.

Suddenly, you're swooped off of your feet.

You land on Octavia's firm back, and she immediately kicks open the door and starts galloping.

Cadance follows close behind, using her magic to keep you safe on Octavia's back.

Soon, they find their way out the door, and they wave over a chariot.

Fuck, this hurts.

With every movement, your guts churn, and you want to puke.

But you're afraid of doing so — you might just lose your stomach.

Soon, a chariot finds its way to you.

Octavia loads you in the back, and Cadance hops in the front.

"316 Multrod Lane. Take us to Dr. Aperta Cuore. With haste," she says to the cab driver, handing him a sack of bits.

Almost instantly, you take off at incredible speeds.

Thankfully chariot traffic wasn't too bad — most everyone walked around here, and seldom was there a crash.

But chariots were bumpy as hell, and your guts didn't like it in the slightest.

Cadance turns to face you, grabbing your attention.

"I'm taking you to the royal doctor. Well, the de facto royal doctor, that is She's an immigrant from Itailia. Best doctor I've ever seen in my time, and she has some of the most advanced equipment Equestria has to offer."

You're a little enlightened, and feel a little more confident.

But it still hurts like hell.

"Th-Thanks... I didn't know I merited this much of a rescue... Heh..."

"You deserve it, Anonymous. And don't worry about the bill. I'll tell Aunt Celestia what happened."

You nod, and rest your head back.

Please, for the love of everything that is pony, let this chariot ride end...

Finally, you get a godsend.

You arrive, and Octavia hauls you out of the chariot and into the ER.

Cadance follows, and trots up to the desk.

"We need to see Dr. Aperta Cuore, as soon as possible. We have a very important human on our hands that could be bleeding internally."

A dark brown mare with a dark blue mane looks up at Cadance.

"Understood. I'll contact her. She just got done casting a filly — I'll let her know you're coming back."

"Down the hall, to the left," she says, nodding.

"Thank you," Cadance says, motioning for Octavia to follow.

You're dragged along to the back, and after what seems like an eternity of resting on that hard back, you make your way into the ER.

A stallion with casts on all 4 of his legs manages to hobble out like a penguin on your way in, and the violet-coated doctor looks at your little trio with astonishment, her horn glowing to clean off the mess on her operating table.

"Princess Cadance!" she says, looking both excited, happy, and... Shocked, upon seeing you.

"Oh, mios dio," she says, looking at you. "Vhat is it now?"

Her accent.

It's adorable.

"We've had an accident," Cadance says, gesturing to you. "He's... Slipped. He may have ruptured something. I'm not certain — I'm not a doctor."

By now, the doctor had lit up her horn and placed you on the operating table.

"Ugh. A shame ve have to meet under such dire circumstances. But, I suppose now isn't ze time to catch up."

All this time, she was getting ready, and soon, she turns to you.

"You are a... Human, sí?"

"Th-That's.... That's right... Ugh..."

You clasp at your gut, trying not to groan in pain.

"Mr. Anonymous. A pleasure to finally see you in person, rather zhen in ze newspapers," she mutters, grabbing a few tools and moving right back to you.

Cadance and Octavia stand by, watching as the doctor does her work.

The doctor goes along, doing a series of tests, most of which involving that freezing cold stethoscope against your belly.

She said she was only making a fair assumption that human anatomy was similar to that of a pony's, since she had nothing else to go by.

And, after some time, she made some conclusions.

"3 broken ribs, a stomach ulcer, possibly a ruptured spleen, and vone hell of a bruise," she says, looking at you.

"It's probably vise to get your spleen removed and ze mess cleaned up, just in case."

"Oh... Yikes? How long will that take? 'Cause we have—"

"Oh, apologies. I didn't mean vhat I said as a suggestion. I'm going to knock you out or you might die."

Well, that's certainly one way to put it.

"Uhm... O-Okay..."

"I'm fairly certain I'll be able to find out vhat is vhat. I've had more than a few dissections in my day, Mr. Anonymous."

She looks at Cadance for a moment, and then back at you.

"I'm... Fairly confident I can help."

That sounded like a bit of a fabrication, but you'll take what you can get.

"O-Okay... Will it hurt?"

"Vhen you vake up."

Christ this doctor was blunt.

"Uh... Okay..."

"Now, sit back, relax, and I'll set up ze IV. Princess, and... Octavia?"

The doctor blinks.

"Hmm. Vell, you can vait in ze vaiting room vhile I vork."

Cadance lets out a light sigh.

"Any guess as to how long this will take?"

The doctor thinks for a moment, and then looks back at Cadance.

"Three hours. It's fairly simple, by my standards, but I'm on a foreign field."

Cadance nods. "Understood. Thank you so much. And we're so sorry to trouble you with this mess."

"Any time, Princess. Buonasera," she says as the two walk out the door.

And, before you know it, you're hooked up to an IV with little instruments monitoring your everything.

You see the doctor grab a small vial of... stuff... From the fridge.

She hooks it up to the IV, and immediately, you feel a weight on your chest.

Suddenly, you wake up.

What the hell?

Did the drugs not work?

You don't think they did.

You only passed out for no longer than a moment.

"Oooh, but I'm not finished! You vouldn't believe vhat happened next!"

That was the doctor, all right.

Even though your head was a bit laggy.

"It turns out ze bleeding vas caused by a gas bubble ze size of a grapefruit! He — He tried to—"

Before the doctor can finish her sentence, she bursts out laughing, grabbing her sides.

"Vhen he finally pushed it out, ve had to quarantine ze operating room, it vas so bad! Dust -- EVERYVHERE!"

You hear Cadance burst out laughing at the horrible story, and she continues.

"And he got that way because of?"

"Indeed! His friend's vaccum!"

Holy shit that sounded scary.

You cringe a little, and you groan.

The two torn to you, their ears perked.

"Hmm! Look who finally came to," the doctor says, trotting over to you.

"Excellent news. I vas able to remove your spleen and fix you up! But, bad news!"

Wait, why did she sound so excited?

"You're missing one kidney, your appendix, part of your liver, and a lot of blood. They needed to be removed because of damage."

A feeling tells you this is bullshit, but you don't object.

"Don't expect to do anything more strenuous than a valk for some time. No running, no heavy lifting, no dancing, no... Erm..."

"I guess you vouldn't have that problem, since you aren't... Egh. You get ze point."

"And keep drama to a minimum. Anything stressful at all isn't going to help. Please, be vary. You could hemmorhage if it's too strenuous, and I'll be Celestia knows how far away."

Might as well write your last will and testament now.

You sigh a little, and grunt at the pain in your gut.

At least it wasn't as bad as before...

"Th-Thanks, doc." you say, sitting up.

She helps you up, and nods.

"Mmmhmm. Anything you need.Now, you should be set to leave. Just hop in a vheelchair and I'll steer you out."

Cadance interrupts. "We need to go with haste. Our train departs for Detrot in forty-five minutes."

You sigh internally.

"Well, we'd best get going."

With the help of the doctor, you step out of bed and into the wheelchair she brought out.

After a short roll through the hospital and out the door, you meet Octavia outside and wave goodbye to the doctor after you get off of your wheelchair.

Cadance wastes no time finding another chariot while Octavia catches up with you.

"Anonymous, are you going to be okay?" she asks, a hoof prodding your thigh.

You look down at her.

"I'll live. I think."

It's really depressing how that's an honest answer.

She frowns, and looks up at you with arched eyebrows.

"How bad is it?"

You sigh.

"She took out a bunch of shit, and now I can't do anything for a month. Nothing strenuous."

She looks down at the ground for a moment, until a chariot comes rolling around the corner.

You all turn and hop inside, albeit with some difficulty.

Chapter 10

After the long, bumpy chariot ride, you find your way to the train station.

"Cab 12-E is where we're headed," she says. "Follow me. I've been here more than a couple of times. I know my way around."

You and Cadance don't object, and stick to her tail.

The walk is mostly in silence, without much of a peep from anyone in the group.

Soon, you find your way around the train station and to your cab after what seemed to be an eternity with your aching gut.

Scouting out your train and your cab, your trio hops on board.

Suddenly, something comes to mind.

"Octavia?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Where's your cello?"

"..."

"...Did you not hear what I said earlier?"

"Nope."

"It's not with me. I managed to contact a stallion I know to pick it up from the hotel room after we left. It's on the train with him."

She thinks a moment, tapping her chin. "...He's only a few cars down. He has most of our stuff, too, spare the stuff we have on hoof."

Phew.

"Oh, good. 'Cause, I was wondering..."

"Well, there's nothing to worry about now, spare your injuries and incapabilities."

And the ridiculous blackmailing you're about to be put through...

"O-Okay. Thanks, Tavi."

"Mmhmm."

With that, she plops down on the bed, letting out a deep breath.

"Are you both ready for a 16 hour train ride?"

You grumble.

"Noooo..."

Cadance sighs.

"I suppose..."

Nobody's excited for this train ride, it seems.

"Well, on the bright side..."

Both you and Cadance look at Octavia, eyebrows raised.

"I managed to get ahold of a tour guide. He's willing to show us around the city, and take us to a few places of interest. We'll have plenty of time on our hooves, and I'm sure you would both want to do something."

You half shrug.

"Sounds like fun. I hear there are a few cool things in Detrot."

"I've never been," Cadance says. "I have hardly any clue what to expect, too."

Octavia smiles.

"Good. Then this should be a great experience for you both. It's a lovely city, so long as you stay away from the slums."

With that, Octavia curls up into a ball and pulls the blankets over her.

"I'm going back to sleep."

Only now do you realize what time it is.

After this morning, the bucking, and the hospital, it's only around 3 o'clock.

But, oddly, you're tired as hell.

It must have been the drugs.

Or the missing organs.

Or the blood loss.

Or a mix of all of these.

Christ, you were a mess.

With that, you plop down on the bed beside Octavia.

"Do you mind?"

"Not at all."

She smiles lightly, and closes her eyes, curling up.

After about a half an hour passes, you hear light snoring coming from her adorable grey snout.

You rest on your back, looking up above you.

And you hope to high hell Cadance isn't getting green-eyed again.

The memories come flooding back.

Even though you know she didn't mean anything, and that she couldn't help it, the memories were still terrifying.

The screaming, the pounding...

And those green eyes...

You can feel your heart racing, and it hurts.

Aperta wasn't kidding.

You take a deep breath, and try to calm down.

Suddenly, you feel a pair of legs wrap around you.

They're calming, soothing...

And you settle down soon enough.

But, a moment later, you realize they aren't Octavia's.

They're pink.

"You okay, Anon?" she asks, looking at you.

She had crawled into bed with the two of you, and you were now the meat of a mare sandwich in bed.

Not that you minded at all.

You look at Cadance, trying to wipe your mind.

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Just... This hurts."

"What does?"

"What do you think?"

"By the look in your eyes, I think I know it isn't your gut..."

She read you like a book.

"I'm so sorry, Anonymous. I still can't ever apologize enough for what I did."

"Cadance, please. Don't beat yourself up."

"But I do! I... I can tell it hurts, and I don't want it to hurt. You've been hurt enough."

She hugs you a little tighter.

It hurts a little, but you can manage.

"Just... Give it time, like I said. It'll clear up."

"You... You aren't afraid?"

"Of course not. I know what to do now."

She gulps, and chokes back some tears.

The afternoon sun shines through the window of the cab, and you can see Cadance's glossy purple eyes looking into yours.

There was so much remorse in them, it almost made you cry yourself.

"Th-Thank you, Anonymous..."

She smiles warmly, and gives you a peck on the lips before resting back.

"You're amazing. You're so brave, fearless."

You would smile back, and thank her.

But what she just said was nothing short of a lie.

In fact, just now, you felt a very, very sharp twinge of fear.

But not at what you would think.

It wasn't at the emerald eyes haunting your memories.

It wasn't the fear of death being so close.

Hell, it wasn't even the doubt that Cadance might not be Cadance.

Your fear was caused by a faint silhouette you caught a glimpse of right outside the mirror.

A silhouette you know would haunt you like a shadow for days to come.

Trixie...

You can feel your heart racing, and you grasp at your chest.

Holy shit, that's terrifying.

You see her trot along, right onto a car about 3 boxes ahead.

She knows.

How does she know?

You sit back, looking up.

Both Octavia and Cadance are cuddling you, by this point.

Octavia's forelegs are wrapped around your torso, and Cadance's around your neck.

And you are so warm and cozy, you almost don't even notice the tearing pain in your gut as they snuggle you.

This is probably as close to paradise as you're ever going to get.

Might as well make the best of it.

You try and forget your fears of Trixie, and try to think happier thoughts.

But you aren't successful.

"Shatter. Their. Hearts."

Those words echo in your mind.

You glance at Cadance, sweetly sleeping with a smile on her face, her head resting in your chest.

You look at Octavia, as well, who looks like she's in heaven.

You're not going to be able to do this...

It's impossible.

You can't do that to these two.

Because you...

Cut it short right there.

No harsh decisions today.

You let out an exasperated sigh, and look up.

One arm around each mare, you pull them in, relishing in the warmth.

Cadance nuzzles you, and Octavia lets out a pleasant hum.

Fucking hell, that was adorable.

And your dick is throbbing.

You can't do anything with these two because that doctor wanted your kidneys for 'science'?

Pff. You'd rather die than go without at this point.

You'd rub yourself, but...

Well, both of your arms are pinned under a mare.

And you're afraid to move them.

Great.

How're you going to get out of this mess?

You shuffle around uncomfortably, trying to adjust your boner.

It doesn't work at all.

Finally, you try to slide your arm out from under Octavia.

Slowly...

Carefully...

You're almost in the clear, and then suddenly Octavia pulls herself closer to you.

Her forelegs are wrapped around you, just above your waist, and her head was on your stomach.

Her mouth was dangerously close to little Junior...

Maybe you could convince her a little...

If you could move.

You groan, looking down.

It's so close, you can feel her warm breath on your belly.

She's breathing through her nose...

Maybe if you got your pants off, she'd smell you...

Fuck, how're you going to do this?

Suddenly, a lightbulb pops up.

You curl your foot back, and hook on the end of your pant leg with your toe.

Gently, you pull.

You can feel your belt line move.

Holy shit, this might actually work...

You keep at it, slowly tugging off your pants by dragging it with your toes.

It takes forever, and you slip a couple of times as your pants hook on your hip bones.

Your foot starts to ache, and your toes crack a couple of times...

But, finally, you manage to get your pants below your waist, and it's easy going from there.

You have them down at about your knees.

Good enough.

Now, for your boxers...

Great.

This is going to be difficult.

Your arms are still trapped, so you try to improvise.

You rub your rear roughly against the bed, and the elastic band slides down past your buttcheeks.

Thank god. Now, just one more time...

This would work well, if your dick wasn't an effective hook.

No matter how much you do, your dick stubbornly pulls your boxers back.

It was leading to its own demise...

You sigh.

And your sigh turns into a groan of pain, from both your chest and your dick.

Tonight was going to suck.

But, then, you hear a grumble.

It's Octavia, adjusting herself as she flicks one of her ears.

Her head slides farther south, over your belly button.

Her snout is practically touching your head at this point.

As she breathes out her nose, her warm breath tickles your crotch.

And you think you're about to explode.

You grunt again, your gut turning.

Octavia's ear flicks again.

"Mmmgh..."

Well, she's awake.

But evidently she hasn't opened her eyes.

How to get her attention...

With one swift motion, you raise your hips...

And boop Octavia on the nose.

She snarls a bit, and you see her open her eyes.

"Uhm, Anonymous? Is it morning already?"

You suppress a chuckle.

"The train hasn't even started moving yet. It's not close to morning."

"Ah, so you just have a 'problem'?"

Even when she spoke dirty, she still sounded like a professional.

"You could say that."

She looks up at you with one eye, and a sly smirk slides on her face.

"Well, Anonymous, I'd love to help out, but..."

She prods it a little, making it jiggle from side to side under your boxers.

"You know what the doctor said. Maybe it just needs to cool down a bit."

She pulls down your boxers and lets it just sit there, pulsing and waiting for attention.

She rests her head again, her snout torturing your dick with how close it is.

"Heheh..."

God damnit it's starting to sting.

"Please, Octy... Please help. It hurts like hell."

"No."

She's chuckles at your misfortune, taking in a deep breath.

"That smell... It's comforting. It makes me want to just close my eyes and fall asleep."

Oh, that BITCH.

"Please don't do this to me."

She giggles a little, inching closer.

"Fine, Maybe just a little."

You feel your dick press against her lips, and slowly, she takes your head in.

She doesn't go any further, though she's content with staying where she is, her lips wrapped around your head.

You feel her gently suckle on the tip, her tongue lulling around slowly.

Her eyes are closed, and it looks like she's almost asleep.

Slowly, her tongue creeps out of her mouth, wrapping around your length and lathering it in thick spit.

After such a torturous wait, it's so relieving.

You can feel your heart pounding already, and your breathing is unstable and uneven.

It even hurts a little to breathe.

You try to stay still, so as to not disturb the mare on your length.

Slowly, she slides her head down, your length grinding against her tongue and cheek.

Soon, she's balls deep, and you're prodding the back of her mouth.

Muzzles...

It's amazing how deep you can go.

You feel her slide back, her tongue flopping up and down.

She doesn't have much of an idea as to what she's doing, it seems...

But it's still hot, and it's still such a relief.

Slowly, she starts bobbing over the tip of your length, massaging it gently.

You wiggle your right arm free and gently pet Octavia as she goes.

She closes her eyes, and you feel her let out a light sigh.

She keeps going, and you let out a shaky breath.

However, your breath is soon stopped by a pair of lips meeting yours.

You return the kiss, closing your eyes and wrapping your other arm around--

Wait a second.

You can still feel Octavia around your shaft.

You take in a deep breath through your nose, smelling Cadance's candy mane as you lock lips.

You gently caress her mouth with your lips, and she's happy to do the same.

Soon, you can feel her tongue force its way into your mouth.

You kiss back the best you can, but you're no match for the princess of love.

Not only that, but you were distracted; Octavia started enjoying herself, it seems, as she started picking up the pace.

You rest your head back and take it, enjoying yourself in the ecstasy bath the two mares are putting you in.

Soon, Cadance pulls back from the kiss, and you gasp.

Evidently she had sucked all of the breath out of you.

Before you can open your eyes or get a breath in, you feel another pair of lips plop against your face.

However, these lips are a lot sweeter, and you have a nice view of Cadance's pink asshole right above your nose.

You waste no time getting to work, rubbing your tongue along those amazing folds.

A gasp comes from Cadance, and she shudders as she forces her plot onto your face.

Your nose is jammed into her asshole, and your mouth opens wide for the payload you're expecting.

Suddenly, a brisk, cold air hits your dick.

Octavia must have pulled off, you figure.

You keep going, but you're still disappointed.

Until you feel her hips rest on yours.

Then you're so excited, you rub your face violently into Cadance's nethers, and she helps and moans in pleasure.

Meanwhile, Octavia positions herself and wastes no time sliding herself onto you.

You hear her let out a low grunt as she bites her lip, looking down at your manly chest underneath Cadance's body.

They're both sitting down on you, and they're facing each other.

Although it's hard to see around Cadance's round, gorgeous cheeks, you can see her wrap a forearm around Octavia's neck and pull her close.

She doesn't object, and Cadance soon joins Octavia's steady rhythm as she bounces up and down on your shaft.

Suddenly, you feel Cadance pull back from the kiss, and her plot tenses up.

Her back arches, her legs stiffen, and next thing you know, juices are flowing all over your face and neck.

She lets out a groan of satisfaction, slouching over.

Octavia starts to slow down, pulling back to look at Cadance with half-lidded eyes.

Then, the princess falls over and flops down on the bed.

You look at her.

Octavia comes to a dead stop as well and looks at her.

Then, you look at each other.

You can tell by the look on her face that she agrees with you.

She's not getting away that easily.

Octavia pulls off of you, and gets off of the bed.

You sit up as well.

Your chest hurts like hell, but you don't care.

You have a job to do, and you're going to do it if it kills you.

Octavia looks at you.

"What should we do with her?

Chapter 11

She's idly rubbing her crotch with one hoof, the other propping her up on the bed.

You have your dick in hand, and you kneel down to whisper in Octavia's ear.

"Get on the bed. Slide her hind legs off so I can go to town on that plot."

"You? Handle her horn."

She nods, and climbs on the bed.

While she does this, she slides Cadance's plot off the side of the bed.

Her hind legs stretch out and stand on the floor, her chest on the bed.

She looks back at you with tired eyes.

"Wh-What're you?"

She's delirious.

She came so hard that last time, it knocked her out of the loop.

It must be the new addition, you figure.

You line yourself up, your dick dangling behind her haunches.

It gently prods her cheeks as you wait for Octavia to start.

Soon, Octavia sits down on her haunches, and lifts Cadance's head up.

She gives the horn an idle lick...

And you give one hell of a thrust into her marehood.

She's shoved forward with force, letting out a very loud gasp as her (thankfully) round-tipped horn is jammed into Octavia's mouth.

She shudders and moans indefinitely, pleasure coming from both her horn and her snatch.

You think Octavia's enjoying it just as much as Cadance is.

Her eyes are closed, and she has a look of absolute passion on her face as her tongue caresses her horn like a lollipop with every one of your thrusts.

You reach down and firmly grasp Cadance's plot, pulling it back with every smack.

Cadance is moaning and squeaking so much, you can't hear the squeaking of the bed as it shakes.

You can't even hear the train as the whistle blows, and you start moving down the road.

The only other things you can hear are Octavia gagging and choking on her horn as you shove Cadance forward with every thrust, and your balls and hips smacking against Cadance's rear as you do your work.

Your dick is hard as diamonds, and you never knew you had this much stamina.

You continue to nail Cadance, and you look up at Octavia and the horn.

It's glowing, at this point, and you know what's coming.

With that, you pick up the pace, and push with more violence as you go.

Her mane is a mess, and it bounces with every sharp smack as your hips collide.

Her tail tickles your legs as it grazes by, but you decide to fix that.

You pull it up and tug, forcing her plot onto your shaft.

With your other hand, you take two fingers and dig in her asshole, putting more pressure against your dick and her tender walls.

Suddenly, you hear Octavia horking up a mess and gagging.

Cadance was magiculating.

A sticky, glittery goo dribbles out of her mouth as she pulls away from the horn, licking her lips.

She pulled away just in time, too; as soon as she did, Cadance arches her back, and you can feel her juices spray all over your legs.

Her horn is still spurting the goo, showering Octavia in a magical-lustrous bath

With one last groan of ecstasy and fatigue, she plops down on the bed, sprawled out and melting in a puddle of pleasure and love.

Cadance curls into a ball soon after, shuddering and trying to catch her breath after that amazing bang.

Before you can do anything, you feel something tug at your shirt.

Octavia pulls you onto the bed, stripping you down in a heartbeat.

Your discarded pants and shirt lie on the floor, and Octavia rests on top of you.

Cadance's warm magiculate squishes between your chests.

Octavia wipes some up with her hoof, pulls back, and lets your cock slip past her waist.

It rests on your lower stomach right now, nudging your belly button as you rest flat on your back.

Octavia lathers the magical stuff onto your shaft, lubing you up.

She caresses your length with her hoof for a moment, looking down at you.

"You can't be working like this, with your issues... Let me do the work."

With that, she slides forward, taking your wet shaft into her holy ground.

She shudders and closes her eyes, plopping down on top of you.

Magiculate covers your chest, and your chests slide against eachother as Octavia slowly slides back and forth.

Octavia reaches down to grab your head as she goes, pulling you into a passionate kiss

You lose yourself into those magical lips, and place your hand behind your head.

The other reaches down, slowly and passionately caressing her plot and her mark.

She moans into your mouth, and you can feel her shudder as she pleasures herself on your dick.

You push your tongue forward to meet hers, and she responds by gently and tenderly pushing hers back.

Your tongues collide and massage each other, your hips moving slowly and full of love.

Her breathing is shaky, and she seems to be distracted

But she never loses her slow, amazing rhythm.

She's starting to tense up, now, and you know it won't be long.

She moans into your mouth once more before pulling back, her hot breath blowing against your cheeks.

She looks down at you with those half-lidded eyes, her violet oceans pull of lust, love, and passion.

Then, they close, she lets out a shudder, and her jaw drops.

You can feel warm liquids flowing down your legs as she slows down, enjoying the bliss and the shocks sent up her spine from your shaft.

You're so close, and you're burning...

But this mare can't take any more.

She rests on top of you, sliding back and forth at a snails pace.

She raises her head and looks into your eyes.

"You... You didn't..."

You open your eyes the best you can and nod.

With that, she slowly slides back, her wet chest gliding across your dick.

It tickles so much, and you're so close to blowing, it's purple.

As she slides past your shaft, she reaches down with her forehooves, slowly caressing and massaging your length.

It's so soft, so sweet, and so warm, you want to blow...

But it's not enough to get you over the edge.

"Anonymous," she says in a low, sultry voice as she looks down at you.

You look back up at her, letting out a shaky sigh.

"Th-There's... Something I want to hear..."

Her hooves are still torturing your cock, so close to the edge

There is no greater pain imaginable.

But you love it so much.

"I... I think..."

Her hoof glides around your tip, but, you're surprised that that's not what you're staring at.

It's her eyes.

You're staring into her beautiful, purple eyes...

They were timid and tender.

What she's doing is no longer out of lust, it seems.

Suddenly, she brings her other hoof forward, wraps it around your dick, and starts rubbing your shaft and head.

You cum in an instant, sending gushes of white cream all over her face and body.

She keeps gently rubbing it, even after you've finished.

She does so even as she lowers her messy chest onto yours, resting on top of you.

Finally, she lets it go, and it rests back on your stomach.

She reaches up to whisper in your ear.

"I think... I think I..."

She lingers there for a moment.

You know what she wants to say.

She's just too scared to say it.

You reach up and push her head back.

Her face is covered in cum, juices, and magical...

Stuff.

But she's still beautiful.

And it's stunning.

You put a finger on her lips, and you look into her eyes.

"...I love you too, hun."

Tears instantly come to her eyes, and she wraps her hooves around your head to pull you into another kiss.

There was still cum on her lips and magiculate in her mouth.

It was godawful.

But you didn't care.

You return the kiss gently, and pull back after a moment.

"I love you too," she says, resting her head on your shoulder.

She closes her eyes.

"G-Goodnight, 'Nonnie..."

You smile.

She had never called you Nonnie before.

"Good night, Tavi."

She lets out a deep breath on your chest, and soon, she's asleep.

You feel another warmth come up and press against your side.

It's Cadance, whom finally mustered the strength to crawl.

She doesn't say a word; the only noise she can make is a high-pitched squeak.

You must've fucked her brains out...

Even then, you know what to do.

You wrap your right arm around her, and your left around Octavia.

Cadance doesn't do anything else.

She's too wasted.

And so are you.

The three of you drift off into a slumber not even Thor's finest bolts could wake, relishing in each other's love.

Chapter 12

*Beep* *Beep* *Beep*

This was it.

This poor pony's life depended on you doing this.

On a moving, bumpy locomotive, at that.

It's a shame you accidentally cut your right arm off in a horrible wood chipper accident 5 minutes ago, but you could make due.

You didn't even feel it, and you'd only need one hand.

Not for the operation.

*Beep* *Beep* *Beep*

The pony, a violet unicorn that is oddly familiar, lies on the table, ribcage exposed.

That ribcage would have to go to get to her heart.

You grab the hammer with your left hand.

It's a little difficult to grab it, but you finally manage to clamp your hand on it like 'the claw' in those dumb arcade games.

*Beep* *Beep* *Beep*

With that, you rotate your arm back, and swing

You miss. The hammer hits her foreleg.

You swing again, landing on its mark.

A couple of ribs fly out.

She mutters something, but you can't hear it.

It's probably from the magiculate you injected inside.

Also, the hammer is orange now.

*Beep* *Beep* *Beep*

You swing again and again, beating out the ribcage.

You start grabbing the organs and tearing them out.

And then you scream.

Fuck your throat hurts.

FUCK THIS BURNS WITH THE POWER OF ODIN

MAKE IT STOP MAKE IT STOP

*BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP*

You wake up.

And you reach up to grab your throat.

There's something in there.

It's a fucking tube.

Before you can tear it out, you feel something pull your arm back.

"OoOoh, nononono," the familiar, accented voice says, trying to sound soothing.

"Take that out and you von't be able to breathe!"

What the fuck is happening?

"...whuh..."

Aperta sighs, and shakes her head.

"Dannazione, I told you. NO strenuous activities. Coitus is among those activities."

Your cheeks glow red.

"And, I'm afraid you're in no good condition at all. Your lungs are having qvite a few issues, and it's going to take some time for you to heal."

She turns away, trotting to grab some things in her room.

It's a lot smaller than you remember...

And there's something running in the background, making quite a racket.

Must be the X-Ray machine.

You look around.

"...Whuuuh... Wha... O-Och..."

She sighs, not bothering to look at you.

"Your 'partners' are on ze train. Don't vorry.

WAIT.

"...WHUUUH..."

She almost chuckles at your attempts at speech.

"Mmm, yes, you are as vell. Don't vorry. Cadance is paying me to come along in case something stupid happens."

"She really vants ze best for you, I hope you know."

A rather odd tone came on her voice—not one you'd expect from a doctor.

You're beginning to assume that this doctor is more than a doctor to Cadance.

But, then again, from what you've seen, this doctor isn't exactly the 'professional' type; she's more blunt than a worn billy club.

"But, I'm assuming you vant to know ze information you need to know?"

You really didn't.

You really, really didn't.

"...UuuUuh..."

"Good. I'll get started right avay. Ze good news is, ze chance of mortality is low—tventy-three percent, under typical conditions. You are not under any typical conditions."

You see her smile.

She really must take some pride in her work.

"However. You -vill- have some problems from here on out. None are permanent, spare some difficulty you may have vith your lungs. It von't be too hindering, thankfully, since you vere so lucky to be taken in so quickly."

Wait. How -were- you taken in?

"But, there vill be absolutely -no- strenuous activities No, no sex for you, Mr. 'Hot Monkey Dick'."

She chuckles and snorts, grabbing a vial from a cabinet.

"Merda... Anyvay, I've given it some thought. Since you seem to have... 'Unique' problems... I suppose there are a few things you could do. So long as you yourself are not doing any of ze vork."

She sighs, shakes her head, and brings the vial over to your IV.

She sets the vial up in the IV, and soon, you feel quite a bit more relaxed.

Must be a sedative.

"It took a lot of thinking, and a lot of painstaking vork. You can thank me later."

Wow.

This doctor has just reached bro-tier status.

"Can you talk? You should be able to. I didn't cut your tongue out, as tempting as it vas."

That sounded sincere.

A little fear in your mind, you try to talk.

"M-My throat... It hurts like hell..."

"And it vill, until your lungs are stable. Then I'll sew your throat back up and you'll be good as new. Almost."

You really wish she would give you some sort of confidence...

"But, until that time comes, you're here to stay."

With that, she promptly takes her leave.

Fucking hell.

You were stuck here.

Your waist was strapped to the bed too.

You just lie there, absolutely hopeless, until the door swings open.

In come Cadance and Octavia, one right after another.

They trot up on either side of the bed.

Cadance looks like she ran through traffic—her eyes were baggy, and it was clear she was too tired to even walk.

Octavia was tired as well, but not as much.

And you saw a part of her mane that was still a caked mess of cum, juice, and... Magic goo.

Which you would later learn is deemed 'magicum'.

Heh.

Her face was washed, but there were still a few 'hints' here and there.

That didn't matter, though. Her face was still beautiful.

"A-Anon?" Cadance says weakly, looking down at you.

Octavia reaches down to grab your hand. "Are you... Okay?"

You look up at her and nod weakly.

"I'll live. Most likely..."

She smiles.

"I'm glad... I don't know what I'd do if I lost you."

Your heart flutters a bit, and the quote merits an odd glare from Cadance.

You turn to her and raise an eyebrow.

She looked so weak, it's amazing she could stand.

"Anonymous?"

"Y-Yeah?"

"I don't think I've ever had better sex in my life... Not even with Shining."

"We make a great tag team," Octavia says, chuckling.

At this time, all three of you notice that the doctor had found her way back into the room, and her jaw was hanging.

All three of you stare at her, and she stares back.

"Erm... I didn't vant details, but... Good to know Mr. Anonymous is... Competent..."

That probably sounded -really- bad...

Cadance shakes her head.

"I hope I've told you about Shining, have I not?"

The doctor looks a bit confused. "How he's aiding Twilight with the castle?"

"No. How he's..."

The doctor's eyebrows arch. "Oooh, no. He's not with...?"

"I'm almost certain he is."

Chapter 13

There's a brief silence, and you can almost feel a bit of tension in the air.

"Merda sacra, mi dispiace. Do you know who he is vith?"

"Oooh, I have a few leads, but I'd rather not say anything..."

She nods. "Very vell. I'll... Leave you be. You've already heard my explanation."

"And I'll be sure to offer your payment when it's ready. How long did you say it would be?"

"At least a month, if not a bit more."

"Understood. Thank you."

With that, the doctor takes her leave again.

Octavia turns to you.

"I thought when you were coughing up blood, you were a goner. I rushed you over to Aperta straight off."

You think a moment.

This doesn't make any sense.

Weren't you moving WHILE you were fucking?

How did she get the doctor?

"Wait, how? Didn't we already leave by then?"

Octavia smiles. "We were. Guess who got invited to Detrot to enjoy the symphony, as thanks."

Well, that explains a lot.

"And now she's going to be on an extended tour, thanks to you being... You."

She shakes her head, and you scoff.

"Gee, thanks."

"I'm sorry, but I must give credit where it's due. You're almost as feral as the timberwolves in the Everfree, at points..."

You share a chuckle, and sigh.

"Well, she told you the news?"

"Yes, yes she did. I can't say I'm happy, but I can't complain much."

"Damn shame I can't do a repeat of last night..."

"I can agree on that," Cadance says, making her way back to the side of the bed.

"Same here," Octavia says.

"But," Cadance interjects, "I do believe it's time we've all had a... Talk."

Together."

Cadance looks at you, and then at Octavia.

"Even though I was in one hell of a haze after you two had your way with me, I did hear a few... Words."

You gulp, and so does Octavia.

"Mind explaining yourself a bit?" she asks, looking at Octavia.

Her eyes widen a bit as she looks back.

"I... I figure it's easy enough to explain, I... I've known dear Anonymous for quite some time, and--"

"Well, so have I," Cadance says, glaring back.

"I've no doubt," Octavia retorts, "but over the time I've known Anonymous, he's been so sweet to me -- he's been there to give me a hoof -- Erm, hand, when no other would."

"He's done the same for me, as well," Cadance mutters, a bit of a growl.

Octavia looks down at you.

"And I have feeling for him."

Cadance looks down as well.

"...So do I..."

There's a short silence in the air.

Said short silence feels like it's dragging on for a decade.

Finally, Octavia cuts the silence.

"Anon... I know what you said last night, but... How do you..."

She gulps, a lump in her throat.

"How do -you- truly feel?"

You pause a moment.

The eyes weigh down heavily on you as you think.

"...I..."

You gulp.

It hurts like hell, but you gulp.

"I... I just... Honestly, I..."

You take a deep breath, and let it out.

"I know what I said to you, Octavia," you say, tilting your head.

You turn to Cadance right after, and you see her eyes start to change hues.

"And I know what I said to you... And I think I've had enough time to think."

"And..?"

"...?"

"I love you, Octavia. And I love you too, Cadance."

There's a long, dry pause.

They both look at you, and you can tell their minds are racing.

"I can't decide. I don't know how I'd do without either of you, at this point."

"I feel the same way, about you," Octavia mutters, under her breath.

"As do I," Cadance retorts.

"Do... Do you think that that's...?"

Cadance lets out a sigh...

"...I... I have no objections," she says softly. "I understand... I understand well, after..."

The tone of the conversation turns from tender to tender and depressing in a moment.

"I understand, too," Octavia says, looking down. "...I've had similar issues..."

This was new.

You and Cadance both turn to face her, bewildered.

"...I... I haven't been entirely straightforward, Anonymous. Yes, I was with the spa twins, but--"

"Th-The spa twins?" Cadance says, some surprise on her face.

"Yes, Lotus and Aloe," Octavia responds, a light smile on her face. "However, those two are only... 'Friends with benefits', as one would put. I did have a little endeavor not too long ago with another mare."

You blink.

She... She wanted me. But I wanted to try to be with you, Anonymous. I had to choose, and it was a heart-wrenching decision; I truly did love her, but she would be so jealous and inharmonious with another, it wouldn't work. That, and I was debating whether polygamy was a viable option even without that fact."

You look at her.

"...Who was it, sweetie?"

She sighs, looking down at her chest. "I'd rather not say, not only out of respect for her, but for my own reputation among you two. I've no doubt you would think lowly of me. Nobody I know has high opinions of her, spare some ignorant children."

You sigh.

But you respect it.

"I understand," you say, scratching her chin gently.

"So, is... Is it settled, then?" Octavia asks, looking between you two?"

"I think it is, so long as you understand one thing, Octavia."

She looks at Cadance as she speaks.

"And what is that?"

"You and I? We're not lovers. We're friends, and we have sex with Anonymous," she says, some red coming to her cheeks, "but we are not a couple."

"Like a broken triangle?"

"Sort of," Cadance says affirmatively.

"I understand," Octavia responds. "...But you are one hay of a kisser."

She chuckles. "Years of experience, darling."

You both smile, and have a nice, warm-feeling moment together.

It was a very sweet way to end what could have been a very bitter conversation.

"Regardless. 'Nonny, I think it's best we let you heal up. Don't want to get you going again," Cadance says, starting for the door.

Octavia follows, nodding in agreement.

"Get well soon, Anonymous," she says.

Soon the door closes shut, and you lie back.

This is going to be one sucky train ride...

Some time later, you wake up.

You can't breathe.

You gasp for air, but you can't.

Your air supply has been shut off.

The lights are out, and there are no windows.

You cannot see anything.

You gasp and flail for help, horrified.

In the process, you knock over your IV.

It makes quite a racket, but it pulls out all of the needles and tubes.

No sedative or blood pack for you, mate.

This is looking grim, and you can only hope to hell the doctor comes in.

You can hear the heart rate monitor beeping faster and faster as you struggle for air.

Your chest hurts so much.

No air.

You're going cold.

You reach up and do your last, desperate resort

With a hard yank, the tube tears out of your throat.

It hurts incredibly, you can feel blood running down your throat, and the feeling is terrifying,

but you can breathe.

You're going to live, so long as you can get attention soon.

As you get up, you feel a pressure on your arms.

Warm hooves.

Said pressure is applied to your legs as well.

Suddenly, there's a bright blue light in front of your face.

TRIXIE.

You would scream, but there's a giant hole in your throat impeding your ability to make noise.

All that comes out is a horrified gurgle.

"I thought I told you, you little bastard," she says, glaring down at you.

Your heart is racing.

You are in so much pain.

The fear is overwhelming.

At this point, you think you'd rather die.

"I -told- you what to do," she growls, glaring down at you with those beady eyes.

"And you didn't listen to me!"

Trixie's hoof swings down and smacks you across the face.

You take the smack, writhing in absolute hell and praying that the doctor comes back and sees this.

"You have one. Last. Chance. Tomorrow, Cadance has dinner reservations for the best pizza place in Detrot."

She glares, pushing her muzzle against your nose.

"ONE. LAST. CHANCE," she growls through clenched teeth.

With that, she jumps off of you, unplugging your monitors in the process.

The thing flatlines as she rushes out the door, and not a moment later the doctor comes in.

The lights flick on and you shield your eyes.

THE LIGHT. IT BURNS!

The doctor rushes over to you, absolutely bewildered.

"Dio dannazione! Che diavolo?!"

She immediately gets to work setting things back up.

"Anonymous! Are you ok--GAH! Where's the--?!"

She frantically searches for the tube that was torn out of your throat.

In a moment, she finds it, and jams it back into place, sending a shock of pain up your spine.

"I heard your heart rate go up, and I ran over! I figured you vere masturbating, like some other patients do at this time of night because of me, but there vas no reason to risk it! You had no other reason to--!"

"Explain this!"

You gurgle.

You can't speak easily, with all of the blood in your throat.

"Vhy is everything out of place?!"

"UUUUURK"

"URRKRRKRK"

"...Ugh... Nevermind... I'll ask you in the morning."

"How bad does it hurt?"

"UUUURGLGRLK"

"Vorse than death. Understood," she says, grabbing another vial of the magic blue stuff from the cabinet.

With surprising speed, you're hooked back up.

Everything is as it was before, albeit more painful.

"There. I take it you von'r have another outburst?"

"UURK"

You shake your head no.

"Good. Now, if you may pardon me, I'm going back to sleep. Don't pleasure yourself. It's bad for you."

With that, she closes the door.

You were almost murdered, and your lifesaver thinks you were fapping to her...

Fuck this life.

Chapter 14

The next morning rolls around.

You're still on board the train, and you will be for the next few hours at least.

And you're still in this damned bed...

Words cannot emphasize enough how much you hate this thing.

As you lie there, pitying yourself, you hear the door open.

It's Cadance.

"Good morning, Anonymous~" she coos, trotting towards the side of the bed.

You look up at her and smile the best you could.

Thankfully, she doesn't seem to notice the welt on your face.

If there is one, that is; you never got to look at a mirror.

"...Mornin', sunshine," you respond.

"Did you sleep okay?" she asks sweetly.

Hell no you fucking didn't.

"Yeah, it was okay, I guess."

"That's good to hear. Did we have any... Problems?"

You chuckle.

"Yeah, a little one..."

This time, it wasn't your dick, but you decide to keep that to yourself.

"Aww... I'm sorry, Anon. I hope it wasn't too bad."

She reaches down and gives you a peck on the lips, pulling back and smiling sweetly afterwards.

Her eyebrows raise and her eyes look into yours.

"I really hope you get better soon," she says, grabbing your hand.

You grip her hoof, and try your best to smile.

"So do I. It's going to be hard..."

"Well, it's always hard."

"Wait wha--"

A shit-eating grin slides on Cadance's face, and she starts to chuckle.

"Oh, damnit, Cadance..."

You both crack up into a little giggle fir for a moment, shaking your heads.

"I walked right into that one."

"Yes, yes you did. But I get it. It's not going to be easy to have to... Hold back."

She groans. "I don't like the sound of it any more than you do, trust me. What you did that one night was..."

She lets out a huff, raising her eyebrows raised. "...It was something else."

You chuckle lightly to yourself, nodding.

"It was. And you were -dead- when we were done with you."

"I know! I couldn't move my legs! I couldn't even talk, I was so..."

"You still remembered how to snuggle, though."

The next morning rolls around.

You're still on board the train, and you will be for the next few hours at least.

...And you're still in this damned bed...

Words cannot emphasize enough how much you hate this thing.

As you lie there, pitying yourself, you here the door open.

It's Cadance.

"Good morning, Anonymous~" she coos, trotting towards the side of the bed.

You look up at her and smile the best you could.

Thankfully, she doesn't seem to notice the welt on your face.

...If there is one, that is; you never got to look at a mirror.

"...Mornin', sunshine," you respond.

"Did you sleep okay?" she asks sweetly.

Hell no you fucking didn't.

"...Yeah, it was okay, I guess."

"That's good to hear. Did we have any... Problems?"

You chuckle.

"...Yeah, a little one..."

This time, it wasn't your dick, but you decide to keep that to yourself.

"Aww... I'm sorry, Anon. I hope it wasn't too bad."

She reaches down and gives you a peck on the lips, pulling back and smiling sweetly afterwards.

Her eyebrows raise and her eyes look into yours.

"...I really hope you get better soon," she says, grabbing your hand.

You grip her hoof, and try your best to smile.

"...So do I. It's going to be hard..."

"Well, it's always hard."

"...Wait wha--"

A shit-eating grin slides on Cadance's face, and she starts to chuckle.

"...Oh, damnit, Cadance..."

You both crack up into a little giggle fir for a moment, shaking your heads.

"You still remembered how to snuggle though..."

"...W-Well, you were warm, and I..."

"Heh..."

There's a brief pause, and you find yourself just staring at her.

How exactly you got in this position, you aren't certain.

You were in love with a princess, and she loved you back.

This must be every man's dream, especially since she had a bottomless wallet due to royalty...

Not to mention the other mare that was outstanding in everything she did.

Damn, you had it good.

For once, you feel truly happy with yourself.

You have it made, and you have everything you could ever want.

Spare the insane doctor and this damned bed you're on, you have no complaints.

But then there's Trixie...

She's going to tear all of this apart if you don't stop her.

But, you do have to think.

She seemed hell-bent on getting you to bend over backwards.

And the words she said were cryptic, and seemed to have implications.

'Took her away from her'? That sentence still confused the hell out of you.

You knew there was something missing something, but you couldn't put your finger on it just yet.

"Is something bothering you, hun?"

Cadance reaches down and grabs your chin, smiling.

You wonder how long you sat in silence letting your thoughts run...

"I'm fine, hun. I'm just thinking about stuff."

"...Like what?"

"You and Octavia, and this whole predicament I'm in..."

"And how I couldn't be happier."

"Sweet Celestia, you're a suck up..."

She reaches down and kisses you on the cheek.

"But I had better go grab Octy and tell her you're awake. Judging by the smell, I think she wants to see you."

She winks slyly as she turns to walk out the door.

Fuck Trixie.

Chapter 15

You have it made, and you're going to find a way to stop that weasel.

Soon, Octavia comes walking in, a large scroll of paper in her teeth.

"Goob mornungh, Non," she says, setting the scroll down on the counter.

"Mornin', Octy," you reply. "What's the... Thing, you got there?"

She smiles. "A map. It shows where we'll be going on tour. I'll wait until Cadance comes back to explain everything."

"But, I hope you like long plane-slash-train rides. You'll have quite a few."

"Oh joy..."

She chuckles.

"Anyway, that will be when Cadance gets back. But, for now, I hope you don't mind me just being with you."

You smile at her.

"Not at all, my love."

She giggles innocently.

As cheesy as that sounded, you can tell it made her heart flutter a bit.

"Good."

She trots over to the side of the bed, looking down at you.

She reaches down and sets her hoof on your hand.

"You know, sleeping wasn't as easy last night without you last night..."

"I know. It was pretty cold in here all night."

"It was the same in our cab, too... Cadance and I were both complaining until we decided to hop under the same blanket, but even then, it wasn't the same."

She looks down at the ground.

"Aw, I'm sorry, hun."

"When will you be able to get out of bed? Do you know?"

Suddenly, the other door on the cab swings open, and in steps a purple unicorn, adorned in white robes.

It's as if she was waiting for her queue...

"Vell!" she says, stepping inside. "He should be good to valk by ze end of ze train ride."

Octavia looks a little disappointed.

She wanted her private time, and the intruder was impeding her progress.

"Mmm. Good," she responds, looking at the doctor and hiding her irritation.

"When will he be good to go again?"

"As I said, it vill be about a month," she says, nodding as she trots over to grab another blue vial.

Thank god. Your throat was starting to burn again.

Quickly, she moves over and hooks the thing up.

"And, as much as Mr. Anonymous here enjoys my company," she says, a sly smirk on her face, "I don't believe it is a very good idea for him to be seeing me often. All he vill be able to handle for qvite some time is an increased heart rate, if even that. Do be careful."

After she's done with your drugs, she trots towards the door.

"Farevell!" she hollars, opening the door and slamming it behind her.

Finally.

After what felt like forever, you two were finally alone.

You look at Octavia.

"What was that last bit about?"

She seemed a little irritated, but you shake it off.

"Well, last night, I... My heart rate was up, because..."

Might as well stick to the story you've made.

"I was trying to deal with myself?"

Octavia raises her eyebrows and opens her mouth a little, as if to say 'ah'.

"And evidently she thought I was thinking of her.

"Hmmph."

Octavia looks at the door where Aperta left, and shakes her head. "...How uncouth."

"Don't worry, hun, I wasn't--"

"I know, I know."

"But who were you thinking of?"

You smirk.

"Who do you think?"

"Me?"

You nod, your smirk growing.

Just like your boner.

"And Cadance."

You see Octavia blush a little bit.

"Well, yes of—"

"We were together."

"Like we—"

"In bed."

Octavia's forehead starts to glisten a bit, and you can tell that her mind is running loose as her ears fold.

"Anonym—"

"Riding Cadance harder than a pair of cowboys."

Octavia reaches at her collar.

"Now, hun, I don't—"

"And we were loving it so much, you were—"

"Anon!"

"—moaning and groaning with enough lust to make Queen Chrysalis envious"

Octavia bites her lip, letting out a little moan.

"Anonymous?"

"Mmmhmmm~?"

"W-We need to go."

"Where?"

"To the cab"

"Wh—"

"To take care of something."

"But—"

"Now."

"I can't!"

"Now!"

"But!"

"Anon!"

"Octy!"

"GAAH! Stop!" she yells, ending your ping-pong exchange.

Funny. Ping and Pong were very attentive right now.

It WAS tempting as hell.

But you don't want to go through any of this again.

Your dick will get to live through this another day.

But not today.

"Octavia?"

"What?"

You sigh, looking up at her.

"Look, I'd love to help, but... I -really- don't want to wind up on this bed again.

Octavia sighs.

"Y-You're right, I... I shouldn't."

"Later?"

"Why can't we do it here?"

You look at her with a condescending look.

"Well, do you want to have a spectator or two?"

She thinks for a moment, and then looks down at your crotch.

".Uuuugh... Why..."

It hurts to see her like this.

"Later. After I've walked around a bit, and can actually move. Until then? Let's just... Try to keep ourselves together."

She looks down.

Her hind legs are quivering, too.

You gently place your hand on her cheek, and make her face you.

"Okay? Can you?"

"I-I will, but it's going to hurt a little..."

"You're tough. You can push through it."

She smiles.

"Okay... I suppose..."

"But walking out in public like this is going to be a bad idea."

Suddenly, an idea comes to mind.

An odd idea, but an idea nontheless.

"Why don't you get Candy to help you?"

Octavia blinks.

"Uhm... Excuse me?"

"Well, I can't help you," you say, chuckling, "but I think Candy would be willing to lend you a han--... Er, hoof, on my behalf."

"Or, maybe a tongue. Whichever she decides she wants to use."

You smile to yourself as you see Octavia starting to fluster.

"B-But, Anonymous, she already made it clear that--"

"--you weren't a romantic couple. You don't need to be romantic to lick each other," you say bluntly.

"Besides, you didn't have much of a problem kissing her last night."

She scrunches her nose.

You have her cornered.

"W-Well, that's different! It was just in the heat of the moment, and--"

"Just go ask her to help you. She will."

A beat passes, and you look at her again.

"And, if she doesn't, tell her she's going to be in the same spot your in."

Octavia scrunches again, and sighs.

"...F-Fine..."

"Sorry I couldn't help, hun. You know I would."

She nods, trotting towards the door.

"O-Okay..."

With that, the door closes behind her.

If only you were in there to watch...

Octavia closes the door behind her, stepping into the next cab.

She makes her way past that cab, and the next, and the next, until finally she makes it to the cab her and Cadance are sleeping in.

Cadance looks at Octavia as she walks in, a bit concerned.

She was lying down on her back, legs sprawled out

"That was rather fast," she says, looking up. "Was Mr. Anonymous not up-to-par with his stamina today?"

"Not at all," Octavia says. "He's not going to be able to do anything until he's out of that bed."

"Hmm. Shame."

Cadance rests her head again, looking up.

"H-He, erm, told me t-to tell you something, though."

Camdance raises an eyebrow, but doesn't lift her head or open her eyes.

"Oh? And what's that?"

"That you have to help me..."

The awkward silence in the room lingers for a moment, until Cadance finally breaks it.

"Oh, I 'have' to? Really now? Is he forcing it upon me? Pfft..."

"Uhm, yes, actually," Octavia responds, plopping down on her own bed.

"Really?" Cadance scoffs a bit. "And if I don't?"

"He said if you didn't, you're going to wind up in the same position I'm in."

"

Fuck..."

"L-Look, I really don't think you should—"

"—Egh. Quiet. Just come here," Cadance says, waving her friend over.

"Uhm, I sincerely think you should reconsider—"

"Come here. I'd rather deal with you and your... Problem, than deal with an upset Anonymous AND a raging crotch."

Octavia, defeated, moves over to the bed Cadance is in.

"O-Okay, so... How're we going to...?"

"I was thinking sixty-nine."

"Erm... Okay. Do you want me to..?"

"You kinda have to, if you want to have your problem dealt with, sweetheart..."

Octavia gulps.

"Okay..."

With that, she stands on all fours, her plot hovering above Cadance's head.

Cadance lies there, looking up.

A drop of Octavia's juices falls down, and lands in Cadance's eye.

"Ow! Ow, damnit, ow! That burns!" she screams, covering her eye.

"What does?"

"Your leaking! Augh! I got it in my eye!"

"Oh, uhm... I'm sorry, I–"

"Nevermind! Are we going to do this or what?"

"Uh, do you still want t-"

"Just fucking lower your hips already, damnit..."

Octavia bites her lip, and Cadance sighs.

"O-Okay..."

With that, she slowly lets her hips rest on Cadance's muzzle.

Cadance, although disinterested, has no intent on selling Octavia short.

She gets right to work, lapping away at Octavia's puffy problem.

Her tongue slides in and out along her walls, juice flowing out like a thick fountain.

Octavia lets out a low moan, and looks down at the bed.

Normally, she would be more forward, and dominant...

But Cadance was a princess.

She had no idea what to do.

Was she impressive enough?

Was she worthy?

Was she even a—

"Well?!"

Cadance suddenly pulled out, and looked up at Octavia.

The earth pony looks back, a little surprised.

"Huh? What?"

"Aren't you going to... Return the favor?"

The thought had hardly phased her.

"Oh, uhm... Of course."

With that, Octavia lowers her head.

Cadance was...

Well, not nearly as bad as Octavia.

It was questionable whether or not she was even turned on, at this point.

But, Octavia does as told, and reaches down with her tongue.

She's very timid about it, and doesn't do much spare lick the surface and fiddle with her folds.

Cadance, meanwhile, is going to town—she wants this done and over with.

Between moans and groans, Octavia keeps on gently and idly licking.

Some wetness was coming to, but not nearly as much as there normally is.

Suddenly, Octavia feels Cadance pull out.

"Come on. Octavia, I know you can do better than that," she says, looking down with a condescending look.

Octavia looks back.

"Uh..."

"Seriously, Octavia. I've seen you with Anonymous before. What's gotten into you?"

"You have?"

Cadance would facehoof if her hooves weren't grasping Octavia's cheeks.

"Ugh, nevermind..."

She goes back to licking, and so does Octavia.

Octavia, however, does her best to do better than before.

She pushes forward, suddenly jamming her muzzle inside of Cadance's lips.

She gasps and squirms a bit under Octavia, pulling back.

After a few quick breaths, she looks down.

"Th-That's better."

They both go back to licking, and Cadance's pastures start to glow more.

Octavia noticed she was licking up a lot of what tasted like sugar water as time went on.

Evidently Anonymous didn't lie when he deemed her 'Candy-ass'.

Although she has a bit of trouble keeping up with Cadance, she keeps going.

Meanwhile, Cadance was getting more and more into it as time progressed.

As Octavia finally succeeded in turning her on, she went worked more and more skillfully with her tongue, sliding it up and down those warm, tender walls.

She let out hot breaths onto Octavia's crotch and her nose idly poked at Octy's grey asshole as she lurched forward with her tongue, making her shudder on Cadance's muzzle.

Eventually, Cadance's eyes were closed, and she rested her head back, her hooves pulling the grey mare into her face with force.

Octavia, by this point, wasn't holding up too well; Cadance's tongue was working unbelievable magic, as always, and she didn't know how much longer she could keep up.

Their minds started to leave them as they drifted deeper and deeper into their lust.

Neither of them payed any mind to anything other than what was in front of them or inside of them; it had gone too far.

She eventually pulled back from Cadance's crotch, and started breathing heavily.

She lets out a short cry, trying to warn Cadance of what's coming.

The princess needed no more.

As soon as she heard Octavia start to moan, she gripped Octavia's cheeks, pulled hard, and jammed her muzzle inside.

Her tongue swirled around inside, enjoying the texture, until finally, she felt a wave wash onto her face.

She pulled back, hearing Octavia’s heavy breaths.

A single tendril of juices and drool connects Cadance’s lips and Octavia’s marehood for a moment, until finally it falls onto Cadance’s neck.

After she licks her lips, Cadance lets go of Octavia’s plot, and looks up at her.

"Th-There… You… You feel any better, now?”

Octavia takes a moment to catch her breath and wipe her mouth.

"I… I-I am…”

"Sveet Celestia, at this point, I don’t know vhat ze hell I expect of you three…”

Suddenly, it’s as if someone had shattered a window.

Cadance and Octavia both turn their attention to the third voice, startled.

Their faces could not possibly get any more red unless they were both on their periods.

(Which they don’t, because horses.)

The doctor looks at the two, wide-eyed.

"Uh… I… I valked in at ze wrong time, didn’t I?”

“…Uhm—“

"”Yes, yes you did.”

The silence is long, awkward, and tense, until finally the doctor reaches for the door handle.

"Erm, Anonymous told me to let you know that he is up and valking again, and he’ll be ready vhen ze train stops in a half an hour…”

There’s another silence.

A long, awkward silence.

"Erm, thank you,” Cadance says, nodding.

“Y-Yes, thanks…”

"I’m just going to… Go back… Now…”

”Yeah, that’d be best.”

“Y-Yes…”

And, with that, the doctor takes her leave.

"I think Anonymous just…”

"Y-Yes, he did…”

Chapter 16

Anonymous, after Octavia leaves.

You chuckle a bit at the poor mare, and shake your head.

“Damn. Wish I could watch.”

You idly lie there, twiddling your thumbs.

Nothing to do…

Nothing to read…

Fuck this was boring.

You try to preoccupy yourself by watching the hypnotic heart rate monitor, but it doesn’t help.

As if sent as a gift from Celestia, Aperta comes walking in.

”Ciao, Mr. Anonymous,” she says, strolling in.

You smile.

“Mornin’.”

”You ready to go under?”

Thank God, she’s finally going to— wait hold up

“Go under?”

”That’s correct,” she says, grabbing a blue vial and walking over to your IV.

You look up and gulp as she’s hooking it up.

But, suddenly, an idea comes to mind.

A very, very evil idea.

“Uh, do me a favor, after you’re done?”

”Yyyeeees?”

She looks at you, a wide smile on her face.

A little too wide for comfort, but you don’t press.

"Mind going in and telling Octy and Candy that I’m able to walk, when you’re done?”

She scratches her chin.

"Vell, you von’t be able to valk for a minute or tvo after you vake, but, I can tell them anyhow. Vhat for?”

You shrug.

“Mmm, just to comfort them a little. You know how touchy they both are.

She chuckles. “…Hmm, yes, I’m vell avare. Now, deep breath.”

You take a deep breath.

Or, you try, rather. You feel a weight on your chest as the sedative clicks into place and runs into your arm.

In an instant, you close your eyes, and the world fades to black.

What seems like a moment later, you wake up.

That godawful tube is out of your throat.

Thank Celestia.

Most of your hindrances are out, and the only thing left is your IV.

You sit up, still a little woozy.

You remember you told the doctor to talk to Cadance and Octy...

And, well, you remember that you expected her to see more than enough, but...

Did she get caught up in the mess?

It wouldn't surprise you, concerning Cadance.

But still, she should be back, you would think.

You can't help but wonder what exactly she saw.

And, as if on cue, the door to the cab swings open, revealing a wide-eyed violet pony.

You can't help it. You burst out laughing, clenching your sides and slapping a knee.

It hurts to laugh, but you don't care; the look on her face is hilarious.

"Y-You... Did you actually—HAAAHAHA!"

She keeps staring off into space, her jaw low.

"I could have gone a lifetime vithout trotting in on that."

She just keeps walking forward, her eyes distant.

And it's bloody hilarious.

You lie there, giggling like an idiot as she shuffles around in her cabinets.

Eventually, you manage to die down, catching your breath.

"Did you get an eyeful?"

"That's an understatement... Nnngh..."

You chuckle some more and shake your head.

"I'm sorry.

"No you aren't."

You smile wide.

She caught you red handed.

After your little giggle fit is over, you look at the doctor as she puts things away in what appears to be a big, wheeled suitcase the size of a pony.

Must be her to-go office, you figure.

Mare really takes her job seriously.

After an internal shrug, you get her attention.

"So am I gonna be able to walk?"

"Soon. I have to pull ze rest of ze needles out first," she responds, putting some of the last of her equipment in her bags.

Your curiosity gets the best of you.

"Why do you have to take all of that with you? What's wrong with a little vacation?"

She doesn't bother to look at you as she hastily packs up.

"I'm ze royal doctor," she says. "Vhat if Cadance gets injured?"

"Good point, but then who takes care of Celestia and Luna? And what about when Cadance is in the Crystal empire?"

"There is another doctor they can call in Canterlot as a backup, and I've already informed them all. There's also one in ze Crystal Empire for Shining and Cadance. Though, if vhat I heard is true, Shining might not get that luxury if he keeps doing vhat he's doing."

With a huff, she packs the last of her stuff in her bags and goes to take the IV.

You sigh a little.

"That's a damned shame, really. She doesn't deserve anything like that. But I am curious."

The doctor glances at you, her ears perked, as she takes out the needles and takes the IV.

"What about?"

You flinch a little as the needles are pulled, but you're a man, so it doesn't hurt.

Paying it no mind, you continue.

"Who's he with? I mean, honestly, giving up a princess? Cadance, especially..."

She lets out a pitiful huff, moving over to her bags.

"Think, Anonymous. He's a manly man. A military man. Cadance is as feminine as you can get, and vants nothing to do vith fighting."

That narrows it down a bit...

"But, who, exactly? I'm... Well, I'm new here."

"I know that. But, vone vord; Vonderbolts."

That makes a lot of sense, actually.

But at the same time it makes no sense.

"Spitfire? Seriously?"

"Mmm, not just her."

"Huh?"

"Soarin' and Shining have a lot more in common than Spitfire, but I know he and Spitfire have relations as vell..."

"But, I don't know details. I only put dots together vhen I read news. And they are very, very easy dots to put together."

You let out a huff.

"That's unbelievable," you say, shaking your head.

You stand up off the bed, and since the doctor doesn't object, you figure you're in the clear.

"Leaving Cadance after all of this time? Who would do that?"

"A stallion as low as Shining," she responds, finishing up with her packing and turning back to you.

"Damned shame. I'll be sure to—"

"And don't. Tell. Cadance," she says, half-glaring at you.

You're a little perplexed by that, and you raise an eyebrow.

"Why not?"

She sighs.

"Cadance isn't... Ze brightest of mares," she says, rolling her eyes.

"She DID tell you who vas filling in for her at ze Crystal Empire, right?"

"Nnnnope. Never told me."

"Hmm. Odd. Vell, if you read ze paper, you could find out."

"Who?"

She chuckles. "None other than ze mare bedding her husband."

Your jaw drops.

"As vell as her sidekicks, Fleetfoot and Soarin'. Oh, and ze Rainbow addition as vell. They're taking her place for her in her absence, as of recent."

Your jaw is almost touching the floor.

"That's ridiculous," you mutter, looking down at her.

"It is. But don't tell her; Celestia knows vhat could happen if she figures out vhat's truly happening," she says, trotting to grab her bags.

She hoists it on her back with her horn, and looks at you.

"She'll go crazy vith jealousy. And you don't vant to know vhat happens then."

You gulp, tugging at your collar.

You already do.

An idle thought of Trixie hovers past your mind, at the thought of the rape, but you knock it away.

"I have a feeling I don't want to."

"You don't," she says, trotting to the door.

"Come. Let's go talk to ze two before ze train stops. Hopefully they're done pleasuring eac hother by ze time ve arrive."

After a short walk, you both arrive in the cab.

Each mare is in a different bed, faces still red.

You suppress a chuckle, and carry on.

"Vell, you two, ze train is about to stop. Do you have your bags packed?"

They both nod, still incredibly embarrassed.

You grab what little stuff you have.

Just as you do, you hear the breaks squeal, and you hear the rumbling of the train slow.

You were here.

Finally.

After the longest train ride of your life, you're finally here.

Cadance is ready to go; she's packed nothing.

Octavia, however, looks frantic.

"Wh-Where's my cello?!"

Everyone holds their breath for a moment as she searches in a panic.

And then you burst out laughing.

The three almost glare at you, and you slow your little fit.

"Don't you remember, Octy?"

The bewildered and angered look on her face says 'no' in bold, red letters.

"Remember, we had to dart out of the hotel to get me to the hospital? You said you called some guy?"

"That's right."

There's a collective facehoof from everyone in the room.

Octavia smiles sheepishly, grabbing her small bag of toiletries and such before nodding.

With that, the lot of you go through the train and hop out, a blast of nice, semi-fresh air hitting your faces.

What more could you expect of Detrot...

The mares follow behind you in a short convoy.

The doctor clears her throat, and you all turn to look.

"I've rented a hotel room," she says quaintly, "in the same building you are all in. I shall go there. I'm certain you all have plans. Pizza, if I remember correctly," she says, nodding.

"I won't be accompanying you; I'd rather not impede on your private time."

"Many thanks," Cadance says. "I appreciate you coming with us. I hope the pay will be enough."

Aperta merely chuckles in response. "It's more than enough. Trust me."

After a glance and a rather suggestive smirk at you, the doctor gleefully trots off, soon lost in the hustle and bustle of the train station.

Octavia watches her as she prances off gaily.

"I can't believe you did that," she says, shaking her head. "Anonymous, I've half a mind to slap you."

"Me too," Cadance adds, turning to you.

"That was downright embarrassing," she says. "If we weren't in public, I'd smack you across the face."

You just chuckle, walking forward to find your way out of the train station.

"Totally worth it anyway."

You all finally shuffle your way out of the train station.

Stepping out into the streets, it's not different at all.

The sidewalks are hustling and bustling still, and you three still don't have any breathing room.

Canterlot was bad, but this place was a lot worse.

Cadance, being so tall, so pink, and so damned royal, sticks out like a sore thumb among the crowds of Detrot, meriting a few awed stares wherever you go.

People also tend to step out of the way for royalty.

The only people who don't are the homeless, who tend to do the exact opposite – jump in front of her and beg for coins.

They're ignored, as much as it bugs you.

However, Cadance isn't the one meriting half the stares.

You get at least thrice as many, being tall and... Bipedal.

You're unheard of, and you're pulled over multiple times by curious tourists, civilians, and even an ambitious little colt.

After ruffling his mane, you move on.

As you make your way past what appears to be some sort high-end mall, Octavia speaks up.

"We've... Three blocks to go. Then, we'll find ourselves at Don Rovente's Pizza, supposedly the best in the city, if not Equestria. I'm inclined to agree with the latter," she says, already licking her lips.

"Try to keep a somewhat low profile, however. I know with a princess, a monkey, and... You," she says, nodding at your legs, "it won't be easy, but please, don't make a scene. It might backfire, concerning some of the 'problems' Detrot has."

"Problems?"

"Impolite people," Cadance says bluntly. "Not -quite- as bad as other cities, but still. The only ones in Equestria that are worse are Manehattan, where there are a couple of bad 'cliques', and, Celestia forbid, Salt Lick City. Ugh..."

You decide not to press and move on.

"Thankfully, Equestria is almost -saintly- when it comes to crime," Cadance continues. "Go to the Griffin Kingdoms? The Hooviet Union? Or, even worse, Itailia? Better watch your saddle bags. ...Or, well, in your case, your pockets. And don't ever, ever turn your back on someone in a hoodie."

Oh, how peachy.

You knew you were stopping at all three of those places on your tour.

Well, you have to take the good with the bad, you suppose...

Eventually, the three of you make your way to the esteemed pizza place, and a door guard in a nice suit greets the three of you without so much as batting an eyelash at any of you.

Rather insulting and surprising, given the situation, but you don't say anything.

You three are escorted to a booth by a mint-colored mare that smells strongly of gin, and you take a seat in the luxurious booth.

Octavia sits next to you, and Cadance sits across from you.

Octavia grabs the only menu, and gives it a look over.

"Cadance, you and I will split something. Nonnie, I'll let you look at the Gryphon section of the menu," she says, looking over all of the options.

Cadance sits back, looking at Octavia. "Let me know when you see something you think we'll like. All I know is that I'm getting something nice to drink."

"As am I."

"Same here."

With all three of you agreeing to get something nice, you sit back.

Until your heart skips a beat.

You see a mare, at the bar.

A very light blue, bouncy mane, light blue coat, and an undeniably unique cutie mark.

Immediately, you slunch down, hoping to hell she doesn't find you.

Your hopes are shattered upon a sideways glance, and you catch her blue eyes glaring at you for a moment.

She smirks, lets out an evil little chuckle you can't hear, and turns back to the bar.

Chapter 17

It's not going to be easy to get out of this one...

You sink back into your seat, hiding your sweaty hands under the table covers.

Your face is red again.

God fucking damnit.

Cadance looks at you and sighs.

"Are we having 'problems' again, Anonymous?"

"U-Uh..."

"Because we can't have problems. Not here."

Octavia gives you a sideways glance.

"She's right, you know."

You want to scream, but you know you can't.

And, just now, you notice you have a boner.

Why the fuck do you have a boner?!

Cadance leans back, resting against the back of the chair.

You don't dare move, in fear of embarrassing yourself.

You can feel Trixie's glare on you...

No bathroom breaks, or else you know she'll kill you.

You just sit back and pray for it to end.

It has to end.

It has to end well.

It can't end.

Not like this...

There's always a happy ending, right?

Suddenly, Octavia slides the menu over to you.

"Take a look, Anonymous. I have to... Go to the mare's room."

Her tone was a bit off.

She quickly shuffles out of her seat, and walks away.

Right towards the bar.

You see her walk out of sight, towards the bathrooms.

And Trixie hops off of her stool to follow her.

You shit a couple of bricks, but you maintain your composure.

Cadance looks at you.

"Still need help with your problem?"

Yes.

YES YOU DID.

But you can't.

There are bigger problems at hand.

You lean in towards Cadance to whisper.

"Cadance?"

She sensed some panic in your voice, and raised an eyebrow.

"Huh?"

"We have a very, very big problem."

Her eyebrow raises another inch, and her eyes widen a bit.

"Explain?"

"There's someone... A mare... She's out to get us."

She gives you a skeptical look.

"Yeah, okay, Anonymous."

"No, you don't understand. There's a mare that wants to tear us apart, all three of us."

"What are you talking about?"

You shuffle around worriedly.

How do you explain this?

"Look, she's blackmailing me. She got ahold of my swe—uh, suit jacket, from the orchestra ha--"

"SHE WHAT?!"

Cadance, thankfully, did this in a whisper.

Although it was still loud.

"She got the jacket, as well as pictures of us in the Prench hotel—"

"You didn't close the blinds?!"

"No, none of us did! She caught pictures of you smacking me up, too! And someone else heard us, evidently."

Cadance's face is bright red and glistening with sweat.

"Wh-What?!"

"Yes, I know, it's very, very bad. She blackmailed me at the hotel after bucking me. That's why I was bleeding. I didn't actually—"

"THE BITCH HURT YOU?!"

You let out a short, exasperated sigh.

"Damnit, Cadance, just keep your head, we need to—"

"No! I won't stand for this! This is a conspiracy against the crown! This is blasphemy! This is madness! This is--"

"No! Dooon't!" you say, covering her mouth.

"You do that, and everyone from here to the Crystal Empire knows!"

By the look in her face and in her eyes, you think she just died a little inside.

She doesn't say anything, defeated.

It's depressing, and it kills you inside.

"Look. I know what she wants."

She looks up at you.

You think there are some tears in her eyes.

"She wants me to break your heart and leave you both."

Her jaw hits the table in shock.

"She what?! B-But, Anonymous, you can't—"

"And I won't! But, look, we just have to—"

Immediately, you shut your mouth.

You see them.

Trixie and Octavia both round the corner.

Trixie looks like a peacock, chest and chin high.

Sheesh, her ego was almost as big as her hat.

If she had it on, that is.

Octavia trots over to your table, glancing at you both and then at Trixie.

You and Cadance both put on a convincing 'cool face', and look up at Trixie with a smile.

Octavia smiles back, and nods.

"Cadance? Anon? This is... This is Trixie," she says, gesturing to the mare.

"She's a fan and a follower. We know each other... Rather well, actually."

She turns to Trixie. "Take a seat next to Cadance. I'll sit next to Anonymous."

Immediately, a very, very prideful smile shows on Trixie's muzzle.

"Trixie will. Sitting next to royalty; even Trixie must say, it's an honor."

With that, she plops her haunches down across from Octavia.

You wanted to kill your enemies before...

But now you're going to dine with them, it seems.

You sit in silence for a moment, until Octavia brings up some idle banter.

"So, Trixie," she says, gaining the attention of everyone at the table, "what brings you to Detrot? Another one of your shows, I assume?"

She shakes her head. "Trixie is here for pleasure, not for business. In fact, Trixie isn't doing her shows any longer; all of the crowds have been... Swept away, by not only a certain violet alicorn, but also by another popular circus act taking place in Ponyville..."

Ouch.

That was one hell of a gut shot to you.

Octavia gives you a forgiving glance, and turns back to Trixie.

"That truly is a shame. I did enjoy your spectacles. But, pray tell, what brings you here?"

She smiles and lets out a huff. "Actually, you do. Trixie plans to attend the CSO concert tomorrow afternoon."

"I'm flattered," Octavia says sincerely.

The two make smalltalk while you and Cadance sit back.

Cadance is, undoubtedly, disgusted by this mare; not a word has been said, and the look in her eye is easy to read.

Arrogance isn't flavorful, especially not with this one.

Eventually, the waiter comes by.

Cadance and Octavia order some sort of fruit pizza, you order a sausage pizza, and Trixie is content with nothing more than a blueberry muffin.

He takes his leave, and Trixie and Octavia continue their idle talk.

"So, Trixie," Octavia says, "where have you been recently? I haven't talked to you for some time."

"Yes, not since you left Trixie on the Potawney Ledge outside of Canterlot," she says, some scorn clear in her voice.

Octavia sighs.

"Don't be bitter, now. We've discussed this."

She remains quiet, but then speaks up after a moment.

"Trixie... Has been in Canterlot, living in her luxurious home with her two servants," she says.

Shit, really?

Did this mare make that much money from her shows?

"Oh, good. So I'd assume you're ready for retirement?"

"You could say so. Trixie has it all; money, a house, good food, anything she could ever want... Well, almost."

There's a short silence before Octavia continues.

"Well, that's excellent. Sounds like you're living the life."

"Indubitably."

After another short, awkward silence, you feel Octavia wrap a foreleg around you.

"This is, erm... Anonymous. He's my..."

You look down at her.

"Title?"

Fuck.

"...Boyfriend."

"Boyfriend," she says, smiling her best.

"Trixie is well aware," she deadpans.

Octavia lets out a little sigh. "Trixie, honestly. Don't be so bitter like this."

She snarls in response.

"Life is bitter like that. It's bitter, and scalding hot if you spill it on yourself. A lot like coffee."

That was surprisingly depressing.

And amazingly philosophical.

"Speaking of coffee, Trixie needs some. Waiter?"

She waves over the waiter and orders a cup of coffee.

After he hurries off, the room seems to go silent.

It's tense, and you can feel it...

"How rude of Trixie. This whole time, Trixie has bothered not to ask questions herself. Let's turn the conversation; Octavia? What have you been doing, as of late?"

Octavia looks up from the table. "Moving and performing with the CSO, making new friends in Ponyville... Other than that, not much."

"I have a feeling you're forgetting to mention something."

She nods. "Yes, and I've been getting to know both Anonymous and Princess Cadance better as well."

"Quite well, I presume?"

Octavia blinks.

"Uhm..."

"That is our private matter," Cadance interjects. "Please leave it be."

"Oh? I believe I have just as much to do with it as anyone else here," she says, half glaring at the Princess.

Cadance blinks at the rude interjection, and Octavia reaches over to touch Trixie's shoulder.

"Trixie, please, calm down—"

Immediately, Octavia's hoof is swatted off of her shoulder.

"Trixie, will do as she pleases," she retorts, glaring at Octavia.

You cover your face with your hand out of embarrassment, and you wait for their exchange to end.

"Please, Trixie, don't start a ruckus."

"A ruckus? A ruckus is a mere pebble compared to the giant boulder of issues Trixie is facing. You just seem to add on to the rockslide, as well, Octavia."

She glares at Octavia, snarling.

"Care to explain yourself, Miss -Philharmonic-?"

Her tone was so bitter and sharp you felt it stab at your heart.

You notice how much emphasis she put on her last name...

"P-Please, Trixie, just... Just calm down..."

"T-Trixie isn't going to calm down! Trixie c-couldn't believe! Couldn't believe this could happen to her!"

Cadance raises an eyebrow, and looks wearily at the two as they argue.

Octavia sighs and shakes her head, placing a hoof on her temple.

"Look, I'm certain it's not easy, Trixie, it's just that I—"

"You 'tried to do the right thing'. Yes, you did—for yourself! Did you ever think of Tri—..."

She gulps, and you see some tears come to her eyes.

"Did you ever think of me? Even once? Or did thoughts of Mister Anonymous's phallus cloud your mind more than any performance of mine ever could?"

Octavia took a shot to the heart at that one, and sits back.

Trixie leans in, glaring daggers.

"Y-You never thought of me, did you?! Do you even know what you've done to me?! I'm alone! I'm all alone in this forsaken world! And I-- I can't--! I can't do it!"

She snarls, choking back tears without much success.

As much as you despise this mare, it hurts to watch.

She looks down at the table, her head low for the first time you've seen.

"I'm a wreck... I-I'm a fake... I-I'm not living in my house anymore; I had to sell it to save myself! I-I live in th-the alleys! The gutters! I have to scrounge e-everything, a-and even then I barely get by!"

You gulp.

Octavia's eyes are glazed at this point, as well.

Trixie adapts a low, soft tone, quite the contrary to what she normally has.

"D-Do you have any idea what you've done?! What I've had to do?! I've resorted to everything for food. ...Y-Yes, everything..."

Octavia's gaze is set on her glass of water, distant and lost as she thinks.

Trixie, meanwhile, continues her rant.

"I... I couldn't go on. I just couldn't muster the strength or the courage to do anything without you. And... And that's... That's the hardest thing to do now, without... Without someone to lean on..."

Tears are dripping from her muzzle at this point, and her eyes are clenched shut.

"I... I needed you, Octavia... I needed you, and you just... You just dropped me on the cold, unforgiving sidewalk, like I was just some trash waiting to be swept away... And... I... I..."

She sniffles, and her head collapses onto the table.

She starts sobbing, and no matter how deep she stuffs her head into her forelegs, nothing muffles it well.

Octavia hops out of her seat to pat Trixie on the back, and for once, she isn't pushed away.

You sigh, and cover your face.

There's a lump in your throat, too.

You look at this poor mare, and wonder.

She tried to blackmail you.

She almost killed you, even.

Why do you feel so sorry for her?

Chapter 18

You see Octavia tearing up as well, and you take a deep breath to ease the tension on your gut.

Through heart-wrenching sobs, Trixie manages to choke out some sentences.

"I... I tried... I wanted you back... I couldn't... I just..."

You see your waiter coming.

In a moment, you slide out of your seat and address him.

You tell him your table would like some privacy, and you take the food from him.

After he leaves, you move the glasses out of the way and set the large platter down on the table.

You decide to keep quiet and let Octavia comfort Trixie.

Octavia talks in a low voice, patting Trixie on the back.

"I'm so sorry, Trixie, I... I just had to make a decision, and I..."

Trixie's head snaps up.

A decision?! I, I gave you ever-*sniff*-everything you'd ever wanted! I, I showed you! I showed you how much I loved you! I, I even—"

Trixie shoves Octavia out of the way and stands up out of the seat.

"I even gave you my hat and cape! I—I wanted you to... I wanted you to think of me... I wanted you to remember..."

"D-Do you? D-Do you even care anymore?! Or are you just so caught up with Anonymous that all of your worries melt away like butter?!"

It was Octavia's turn to bawl, it seems, and she covered her eyes with her hoof.

"Y-You're not the only one on this planet, Octavia.... Y-You've... You've hurt me... You've destroyed me!"

After another gasp of agony and tears from Trixie, she starts to walk out the door.

"I'll... I'll watch your performance tomorrow afternoon, Miss Lulamoon..."

The three of you stand there with low jaws as she marches out the door, a line of tears trailing her steps.

Trixie trots out the door, her sobbing and sniffling audible until the doors close behind her.

The three of you all stare at the doors in disbelief and in shock.

After a moment, Octavia starts trotting towards the door.

"...I-I have to go after her. E-... Excuse me," she says, taking her leave.

After the doors close behind Octavia, you and Cadance turn to each other, jaws still hinged.

"We should just... Leave them be," she says, sniffling a bit herself.

Understandably; it was painful to watch, even though you hate what that mare tried to do to you.

"Y-Yeah," you mutter, a lump in your throat. "Best not drag attention to ourselves..."

"As if all the sobbing hasn't brought enough..."

You sigh.

"I know, just... Let's just let them solve the issue themselves. I have a feeling that me being around won't help that much."

"Jealousy is one hell of a bitch..."

Cadance gulps.

And, just now, you realize what you said.

"Y-Yeah, I... I know..."

You both look down at the table, hanging your heads.

You yourself look down at your pizza, still warm and steaming.

Slowly, you reach forward to grab a slice.

The pizza was an inch-and-a-half thick, covered in sauce, and with plenty of sausages on top.

It looked delicious.

And Cadance looked a little repulsed.

Reluctantly, you lift the slice to your mouth, taking a bite.

Fresh, hot tomatoes, with gooey cheeze and crispy meat.

It smells and tastes better than any pizza you've ever had, no doubt.

And it's damned hot, too.

Even though it burns your tongue, you don't care; it tastes too good to let go.

You gulp it down and-

*PLOP*

A giant glob of tomato juice just fell out of your pizza onto your plate.

And it splattered all over.

You see Cadance flinch as some sauce lands on her snout and in her mane.

You got some on your clothes, as well.

"Damnit, Anonymous."

You set your slice down.

"Sorry, Candy. Stuff is messy."

You reach forward with one finger to wipe the sauce off of her nose.

She scrunches at you in irritation as you wipe it off and lick your finger.

Even though the mood was gloomy, you can't help but chuckle at her face as you suck on your finger.

She just shakes her head at you as she grabs a napkin to wipe out your mane.

"I can dress you up, but I can't take you anywhere, can I?" she says jokingly.

"You might have a point, -mom-."

She chuckles a little bit and shakes her head, trying hard to get all of the notorious tomato juice out of her mane.

"Please. With my influence on you, the last thing I am is a mother."

"Even though I'd like to be one, eventually."

She tends to her hair, and it looks like she's thinking.

Well, thankfully, due to biology, you two weren't going to be having any abominations together.

But, that brings just as much harm as it does good, you suppose.

You just decide to grab a fork and eat your pizza with that, rather than risking more of a mess.

Cadance keeps to herself as you eat, and the mood seems to shift.

You think about what happened just a minute ago.

Did she call Octavia 'Miss Lulamoon?'

Oh, boy, that's going to be one hell of an explanation later...

And Trixie...

You have a feeling this isn't going to end very well.

Not with Cadance, anyway.

She may be royalty, and she may be ancient,

But she's so... Naive, and immature at points.

It's surprising.

Then again, you were in for more than a few surprises when you signed up for this ride.

Two mares? All to yourself?

Hell, you had trouble getting one before.

You know what?

Fuck Trixie.

Fuck drama.

You're going to be happy, damn it.

You have more than you could ever want.

Right now, it's just going to be tough.

"...Erm, Anonymous? What are you staring at?"

And, you realize, just now, that as you were thinking, you were staring off into space.

'Into space' just happened to be Cadance's round plot.

You gulp.

"Oh, uh, I was just... Thinkin'."

Cadance tilts her head forward and looks at you.

"About what?"

No sense in telling a lie.

"Us."

That was a totally honest answer, but it sounded very, very bad.

"Really, now? Anonymous, in all honesty. Now is not the time."

Her serious tone hurts a bit.

"Not in public. Not after... That."

"Just save it for later."

You shrug.

"Uh, I didn't really have -that- on my mind, Candy."

But you were sure as hell going to take her up on that offer.

She raises an eyebrow.

"...Oh."

"Don't jump to conclusions."

She shrugs.

"Well, it's you Anonymous. It was a fair assumption.

"And you know what they say about assumptions."

She shakes her head and chuckles a little.

"Well, then what were you thinking about?"

"The whole situation we're in. How lucky we are, but how unlucky we are at the same time..."

She sighs. "...Yeah, I... I know..."

There's a short pause, and you take another bite of your pizza.

"Anonymous?"

You raise an eyebrow, warm pizza still in your mouth.

"I have a question, if you don't mind me asking."

You nod, gulping down your pizza.

"Go right ahead."

She looks down at the sofa, away from you.

"With Shining gone, I... It's not going to be easy. The castle is going to be lonely when I go back."

"I was wondering if you would be willing to stay with me. Octavia would be more than welcome to come with, as well, if she so desires."

Well, it certainly wasn't unexpected, but this was still a surprise.

You think a moment.

"I might. I'd have to talk to Tavi first and see what she thinks, though."

"I understand."

You both nod, and after a brief pause, you ask a question.

"What -is- going to happen to Shining, though?"

She doesn't bother to look up, and a devious look immediately slides back on her face.

"He'll be kicked out of the castle, sent back to Canterlot with whoever it is he's with now. ...Well, that's if he gets out of what I have planned for him."

You raise an eyebrow.

You were concerned for Shining, and what Cadance might due with her jealousy issues...

But you couldn't help but be curious, and even a little excited at the thought of what could be.

"Oh? And what do you have planned?"

She lets out a low chuckle.

"You'll see..."

Just as Cadance finishes talking, the doors swing open, revealing a sobbing Trixie and a grey pony comforting her.

The two make their way to the table, and they look at you.

"Anonymous, Cadance," Tavi says, glancing at you both, "it's likely for the best that we get going.

You raise an eyebrow at the two.

"Neither of you have eaten anything, though."

"We've lost our appetite. Apologies."

Trixie is still sobbing lightly, rubbing her eyes and sniffling here and there.

Cadance slides out her her seat and stands up.

So do you.

You take all of the pizzas, stack them on top of each other, and wave over a waiter asking for some boxes.

"There have been a couple of complaints, as well," Octavia continues. "That, and I don't like looking like this in public. Nor does Trixie."

You nod.

"All right, all right, I got it. So, what's the deal, then?"

"Trixie is going to go back to her hotel room, and we will go back to ours."

"Fair enough," Cadance says, nodding. "Are you two... Better?"

Octavia bites her lip.

"I'd rather not speak much of it, for now."

Cadance nods in understanding, and trots towards the door.

The waiter brings your box back, and you pack up your pizzas.

Octavia escorts Trixie out the door, and you follow close behind.

Cadance is a few paces ahead, separating herself from the rest of you for obvious reasons.

After you make it out the door and walk down a couple of blocks, Octavia gives Trixie one last pat on the back, and they part ways.

You follow Octavia, while Trixie heads south, down the street.

After you cross the street, you look down at where Trixie is.

She sticks out easily; her coat's colour is rather unique.

And, just as she passes an old pawn shop, the takes a left, trotting right into the alleyway.

Wait, wasn't she supposed to go back to her hotel room?

Now if what you saw earlier wasn't depressing, that sure as hell was.

You turn to follow Octavia, sighing.

She can't even afford a hotel room, meanwhile you're living the luxury life.

You're hit by guilt, even if this mare was a total bitch.

You had never felt what she did before, but you could about imagine how much it hurt, seeing someone pick others over you.

Especially in matters of the heart.

Finally, after another half of a block, you don't think you can stand it.

You poke Octavia on the shoulder, and she turns to face you.

"Y-Yes, Anon?" she says, still trotting.

You walk with her.

"Uh, Octy, I forgot my wallet back at the pizza place. I'm gonna run and grab it, okay?"

She gasps a little. "That isn't good. Want me to come with?"

You shake your head.

"No... Just go catch up with Cadance and calm her down; she needs to. Tell her I'll be at the hotel room soon."

Reluctantly, she nods, and keeps trotting.

"Erm... O-Okay, Anonymous. Stay safe. I don't really know what I would do without you."

A moment later, she's lost in the hustle of the morning crowd.

You sigh and turn around, making your way back to where you saw Trixie vanish in the alleyways.

As crazy and ridiculous as it seems, you keep going.

Yes, you know this mare tried to kill you and blackmail you.

Yes, you also know how pompous and ridiculous she is.

But you weren't about to let this happen, knowing you were to blame.

Had it not been for you, she would still be on her four hooves.

She might have still had a nice house.

She'd have someone to love, too.

The guilt, as misplaced as it may be, is heavy, and pushes you as you walk down the streets.

Chapter 19

You walk through the crowd, ignoring any stares you get.

Thankfully, nobody decides to pull you over or bug you.

After about a minute or two of walking, you pass the pawn shop, and peek down the alley.

It's very dark, even with the sun out.

You can hardly see anything.

But you can't stop here.

You keep pressing on, your eyes adjusting to the light.

It smells like mildew back here, alongside some rotting garbage, some smoke, and...

Some sort of cheap perfume.

It clashes with the other smells, and even gives you a bit of a headache as you walk.

The alley is damp, and you step in a couple of puddles as you walk.

You're sure not to step on any garbage, and steer away from any of the reeking garbage cans.

Eventually, you reach the back of the alley.

There's a bit of a plaza; the walls are farther apart, and there's more room for what would be garbage cans and dumpsters.

Were it not for the rather large box, tipped over against the wall.

It's fairly pristine, contrary to the worn down, filthy, and generally unsanitary norm in the alley.

It couldn't have been here long.

Suddenly, you hear some rustling.

You're fairly certain you know what it is, but you decide to check anyhow.

You walk over and kneel down next to the box, reaching down and lifting up one side with your finger.

You see some blue fur swish around as the air comes in.

Trixie.

She's on her side, facing away from you.

There's nothing under her; nothing but the cold, hard, filthy ground.

You lift the box and make quite a racket as you throw it to the side.

But Trixie doesn't turn to face you.

She otherwise doesn't react to you taking the roof off of her head.

She's too busy quietly sobbing to herself.

You let her sniffle and sob for a moment, unsure as to what do do.

But, after a beat passes, she opens her mouth, still choking down tears.

"G-Go away, I... I'll do it later, just... Just not now..."

Do what later?

"Trixie?"

Upon hearing her voice, her ears perk.

"Wh-... Wait, Anonymous?"

She turns to face you with those red, tear stained eyes.

Her jaw hangs open, and she looks confused, shocked, and depressed at the same time.

"Wh-What? Whadaya want? D-Did you come to-... To mock me? To laugh at me?"

She sniffs again, and you can see her floodgates break again as tears well.

You sigh.

"No, Trixie, I just..."

"Y-You just what?! Came to r-rub in the salt?! Haven't you done enough?!"

"No, I haven't."

Well, that stopped her dead in her tracks.

She looked utterly confused.

"Wh--?"

You sigh, and look down at her.

"I've yet to do anything, actually."

She keeps looking at you with a bewildered look as you dig around in one of your pockets.

You pull out your wallet, and take out 25 bits.

Roughly the equivalent of $100 USD.

You hold it out to her.

"Here. Take this. You need it more than I do."

"Wh-What?! Holy shit! Okay, Anonymous? Trixie doesn't do anal!"

Your palm hits your face, full force.

"No, Trixie. I'm not trying to buy you. I'm just giving this to you."

You hold it out again in front of her.

"You're just giving it to me? Wh-What's the catch? Are you gonna tell the cops I stole it or something?"

"No, Trixie, I'm not going to-"

"Oh, let me guess. It's fake?"

She grabs one coin and bites down on it.

Hard.

And, she immediately reels in pain.

She holds her teeth, and looks at the bit in her hoof.

"Trixie. There's no catch. No games. I just want you to have this, because..."

You look at the box a few feet to your left, and then down at the cold ground.

"You shouldn't be here."

After a long pause, she reaches forward and grabs the bits.

She jingles them around, looking at them with wonder.

"What..? I... I don't..."

"You don't what?"

"I don't understand."

She sits up on her haunches, holding the bag of bits with both of her forelegs.

You let out a little huff, amused.

"I had a feeling you wouldn't, to tell you the truth."

She just stares at the bits, her jaw low.

"What? This doesn't make any sense, though!"

"To you, it doesn't."

She looks at you with an absolutely quizzical look.

Your gut starts to churn, and your chest aches.

The stress must be getting to your heart again.

Hopefully you won't have to go under.

You look up at Trixie, tossing your own worries away.

Her mane is out of place, and half of it is caked in gunk that was on the ground.

Same goes with her coat, as well.

It's a grease mess; must be from the burgeria you passed by.

It looks horrible, it's gunky, and there's no way in hell that it's going to come out easily.

Yet Trixie didn't seem to care at all.

"Wh-?"

You let out a sigh.

You have some explaining to do.

"Look, Trixie. I know what you've done. I know you tried to blackmail me, and I know you sent me to the hospital. Twice."

She looks down at the ground, shame hitting her like a derailed freight train.

"But, I've thought about it. And, even then, you don't come close to deserving this."

Her head slowly rises, but her nose stays down, humiliated.

She looks at you with big, purple, sad eyes.

Even though your chest hurts even more now, you keep going.

"I could only imagine what it's like to have your life taken away from you. I know I pulled attention away from you with my arrival, and... Well, let's just say I've had more than a word with Snarkle about... Happenings."

Trixie smiles lightly at the petty insult, but soon goes back to being gloomy.

"I could only imagine what it's like to live like this. No home, no roof, hardly any food, and having to do... That..."

You look down at the ground, and so does Trixie.

You stare for a moment, letting out a sigh.

"But."

"That isn't even half of it. You loved someone, and they left you. Not only did they leave you, but they left you for someone else."

"I honestly don't know if I'd be able to live with myself if that ever happened to me."

She hangs her head and closes her eyes.

You can see her lip quivering.

"But you... You've had it rough. You've had your life, quite literally, taken away from you, in every way, shape, and form I know of. And I don't want to let that happen because of circumstance. Nobody deserves that -- not even the lowest of the low."

"L-Like me?"

You let that sink in, and you sigh.

"Just... Please. Try to do something. Don't just flop down and go to waste. I'm bringing you back to the hotel tonight, so you-"

"Wh-What?! With-?"

"Yes, yes, with my two beautiful mares. Well, three, actually."

"Three...?"

She looks down in the ground in confusion for a moment, until her lips slowly curl into a bittersweet smile.

She opens her eyes to look at you, and at this point, you're not sure if those tears are out of sadness or out of joy.

Probably both.

"Try to talk to Octavia. I'm sure she's a bit more open-minded now, when it comes to love, and I know I won't mind if you two are together. Just... Don't let yourself go."

Before Trixie absolutely bursts into tears, you get a greasy mane in your face and some forelegs tightly wrapped around your chest.

You fall back into the muck as Trixie tackle-hugs you, holding tight.

She's sobbing her eyes out, and you can feel her chest shake as she cries.

You return the hug, holding her close.

Trixie tries to talk as her muzzle is buried in your shoulder, but whatever she says is incomprehensible through all of the crying.

You just hug her, pet her back, and hold her tight, telling her it will be okay.

Her sobbing slowly calms down, and she just lies on your chest, hugging you tight and wiping her eyes on your shirt.

"It's going to be okay... Just stay strong..."

She sniffles.

"I-It's been so hard..."

You slowly and gently pet her back, trying to wipe some of the greasy gunk out of her fur.

"I know... And it will be. But, if I know you at all, you're going to get through it if it kills you."

You've managed to get most of the globs out.

There are still stains, but nothing is caked on any more.

After another minute of your quiet hug, Trixie pulls her head back to look at you.

"You're insane," she says, a smile on her face.

Her eyes are still glazed with tears, but she has joy showing on her face.

You smile back.

"I know."

She tilts her head to her right, and her eyes start to flutter shut.

She starts to lower her head, gently pressing her lips against yours.

You rest your head back on the ground as she kisses you, closing your eyes.

Trixie is sure to take her time, slowly gliding her warm, soft lips along yours.

You do the same in response, careful not to rush.

Gently, you suckle on her lower lips like a baby, inciting a short moan from her.

Soon, you feel Trixie's tongue slide through her lips, licking yours.

Her hoof slides from your shoulders to behind your head, pulling you in closer as her tongue slides into your mouth.

Her jaw lowers and her mouth opens slowly, her head turning instinctively.

You push back with your own tongue, but you are no match to the magic mare as she pins it down in your mouth.

She lets out a hot breath into your mouth, and soon after, pulls back.

Some drool dangles from her lips to yours, and she looks at you with half lidded eyes.

You stare up at her for a moment, in a haze.

After you recollect your thoughts, only one short phrase can come to mind.

"Holy shit..."

"Not bad..."

You both just lie there for a moment, lost in each other's eyes.

And, as you stare, you feel something.

This feeling, is... Oddly familiar...

But you can't quite put your finger on it.

Whatever it is, it's just as warm and welcoming as her tender lips.

A smile on your face, you pass the question off for later, and sit up, Trixie still in your arms.

"Come on. I'm pretty sure Cadance and Octavia don't appreciate me being gone like this. Let's go."

You stand up, still holding Trixie like a baby.

She doesn't object, and you start walking.

"Wait. They don't know you're?"

You chuckle a little.

"I told Tavi I forgot my wallet at the pizza place. I saw you walk into the alley, and I knew it couldn't be good. And I felt guilty. I felt I needed to help, to."

Trixie pauses for a moment.

"That... That's..."

"That's what?"

"Nobody has ever done anything like that for me before..."

Probably because nobody wanted to.

Or even cared.

Poor mare.

"Well, it's going to get better. Trust me.

With that, you step out of the alleyway and into the bustling streets of Detrot.

You step out onto the sidewalk, ponies shuffling around you as they gawk.

If you didn't get stares before, you sure as hell got them now.

Lord knows what these ponies are thinking as you walk with a filthy mare in your arms.

This probably looks very, very bad.

Especially since you just walked out of an ally.

Welp, they're free to assume on their own, there isn't much you can do, you suppose.

Chapter 20

"ANONYMOOOOUS!"

An absolutely gigantic, ear-busting scream comes from across the block.

You've heard that only once before.

That was the Royal Canterlot Voice...

The sidewalks of Detrot clear almost instantly as people rush out of the block and away from whatever the hell that screaming was.

Clearly, you see Cadance and Octavia, standing across the street.

Cadance glares at you, and gallops across.

Octavia follows close behind.

"What in Celestia's name are you doing?!" Cadance hollars, thankfully not in that ear-rending RCV.

Octavia just stays by Cadance's tail, not saying a word.

But she does look quite concerned, upon seeing the blue lump on your shoulder.

Said blue lump has turned her head to look at what the hell was happening, and stays quiet.

"I was doing something I felt needed to be done."

Cadance looks at Trixie, confused and angry as hell.

"You -what-? What do you mean, 'had to be done'?! She was perfectly fine going back to her hotel room!"

"What hotel room?!" you yell, making sure your point was sharp.

There was a short pause.

Octavia looked very deeply concerned.

But Cadance still looked angrier than Ire who spilled his beer.

"Who cares if she's not in a hotel? She's not our problem! She-"

"She is now," you say calmly, cutting Cadance off.

"I'm not about to let this happen, knowing both sides of the story. I know Octavia cares for this mare, and I don't want to see her sucking dicks in a dark, smelly, filthy alley just so she can have something to eat. I'm not going to just let that happen; I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy."

Cadance blinks.

She's not used to people standing up against her.

Her face softens.

"You have a good point, but still. Anonymous, you just left without us. You could have gotten lost. You could have gotten killed, or mugged, or..."

"Cadance, I'd rather that happen than let Trixie here rot away in a pile of mold, grease, and shit."

"Anonymous, please, calm down."

She's right.

You're getting a little hot headed.

You take a deep breath, and let it out.

Trixie is biting her lip, trying to keep quiet.

You notice Octavia hiding behind Cadance, hiding her face.

She's probably crying, or embarrassed as hell.

"Look. Don't do that again. In Detrot, that's very dangerous. If you do that in Roama, or Stalliongrad, or any other city where violence is an issue, you could get killed."

She lets out a little huff, unamused. ".And now, it looks like -three- mares are going to have to worry about that."

You sigh.

"And I'm sorry. I won't do it again."

She nods. "Very well then."

At least Cadance was a decent diplomat when the time came.

"Now, what are we going to do with this mare?"

"I'm sure there's room for a fourth on our tour. There are for beds in a train car, room for 4 on the hotel mattresses..."

"Just like that? You trust this mare just like that?"

Cadance gives you a half glare. "Honestly, Anonymous, I don't think-"

"-Wait!" Octavia objects, poking Cadance.

Cadance sighs, and starts to mutter.

"For the love of Celestia, can you bampots just let me finish my-"

"Cadance, I know it's hard to see, at first, but... Please. Let's give her a chance."

Cadance turns to face her.

"Octavia, I-"

"P-Please?"

She pauses, looking down.

"Y-You know how much she meant... W-Well, means to me..."

Cadance pauses for a moment, and then lets out a sigh.

"Meh, all right, I suppose I can... But I'll be on my hooftips."

With that, she turns, and starts trotting down the sidewalk.

"Come. We need to check in at the hotel and get the beds ready."

On the way to the hotel, you try your best to explain to Cadance your reasoning.

It still curls her metaphorical toes, but she agrees to let Trixie in, not only for Trixie herself, but for Octavia's sake.

Trixie and Octavia are quick to make amends, and neither of them will shut their mouths on the way home.

That, and you think the two of them made enough tears to fill the Antlertic Ocean.

Well, it's progress, at least.

With two depressed mares, a disgruntled queen, and a pair of dirty clothes, you arrive at the hotel.

The door to the hotel room swings open, and all four of you step inside.

You set Trixie down.

"Take a shower and wash that shit out... Yeck. It smells godawful, and looks even worse."

"Y-Yeah. Good idea."

With that, she trots off into the bathroom, leaving the three of you alone.

You strip down, putting your mucky clothes in a pile in the corner.

Cadance plops down on one mattress, and Octavia on the other.

This hotel wasn't nearly as good as the last.

The room was fairly small, there was a borderline ancient radio, the bathrooms looked like they were in a truck stop, and the coffee machine looks like it hasn't been cleaned for years.

You walk over and sit down on the bed Cadance is on.

It's surprisingly firm.

You question whether it's a matress or just a log underneath your ass, until you feel something nudge your side gently.

It's Cadance.

She slides her head under your right arm, resting it on your lap.

You scratch in between her ears, and she closes her eyes.

"Anonymous?"

Here comes the lecture.

"Yeah?"

"You make me wonder sometimes."

That was an odd remark.

Even though you didn't know what it meant, it hurt a little.

"Why's that?"

She huffs a little.

"If I took an implication or two, I'd say that the mare in the shower right now is the same one that tried to blackmail us. Is that right."

"Correctamundo."

"The same one that bucked you in the gut and sent you to the hospital?"

"That's her."

"The same one that almost took you away from me?"

You gulp.

"...That's right."

She looks up at you, a concerned look on her face.

"And you just let her in here like that? You just... Took her in?"

Only now do you find out how hard it is to explain yourself.

"W-Well, I told you, it's not just me, it's..."

"Yes, yes, it's Octavia, I know. You told me. And I understand."

"What I don't understand is the absolute faith you have."

You pause for a moment to think.

"I would never, ever, in the thousand years I've lived, trust someone that much, especially under circumstances like these. Much less do what you've done. And I can't help but question it."

There's a short pause, and you collect your thoughts.

"Well, I just know how weird love can be, for one thing. It makes you... Do things."

Cadance lets out a short chuckle.

"I know that better than anyone."

You chuckle a little yourself.

"I know that. And, from what I've heard about Trixie, that was just her way of trying to cope with the pain. If I do this, I have a feeling things will get better, not only for her, but for Octavia as well."

"I'm pretty sure she's a little more flexible in the love department, now, because of us."

You gently rub Cadance's soft, warm ear with your fingers as you speak.

She closes her eyes, and rests her head on its side.

"I'm still not so sure about this."

"Neither am I."

"I'll be keeping my eyes peeled. And, if she pulls something stupid even once, I'm not going to put up with it."

Looks like it's time to put said faith to the test.

You hear some rumbling from your right.

Octavia's shoving the second bed over, turning the two beds into one.

They come together with a thud, and Octavia jumps up on the bed next to Cadance.

She doesn't say anything, though, even though you're pretty sure she heard your whole conversation with Cadance.

You lie back, your right arm resting on Cadance.

You can see Octy snuggle up to Cadance, but she's pushed away.

The poor, rejected music pony stands up, walks around, and goes on your other side.

You wrap your left arm around her, holding her close.

She wraps her forelegs around your stomach, resting your head on your chest.

You rest your head on the pillow, nice and warm even without the blankets.

These two mares were enough.

You feel Cadance shuffle around a bit, and she moves up.

She slides herself up your side, stopping as her forelegs wrap around your neck.

Her head rests next to yours, and she licks your ear playfully.

You reel back a little, chuckling.

But she doesn't do anything else, closing her eyes.

"I have a concert in five hours."

Well, that got your attention.

It felt like nighttime, snuggled up to these mares.

But that makes sense.

You arrived early in the morning, went to eat...

Wow, today is going to be a long ass day.

"When do you need to be at the recital hall or whatever?"

"Four hours from now."

"When do we need to leave, then?"

"Three hours from now."

"I'll set the alarm," Cadance says, her horn lighting up as the alarm clock floats over.

She takes a foreleg off of your neck, sets the alarm quickly, and then puts it away before she slides right back to where she was.

Suddenly, you hear the door swing open.

You look up, noticing it was, thankfully, the bathroom door.

Trixie, now clean and dry, looks over at the snuggle fest taking place.

And it's fairly clear she wants in.

But, there's one problem.

Cadance doesn't like her, and there's no room on the side of Octavia.

So, she decides to go for an alternate plan.

You feel her step on the bed...

And she plops down between her legs.

Her chest rests on your crotch, and her head on your stomach.

She wraps her forelegs around your waist, getting comfortable and snuggling up to you.

Boner activate.

But, now is not the time.

Not with an angry Cadance and two tear-stained eyes.

Instead, you just raise one leg, resting it on top of Trixie's haunches and pulling her close.

She lets out a little hum, satisfied, and closes her eyes.

Thankfully, Cadance doesn't kick her or protest.

With that, you smile, rest your head back, and try to take a nap.

*lick*

Your ear is now very wet.

*Lick*

*Lick*

"...Cadance, what the fuck?"

*Lick*

*Lick*

She doesn't respond.

Her eyes are closed.

And one of her hind legs twitches.

She's asleep.

And she's licking you.

In her sleep.

*Lick*

Great. Now what?

You turn to face Cadance

*LIIIICK*

Her wet tongue slides up your face, getting slobber on your lips, nostrils, and cheeks.

She keeps licking away without a care in the world.

Might as well have some fun with this.

You open your mouth, and soon enough, she licks your face again.

You suck in like a vacuum, her tongue sliding in your mouth with a plop.

And it's stuck there, as much as Cadance struggles to move it.

You giggle at her misfortune, her tongue struggling to worm its way out of your mouth.

Eventually, the struggling stops.

And Cadance opens her eyes.

"Ononumuph? Whuh phu phuuk?"

She pulls her head back, and notices the spit all over your face.

"Seriously, what the hell?"

"I didn't know my face had peanut butter on it."

She raises an eyebrow. "I'm sorry, what?"

"You were licking my face. Like a dog."

Even though it's dark in the room, you can see a blush.

"What were you dreaming of?"

She pauses.

"Well, it wasn't peanut butter, I can tell you that..."

ZING!

Your boner, which had deflated after a moment of napping, instantly springs back to life.

"I really am a nympho, aren't I?"

"I'd say."

You hear a second voice come from down below.

"Ugh. Anonymous? I understand getting turned on, but this thing is going up and down every two seconds."

"That's what happens when you have a master at work, sweetheart," Cadance says, competition in her voice.

Here we go.

Chapter 21

"A master?" Trixie says, looking up. "Anything you can do, I can do better, Princess. Trixie is the best in the land."

This is going to get bad.

This is going to get very, very bad.

But you don't dare object.

They might just tear your dick off to prove who is better.

"Oooh, I think you would meet your maker when it comes to pleasuring a sta--... Erm, man," Cadance says, looking down.

"Are you so sure about that?" Trixie says, inching upwards.

Cadance sits hop, away from your side.

"I'm more than sure."

You feel your belt unbuckle.

"Uhm, ladies-"

"Then prove it!"

Your plea falls on deaf ears as Trixie practically tears off your pants.

"Wait, I never said you-"

"With pleasure!" Cadance says, cutting you off as she shoves Trixie to the side.

Trixie hits the floor with a plop. "H-Hey! Watch it!"

Cadance pulls down your boxers, and the cold air hits your crotch.

Trixie springs back up, shoving Cadance out of the way.

Meanwhile, Octavia looks down at the two heads floating around your crotch, dumbfounded.

"Erm, Anonymous? What's going on?" she asks, looking at you with an absolutely confused look.

"I have no fucking clue. I think they're arguing."

Meanwhile, the two mares down south are shoving each other out of the way just to sit between your legs.

"Aren't you going to do something?" Octavia says, watching the two in their quarrel.

"...Nope."

Octavia, sadly, decides she's merely a spectator in this competitive sport, and lies back, her head resting on your chest.

Finally, the two come to a solution.

They're both between your legs, one head on either side of your shaft.

They both raise their forelegs and race to grab your dick.

Trixie seems to be much more nimble than the Princess, and manages to grasp it and pull it away from her opponent.

It hurts a little, but you have a feeling they'd rip it off if you told them to stop.

"I'm going first!" she yells, shooting Cadance a glare.

Cadance snarls, and lowers her head.

Trixie wastes no time getting to work.

In one swift motion, you feel your shaft sink deep into her mouth.

She lets out a gag and a hork, hitting the hilt.

She took it in so suddenly, it sent a shock up your spine.

Instinctively, you thrust your hips forward, knocking Trixie's head back.

That doesn't stop her resolve, and she goes straight to bobbing her head up and down.

Meanwhile, you feel something lap at your asshole.

Cadance's tongue lathers your rim in spit, gently massaging it.

It was... Something else; something you had never felt before.

And, oddly, it felt amazing.

Your dick seemed to become more sensitive, as well; you could feel a greater rush coming from Trixie's movements.

Cadance's tongue drags up from your rim up to your sack, and gently sucks them in.

The gentle massage enhanced the experience even more, Trixie's swirling tongue working magic on your shaft.

You rest your head back.

This was too much.

You let out a groan that couldn't possibly be compared to anything on this planet, looking at the roof.

Octavia looks at you, then at Trixie, then at Cadance, and then back at you.

She didn't know whether to join in, or to just keep watching the spectacle.

She chose the latter, her head raised and her eyes wide.

Suddenly, you feel Trixie pull off, and Cadance pull back.

"Back off!" Cadance yells.

And, just like that, you see Cadance's head fall on yours.

It felt so good, it hurt a little.

God damn, Trixie may have been good, but there's no doubt Cadance knew what she was doing.

You take deep breaths, trying to keep yourself together.

With these deep breaths, your chest hurts.

It's not just aching like it was before; it really, really hurts.

Something's wrong.

You grasp at it, but you can't say anything.

Your brain has lost all of its blood; it's all being redirected to your dick.

You just hold still, hoping to ride out the storm.

Suddenly, your attention is pulled away from the pain in your chest.

A sudden, sharp pain jabs at your asshole.

You look down in a panic, and see Trixie's ears peek up between your legs as Cadance pampers your length with her tongue.

The next thing you know, the tilts her horn upwards.

Her horn presses against your prostate, and, as much as it hurts, it's amazing.

This, combined with Cadance's angelic work, is too much to bear.

You know you're about to explode, and it hasn't even been two minutes.

Just when you think you can't take anymore, you feel something shock up through your crotch.

It feels like an electric shock, at first, but soon, it turns into a smoother feeling.

Sort of like a vibration...

You look down, and your cock and the rest of your crotch is growing a bright blue.

That was it; you couldn't handle it anymore.

You thrust your hips forward, jamming your length into Cadance's mouth.

You arch your back and explode, collapsing soon after.

Your mind goes absolutely blank for a second, and you find it hard to think.

Or breathe.

As you catch your breath, you hear Cadance struggling.

She's coughing up a lung.

Through coughing fits, she tries to choke out sentences.

It doesn't work; she has a fork in her lung, and she's not able to make as much as a word.

Meanwhile, you feel Trixie pull her horn out of your ass with a *SCHLOOP*

After the initial shock of pain, you let out a sigh of relief.

But you still feel something inside of you...

It's... Warm.

And oddly comforting.

You look down at the two.

Cadance is on the floor, coughing into her hoof.

Trixie has some cum dribbled on her forehead, and some brown in the crevices of her horn.

A rag floats over to clean Trixie's mess up, and Cadance stands up.

The princess trots over to the sink to get some water.

Trixie wipes the crap off of her horn and the cum off of her head, and then looks at you.

You look down, and see some blue, sparkly, gooey stuff on the matress.

Well, that explains one thing.

"Well," Trixie starts, looking up at you. "Enjoy the show, honey?"

That wasn't to you.

That was to Octavia, it seems.

She just looks at Trixie, eyes wide.

There are no words for Octavia, it seems, as she just looks at Trixie with a low jaw.

She chuckles, turning back to you.

"Well, it seems our spectator enjoyed the spectacle. As always, it seems," she says, a prideful smile on her face.

"Magic isn't Trixie's only strongsuit."

Meanwhile, you hear Cadance's coughing calm down.

It hasn't stopped, but it wasn't nearly as bad as earlier.

She trots over, looking at the three of you.

"O-Okay, so di-*COUGH*... Did you thiii-*COUGH*... Oh Celestia..."

She finally makes it to the bed.

"What'd you thi-*COUGH*... Think? Who was better?"

"Do tell, Anonymous," Trixie says, looking at you.

You blink.

Cadance was better when it came to the basics, but...

Trixie just...

It still felt warm and cozy down there...

You look at the two.

You stare, jaw agape, wondering what to say.

"Do I really have to decide?"

"Yes!"

"Of course you do!"

You recoil at the sharpness of their tones, and nod.

"Okay, okay! Just... Gimme a second."

You grasp your chest.

"And, Cadance, phone the god damned doctor, my chest hurts like hell..."

Cadance nods, and goes for the shitty phone in the hotel room.

After a sigh, you...

Have no idea.

Cadance was a master of the tongue, and in more ways than one, but...

Trixie had a nasty left hook, so to speak.

After questioning your sexuality for a moment, you think you know what to say.

"Okay, bottom line? Cadance?"

She looks at you, dialing the phone.

"You know what you're doing with your mouth better than anyone I've ever known."

She smiles, looking at Trixie with a sly look.

Trixie huffs, and shoots her a glare in return.

"Hmmph!"

"But!"

They both perk their ears and turn their heads.

"Trixie? You know what you're doing all around."

It was Trixie's turn to act cocky, letting out a little hum and sticking her tongue out at Cadance.

Cadance scrunches her nose adorably, and glares.

"Pfft, so?! What does that mean, then?!"

Trixie looks at you.

"Yeah, who's better?"

The question was so childish it made you cringe a little.

But, you decide to answer.

"Apples and oranges."

"Huh?"

"What?"

"Apples and oranges. It's like trying to compare two entirely different things."

They both blink.

Trixie raises an eyebrow, one ear flopping down as she tilts her head.

"...Soooo?"

After a moment, you shrug.

"I guess it's a tie?"

"I mean, unless Octavia can pull something off more magnificent than that, I don't see how I can come to a conclusion here.'

It's clear neither of the two like that decision.

"Fine."

"Fine."

Cadance finally presses the call button, and the phone dials.

Trixie, meanwhile, steps on the bed.

"Scoot over a little. I wanna cuddle Octy."

You oblige, sliding over.

Octavia follows, staying to your side.

Once there's enough room, Trixie plops down, wrapping all four of her legs around Octavia like a headcrab.

And it's so adorable, it reminds you of your ridiculous chest pains.

Cadance, on the other side of the room, is speaking.

"...Mmm, yes? Doctor?"

"Yes, it's Cadance."

"Uhuh. Yep, it's Anon again."

"Yes, I did."

"Hey, it wasn't my fault!"

"Fine."

"618 Derby Lane."

"We're in the twelve story hotel."

"Room 331, on the third floor."

"Uhuh."

"I don't know if there's enough room for all of your stuff."

"Yeah, there's a... There's a bed."

"He's already in it with two other mares!"

"Celestia damnit, yes I know."

"H-Hey, shut up!"

"Fine. I'll..."

"Wait, fifteen minutes? Can't you get a cab?"

"Oh, that's right."

"Sorry."

"Well, I'll see you soon, then."

"Oh, and bring the map you said you found. Octy forgot it in your train car."

"Thanks!"

"Bye!"

*Click*

The three of you in the bed are having a little giggle fit over the conversation.

Celestia knows what assumptions you all made.

Chapter 23

Some time later, you finally make it to the recital hall.

Octavia tells you to get off as she reaches her entrance.

"Okay, so the concert will start in a little over an hour. You three find your seats while I warm up."

"Sure thing! See ya!"

"Farewell."

"Break a leg."

With that, the door slams shut, and the three of you start your walk to the front door.

"Anonymous?" Trixie asks.

"Yes?"

"Remember something for me, while we're in there."

You raise an eyebrow.

"Uh, yeah, sure.

"A word of advice?"

"Professionals don't make the same mistake twice."

"Low blow, Trixie."

Trixie gigglesnorts, and Cadance shoots both of you a glare.

"You deserved it..."

She's right, you know.

Shaking your head and patting Cadance on the back, you finally find your way to the front door.

You swing it open, step inside, and step into the main auditorium.

"Trixie wants front row seats," the mare says in her unmistakable third-person exposition.

The three of you, agreeing, make your way down towards the front rows.

It takes a bit of searching to find seats that don't say 'reserved', but you do.

Fifteen rows back.

You squat down and rest in the luxurious chairs of the auditorium.

Nice, soft, smooth, and a royal red.

You have a feeling you would be seeing a lot of chairs like these over the next few months.

Not that you mind.

You stretch out, cracking your back on the back of the chair.

"-AAaaahhh..."

"Getting comfy?" Cadance asks, sitting to your left.

"...Eeyup."

You look to your right at Trixie.

"You really do remind me of... Oh, what's his name? The red one, at Sweet Apple Acres? The mute?"

"Big Mac?"

Trixie smiles.

"'Eeyup'."

The three of you have a collective chuckle, and you shake your head.

Well, at least Trixie was lightening up a little.

Suddenly, you feel a nudge from your left.

"Yes, Candy?"

"Anon?"

"Yeah?"

"My neck is stiff."

"You want me to rub it?"

"Kinda."

You shrug.

"Sure. Just lean over."

She nods, and tilts over.

You grab her shoulders, and start working at her lower neck with your thumbs.

"Your hands are amazing, Anon," she says with a sigh of relief.

"Thank you~"

"So I've heard," Trixie says.

"Later. Not in public."

"You haven't had problems with it before," Trixie says, snickering.

"And, I've learned."

"You've learned quite a bit, I know!"

God damnit, you're getting flustered.

"Okay, that's another low blow, Trixie."

"I'm not the only one dealing blows~"

GOD DAMNIT.

The two mares giggle uncontrollably as you massage Cadance's neck.

And you can't help but chuckle yourself.

"Okay, that was a good one."

"She's damn right," Cadance says, relaxing back.

She was.

"Of course it was, and of course I am," she says, chuckling.

"I bet you got more than an eyeful that afternoon, didn't you?"

"Yes, yes I did."

After a pause, you look over.

"Didja like what you saw?"

She looks down for a moment before looking back up at you.

"It -was- quite the show, I must admit. It's been awhile since I've had a hornjob..."

You chuckle, assuming that was a hint.

"Not a chance, sweetheart."

Immediately, she scrunches, glaring at you.

"Wh-... Anonymous!"

Cadance laughs out loud, and you work your hands up her neck.

"Someone's jeaaaaloooous," the pink mare coos, closing her eyes.

Trixie tries to retort, but fails to find words to say as she sits back down in her seat.

"Anonymous?"

You turn to Trixie.

"What?"

"I'm taking you somewhere after this. We need to have a chat."

"A sexual chat?"

"Quite the contrary."

She looks fairly disgruntled, actually.

"I suppose."

"Can I come?" the princess asks, butting her head in.

Trixie sighs.

"I'd rather Anonymous and I be... Alone."

"Ah. One of those chats?"

"I'm certain it's not what you're expecting, but it's important nontheless."

Great.

"Uh, sure."

"Cadance?"

"Yes?"

"I hope you don't mind me bringing Mr. Anonymous home late. Don't worry, he'll be safe. I know my way around cities well."

Cadance sighs, and it's clear she wants to object...

"I don't think that's such a good idea."

Cadance turns to Trixie.

"Detrot isn't safe for someone as new as Anonymous."

"Then a guide by an experienced mare should be a good thing for him."

"Not when the mare in question is a - HMMMF!"

You cover her mouth before she says something she'll regret.

"Careful, Cadance," you say. "Don't start another one of those damned fights again. I don't know if my dick could handle it."

"HMMMF!"

"I'll go with Trixie. I am going. Just calm down. I'll be fine."

"Hmmf..."

"I'll bring you back some animal crackers."

"...!"

She takes your hand off of her mouth, and looks up at you.

"How the fu- How did you know those were my favorite?!"

"I just did?"

"Okay, you can go."

"But you had BETTER bring me back some animal crackers."

You take your hands off of her neck and chuckle.

"Sure thing."

"What?"

"What?"

"Why'd you stop?"

You pause for a moment.

"I thought I did it for long enough?"

"No, no! Keep going! It feels great!"

You decide to go on with it, rubbing her neck.

Immediately, she goes limp again, relaxing.

And you can almost feel Trixie's stare as you work on Cadance's neck.

Seems like someone really is jealous...

Chuckling to yourself, you keep going, and the auditorium gradually starts to fill.

As the auditorium starts to fill, you take your hands off of Cadance to avoid attention.

The three of you sit in relative silence for the rest of the wait.

Cadance looks relaxed, and has a light smile on her face.

Trixie, although a bit irate, seems content otherwise.

This lasts throughout the show, where they played the same songs they did last time.

They have the same effect on you as last time; as the music plays, you start to fall asleep.

As do the mares to your right and left.

And, thankfully (or sadly, depending on how you look on it), nothing relatively sexual happens, other than you holding one of Cadance's hooves for a couple of the songs.

You don't know if you want to hold Trixie's quite yet, however.

So, you let it be.

The last thing you want is an angry Trixie.

Some time later, you feel Cadance nudge you.

You let go of Cadance's hoof to reach up and rub your eyes.

You can hear people around you shuffling around.

The concert's over.

"Come on, Anon," Cadance says, motioning for you to get up. "Let's get going."

"Yes, let's," Trixie says, standing up and making her way out of the row. "We've things to discuss, Anonymous."

Grumbling a bit, you stand up, still groggy.

The blood rushes to your head, since you've been sitting down so long, but you manage to keep your balance.

You make your way out of the row, Cadance close behind.

As the three of you make your way to the door, Trixie turns to you.

"Cadance. Let Octavia know that Anonymous and I are going for a quick stroll. Don't worry; she knows what I have planned. She won't worry.

Cadance squints, skeptical and concerned, but nods.

"Very well. But, mark my words. If I find out anything bad has happened to Anonymous, you're going to take the blame. If there's so much as a hair missing off of his head..."

Trixie just rolls her eyes. "He's in safe hooves. Don't worry."

"And, even then, I doubt anyone would want to attack a mare that's rumored to fight dragons and Ursa minors, alongside a human at least thrice the size of even the huskiest stallions."

Cadance pauses for a beat, and then nods. "A good point, but still. I-"

"Yes, Trixie is -well- aware of how much you care for Anonymous," she says, cutting her off. "...I know how dear he is to my dear Octavia, as well, and how he's sticking his neck out just to save mine."

"I think it's safe to say it's in my best interests to protect him."

Cadance sighs.

"Very well then. But, my point still stands. Be cautious. And bring me back some animal crackers."

"Frosted!"

"Righto, Princess," you say, turning to open the door.

You let the two mares pass through before you go through yourself.

Cadance takes a right, and Trixie takes a left.

After a light, stressed sigh, you take a left, following Trixie.

You look up at the sky.

The sky is dark. It's sunset, and you can barely see Celestia's orange blip on the horizon.

How long -was- that concert?

"Good. Glad we're finally going to have some more private time to chit-chat."

You nod.

"So, what exactly is it you wanted to 'chit-chat' about?"

Trixie looks around, noting all of the nearby ponies leaving the auditorium.

And, suddenly, it dawns on her.

She's in public.

Instantly, she stands taller and prouder.

"Trixie would like to find a more... Private place to discuss things. A place without nearly as many bystanders. This isn't because it's going to be a 'shady' chat, mind you, but rather, an... an embarrasing one," she says, hushing her tone.

"Ah. I take it it has to do with the whole fiasco with Cadance and Octavia?"

"Partially."

You nod.

"Gotcha."

You look around, and, due to the gradual change in the quality, size, and style of the buildings...

"We must be headed downtown, then?"

"Correct."

"Why're we headed downtown?"

"You'll see."

The air gets worse as the buildings do.

It gets smoggier and damper.

The neon lights of various parlors and clubs shine on the streets brighter than the borderline ancient streetlights.

Everywhere you look, there's either a sexy-ISH mare on a street corner, a stallion in a suit smoking a fag, or a creepy guy in a duster jacket.

It was a bit unnerving...

But you can't help but feel a little excited.

As you walk past some open doors, you hear the click click of poker chips, and the satisfying -thud- of a mug of cider hitting the bar.

Looking down, you step over a puddle of sewage as you cross another street.

As you're looking down, you notice something.

Trixie is keeping her head lower than usual.

Trixie never holds her head low out in public.

But, now, it doesn't seem like it's because of low self esteem.

It's because she's on edge.

You have no idea what has her so riled up, but you decide that she has no idea what she's doing.

She's standing next to a human.

She's going to get some odd stares, no matter what.

But, you don't say anything.

After chuckling to yourself, you look forward.

A neon sign of what you could only assume was a stripper on a pole shined ahead.

You hear the plucking of a cranked up bass guitar ahead.

Must be some sort of club.

"Yes, that's where we're going," Trixie says, noticing what caught your attention.

She turns into an alleyway alongside of the building where the music is coming from.

"...Here? Why're we going in here?"

"We're going to meet up with an old friend," Trixie says.

She reaches for an old, rusty side door that was the back entrance.

After a futile tug, you both find out the door was locked.

"Damn it to the moon," she curses, looking down.

"Looks like we'll have to go through the front... Ugh."

She sighs, turning around and making her way to the front door again.

She turns to you slightly, stating her next few sentences very boldly to get her point across.

"Stay back away from the crowd. Stay against the wall. Don't make much noise."

"And, most importantly, don't get anyone's attention. That's the last thing you'll need."

"Wait, what?"

"You're about to see a 'mare's night out'. Even though I usually enjoy the show, I'm afraid I'm not here for pleasure this evening."

With that, she opens the door, and...

Chapter 24

The plucking of the base drum makes you jump at first.

Alongside the music, the noise of at least fifty or sixty screaming mares roars from the building.

Then, the smell of sweat, piss, beer, and marejuice hits your nose like a truck.

You almost yell as you recoil, but you stop yourself.

Trixie said she didn't want attention.

Which is damn near an impossible request, usually.

Until you see where the attention of everyone there IS.

You look forward, and onstage, you see six large, muscular stallions.

All of them are in police uniforms.

Well, were, rather.

They're stripping with the music, doing a dance routine.

And, even though you're not gay, it's still damned hot.

All the mares are whooping and hollering, throwing bits on stage.

Suddenly, a familiar mane catches your eye.

Was that-?!

The doctor! The crazy mare!

She's practically front and center, tossing bits up on stage!

You almost nearly burst into a fit of laughter, but then you feel something tug at your pants.

"Come on, Anonymous. We need to go around and get to the bathroom.

You don't look at her.

You're too busy getting an eyeful of the stallions in front of you, who are now in nothing but G-strings...

She tugs you along, and you follow.

But you don't take your eyes off of the show for an instant.

"Let it GOOOOOOOO~!"

*RRRRIP*

And, just like that, you get an eyefull of horsecock.

Right before Trixie pulls you into the bathroom and closes the door.

You stand there, dumbfounded for a moment.

"Sweet mother of Celestia, Anonymous. I didn't take you for the type..."

She's staring wide-eyed at the bulge that had formed...

Flustered, you adjust yourself.

"I-I'm not! I just saw that, and the smell, and I-"

"Anonymous."

You sigh.

"Whatever. I got a boner. Anyways. What'd you want to talk about? And why are you dragging me to a strip club?"

"Well, let's get what I wanted to talk about out of the way first," she says, a bit of snap in her voice.

She brushes her mane out of the way, and turns to lock the door.

"As you said earlier, yes, it is about... Us. And how I want to handle some things between the four of us."

You nod.

"Uh-huh."

"I've... Given it some thought. And I know what I need."

"And I know you probably aren't going to like it, but you'll understand."

You raise an eyebrow.

"Hm?"

Trixie sighs.

"Anonymous. What you did for me in the alley that night was..."

She pauses for a moment, looking down at the floor.

"I... I honestly can't bring words to describe it. It was a gift from the gods themselves."

She looks back up at you.

"I have a feeling I know how you feel for me, and you already know well how I feel for a certain mare you share feelings for."

"Yeah, yeah, Octavia."

She nods.

"It was a... Difficult decision, but I've made up my mind."

"Wait, decision over what?"

"Who I want the most."

There's a short pause, and she continues.

"Anonymous? As I said, I can never thank you enough for what you did, but, there's one thing that's very, very difficult to deny."

"Octavia, in the past, has done so much more for me, and my feelings are much stronger for her than they are for you."

You knew right where this was going.

"Sooo, that means...?"

She looks up at you, finally losing that stern, solid look, and instead showing a bit of gentleness in her gaze.

"You and I? We're not a romantic couple. I wish to remain loyal to Octavia, and Octavia alone."

There’s another pause.

You look down at her, confused.

And even a little bit hurt.

You get on one knee, reaching eye level.

"I… I get it. You want to stick with Octavia. I understand.”

After a light sigh, you continue.

“But, what exactly does this mean? Do you not want me to be with Octy anymore?”

She lets out a lighthearted chuckle.

"Don’t be silly, Anonymous. I’d never take you away from Octavia, even though you do steal her attention away from me. It would hurt her too much.”

You nod slowly.

But, something made you wonder.

“Wait. If you’re so worried about hurting her…”

You squint at her with angled brows, quizzical and interrogating.

“What was with that whole fiasco with the pictures, and the blackmail? You know damned well Octavia was in harm’s way if you went through with it.”

She nods.

"You’re one hundred percent correct, Anonymous.”

Okay, now that took you by surprise.

Those were the LAST words you expected to come out of her mouth.

“Wait, what?”

”I only realized what I was doing after you showed me in the alleyway. I’ve given it some thought.”

"And, a certain quote should sound fairly familiar.”

“And what’s that?”

”Professionals don’t make the same mistake twice.”

You smile genuinely.

Your words have really taught this mare a lesson, for the better.

A sense of pride wells up in you, and you let out a chuckle.

"As I said. I can’t thank you enough, Anonymous. You pulled the curtain away from my eyes. I was blind with… Anger. And jealousy.”

”You cleaned my slate in one foul swoop, and without so much of a care about what I'd done to you. I’ll never be able to repay that – especially since I was faced with this tough decision that tore my heart in two.”

”I hope you’ll forgive me.”

You pause, letting out a bittersweet sigh.

“I can’t object. Seeing how you’ve learned sure is one hell of a ‘payment’, if you ask me.”

She smiles.

"But. Before you jump to any conclusions..."

She holds up your chin, making you look at her.

"Us?"

”We’re still going to go at it in the bedroom. That’s what Octavia wants, and, as good as I am at lying, I don’t think I could get away with saying I don’t want it as well.”

She smiles slyly. "I have a feeling you won't object much either."

You shake your head no.

"Good."

"Now, an explanation as to why we're at a strip club?"

She lets out a cackle.

"Well, I'm sorry, Anonymous, but I don't have much time to explain myself."

"I have a show in ten minutes, and I have to get dressed."

With a very, very confident yet sexy and sly smirk, Trixie trots past you on her way out.

"I'm headed backstage to get dressed. Go ahead and take a seat in the back rows, next to the announcer. She's a familiar face, and a friendly one, as well. I'm sure you won't mind sitting next to her."

With that, she slides through the doorway, flicking her tail at you on her way out.

"Enjoy the show~"

Chapter 25

You blink.

She just flashed you.

No wonder she was stripping.

After you re-adjust your pants one last time, you slide through the door.

Looking around, you try to find the back rows.

Some ponies gawk at you.

One gasps in fear.

A little more than couple stare at your crotch.

But, you pay them no mind as you make your way back.

There's a small stairway leading up.

That must be where the announcer stays.

Following your fair assumption, you start climbing.

Soon, a purple coated unicorn comes into view.

Doctor Aperta Cuore turns to face you, a shit-eating grin spread across her face like a fresh coat of baby batter.

"Buonasera, Anonymous," she says, her voice low and rich with lust and anticipation.

Seeing a mare like her in this circumstance is...

Off setting.

It's not what you'd expect.

It doesn't feel quite right.

Then again, neither did the first time you boned a horse.

You learn to accept these things.

You look at the setup that Aperta has in the control booth.

In front of you was a large sound board panel, as well as a variety of other switches for lighting and such.

There were also a few empty glasses, bottles, a used condom, and a pair of rubber hoof coverings.

Eugh.

"Evenin', doc," you say, taking a seat next to her.

She chuckles darkly.

"How much did Trixie tell you?"

You have a feeling that, given the circumstances, not much.

"Well, she told me she was a stripper. Didn't say a damned thing about you, though."

She lets out a huff, leaning on her elbow as she turns to face you with that same look.

"Surprised, mio amico?"

"Juuuust a little," you say, leaning back. "I mean, I knew Trixie had gone places, but... You? I thought you were a-"

"And I am," she says, nodding.

"I take it Trixie didn't even tell you half ze story."

"Evidently not!"

She chuckles.

"Being a doctor is my day job. At night? ...Eeeh, I do a little... Vetvork, so to speak. Vet in more vays zan vone, might I add."

"Wetwork? ...Well, no shit - you got a thousand wet mares right in front of you."

She chuckles, tuning to look at the crowd. "...I've noticed. I suppose I'll tell you ze fine details later; Trixie says you're trustvorthy. I don't doubt it, after all I've seen."

How much did this mare know?

This is starting to concern you.

Before you can get any thought down, you're cut off by Aperta hollering into a microphone as she pushes down a button.

"Show's on in vone minute, Trixie! You ready?

"Of course Trixie is ready!" she responds, her voice coming through with godawful reception.

"Buono. Tell me vhen to shine ze spotlight, darling. Everything is ready in ze booth."

"Got it. Just... One last thing."

"Hmm?"

"Tell Anonymous to keep his bits in his pocket while I'm out there."

"I'm right here, you know."

"Oh, good! Well, trust me, I know how tempting it'll be to just throw money at me, but keep it. I'll get more than enough."

"You sound... Surprisingly confident."

"Nice to meet you, Anonymous. I'm the Great and Powerful Trixie. Now, sit back, trite, and watch the show. There's going to be a bit of a surprise."

Oh, great.

"Ten dollars says it's going to be a futa cock."

"VHAT?!"

*FWOOF*

And, through the curtain, steps Trixie, adorned in...

Bath robes.

And a cape.

And a hat.

Stars, sparkles, and glitter cover her attire.

Quite the display, even though everything is on.

It fits her tightly, showing off her curves...

Finally, she swaggers her way front and center on stage, standing on her hind legs.

"Hit it, doc!"

Aperta flips a switch, and the curtains behind Trixie fold away.

The band is revealed, and they start playing a slow, smooth, jazzy tune.

Trixie does a slow paced dance to the rhythm of the music, swaying her hips and torturing every and any man (or lesbian) in the audience while doing so.

You swear, those hips grew twice as wide and twice as juicy once they were onstage...

Trixie must have a knack for that.

Slowly, she tugs at what would be her belt, taking it out of the loops on her robe.

She slowly slides it out and drops it, landing on the floor with a thwap.

The robe stays together, though...

'No images for you, big boy' is what she would be saying, just by the look on her face...

She keeps going, swaying her hips as she turns her back to the audience.

Slowly, she slides her hooves down the lines of her robes, grasping at the collar, and then at the chestpiece.

Even more slowly, she pulls back, sliding the silk off of her shoulders, down her arms and back, and finally, onto the floor.

She turns her head, a flashing a devilish smirk as she stares with one eye.

With that, she takes her hat off, and slides it down over her crotch.

Wait.

She's not holding her hat.

It's...

It's hanging there.

And it's glowing.

"...Anonymous?"

"...Uh..."

"...I-I think I owe you ten bits..."

Trixie slowly turns around, standing proudly on her hind legs.

The hat points straight out, and the tip seems a little...

Damp.

"You wanna see it?!"

The crowd roars and cheers.

The floor has bits littered all over the place as it's tossed up on stage.

"TRIXIE CAN'T HEAR YOU!"

The ground rumbles as the crowd makes more noise than a buffalo stampede.

With that, Trixie smiles sinisterly.

"...That's more like it..."

With that, she starts to slowly slide the hat off.

...

...

Holy.

Sweet.

Baby.

Celestia.

That isn't real.

It can't be.

It might be attatched to her...

It's so fleshy...

It's so shiny...

There's even a bit of precum dribbling off the tip.

No.

It can't be real.

It's too huge.

Fuck, that's almost as thick as your calf.

And longer than your forearm.

Why do you have a boner?

Chapter 26

She dances around and flaunts her girth, swaying it back and forth to the music.

It's almost hypnotizing.

You look to your right.

The doctor is practically drooling.

Would it even fit?

Is it even practical?

Hell, you still don't even know if it's real.

You look back at it.

She's still showing it off, doing hip thrusts and dangling it dangerously close to the mares in the audience.

The floor is now gold.

Literally.

There are bits on practically every square inch of the floor.

And mares are lining up to touch that monster...

Finally, she hits her knees, front and center.

The thing hangs out in front of her, stealing the attention of everyone in the crowd as it bobs and pulses.

Even from up in the booth, you can see one of the veins bulging out...

All you can do is mouth the word 'wow' in silence as Trixie carries on with her show.

Suddenly, a strong smell assaults your nose.

You look to your right.

Oh. Yup.

That's the doctor all right.

She's sure enjoying the show...

Hmm...

After a few more minutes of Trixie grasping, caressing, and playing with her new cock, the show comes to a finish, she slides her hat back on her (southern) head, and she trots behind the curtains and to the dressing room.

The crowd woops and hollers as she exits.

So does the doctor, who has one hoof in the air, and the other idly prodding her crotch.

The thought of helping her with her issue comes to mind, but you decide against it.

You stand up off of your shitty, metal chair, and look at the doctor.

"Well. That was... Something..."

"...Mmmhmm," she finally replies, her gaze still out in the distance.

"Uh, think we should... Go see Trixie?"

"...Y-Yes..."

She nods, finally getting up off of her wet seat.

Shit, the smell was strong.

Yes, you've been in the room with 3 mares in your bed, but...

Holy shit, the doctor must drink something to make it smell like that.

It's not a bad smell by any means - it's just overpowering.

You can hardly smell the smoke in the air.

Finally, you get your attention off of her musk, and start walking down the stairs.

"Ve have to cut through an antechamber to get backstage. I know ze vay. Follow me."

You nod, letting her step in front of you to take the lead.

"Uh, Doctor?"

"Ugh, drop ze formalities, Anonymous. Call me... Something else."

"Cuore fine, then?"

"Mmhmm."

"Fine then. Cuore, were you..."

"Vas I vhat?"

"Expecting that?"

She shakes her head, chuckling as she opens a door.

"Oh, Celestia, no! I vas just as surprised as you vere!"

"Well, you... Really enjoyed the show."

"Y-You noticed, hm?"

"You kiddin'? You could smell that shit from a mile away!"

"Erm... Mi dispiace."

mYou can only assume that's an apology.

"Eh, don't be sorry. It's totally called for. ...And I don't really mind the smell, either."

She rolls her eyes, smiling. "Vhatever you say, Anon."

Once you reach the changing rooms, you find the only one that's occupied.

Room B.

The doctor knocks on the door.

"It's us, darling."

Darling?

"Come on in. ...And close the door behind you."

Cuore nods, turning the doorhandle and sliding the door open.

You see Trixie in her robes, everything covered up.

The two of you step in, and you close the door.

It's fairly roomy in here - big enough for four to sit down.

There's a nice mirror, too.

But the place is a mess.

Marks from pens, keys, and markers litter the walls.

The seats and floors are filthy.

That's probably a cum stain on the floor, too.

"Enjoy the show?"

"...I..."

You chuckle as the doctor tries to find words.

"I thought it was great. This one here was -really- into it," you say, taking a seat."

"Yes, I can smell that," Trixie says, taking a seat across from you.

Cuore sits next to her.

"Did you ever plan on telling me you were a dude?"

Trixie looks at you, a sinister grin on her face.

"Who said I wasn't a mare?

"Well, you kinda have a dick."

She chuckles, shaking her head.

"Yes, I do now. Anonymous, I take it you don't know exactly who I am?"

"Yeah, yeah, Great and Powerful Trixie, I know."

You resist the urge to roll your eyes.

"Take it it's some sort of illusion, then?"

Trixie chuckles again, reaching into her robe.

You think she's touching her new tool, too.

"Not an illusion. It's real - it's flesh and blood. I can feel everything."

As fucked up as that sounds, you could just about imagine what you could do with that power...

"It's actually just a half-baked gender switch spell. I still have all of my parts, just plus one."

"Unfortunately, it doesn't last long."

Cuore peers at Trixie's crotch, curious.

"Vell, how long vill you have it?" she asks.

Trixie grumbles a bit in response, looking down.

"Welp, last time, it wouldn't go away, and I panicked. But, finally, I figured out what I have to do."

"I have to... Use it."

The doctor's eyes fixate on the bulge in Trixie's robe.

"And, well, as amazing as it looks, it's... Not optimal for use, since it's so cumbersome. It doesn't fit in any orifice any pony could have, so... It's not easy."

You know, she has a point.

It must not be easy waving a 5 lb. cock around.

"Really? ...Zat's..."

"Actually, I'm just pulling your leg. It takes about an hour for the spell to wear off."

Trixie chuckles for a moment. Said chuckle is shared by noone else.

After she realizes she's laughing alone, she stops.

"But, erm... Seriously, this is getting fairly uncomfortable."

The doctor looks a little flustered.

"V-Vell, I'd help, but... I don't think it'd fit in my mouth."

"You have hooves, don't you?"

"Fair point..."

With that, she slowly reaches down into Trixie's robe.

You see the magic mare suddenly jolt up from a shock.

"AAaah! Ah! Ow! Careful! Don't squeeze too hard! Trixie isn't used to this!"

Cuore grimaces at the interjection, and complies, slowly gliding her arm up.

"...Erm, I'd help, but..."

Trixie looks up at you, her eyes starting to flutter closed.

"You... Aren't one for... Dangly bits, are you?"

She takes a small gasp, looking down for a moment before turning her gaze back to you.

"...Yyyeah, no..."

"I... I still have my mare parts... Give me a hand. ...Or, a tongue, if you'd rather..."

...uh

You hesitate for a moment.

...Is it gay?

You're not sure if it would feel quite right eating something out while a sack squishes on top of your head.

But, it's Trixie.

She's a mare.

She just has a temporary dick.

Your mind is torn in two at this.

Suddenly, the robe slides down, revealing all Trixie has to offer.

Her shaft rests on her belly, stretching up past her belly button and almost to her chest.

It shines like a coin under the dim lighting, and you can see it pulsing.

It's just as impressive as it was before, if not more so up close.

The tip was wet with precum -- likely from the rubbing it was receiving.

Her sack was loose, dangling low over her...

Very red and puffy mare parts.

Those were still as they were.

At least there was some familiar ground here...

"Uh, Anonymous? Are you going to help me, or what?"

Well, you...

Fuck it.

Bracing yourself, you move forward between Trixie's legs.

Her sack is in the way.

You gingerly take a hand and scoop it up, making way for your face to get to her cunt.

You never thought you'd ever hold someone else's balls in your hand.

Much less a mare's.

Shaking the thoughts away, you finally get to work, carefully pressing your lips against Trixie's.

The scent is...

Very, very weird.

It's the mix of ballsweat, maremusk, and precum, alongside Trixie's typical smell.

It makes you snarl a bit, but you keep going.

You slowly run your tongue along her folds, flipping at them as Trixie quivers.

You can feel her ballsack jiggling a little bit as it rests on your head.

It seems the doctor's picking up her pace.

Fuck, that feels weird.

But, for some odd reason, it makes you want to go harder.

You slide your tongue in deeper, and catch one of her petals between your teeth.

You gently nip at it and pull back, snarling.

"-Bwaah! Anonymous! Stop that!"

You run her flesh through your teeth and let it slide out with a little pop, looking up at Trixie past her sack.

"A-Actually, keep going..."

"The Fickle and Indecisive Trixie..."

"Sh-Shut up and keep going!"

You chuckle and oblige, lowering back down.

That fucking sack keeps getting in your way.

You shove it to the side, and it rests on your temple as you start kissing her marehoof.

You can feel Trixie shaking and shuddering as you go at it again, running your tongue along her wet walls.

Her sack bounces against the side of your head as her length is tugged at.

Her hips are bucking, too, and pressing deeper onto your face.

You push back the best you can, trying your best to ignore the bouncing blue pair of bongo balls on the side of your head.

"...Hnn--... Oh, no, it... Auooh..."

You know why she's making those sounds.

Getting good treatment on two ends can't be easy to control.

You turn your head to the side, forcing your tongue in deeper as her hips move along.

You can feel her taking deep breaths as she gets closer and closer.

She reaches down and places a hoof on the back of your head, helping you move along.

Thankfully, she did you the favor of moving her sack out of the way, as well.

That ought to help you.

You run your tongue up and down, in and out of her nethers, reaching up to grab her inner thighs with your hands.

You splay her legs, making things easier to reach for both you and the doctor.

Trixie brings her hoof back up to grasp at her chest, her sack flopping right back next to your head.

Finally, Trixie's back arches, and she lets out a groan.

She gasps out loud, and you feel juices assault your face.

You ride out the storm, mopping up whatever of the mess you could with your tongue.

You can feel her sack squeezing itself dry, and you could just about imagine the unholy load the doctor must be recieving.

"AUUUGH! AAH! OWOWOWOW! MY EYES! IT'S IN MY EYES!"

Well, there's your answer.

Immediately, you pull back, looking up at what's happening.

The doctor's face is completely white, covered in goo.

So is Trixie's chest, face, mane, and forelegs.

There are splatters everywhere else, on the doctor, on the bench, and on the wall.

The doctor is screaming bloody murder, at this point.

She's grasping at her eyes in futility to make them clean of the fresh baby batter.

In her panic, she stands up on her hind legs, trying to move away.

You watch in horror as you see her hind leg reach to step on a puddle of goo that had found its way onto the floor.

She steps, and, as you feared, slips.

*CLONK*

Her head hits the corner of the bench with force, and just like that, she’s out cold.

She flops down on the ground, splayed out.

There’s shit everywhere, and the scene looks absolutely horrible.

You honestly don’t know what to do.

You can’t just… Take her out like this.

There’d be too big of a mess to clean up, and you can't let others see this.

You can’t just leave her there, though.

That’d be terrible, and she’d probably get raped.

But you can’t stay here all night.

You have places to be, and Cadance will kill you if you don’t get her animal crackers.

Trixie looks down at her with concern.

"Uh…”

“Uhm…”

"Anonymous?”

“Yeah?”

"Get a mop before she wakes up…”

Chapter 27

Some time later, you finally finish mopping up the mess.

You sneak out of the club after Trixie's spell wore off, clean up the doctor, and make your way back into the streets.

They're mostly empty; everyone is inside the clubs, bars, casinos, and whatnot, going about their business.

Spare some of the greymanes playing hold 'em at a table outside, hardly anyone notices you.

Not that you can complain.

You don't want any attention at the moment, personally.

Trixie walks alongside you, and you have the unconscious unicorn slung over your shoulder.

Poor girl.

After some walking, you make your way out of the strip and back into downtown Detrot.

You find a nearby grocery store, and fucklessly step inside.

Sure, you're a beacon for attention, but it's late, and you're used to it.

The cashier says something in some weird Saddle Arabian language or something, but you ignore it.

V-shoes or something.

Shrugging it off, you find a box of animal crackers and walk over to the counter.

"Not sure. I'll have to ask."

The cashier looks up at you with wide eyes as you place the box on the counter.

Upon further inspection, he isn't Arabian, it looks like.

He's Brandian.

You don't know which is worse.

"It's you!"

"Me?"

"Yah! You! I see you in paper now and again! You are with orchestra, yah?"

"You could... Say that, I guess."

"You are going to New Deli on tour, jes?"

You shrug.

"I'm certain you are! Every five years! I used to come! Always!"

"Oh. Huh. Well, we just got done performing here. Headed up to the skies tomorrow afternoon, so-"

"You. You are good person, jes?"

Fuck.

"I'd... Like to think so?"

"You. You can help me?"

You let out a low sigh.

"Depends on what 'helping' is. Keep in mind, I need to get going."

"Jes, jes, I know. Not keep Princess Cadance waiting. But, I need help."

Trixie butts in from behind you.

"Please, make it quick. We don't have much time on our hooves."

He stutters a bit upon hearing Trixie. "...Uh, y-yah, I'll be quick. But mister."

He turns to you.

"It has been long time since I go home to see family. In Sutrat, city on west coast. Travel is not easy."

Oh boy, here we go...

"When are you going? How long I have to save up? I need to know."

"Uh, I don't know the schedule too we-"

"We leave Manebourne, Hosstralia in about a month's time. Our next stop after that is New Deli, if I remember correctly. Don't quote me on that, however."

"Manebourne?"

"Wait, no. We go from Manebourne to Vaporia. Sorry-we're headed for new Deli in six weeks.

"Six weeks?"

"At least."

"Plane tickets expensive, but I can save up. I have enough time, I think."

His voice was wavering with uncertainty, but he nodded.

"Thank you, mister."

"Hold on."

You look down at Trixie.

"How much are plane tickets?"

"To?"

"New Deli."

"There are no flights that go straight to New Deli from anywhere in Equestria. You have to go through the Taprius Republic, Boardor, or Vaporia. The Central Leyline gets in the way."

"The what?"

"Long story. Bad juju, old gods, just a giant rift. I'll tell you later."

The fu-

"Fine, then. What's the easiest way to get there?"

"Probably through Copei Town in the TR."

"Got an estimation on the price for two plane tickets?"

"Probably around 400 bits."

Ouch.

"How solid are you on that information."

Immediately, she gives you a condescending look.

"Really?"

"What?"

"You think I don't know these things?"

"You seem a little overconfident."

"I only went on a world tour every year for a decade, Anonymous."

"Right."

You look to the cashier.

"You can make 400 bits with six weeks, right?"

"Uh, I-"

"Pfft. He's not even going to come close, Anonymous. Sorry, but working as a cashier is going to get you two hundred. Max. With tips."

You see the poor stallion's heart shatter.

"Oh, okay."

He hangs his head, and with a beep, punches in the price for the animal crackers.

"Is this all for you, sir?"

"Yeah, I guess."

You sigh a little.

You wish you could see your own family again.

"Tree bits, sir."

You reach in your coin pouch a bit begrudgingly, and take out three bits.

All while keeping the doctor balanced on your shoulder.

You place them on the counter, sighing.

"Here you go."

"Thank you, come again."

With that, he hands you your animal crackers.

And, you pause for a moment, pretending to occupy yourself by packing the animal crackers in a bag.

Should you help this poor sap?

Sure, you know his pain, and you have a pretty good feeling that his words are truth.

But 400 bits wasn't something easy to get in Equestria.

Especially in a place like...

This.

You look at the Squishee machine as the head rotates, and you try to decide.

What do you do?

You can't just leave him like this.

Then again, treating him special won't look good.

Neither will just handing it to him.

After some consideration, you guess it's time to be a 'leader'.

You look at him

"How much do you typically make in 6 weeks?"

"As lady said, about two hundred bits. But I can work hard."

You let out a hum of thought.

"Well, then, I suppose you can make due. I'm going to make a small donation."

"Donation?" the cashier, asks, some joy showing on his face.

"Donation?!" Trixie yells, glaring at you quizzically.

You reach into your coin pouch and start sifting through it, dragging out 10 and 20 bit coins.

After some careful counting, you wind up with 200 total.

The cashier stares at the shining coins, wide-eyed and astonished. "Here. Take these. This plus your next paycheck should get you by. Work hard, and it will come."

"Wh-"

Words can't come out of his mouth as he stares at the coins.

"Vishnu... I make sure city of Sutrat hear of this! I make sure people know of bandara ādamī generosity!"

Whatever that means.

He hands you the box of animal crackers, smiling widely.

"Have a safe trip. And good luck."

You make your way out the door.

Trixie follows, jaw low.

"Anonymous! How could you-"

"-Because. He needs it more than I do."

"W-Well, yeah, but, you can't just go around handing it out like-"

"Trixie!"

"What?!"

"Don't you remember, in the alleyway not that long ago?"

"W-Well, that's different, I-"

"No it's not. He deserves it much more than you did. He works hard, and he has a family."

Trixie pauses, biting her lip.

"I know how it feels, having to leave your family behind. Concerning I'm never going to see them again is worse. I'm not letting that happen again."

Trixie sighs, looking down at the ground.

And, after a long, bitter pause, you hear her mutter something.

"At least you actually had a family to begin with..."

Your heart skips a beat, and your chest grows cold in an instant.

What did she just say?

You're having a rather hard time really comprehending what she just said.

You stop in your tracks, your gaze slowly moving down to Trixie.

"...You... What?"

Trixie sighs, shaking her head. "...N-nothing, Anonymous. Just keep walking."

Yikes.

You oblige, shut up, and keep walking.

The doctor lets out a low grumble as you walk.

Sounds like the poor mare is coming to.

She hurt her head pretty hard; hopefully she's not too awake.

Cause that's gonna be a world of pain.

Thankfully, after about 15 minutes of walking, you aren't far from where you're staying.

The doctor's still out cold as you find the way to your hotel room.

You find the door, and give it a hard knock.

You hear the two chat with each other as they make their way to the door.

"Just a minute!" Cadance calls.

They have a hushed conversation as Cadance makes her way to the door.

You can still hear every word.

"Can't you at least put the snacks away? They'll think we're slobs!"

"No. I'm hungry, and ten bits says Anonymous forgot my crackers."

"He'd never do that."

"Well, let's see."

With that, you hear Cadance start trotting over.

Before she answers the door, you speak up.

"It's the Tremendous Trio. We need to come in. The doctor bashed her own head in."

The door swings open, revealing...

Ground zero of hurricane Arthur.

The room is trashed, and bedsheets are all over the place.

Snacks are all over the counters and on the couch.

And that smell...

You know that smell.

Candy looks at the doctor with arched eyebrows.

"What the hay happened to her?"

"She slipped and knocked her head on a bench. Passed out."

Cadance blinks, looking at the doctor's second horn on her head.

"Ouch. Well, come on. Put her on the bed. She'll know what to do when she wakes up."

"Good point."

You walk inside, Trixie right behind you with her head low.

You set the doctor down on the bed and tuck her in.

She sheets are a little damp in some spots.

Fuck, your dong is angry at you right now.

"So, Anonymous, Trixie," Cadance says, "how did your little... Meeting, go?"

Trixie sighs, and takes a seat on the couch next to Octavia.

Immediately, the two embrace eachother in a loving hug, and they talk to eachother in hushed voices.

You can tell the tone of their conversation is somber, so you try not to pay much mind.

Even though you were curious about what Trixie said earler.

After that short train of thought, you turn back to Cadance.

"It was... All right."

"What was it about?"

"Trixie and I. Just cleared up a couple of things."

"...Like?"

You gesture to the two on the couch, cuddling.

"Oh."

"Oh, these are for you, by the way. Catch"

You toss her the box.

"Waitwha-"

*SMACK*

The box hits her square in the face.

"Ow!"

You recoil a bit.

"Ugh, sorry, Candy. I thought you'd-"

"Thanks for poking my eye out, you je-Ohmygodanimalcrackers"

Immediately, her worries are lost into the void.

She scrambles and grabs the box of crackers, wasting no time to open it up.

You blink in shock at how much glee is coursing through her as she opens the plastic bag in the box

"I thought you were joking when you told me to get these."

She stuffs her face with 3 or 6 crackers and glares up at you.

"...Fuff no, I fasn'k! I luff dese fings!"

Her munching intensifies as you shake your head and turn back to the unconscious doctor.

You give her a quick lookover.

Nasty lump next to her horn is the first thing you notice, along with a little dried up blood.

And, out of curiosity, you decide to check out the rest of her.

The first thing you notice is that, much like everyone in your 'group', she has teeth that are well taken care of.

You know this because her mouth is hinged open wide.

Tempting thoughts... Tempting thoughts indeed.

You look down.

She's a lot smaller than the others, you notice.

Of course, Octy's an earth pony, and Candy is an alicorn, but still.

She's small even in terms of unicorns.

Not skinny, not short

Just... Smaller.

That, and unlike the other three, she's less proportionate.

Her ass really isn't all that big, and her legs are a bit thinner in comparisons than how you'd think they'd be.

But...

Her coat

It's so shiny.

It looks so plush, too.

Even moreso than the others.

Her tail and mane share these properties, as well.

And they smell really nice.

Whatever soap she uses smells like flowers in the morning.

Thankfully, it isn't too strong.

But it's still noticeable, even at a bit of a distance.

You let out a hum as you walk around the bed.

You plan on taking a nap after lugging this unicorn around.

Sure, she was actually pretty light, but still.

any excuse to get in bed is a good enough excuse.

With a fwomp, you plop down on the other side of the bed.

Aperta is to your left, her head on its side facing you.

After you get all wrapped up, you rest your head on a pillow and relax.

Aaaaaah.

It had been a while since you've just been able to kick back and sleep.

Well, actually, just earlier today.

But it still felt like ages.

Chapter 28

*Grooooaaaaan*

You look to your left.

The doctor is snarling.

Looks like she's coming to, finally.

You crack your neck, try to wake yourself up a bit, and face her.

"Uh, doc?"

She clenches her eyes and snarls in pain.

"Nnngh... Mi testa..."

You reach forward and start to pet her.

"You feelin' okay?"

"...Nnngh... Sh..."

She starts wiggling around, and pushes your hand away.

"Doc? Say something?"

"...Basta smettere di parlare... E di venire qui."

With that, she starts scooting forward towards you.

"Uh..."

You're a little confused as she wraps her forelegs around your torso and pulls herself onto you.

Her hind legs wrap around your waist, and she clings onto you like a koala.

A cute, fragrant, purple, corned koala.

"Hmmmhmmm..."

She lets out a hum as she snuggles her head onto your chest.

Your heart is starting to ache...

You hug her back, idly petting her back.

"Go back to sleep now. We'll fix you up in the morning."

Or, well, she'll fix herself up, anyhow."

"Nnn... Bene..."

You can tell she's smiling a bit, and her horn rubs against your neck.

You try not to agitate her horn too much.

You don't want a certain green-eyed princess to see much, as preoccupied as she is with her sweets.

But, you don't just ignore the poor pony.

You hold her close, trying to comfort her.

"Ti amo, Volo..."

Her tone there was a bit... Odd

Whatever that means.

You don't respond at all.

Except for the steadily growing pain in your chest.

And trousers.

You just hold her tight and keep petting her.

Suddenly, you feel her shift.

She pulls her head back and raises it.

She looks like she's about to say something as she opens her mouth a little.

But words don't come out.

"...Uh, yeah?"

With that, she moves her head forward and presses her lips against yours.

This takes you by surprise, so you jerk back a bit.

But, as much as you think this is a bad idea, you go along with it.

It's clear she's still dizzy; her lips hardly move against yours, and most of what she's doing is applying pressure.

You kiss back a little, but pull back after a moment.

After you pull back, her eyes slowly open.

"Oh, Volo, y-"

"..."

"...Vh-!"

Her face slowly turns into a distorted glare.

The pain and numbness from her knock to the head is still getting to her.

"Uh, look, this isn't what you think-"

"Vh-Vhat ze hell, Anonymous?"

One of her eyes squints in pain as she tries to glare at you.

It doesn't work to well; her face is... Well, an odd one, to say the least.

A mix of confusion, anger, a terrible migrane, and some lust.

"Look, I just crawled in bed, and you started to-"

"Vhy are ve in ze same bed?!"

"Because there's only one bed?"

"..."

She takes a double take, looking behind her and then back at you.

"Che diavolo-Vhy am I here?!"

"Because we didn't know where to take you?"

She blinks a couple times, astonished.

"Vhy does my head hurt? And vhy don't I remember coming here? How many drugs did I take?"

You almost laughed a little at that last part.

You look at her with a defeated look.

"No drugs. Nothing bad. You didn't take anything except for a nasty thwap to your head. Remember? You slipped and hit your head on a bench?"

Her eyes drift down to the carpet, thinking.

"...I... Slipped...?"

"Yes, you slipped. On, erm... Stuff."

She raises an eyebrow at you for a moment in confusion.

And then the realization dawns on her.

"Oooooh..."

"Yyyeah."

"Zat vould explain a fair bit."

You nod.

"Yup. I had to carry you here."

You chuckle a bit.

"You were out cold."

"I could about imagine, if I don't remember anything."

"You were out the whole way here, and didn't wake up until after I crawled in here."

You realize she never pulled away from the embrace she had you in.

"Uh, so, yeah. You, uh... Spoke in your sleep a bit, too. And did stuff."

"I vasn't asleep."

"So you meant to make out with me?"

"No, I meant to make out with Volo."

"Volo?"

"Ex."

"Oh."

"Husband."

"...Oh."

"You have a similar voice. Now, stop stealing kisses."

She gives you a funny look, smiling.

You chuckle a bit.

"Sorry."

"You had better be."

After a playful look, she rests her head.

Sheesh.

"Uh, any reason you're clinging onto me like this?"

She opens her eyes and blinks at you.

"I thought you vere my ex? And you're varm?"

You blink yourself.

"Are you going to get off?"

"No."

You both shrug.

"...Okay."

"You don't seem to mind much."

"I really don't."

Thinking it was over, you rest your head and close your eyes.

She is pretty warm, and this is pretty cozy.

What a day.

"Anonymous?"

Your eyes shoot open.

God damnit you want to sleep.

Why won't this bitch let you sleep?

"Yeah?"

"Can you do me a favor?"

God fucking damnit.

"Yeah?"

"I need some help going to sleep, and my head hurts."

"Can you brush my mane? Vith, erm... Your, 'hands'?"

She gestures behind her, where your hands are.

You scratch her back, and she nods.

"Erm, yes, please. I... I think it'll make it hurt less."

After a shrug, you nod.

"I don't see why not."

With that, you reach up and start petting her.

She lets out a shudder and her eyes flutter shut as she rests her head.

"Grazie..."

"Yep."

Your hand was gonna smell nice after this.

You stroke her dark purple mane, breathing in the lovely smell.

You notice a blue highlight in her hair for the first time.

Hum.

You keep brushing away, and pull her head into your chest.

She lets out a hum, and shuffles around a bit.

And you feel something plop down behind you.

"Someone's getting a little ahead of themselves."

Cadance scoots up behind you, and rests her head on your shoulder.

Her forelegs wrap around you, and she pulls herself close.

"Don't forget about me~!"

"That'd be damn hard to do, Candy."

You feel the doctor's breaths getting slowly shallower as time passes.

You keep brushing her mane.

It looks like it's working.

You keep quietly talking to Cadance as you go.

"Where are the other two?"

"They're napping on the couch. Octavia's already asleep, and other one's in a puddle of tears," she says, adding a little snap of emphasis on the 'other one'.

She still holds a grudge, it seems.

That makes your heart ache a little.

"Why? What happened?"

"I'm not really sure, but she's awfully upset about something."

You sigh.

You know what it is.

Well, not exactly, but you could assume.

"I could tell, on the way home. Must've been something I said."

Cadance sighs.

"What the hay did you say? If I know that bitch at all, she's-"

"Hey. She has a name, Cadance."

She sighs again, lowering her voice a little.

"Fine. If I know Trixie at all, I know that she's not one to show real feelings. Ever."

You sigh.

"Well, she's expressing herself because she's around Octavia. From what I understand, those two have something deep."

"No shit."

You bite your tongue, and try your best not to snap back at the jealous Cadance behind you.

"But, I think it was something I said about family on the way home. She said something along the lines of 'at least you had a family' as a response, and just kept sulking after that."

Cadance doesn't say a word for a moment, and looks over your shoulder.

"Uh... Wow. That would... That would explain a lot, actually, if it is what I think it is."

"I think it is."

"Probably."

After another pause, Cadance sighs, rests her head, snuggles up to you, and closes her eyes.

"I want to rest."

"So do I."

"Good night, Anonymous."

She sticks out her tongue and gives your neck a warm, wet lick.

It sends a shiver up your spine, and you let out a shudder.

"Y-Yeah, g'night."

"Love you."

"I love you too, Cadance."

With warmth in your chest and two warm mares cuddling you, you rest your head, close your eyes, and drift off to sleep.

Chapter 29

You recognize that smell...

Is that...

Waffles!

You glance behind you.

Candy isn't cuddling you anymore; she's up and about.

Makin' waffles!

You're about to get up, but when you try to sit up, you feel like you gained a hundred pounds.

The doctor is still grappled onto you.

You try to grab her and pull her off, but it doesn't work too well.

"Doc? Come on, I gotta get up. Let go."

"Noooooo... You're warm..."

Her protests are muffled by your chest, which her snout is buried into.

"Come on, doc. Cadance is making waffles. I want to eat."

"Can you bring me some?"

"Aren't you getting out of bed?"

"No?"

"Well why the fuck not? It's noon already!"

"Exactly."

You grumble a bit.

"Fine. I'll bring you waffles."

You pry her off of your chest, set her down, and step out of bed.

"Vith syrup," she interjects as you make your way to the kitchen.

"No shit. Waffles aren't waffles without syrup," you say, chuckling a bit.

Thank you!"

After stretching your back, cracking your neck, and letting out your inner pornstar moan while doing so, you moisten your mouth and start walking to the kitchen, passing Trixie and Octavia on your way there.

They're on the couch, cuddling in an odd position.

That can't be comfortable.

Eugh, Octy's neck is going to ache when she wakes up.

And you didn't know legs bent that way...

You debate whether or not to wake them up, but...

You decide to leave them be, and carry on.

The waffles are calling.

You make your way to the kitchen.

Sure enough, Candy is standing there.

Makin' waffles.

You would have made a joke about Donkey, from one of your old favorite movies...

But, not only would it go right over Candy's head, but also she would probably take a lot of offense to it.

Resisting the urge to let your inner Shrek loose, you walk forward and give Cadance a quick pat on the back.

"Mornin', hun," you say, smiling.

"Good morning, sunshine," she replies with a coo. "Sleep well?"

You nod.

"You're really warm, you know that?"

She nods as well.

"And the doctor was onto you like a tic on a dog."

"I noticed."

She chuckles. "There isn't room for two on that bed, you know."

After shaking your head, you turn around and take a seat at a nearby table.

It'll have to do.

"Well, that's too bad. We have to make room for four. Plus one, since we have a bedridden doctor for however long she sees fit."

You hear a muffled protest from the bed, but you shake it off.

Cadance lets out a small hum. "...You know, I change my mind. I don't like sharing," she says playfully.

There WAS a bit of truth behind that...

Sheesh...

"Well, too bad. Everyone wants a piece of this hot pie."

"It'd be a shame if someone... Stole it."

You give her a sly look.

"Oh? Who would do such a horrible, horrible thing?"

"I'm sure a sly fox can get away with it once or twice."

And, a moment of silence later, it hits you.

You're out of witty comebacks.

"Well, uh... I can see how that could... Work..."

With that, Cadance turns to you, forgetting everything she was doing.

She trots over, looking at you with those beautiful purple eyes.

Her eyes are half lidded, and she brings her face right up to yours to speak in a quiet voice.

"Now, do you know what I see?"

You look back into her eyes, a smirk on your face.

"Hmm?"

"I see a nice... Hot... And saucy blueberry pie..."

After standing on her hind legs, she presses her body against yours, and grinds up against you.

She reaches behind you, and you hear something click on the counter.

"And, with that, I see a young, spry fox, just waiting to pounce. That pie looks so delicious, I'm telling you, but it's missing something."

You feel one of her forelegs wrap around you and pull herself in.

"On, and what's that?"

Cadance lets out a lustful giggle, pulling something from behind your back.

"I went to the grocery store this morning... Got a little somethin'..."

"And what might that be?"

An audible click his heard, as well as the rattling of a plastic cap.

"Well, take a guess, Anonymous... What's the pie missing?"

"Something on top?"

"Of course."

*FFFFFFFT*

You hear a spray next to your right ear, and something cold hits your neck.

Next thing you know, Cadance is reaching forward, and she drags her tongue up from your shoulder along your neck.

You see whipped cream curl up on her tongue, and after her first lap, she takes her tongue in her mouth and swallows.

She gives you the most seductive of looks, wiggles her round hips, and leans her face even closer than it was before.

"I ran and got some whipped cream for tonight, lover boy, thought it'd be fun."

"I like the way you think..."

With that, she tilts her head to the side, closes her eyes, and leans forward for a kiss.

You feel her soft, warm lips press against yours gently.

You push back with the same tenderness she delivers, parting your lips to welcome hers.

They glide against each other, your warm saliva working as a lubricant.

Soon after, she pulls back, and looks at you with a squint.

"You... You're too damn cute. I can't stop myself. I usually have my urges under control, even around Shining..."

You raise an eyebrow.

"Shining? Wouldn't he be happy having a nympho in his bed?"

She scoffs, and shakes her head.

You have no idea. He may be a manly man, but he has -no- sex drive at all. It's honestly amazing how he can't get the thing hard."

Dear god, you don't know if that's funny or just plain tragic.

"Well, you sure solved that problem..."

"I sure did~!"

She lets out a low hum of happiness, gets off of you, and...

Turns back to her now burnt waffles.

"Egh. Damnit."

"You burnt the waffles?"

"Yeah," she sighs, defeated.

Suddenly, an idea comes to mind.

"Not all of them, at least."

She looks at you, and shakes her head.

"Actually, that was all of them."

Your smirk grows, and you look at her.

"No it wasn't."

"It wasn't?"

She pauses for a moment as your devilish smirk evolves into a full-on shit-eating grin.

It takes her a moment, but she finally gets it.

She looks up at you with that same, sultry look as before.

"Well, I only have one of those."

"Who said we wanted to share?"

She chuckles again, unplugs the waffle iron, and starts trotting back from where you came.

"I suppose I shouldn't keep you starving. After all, a man has to eat..."

"And I'm damn hungry."

She giggles again, and trots to the other side of the bed.

The doctor looks confused.

"Vhat's going on? Vhere are ze vaffles? ...And vhy do you smell like you just-"

As she's struck with realization, she snarls at Cadance.

"Oh. So zat's vhat I heard you two blabbering about."

"Eeyup."

Cadance hops in bed, chuckling.

Aperta looks like she is 10,000% done with your shit.

"You're not even going to tell me to move, are you?"

"Nope."

"Incantevole."

She sighs, rolling over.

"Don't make much noise. I'm still tired as hell."

"Okay, doc. I'll try to keep the noise to a mini-"

*KNOCKNOCKNOCK*

The three of you turn to the pounding door.

The knocking wakes up Trixie and Octavia as well, and they look in confusion.

"I'll get it," you utter, letting out a sigh.

So damn close to breakfast, too...

With a heavy heart and a heavy crotch, you open the door.

"Hello?"

A small pony looks up at you.

She's grey with a blonde mane, small, and ridiculously cross-eyed.

You almost giggle at it, but you keep your composure.

"Uh, hello!" she hollars, smiling wide.

Chapter 30

"Howdy."

"I have a letter! For the princess! Is she here?"

You look at Cadance.

She's just as confused and surprised as you are.

"Uh, yeah, she's... Here."

She digs out a letter from her saddlebags, and holds it up to you.

As she does this, she looks a little worried.

"I hope I'm not interrupting something. You look kinda mad. Are you mad, mister?"

YOU HAVE NO FUCKING IDEA, LITTLE GREY HORSE

"Oh, no, it's fine," you say, taking the letter. "Mind if I ask what this is for?"

The mare shakes her head. "I can't say. It's for her eyes only. I don't know what's on it."

Huh.

"Were you told anything about it?"

She shakes her head again. "No, I wasn't. But I was told to deliver it from Canterlot fast, so it's probably really important."

Well that's just fucking peachy, Miss Ditz.

"All right. Thank you. I'll give it to her."

"Thank you!" she hollars, trotting off down the hall.

And running face first into a mop bucket.

The bucket spills, and she drops back onto her haunches in pain.

You try not to chuckle at the poor mare as you close the door behind you.

You glance at the letter, a little bewildered.

Trixie and Octavia are on the couch, looking at you expectantly.

"Well, what does it say?" the blue one asks, an eyebrow cocked.

Octy clings onto Trixie like a young suckler.

Cadance hops out of bed and trots over to you, taking the letter.

"Great. Just what I needed," she mutters, tearing open the letter.

"Let's see what this is..."

The paper has a decal or two on it. It looks official.

You try to take a glance at it, but you're too far away and you don't feel like bumping Cadance as she reads.

And, as she reads the letter, worry shows on her face, and her eyes start to widen.

Eventually, her jaw drops.

Anxiety builds up inside of you, and you decide to speak up.

"Uh, Candy? What's... What's it say?"

She glances up at you, and then back at the paper.

"...It's... Shining."

Oh.

Well this can only mean sunshine and rainbows then.

"What's he say?"

"No, it isn't FROM him, it's ABOUT him."

That's probably even worse.

"What's up, then?"

Trixie is on the edge of her seat, and Octavia is right beside her, holding her in a hug.

The doctor's attention is even piqued, and she rolls over to face Cadance as she speaks.

"After they were done with whatever they were doing in the castle, he just... Disappeared. He's AWOL, and now Spitfire's running the Crystal Empire!"

Immediately, there's a small uproar in the room as confusion and panic settle into the hearts of everyone in the room.

"Shining is AWOL?" Trixie asks, genuinely surprised.

"Gone!" Cadance replies.

"Vithout as much of a vord?!" the doctor interjects.

Cadance shakes her head. "...No. Not a word."

"Wait, -Spitfire- is taking his place?!"

Everyone looks at Octavia, the slowpoke of the room.

And, after a long silence, Octavia laughs sheepishly.

"Yes, Spitfire," Cadance says, nodding. "She's my 'replacement' until I get back. I didn't plan on Shining pulling this stunt, though."

"Funny enough, I thought he'd -want- to stick close to -Spitfire-, of all ponies. But, I guess not. I wonder whose legs he's ran off with this time."

There's a short silence, and the doctor looks at the floor.

"Vait, so you knew?" Aperta mutters, taking it in.

"Of course I did. Do you think I'm blind? I can see those two have more chemistry than the Cloudsdale Rainbow Factory. There's a reason I set them up like that."

"Then again, he -would- be in for a rather nasty surprise come a month's time or so," Cadance says, chuckling.

You let out a huff, a bit shocked.

"Wait, so you set them up?"

"Uh-huh."

"Even though you knew they'd be boning each other every day?"

"Uh-huh."

You're a little shocked.

And a little disgusted.

"...I thought you said he had no sex drive."

"Not for me. He has a thing for, mmm... Eh, it's hard to explain. Spitfire's a total hardcore bitch, to put it bluntly, and that's right up Shining's alley. Evidently I wasn't enough."

So that's what Ol' Nessie was, then.

"But why would you do this?"

Cadance chuckles again, rolling your eyes.

"You'll see, Anonymous. Eventually. It'll all come together soon enough—I know it will."

With that, she folds up the letter, stuffs it in her saddlebags, and looks at everyone else in the room.

"Well, after that, Anonymous, I'm sorry. I don't think I can make any more waffles."

FUCK.

"But, I am hungry. Who's up for breakfast?"

"Me!"

"I am."

"Vhy not?"

"I guess."

"Just one question, though."

Cadance turns to you, an eyebrow raised.

"Yes, dear?"

"I think Octy has a question."

You point to Octavia, who has had her hoof politely raised for the past couple of minutes.

"What is it, Octavia?" she asks, turning to the mare in question.

Octavia lowers her hoof, and looks at Cadance with a worried look.

"Are you going to go looking for him?"

Cadance shakes her head. "No, I can't. There is already a search party trying to find him in the Crystal Lands outside of the Empire itself. It's dangerous there. Not only that, but I'm not willing."

"You should still at least put some effort into finding him, or finding out what's wrong."

Cadance lets out an irritated sigh, and shakes her head again.

"Why should I? He already left me in the dust. I don't see any reason I should go after him again."

Octavia gives Cadance a rather blunt look, and continues.

"Even though he has wronged you, that's still no excuse for you to not try to help him. Or, at the very least, investigate a little. Do you not feel for him?"

"It's debatable," Cadance says with a gulp.

"Did you not feel for him?"

"It's... Hard to explain, Octavia. I know I did, but now..."

"If it was true, it shouldn't have changed. Well, perhaps a little, but not nearly as drastically as you're making it out to be, Princess."

Cadance tries to console the lump in her throat, and responds.

"You wouldn't understand. You don't know what it's like."

She shakes her head. "No, I don't. But, love is love, and care is care. Forgiving is an important thing, and kindness another."

Cadance grits her teeth a little, and looks down. "It's incredibly hard to do after all we've done, Octavia."

She nods. "I could about imagine. You just need to find it in you. He's your husband, Cada-"

"No, he's NOT!"

The silence that follows is cold and bitter.

You can see tears well up in Cadance's eyes as they slowly change color.

The deep purple hues slowly change into a glowing emerald green.

It sends a fearful chill up your spine, and you take a step back.

Cadance grinds her teeth and half-glares at Octavia, trying to hold back the floodgates.

"I'm filing for a divorce as soon as this whole shindig is over. I'm staying with Anonymous," she says, turning to you, "as well as whoever he decides to live with."

The princess looks at Trixie and Octavia for a moment, before dropping her head.

"It's over. It's been over. It's not going to carry on, not with what he's done."

Octavia hops off of the couch, and trots up to Cadance.

"Princess."

Cadance looks at Octavia.

"Please, can you try to calm down? You're getting riled up, and it's scaring all of us."

Cadance glares at Octavia for a moment, but then, her expression softens.

She wipes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and nods.

"You... You're right. I just need to calm down a bit."

"Want me to get you a drink?" the cellist asks, gesturing towards the fridge.

"Please," Cadance responds, nodding. "Something cold. And... Fruity."

"I'll get you some juice," Octy responds, trotting to the fridge.

As she does this, you walk up to Cadance and put your hand on her back.

Immediately, she leans on your leg, and buries half of her face as she waits patiently for her drink.

You look around the room.

Trixie has her head low; she must have been sent on a little detour down memory lane at all of this.

The doctor, by now, has rolled over, and is trying to sleep.

You start gently betting Cadance, and soon after, Octavia comes back with a glass of juice.

Cadance takes a gulp, and lets out a sigh as her ears fall to her head.

"Better?" Octavia asks, offering a light smile.

"A little," she responds.

Tavi nods, and puts a hoof on the princess's shoulder.

"Now, look, Cadance. I know it won't feel right, but you have to help him. If you don't, you might lose him. Then, you'll feel even worse, even though you think it won't."

Cadance considers her words, looking at the ground.

"Well, what can I even do, at this point?" she asks, taking another sip. "...Go out there myself? I'll get myself killed."

"You can at least try to find out where he may have gone. You know Shining better than anyone here. You could really help."

The princess nods again. "But still. I feel powerless. I don't have any resources. I don't even know where to start!"

Suddenly, a voice from across the room cuts in.

"You seem to be forgetting your biggest resource, Principessa."

Cadance raises an ear, and looks at Dr. Cuore with one eye.

"And that is..?"

Dr. Cuore chuckles a bit.

"Think, Princess. Vhat has my business been all of zese years? ...Besides medicine, ovviamente."

There's a short pause before the princess raises an eyebrow.

"I'm well aware of your... 'Abilities', Doctor Cuore, but I'm afraid that not only is it slightly illegal at times, but also I doubt you have any ties to the Crystal Empire."

okay what

You stand there, a bit confused as the two keep talking.

"You vould be surprised, mio amico. It runs deeper zen even you know."

Cadance raises her eyebrow even higher, and turns her head.

"Maybe later. Once I decide what I'm going to do. But, until then, Doctor, just..."

"Just keep your head low. Literally and metaphorically. I can see that nasty lump on your head."

The doctor chuckles, rolling over again.

"Very vell zen. As you vish."

"Oh, and if vone of you could be a dear, can you get me an ice pack and some painkillers? Maybe some vino? Zis headache is going to be ze end of me."

Trixie turns to the doctor, a tad confused.

"Isn't alcohol a bad idea? Especially after such an injury?"

The doctor nods. "If I stand up, sì. I have no intentions of doing so, however."

"Now, you four go have breakfast vithout me after I get my pills. ...Oh, and bring back vaffles. I vant vaffles."

With that, Trixie gets off the couch, and Octavia and Cadance look at you.

You lead the way out the door, and out of the hotel.

Although, you did this while distracted.

You were still trying to piece together what exactly happened, is happening, and what might happen.

No easy task, certainly; it's so distracting you almost push on a pull door on your way out.

After your three princesses chuckle at your bumbling idiocy, you step outside.

"Okay, where to?" you ask, turning to Octavia.

"We need to go to the ground checkpoint," she says matter-of-factly, pulling out a map. "We need to go there, dock a flight to Windsoar, and then get our hooves enchanted. ...Or, well, in your case, your feet."

You raise an eyebrow.

"Why?"

"So you can walk on clouds? None of us are pegasi, you know."

That made sense.

But at the same time none of it made any sense at all.

Fucking Equestrian laws of physics.

"Ah, gotcha," you bullshit, following Octavia's directions.

After what seems like forever, you four finally arrive at the checkpoint.

All that walking started to make your feet and chest ache.

Christ, you're in bad shape...

After taking a deep breath, you look at the three others in your group.

"Welp. I'm the only one here that hasn't gone travelling at one point or another. What should I expect?"

Cadance grabs your attention by speaking first.

"Well, technically, Windsoar is it's own country; it declared independence from Equestria, and this is a border checkpoint. If it weren't for me, you would need your passport."

You nod, and as you consider her advice, Trixie speaks up.

"Also, with your clothing, you can expect quite a pat-down. Security is rather tight here, due to some odd occurrences in the past."

"...Gotcha. Are they doing to shove a hoof up my ass?"

"No," Octavia says, "But they won't really be polite. Keep that in mind."

You nod, turning to face the door of the checkpoint.

There's a flier, it tells about what papers you need and, if necessary, who to talk to for the spell on your hooves.

Or claws. Or paws.

Or, in your case, feet.

Not wanting to charge in head-first without knowing what the hell to do, you turn to your ladies.

And gesture for them to go ahead of you.

"Ladies first," you say, with a sheepish grin.

Cadance chuckles at you and your antics, and walks in front of you.

Trixie rolls her eyes, and follows Cadance.

Octavia seems to understand, and tails Trixie.

You follow Octavia, and look ahead.

A line of at least 250 ponies in front of you is all you see.

Fuck...

5 hours later

You finally passed through the border checkpoint.

After an argument with Trixie, telling a perverted joke so funny Octavia burst out laughing and fell to her knees, and somehow managing to get the entire room of 200+ ponies to sing 'The Sun and the Stars' in unison (complete with a full dance routine, costumes, and Cadance as lead soprano), you walk out of the checkpoint.

God, you love this wonderful world.

Unicorns are waiting for you to step up; they systematically cast the spell on passers-by, and it works like a charm.

You, Cadance, Octavia, and Trixie all walk through.

It takes them a minute to figure YOU out, and they have to take off your shores, but they manage.

Then, almost there, all that's left is the journey up.

A 755 step flight of stairs.

"Are."

"You."

"Fucking."

"Kidding."

"Me."

Cadance and Trixie chuckle at your dismay, and Octavia scoffs a little.

"Poor Anonymous," Octavia says. "Now, let's get going. I have to do a couple of legal things before I go to the recital hall."

You grumble.

"Fuck you guys."

"You're already way ahead of yourself, dear," Cadance says, trying to stifle a laugh.

You groan louder this time as the group collectively chuckles.

"You know, I'm the alpha of the pack."

"This whole planet, spare the Griffin Kingoms, is a matriarchy," Trixie says, starting to chuckle herself.

"Well, I- I- Fuck."

You were out of witty remarks there.

The group starts chuckling again, and you start making your way up the spiral staircase.

Suddenly, you hear a little raspy voice from behind your group.

The voice of a young filly, it seems.

"Oh, MOVE IT!"

Oh, great, screaming ki-

Wait.

Hold up.

Ho-Ho-Hold the fuck up.

You knew that voice.

Chapter 31

That voice...

It was unmistakable.

There was only one filly in the world with that voice.

So bright, energetic, and...

Tomboyish.

It's been ages since you've played with her.

Your eyes widen, and you turn around.

"Scootaloo?!"

You look down, and you see the spunky orange filly staring at you, her eyes as wide as grapefruits.

"Anon?!"

Just like that, she gallops through the legs of a few ponies in front of her, makes her way up the stairs, and leaps onto you.

"Oh my gosh! Anon! It's been, like, forever! Where ya been, dude?!"

You catch the filly in your arms and hug her tight before setting her down.

"Oh, me? I've been going around. Been with my, erm..."

You glance at the three mares behind you.

Best not to say anything too drastic in public yet.

"Friends. I've been with my friends for the past few days."

Offering a smile, it's your turn to ask questions.

"But you, you little shit? You've been gone for almost a month! Where have you been?"

Scootaloo pauses for a moment, and looks down at the ground.

"Uh, I've been, uh... Crusadin'. Doin' stuff. Y'know, the usual."

You raise an eyebrow.

Her tone was a bit off.

"Without Bloom and Belle, I take it?"

She nods.

"Yeah. They don't really wanna do stuff with me anymore, since Apple Bloom got her mark and Sweetie Belle's been outta town with Rarity so much."

That's a damn shame.

"Ah. That's a bummer. Well, what brings you all the way to Windsoar? And who're you with?"

She looks to her left for a moment, thinking.

"Uh... I was gonna ask you the same thing, actually."

She's quick to change the subject, it seems.

Typical.

"Why are you here with... Trixie? And that grey pony? And- Wait, is that Princess Cadance?"

As Scootaloo looks up in awe at the Princess, you look behind you.

You're holding up quite a line...

"C'mere, Scoots," you say, grabbing her. "We'd better get going."

The group starts walking, and Scootaloo starts talking a mile a minute to Cadance about a whole bunch of royal mumbo jumbo.

Her wings flap and spaz idly in your arms as you walk and as she talks.

Most of her words are lost as you start walking, and Cadance pretends to have a conversation.

"ohmigoshohmisgoshIcantbelieveanonymousiswithyouandwhatareyoudoingwhyareyouhereomigoshitscadacne"

Cadance just smiles, nods, and keeps trotting as the filly shoots out words like a machine gun, and humors her.

After a while, the traffic jam is gone, and you're halfway up the stairs.

Your legs are tired as hell, and the altitude is starting to give you a headache.

But you keep going.

Eventually, Scootaloo stops talking, dangling in your arms.

The princess turns her attention forward, and Trixie and 'Tavi are having a chat.

With this, you look down at the bubbly filly.

"Well, anyway. What ARE you here for?"

She looks up at you, a bit surprised.

"Oh, uh, I just... I just wanted to stop by my old place. Say hi to my friends."

Old place?

"Wait, you used to live here?"

"Yep!"

"Huh. Well, that's new."

"Yep."

"Do you know where you're going?"

She nods.

Something wasn't quite right here.

She didn't want to talk much, that's for damn sure.

Ah well. Maybe she doesn't want to say much.

Perhaps her friends are notorious?

Or maybe it's a surprise?

Hah. Classic Scootaloo.

You decide to leave it be, and you keep walking up the stairs.

What seems like hours later, you reach the top.

You set Scootaloo down, and rustle her hair.

"Well, you said you'd better get going?"

"Yeah, I do. Wanna get there so I still got lotsa time to play an' stuff."

You chuckle, scratching her ear.

"Well, all right, you little rascal. I better let you go. Meet be at the Dawnstar Cafe later?"

She nods, smiling. "Sure! When?"

"After the concert. I'm guessing, like, seven?"

She nods again. "Course! I'll try to be there!"

"Great. See you around, Scoots!"

"Later!"

With that, she buzzes off in the opposite direction.

What an adorable little thing...

You look at the trio ahead of you.

"Sweet Celestia, she's adorable," Octavia says, looking at the filly as she runs off.

"I have to agree," Trixie says, "even though I know how troublesome she can be at times."

"She really loves to talk, doesn't she?" asks Cadance.

"Heheh, yeah. A lot. She likes to run and play tag even more."

A collective 'd'awww' comes from the group as the thought of you playing Tag with Scootaloo comes to mind.

After a short pause, Octavia speaks up.

"Well, Anonymous? Trixie? Cadance? I need to do a legal check-in before I go to the concert hall," she says, handing the map to Cadance.

"Here's a map of Windsoar. The hotel is marked, as well as the best places in town to eat, go sightseeing, and all those delightful things. Among them, the Dawnstar Cafe I brought up."

Cadance takes it, nodding at Octavia in thanks.

"Goodbye, dears!" Octavia says, trotting off.

"Farewell, Octavia."

"Goodbye, hun!"

"See ya later, sweetheart."

Some time later

The group has parted ways, for once in quite some time.

Cadance went to the hotel room; she wanted to check in and get most everything ready now.

Even when there's a whole new city to explore, her mind is still in bed...

Trixie took a left, and went downtown.

Her showbiz lifestyle, albeit crude and frowned upon, still stands strong in her heart. She thought perhaps she could put an act together, be it sexual or not.

You, however?

You had nothing to do.

And, a thought crossed your mind.

There's a certain someone you really haven't given the attention she deserves.

Octavia, this whole time, has had hardly any time alone.

With you.

And, oddly enough, she's the whole reason you're here.

And, in a roundabout way, you're the reason she's here.

After making up your mind, you set after following the grey mare.

Hopefully you can make her day a little less dull than it normally would be.

You manage to catch up to her, shouting her name.

"Tavi! Tavi! Hold up!" you yell, jugging up behind her.

She parks for a moment and waits for you.

"Yes, Anonymous? Forget something?" she asks, smiling at you.

God, you love that smile...

And those deep purple eyes...

It sends a little chill up your spine.

Calming some butterflies in your stomach, you continue.

"Oh, not at all. I just didn't want to follow the other two to where they were headed. I wanted to follow you."

She continues trotting forward, an eyebrow raised.

"Oh? And why me? All I'm going to be doing is more boring paperwork and such, alongside other tedious and trivial—"

"Exactly."

She hesitates for a bit, looking up at you with a surprised look.

That must have caught her off guard.

"Come again?"

You smile at her, and try to give her a hopeful look.

"To be frank, I felt like I haven't been spending enough time with you. Just the two of us together -- no Cadance, no Trixie, no anyone. And, if I can make that happen, if I can make your day a little less dull and boring, I'm going to take that chance."

You see a light blush come to her cheeks, and she lets out a little giggle.

And, then, out comes a light sigh.

"You have a point. Cadance and Trixie are both a little clingy."

"A 'little'?"

She chuckles a bit, looking ahead.

"Oh, I'll admit, they're very clingy. I've been longing for some alone time with you, as well. As lovely as Trixie is, my heart's torn in two. It's a little out of balance as it is."

"Well, hopefully I can fix that today."

"You already have."

Octavia really knows how to use her words sometimes...

After a long walk and some small talk, you arrive at whatever this place is.

A giant skyscraper, it seems, in the dead centre of town.

"What's this place?" you ask out of curiosity.

"Another building for foreign affairs," she replies. "Oh, and it doubles as a tourist attraction. The SkyDeck."

Now, that sounded a little interesting.

"Sky deck?"

She nods.

"It's on the 102nd floor of the building. You can step out in a glass box and see the whole city underneath your hooves. I've heard it's amazing, and a bit frightening at the same time."

Oh yeah. Heights.

You didn't like heights much.

"I was thinking of going up there once my business was finished here. Care to join me?"

"Of course I will!"

Anonymous.

What are you doing.

What have you gotten yourself into.

Acutally, fuck it. You've done far worse and far stupider things and you've gotten away with more money, love, and admiration than the fucking queen of England.

Let's do it.

Octavia walks up to the booth, and is directed to a room to the left.

You're told to wait in the lobby.

For three hours.

Joy.

You twiddle your thums, sleep, daydream, and otherwise pass the time as you wait for the business to finish up.

And, finally, retribution, after what seemed like an eternity.

Tavi comes walking out of the antechamber to hell she was in, and waves at you.

"Come come, Anonymous! We don't have much time on our hooves."

You stand, cracking your back and grumbling.

"No, we don't. You spent most of it in that office."

She rolls her eyes at you and smiles.

"You'll have to get used to it, darling. The waiting times get worse as we get to the Hooviet Union, and to even more border-tight areas."

What'd she say?

All you heard was 'darling'.

Heh, you're a darling.

"Ah."

The two of you walk up to an elevator, and Octavia pushes a button.

She would make Stanley proud.

She looks over her shoulder at you.

"Get ready to pop your ears again. Altitude is irritating."

"Yeah, I know. The climb up here was terrible."

"It gets worse."

A sly smile slides on your face.

"I'm not so sure about that."

The elevator doors close, leaving only you two in the room.

And you take total advantage of it.

As Octavia opens her mouth to ask what you meant, you grab her by her shoulders.

With a humph, you hoist her up and bring her into a tight hug.

Just like a teddy bear.

Only this is a pony.

And it's alive.

And you love it to pieces.

"Anonymous..." she grumbles, trying to pretend to be irritated.

You know she loves it, though.

It's now you realize she can't move.

Her forelegs are pointed out, and with the force applied by your hands and gravity pulling her rear down, she can't move them an inch.

Her hind legs dangle below her, idly kicking now and again.

She looks at you with a look that reads 'I am 10,000% done with your shit', and the ears are flopped to the side of her head.

"Put me down, Anonymous." she says bluntly, glaring at you."

"No."

The elevator starts to rise, and you both feel the G-force.

"Put me down!" she commands, glaring harder.

And, as much as she tries to hide it, you see her lips curling into a smile.

"No!"

"Put me down!"

"No!"

"PUT ME DOOOWN!"

She's flailing and kicking lightly with her hind legs.

"Fine, fine, I'll put you down."

"Just one last thing."

"What?"

"Look at me."

Those purple eyes look up into yours.

And you feel that shiver again...

After a moment, you give her a quick peck on the lips, and set her down on the ground.

Her cheeks were shining red through her grey coat.

"Great. Now my shoulders are going to be sore," she pouts.

"Want me to give you a massage later?"

"I honestly don't see how-Wait."

She looks at your hands.

"Those! Those things would-"

She takes a moment to stare at your hands.

"So you want a massage then?"

"Yes."

"Remind me later tonight."

"I'll be sure of it."

You smile, resting back against the wall as you pop your ears.

Floor 87.

Almost there.

*Beep*... *Beep*... *Beep*...

After a long silence, you finally reach floor 102.

You can feel the building swaying a little in the wind.

And you thought heights were scary before...

Chapter 32

The doors swing open, and the two of you step outside.

It's three or four o'clock, it seems.

The sun is bright, and the room is lit up.

Octavia moves forward, taking a hard right.

"Come. The Skydeck is over here."

You nod, following.

Even though you hate heights, you can't help but feel...

Anxious.

Giddy.

Joyful.

...Happy.

You smile, and follow Octavia to the overhang.

There are a couple of tourists here and there.

Some glance, some stare, and others don't care.

But, that doesn't matter.

What matters is that you spend time with the one you love.

After a short walk, you come to a pair of double doors.

Said doors lead to the skydeck.

Octavia grabs one of the handles, looking at you.

"Ready?" she asks, a genuine smile on her face.

There's that shiver again...

You nod.

"I'm ready."

With that, the doors swing open

The light hits your face, reflecting off of the white clouds and the amazing skyline.

There are gigantic, magnificent rainbows here and there, stemming from factories and skyscrapers as the city goes on for miles.

Below, you can see the hustle and bustle of the lively city, as well as the local airsports team doing tricks and maneuvers in the sky as they leave smoke trails.

The buildings shine with a yellow glow, reflecting Celestia's bright, glowing sun.

It's truly a sight to behold.

You close the door behind you, and look down.

It's at least a thousand foot drop, if not much more.

There's no way you'd live if you fell.

But, you don't mind.

You're caught in the beauty of the moment.

After one last glance at the skyline, you sit down and look to your right.

You're face level with Octavia now.

She looks at you with those purple eyes, and that sweet smile.

"Lovely view, isn't it?"

You look back ahead at the skyline.

"No kidding..."

After a pause, you take a deep breath.

So does Octavia, and she plops her head over to lean on your shoulder.

After a moment, you wrap your arm around her, and take a deep breath.

She looks at you with one of her eyes.

"Thank you for coming, Anonymous.”

“Eh, don’t mention it, sweetheart. It wasn’t too big of a deal; Cadance really wanted to go to the hotel room, and –“

"No, no. Not that. I mean, yes, I’m thankful for this, but… I mean you, coming on this trip with me.”

She pauses for a moment to let it sink in.

"It’s been great so far, even though it’s been a little bumpy in spots. I’m glad to have had some time with you, even if it was a bit of a crowd.”

You turn to her, smiling.

“Well, it’s just you and me now. Alone.”

“I kinda missed being able to do this. As much as I love having mares all over me, I can’t help but long for something like… This. The others would pry you off to take me for themselves.”

She nods.

"I’m well aware. That’s why I didn’t risk it.”

You look at her.

“Well… We have the chance now.”

She looks back at you again, her gaze soft and loving.

"I’m glad.”

“So am I." With that, she smiles softly, and her eyes begin to close.

Her head tilts, and you both lean in.

Your lips lock, and you pull her close.

Your hand finds its way to the back of her head, holding her tight as she slides her lips against yours.

You suckle gently, and reach down with your other hand.

She reaches up, and you gently grip her hoof.

After another fleeting moment, your lips part.

You gently press your forehead against hers, and rub noses.

Her eyes open, looking straight into yours with that same soft, caring gaze she's known for.

You do your best to return it, still holding her hoof in hand.

"Anonymous..."

"Octavia..."

After a beat, she gulps, blinks, and lets out a breath.

"I love you..."

Another beat passes, and you grip her hoof a little tighter in your hand.

"I love you too..."

After those words come out of your mouth, there's nothing.

Nothing but the sweet, sweet silence, and the moment being shared.

You both close your eyes, take a deep breath, and bask in the warmth of the sun, each other, and the emotions felt.

After hanging in that lovely limbo for what seemed like an eternity, you pull Octavia close.

You feel her take a deep breath as you wrap your arms around her, and soon after, take her into your arms.

You pick her up, make your way to your feet, and look down at the precious little thing cradled in your arms.

But you didn't want to go.

You didn't want to leave this.

But you had to.

"Going to carry me away, Anonymous?" she asks, looking up at you.

"Just tell me where to go, sweetheart. I'll take you there."

She giggles a bit, and nuzzles your shoulder with her snout. "You really are a loverboy..."

"Anyhow... As much as I hate to leave this, I... Think we should get headed back. I don't have long until recital..."

You both let out a sigh.

"Okay," you say, defeated.

"I'm still glad you did this," she says, trying to lighten the mood.

"So am I."

With that, you push open the doors, find your way to the elevator, and make your way out the building.

After an elevator ride down and another ear pop, you set the greypony down.

She gives you a smile, and flashes a flirty look before stepping outside.

You take a deep breath and follow her, smiling.

You're glad you went...

After you hit the streets and start walking, you look down.

"So. Where we headed now?"

She glances up at you, and then faces forward.

And, after a moment, she stops dead in her tracks.

"Where are we going?"

"I was following you."

"I was following you."

You look at her, a bit shocked.

"What? Why would you follow me?"

"You looked like you were going somewhere!"

"I was! I was following you! I don't know my way around this city!"

"I gave you a map!"

"No, you gave Cadance a map!"

Octavia lets out a sigh, chuckling.

"Well, how convenient."

"Now, if you don't mind telling me, where do we want to-"

"Oh wait, that's right."

"I have rehearsal."

You chuckle and shake your head.

"Sheesh, that kiss really got do your head, didn't it?"

She glances back up at you.

"I just mistook my time, actually. I'm fairly certain it didn't go to my head, Anonymous."

After a moment, you see her smile sweetly.

Then it dawns on you, and you have a chuckle.

"Oh, so it went to your crotch?"

*Smack*

That was the sound of her hoof hitting her face.

"I was going to say heart, dear, but I suppose that answer is no less sufficient..."

Smooth as fuck, Anon.

She lets out an exasperated sigh, shakes her head, and starts walking.

"Now, you might want to head back to the hotel. A thing or two tells me that my colleagues wouldn't take kindly to you."

"And why's that?"

"They're very... Selective. And, much like old grandparents, dislike change. You are quite a jarring transition, since the CSO is comprised of only ponies."

"Ah. I get it."

She nods. "I'm sorry, Anonymous. I can't risk having too many things happen. I'm getting enough flak from them as it is."

You raise an eyebrow.

"Why's that?"

She shrugs.

"I'm not entirely sure myself. I guess I just happened to be the runt of the litter, and now all of the mares belittle me, and all of the stallions shuffle away. It's an odd thing to explain, but it just is the way it is."

"And you just let that happen?"

She sighs.

"What else am I to do? Any resistance I give is met with hostility. There isn't much of a point, really. It's understandable; the mares need to boost their egos up after a night of getting rejected. I suppose I don't mind, since I don't see them anywhere outside of the orchestra."

Your chest is starting to ache a little.

"Ouch. You sure you're okay? I mean, if you tell them about-"

"I'd rather not. It would bring about more problems."

"Oh."

There's a short pause, and Octavia looks down.

"Regardless. I'd better get going. Do you remember your way back to town square?"

"Nope."

"Do you know where the hotel is?"

"Nope."

"How about the cafe?"

"Nope."

"The science museum?"

"Nope."

"The concert hall?!"

"Nope."

"Oh, for the love of- Romantix?"

"Yes..."

She covers her face with her hoof again.

"Sometimes, Anonymous. Anyhow, go there, walk down main street for... Three blocks, take a left, and look to the sky for a sign that reads 'Le Haut'. Prench-Canidan high rise hotel. Hard to miss."

"Got it?"

Running the directions through your head one last time, you nod.

"Sure."

"Good. Now, don't get lost. Or hurt. Or killed. I'm not quite sure what I'd do without you, Anonymous."

With that, she starts to trot off.

"I'll see you tonight."

"Y-Yeah, see ya..."

You start walking.

You're not quite sure where, but you start walking.

Hopefully it's in a general path to the sex shop you saw earlier.

You're a little distracted as you walk.

Those last few words Octavia said are ringing around in your head like a bell.

"I'm not quite sure what I'd do without you."

Did she really mean that?

Those are some pretty powerful words, if you think about it...

You mean so much to her, and you're such an important part of her life, you would absolutely derail it if you disappeared.

That's amazing.

And, upon further thought, you realize that the issue is mirrored.

What if something happened to Octavia?

What if she vanished?

Left?

Died?

What would you do?

Would you cry?

You've hardly ever cried; only when they buried your veteran grandfather, and when your dog died after thirteen long years.

Would you let go?

No, not again; there's too much here waiting for you.

Cadance is in need of a lover, Trixie and Scootaloo, among others, would still need a friend...

And, although there isn't much else, that's enough for you to stick with it.

But, the thought is still harrowing.

What would you do?

In reality, you would probably cling to Cadance like a sucking child does to a teddy bear after a nightmare and eat a box of cheeze doodles while you drank and sobbed.

That's a wonderful thought.

You let out a sigh, and look forward.

There it is; a glowing neon sign, a pair of red glowing lips labeled 'Romantix'.

Okay, now.

She said walk down main street for...

Two blocks?

Wait, no, three?

No, it was two.

And then take a...

Right?

Chapter 33

Fuck.

Well, Octavia said it was a tall building.

'Cant miss it.'

You look up, hopeful for an easy fix.

Well...

No such luck.

Tall buildings surround you.

Not a chance of finding your destination.

After a sigh, you figure you had better do what you do best.

Wing it.

With that, you walk along main street.

Well, 'Mane Street'.

Fucking horse puns.

As you walk along, you look at the fantastic buildings in the cities.

They're a bit smaller than Detrot, but they're much, much more aesthetic.

You WANT to look at most of them, oddly enough.

The pegasi certainly knew what they were doing.

You bring your gaze back down to look at the streets.

Lights are everywhere, and they're more polychrome than Detrot.

Even the damned streetlamps glow rainbows.

Sheesh.

Chuckling to yourself, you keep walking, looking around at the city.

The place you're in appears to be a long road of malls, shops, and such.

Ads and people with shopping bags are abound.

Well, now you know where to go later to get anything you might need.

Oh, hey! Look! It's a toy shop!

You see colts and fillies bouncing about, toys, boxes, and colorful playthings in hand.

Plushies, flags, squirt guns, Legos...

The whole nine yards.

Looks like a nice store, too.

A thought passes your mind, and giving it a shrug, you figure, why the hell not.

Scootaloo would probably love you if you bought her something nice.

From what you can tell, her family must be poor as hell.

She probably never gets anything like this.

With that in mind, you take a step forward into the toy shop.

And immediately regret your decision.

"Whoooa..."

"DUDE!"

"Wow!"

"What the hay is that thing?"

"Mommy!"

"I think it's a monkey."

"It smells funny."

"Why is it bald?"

"EEP!"

Just like that, the little scampering things are on you like white on rice in a glass of milk on a paper plate in a bucket of bleach in a toilet bowl in the middle of a Sibearian snowstorm.

All of them are asking questions, showing various emotions.

Shocked, confused, curious, scared, indifferent, disgusted, surprised, It's like a little rainbow of emotions by your legs.

Chuckling a bit, you carefully sift through the kiddies and make your way to the counter.

The clerk looks up at you.

Older guy, in his 40s, it seems, that has a nice mustache.

Thankfully, he doesn't give off a pedo vibe.

"Well, hello there, big fella!" he says, smiling. " 'Nonymous, right?"

You were a bit surprised, and you look down at him with a cocked eyebrow.

"That would be me. How did-"

"Well, butter my buns an' call me Sally! Hah! Yer the third celebrity to walk in taday!"

He chuckles a bit, absolutely beaming.

"How do you know who I am?"

He almost laughs out loud at you, looking at you in disbelief.

"Really?! REALLY?! HAH! How could Ah NOT know ya?! Yer face is plastered on every newspaper from here ta Canterlot! New arrival from a different land, stands on two legs and ain't got no hair? Yer famous, bucko!"

You smile sheepishly, scratching the back of your neck.

"Well, that's... Good to know, I suppose."

The clerk closes his eyes, shaking his head and letting out another hearty chuckle.

"Anyhow, I got a bit sayin' you ain't here ta jus' talk. How can Ah help ya?"

You look around, relieved that the topic changed.

"I know a filly. I wanted to get her a gift, since I know she's around. Kinda tomboyish, really energetic. What can I get for her?"

He considers your words, scratching his chin.

"Hmm... Well, what does she like? Anythin' in particular stand out?"

You nod.

"Scooters. She loves her little scooter."

"Oh! I know a few things! Wut's yer budget?"

You shrug.

"There really isn't a budget, actually."

The stallion blinks, looking up at you.

After a pause, he coughs a little and gets back on track.

"Hmm, well then. Ah suppose Ah can show ya a few things. Motorized sound fun?"

"Yeah, probably better than manual."

"One of 'em's got a nice battery. It rolls real nice, and it's built to last."

"Best of all, it comes with a mount."

"A mount?"

The old stallion chuckles, nodding.

"Yeah, a mount."

"For what?"

"Two high-powered squirt guns, one on each handlebar

Scootaloo on a high-speed electric scooter with two mounted squirt guns?

She would wreak havoc.

But you know she'd have a total blast doing it.

You were sold!

"All right, sounds perfect for the little filly. How much?"

"With tha helmet, pads, battery, an' everythin' yer gonna need, it'll be around seventy-five bits."

Ouch.

"Seventy five? Sure thing."

Sounds like it'll be worth it.

"Got a warranty, or something?"

He nods.

"Three months."

"Great. That's all I want, then."

With that, you reach into your pouch and start counting out bits.

The cashier watches carefully as you do so, making sure it's right.

Even though he's in a bit of disbelief, he still keeps his senses.

And, after counting all 75, he scoops them all into a bag and sets them aside.

"All righty then. Now, jus' stay right here, son. I'll get you that scooter."

With that, he trots into the back behind a pair of double doors.

He comes back with a large cardboard box.

No stickers, no pictures

Just a cardboard box.

"All righty then, here ya go," he says, setting it on the counter. "Everything's in there -- squirt guns, all the parts, and a charged battery."

"Anythin' else, mister?"

Cadance is already going to kill you.

No sense making it worse.

"Nah, just the scooter."

"Sounds good," he says, smiling wide. "Thank you. Have a good day."

"That filly's gonna loooove you..."

You chuckle, turning around and headed out the door.

"Oh, yes, I know she will."

With that, you kick open the doors and walk out.

You hear the other kids making a ruckus behind you as you leave, and giggle a bit.

Adorable little things...

You make your way down the streets, trying to find your way back to your hotel.

And you were hopelessly lost.

Great.

You're half-tempted just to walk back to the sex shop.

You'd probably find Cadance there, anyway.

Damned nympho.

After a disgruntled sigh, you look forward.

The colorful lights are amazingly bright.

It's almost like it's daylight out...

As you're walking, you suddenly feel something tug on your trousers.

Must be snagged on something.

Confused as hell, you look down, and see a pair of bright purple eyes looking back up at you.

"HEY ANON!"

You blink, taken by surprise.

After a beat, you pull out of the traffic of the sidewalk and respond.

"Hey Scoots," you say, looking down at her. "What's up? Didn't you say you were going to a friend's house?"

She nods. "Well, yeah! I am! I just wanted to stop by the toy store first before I went over! I just walked out and I saw you walking in! And you just walked out with a big box."

As soon as she mentions this, you scramble to look at the box and see if there's a logo or anything on it that might spoil the surprise.

After finding nothing, you nod.

"Yeah, I got somethin' for a friend of mine."

"Oh, cool! Who?"

"Oh, the grey one you saw earlier."

"Oh, the fancy one I heard about. The one that got her cello wrecked at the gala?"

That brings out a deep internal sigh from your chest.

"Yyyes, that one..."

You heard that story at least once a month, whenever she was in a bad mood.

Which was almost never, thankfully, but still.

"Octavia's her name."

"Why'd you go into a little kid's store, though? Wouldn't she want something more, like, grown up?"

that sends so many thoughts through your head

pull your shit together son you need to keep up the ruse

"Reasons."

Good Enough

Scoots gives you a quzzical look. "Uh, okay, I guess. What're you doing now?"

"Trying to find my way through this concrete jungle. I need to find my way to the hotel."

Immediately, her face brightens, and she beams up at you.

"I-I can help you with that! I know this town better than my own tail!"

"Really now?"

Really.

That was unexpected.

"Come here often, I take it?"

"Once a year, usually. Visit family and friends and stuff."

"Oh, nice."

You've never seen her family.

That's an odd thought, but not surprising.

Whoever they are, they must not be around much.

They probably have jobs working at the rainbow factory or something.

"Where you staying?"

After a moment of thought, she responds.

"Place called Bellevue. South of the city, on a smaller cloud."

Must be some hotel or some apartment complex.

"Ah, gotcha."

"Anyway, mind leading me back to the hotel? 'Lay Hot', or something. It's Prench?"

"Wow, that place? I'm surprised you don't have a top hat and a curly mustache like a guy in Ponopoly."

"Royalty has perks," you say. "Cadance and Octavia booked the rooms, so..."

"Yeah, I can see that. Anyway, come on, let's go."

After a short walk and some small talk, you're at the front door of the hotel.

As the two of you walk up to the front door, Scoots looks up at you.

"This is it!"

"Great. I had better get up there and tell Candy I'm here."

"Candy?"

FUCK.

Scootaloo starts to giggle a little, covering her mouth with her hoof.

"Y-You mean... Cadance?"

She starts giggling even harder.

God damnit.

You look down at her with a bit of a serious look.

"Look, Scoots? I didn't say that. Don't tell anyone."

She starts giggling uncontrollably.

"Y-you-heheheh! Y-You... O-okay, I'll shut up... Heheheh."

Letting out a sigh, you nod.

"Thanks, Scoots. Meet me at the cafe after the concert?"

"Y-Yeah. Sure."

She was still giggling like an idiot.

And, as irritated as you are, you can't stay mad with that adorable giggle and that cute face.

You smile, and step inside of the hotel.

"See ya later."

"See ya, 'Non. Heheheh, Candy..."

Chapter 34

After a talk with the receptionist, an elevator ride full of fresh memories, and a short walk, you open the door to the hotel room.

The first thing you see is Cadance's giant pink ass parked on the couch as she watches TV.

As the view sets in, you take a moment just to admire it.

You don't even think it can compare to some of the magazines you've seen.

Nice and round, with a bit of a shelf on the sides, but not too incredibly exaggerated.

Like the battleship you saw at the strip club...

Fuck, that mare's asscheeks were twice as big as her head.

As your thoughts drift off into wondrous daydreams of booty, Cadance notices where your attention is focused.

"Surprise, surprise. Enjoying the view?" she asks, smiling at you.

All you can do is nod.

"Uh, yeah."

She giggles playfully, and beckons you with her hoof.

"Come over here. I'm getting a little lonely."

Your dick, at this point, has assumed total control, and you find yourself walking over to Cadance without ever thinking about it.

You plop down next to that ass, and rest one of your arms on Cadance.

"Feel free to get comfy. Those clothes probably aren't comfy to sit in."

"Yeah, good point."

They were actually really nice.

But, well, the mare's telling you to strip.

With that, you take off your shirt and toss it to the side.

You unbutton your pants, as well, and slide those off.

In a moment's notice, all you have left on is your boxer briefs and your socks.

You assume your previous position, right arm on Cadance and left arm on your crotch.

The couch was nice, and you were able to relax.

"That smell... Is that..."

"Pie?"

Cadance turns to you.

"You tell me. I'm looking at it right now."

"Getting right to the point, are we?" you ask, smiling at Cadance.

Cadance starts getting up, and looks at you,

"It's been too long since we've been alone, Anonymous," she says, crawling over to you.

After a brief thought, you realize something.

"Wait, has it even been two days?"

Suddenly, you see Cadance on top of you, straddling you as she looks down.

"Either way, it's felt like ages, Anonymous. You really need to work on keeping your women in check. I need a lot of love-I'm the princess of love, for Tia's sake."

You smile knowingly, and chuckle as you shoot her what you hope is a seductive look.

"Oh, I get it. So you're like Queen Chy-"

Your sentence is cut short as Cadance presses her lips aggressively against yours.

After a fleeting moment, she pulls back and stares at you with lustful eyes.

"Quite. Now, shut that loose mouth of yours."

You knew she'd say that eventually.

You had prepared for this.

"Well, then how am I supposed to eat with my mouth closed?"

Immediately, Cadance scrunches her nose at the witty retort.

And, then, her face softens, and she looks down back at you with that same look.

"You haven't even had breakfast yet, have you, hun?"

You shake your head.

"Nope. Still waiting on that damned waffle. I can smell it heating up."

"Well, then, by all means, Anonymous..."

With that, she turns around, rear facing you.

She lowers herself down and sits on your face with a plop.

Having been given no warning, you gasp and recoil in surprise at the sudden pink booty assault.

But soon, you get used to the pressure, the lovely view, and the taste.

Your mouth opens wide and your tongue rests, ready to start.

Cadance looks down at you, and lets out a light hmmph.

"Dig in whenever you feel like it. I'm certain you're hungry after all of that walking you've done today."

She was damned right.

But you're going to make her suffer first.

You let out a deep breath just to tease, and you feel her shake a bit as your breath tickles her skin.

And then, slowly, your tongue slides out, and starts to drag along her nethers.

You run along the tender things slowly and gracefully, and you reach up to grab her hind quarters to pull her in.

They're soft, plush, and fun to grab.

Especially since she makes adorable little noises every time you give them a squeeze.

You pull her closer, and force your face into her puffy crotch.

Cadance lets out a deep breath of relief, and you can feel her heart beating.

Eventually, your tongue builds up the courage to slither into the cave.

After one last short breath, you dive in, enticing a gasp.

She pushes down on your face and slides forward slowly, trying to get into it.

Her pace picks up rather quickly, and before long, she's just grinding on your face.

Her forelegs pin your legs down, and she shakes her ass back and forth.

When you open your eyes, you can see it jiggle.

You let out a groan as you push back, and start exploring deeper.

The tip of your nose wedges its way into Cadance's puckered hole every time she grinds back.

You raise your right hand as she grinds, and bring it down on her mark with a resounding slap.

She yelps in surprise and pain, and her cheek starts to glow red.

"Anonymous!"

She glares at you.

"Yo-!"

*SMACK*

"WAH!"

You chuckle darkly as she arches her back.

"Surprise!"

You both pause for a moment.

That moment soon stretches out into a long pause, filled with heavy breathing and glares.

"You... You've made... A gutsy move..."

You smile slyly.

"I know. I was trying to encourage you to return the favor."

"And now I know damned well I'm going to."

"Bend over."

The pain in your chest starts to grow.

It was there a little before, but it was getting worse.

Your heart starts to race, and you grasp your chest.

"Wait, what?"

"I said, bend over," she growls, getting up from on top of you.

You blink, a bit stunned at her tone of voice.

"But, Candy, I-"

"Bend. Over," she says forcefully, glaring down at you as she stands tall.

Just as you're about to comply, Cadance grabs you and flips you onto your belly.

She grabs your ass and hoists it up with force.

You look like you're about to take it up the ass.

And, a little bit inside of you fears that you actually are.

Cadance grumbles a bit.

"If only I had Ol' Nessie here... I think Shiny still has it back home."

*gulp*

"I suppose I can make ends meet, however."

*SMACK*

"OW!"

Your ass burns like hell, and you recoil at the smack.

Cadance was a lot stronger than you remembered.

"Oohoohooh! That one sounded like it hurt!"

Your ass still stings, and as much as you want to roll over on your side, you can't.

Cadance would probably smack you again.

"Where was I? Oh, yes."

*SMACK*

"GAH!"

Your back arches and you grit your teeth.

Now, both cheeks are glowing bright.

Your chest is starting to hurt even worse, and you start to breathe heavier.

Cadance chuckles a bit at your misfortune, finally getting off of you after what felt like forever.

"You're even louder than Shining!"

She chuckles darkly, and pushes down on your hips to flatten you out on the couch.

"I'll have to remember that!"

As you plop down on your belly, you groan in pain, praying for mercy.

Your ass is still prickling with pain, and you can feel your buns burning.

Cadance looks you over, contemplating.

"What to do now. Well, I don't have any rope, but I suppose the bedsheets might do well."

After an uneasy groan from Cadance, she looks back at you.

"I had better not get ahead of myself, I suppose. I don't want to break you. Yet."

You let out a groan and roll over onto your back.

One of your hands holds your chest in pain.

You groan a bit, and Cadance looks down at you.

And, immediately, that seductive look on her face melts off.

"Oh. Shit."

She grimaces a bit, and steps up to you.

"Your chest is still bugging you?"

You nod, gritting your teeth.

Cadance lets out a worried sigh, shaking her head.

"Damn it. Damn it!"

You can see the regret hit her like a mac truck as she realizes what's going on.

"Are you okay, hun?"

You nod, groaning.

You know you'll be fine; it isn't the tormenting pain you've felt before.

But by Jones does it hurt still.

Cadance sighs again, looking around the room.

"Great, and the doctor is still in Detrot, isn't she?"

As she looks for a phone in a panic, you muster the strength to speak.

"I-I-I'll be fine, Cadance, jus-Just give me a minute."

After covering her face with her hoof in embarrassment, she starts rattling off an apology at a thousand words a minute.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry, I just completely blew it off that you were still hurt and I just wanted to get a little rough because I like it rough and I wanted to try it with you again without me being all jealous and stuff because that was bad and just-"

"SHH!"

Immediately, she stops and blinks, looking at you.

She seems to get the hint.

Her head drops and she trots over to the couch, hopping in.

She drags you into a hug, and snuggles against you.

She nuzzles her head into your shoulder, and you wrap an arm around her to pull her close.

You look at her, into those purple eyes.

"Let me know if you need anything, okay?"

"Mmmhmmm..."

"I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, Cadance."

"No, really, I'm sorr-MMMMPH"

You grab her snout and keep her mouth shut.

"It's fine. Now, just... Let's rest."

"MmmHmm..."

You rest your head, and let out a sigh of relief.

Cadance gets comfortable, adjusting herself and resting her head on your chest.

You close your eyes, and try not to focus on the pain in your chest.

Slowly, ever so slowly, it starts to fade away as your heart rate slows.

You finally manage to relax, and you start to drift off to sleep.

Some time later, you wake up from your nap.

Cadance is nudging you to get up.

"Come on, sleepy head. Get up. We have to get going."

You groan a bit in response, and turn to face her.

"What? Where? Can't we just-"

*YAAAWN*

"Five more minutes?"

Cadance scrunches her nose at the smell of your breath, and shakes her head.

"No. You have a date tonight, remember?"

You blink.

"A date?"

"With the little orange filly that adores us?"

It takes a moment for that to sink in, but you eventually manage to retort.

"Uh, that's not a date. She's still a blank flank."

Cadance smiles devilishly, and giggles.

"That didn't stop me when I was that age~"

Fucking Cadance.

"Well, you're a different story," you say, standing up off of the couch.

"What time is it?"

"Quarter to seven."

Quarter to seven.

When were you meeting Scoots at the cafe?

"You have fifteen minutes, dear."

Fuck.

"All right, hold on, let me put my clothes on."

Cadance rolls her eyes at you.

"I'll never understand you, and your clothing. Why is it always such an issue?"

You shrug.

"It's just how it was back home, I guess."

"Weird."

After your little exchange, you finish getting dressed.

Just a t-shirt, a pair of jeans, underwear, socks, shoes, and a pair of shades in your pocket.

The sun was bad up, in Windsoar.

"I'm ready."

"Okay, hun. I'll see you in a bit."

You take a double take as you walk out the door, and glance at Cadance before you shut it.

"You aren't coming?"

She shrugs.

"I don't really know the filly, and I doubt you want to explain to her our... Erm..."

"Whatever the hell you call this. A harem, I think?"

After a beat, you nod.

"Yeah, that."

After another beat, Cadance interjects again.

"I've only seen it practiced in Saddle Arabia. And with us."

"Well, aren't we just special?" you reply sarcastically.

After a chuckle you both share, you wave goodbye.

"See you soon, Candy."

"Toodles."

After a fifteen minute walk, you find your way to the cafe.

Thankfully you nabbed the map off of the counter on your way out.

No getting lost today!

You step inside, and the aroma of baked goods, coffee, and caramel hit your nose.

You smile, and look around the cafe.

After a quick glance, Scootaloo waves at you, sitting at a table in the corner.

You make your way over, plopping down on the seat opposite of her.

"Hey Scoots," you say, adjusting yourself.

"Hey Anon," she replies, smiling "What's up? Long time no see, man!"

Man.

She's the only one that can call you 'man'.

She's the only one you told.

You smile, and offer a shrug.

"Up until now, not much. Until Octavia invited me to go on the tour with the Canterlot orchestra, it's been pretty dull."

"Orchestra? You mean, like, that big string band or whatever? The fancy one?"

You nod.

"Yep, that's an orchestra."

"Oh, cool," she responds, grabbing the menu and giving it a lookover.

"Not really my kinda thing, though, but I get it. Did you, like, invite the princess along too?"

You nod.

"Yeah, she needed a vacation from running the empire, I take it. Since she knew me, she decided to hop on."

Scootaloo's eyes grow bright as she smiles.

"That's so cool! I wish I could see the princess!"

"Scoots? You already have. And you're good friends with another princess.'

She chuckles a bit, sliding the menu over.

"Twily doesn't count! She told me she isn't a princess anyway, and that she has just as much trouble flying as I do!"

Flying.

Poor Scoots can't fly yet.

Well, at least she's light hearted about it.

Poor filly.

You give the menu a quick lookover, and decide you don't have much of an appetite after your last meal.

A cup of coffee will do.

You slide it to the left, to the wall, and look back up at Scoots.

"I suppose. Makes sense. I guess I kinda came around after most of this happened, huh?"

"Yeah, you're a late boomer. Maybe that's why we get along good."

The waiter, eventually, trots by.

An orange earth pony greets you with a surprisingly bright smile, complete with freckles and a blush.

She trots up with a bit of pep in her step, and a bit of joy in her green eyes.

As she reaches the table, she pulls out a notepad from her blonde mane.

"'Ello!" she says, pulling out a pen and standing on her hind legs.

Wait, how is she holding that pen?

"You ready to order?"

Shaking the paranormal pony physics out of your mind, you nod and look up at her.

"Yes, yes we are. I'd just like a cup of coffee. Black, please."

She nods, scribbling down on the pad.

Then, she turns to Scootaloo.

"And for you?"

Scootaloo shrugs.

"Eeeh, I jus' wanna hot chocolate. Whipped cream! I want whipped cream too!"

The waitress nods, putting her pad back in her mane and looking between the two of you.

"That all?"

You both nod.

"Yep."

"Yeah."

The waitress smiles brightly again, and trots off.

"It won't be long!"

As she walks off, you notice her mark.

An orange.

"What the hey kinda mark is an orange?" Scootaloo asks.

Evidently you were both looking at the same thing.

After clearing your throat, you shrug.

"I'unno. Maybe owns an orchard like Applejack?"

"Probably."

After a pause, you readjust yourself and sit back.

"Sooo, Scoots. What about you? What have you been up to this summer?"

"Eeeh, not much," she says, leaning on one of her forelegs. "With the Crusaders pretty much disbanded, I've just been kinda... I dunno. Floating around. Like a cloud in the Everfree."

This filly doesn't know how fucking depressing she is.

And you just realized you forgot her gift.

Wonderful.

You'll have to get it to her later.

"Ah. That's a shame. Friends come and go with time."

"Yeah, I guess. I just wish it wasn't so sudden."

"Hey, they're still friends, though, right?"

She shrugs.

"They don't talk to me much any more. I guess part of it's because I'm away a lot, but still."

"Oh. Well, if you ever need a friend, I'll be around."

"When I get back from the tour, anyway."

She doesn't respond, and instead sits there in silence for a couple of minutes.

Finally, the silence is broken as the bubbly orange mare comes trotting back with a tray.

She sets it down on the table, and you see two cups.

One with a fragrant black coffee, and the other with a whipped cream topping.

And a cherry.

Nice.

"Enjoy!" she says, trotting off without another word.

You grab your cup and raise it up to take a sip.

It's hotter and more bitter than the flames of hell themselves.

Just how you like it.

You let out an 'ahh', and you look up to see Scootaloo holding her cup with both hooves.

She raises it to her lips, and takes a little sip.

Whipped cream finds its way onto her snout and lips, and you can't help but chuckle.

Soon, she realizes what she did too, and chuckles herself.

"Good stuff?"

She nods.

"Really good."

For the next few minutes, the two of you sit there, idly sipping on your drinks as the sun sets.

Most of the rest of the night is small talk.

Catching up on a few other things

Talking about Scootaloo's crush

Talking about the CSO

A few bad words about Trixie

Nothing out of the ordinary.

But, finally, Scootaloo sets her cup down with a crude burp.

"Good out."

"Heh, thanks."

You look out the window.

The sun has set on the city.

"It's getting late, Scoots. Think it's time for me to take you home?"

She shakes her head.

"Nah, man. It's fine. I can walk home."

"No, Scoots, I'm walking you home. It's the least I can do.

She shakes her head again.

"No, seriously. It's probably a bad idea."

You raise an eyebrow.

"Why's that?"

"Uh, my family? They might not... Y'know... Like... Humans?"

There was an odd tone in her voice.

She's full of shit.

But no sense in riling her up.

"Ah, gotcha," you say, nodding.

"Need anything before you head out?"

She nods, standing out of the booth.

"Yeah, one thing."

You get out of the booth as well.

"And what's that?"

Scootaloo bends her four legs and pounces, clinging onto your chest with a death grip.

Her wings buzz and she nuzzles your chest.

"Gimme a hug, ya big lug."

You return the hug, chucking.

"All right, Scoots. I'll see you around."

She gets off of you, nodding.

After flashing another bright smile, she starts trotting.

"Yeah, see ya 'round!"

She trots right out the door, and you follow close behind.

You stop and watch as she trots down the sidewalk.

And, once she's a safe enough distance away, you start to follow her.

You need to see what's up.

The sun is set, and the streetlights are on.

Tracking Scootaloo in the mostly-empty streets at this time of night isn’t particularly easy, but it’s possible.

You follow her as she trots down the streets.

And, it’s quite a trot.

You’re going all the way across town, it seems.

After what seems like an eternity, you see Scoots look forward in interest at a large, white brick wall.

About 8 feet tall, it seems.

Scootaloo’s pace slows a bit, and yours does as well so as to not catch up with her.

You watch closely as Scootaloo trots on the sidewalk, along the wall white brick wall.

It stands out, no doubt.

Must be surrounding some park, or some campground, you imagine.

Eventually, you see Scootaloo come across a gate.

”Bellevue”, it’s labeled, on a large, metal arch bending over the metal gate.

The dull architecture gives off a sort of gothic feel.

The spiked posts on the fence, the décor on the metal arch

This must be some old camp.

Maybe some old walled condo complex or something.

Either way, you’ve never really seen anything like this before.

Scootaloo walks up to the gate, and tugs.

It’s locked.

She grumbles, and after a moment of contemplation, she leaps up.

The daring little filly starts climbing the fence!

You watch, making sure she doesn’t get hurt.

And, thankfuklly, she doesn’t.

She makes it over the fence, and you hear her land with a pomf.

No screams?

No groans?

Good, it was a safe landing.

You walk up to the gate yourself, curious.

You look it over.

“Bellevue…” you mutter.

You swear you’ve heard that name before.

Must’ve been in a movie or something.

And, with your knowledge of roots, it probably means ‘beautiful view’ in some romantic language.

With a shrug and without a clue, you decide to follow Scoots.

Even though you can hardly see a damned thing past the fence, you still climb.

No sunlight shines, and no streetlight shines beyond the wall.

Going to have to watch your landing.

With a grunt, you grab a bar and heave.

And, with a few more steps, grips, and grunts, you make your way to the top of the fence.

You straddle the brick wall for a moment, and look straight down.

You don’t see anything you can land on.

With that, you slide over and jump.

You land with a thud.

It was a rather high fall, and your feet hurt, but nothing ridiculous.

You shifted your weight to your knees as you landed to reduce the impact.

There’s something to your right.

You look, and…

It’s a rock.

A big ass rock.

Whoo, lucky you missed that one.

That thing probably would have hurt if you landed on it.

It Looks like it’s—

That isn’t a rock.

Immediately, you squint, and bring your face closer to the stone.

You can make out…

Engravings.

Words, even.

"Here lies: Astra L Bolt”

”965 NM – 3 LR”

"Once a flier, always a flier.”

Chapter 35

As it dawns on you exactly what Bellevue is, your worry only grows.

Where has Scootaloo gone?

Immediately, you bolt up to your feet, and look around.

You start your search, jogging around the headstones and through the cemetery.

You don’t yell, however.

Not only are you in a bit of shock, but also, you don’t feel it’s a good idea to let Scootaloo know you’re looking for her.

She might run off.

You keep looking, and for the longest time, you can’t find a single trace of her.

After passing hundreds of headstones and dozens of trees, you’re about to give up.

Until you see her purple tail peeping from behind a headstone.

You calmly walk over to her, looking down in worry.

You manage to walk up to her without her reacting.

She’s sleeping, it looks like, curled up right next to some pony’s headstone.

"Roy G. Biverly & Color Wheel”

”NM 954-999, NM 957-999”

”Died in tornado accident”

”Love is life’s left hook!”

You look at Scootaloo still sleeping soundly.

And a lump in your throat starts to grow..

And, for the first time in as long as you can remember, you can feel a tear coming to your eye.

After letting out a shaky sigh, you go to a knee beside Scootaloo.

You slowly reach down and pick the sleeping filly up in your arms.

She grumbles a bit, and looks up at you with wide eyes.

"Huh? A-Anon? What’re you?”

She scrambles a bit, and tries to get out of your arms.

”Anon! Why did you?!”

She manages to break free, and you let her go.

You sigh, and cover your face with her hand as she glares up at you.

"Dude! I—I told you not to follow me here! Why did you just?!”

Her jaw is agape, and she glares her hardest at you.

You do your best to look up at her, and gulp.

“Scootaloo, I was worried. I didn’t know where you were staying, and I didn’t think that you were—“

”S-So?! Don’t you think I can handle myself?! I’m all grown up now, even though my flank is blanker than blank! I don’t-I don’t need to—!”

She looks at you, then at the headstone, then back at you.

“Scootaloo, please, I’m just trying to look after you, I’m worried—“

"Well, I’ve made it this far all by myself! Why would I need someone to help me now?!”

You look down in defeat, and pinch the bridge of your nose.

“I’m not saying that, Scootaloo. Please, just listen to me.”

"Why should I?! You didn’t listen to me!”

"Please. Friend to friend. We've been friends since we met, Scoots. Can't you just let me talk for a minute?"

At this, she scrunches her nose, and grumbles.

You can hear her choking up a bit, too.

"F-Fine. But you had better make it quick. I wanna get to sleep."

After another sigh, you muster the strength to continue.

"Please, Scootaloo. Don't keep going on your own like this. I know you can handle yourself-I've seen you before, and I'm proud of you."

She smiles a bit, and you know you're doing something right.

"But, Scoots, I'm worried. I'm worried that this is too much for you. I'm worried that you're not getting what you deserve. This isn't any place to sleep at night. You need a bed, and blankets, not just the grass, and..."

You grit your teeth a bit and pause for a moment.

Scootaloo picks up the silence.

"A-Anon, I... I get it. But, I don't know what to do! Nopony wants to take in a stray filly that can't even fly!"

That phrase hits you like a slug to the gut.

"Scoots?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you so sure about that?"

There's another long pause, and Scootaloo takes a step closer.

"What?"

"Look right in front of you, Scoots. I'm willing to help."

She blinks.

"Y-You're joking. You can't."

"And why not?"

"You're with the princess, dude! And that grey mare, and... Trixie! Three really famous ponies! You can't take me along?"

"And why not?"

She scrunches her nose again.

"Y-You! That's just!"

"I can't just let one of my best friends just rot away like this. I can't believe you never brought anything like this up. I didn't even know who your parents were."

After a moment of thought, it hits you.

"Do your crusaders know?"

"No..."

"Does Rainbow Dash know?"

"N-No..."

"Does -anybody- know?"

Scootaloo sniffles, and wipes her eyes on one of her forelegs.

"I-I didn't wanna bother anyone... And I didn't wanna go back to the orphanage here in Windsoar. The kids there picked on me because of my wings, and—I didn't wanna go back. Never ever."

You swallow again, trying to subdue the lump in your throat.

"You won't. Don't worry."

She reaches forward and hugs you, resting her head on your shoulder.

"Are you really gonna...?"

You nod.

"Of course. It's what friends are for."

"Wh-What's that?"

"Being there. Willing to put friends before yourself. It's what I try to do."

With that, you grab her tight and hoist her up.

She rests her body on your shoulder, and you hold her like you hold a baby.

"Anon?"

"Yes, Scoots?"

"I'm sorry."

You sigh, and pat her on the back.

"Don't be. You don't need to be."

"You didn't deserve any of this. Not at all."

You start walking back to the main gate, and the filly gets comfortable on your shoulder.

The walk is mostly in silence, but as you near the gate, you decide it's time to brighten the mood.

"Scootaloo?"

"Huh?"

"You remember that box I was carrying earlier?"

"Yeah?"

"You know what was in it?"

"No?"

You smile.

"Well, tell me, does the UltiMax Scooter-Shooter Mk. III ring a bell?"

Dear god, was Scootaloo overjoyed when you brought up the scooter.

She actually flew for a second or two before plopping to the ground.

Then, she proceeded to prance around your feet in a display of absolute glee.

It was adorable, and your heart almost exploded.

After giving her a noogie and telling her that her present was at the hotel, you make your way back.

After a long ass walk through Windsoar, you finally come up on your hotel.

Scootaloo is excited as ever; not only does she get to see her new scooter, but also she gets to see all of the mares you've talked so highly.

Well, spare Trixie.

She wasn't so anxious to meet that 'piece of work', as the little filly deemed her.

But, regardless, the filly practically radiated happiness and excitement.

That's all you could ask for, after what you saw in the cemetery.

After a smile at the filly, you brace yourself, and raise your fist.

*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*

"Who is it?" Cadance asks.

"It's Anonymous. I'm back from my date."

Scootaloo immediately shoots a shocked look at you.

"Date?!"

You laugh out loud at her reaction, and look down at her.

"Cadance was just teasing me earlier, saying you were a date. It's nothing, Scoots."

"I thought you were dating that grey pony!"

"I am."

"...Oh."

After chuckling and shaking your head, you hear the door swing open.

It's Cadance who answered the door, and Octavia is plopped down on the couch like a potato.

"Hello, Anonymous!" Cadance says, looking up at you.

She doesn't even notice Scootaloo.

"Hello!" you reply, smiling as you kneel down to get at face-level.

Without any hesitation at all, Cadance cranes forward and gives you a quick peck.

"Glad to have you back, hun. How did it go?"

After a blink, you look down, and then back up at Cadance.

"Uh... How about you ask Scootaloo herself?"

Cadance's immediate change in expression was so drastic, you could almost hear glass shatter in the background.

She looks down, immediately spotting the orange filly.

"Uh... Hi," Scootaloo says, her jaw low at the scene she just witnessed.

Cadance blinks a couple of times, before finally coming back to her senses.

"Why, hello little... Scootaloo," she says, a bit in shock.

You look at Cadance.

She looks at you.

"Anonymous? I sincerely hope that she-"

"She's not going to rat on us," you say, cutting her off. "I trust Scootaloo more than anyone."

"Well, other than you two, of course."

"You had better," Cadance says, motioning for you to come inside.

"Come, take a seat. We were just brewing some tea."

"And coffee for you!" Octavia shouts, waving at you from the other side of the room.

Smiling, you step in.

And Scootaloo follows close behind.

As Cadance notices Scootaloo trotting inside, she raises an eyebrow.

"I take it she's here to pick up her present?" she asks, a bit of concern on her face.

You sigh, and scratch the back of your neck.

"Okay, Candy? I need to talk to you. You and Octavia."

This piques both of their attentions, and they look at you quizzically.

"What about?" Cadance asks, glancing at Scootaloo.

Octavia remains silent, but attentive.

With another sigh, you look at Scootaloo.

"Hey, Scoots. Can you prance down to the lobby and get me a soda from the machine?"

You pull out two bits and hand them to her.

"Uh, sure."

"Get yourself something, too. And come right back."

"Got it! Thanks!"

With that, she's out the door and down the stairway.

You close the door behind her and turn back to the two mares.

"Is something the matter?" Octavia asks, finally speaking up.

You let out a long, drawn-out sigh.

"...Scootaloo."

The mares both look at you with a bit of concern.

"What about her?" Cadance asks, looking genuinely concerned.

"It's... It's a really long story, hun."

"We have all night," Octavia says, holding a steaming cup of tea.

"I suppose so."

You walk up and take a seat by the two, and hang your head a bit.

"Cadence?" you ask, managing to look up.

"Yes?"

You brace yourself, and after a short pause and a courage buildup, you finally let the words out.

"What was it you said that day about wanting to be a mother?"

Chapter 36

The silence dawns on the group, and the stares you get are radical.

The princess chokes a bit on her next sip, and tries to clear her throat as she speaks.

"I-*cough*... I, uh... Come again?"

Octavia stares at you with wide eyes as well.

"Anonymous? Take a couple steps back, please," Octavia says, setting down her cup.

"That was quite a... Jump," Cadance says, still clearing her throat.

You take a deep breath and ready yourself to explain.

""Okay, so. After Scootaloo and I had a drink at the cafe, she said she wanted to walk home. By herself."

"Uh-huh?"

"Yes, and?"

"Well, I followed her. And I was in for a bit of a surprise, once I saw where exactly she was staying."

"Where was she staying?" Octavia asks.

"Well, ever heard of a place called 'Bellevue'?"

Octavia nods.

"Yes, I have. That's the cemetery - couple of our orchestra members stop by there every year we tour. What about the place?"

You give Octavia a depressed look, and bite your tongue before you speak.

"That's where she went. She was sleeping by an old headstone."

Octavia looks down at the floor, a little surprised, and a little worried.

Cadance does the same, only she looks more stressed; she must know where this is going.

"I read the headstone. Concerning nobody in Ponyville has ever once seen, heard of, or heard from Scootaloo's parents or relatives, I could only assume whose headstones those are."

Cadance sits back in her chair a bit, her gaze distant.

She must be thinking.

Octavia, however, glares at you.

But not out of anger.

Out of an influx of emotions taking over her expressions.

"But I've seen Scootaloo in town for years! Where has she been staying? How did she feed herself? What did--"I'm not sure," you say, cutting her off. "Nobody's sure, and I doubt she's about to tell anyone."

"But there's one thing I do know."

Octavia tilts her head, one ear flopping down.

"And what's that?"

"She needs a home, a role model, and a lot more love and attention than she's getting right now."

"I think we have plenty to share."

Octavia remains silent for a bit, and Cadance finally decides to butt in.

She doesn't even look at you as she speaks; she's staring at the ceiling, thinking.

"Her parents. Do you remember their names?"

You think for a moment.

One name comes to mind, but the other slips.

"Roy G. Biverly. He was one of the ones on the headstone."

Cadance nods.

"I remember hearing about that. Vaguely. A few months before Luna's return, a group of pegasi from Windsoar was trying to vaccum out water from like Muleon. There was an accident, and many were injured. Three died."

"Two of those three were a couple. They had two daughters. One was old enough, and had moved to Cloudsdale. The other one was orphaned."

She takes a moment to contemplate, and then lets out a sigh.

"I remember that day. Sister had to go and condole the angry crowds. She wasn't happy."

The silence comes back for a while, until Octavia mutters.

"So... You want us to take care of Scootaloo?"

"All of us. Together. She needs a true home."

"I have no objections," Octavia says.

Cadance sighs a bit, and nods.

"I suppose. I can't just say no, after knowing what happened; I wouldn't wish such a thing on my worst enemy."

"I just hope that Trixie doesn't feel cross with Scootaloo, and vice versa, after her troubles in Ponyville."

After a beat, she continues.

"And I pray she isn't too much of a block for our private time."

You grumble a bit.

"You'll find a way. I know you will."

The three of you chuckle a bit, and then it goes straight back to silence.

Until you hear someone pounding on the door.

Very violently.

She must be anxious to get back and see her scooter.

"Come in," you holler.

"DANNAZIONE!"

*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*

"ZE DOOR IS LOCKED!"

*POUND POUND POUND*

OPEN UP BEFORE I GUT YOU, YOU-"

"[angry Itailian noises]"

The two mares look at the door, dumbfounded.

Octavia turns to you, looking worried.

"We forgot the doctor, didn't we?"

You nod.

"Eeyup."

Cadance sighs, shakes her head, and turns to you both.

"Anonymous, can you get the door?"

"Uh, sure."

Letting out a grumble, you get out of your chair and walk to the door.

As you walk up to it, the doctor is still shouting in her native tongue.

Whatever she's saying, it isn't nice.

As you unlock the door and pull the door handle, the shouting ceases.

"Vhat ze hell vere you thinking?! You just -left- me! In ze dust! I had no idea vhat happened!"

"Do you have any idea how awful it vas to find you?! My head is pounding! My legs are sore! I almost got mugged!"

"Not to mention I haven't eaten yet, and it's almost ten at night!"

The bitchfest continues, and all you can do is let out a sigh.

"and then I had to go through this whole awful place full of plotholes and flankhats, and then I--"

"DOC!"

She immediately halts, and looks up at you.

"Are you going to come in, or are you going to try and wake the neighbors with your bitching?"

She blinks, a bit surprised at your retort.

And, then, she grumbles, lowers her head, and trots past you.

" 'Bitching' is an understatement..."

Well, the mare was honest, at least.

You walk inside behind her, and she glares at the other two.

"Vithout a vord?! Not a varning? A talk? Nothing?! Did you just forget about me?"

Octavia looks incredibly guilty, and looks down at the floor.

Cadance, however, looks a bit irritated.

"Well, I'm sorry we had places to be while you slept," she says, shrugging it off. "We couldn't wait, and we forgot to let you know we were on pinched time.

The doctor grinds her teeth in anger at this, and takes a step forward.

"You realize, yes, that I have a concussion? I need my bedrest! I shouldn't have done as much trotting as I did today! My head is pounding!"

Cadance merely sighs and shakes her head.

"Whatever. I'm sorry we had shit to do."

The doctor grumbles.

From what you understand, she knows Cadance a fair bit.

Anyone with a brain cell or two could deduce that that 'apology' was all one could get.

"Anyvay. Now zat I'm back, I need to sleep. Vhere's ze bed?"

"There isn't going to be room for five on the bed. The -couch- is over there."

Cuore glances at Cadance, and then at the couch, and then at you.

And, slowly but surely, she puts some dots together in her head.

"I'd... Rather stay on ze floor, on second thought. But only if I can't sqveese into ze bed."

You look at her, cocking an eyebrow.

"Why do you want to be in bed with us so badly?"

"Because it's varm? Besides, you all don't seem to mind being in it at ze same time."

"That's because we fuck."

Your bluntness doesn't even phase her.

She nods, and returns the favor.

"Touche. But still. Even though I von't partake in your harem activities, as much as I'd like to, I still vould like a decent place to sleep."

She smiles a bit, and you know what's going on.

It's time to change the mood.

You can hear Cadance snickering, and you can tell Octavia has a bit of a blush.

"You might not get much sleep. Candy-Ass over here is pretty loud."

Now Octy's the one that's snickering.

And, with a glance behind you, you see Cadance's rosy cheeks.

"All four of them, infact!"

"H-Hey! You're worse!" she yells back, embarrased

"I know! You make me want to scream!"

The doctor starts to chuckle a little, Octavia's snickering intensifies, and Cadance's face is starting to glow.

"I-What?! Of course I do, I-- I--!"

Just like that, you can tell Cadance is out of comebacks.

Defenses are down!

Time to go in for the kill!

"You make me work, too. Holy shit, with an ass like that, no wonder. I'm holding on so hard, it's like I'm trying to ride a horse at full gallop."

Immediately, Cadance turns from Pink to red, and sinks back in her chair.

The doctor absolutely loses her shit, and bursts out laughing.

Octavia covers her face with her hoof, trying to hide the fact that she's laughing so hard.

And you hear another laugh.

A small, squeaky laugh, from outside of the room.

Immediately, the whole room goes silent.

The four of you collectively turn your heads and feast your eyes upon the sight.

A little orange filly, rolling around on the ground, laughing her poor little plot off.

The door is still wide open.

A little orange filly, rolling around on the ground, laughing her poor little plot off.

The door is still wide open.

"...Oh no..."

"...Uh..."

"...Merda sacra..."

"...God damnit. How much did she hear?"

You look at your party members.

They are all terribly embarrassed, and have all gone silent.

Shaking your head at your dumb luck, you stand up.

"Oh, hey Scoots."

She's still laughing her ass off, and you make your way over to her.

As she laughs, she tries to choke out a few words.

"BAHAHAHAA! Sweet Celestia! What the hay did I miss?!"

"Uhm"

She makes her way to her hooves, still laughing as she looks up to you.

"I-I turn the corner, hear something about riding a horse, and and then-BAAAAHAHAHAHA! THE--THE LOOK ON HER FACE!"

"You must have razzed her! Holy crap!"

Did she miss the 'sex bits'?

Please, god, let it be so...

"Uh, Scoots?"

"Y-Yeah? h-heheheh... heheh..."

"How much of that did you hear?"

"Heheh, I-I just... 'Riding a horse'... Did you call the princess a horse?!"

She chuckles a bit, and, knowing this was your only chance, you nod.

"Y-Yeah, I burned the princess pretty good.

Scootaloo keeps chuckling, and she walks inside.

"Heheh, nice one, man!"

Oh, thank Luna, she's still as ignorant as a mule.

You follow her, and wave at the group.

You heard a collective sigh of relief a moment ago.

Cadance was still cherry red, though.

Even though there wasn't a ripe cherry in the room at all.

Cadance stands up, and without a word, rushes to bed.

Octavia follows behind, saying something about taking a nap.

With that, you turn to the doctor.

"Erm, Anonymous? Who's ze little vone?" she asks, an eyebrow raised as she looks back and forth between the two of you.

"It's Scootaloo. She's a filly I'm friends with. She's from Ponyville."

The filly beams happily at the doctor, offering a wave.

"Hi!"

Curore waves back, nodding.

"Hello, Scootaloo."

"Scoots? This is Dr. Cuore. She's fixed me up a couple of times."

"Oh, cool."

With that, Scootaloo trots over and plops down on the couch.

The same couch you and Cadance...

Whoops.

You shrug, and look at Dr. Cuore.

"So, what're you going to do?"

"Probably sit around until Trixie returns. Ve have much to discuss."

You raise an eyebrow, interested.

"Discuss? About what?"

The doctor takes on a more subtle look on her face, and faces away from you.

"Business."

The tone in her voice was odd.

You're not sure whether to press, or leave it be.

It probably isn't any of your business, and you could seriously earn some distrust if you prod her too much...

But then again, you were curious, and this mare was -notorious- in your mind for being straight-forward and blunt.

But, on second thought, she just got done with a bitchfest.

Probably not a good idea to go prodding around.

"Ah. Okay."

The silence is broken a few moments later, as the doctor turns the radio on.

Some announcer is talking in his typical radio voice, talking about the next song that's coming on.

You recognize that voice.

Wait, fu-

"SHUT THAT BLASTED THING OFF!" Octavia screams from the bedroom.

Yep.

Knew it.

You hit the radio and turn it off in a flash, leaving a very confused doctor and Scootaloo staring at you in bewilderment.

"Octavia has... A thing..." you say, trying your best to explain the unexplainable.

You knew nothing about her hatred for him, but, whatever.

Scoots shrugs, and goes back to being an orange feathered potato.

The doctor looks at the ground, thinking.

And, then, she chuckles knowingly before trotting over to the couch to plop down next to Scootaloo.

Weird.

You wonder what she was chuckling about.

Shrugging it off, you sit down at the table.

You can hear the doctor say a couple small thing and ask a few small questions as she talks with Scoots.

They get the point across that she's staying with the group for an undefined amount of time.

The doctor was told to ask you for an explanation.

But, she said she'd ask later.

Thankfully.

Time to kick back.

You change the radio station, and

Bob Marley

Meh, whatever.

Everything WILL be all right.

You look around for a snack and see Candyass forgot some of her animal crackers.

You grab the box, reach in, and pull out a handful.

Tossing them in your mouth, you begin to much.

Incredibly and overpoweringly sweet, as always.

Sure, they were childish, but you didn't give a shit.

They were good.

They were just what you needed.

As your munching intensifies, you notice some movement out of the corner of your eye.

You look, and see Scoots waving.

"Huh?"

She puts her hoof down after you look at her.

"I'm just gonna sleep on the couch. Okay, man?"

You nod, swallowing down the sugar-coated deliciousness.

Which is hard to do with the smile plastered on your face.

"Sure. I'll ask the receptionist or whatever for some sheets for you."

"Sweet."

She goes right back to lying back, listening to the radio as it plays.

Both her and the doctor look incredibly bored.

Understandable, since there's absolutely fuck all to do in this hotel room.

And you doubt you would ever get in another situation like you did a few minutes ago.

God that was glorious.

But you told the truth.

*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*

"Hello? Anyone home? Trixie has returned!"

Oh, great.

"Oh, great!"

You look at the couch.

Scootaloo doesn't seem to happy.

"Who was that?" asks a confused Trixie behind the door.

After a sigh, you speak up.

"The door's unlocked, Trix. Come on in."

The door swings open, and Trixie steps in with a cocked brow.

She glances at you, and lets out a retort.

"My name is -Trixie-, by the way. Only Octavia can call me that. Anyway, who else is here? Do we have a gues-"

She notices Scootaloo vegging out on the couch.

"...Oh, it's... You," she says, with a bitter tone in her voice.

Great.

Scootaloo looks back at her with a bit of a glare.

"Yeah, what about me?"

Trixie snarls a bit.

"Nothing. It's just that Trixie is a bit surprised."

"At what?"

"After all Trixie's seen, Trixie would never expect Anonymous to associate himself with fillies. Much less one like this little rambunctious ankle-biter that Trixie has had the displeasure of meeting."

whoa whoa whoa

Back the fuck up.

Before Scoots can snap back, you interrupt.

"I'm sorry, Trixie?" you ask, shooting her a glare.

Trixie looks at you, still angry.

LHonestly, this is a jarring transition. You have a group of powerful, attractive, intelligent, and proper mares, and then..."

She looks at Scootaloo.

"Well, you have this."

All of your buttons are being aggressively pushed.

"And just what the hell is wrong with that?"

"You tell me. I'm sure you've heard more than enough about me from the little filly."

Scootaloo chuckles, agression in her tone as she speaks.

"Ohohoh, yes he has," she says, glaring at Trixie.

You sigh as Trixie and Scootaloo glare at each other and argue like twelve-year-olds.

Shaking your head, you look at Trixie.

She returns your gaze, a skeptical look on her face.

"This filly is nothing but trouble, I'm sure of—"

"Get out."

Chapter 37

The next thing you hear is a stunned silence.

Trixie glares at you, surprised.

"I'm sorry?"

You return that very glare.

"You heard me. Get out."

"Why, I never!"

"If you're going to walk in here, bitch about a filly you hardly know, and expect me to change my mind because of your naive opinion, you're sadly mistaken."

Although she keeps her glare, some concern shows on her face.

"Anonymous, I hope you know I was just–"

"No. No ifs, ands, or buts–get out."

"But–!

"No. If you're going to be this way, I'm not giving you a choice."

After a pause, her head drops, and her face softens.

"Fine. Hopefully dear Scootaloo won't be a prickly thorn in my side, like many of her little friends have been." You keep the glare as she sulks to the bedroom, snarling a bit at you on the way out.

You hear her mumble somthing as she sulks away but can't make it out.

Then it hits you.

You won an argument.

With Trixie, even!

Holy shit, you're getting good at this.

You should get a badge.

A nice, shiny badge, that reads 'Alpha Male' on it.

That would be ni–

"Uh, dude? Why are you smiling like that?"

You suddenly realize you have such a smug smile on your face.

It falls off immediately, and you try to pull yourself back together.

"Uh, it's nothing, Scoots. Just thinking."

"You really let 'er have it, man," she says, chuckling.

"It vas... Qvite a show," the doctor says, looking over to you.

"Now, if you'll excuse me," she says, standing up, "I have business to attend to."

After she gets off of the couch, she trots to the bedroom.

"I hope Trixie doesn't plan on sleeping tonight."

After she disappears, it's just you and little Scootaloo.

And, a yawn escapes your throat.

You need to sleep, too.

It's been a long day.

"Gee, gettin' tired there?"

After you moisten your mouth, you nod.

"Yeah, I need to hit the hay, Scoots. I'm gonna call the front desk and ask for some bedsheets for you first, though."

"Nah, don't sweat it," she says, lying back. "I'll be fine. My fur's thick."

"You sure, Scoots?"

"Yeah man. You need to sleep. You look like you got ran over by a chariot."

"Really?"

"wellyouknowhatimean"

You chuckle a bit and shake your head.

"All right then, Scoots. I'm gonna head to bed. Nighty night."

"Night!"

You get up off of your chair, eat one last animal cracker, gulp it down, and start walking back to the bedroom.

Dr. Cuore and Trixie are on their way out as you make your way in.

You nod, and Cuore nods back.

Trixie merely snarls.

With that, you walk into the bedroom, revealing Cadance and Octavia under the covers.

There's just enough room for you in the middle.

"About time you showed up," Cadance says, beckoning you.

Octavia smiles at you, waving you over as well as she speaks.

"We were just talking about you. All good things, all good things."

You smile.

"Good! Take it there's room for one more."

"Of course," Cadance says, nodding.

With that, you strip in a manner of seconds, walk over, and plop down between the two mares in bed.

Octavia looks at you, smiling.

She's munching on a carrot, it looks like.

She was always one for midnight snacks.

"Ready to go to bed?" she asks, adjusting herself under the covers as she munches.

You crawl under the covers yourself, nodding.

"Yeah, I'm beat. A lot of walking today."

You feel something glide across your back.

It's Cadance's hoof, and you roll around.

"Aww, we're going straight to bed?" she coos, faking a pout.

"That was the plan, yeah."

"Wait, didn't I already deal with you once today?"

She smiles knowingly, and nods.

"Yes, and? I still have to return the favor."

"Please, no..."

She chuckles again, and shakes her head.

"No, no, I don't mean that. I mean I owe you a favor."

"Did I miss something?" Octavia asks, bewildered.

She's stopped chewing on her carrot, waiting for a response.

You roll over to look at her, and nod.

"Yeah, me and Cadance had some fun while you were at the concert hall. Hope you don't mind."

"Oh, not at all," she says, eating the last bit of her carrot and throwing away the leaves.

"After you and I at the Skydeck, I can't complain at all."

"Oooh, the Skydeck? That must have been interesting," Cadance says behind you.

"Oh, it was amazing. The view was beautiful, and dear Anonymous here knows how to push all of the right buttons"

Octavia smiles, thinking back.

"I've always wanted a romantic stallion."

"Oooh, did you two fuck?" Cadance asks jokingly.

You chuckle, and shake your head.

"Not quite. We did kiss, though."

"Yes, we kissed. But, no, we didn't get anywhere else. Not quite yet, anyhow."

"Oh, come on, you two?"

Octavia chuckles.

"What? I'm sorry, but I've been thinking about it all day now. Heaven forbid, I might have some less-than-moral thoughts now and again."

"Well, I do, too, but I think I'm going to die if I do anything."

"He's right," Cadance says, looking at Octavia. "I almost killed him earlier. Sorry about that, by the way."

"I'm going to get you back one of these days."

The three of you share a chuckle, and you rest back.

After a beat, you look to your left.

"Candy, can you turn off the lights?"

"Sure thing."

With that, the lightswitch glows pink, and with a click, the lights are out.

You roll onto your side, facing 'Tavi.

And, as you do, you feel Cadance shift and pull you close, bringing you into a spoon.

You glance back at her, and then you look at Octavia.

"C'mere. I wanna cuddle you, Octy."

"Sure. I like warm hugs."

She shuffles backwards, and you pull her into a spoon.

You are now the middle spoon.

And, undoubtedly, the middle spoon is the best spoon.

And an evil, evil idea comes to mind...

You slide your hands up Octavia's side slowly and gently.

Just like you did before.

She lets out a small hum of satisfaction.

"Hmmm, I thought you said you were done for tonight, Anonymous..."

Just as you reach what would be her armpits, you lean to whisper into her ear.

"Do you know what time it is..?"

"What time is it, dear?"

"It's TICKLE TIME!"

"Wait, wha–? OH CELESTIA PLEASE NO"

"NO MERCY"

You dig your fingers into her sides and tickle aggressively.

Octavia immediately scrambles, and bursts into a giggling fit.

Her legs kick and flail as you torture her poor sides.

"HAHAHAA!! NOO! ANON! ANON! HAHA-STOP! OHNOOHNOPLEASESTAAAAHAHAHAHAA-"

"NO MERCY!"

You keep the onslaught going.

Until you feel something grab your sides.

"C-Candance?!"

"Three can play this game."

You stop tickling Octavia.

"Y-You wouldn't!"

"All is fair in love and war..."

Before you know it, you're curled up in a ball, Cadance's hooves doing a number on your sides.

WE'VE BEEN BREACHED!

FALL BACK!

You try to scoot away from Cadance as she slaughters your sides, but you're met with resistance.

The now freed Octavia looks at you with a sinister smiles.

"Not so fast!"

"OH FUCK NO–"

Immediately, you feel Octavia assault your exposed stomach.

You can't breathe.

The assault is absolutely relentless.

And, fighting two fronts, you can't keep up.

"HAAHAHA! NO! STOP! PLEASE!"

For what feels like forever, the mares torment you with their constant tickling.

But, finally, the war comes to a close.

They pull back, and you curl up into a giggling ball of messiness.

The mares share a giggle, and after a moment, resume the cuddling that was had before.

Albeit with a bit of distrust.

Cadance pulls you into a four-legged hug, and you pull Octavia into a hug of your own.

She hums a bit in your arms, and you smile.

But you still didn't know what to do.

Both mares seemed a little on the frisky side tonight, and, well

You hate to fail to deliver.

You're torn in two, your mind, and your dick.

Your mind says yes, but your dick says no.

Shit, this is one hell of a turnabout.

After going with the more logical and loving approach, you lean your head forward.

You hinge your jaw slightly, opening up a little, and, once you reach your target

You nibble on Octavia's ear.

"Hmm?!"

She jumps a bit as you run tour tongue along your ear.

You know exactly what you're doing, and the shit-eating grin on your face shows this.

You keep caressing the thing with your tongue, and before long, it's burning hot.

"A-Anon?"

"Hmm?" you hum, still working on her ear.

"I thought you said you weren't down for anything tonight..."

Your dick doesn't lie.

For some godawful reason, you really aren't.

But you might as well try.

"Well, I lied."

You actually didn't, but you don't care.

Actually, you did lie.

You lied about lying.

You slide your hands down her sides again, sure to be careful.

"What're you gonna do?"

"Mmm, I dunno... What do you want me to do?"

"I thought the answer was obvious?"

"Oh? And the answer is..?"

"Me?"

Everything about this is turning you on right now.

But your dick isn't working.

Please, for the love of god.

Something.

Anything!

"Well, that was... The plan... I suppose..."

Nailed it. Fucking grade-A seduction right there.

Octavia grumbles a bit

"...I think I need a little help, though."

"With?"

"Erm, it's not, uh..."

"...Oh."

With that, she starts to shuffle around.

"I'd be willing to give you a hoof with that. Maybe a bit more."

Please let this work...

She moves out of your hands, rolls over, and lowers herself under the covers.

She's already in position and ready to roll.

"My, you weren't kidding," she says, idly prodding at it.

It was still about as hard as a wet spaghetti noodle.

You curse to yourself, and sigh.

"Yeah, yeah, I-Whooaokay..."

Before you know it, you feel her lips wrap around your length and suck you right in.

It was a bit of a shock, at first, but it doesn't take you long to relax.

But the blood still isn't flowing yet.

Why god why.

She keeps going, wiggling the thing around in her mouth for a good two minutes.

Nothing has happened, spare a little growth in your groin.

You're not even at half mast, though.

She pulls back eventually, and sighs.

"Is... Is it not working? Am I doing something wrong?"

You sigh.

"No, it's not you, hun. I'm just not... I don't know. I'm just not working tonight."

Octavia sighs again.

"Want me to keep going?"

"It's up to you. I can work on you if you want."

"No, no, it's... It's fine, Anonymous. I think I just ruined the mood for myself, anyhow."

Fuck

You let out a groan, and shake your head.

"Whatever, I guess. If junior doesn't want to, then I guess we can't."

You sigh, and Octavia re-emerges from under the covers.

"Sorry, Anonymous."

"It's fine, hun. It isn't your fault."

She smiles at the pet name, and brings you into a hug again.

The bridge of her nose is buried flat against your chest.

She looks up at you with those beautiful purple eyes.

You feel a familiar jolt down your spine, and you return her gaze.

"I love you."

"I love you too, hun."

"I love you too," chimes a third voice behind you.

You chuckle a bit, and look over your shoulder.

"I love you too, Candyass."

"Wait, what?"

"Nothing."

You smile as you rest your head and drift off to sleep.

Even though your failboner bothers you a fair bit, the last little conversation at least brought your spirits up.

That, and being the middle spoon was great...

Letting out one more deep breath, you pass out.

After a sweet dream of you in the old McDonalds ball pit, you wake up.

But you aren't in your bed.

Nor are your mares beside you.

And the background is awfully loud.

Where the hell are you?

You sit up and look around for a moment, bewildered.

The only thing you see that's familiar is a big, pink, round booty across the room.

Or, cab, you should say-concerning the forests were rolling past you on the other side of the windows, the chugging of a locomotive engine can be heard, and the familiar bumpy ride were all pointing to the fact that you were on a train.

Wait, didn't you fall asleep in a hotel room?

"Oh, hey, look! Sleepin' Beauty's awake!"

Chapter 38

You see Scoots on the other side of the cab, as well, plopped down next to Octavia on one of the bunks.

Cadance is standing in the hallway, near the door.

Trixie is perched up on the second bunk, above Tavi and Scooters.

"Uh... Morning?" you say half-heartedly, confused.

You scratch the back of your neck, letting out a yawn.

Octavia looks at you with a bit of worry.

"It's almost noon, Anonymous. You wouldn't wake up, and you kept complaining about 'soy lint' or something, and how it's made of pee?"

What?

"Uh, no idea," you respond, a bit embarrased.

"I had to carry your fat hiney all the way out here," Cadance says, chuckling. "You're really hefty, you know."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

The two of you share a chuckle, smiling.

"Y merda sacra, Anonymous, are you loud vhen you sleep. As if sleeping on ze couch vas bad enough."

Evidently the doctor was on the bunk straight above you.

You look up and retort.

"Well, I'm so-rry. I have problems I can't help."

"I'm vell avare. Remember, I've been inside of you, Anonymous?"

Okay, now that's just plain creepy.

You sheepishly chuckle and lie back down.

"Heheheh, oookaaaay, soo! Tavi! Where we headed next?"

She looks at you and smiles.

"Marelin," she states matter-of-factly.

Marelin.

Fucking.

Horse.

Puns.

Resisting the urge to roll your eyes, you nod, and try to look on the bright side.

Cool history will be seen.

Some nice landmarks...

Shaking the thoughts from your mind, you look at Octavia.

"Oh, great. That should be fun."

She nods. "We're playing an hour after the Marelin Philharmonic. I plan on going -- it's been ages since I've heard them play."

She has a look of glee on her face.

You smile; it's a little contagious.

"And, Anonymous?" Cadance says, turning to you.

You look at her, at attention.

"Yeah?"

"We have some matters to discuss. You too, doctor."

The doctor groans a bit and rolls her eyes.

"Ech, merda, must you bring me into zis?"

"Yes, I must," the princess replies, looking irritated. "Foreign affairs are of the utmost importance, especially if there is risk of conflict."

"Wait, what?"

Cadance looks at you, and then at everyone else in the room.

"I'm afraid this is going to be fairly confidential, everyone. I don't want many ears hearing this -- only Anonymous and Dr. Cuore are to get involed."

Trixie shrugs. "Trixie was never interested in politics anyhow."

Octavia shrugs as well. "I certainly won't be part of it, either. I can't handle that responsibility."

Scootaloo, however, looks puzzled.

"What's a 'poly-tic'? Is that, like, a lot of tics? I hate tics!"

You chuckle and shake your head.

"Scoots?"

Her ears perk and she looks at you.

"It's like... Business. With foreign nations."

"Oh. Thought that word rang a bell."

You nod, and look at Cadance.

And, you sigh.

Great.

Now she's dragging you into this.

You really don't know what to expect.

But you can't help to think.

You MIGHT know what to expect if she wasn't so damn cryptic all of the time.

Though, her mysterioso personality did kind of grow on you a bit.

Makes some things interesting in what would otherwise be a bland situation.

That, and, well, confidentiality.

Makes sense.

With that, Cadance waves you over.

"Come. The next cab over is empty. Let's talk."

The doctor hops down, and you stand up.

And, as you follow into the next cab, you can't help but be a fair bit confused.

Why does she let–wait, scratch that–MAKE the doctor come with, yet tell the others they have to stay?

Is it because she's the 'royal doctor' or whatever?

You're honestly confused, because that doesn't make much sense.

As the door closes behind you, you can only hope your questions will be solved soon.

Cadance clears her throat, looking at you.

"So, Anonymous. This morning, we got a letter. Yes, -we-."

She had a very serious demeanor.

"...And?"

Then it hits you.

We.

WE.

Looks like somebody finally found you out.

"Oh, great."

She can see the realization has struck you, and continues.

"It's from a foreign ambassador."

"From Germaneigh?"

heheh hoers puns

"No. The Hooviet Union, a nation we've had tensions with for decades."

Peachy.

Intrigued, you raise an eyebrow.

"Well, what does it say?"

She pulls out a piece of paper, and begins to read.

"Dear Princess Mi Amore Cadenza of the Crystal Empire, and prince, I repeat, PRINCE Anonymous of Equestria."

She shoots the doctor a very sharp glare before continuing.

"On behalf of our leaders, our people, and the Motherland as a whole, I would like to formally invite you two to the grand military parade held in our capital, St. Cloppersburg, in approximately one month. We pray that your visit may allow us to discuss and negotiate various conflicts we've had in the past, as well as improve our relations as powers of the new world. We wish to prove our worth, our power, and our ideals to the rest of the world. yadayadayadayada. I need to touch up on my... Oh, what's this language called? I forget the exact name, anyhow, this isn't the point. There are two points, actually. First, and least importantly, the Hooviets are looking to improve relations. Concerning this military parade lines up, quite perfectly, with the orchestra's visit to the capital, we are most certainly going to go. We've been at the brink of war for quite some time now, and this is a great opportunity to improve things. The last thing we need is another war, after our recent squabble with the gryphons."

After a sigh, she rolls up the paper. And, secondly, and most importantly," she says, glaring at the doctor, "I need to find out something. Why, and how, do the -Hooviets-, of all nations, know of Anonymous and I? We've hardly had any public display of a true relationship, and if it's this spread already, how many people know? And how did they find out? Cuore, you are the only leaky faucet I can think of on this whole gig."

The doctor is visibly sweating at this point, and looks concerned.

She takes a step back as Cadance continues her rant.

"Trixie has hardly a reason to spill, and has hardly any friends to tell it to in the first place. Octavia is incredibly trustworthy, as is Anonymous, and the filly doesn't even know yet. You are the only one that I can think of. I know well that there are ponies that have asked you what's going on, and I'm well aware of how much they have to butter you up to get you to speak. However, this is a -very- high form of treason. Loose lips sink a lot more than ships, doctor, and I'm afraid our whole fleet is going to capsize if the world finds out about Anonymous and I before the due time comes."

Her glare stands strong, and the doctor looks absolutely terrified at this point.

You're not sure what to think.

There are so many questions that need to be answered, and implications that need to be explained, you don't know what to think.

"Tell me. How many people have you told?" Cadance asks firmly.

The doctor holds her forehooves up and arches her eyebrows.

"I-I haven't told a soul, Princess! My lips are sealed! You know zis! I vould never betray ze royalty in such a vay!"

"Then explain to me how they found out that, not only are Anonymous and I in a relationship, but also that we're planning on getting married," she says, trotting forward menacingly.

The doctor gulps, and backs up against the wall.

"I-I know! I-I know how zis could have happened! Ze-Ze union has spies! Everyvhere! I know of several! It's not too far fetched to assume zat vone of zem saw you, or-or-something!"

Cadance's horn starts to glow pink, and the doctor cowers in fear.

"I-I'm innocent! Please, by ze stars, you need to believe me!"

After a beat, the glowing stops, and Cadance stands upright.

"Fine. I believe you. But, in the meantime. I need you to find out how many people know. Do whatever you can to find out."

She nods frantically, flailing as she falls back onto her hooves.

"I-I'll do vhat I can! If ze city knows, I know, Princess! You know zat!"

"Good," Cadance says, nodding. "I don't need to remind you what Celestia does with traitors, do I?"

"N-No, princess, you don't!"

"Good. I believe that's all, then. Now, let's-"

"Cadance?"

She stops for a second, looking at you as if she completely forgot you were there.

"Oh, yes, Anonymous?"

"I have about a million fucking questions that need to be answered right now."

She blinks and pauses for a moment, her eyes drifting to the floor.

"Oh. I suppose you don't have a clue about most of that, do you?"

"Nope, negative, noperooni, nada, nothin'. I'm lost here, Cadance."

"Apologies, Anonymous. I got ahead of myself."

She trots ahead and opens the door.

As she's about to walk through, she looks over her shoulder at you and Cuore.

"I'll leave you two alone for a bit, since you have some catching up to do. Anonymous, feel free to ask the doctor here any questions you need to. She'll most likely have an answer, as odd or abstract as your question may be."

"Also, Cuore, I'll cover whatever fees he rings up. Understood?"

The doctor nods. "...Uhm, y-yes, Princess," she says.

She's still scared shitless.

Poor mare.

"Excellent. I'll talk to you soon."

Just before the door closes, she stops it, and peeks her head in.

"Oh, and it's an 8 hour train ride. You have plenty of time."

*Click*

And, with that, it's just you and the doctor.

She sighs and looks at you, defeated.

"Vell, I suppose I have my goose cooked now," she says, her head low. "But, I suppose I do owe you an explanation or five. Or tventy. Ask away, I suppose."

Although you know there's one question you have to ask, about the doctor herself...

You need to know ONE THING first.

"Okay, so, first off; how long was Candy-ass planning on marrying me?"

Cuore seems a bit taken aback by your question.

"Uhm... Vell, before zis CSO tour she's mentioned how kind you vere, and how she vouldn't mind having a date. It vas only after zis harem of your came up zat she planned on marrying you. And, hoh boy, does she love you. Trust me, I've heard things from her vhen you vere asleep or knocked out. She's qvite fond of your... 'Gifts', as vell."

The look on her face is absolutely sincere. Huh.

Well, now that that's out of the way...

"Doc? Just what the hell are you? You've been... Mysterious, this whole time. Like there's something I'm missing."

She sighs, and looks at you condescendingly.

"You haven't put ze dots together yet, dear Anonymous?"

"If I did, my eyebrow wouldn't have hit the ceiling when Cadance started yelling at you like that."

"Hmm. Good point."

After another sigh, she continues.

"Vell, how blunt do you want ze answer to be?"

"As much as I need to know to completely understand."

She nods. "Hmm. Vell, I'll start vith a bit of explanation."

"Have you ever noticed how I seem to know a lot about current events?"

You nod.

"Have you noticed zat I know a lot more 'underground' things, per say, zen most? Such as Spitfire and Shining being in a relationship?"

You nod again.

"Have I told you of ze underground businesses in my home country?"

You shake your head.

She looks at you with a deadpanned face.

"Mafia. Come on, Anonymous. Everyvone in ze vorld has heard of ze Itailian Mafia."

You nod.

"Gotcha. And?"

"I'm... Associated vith zem."

"How?"

"I'm a neutral party."

"How?"

"I take in and deal out intelligence."

You pause for a moment, thinking.

You think of the past events, and things you've heard...

"Hmm. So you're like a spy?"

"Not qvite," she says, squinting in thought. "But in a vay, I suppose. If you put it zat vay, I'm spying on every nation and every group, gang, or clique on ze continent. I'm a 'Little Miss Know-It-All', as a better term. If ze city knows, I know."

You blink.

This is not what you expected the first time you met.

"Sooo, is being a 'doctor' just a coverup?"

"Oh, heavens, no!" she says, chuckling. "I did go to college, and I DO know vhat I'm doing. I'm just not as professional as I'm hyped up to be."

You've noticed.

"Ah, I see. And, out of curiosity."

"Hmm?"

"What, exactly, was that, in the strip club in Detrot? Are you a manager there?"

She shakes her head.

"No, zat vas a vone-time gig. Trixie has been zhere before, and she put in a good vord for me. I vas hired zat night to be an announcer to add some cultural flair. No, I don't run a strip club. Don't get your hopes up, Anonymous. Although, I HAVE vorked vith Trixie vonce or tvice."

"So, you work with Trixie? Are you pimps?"

The doctor facehooves.

"No, idiota. Trixie is vone of my satellites. She goes around, talks to bartenders and other ponies, and reports back to me. An intel fetcher, so to speak. She's actually how I found out about you giving Cadance a hornjob, and I knew things vere going vell vith ze tvo of you."

Isn't that just lovely.

Wait.

What did Trixie say way back when?

That she had 'friends in high places'?

"Oh, so you're the one that encouraged her to do what she did?"

"Okay, zat I had no part in–she acted on her own accord. But I kept my mouth shut vhen she told me. Part of ze contract."

You grumble.

"Mmm. Anyway. Next question. Out of curiosity, what DOES Celestia do to traitors?"

The doctor blinks, and looks down.

"If... I remember correctly, zere is a law in ze royal doctorine. Every citizen in Eqvestria has ze right to be punished as seen fit. Any unusual or inequine punishment is not condoned by ze royalty."

"However, those guilty of treason are no longer legal citizens. And, concerning I've never met a single pony that came out of ze dungeons alive and vas villing, or even able to explain vhat zey vent through, vell, I could just about imagine."

Note to self. Don't fuck with Princess Celery.

"Okay. I kinda wish I didn't ask that. Anyway, next question. How did you get in the spot you're in now? The royal... Spy, or whatever?"

Aperta stops and looks at you, surprised.

And then bursts into a laughing fit.

"Hahahahaha, oh, Anonymous. I don't vork for Eqvestria."

"Wait, you don't?"

"Not at all!"

"Then who do you work for?"

"Anyvone and everyvone zat talks to me. No single person or group in particular, I'm in ze gray zone. Although, I -do- fear ze princess, and I've signed a 'contract' vith ze don, saying I'm his. I do some vork behind his back, however."

"I take it they're your two kinda-sorta bosses?"

"De facto, sì. I listen to zem more. Not only because zey could both kill me and everyvone I know in a heartbeat, but also because of ze informational goldmines zey are."

After thinking about it for a minute, you chuckle.

The look on her face when Cadance was about to zap her ass was priceless.

"Makes sense, I suppose."

"But one last thing."

"Hm?"

"You said Trixie was one of your workers, right?"

She nods.

"Correct."

"Then how was she so dirt poor when I found her?"

The doctor sighs, and shakes her head.

"Do you think I payed her much? She didn't have a dangerous job; just go around, ask friends, bartenders, and others about vhatever it vas I needed to know. I don't make too much cash myself -- most of it goes to research, my clinic, and my family. Although I can't complain about how much I have, it vasn't as much as I vas expecting."

Huh.

You'd think she was loaded.

"She vas desperate for cash. I vas desperate for information. It vas a vin-vin, if you ask me."

"Ah. You'd think she'd make a lot of money doing strip-shows and standing on corners."

"I vould, too. I think it's because she's so... Snooty. And high up. Even vhen she can't afford bread, she von't go for less zen fifty bits a hookup, and zat's for something as small as a hoofie."

Oh, Trixie...

"But, zat's all I know."

"Gotcha. Also, I lied earlier. There's one more thing."

Hiding her irritation, Cuore nods and looks up.

"Yes?"

"When we finally make it to wherever it is you're from, mind showing me some good eats? I hear the pizza's great."

After a pause, the doctor covers her face with her hoof.

"Vell, I can. But I can tell you vone thing. It von't be vhat you expect, no tomato sauce at all, and very little cheeze. Ze taste comes from ze dough, and zere may be some vegetables or the likes on top, but not much more."

"Unless you ask for tomato sauce and cheeze. And, let me tell you, zere is no better vay to show how you're Eqvestrian zen saying you vant tomato sauce on a perfect Itailian pizza. Vhich is bad."

"Ah, well. Good to know. I'm not exactly the most cultured of folk."

"I've noticed."

You chuckle sheepishly, and try to think of something to say in response.

But, thankfully, you don't have to.

The door swings open, and Cadance looks at you.

"Hey, Anonymous," she says, waving at you.

"We're about to Marelin now. Wanna come back inside? We're gonna discuss some plans before we arive."

"Oh. Sure."

You look at the doctor.

She nods.

"I suppose I'm almost as involved as you are, by zis point.

"Let's go."

You nod, and Cadance opens the door for the two of you to walk in.

Chapter 39

The doctor trots past you, and goes back up to her bunk.

Scoots and Trixie both look a bit disgruntled, and Octavia looks utterly done with whatever shit she had to put up with.

Ugh...

Hoping that everything was behind them, you plop down next to poor Octy and smile.

"So! Plans?"

"Yes, plans," Cadance says, sitting down next to Scootaloo.

Scootaloo eyes the princess in admiration, but doesn't say anything.

Octy turns to you, finally, and smiles a bit.

"Yes, plans," she says, nodding.

"There's plenty to do in Marelin. Although I'll be gone for both mine and the other concert, I still found a couple of things to do."

"Liiiike?"

"Do tell," Cadance says, listening.

"Well, first off," Tavi starts, pulling out a little pamphlet, "we'll check into the hotel. We might want to get something to eat at the diner in the hotel. And after we eat, I'll have to take off to play. I'll be gone until late. What you do in the meantime is up to you, and I have a bunch of things circled you might enjoy."

"But, when I get back to the hotel? I want all of us to go down to the Sternschnuppe casino. One of my colleagues, who is remaining anonymous, has given me a generous gift. 300 bits."

Immediately, everyone in the group is at attenion.

"Wait, you gave her 300 bits?" Cadance asks, looking at you.

Everyone's staring at you.

Octavia, puzzled at first, soon realizes what she's done.

"Oh, oh no! Not this Anonymous! As in, an anonymous donor. No, Anonymous here has given me plenty more than money can buy.

After an 'ooooh' by everyone in the group, you all share a chuckle.

"Oh! Zat's impressive!" the doctor chimes, her eyebrows raised.

Cadance looks at you, chuckling. "Looks like Nonnie has some competition~"

Scootaloo is in a giggling fit.

"Wait, who?!"

And there's Trixie.

She sounds a little outraged.

B-E-A-utiful.

"Who in Tartarus would just give you 300 bits?"

Octavia shrugs.

"I've not a clue. They either have a severe crush or... Something. I'm literally stumped, but I'm not complaining."

Trixie snorts, scrunching a bit.

"Don't think Trixie is going to let them take you away from me!"

And there's the third person.

You sigh a little, and let the storm pass.

"I won't, dear. Don't worry."

Trixie grunts, and slides back up into her bunk.

"Regardless. As I was saying, I want to spend this money in the casino. I was thinking of all of us just sitting down at a poker table and playing a few rounds of Hold'em. It's been too long since I've had an afternoon at the casino with some friends."

You look at Octavia with a fake pout.

Trixie bends over and does the same.

Octy looks between the two of you, and tilts her head to look at you in irritation.

"Yes, yes, you're more than friends. I'm not going to put either of you in the 'friend' zone any time soon.

"Good," you say in unison.

Trixie goes back up to her bunk, and you slouch back.

"But yes. Can't wait. It's been too long, and I take it you all know your cards. Should be fun."

You're a bit surprised at this revelation.

Octy, a gambler?

"Huh, so you're a gambler?" you ask, intrigued.

"An old guilty pleasure of mine, I suppose," she says, nodding. "I try to do it sparingly, though. Thankfully I'm not nearly as bad as some others I know."

And, now that you think about it, it makes a lot of sense.

Octavia is surprisingly smart.

And she would have the best pokerface out of everyone you know.

"Well, I'll be looking forward to it," you say, smiling.

"May I join you?" the doctor asks, smiling.

"Of course you can. Why wouldn't I let the mare who saved my hooman join us?"

hooman

Close enough

"Thank you, my dear."

Cadance raises an eyebrow.

"I've never actually gambled before. Well, I HAVE played cards with 'Tia, Luna, and Twily before, but I'm hopelessly outmatched. They're all brainiacs."

"Well, now you'll be against some lower competition," Octavia adds. "Perhaps you'll enjoy it."

"The drinks are on me, by the way, should any of you want one," Cadance says.

"I'm gonna take you up on that one."

The whole group, spare Scootaloo, seems to be in agreement when it comes to drinks.

"It's... Been quite some time since Trixie has tried her hoof at the casino, but, after all, Trixie can fix the rusty old gears in her head."

Octavia chuckles.

"So long as you don't cheat again, I'm fine."

"What?! Preposterous! Trixie never cheats!" she yells, irritated.

"Uh-huh. Of course. Concerning I had four aces, and the 'Rogue and Scandalous Trixie' had a royal flush, I think it's fair to say you were setting me up to go all in on that one."

"No! Trixie would never so such a thing! It was just outrageous luck!"

"Outrageous luck for an outrageous mare."

"UGH!"

You all share a chuckle at Trixie's dismay, and you shake your head.

But then, a little voice cuts the laughing off.

"Can I come too?"

Everyone looks at the little filly, and instantly some guilt fills Octavia's heart.

"Uhm, sorry, dear," she starts, "but I'm fairly certain you aren't of age. You have to be eighteen."

You knew the laws.

She left out a pretty important detail.

You can't be a blank-flank either.

Thankfully she didn't bring that up.

Scootaloo frowns, looking up.

"Aw, okay."

"I wish you could come. You'd get a chance to know everyone better, even though we're kind of an adult crowd."

"Pfft, so? Most of my friends are, like, five years older than me. I'll fit in just fine!"

"I'd love to have you with, Scootaloo," Cadance says, smiling, "but we may get into legal troubles."

"And, as much as I'd LOOOVE having you with," Trixie says, "you might skewer the results of the poker tournament."

Scootaloo pouts a bit.

"Oh, fine. What am I gonna do until you guys get back? Just sit around in the hotel room?"

Octavia grimaces a bit, sighing. "I'm... not quite sure—"

"Oh, darling, please," the doctor says, cutting her off. "Dear Scootaloo can join us- just let whoever know zat she's vith us, is using our money, and isn't doing ze gambling. Zey are typically fairly loose vhen it comes to things like zis."

"If it doesn't vork, ve'll find a vay to have Scootaloo come anyvay. No sense leaving her in ze room."

"Mmm, very well," Octavia says.

"Sooooo, I get to go?"

Octavia nods.

Scootaloo smiles and rocks back and forth in anticipation.

"Sweeeet. Y'know, I used to play card games a lot back when Donut Joe used to have me and some of his friends over, but–"

SCREEEEEEEEECH

You feel the train decelerating, and the grinding metal hurts your ears.

Before you know it, you've come to a stop, and outside the window you see yet another gigantic city.

Cadance stands up, and so does Octavia.

"Well, we're here," the grey mare says, stretching a bit.

"It's been too long since I've been to Marelin," Cadance says, smiling as she trots toward the cab door.

The doctor hops from her top bunk, landing with a thud.

"It really is a great city. A bit dirty, but still, a great city nontheless."

Trixie follows right behind the doctor, trotting out.

"The locals are incredibly... Generous. Trixie has toured here a few times. The crowds were great, so long as Trixie was on stage."

"Although, Trixie must admit, their sense of humor is lacking..."

With that, you look down.

"Ready to go, Scoots?"

"Of course I am! I can't wait! I've never been outside of Equestria! This is gonna be sooo cool! I'll get to see a whole bunch of things and listen to the funny accents!"

Scootaloo proceeds to mock said accent, sputtering out phrases of gibberish and trying to fling out as much phlegm as she can as she does so.

You chuckle at her antics, and ruffle her hair.

"I haven't been here yet either. Come on, let's go."

After walking out of the train and out of the station, you meet back up with your sextet at the front gates.

In front of you is a grand plaza, complete with amazing architecture surrounding the area as well as what appears to be a gigantic stone gateway.

It's a lot different than what you've seen before, and it's a little breathtaking at first.

Little Scootaloo has her jaw agape as she looks around, and she's absolutely bubbly with excitement.

Smiles are on the faces all around as the six of you walk through the plaza, following Octavia's lead.

"So... We have to go down here, and... Keep trotting... Hmm..."

Although her eyes were focused mostly on the map, yours were in the skies, admiring the amazing stone, brick, and wooden buildings.

The city gave an entirely different feel than Windsoar or Detrot.

The city seemed frozen in time—like it's a century behind.

You smile as you walk, imagining what the rest of the day will be like.

Octavia keeps talking as you come up to the hotel.

"...Okay, so. Let's check in. I'm leaving right now to watch the MLP."

"Wait, the what?"

"The Marelin Philharmonic?"

"Oh, of course."

"Go ahead and take everyone else upstairs to room 201. Take a look at that brochure I gave you, too, and find something to do."

You nod and smile.

"Will do, sweetheart. Thanks."

You kneel down and give her a peck on the cheek before standing back up and making your way to the elevator.

"Come on, guys. Well, uh, mares, I mean. Let's go check out the room."

Trixie trots up to Octavia, giving her a cute little peck herself, before following you.

The rest of the group follows as well.

After a short, quiet elevator ride, you make your way to the second floor and to your room.

You slide the key in, unlock the door, and walk in, 3 mares and a filly on your tail.

Immediately, Scootaloo gets comfy on the couch.

Cadance plops down on the bed, and Trixie runs to the bathroom.

The doctor sits on the couch as well, beside Scootaloo, and offers her a smile before turning back to the radio on the nightstand.

"Mmm. Might as vell pass ze time a bit."

*Click*

*Click click click*

"Vell, drat. Ze radio's busted."

"It's Germane. What do you expect?" Cadance asks from across the room."

"I thought it vas Ib'Xian zat had ze terrible plastic products."

"You're right. It's Germaneigh that has the terrible everything else."

After a beat, Cadance thinks a bit, and continues.

"Spare trains. And chariots. And pretty much anything with wheels. They have great vehicles. They're really efficient, too."

"Oh! Don't forget the amazing drinks!" Trixie hollars from the bathroom.

Cadance nods at the sudden revelation.

"Oh, and that too."

"Mmm, I see," the doctor says, nodding.

With their conversation over, you realize you've done nothing but stand there.

You walk over and sit down on the edge of the bed.

Cadance looks at you, smiling.

"...Noooooo, not now. No. Not with... Uh..."

You gesture to Scootaloo.

"...Aw, damnit..."

Poor nympho.

With that, you hop off of the couch.

And, as if on cue, you hear a loud knocking on the door.

Thinking it's probably Octavia, you walk over and open it.

"Heeellooo?"

You look down, and to your surprise, it's not Octavia.

It's a well-dressed stallion with a—

No, that's not a stallion.

That's a goat.

With a goatee.

Containing your chuckles, you raise an eyebrow.

"Uh, yes, sir?"

"I am heah to drop off your luggage," he states with an outrageous Germane accent, gesturing to a cart he has in tow.

"Oh. Uh, thanks."

With that, he grabs the doctor's large and incredibly cumbersome bag, along with the bag Octavia had packed.

You decide to help, grabbing your bag and Cadance's bag in one hand, and you sling Scootaloo's scooter under your other.

It's still in the box.

"Ach, zeah ve ah," the goat says, setting down the bags. "Zat is all, for now."

"Thank you," you say as he walks out of the door.

"Auf wiedersehen."

And, with that, the door closes behind the goat.

As you think of what you just saw and heard, one thought comes to mind.

You really, really hope that the locals here know how to speak English.

Or, well, Equestrian, rather.

After everything is set down, you look at Scootaloo.

"Oh, and this box? It's for you, Scootums."

She gives you a confused look before eyeing the box.

"Huh? What's in it?"

"You'll see."

After a beat, it finally sets in.

"No way..."

She slowly stands up off of the couch and trots over to the box.

Meanwhile, you head over to the side of the bed, poking Cadance on her flank.

She jolts a bit, looking up at you.

"Stop that!"

"Heheheh. Hey, Cadance."

You sit down, glancing over as Scootaloo tears open the box.

"Watch this."

Slowly, she sits up, and her eyes turn to the filly across the room.

"What?"

"She's about to open it..."

"Open what?"

"Shh. Watch."

Soon enough, she manages to pry one of the sides of the box off.

Out falls a metal pole, alongside a much thicker metal bar.

The body of the scooter, no doubt.

Right after this, in a bout of glee and excitement, Scootaloo pulls out two squirt guns with hooks on them and a large metal block, as well as a couple bags of nuts & bolts.

She sets everything down in front of her and looks at the parts.

And, the longer she stares, the bigger her smile gets.

She's smiling ear to ear after a moment, and her wings are buzzing.

"...ohmygoshohmygoshohmyGOSH!! Anon! DUDE! This is, like-What?! How did you get this?! Where did you get this?!"

She wastes no time tearing open the bags and trying to clank pieces together.

You stand up, rushing over to stop her.

"Nonono, not yet, Scoots. Later, when we're outside."

You take the parts from her hooves, and put them back in the bags.

Although this brings her down for a moment, it's not nearly enough to contain her childish glee.

"You. Got me. An UltiMax?! The -actual- thing?!"

"Eeyup!"

You suddenly can't feel your leg.

Scootaloo is squeezing it too hard.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyou! Dude, I've always wanted one of these! Ever since I saw them on TV!"

She's absolutely ecstatic.

And it's too adorable for you to bear.

The doctor looks at Scootaloo and smiles warmly.

Deciding it's best to keep everything organized, you start packing the parts back into the box.

"We'll go to the park later and set this thing up. But, for now, I want to stay here for a bit and figure things out, okay?"

"Oh! Sure! But we'd better go to the park! You can't just show me and NOT let me ride it!"

You chuckle, nodding.

"I know, I know. Don't worry, Scoots."

With that, you go back over to the bed.

The bathroom door opens, and out steps a damp Trixie, a towel wrapped around her hips and around her mane.

Her slick coat shines a bit–she isn't completely dry.

Unf.

She trots over and sits down on the couch next to the doctor, taking Scootaloo's old spot.

Scootaloo is too preoccupied obsessing over her scooter to notice, much less care.

You chucklem grabbing the brochure again.

Looking over, there's one thing on your mind.

Food.

You need food.

You look at some of the recommended restaurants, and look at the rating, the pricing, and the locality...

And, although some of them seemed good, one catches your eye.

"Die Hütte von Spargel", in-season, highly rated and nearby.

And, even though it seemed expensive, money didn't seem to be an issue.

Hm.

Sounds interesting.

Even though you didn't know a lick of German.

You turn to your soon-to-be queen, who is still sitting up.

"Hey, Cadance?"

She looks at you.

"Yes?"

"Wanna get something to eat?"

"...Yes."

With that, you get up.

"Then let's go. I'm awfully hungry."

"So am I."

Cadance hops off the bed, and you start walking towards the door.

The doctor looks at you as you walk out.

"I'm not hungry, in case you were even going to invite me."

"I'm kinda hungry, but I wanna read the manual for the scooter," Scootaloo says, looking up at you. "Can you bring me back a snack?"

"Sure thing, Scoots," you reply, nodding.

"Trixie is hungry, but will not go out in public looking like this. Might you bring a snack back for Trixie as well?"

You nod.

"Sure."

"My appreciation."

With that, you open the door and gesture for Cadance to pass.

"Ladies first," you say, smiling.

Cadance rolls her eyes and smiles at you.

"Oh, you..."

Chapter 40

After a quick trip down the stairs and out the door, you hit the streets and start walking.

It isn't that far, thankfully–2 blocks wasn't a trek at all.

But, before you start walking, you ask a question.

"So, Cadance. I take it you want us to look professional? Since you don't want many to know?" you ask.

Thankfully the cacophony of the streets was enough to cover your question like a blanket to all ears but Cadance.

"Of course," she says, nodding. "I'm royalty, you're highly regarded–it's nothing more than a dinner for us."

"Got it."

With that, you walk, and soon enough, you meet the large crowds of the city.

Many, many raised eyebrows come into yours and Cadance's direction.

No doubt they were curious as to why a princess and a human were in their city.

But, this crowd was different than most, and in more respects than most of them being Germane goats.

Most before were amazed, happy, or excited to see you.

Most here seem to be curious, confused, or, in some cases, afraid.

You think some are even disgusted.

Shrugging it off as 'politics', you walk up to the door of the restaraunt and swing it open, letting Cadance pass.

The first thing you notice?

Everything is made of wood.

The bar, the booths, the floor, the roof, the mugs..

Hell, even the clock on the other side of the bar is wood.

No carpet and no pads for seats in sight.

Cadance is going to have an issue...

But, with a booty like that, it's understandable.

The SECOND thing you notice is that everyone in the place, spare a select few, is a goat.

The third thing you notice?

There's only one thing on the menu.

Asparagus.

And in every way, shape, and form you could imagine.

Well, scratch that thought – the goats are actually taking chomps of everything they can.

The menus themselves, the mugs, the ketchup packets, and even the salt shakers are shown no mercy in the eyes and jaws of the goats.

But, the only thing you would consider relatively edible yourself is what's plastered all over the menu.

Seriously.

You were handed a menu when you walked in.

There is nothing but asparagus!

Even the DRINKS are made of asparagus!

Wait.

"Die Hütte von Spargel".

'Die' means 'the', and 'von' means 'of'...

'Hütte' sounds like 'hut'.

What does Spargel sound like?

Oh god, you're in the hut of asparagus.

Cadance seems to be surprised herself, although not in the absolute shock you seem to be in.

"Well, Celestia certainly wasn't kidding when she said the goats of Doetschland take pride in their... Asparagus. Hmm."

"Well, shall we find a seat, Anonymous?"

"Of... Course?"

You sit down at a booth.

The corner of the seat is gnawed off...

After shaking your head, you look at the menu you were handed.

As does Cadance.

Asparagus everywhere.

But, for some weird reason, most of the asparagus is white.

This is quite the contrary to your typical green stuff you eat.

You raise an eyebrow, curious.

"...Uh, Princess?"

She looks at you with a confused look, mostly because of the term 'Princess'.

But, then she realizes what you're doing, and seems to understand.

"Yes, Anonymous?" she asks, keeping a straight face.

"Isn't asparagus supposed to be green?"

One of the goats at the bar looks at you and chuckles a bit.

He shakes his head and turns back to the bar to say a few words to his friends in his native tongue.

No doubt he heard and understood what you said.

He was probably mocking you, too.

Shrugging a bit, you look at Cadance hoping for a reply.

"Here? Asparagus is white. It's something they do while they grow it -- it makes it less bitter, and easier to chew."

Well maybe this won't be so bad, then.

"Oh, I see. Huh."

"If you want green asparagus, you actually have to tell them that you want it green."

"Good thing you caught that. People would have laughed at you if you asked the waiter why your asparagus was white."

"Why's that?"

Cadance sets her menu to the side before turning back to you.

"Because. That's an easy way to show you're a foreigner. An Equestrian."

The way she said it made it sound like a bad thing.

You're a little concerned and a little curious at the same time.

"I take it it's frowned upon, for some odd reason?"

"Not necessarily. It's just that Equestrians are typically deemed ignorant of the world around them. There's a pretty good reason for that, actually, and I'll discuss it with you later."

"Wait, there's a reason we're ignorant? What do you mean?"

"I said. I'll explain later."

You take the hint and shut your gabber.

Soon, you see something that actually sounds pretty good.

Steamed asparagus with steamed potatoes and melted butter.

Not bad.

After making your final decision, you put your menu away.

"Well, I guess that's that, then."

"What're you getting?" she asks, resting her head on her forelegs.

"Steamed asparagus and potatoes. You?"

"I was just going to get some of the soup here, and maybe some juice."

You raise an eyebrow.

"Juice?"

She smiles and nods.

"Mmhmm. Asparagus juice."

That doesn't sound too tasty.

"Why?"

She shrugs.

"Why not?"

"Well, it might not taste that good?"

She shrugs again.

"I'll never know until I try it, Anonymous. And, even if it does taste bad, I'll still have water."

Huh.

Well, if the mare wants to drink asparagus juice, you aren't one to stop her.

You stay silent, waiting for your waiter.

And, after a moment, she continues.

"Anonymous, you'll find, as you live longer, that life isn't a question of 'why'."

You look at her quizzically, and soon reply with what you know is the answer.

"It's a question of 'why not'?"

She raises her eyebrows, surprised.

"Well, I'm a bit impressed, Anonymous. I knew you were a bit of an intellectual, but that was a bit of a curveball."

"Well, I saw where you were going. Can't help but agree."

Thank you, based Cave Johnson.

"Well, good."

And, as if on cue, you see a waiter walk over.

A cute little goat walks over, and looks at Cadance.

"Oh, mein Sonnengott! Wir sind in der Gegenwart von lizenz?"

Cadance nods.

And, she thinks for a moment before a response.

"Schmeicheln nicht Anonymous und ich. Wir sind hier für das Abendessen am, um... Vorabend ging unser... Unser... Aufenthalt! Unser Aufenthalt in Doetschland. Bitte, nicht die Aufmerksamkeit auf unseren Tisch zu bringen."

Okay, that's actually impressive.

You gave up on learning Cervidan.

Evidently Cervidan was the easiest language to learn, but it was still too much for you to handle.

And you know she already read that letter from the Union not that long ago.

How many languages does Cadance speak?

The waiter seemed fairly impressed, and went on.

"Ich verstehe. Was kann ich Ihnen bringen?"

After this, the two have a short exchange with more... Sounds.

Sounds you don't understand.

You point to what you want, since you can't speak.

Classy as fuck.

But, after a moment, she leaves, and soon after, a different goat drops off a couple glasses of water.

"She says it'll be ten minutes, Anonymous," Cadance says, looking at you with a mocking smile.

You roll your eyes.

"Well, I'm sorry I'm not official royalty or whatever. I don't speak anything other than Equestrian or Bedroom."

She rolls her eyes at you this time, and chuckles.

"Well, I suppose it was forced on me. That, and there aren't many things I've wanted to do more than see the world."

"Oh? Really?"

She nods.

"Travelling on a tour like this is a day of which I've dreamed since I was small."

She smiles and lights up her horn, bringing her glass to her lips.

You smile.

"Well, that's good to know. But, even if this is an escape, do you not travel a lot?"

She shakes her head.

"No, sadly. Not only is Celestia rather strict on travel, but the only reason I ever DO travel is for either diplomatic reasons or some large-scale events. That's about it."

She takes a sip of her water and continues.

"That, and, well, Shining was always better at talking to others than I was. I'm a bit too aggressive sometimes."

With a thud, she sets her glass down, and looks at it for a moment.

"Funny. He's the captain of the guard, yet he's probably the softest man I've ever met."

She just stares at the ice floating in her glass for a minute.

No doubt she was just thinking about Shining, and what all has happened.

You're still curious, where the hell did he run off to?

And exactly what the hell is happening in the Crystal Empire right now?

You know that she knows just as much as you do.

Which is jack shit.

That must be stressful, you'd think.

Chapter 42

After another short walk, the two of you find your way back to the hotel room.

The air is bitter cold compared to the warm pool.

Thankfully you didn't have to endure that torture for long...

Regardless, the door swings open and you step inside, rushing past everyone else in the room.

And, as quick as you can, slide on your pants.

It is quite a bitch when your legs are still a little wet, but you manage.

After that brutal air-dry, you could care less.

Your shirt and suit come on as well, along with your socks and shoes.

In a jiff, you're dressed and ready to go.

Everyone else in the room has been getting ready, it seems.

Cadance is hastily trying to dry out her everything.

Drying out with a coat must be a bitch, you think.

The doctor is fixing herself up as well, using a brush on her mane.

It's glowing dimly; she's using her magic.

Sometimes you forget she's a unicorn, since she hardly ever uses the damned thing.

Which makes no sense to you, since you know you'd use your horn all the time if you had one.

But you do use your horn a lot.

And it's incredibly magical.

So you're not going to complain about not having magic.

Smiling, you look over at Scootaloo, who is preparing about as much as one would expect of a tomboy.

Nothing.

She sits there, patiently waiting.

She sees you and smiles.

"Ready to play, man?"

You smile, and start walking over to her.

"You betcha. You know how to play cards?"

She nods enthusiastically.

"I do, actually! Donut Joe taught me how to play!"

Well, that's a comforting thought.

"Really? Hold 'em, even?"

She nods.

"Huh. Cool. So I won't have to teach you everything?"

Scootaloo shrugs.

"Eeeh. We'll see how rusty the ol' tricks are, but, I think I'll be able to keep up with you guys."

"Heh. Sounds like a plan, Scoots."

With that, you turn to Doc.

"I take it you're coming, too?"

She scoffs at you, smiling.

"Of course I'm coming. I'm brushing for a reason, Anonymous!"

"Fair point."

"Besides, vhat is there to do if I don't come? I'd die of boredom."

"Another fair point."

"And I need a drink. It's been to long since I've been able to loosen up."

Well, y'know, except for that time at the strip club.

After that thought, another one takes its place.

She's a drinker?

"Wait, aren't you a doctor?"

She gives you an odd glance before resuming her brushing.

"No, I'm not. I just decided to cut you open, re-arrange your internal organs, and charge ze princess half a fortune because I thought it vould be funny."

Wait, is she serious?

She sounded serious.

She glances at you again, and blink as she realizes how confused your face is.

A condescending look immediately replaces her surprise.

"Yes, Anonymous. I am a doctor. Vhy bring zis up?"

Finally, she sets the brush down.

She pulls out a mirror, carefully inspecting herself one last time.

"Oh, I don't know. Wouldn't you know the health risks of, y'know, drinking?"

She nods.

"Of course I do. But, in ze end, I doubt it vill be ze booze zat kills me. And, if it does, so be it!"

"That's a pretty bleak outlook, doc."

"Only if you look at it zat vay."

Oh, boy, more cryptic words.

Just what you need.

Thankfully, the thoughts don't linger for long.

They're interrupted as the door unlatches and swings open, revealing one of your beautiful mares.

She gives everyone a nod as she walks in, smiling.

"I'm back," she chimes. "Are you all ready to go."

Scootaloo nods. "Yup!"

The doctor puts her mirror away and nods as well. "Of course."

She looks at you.

"Affirmitive."

Octavia looks around the room.

"Erm, Cadance?"

"Back here! In the bathroom!" she yells.

"She's drying her mane out. Give her a bit."

Octavia seems to understand.

But then, not a moment later, she looks confused again.

"And, erm, Trixie?"

With that, everyone looks at each other, and for a good fifteen seconds, there's nothing but silence.

Nobody has any idea.

"I have no idea. And I doubt vittle Scootaloo does," Cuore says, looking at Octavia in worry.

"H-Hey, don't call me little!"

You stifle a laugh, and you shrug.

"I don't know, and I doubt Cadance does."

"Oh, I do, actually!"

With that, Cadance steps outside the bathroom.

Her hair...

Tyrone would be jealous of that rainbow 'fro.

Everyone stares at her in shock, and, surprisingly, everyone manages to hold back their giggles.

"Shut up," she mutters, her head low as she shoots a glare.

You shake your head, letting out a sigh with a smile.

"But, uh, do go on, Cadance. You know where she is?"

Cadance nods.

"She should be reserving a table. She brought it up earlier, saying it would be a good idea if she got it earlier since Octavia would be here so late."

You nod.

"Ah. Makes sense. So she's down there then?"

She nods.

"Yyyyyeah. AFTER I get THIS mess sorted out!"

The room collectively giggles as Cadance huffs, heading back into the bathroom.

After an eternity, Candyass finally decides to get her shit in gear.

She walks outside, and her mane isn't a giant puffball.

It's just like it always is, flowing over her shoulders.

She smiles warmly, looking at everyone.

"All right, I'm ready."

You nod, opening the door and leading the way.

It was a hike to the casino.

It's on the other side of the hotel's complex, so it was a pain in the ass.

But, eventually, the five of you do find your way.

And, once you get there, it's undeniable.

You ARE AT the casino.

The ringing and jingling of the slot machines and the change within...

The cheap, colourful, and decorative carpet...

The dim but colorful lights everywhere you look...

This is a casino.

Folks are chewin' the fat at tables all around, and the strong, lingering scent of cheap booze and cigarette smoke makes its presence known.

Even though you've never been to Las Pegasus, you'd imagine this is what it must be like.

Scootaloo stares at everything, absolutely wide-eyed.

Both the doctor and Octavia seem to be very happy about being here, judging by the dopey looks on their faces.

Cadance just has a warm smile, it seems.

You?

You really don't know what to think.

Other than a couple of dumb bets with Scootaloo and the occasional (but rare) card games with the Apples, you don't have a clue about what you're doing.

But, if you don't, why are you so anxious?

You look around, and suddenly, some blue catches your eye.

It's Trixie, waving you over with a sly smirk on her face.

She's wearing her cape.

That's a nice touch.

You start walking over, your group of three and a half mares following you.

"About time you showed up," Trixie says, smiling as you walk up.

You hop up and take a seat right next to Trixie.

"Yeah, sorry. Cadance had to dry her mane out.

Octavia plops down on the other side of Trixie, and the Doctor sits right next to her.

Scootaloo pulls up to your left, and Cadance sits on the last seat.

Six seats, all in a circle.

With that, Trixie pulls up a small remote.

"Okay, so. Octavia, Trixie understands that you have the chips?"

She nods.

"I got them earlier today. I have three hundred fifty for all of us."

Trixie smiles. "Good. Now, are we playing casually, or is this going to be a total elimination tournament?"

Octavia thinks for a moment, tapping her chin.

"...Hmmm..."

After a moment, you see her smile wickedly.

She seems to have come to her conclusion.

And, was that a bit of fire in her eyes?

"You know, forget it. Total elimination. To the victor go the spoils."

Well now!

Everyone around the table looks excited to be here.

Octavia leans back, smiling as she starts dishing out the poker chips to everyone.

Cadance, almost across the poker table from you, waves over a nearby waitress.

"Ja, fräulein?" the waitress asks.

"Wir wollen fünf Alkohol," Cadance says, nodding.

"...I can speak Eqvestrian, you know," the waitress says, deadpanning.

After a moment of embarrassment, Cadance looks around, and then back at the waitress.

"Drinks. We would like drinks. All of us."

The waitress nods, pulling out a notepad.

"...Hm. Vhat vould you all like?"

Cadance thinks a moment before responding.

"Get me... A bottle of red wine. For us to share."

She glances at Octavia, Trixie, and the doctor.

Most seem to agree with the decision.

"We'll split it," she says, smiling, "but the two over there might want something different."

The waitress nods, and turns to Scootaloo.

"And for you, miss?"

Scoots taps her chin, thinking.

"...Eeeeeeh, I don't want nothin' too fancy. You got any cider?"

She nods. "Ja."

"Gimme some of that, then."

"Haht citer?"

Scootaloo blinks, turning to you.

You slowly shake your head, and she takes the hint.

"Uh... No, I guess," she says, turning to the waitress.

The waitress nods, turning to you.

Wine?

Cider?

Pfft.

Time to show these mares how to drink.

"Hmm. Get me a bottle of your best whiskey."

Wait, what the fuck, what are you doing?

Take a moment to consider this!

"Vhiskey? Certainly. One bottle of hard vhiskey straight from Appleoosa is coming for you."

Shit.

You've made a horrible mistake

That shit is 130 proof!

The mares look at you, surprised and worried.

The doctor takes a double take and looks at you in disbelief.

But, in the midst of this, you keep your cool, acting as if you knew this.

"Great. Thanks."

The waitress nods, putting her pen away.

"Good! Your drinks will be out shortly."

With that, she trots off to the bar.

Trixie is still figuring out the controls for the table.

From what you can see, it looks like an automatic table.

It deals out the cards, as well as the flop, turn, and river by itself.

IF it's set correctly.

Trixie grumbles, trying to figure out exactly what she's doing.

And, after a few minutes of irritated noises, she finally figures it out.

A whirring sound is heard underneath the table.

"Okay, Trixie figured it out. Be thankful. Now, we're ready to start."

Octavia starts dealing out stacks of poker chips to everyone.

50 chips each.

Just before the game starts, the drinks arrive.

A bottle of red wine with glasses, a mug of straight cider...

And your bottle of whiskey, with a shotglass.

The waitress leaves without a word, and you're left with your whiskey.

As you open the bottle, you rationalize your decisions.

You lift the bottle and start pouring the shotglass, thinking that you'll need the courage for the games to come.

The mares all gawk at you as you raise the shotglass to your lips, sending the bitter liquid down your throat.

And holy hell it was bitter.

You manage to hide your reaction, thankfully, and once the warmth hits your belly, you look at the mares around the table, a wicked smile on your face.

"All right. Let's go."

And, with that, Trixie pushes the start button.

You hear the whrring of gears beneath the table, and soon, a small cylindrical mechanism pops up in the center of the table.

You raise your eyebrows in interest—technology was a rare thing for you to see.

The metal cylinder quickly dispenses cards to the six of you, giving you two each.

"Oh, here we go~" Octavia mumbles in happiness, glancing at her cards.

Cadance, the doctor, and Trixie all hold their cards up in front of them.

Octavia and Scootaloo, however, merely give them a glance before setting them back down.

You decide that those two are smart, and follow their strategy.

With that, you grab your cards and slide them to you, giving them a peek.

Ace of hearts, king of clubs.

Now, you don't know shit about poker except for the rules themselves, but you could about imagine this is a good hand.

You set them back down, glancing around the table.

Octavia, Cadance, and Trixie have amazing poker faces.

The doctor looks like she's about to vomit.

You look to your right, and Scootaloo is just sitting there, a warm smile on her face like always.

That damn filly doesn't know how cute she is.

After a short pause, Trixie looks at the console.

"Okay, so. It appears as if Cadance has the small blind of one dollar, Scootaloo has the big blind of two dollars, and Anonymous is going first."

Oh, fuck, Blinds.

Does Scoots know what—

Wait she already has two chips out there.

Well, that settles that, then.

Everyone seems a little impressed that Scoots knows what a blind is, but their feelings are quickly lost as they realize the game is going nowhere.

With that, you shrug.

"Eh, I'm in."

Two chips come off of your stack and towards the middle of the table.

Trixie keeps a straight face, sliding in two chips. "Mmhmm."

Octavia does the exact same thing, glancing around. She doesn't say a word.

The doctor shakes her head.

"Eeeh, no, I'll pass. I've seen better cards come out of my colt's Yu-gi-vhatever playset."

And, with that, her cards are shoved to the middle.

Cadance slides in one chip, looking at Cuore with a raised eyebrow. "You have a colt?"

Scootaloo looks interested, and listens to the doctor as she taps her hoof on the table.

With that, Trixie presses a button, and down comes the river.

7C, 9H, JC.

Fuck.

The doctor continues what she was saying.

"Yes, yes, I do. He's living vith his grandmother, in her lake house south of Roama."

With that, attention turns to you.

"I'm checking," you say, tapping your fingers.

"Also, another question—you're married?"

Trixie looks at you with a bit of evil on her eyes, and slides in five chips.

"I'm gonna raise it up a little."

Octavia wastes no time in putting down her cards and ending it then and there.

Cadance follows suit, setting down her cards without a word.

Cuore takes advantage of the pause, and looks at you.

"Married? No, not even close," she says, shaking her head.

Scootaloo slides five chips in in silence, listening to the conversation.

"Oh. Oh, that's right. You told me about that, the night you woke up with me and you were--"

"UPUPUPUPUP! Stop it right zhere, Anonymous!"

The table collectively laughs at her reaction, and you slide in five chips, thinking you still have a chance.

"Whatever you say, Doc."

With that, the machine puts down a river.

2 of clubs.

Egh, crap.

Trixie slides ten chips into the pot.

"I'm gonna raise a bit," she says with an evil grin.

Scootaloo, being next in line, calls, sliding in ten more chips.

You shrug.

Eh, you've gone this far.

You slide in ten chips.

"All right, I guess I call."

With that, the last card comes down.

Ace of clubs.

Well, you have a pair of ace—

WAIT.

Oh!

That's great!

You might actually win this—

"All in!" Trixie yells, shoving her whole stack into the pile.

Well, fuck.

The whole table gives Trixie some surprised looks.

Scootaloo shakes her head.

"No. Nope. Not gonna happen."

You look at your hand.

A flush.

Hmm...

Well, no sense pulling back now.

"Sure, I'll call, you crazy bitch."

Trixie's evil smile doubles in size.

"Well, come on then," Octavia says, looking at the two of you. "Let's see them."

Trixie lays down her cards.

Seven of hearts and the seven of spades.

Three of a kind.

Dooohohoo.

"Beat that, monkey!" Trixie says, acting ridiculously confident.

"Heh, okay," you say, revealing your cards.

She looks irrationally happy for a moment...

Until she sees exactly what you have.

"What?!"

"HAHAHA! All your money is miiiiine!"

She gawks at you as you drag your chips into your pile.

And, in the first damned round, Trixie is out of the picture, and you have 121 chips.

Trixie snorts. "Cheater."

Chapter 43

You shake your head and laugh a little at her dismay, taking the controller and pressing the 'next hoof' button.

Cards are dealt, and you have the big blind.

Scoots has the small blind, and slides in one chip right after you put in yours.

You glance at your cards, and everyone else does the same.

Ace of hearts, nine of spades.

Eeeh.

Octavia puts in two chips.

"In."

Cuore grumbles, sliding her cards away yet again.

"Blech. Garbage!"

Cadance slides in two more chips, nodding as she looks at her cards.

Scoots puts one more in, smiling wide.

"Yep! I'm in!"

She must have a really good hand.

You tap the table, checking, while pressing a button on the controller to let down the flop.

With that, you see what you're dealing with.

9C, 7H, JS

Hum.

Octavia taps the table, looking to Cadance.

Cadance looks at the doctor as she taps the table, curious.

"So, you got bad luck? Or are you just really picky?"

Scootaloo takes five chips from her stack and slides them to the middle.

The little bastard's raising the stakes.

You slide in five chips as well.

Octavia folds, sliding her cards.

As Cadance shoves in five more chips, the doctor responds.

"Perhaps a bit of both. I'm not typically vone for taking risks."

"I'd fucking hope."

It takes a moment, but finally the gravity of your statement sets in, and most everyone laughs.

Spare Trixie, who's still having a fit over losing all of her cash.

With that, the river comes down.

Four of clubs.

Scootaloo slides in five more chips.

You consider it for a second.

You have a pair of nines...

She's probably got something weak.

Come on, she's a filly.

You slide in five more, looking at her deviously.

She laughs at you, returning your look.

"Gee, someone suddenly grew a pair."

"Ooooh, you're walking a thin line, Scoots..."

She just laughs at you again, turning away.

"Whatever you say, mister I'm-too-scared-to-pull-Dashie's-tail."

oh dear god you are going to murder this filly

Before you can do much else, you hear Cadance pipe up.

"Hey, calm down you two. You aren't the only ones in the game!"

She slides in a stack of five chips, smiling wickedly.

"Oh, look! Miss Candy Crush is stepping up to defend her boyfriend!"

Oh no...

Everyone gives Scootaloo a wide-eyed stare of shock.

Partly because it's evident she knew.

Partly because nobody knew this filly had guts of steel.

But, mostly, the surprise was because she just pissed off a god.

Cadance's game face is go, and she glares at Scoots, a wide, toothy smile on her face.

"Oh, you're on now, little filly."

"Bring it!"

With that, you press the button, and down comes the turn.

Nine of hearts.

Ooh. Three of a kind!

"ALL IN!"

Scootaloo anxiously shoves in her entire pile.

With that, you glance at the cards and—

Oh.

"Welp. Fold."

You slide your cards in front of you in defeat.

You aren't falling for that.

Cadance, however, seems to be going in head first.

"I call!" she says, sliding 21 of her chips inside.

With that, she places down her cards.

And she has...

Jack of hearts, Seven of clubs.

Two pair.

Not bad.

"Hah! Tough luck, princess! Beat this!"

Scootaloo places down her cards.

Eight of hearts, ten of diamonds.

Knew it.

"Welp, that's a straight, Cadance. Looks like Scootaloo here—"

"FUCK!"

Scootaloo greedily rakes in her 80 chips, giggling uncontrollably.

Cadance snarls in jealousy and anger.

"Lucky little—"

Trixie scoffs at Cadance, covering her mouth with her hoof as she leans over to whisper to Octavia.

You can barely make it out, but you can hear what she's saying.

"The princess might speak a dozen languages, but it looks like she doesn't have any sense when it comes to numbers!"

Octy and Trixie share a giggle, and the new round starts at the press of a button.

Right after the cards start dispensing, you take a peek.

6 of clubs, two of spades.

Could your hand get any worse?

And, suddenly, the controller is yanked from your hand by a glowing purple aura.

"Hey! What the-?"

You look up, and you see the doctor handing it to Octavia.

Octavia looks at you, and then at the controller.

"Sorry, but you weren't paying much attention to me waving at you."

You blink.

"You couldn't speak up?"

She merely shrugs.

"It didn't cross my mind, I suppose."

Everyone else takes a gander at their cards, and you and Octavia put the blinds in place.

"Huh, really? Aren't you a vocalist too?"

Octavia nods, and Dr. Cuore once again folds, keeping silent.

"Mmmhmm, of course. Most musicians are."

You give her a skeptical look, and see Cadance fold out of the corner of your eye.

"You'd think you'd be proud to use your voice, then."

Octavia's eyes soften a bit, and after a beat, she responds.

"And I would be, if it weren't for the constant recoil."

Scootaloo slides in a couple of chips, listening to your conversation.

"Ah. I know how that feels. But, still, you're with friends— hell, you're with family, at this point. Loosen up a bit."

You slide in an extra chip, since you have the small blind.

It's just one chip, you think.

"I plan to. I'm turning on some music right now..."

With that, Octavia idly checks, looking at the controller.

"This thing has music?"

She nods, pressing a few buttons.

"Evidently. Let me see if it works..."

The bass guitar kicks in, and you immediately knew what Octavia was doing.

The speakers beneath the table play, and although it isn't quite HD, it's still great to listen to.

You thought jazz was okay, most of the time, but you never really got into it as much as Octavia did.

But this?

This is... Incredibly fitting.

Kind of like that night in the train.

Except now, you're at a poker table rather than a bed.

You have an odd feeling that's going to change as soon as this game is over, however.

You smile, and pour yourself another shot as the flop comes down.

3C, JH, KS.

Welp, you got nothin'.

Trixie looks at Octavia, and her ears perk at the music.

"Do you know this song? I've never heard it before."

Scootaloo checks as you grab your shot glass and throw it down the hatch without a second thought.

You let out a breath after you gulp down the whiskey, and check as well.

Octavia nods at Trixie, and, upon seeing the flop, raises 5 chips.

"I've known it for a while. I guess it just hasn't brought itself up between the two of us. It's good for leisure, drinking... It helps me calm down."

"Why would you need to calm down? You're the most low-key mare that Trixie knows," she says, confused.

Scootaloo slides in five chips, and without hesitation, you fold over your cards.

"Nnnnnope."

Sheesh. After two shots, you're already feeling it a little.

Octavia takes a sip of her glass, and responds to her marefriend.

"There are... Reasons, I suppose. You know a few, do you not?"

With another press of a button, the river comes down.

5C.

Octavia slides in another 5 chips, her eyes locked on the controller.

Trixie tilts her head. "Of course Trixie knows. She just... Can't seem to remember them, at the moment."

You look at Trixie's empty glass of wine.

"Shit, one glass, Trix, and you're already losing it? I honestly expected you to be able to handle your drinks well!"

You're poking the beehive and you know it.

But it was too damn fun to stop.

Scootaloo calls Octavia's bet, and you can see her smile deviously.

She knows exactly what you're doing.

Trixie turns to you, and shoots you a half-glare.

"Trixie can out-drink anyone. Even you, monkey-boy."

"Oohohooo. Monkey boy. How original. Y'see, that's how I know you're tipsy-you'd come up with better insults if you were—Oh, shit, Trixie, what are you doing?!"

In the time it took you to contemplate her terrible comebacks, she snatched the bottle of whiskey from in front of you.

And now she's chugging the damned thing.

Oh god, does she know how powerful it is?

Okay, better question.

How the hell is she gulping that shit down?

You watch in disbelief as three-fourths of your bottle of whiskey go down her throat and into her poor, unsuspecting belly.

She sets the bottle down with a thunk, and looks around at everyone gawking at her.

Well, spare the Doctor, who looks about as interested in Trixie's escapades as one would be in watching grass grow.

"Hah! And you said Trixie couldn't drink."

The doctor looks up at Trixie with a very, very blunt look, half-lidded eyes and a condescending tone to top it all off.

After a moment, she kicks back in her seat, props her hind legs on the table, and takes a sudden interest in the chips in her forehoof.

"I give ze mare and her liver five minutes."

Chapter 44

Trixie's face, almost immediately after the Doctor is done talking, starts to warp.

"Pfft, five! Five minutes?! Trixie can do... Better tha!"

Her gag reflex kicks in, and immediately, she hops off of her seat and darts away.

Hopefully she'd find her way to the bathrooms before she--

*BROOOOLF*

And, there go your hopes.

Trixie hurls up all over the floor, splattering at the hooves of those on the nearby slot machines.

Luckily, Trixie manages to brace herself before the second wave hits, and scampers off in time.

You see her burst through the bathroom door at supersonic speeds, and from the sounds you hear, your gut hurts already.

"Hm. I vas wrong. Prehaps I meant five seconds."

The doctor shakes her head, looking at you.

"It's your go, Anonymous."

"Oh, right. Sure, I'm in."

You slide in five more chips.

Get a four and you're set!

Octavia presses the button, and down comes the turn...

10 of diamonds.

Drat.

Octavia pushes another ten chips into the pile.

Scootaloo suddenly looks as if she's been pumped full of adrenaline, and hastily shoves in a total of fifty chips.

"Raisin' the roof! Hahah!"

You blink.

And, after a look at the cards on the table, you realize she proooobably has a straight.

"Yeah, no. I'm out."

You slide your cards ahead of you.

Octavia looks at the chips, and is tempted to call.

Until she sees what you see, that is.

"Oh, come on, miss fancy pants. Too afraid to call?"

"Perhaps. I see what you have."

"Ooohoho. Is it worth it?"

With that, she...

Folds.

"Not worth the risk."

"Hah! Suckers!

Scootaloo sets down a 2 of clubs and an eight of hearts.

Wait, she—

She has jack shit!

She greedily scoops up the entire pot, laughing her flank off.

Octavia, meanwhile, had a king and a jack in her hooves.

She clenches her teeth.

She had been rused.

"Good bluff, Scootaloo," she says, shooting Scootaloo a half glare.

Although you knew it wasn't truly serious, due to the curl in her lips.

"Hahaha, I can't believe you suckers fell for it!"

Actually, on further inspection, maybe that ISN'T a friendly glare.

Which is quite unlike Octavia.

But then why is she smiling the way she is?

Probably not the best idea to ask, you suppose.

With that, you check over the standings.

With Scooter's bluff, she's ahead of you.

Scoots has 104 chips, you have 102, the doctor has 50, Octavia has 29, and Cadance has 15.

Trixie is out of the picture by a longshot.

With that, a new round begins.

The cards are dealt, and everyone takes a gander.

As do you.

King of clubs, king of spades.

Huh. Nice.

Also, since Doc has the big blind, it looks like she's finally going to be in for once.

Cadance slides in five chips, a third of her whole stack.

"Raising."

Well then.

Scootaloo calls soon after, and so do you.

No way you're letting a pair of kings slip.

Octavia calls, as well, sliding in four more.

The doctor thinks for a minute.

"Hmmm..."

And, then, after another moment of cold calculation, she slides in three more chips.

You look around.

Absolutely none of the faces are particularly readable, spare two.

Cadance's smile? You know something's up.

Scootaloo?

Well, you can't really consider that readable.

That damn filly is unpredictable.

Soon, the flop comes down.

KD, AS, 8C.

Damn, not bad.

Cadance slides in the rest of her chips.

"Might as well."

Scootaloo chuckles at her lesser foe, and slides over her cards.

"Naah, not feelin' it."

You, on the other hand, are feeling it.

Or is it the whiskey you're feeling?

Whatever. You slide in ten more chips.

Octavia shakes her head.

"I'm going to have to side with Scootaloo on this one."

You look up at her, eyebrow raised.

"And why's that, hun?" you ask, mocking.

"Well, there is a good reason. Are you familiar with the term 'peripeteia', Anonymous? Or, perhaps, the term 'turnabout'?"

You shake your head.

"Nupe."

"To be frank, it's getting -fucked- by a reversal of fortune. Like these cards!"

She sets them down on the table and slides them away.

You think she's on her third glass, like everyone else is, but you're not sure.

Not much else could explain the behavior she's been exhibiting this game.

You turn to the doctor.

"Well, doc? You in or what?"

She looks at her cards, and nods.

"I suppose."

With that, she slides in ten more chips.

Soon after, Octavia pushes the button, and the river comes.

Eight of hearts.

Hmm.

You're not sure what to do next...

But your gut full of booze is telling you to raise.

You slide in ten chips, giving Cuore a look.

"Can ya keep up with me, doc?"

She looks at you with an unimaginably blank face.

And, slowly, reaches forward and shoves a good chunk of her pile in.

Much more than you raised, actually.

"I raise you. Tventy-five."

Fuck, you have no clue what to do.

You have a full house, actually.

Hah! Now you know what to do!

"All right then. I'll call," you say, sliding in another fifteen.

The doctor, for once, smiles.

It's actually a little scary.

And slightly sadistic.

With that, comes the turn.

The king of hearts.

Shit son, you hit the jackpot.

You manage to keep your cool, looking at the doctor.

Cadance looks between the two of you, anxiously waiting.

Cuore slides in the last of her pile, grinning.

"All in."

No way you're skipping this.

You slide in ten more chips, grinning ear to ear.

"I'll call that."

Two players all in, and you're up against a perfectionist and a princess.

This can't possibly go wrong.

Octavia looks between the three of you, and nods.

"Well. Let's see them, girls."

"Hey! What about me?"

Octavia looks at you with a blank stare.

"Oh, right. Let's see them, ladies."

You look at the center of the table.

One hundred and twenty five chips, right there.

Shit, with that money, you could buy whatever you wanted.

You got this hand in the bag, too.

"Cadance, you first, since you were the first to go all in."

You smile wide, pouring another shot.

Cadance flips over her cards, revealing an eight of diamonds and a queen of spades.

"Three of a kind," she says, smiling a bit.

The doctor looks at her and scoffs.

"Hah! Three of a kind?! Pfft!"

She turns over her cards, revealing an ace of hearts and an eight of spades.

"Full house! Top shelf!"

You toss a shot down the hatch and pause a moment.

Eventually, both of the mares turn their gaze to you.

Cuore looks at you as if she's won already.

Oooh boy, you are going to crush that...

"Vell, monkey man. Show us vhat you have, and qvickly. I vant my money fast."

"...Welp, if you say so."

With that, you flip over your two kings.

"Four of a kind."

The doctor looks at your cards, and instantly, that confident smirk melts away.

It's replaced with fear.

"...Y-Y–"

You laugh out loud, looking at Octavia.

"I beat her hand, right?"

"By a long shot," Octy says, nodding.

You chuckle deeply, raking in all of your chips.

And, just like that, two more people are out of the picture.

The doctor sits there, stunned for a moment. You think one of her eyes is twitching.

After a long moment, she finally sits back and relaxes.

And, as an after thought, grabs the half-full bottle of wine that's nearby.

Which just so happens to be the second bottle, actually, concerning the first one was sucked dry a few rounds ago.

Thank god there was a second.

The doctor looks like she's about to snap.

Just as Octavia is about to start the new round, she hesitates.

"How long has it been since Trixie ran off?"

Everyone looks at eachother, asking themselves the same question.

"Uh, a while," you say, shrugging.

Octavia lets out a sigh, finishes off what's left in her glass, and hops off of her stool.

"I suppose I had better go check on her. I'm going to sit these next couple of rounds out. I'll be back."

With that, she hops off of her chair.

The doctor sighs, sliding off of her chair as well and heading straight towards the bar.

"Merda, I need a drink..."

You need a navy hat too, there, captain obvious.

Cadance shakes her head, hopping off of the chair as well.

"I felt my horn buzz earlier. Someone no doubt wants to talk to me, and I have a feeling that it's Spitfire."

"Oh, boy, that's great."

"Yeah, I know," she says, letting out a sigh. "But. Politics are important, I suppose. As well as relationships."

You give her a quizzical look.

"Is it about Shining?"

Cadance pauses for a moment, and then tilts her head.

"I'm not sure. There could be a number of things going wrong, and Shining is no doubt one of them."

"No shit. After the story you told me not that long ago, he sounds like more trouble than Scootaloo ever was."

Scootaloo glares at you, her jaw low.

"Hey! Cram it, meathead!"

"You first!"

"No, you!"

"No you!"

"No you!"

"No y—"

"Both of you cram it!" Cadance yells, trying to contain her giggling. "This is-... This is important!"

She turns to you, smiling and shaking her head.

"Anonymous. I had better talk to them. When you and dear Scootaloo are done here, come up to me right away, okay?"

"Gotcha."

She nods, turning around. "All right! Have fun, you two!"

And, as she trots off, you swear she puts a little sway in her step.

Or maybe it was just the wine doing that.

Either way, her booty is jiggling hypnotically.

You contain your unfs, and turn to Scootaloo.

Well, actually, you glance at the chair where Scootaloo once was.

You look over, seeing she's moved to the other side of the table, straight across from you.

She also has the remote in her hooves, idly fiddling with it.

When she notices that you noticed her move, she smiles, and starts fiddling even more.

"I figured it'd be more awesome if I did some things cool for our one on one. Even though I'm gonna kick your flank."

"Yeah, right..."

She rolls her eyes at you, and turns down a dial.

The lights above the table dim to the point where you are just able to see the cards.

She looks through it a bit more, and glances up at you. "...You mind if I crank some tunes?"

"Go ahead, Scoots."

"Cool."

She looks for a while, raising an eyebrow.

In the time it takes you to pour and drink another shot, she lets out a grumble.

"I can't decide. You wanna play any music, Anon?"

She slides the console over to you, and you grab it.

The thing is fairly simple; two knobs, five or six buttons, and a keypad.

"Sure. Lemme think of somethin'."

You look at the console, and...

Oh, there's a button labeled 'music'.

You press it, and a search bar comes up.

Now, what to put...

A-HA!

As soon as you remember the artist's name, you punch it into the keyboard.

And the first result is what you're after.

With a click of a button, it starts playing.

Ain't That a Kick in the Head

Yesssss...

The trumpets blare, and a smile comes to your face.

You pour yet another shot for courage, and press the start button.

Cards are dealt out to the three of you, since it still thinks Octy is playing

You quickly correct that on the console, set it aside, and push Octavia's cards away.

Scootaloo glances at her cards, and so do you.

Queen of diamonds, eight of spades.

Not bad.

You toss the shot down the hatch, and Scootaloo sets her cards dBlinds are all but forgotten, it seems.

"Eh, I'll raise a little," Scoots says, sliding five chips into the center.

"Pfft, five? Come on. I'll raise you."

Feeling particularly brave, you slide in twenty five.

"Fine! You're on, dude!"

She slides in twenty more chips, smiling.

You notice, however, that all of her chips, spare one, were from Octavia's pile.

Eh, she won't be back for a while.

You let it slide, and push the 'next hoof' button.

JH, 8H, 2S

Pair of 8s.

Not bad.

"Okay, I'm raisin'."

She slides in ten more chips.

You call, thinking you can keep up.

Quickly, you press the next button, and the river comes down.

QH.

Huh.

Scootaloo slides in fifteen more chips, and you're eager to call with your two pair.

"Sheesh, getting ballsy tonight, ain't ya?"

"Maybe. A lot of it's just me being the best pokerer ever."

"Yeah, 'cause that made total sense. I think you need to calm down on the drinks."

"Pff. Fat chance."

You call her bet, and with the press of a button, the turn falls.

2H.

Wait...

FUCK.

She has a flush, doesn't she?

Yeah, that's probably why--

"ALL IN!"

"FUCK NO."

You immediately fold your cards, shaking your head.

"Suckerrr!"

With that, you see her show her cards.

Six of spades, five of diamonds.

As you see her cards, the realization hits you harder than a freight train.

She got you.

She got you good.

The fury of a drunkard fills your chest, and you glare at the snickering little shit across the table.

"You little!"

You grit your teeth to stop yourself from insulting the filly, and let out a growl.

"I'll show you next round. THIS ROUND will be different!"

She just laughs at you, nodding.

"Hoo-oo-kay, man, whatever you say."

Chapter 45

You look at what's left of your bottle of whiskey.

Enough for two shots, if even, concerning Trixie downed the whole damn thing.

And, as you look at it, a memory crosses your mind.

As a wise man once said...

"Eh, fuck it."

With that, bottoms are up, and you feel the rest of the bottle pour down your throat.

No doubt you're going to regret this in the morning, but you don't care.

You have a tournament to win.

With the press of a button, the cards are dealt.

You look at your new cards.

Nine and eight of hearts.

Not bad at all.

You shove in ten chips.

"I'm in."

"What, did you change the blinds all of the sudden?"

You shrug.

"I guess."

She shrugs as well.

"Whatever I guess. I'm calling anyway."

She shoves in ten chips, and you press the big green button.

QH, 5S, 9C

Pair o' nines.

Hm.

"I'll raise a little," you say, sliding in ten chips.

Scootaloo rolls her eyes, shoving in more than twice what you did.

"Come on. Step it up, Shirley."

So that's how she's gonna play, huh?

You shove in 15 more chips, smiling as you push the button without a word.

JH.

Oooh. This is looking really nice.

Scootaloo shoves in twenty five more, an evil smile on her face.

You have much the same look on your face as you follow her lead.

"You think you're going to win, don't you?"

She gives you a smug look, leaning forward onto the table.

"Yooou could say that..."

She rocks back and forth innocently, as if she has a song stuck in her head.

Christ she's smug.

Let's see how smug she looks when the turn comes down.

You press the button, and watch.

10 of hearts.

Oh, SHIT.

That's a straight flush!

Have you ever gotten that lucky before?!

Well, besides Cadance.

And Octavia.

And kinda Trixie.

You don't think you have, honestly.

Amazingly, you manage to keep a cool face.

Until Scootaloo quietly shoves in her entire pile.

She looks at you, with the smuggest of smirks one could ever smirk.

You know what this little snake is doing.

She's bluffing.

Again.

You're about to call her and go all in, until you hear her speak.

"You so sure about that, Anonymous?"

You take a minute to think.

Of course you're fucking sure!

You have a straight flush!

You shove those chips in with all of the courage and confidence both your cards and your whiskey have given you.

And, immediately, Scootaloo starts giggling.

"Heheh... O-Okay, let's... Let's see what you have..."

You show her your cards.

"Straight flush. Beat that, chicken!"

Her look melts immediately, and she glares at you.

You, sir, have crossed a line.

After a pause, she nods.

"Sure, okay. I will!"

And, with that, she shows you her cards.

At first, you don't really believe what you see.

But, finally, the realization sinks in.

She has the ace and the king of hearts.

You die inside a little bit as you realize she has, quite literally, an unbeatable hand.

Finally, Scootaloo's smile comes back as she takes her bounty—300 chips.

You're in shock–you just got schooled by a teenager in poker.

"Wh-What the hell?! How long was that?! Two rounds?"

"Yup!"

She looks at her pile of chips much like a greedy goblin would,

"How the hell did you learn to play like that?!"

Scootaloo looks up at you, rolling her eyes.

"Come on, dude, think about it. How do you think I was able to feed myself and pay for everything all the time in Ponyville? Donut Joe taught me a few tricks. Now he can't even beat me!"

With that, she manages to get all of her chips in a pile and waves over a waiter to ask for a bag or something to carry them in.

You, meanwhile, are dumbfounded.

You're also hoping Donut Joe wasn't some sort of fucked up pedo.

Scootaloo manages to get a bag, and dumps all of her chips inside.

"You wanna redeem these for me, man? They'll probably bust me since I'm a filly."

You shake your head, standing up.

"Wait for Octavia and Trixie to get back, Scoots. Cadance said she wanted me to talk to her for a while when we were done."

"Oh, yeah. Right. Okay. Well, I'll see you later then."

"But before you go, I got a question."

And, with the tone she has into her voice, you have a feeling it's about you and Cadance.

You can feel a little more sweat come onto your brow, and you look at her.

"Yeah? What's up?"

She jumps onto a stool nearby, and leans in closer.

"Does... Does the princess, like, have the hots... for you?"

After a short pause, you nod.

"Yeah, I guess you could say we have a... Thing. Us."

She giggles like a little school girl, a wide smile on her face.

"So you're in a pack?!"

After a moment, you consider her words.

A pack?

That's an odd way to put it, but you nod.

"I guess I am."

"Dude! That's cool! Score!"

She raises a hoof for a hoof bump.

Smiling and shaking your head, you ball up your fist and give it a rough bump.

She laughs a little, looking up at you.

"That's really cool. No wonder you were able to buy that scooter for me."

That jars your memory.

That scooter!

You have yet to put it together!

Oh well.

You'll have enough time in Flankfurt tomorrow to set it up, probably.

"Speaking of your scooter, I think we'll put that thing together tomorrow."

"Sweeeeeeet."

You grab your empty bottle of whiskey and start walking.

"But I better go. Probably not a good idea to keep the princess waiting."

"Yeah, good idea. See ya later!"

"See ya."

With that, you make your way out the casino.

You glance back, and see Octavia helping the Queasy and Hobbling Trixie out of the bathroom.

Good. Scoot won't be alone for too long then.

You leave the casino, and make the grand trek back to your room.

A while later, you walk up to the door and knock.

You near two voices inside the room.

One is Cadance.

The other is...

No doubt another mare.

An alto, rather rough and scraggly, but not smoke-and-whiskey-for-a-lifetime bad.

After listening, it's more like...

Drill sergent.

So Cadance was right!

Eventually, you hear Cadance say something, and the door swings open.

Cadance looks a bit stressed out by the look in her eyes.

Her horn is glowing very, very brightly, and it shines light on you and everything behind you.

"Come in, Anon," she says, turning around.

When she does, the light shines on the back wall.

And it's then you notice that, coming out of her horn, is actually a projection, much like what you used to see in High School.

A oval-shaped projection shines on the wall, and although the color is a bit on the bright white side, you can make out a few things.

One, it's in a very large crystalline room.

Two, front and center, Spitfire stands, in a full uniform complete with a hat, shades, and a few medals pinned to her chest.

Cadance opens her mouth wide, and out of her mouth comes Spitfire's voice.

"So, he finally shows up. The man of the hour, eh?"

Fuck, that's weird.

But, you ignore it, for now, and respond.

"I guess. What the hell did I walk into?"

Cadane looks at you without moving her head to respond.

"There's some trouble stirring up inside the kingdom itself. Nothing major, but still bothersome."

Spitfire grumbles, nodding. "Just a little. Some damn cultists have practically overran a whole sector in the southeastern part of the city. They aren't violent, but they're quite... Threatening, to say the least. And, of course, there's the AWOL Shining Armor..."

"Well, is there anything that's happening that's positive? Or is this just a pissfest?"

Spitfire shrugs. "Nothing important to discuss. But, look, I'm on borrowed time, and my caster can only keep this spell up for so long. Cadance, please. Tell me, how many do you want me to send after Shining? I have a group of at least two hundred soldiers ready to tough the wastes and scrounge every last--"

"Don't even bother with him, Spitfire."

The captain is a bit taken aback by this, lowering her head and looking past her shades for a moment.

"Don't even bother? Cadance, that's a terrible idea! He's the figurehead of this entire nation! Not only that, but he's one of the greatest military minds of the century! Do you seriously want me to just--"

Cadance clears her throat, cutting Spitfire off rudely.

"Yes, I'm certain, Spitfire. From what you told me, this was no doubt him running off; you've ruled out all options of a kidnapping, an assassination, or even something as small as him getting drunk and hobbling out of town. If he left, he acts on his own accord, he no doubt has his reasons, and he'll be responsible for his actions. Wasting lives trying to find him is a terrible idea, especially since he'll be practically impossible to find if he truly wants to stay hidden."

Spitfire keeps quiet for quite some time, until finally, she lets out a light sigh. You see a bit of defeat on her face for a moment, but it vanishes quickly.

"Very well then, your highness. As for the press?"

"Tell them we can't afford to waste the men to find him. If he is to return, he will return. Tell them you have confidence."

"Understood. And, as for the cultists?"

"Denounce their words as those of a madman or a bored conspirator. There is no possibility of anything coming to harm the Crystal Empire any time, especially under the care of you and your colleagues."

"Roger. Anything else?"

"One last thing."

"Promote Soarin' to Captain of the Guard, and make him second-in-command only to you. Make sure the harvest season goes well, and make sure trading between you and nearby nations is still active. The last thing we need is to become isolationists."

Spitfire nods. "Of course. Will that be all?"

Cadance nods. "I believe so. Until tomorrow, anyhow. When did you say you would arrive?"

"I'll be at your hotel around seven o'clock," Spitfire says, adjusting her suit. "The time isn't going to be exact; it's quite a flight from here to Flankfurt, and travel is going to be a pain concerning the recent rebellion in Camelu."

"Very well then. Stay safe, Spitfire. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Stay frosty, princess."

With that, her horn stops glowing, and she shuts her mouth.

And you're left with about a few questions.

Cadance turns to you, smiling. "Sorry about that, dear. Had to talk."

"How did you... Do that? That projection? And her talking?"

Cadance sighs, looking at her horn. "It's a rather complex magic spell, and requires a caster on both ends for it to work properly. It was a little short on her end, concerning I had to do it myself; she could only hear us."

"That's weird. But still!"

"I'll explain more later, and no doubt you'll get the rest of the information tomorrow when we see her in person."

"Since when are we having a meeting?"

"Since just now, when she requested one."

"Why?"

"You'll see tomorrow," Cadance says, trotting to the bedroom.

"Are the others coming?"

You shrug.

"They're a little behind; the doctor's at the bar still, and Scootaloo had to cash in her chips."

Cadance takes a double take, a huge grin on her face when she finally understands what she hears.

"Wait, you lost to Scootaloo?! In poker?!"

"Heh, yeah... She's... She's actually really, really good."

"All three hundred chips?"

You nod.

"Sheesh. I heard her say something about Donut Joe before, but wow."

"Now, come here; I'm not headed to bed alone."

Well, you aren't going to object.

You follow Cadance and walk through the door.

She plops down on the bed, bringing the blankets over herself.

You reach down and undo the button on your collar, and start to work your way down the shirt.

After another moment, Cadance raises an eyebrow as you undress.

"Are you doing a strip show, now?"

You stop what you're doing, and look at her.

And then, you look at your shirt.

"Er... Mmmaybe..."

"You aren't selling it..." She scoffs

"Well, I've never stripped before, so I don't know what the hell to do."

Cadance giggles, giving you a seductive smile. "Well, there's a first time for everything."

"So you want me to strip?"

She nods, giving you an exasperated look. "Yes! Yes I do!"

"I have no idea what the hell I'm doing!"

"That's the whole point!"

"But—"

"Strip, damn you!"

"Fine then, fuck it!"

You sling off your suit jacket and throw it at Cadance, undoing the rest of your shirt buttons.

Even though you're never gone to a dance before in your life, formal or informal, you try to do your best at what you think is 'dancing'.

You're a bit dizzy from the whiskey, but you stay on your feet as you move your hips and bounce around.

You try to make up a baseline, but all that comes out is low, drunken 'doo-dee-doo's that aren't even in key.

Cadance is already giggling uncontrollably at the sight, covering her mouth with her hoof.

With that, you turn your back to Cadance and start taking off your shirt.

But, you have some trouble.

The cuffs are caught onto your wrists.

You yank at the damned things, trying to keep somewhat of a rhythm as you panic to take them off.

Cadance bursts out laughing at the site, and you finally manage to pry your shirt off and throw it to the side.

But, somehow, you took your shirt off and left your red tie on.

How the hell you managed that, you don't know, but you think it leaves a nice touch.

You keep facing your back to Cadance, starting to undo your pants.

Your hips bounce back and fourth, uneven and out of rhythm.

Cadance lets out a sharp whistle, cheering you on between fits of laughter.

"HAH! Let's see it already, baby! Strut it!"

As she yells at you, you manage to undo your belt, undo the button, and pull down your zipper.

"Come on! Drop 'em!"

You aren't about to keep this mare waiting.

You wiggle your hips a little more, and...

They haven't dropped yet, so you shake them more aggressively.

They're close, but they haven't slipped yet.

After shaking your ass a little more, you decide you're not doing anything except making Cadance laugh her ass off.

So, you push them down and let them drop to your ankles, proudly displaying your (supposedly) white boxer-briefs.

Cadance cheers you on, and you turn around.

You put your thumbs under your undies, stretching them outwards a bit to tease.

Cadance is having a giggle fit, and no doubt she's starting to blush.

You try to put on a sexy face, and you give Cadance a wink.

She tries to return the favor, but fails when she bursts out laughing again.

You can't help but laugh yourself a little at how stupid you look, but you press on.

As she laughs at you, you take a step closer to the bed to try and make Cadance's view better.

But, it's now that you conveniently remember that your pants are still around your ankles.

You remember a second too late, and you trip and fall straight down onto the bed.

And your face lands right on Cadance's belly, in between her legs.

She yelps in surprise, scooting back a bit.

You look up at Cadance, and her eyes are wide as melons as she looks down at you.

She starts talking, and you know what you need to do.

"I wanted a show, not a—BWAHAHAAHAAHA!"

You bring your lips to her belly and blow her a grand ol' raspberry.

She kicks at you, trying to shove you off.

But it is far too late.

You already have your arms wrapped around her hips, and there's no escaping your assault.

You keep blowing, and her pleas fill the room.

But they fall on deaf ears.

You keep blowing, torturing the poor mare for what must seem like an eternity to her, until finally, you stop.

You catch your breath, and your nose picks up a faint smell from below you.

And you know damned well what it is.

Cadance has a harder time catching her breath, and looks down at you with a red face.

"Damnit, Anonymous... That's not funny!"

"Yeah, bullshit, buttercup. Your crotch doesn't lie, you know."

"Wh—So?!"

And, from behind you, a third voice chimes in.

"H-He's... He's right, you know..."

You look and turn your head to see Octavia.

She smiles, trying to contain her laughter.

"Is there room for one more?"

You look at Octavia, smiling.

"Well, there's always room. But I don't know if Cadance wants to share.

Cadance immediately shakes her head, pulling the covers out from under you.

"Nope! Not sharing!"

Suddenly, you disappear under the blanket.

And, you feel Cadance's hooves on the back of your head, holding you down.

Your face presses into her soft belly, and you can feel her giggles.

"What?! No fair!" Octavia yells hopping into bed beside you and Cadance.

"Come on, at least let me get part of the action!"

"Nope! He's mine!"

You feel her scoot away, dragging you with.

She's playing keep away with you.

You do your best to go with it, laughing your ass off under the covers.

Soon, you feel Octavia hop off the bed.

And, immediately, she has a firm grip on your ass.

"Mine!"

With a yank, you slide back, and your head falls past Cadance's crotch and onto the mattress.

You are dangerously close to the holy land.

"No! Mine!"

Cadance reaches up and grabs your shoulders, yanking you back.

*SPLORG*

You face-plant into the wet mess right in front of you without warning.

"No! Give him back!" Octavia yells, scooting closer.

Her hips are against yours, and she pulls back.

You scoot back a little, only to be slammed like a battering ram back to where you were.

The two keep fighting over you, and your face keeps smacking into there.

No doubt Cadance is doing it on purpose.

That, and by the way Octavia is handling you, it's like she's trying to hump you.

Hell, she practically is; you know she's intentionally rubbing herself against you as she goes.

You're being used as a double-sided living toy.

If this is where wine and whiskey get you, then you need to go to the bar more often.

Chapter 46

All three of you are bubbly as hell, and you can't help but notice that Octavia is loosening up a lot.

Mentally.

Physically, you'll have to test the waters.

After this pounding, you need to stop.

You grab onto Cadance's ass with a vice grip, resisting Octavia's pulling.

"Stop it! Stop! Hold it! Slow the hell down!"

Octavia backs off, and Cadance lets go of you.

You scramble to sit up, coming out from under the covers.

After you wipe off your face, you look at the two mares.

"...Jesus..."

Both of the mares look at you expectantly.

Cadance especially.

You look at Octavia, and pat the space beside you.

"C'mere. I'm not gonna leave you out of this."

She wastes no time in hopping into bed to your right.

Cadance sits to your left, one of her legs not-so-subtly on her crotch.

Octavia isn't nearly as anxious, but it's noticeable.

You let out a breath, and start scooting out of the bed.

Once you're off, you yank down your underwear, kicking them off once they're at your ankles.

You turn around, facing your two lovers.

And it's fairly evident you have their attention, and you're faced with a tough decision.

Who's first?

Cadance or Octavia?

Or do you want to risk hindering your performance and do both?

Hmmm...

You reach over the bed and grab hold of Octavia.

She yelps at first, but doesn't resist when you drag her across the bed.

You plop her hips down in front of you, her hind legs dangling off the edge of the bed.

Her hips wiggle a bit, and Octavia giggles as she looks back at you.

After a beat, you turn to Cadance, gripping Octavia's rear as you do so.

"Sorry, Candy, but you have to learn how to share..."

She looks at you with pleading eyes.

"Come on..."

You position yourself over Octavia, looking down at her round ass and her back.

Cadance's pouts are left ignored as you position yourself.

Octavia looks back and up at you as you prod at her entrance.

"You ready?"

"Mmmhmm..."

With that, you lightly push with your hips, your head starting to part her lips.

As you slide in, Octavia drops her head to the mattress, and her jaw hinges.

She lets out a little squeak, and you thrust forward, hitting the hilt.

A yelp comes from Octavia's mouth, and you shudder at the warmth coming from her crotch.

It's been too long since you've been down there...

And by too long you mean a couple of days.

You start sliding out, your head dragging along her walls as you exit.

Cadance is staring at your crotches, longing for what she's seeing.

But you haven't even started yet.

You push your way back inside, and start to get a rhythm going.

Octavia buries her face into the bed, trying to muffle the squeaks and yelps she's making with every thrust.

And, holy shit, you can already feel yourself building up...

It's been a while since you've gotten anything this good.

You try to distract yourself, but ultimately, your eyes are fixated on that hypnotizing jiggly ass you're currently pounding.

In your best efforts, you let out a groan, change your angle, and try to hold the front for as long as possible.

But, with the sounds she's making, the look on her face, and the warm, tickling feeling down below, you know you don't have much power...

You keep going at full strength, grinding your shaft against her soft walls.

She bites down on her bottom lip, groaning and moaning every time your hips collide.

When it comes to mind, you reach forward with your left arm and brush her mane out of her face.

Then, you bring it all into a ponytail and pull it back, bringing her head and neck up.

Her back arches and her mouth opens wide as her eyes close and she groans in agony.

She clamps down on you, and that's just enough to push you over the edge.

You ride your orgasm out hard, building up and releasing on your final thrust.

You drop Octavia's head onto the bed, and you bury yourself in as the moment starts to fade.

The two of you try to catch your breath, you more so than Octavia.

And, finally, after another moment, you slide out, letting your pride hang there.

Your batter slowly starts to drip, but sadly, you can't admire the sight for long.

You feel a firm grip on your shoulder, and suddenly, you're pulled towards Cadance.

"Don't think you're getting a break!" she says, tossing you down onto the bed.

You land on your back, your calves and thighs dangling off the bed.

Cadance is about to mount you, but as she straddles you, you grab her shoulders and flip her over.

With an 'oomph', she lands on her back, glaring up at you with those haunting green eyes.

"What're you doing?!" she yells angrily.

Before she knows it, you're on top of her, and you have control of her two front legs.

You hold them tight, and try as she might to break free of your titan's grip, it's no use.

Octavia rolls over, and looks up at you.

And, after a moment of consideration, you think she might be able to help.

"Go pull on her hind legs," you say to Octy, nodding behind you.

You readjust, standing up as you put Cadance's plot on the edge of the bed.

She's on her back, belly up and her hind legs in the air.

They're about to reach back and kick you off, but thankfully, you notice a certain mare has that situation under control.

Octavia pulls, bringing Cadance's exposed crotch even closer to you.

You have Cadance pinned, and you return that glare, albeit a bit more seductive.

"I think you need to learn your place, princess."

You pin her forelegs to her chest with your left arm, and with your right, your each down and grab her neck.

It's no soft grip, either; her face starts turning a little purple after a moment.

She grits her teeth and glares at you, but this time, you see a burning fire in her green eyes.

She snarls as well, and tries to talk through a blocked windpipe.

"...Do it," she says bitterly through her clenched jaw. "Do it you f—"

You're about to do more than just 'do it'.

You re-position yourself, your head prodding at Cadance's back door.

She tries to look down in shock, but is stopped my your strong hand.

Instead, she glares up at you, daring you to go on.

Relying on the lube you had left after round 1 with Octavia, you take no time gaining pace.

You jam yourself inside, and Cadance's jaw drops.

Whether it was pleasure, pain, surprise, fear, or a mixture of the few, you could hardly tell.

Her face is getting noticeably darker as you strangle her, and Cadance's gaze is soon distant.

She's awake, no doubt, concerning the sounds she's making as you ravage her tight asshole.

Octavia helps you get a better angle, holding Cadance's hind legs up and out of the way for you.

And preventing you from betting bucked straight off.

It's difficult to slide in and out, since there's no lube and you're not sure about Cadance's history in this field...

With every thrust, the bed shakes, and Cadance is pushed into the blankets and pillows.

The natural, bouncy rhythm is strong and easy to follow.

You let go of her forelegs with your left arm, and she immediately goes to grasp at her neck.

She's weak and disoriented; her attempts at prying your hands off are futile.

You hold up your free hand, bringing it down onto the side of Cadance's face with a resounding slap.

She recoils in pain, and had it not been for your hand on her throat, she would have gasped.

With that, both of your hands go on her neck, and you use them to pull her along as you ruthlessly ride her.

After a bit more of a struggle, you notice Cadance's attempts at resistance are getting progressively weaker and weaker.

You're not sure if she's giving up, or passing out.

But either way, you keep going.

Concerning you can feel an orgasm welling up in your crotch, you know it won't be much longer.

You pound and pound away, watching as Cadance lets her forelegs flop to the side and her eyes roll into the back of her head.

You start breathing harder and moving your hips faster, barely managing to drag yourself in and out of Cadance's incredibly tight hole.

And, finally, you arch your back and slam yourself inside, blowing your load inside of her ass.

A moment later, you let go of Cadance's neck, and she gasps for air, rolling onto her stomach.

Your dick slides out with a little pop, and you sit down on the bed.

As you lie down and bask in the afterglow of your second orgasm, you look at Cadance, who is choking, has a blue face, and has a hard time even doing something as basic as crawling.

She finally manages to crawl up, flopping down pathetically on the far side of the bed.

You scoot over next to her, a little concerned.

She's still coughing a bit, and she has her back facing you.

Maybe you were a little too brutal...

You grimace a bit, and you feel Octavia hop in behind you.

Finally, Cadance speaks up.

"G-g-... Guh... Holy–..."

That's all she manages to choke out before going into another coughing fit and holding her head.

You're not sure what to think, now; you can tell she wanted it before you went at it, but...

Maybe not that much?

Octavia speaks up from behind you, just as concerned as you are.

"Are... Are you all right, Cadance..."

She lets out a little groan, and nods.

"...Y-Yeah, I'm... I'm fine! I just... I'm just not... Really..."

She doesn't manage to finish her sentence before giving up, and falling into another coughing fit.

It sounded sincere, at least.

But then again, Cadance was probably the best liar you know.

"Ready for bed, dear?"

After a beat, Cadance nods.

With that, you throw the blanket over the three of you.

The lights shut off, you all say goodnight, and all is silent.

For a few minutes, at least.

After a long, awkward silence after your initial 'good night's, you hear Cadance mumble meekly.

"...Anon?"

"Yeah, hun?"

"...Can you... Hold me?"

The tone of her voice put a bit of a lump in your throat.

It was so...

Innocent, you want to say.

She was scared, scared of you after you did...

that.

After another beat, you slowly reach forward and pull her close.

Being the middle spoon is the best, but being the big spoon isn't bad either, you suppose.

"You okay, hun?"

She nods.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine. Just..."

"Was it a little too rough?"

"...Y-Yeah..."

You sigh.

"All right. I won't do it aga—"

"No! No! It—No! I like it rough! But... But not like that."

After you stay silent for a moment, she assumes you want an explanation.

"Like when you grabbed my neck–I liked that! ...Until I couldn't breathe or even think."

She sighs a little herself, and her voice falters a bit.

"And when you hit me, Anon, it really, really hurt. It wasn't a playful smack; it was a full out slap. Do you have any idea how strong you are, Anonymous?"

After thinking about it, you really have no idea.

You're thrice the size of most folk around here.

You don't have much of a reference point, spare Big Mac when you worked with him.

And that isn't a good comparison at all, since that stallion is a meat tank.

"I... I don't, actually."

"You're really, really strong. You're able to pick me up and throw me, and I'm twice the size of most ponies. It's really attractive, but... It can be scary sometimes."

You let out a light sigh, holding her close.

"Okay. I get it. I'll... I'll try my best to keep it in check, okay?"

"Just remember one thing."

"And what's that?"

"I'll always be right here when you need me, Cadance. Always."

She nods slowly, letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"...I know, Anonymous. I know you are."

"Because I love you."

She pauses for a moment, and there's no doubt your words sink in.

Cadance shuffles around a bit under the covers, bringing herself closer to you.

"I love you too."

You rest your head behind hers, getting a whiff of her fragrant mane.

The scent was relaxing, and soon, you close your eyes.

You feel something move around behind you, and you cock an eye to notice another pair of purple eyes looking down at you.

"Don't forget about me, Anonymous," Octavia says, offering you a smile.

She gives you a peck on the cheek before bringing her head back to the pillow behind you.

"I love you too, Anonymous," she says, cuddling up close to you.

Being the middle spoon, in your honest opinion, is the most relaxing, warm, and comfortable place on the face of this planet.

"I love you too, 'Tavi."

She rests her head on your shoulder and closes her eyes.

You can feel both of them breathing slowly, and as their chests rise and fall...

You can't help but feel... Happy.

Proud, even.

These two are quite an upgrade from that dakimakura you had a few years ago.

Chapter 47

And you're thankful for that...

With the luck you've had in life recently, you're considering going to Las Pegasus for a weekend.

Well, after the tour, of course, assuming this damned ride ever ends.

With that, you let out a content sigh, and drift off to sleep.

After about 8 hours of good quality sleep, you wake up.

Octavia slid out of bed, and the change in warmth was enough to make you stir.

You look over your shoulder and watch as she trots out the door.

And, as she does, you get a pretty good glimpse of the 'leftovers' from last night.

You never DID clean up, after all.

Cadance must be the same way, then.

Heheh. Your maid isn't going to be happy.

After Octavia has left the room and left sight, you back away from the still slumbering Cadance, sliding out of bed without waking her up.

You slide on a fresh pair of boxers, some jeans, and a t-shirt as soon as you find them.

And, it's just now, as you're getting dressed, that you remember.

Your suit is scattered across the room.

Grumbling, you start looking around, hoping the wrinkles aren't too bad.

You find your tie, your dress pants, and your shoes at the foot of the bed.

Your dress shirt and jacket are thrown around, and you grab them and put them on hangars.

They'll need to be washed or ironed, but it doesn't look like too big of a deal.

And, even if it was, you're surrounded by mares that probably know what to do.

After getting all of that sorted out, you walk out the door to the living room.

First thing you see?

Trixie, out colder than a stone on the couch.

And, as a lovely touch, there's a pile of vomit on the floor in front of the couch.

Your maid is going to despise you.

Shaking your head at Trixie's predicament, you look around a bit more.

No Scootaloo.

No doctor.

You wonder where the hell they went.

Especially Scootaloo.

And, it's just now that you notice Octavia is nowhere to be seen, too.

Huh.

A little bewildered, you go to make some breakfast.

They'll come back.

They have to, once they smell your bomb-ass breakfast.

'Cause you're makin' WAFFLES.

But, there's one problem.

You don't know where Cadance's waffle iron is.

And, soon, you realize you'll probably never find it, concerning her bag is basically an abyss.

After a sigh, you decide to settle for something simpler.

There's a complimentary breakfast in the lobby, you think.

At least that's what you heard.

Oh, so THAT'S where they all went!

With that, you walk straight out the door and go downstairs to the lobby.

You can smell...

Eggs.

Coffee.

LOTS of coffee.

No waffles seem to be there, though, judging by the smells as you walk towards the lobby.

Once you get there, it doesn't take you long to find everyone.

Octavia has just sat down next to the doctor and Scootaloo at a table close to the small food court.

Scootaloo is having a bowl of Cheeril-Es, possibly the blandest cereal you've ever tasted in your life.

The doctor and Octavia are both having a cup of coffee, and what appear to be blueberry muffins.

You like muffins.

With that, you wave, capturing their attention as you approach.

"Mornin', everyone," you say, taking a seat as you reach them.

"Good morning,"

"Buongiorno,"

"Hey man," they all chime in at the same time.

You stretch a bit, and you hear your back crack.

"I see you all found the... Food..."

Cuore nods, taking a sip of coffee from her cup.

"Ze vittle vone vas hungry."

It takes the filly a moment, but finally, her words sink in.

"Hey! Stop calling me little!"

The doctor scoffs a little at the filly, and then nods, rolling her eyes as she smiles.

"As you vish. It's going to be difficult not to, however. You're just so cute."

You can tell by the look in her eyes that she wanted to say 'and annoying' on the end of that sentence.

And, concerning how she's been... In the way, you'd be inclined to agree, somewhat.

But, well, after the night at the cemetery...

You shake the thoughts out of your head.

No sense in making a fuss.

You look at Octavia, resting your arms on the table.

"So. Tavi. What's the plan, now?"

"The plan?" she asks, raising an eyebrow.

"We're going back to the station and going to Flankfurt via train. Concert's at four."

"Sweet. When are we getting there?"

"Around noon, I'm guessing."

Scootaloo looks at you, offering an adorable smile.

"Can we go set up my new scooter?! I've been waiting for, like, a day!"

You laugh a bit at the filly, and how ecstatic she is about her new scooter.

"Sure. If we can find a park, or something, I'll help you put it together."

"Awesoooooome~!"

She goes right back to munching happily on her cereal, occasionally drinking from her juice box.

You rest back into your chair, letting out a groan as you stretch your legs.

"So, how much time do we have on our hands?"

Octavia gives you a confused look.

"Erm, hands?—Oh, right. We have about an hour until we should head out."

"Want me to wake up Cadance?"

She nods.

"It might be a good idea."

You nod yourself, standing up out of your chair.

"Gotcha. Oh, and Octy, you might want to take a shower."

She looks up at you as you stand, looking a tad insulted.

"Well, why's that?"

You gesture with your finger towards the grey pony in question.

"Earlier, when you were leaving the room, you, uh..."

You look to your right, noticing Scoots is still there.

"Had some leftovers."

Immediately, she has the most embarrassed of looks on her face.

Scootaloo looks utterly confused, and the doctor starts snickering, covering her mouth with her hoof in a futile attempt to contain her giggles.

"I-I think I'll take care of that right now, actually..."

She hastily gets out of her chair, and starts trotting out the lobby.

"Wait, leftovers?" Scootaloo asks innocently.

"She got some asparagus on herself when she ate. 'Leftovers'."

"Oh. Heh."

You give yourself a pat on the back for that nice little bout of bullshit, and head on back to the room.

"Don't let Scootaloo bounce off the walls too much, doc."

"I'll try."

Smiling, you walk down the halls, up the stairs, and to your room.

Upon entering, you hear the shower running.

You also see a passed out Trixie and Cadance.

There are bags under the bags of her eyes.

Poor girl.

You walk up to her, and scratch behind her ears.

"Mornin', sweetheart."

She lets out a low, gargley moan.

"Good morning... Ugh..."

You give her a hopeful look, scratching under her chin.

"Didn't sleep well last night?"

Her eyes close as you scratch, and she relaxes a bit.

"Nope."

You pull your hand away and let out a 'hmm'.

"There's coffee down in the lobby."

She nods, starting to turn towards the bathroom door.

"I'll probably go get some in a bit. I have to shower first."

"Uh, Octavia's already in the shower."

She turns her head, raising an eyebrow at you.

"So?"

You tilt your head and raise an eyebrow.

"She's cleaning up last night's mess." you say, as if it should be obvious.

"I have to do the same thing. I'm sure she won't mind sharing," she says nonchalantly, trotting to the door.

"You should come with. You're probably just as filthy."

It doesn't take you long for you to make up your mind.

"Sure, why not?"

Besides, your dick was still a little sticky, and you're probably sweaty.

Hopefully it wasn't that bad.

With that, Cadance turns to the door, and reaches up to open it.

Sadly, it's locked.

"Oh–Who is it?!" Octavia yells from inside the shower.

"It's us–Anon and Cadance," she replies. "We need to shower."

"Oh, okay! I'll be out in a few minutes! I just have to–"

"Why can't we just shower together? It's not like it matters, at this point."

There's a bit of silence for a moment on Octavia's end, and all you hear is the patter of the water on the floor, as well as a few hoofsteps.

Soon after, the door swings open, revealing a sopping wet Octavia.

"A fair point. Come in. The water's still warm."

"We're in a hotel, Octy. The water's always going to be warm."

Both of the mares stare at you for a moment with a quizzical look, and you can't help but feel you've missed something.

Octavia just shakes her head and turns around.

"No matter. Come on. Shower. Now. Chop chop. I'm on a schedule."

You oblige, taking off whatever clothes you had on and putting them right outside the door in a heap.

Chapter 48

You oblige, taking off whatever clothes you had on and putting them right outside the door in a heap.

Both of the mares are in the shower by the time you get done dressing.

You step inside behind them, and realize that this hotel was designed with one fatal flaw.

It was not meant for humans.

The showerhead is about nipple hight, if even.

And, although it was 'roomy' for pony standards, and all of you are able to fit, you can't help but feel like Will Ferrel in Elf.

You sigh, sitting down on your naked keister and wrapping your arms around your legs.

The mares take notice of your unique problem, and giggle at you a bit.

"Sorry, hun," Cadance says, grabbing a bottle of shampoo. "Not much we can do."

"At least Equestrian showers are designed with most races in mind. I'm really sorry, Anonymous," Octavia says, grabbing a soap bar and sliding it over to you.

You grab it, and bregudgingly start rubbing your armpits.

"Yeah, I know," you say, grumbling. "It's fun, feeling like a colossus."

"To be fair, you are a colossus, in comparison," Octavia says, scrubbing her mane with vigor.

"Yeah, I guess."

You were defeated, and you just went back to lathering yourself in whatever soap you were given.

"Need some help with that?" Cadance asks, noticing you're bending at odd angles to get your back.

"Yeah, please."

With a hum, Cadance moves behind you and takes the soap bar out of your hands.

"Humans are weird... I mean, not in a bad way, but... Everything's... Different."

"Huh? Oh, come on, I'm not that different."

"Yes you are! You're bipedal, for starters. You don't have any fur anywhere. Actually, I take that back. You don't have much at all, spare your legs, crotch, and face. And your mane is really short and stubby."

"And his teeth! His teeth scared me the first time I saw them," Octavia says, sticking her head under the showerhead. "...It's why I was so afraid to kiss you before."

You blink looking up at her as Cadance runs the soap bar along your back.

"Wait, what? How long were you thinking of making out with me?"

"...Erm... Well, it was a long time, and I had a plan, but, the time was never... Right."

"So you were just going to skip right to the makeout scene?"

After a pause, she looks down, and the realization hits her.

"That's probably why the time never felt right, isn't it?"

"Hey, I'm not saying it wouldn't have worked..."

With that, you motion for Cadance to back up, and you rise to your feet.

You grab a bottle of shampoo and squirt some into your hand as Octavia speaks.

"Well, I know it would have worked now. Your libido is just..."

"Just as bad as mine?" Cadance asks, taking the shampoo bottle from you.

"Precisely."

"Well, golly fucking gee, thanks."

"I never said that it was a bad thing, Anonymous," Octy says, stepping out of the shower and grabbing a towel.

Meanwhile, you bend forward and run your head under the water.

You close your eyes tight. The last time you got soap in your eyes, you ended up in the ER.

And you were across the hall from some obnoxiously loud mare who wouldn't stop reading her damn books out loud.

That sure was fun, but it's not happening again.

You get all of the shampoo out of your hair, and then stand up, careful not to smack your head.

After you step outside of the shower, you grab the nearest towel and start drying off.

This is incredibly easy for you, since you aren't covered in fur.

Soon after, Cadance steps out, and grabs two towels.

Octavia has one wrapped around her head, and one around her torso, much like one would see at a spa.

"I'm going to go check on Trixie, and see if she's still alive," Octy says, trotting towards the door.

You kneel down for a moment, drying off your legs.

"Might be a good idea. She's in pretty rough shape."

"Well, after all of that whiskey, I'm surprised she hasn't puked up her liver."

"Are you sure she hasn't?"

Octavia laughs a little, rolling her eyes.

"I suppose I'll have to check."

She gives you a quick peck on the lips before turning around and heading out the door.

"See you two in a bit."

With that, Octavia leaves, closing the door behind her.

You turn to Cadance who is busy wrapping nothing short of a turban around her head.

It probably isn't a turban, but you're a man, so you have a get-out-of-jail-free card when it comes to terminology in women stuff.

As she spins the thing like a coccoon, she glances at you.

"There's a breakfast down there, right?"

You nod.

"Yup. That's where I saw Octavia earlier, before she came up here to shower."

Cadance looks confused for a moment, and then lets out a 'hmmph'.

"...Odd. You'd think she'd shower before going to breakfast."

You smile, and you manage not to burst out laughing.

"Heheheh, about that... She didn't shower this morning until now, and she was out in the lobby for a good while."

"And?" Cadance asks, raising an eyebrow. "Am I missing something?"

You nod.

"Yup, you are."

She thinks for a moment, squinting as she slides a towel over her back.

"Nope. I don't know what you're getting at."

"Come on, think, Cadance. Remember last night?"

She starts snickering, and the more she thinks about it, the wider her smile gets.

"She... She didn't...?"

"Nope."

"Could you see it?"

"Yup."

"Oh, sweet Celestia, that's hilarious... Please tell me little Scootaloo didn't see anything?"

"She didn't see it, but she almost caught it when I tried to break it to Octy."

Cadance finishes drying off, and is now adorned in a robe of towels.

"Oh, no, what happened?"

"I said Octy had some leftovers. When she left, Scootaloo was lost, and asked me what I meant. I just said that she had some asparagus in her teeth or something."

Cadance trots over, opening the door.

"Well, I'm a bit curious myself; let's go see if Trixie's still alive."

"If she's dead, I get her hat."

"Of course. But I get her cape."

"Sounds like a bargain."

Chapter 49

Cadance opens the door, and as you look, you see Octavia standing over the still unconscious Trixie.

Octy notices the two of you gawking at her, and sighs.

"Nothing is getting her up for a while. I tried plugging her nose, tickling her hoofsies, and stroking her horn, but nothing is working. Anonymous, you can carry her, right?"

You look at Trixie, and shrug.

"...Mmm, I dunno. Her ass is fat."

"All the better reason to carry it along, then."

You grumble.

"Egh, fine. Just... Sop up that mess with a towel first, will you?"

Octavia shakes her head.

"I'll leave it to room service. We're out of towels."

"You have one on your damned head, Tavi. 'Sides, I just want you to clean her mouth so I don't have barf all over me by the time we make it to the station."

"...Right."

With that, she takes her towel off of her head.

Her mane was still pretty wet, but it seemed bearable.

To you, at least.

She starts cleaning up poor Trixie, and you get dressed again.

Once you're done slipping your clothes on, Cadance is done drying off and getting ready.

Soon, Trixie is mostly clean, spare a few smear spots here and there.

"It'll have to do," Octavia says, sighing. "This towel's saturated, and I'm not about to take off my second."

You grumble again, avoiding the wharf as you walk to Trixie.

"Fine."

With a grunt, you bend down, grab hold, and heave Trixie up onto your shoulder.

She was pretty heavy, but nothing you couldn't manage.

Her ass IS fat, though.

"So, we headed out now?"

"I was planning on having some breakfast," Cadance says.

"We're going to have to make it fast, then," Octy says, trotting towards the door. "We have some time on our hooves, but not much."

With that, the three of you make your way down to the lobby.

You meet the doctor and Scootaloo along the way.

They both look at you and Trixie as you walk in, and the doctor knowingly chuckles.

"Heheh, dude, she all right?" Scootaloo asks, looking at Trixie.

"She's... Well, probably not. She's out colder than Coldstone."

Scootaloo raises an eyebrow.

"Coldstone?"

You blink.

They didn't have Coldstone here?

"It's a kind of ice cream."

"...Does it, like, taste like rocks? 'Cause if it does than I need to talk to Pinkie!"

You shake your head, trying to contain the laughter building up inside of you.

"No, no, not a flavor. As in, it's a company. An ice cream company. Back where I lived."

"Oooooh. Do they have it here?"

"No."

"Aw. Okay."

You look over at Cadance.

It seems in the time it took you to explain ice cream to Scooters, she went and grabbed an apple.

"This should tide me over for the time being," she says, polishing it a bit on her chest's fur.

"So, are ve leaving? Now?" the doctor asks, getting out of her seat and raising an eyebrow.

Octavia nods. "I suppose. You don't want to miss a train ride."

You look at Scootaloo.

"Got your scooter?"

The filly looks a little confused for a moment, and then points a hoof at Octavia.

Surprised at being put on the spot so suddenly, the mare raises her eyebrows and turns to you.

"Oh, yes. That. Anonymous, do you remember when I told you that some crew members with the orchestra handled my cello, as well as some of my belongings?"

You nod.

"Yeah, when you almost gave me a heart attack.

She giggles a little, and nods.

"Yes, that. I managed to pay some of them a little extra, and now they're whole-heartedly handling all of our luggage."

You raise an eyebrow.

"You sure that's safe? They could steal something."

She nods.

"They could, but I doubt they will, concerning they're getting paid.

"But still!"

Octavia rolls her eyes.

"...Well, if anything DOES go missing, they know they'll have to reckon with the wrath of Mr. Anonymous. Something tells me that's enough to dissuade them."

You laugh a little, and Octavia turns around, ready to go.

"Let's go."

"Right behind you," you say, adjusting the slumbering Trixie on your shoulder

With that, the six of you make your way out of the lobby and out the doors of the hotel.

After Octavia glances at her atlas, you find the right way back to the station.

It isn't a terribly long walk, but your feet and back are still sore.

Trixie, as small as she may be, isn't light by any means.

...But, she does smell good.

And, with the way you have her slung over your shoulder, you have a perfect view of that perfect ass.

As hard as it was, you mustered your willpower and didn't do anything lewd to the poor mare in public.

You press on, and eventually, you arrive at the train station.

Boarding is no hassle; the ticketmaster not only recognizes you, but Octavia, prepared as always, forks over the tickets.

You're in the train and in your train car in a heartbeat.

No beds in this one; only seats and tables, it seems.

Well, concerning the ride wouldn't be nearly as long, that makes sense.

You set Trixie down on one of the benches, and wipe off some dribbled vomit off of your shoulder.

You look at the gelatinous goo on your hands, grimace, and wipe it off on your jeans before sitting down.

The rest of the mares find their seats.

Spare Scootaloo.

She's exploring the train car in a never ending bout of youthful curiosity.

You smile, watching her size up the room as if it were an opponent.

Finally, she comes to a grand conclusion.

"...Hey, Anon?"

"What?"

"I like trains."

You smile, and rest back a bit in your chair.

"They are nice."

As Scootaloo keeps exploring what little there is to explore, you decide that this train ride is best spent napping.

You lie down on the bench, stretching your back and legs before going limp.

It's a little too short for your whole body, but your legs dangle over the edge and you're somewhat comfortable.

You rest your head back, let out a sigh, and close your eyes.

Some time later, you awake to the sound of a train horn blaring.

Something bumps your shin, and you sit up.

It's Octavia.

"Get up, Anonymous. Trixie's still down for the count. I need your arms."

You scratch your neck and stretch your back, looking at her.

"...What, no 'good morning' or anything? Glad to know the shit I do is appreciated."

She just rolls her eyes, smiling.

"Okay, then, good morning, Anonymous. Even though it's far past morning. Now, please. Help me with Trixie."

"Yeah, yeah, I hear you."

As she trots off to the end of the car, you stand up and move over to where Trixie is.

It takes a bit of gusto, but you manage to lift the unconscious beast onto your shoulder again.

...Wait, what was that sound?

Wait, OH SHI—

*WHARF*

You feel chunky vomit splatter all over your back, and you recoil in shock.

"AUGH, damnit!"

You look down, and see a puddle of brownish-green goop on the floor.

For the love of Celestia...

Cadance sighs behind you, and shakes her head.

"I'll tell them to get this mess cleaned up. I don't have a towel, so we're going to have to wait until we get to the hotel to sop that up.

You have to walk across the city with vomit on your back.

Why.

"Hahah! Dude, that sucks!"

You sigh, looking down.

Scootaloo's near your feet, looking at the puke.

"Yeah, tell me about it. Let's get going. I don't want to have this mess on me longer than I have to.

You make your way out of the train, and meet up outside.

Octavia glances at her atlas again, and nods.

"...Okay, so. I have about an hour or so until I have to be there. That gives us enough time to go to the hotel, check in, and faff about for some time. Or we can get something to eat."

"Where's the park?" you ask, craning your neck to try and get a view of the atlas.

Octavia looks herself, squinting a bit.

"'The park' is a broad term, but there are a few places you and Scootaloo might want to go. The fields for grazing around the hoofball arena might be one place, or perhaps you want to go to the outdoor playplace for the elementary school. ...Well, the elementary school that's closest to our hotel, that is; there are several in this city."

"Gotcha. Just... Mark it on there or something. I'll look at it later."

She nods, stuffing the atlas away.

"As you wish. But, let's head to the hotel."

"Quickly. Please. This puke is grossing me out."

Octavia gigglesnorts, nods, and starts trotting.

"Follow me."

The city is much like Marelin, in the aspect of architecture.

Except it seemed a bit more...

Rustic is a loose term for it.

Marelin wasn't as advanced as Equestria, and this place was even less so.

Not that that was a bad thing at all; everything was beautiful, the maps were easy to understand and read, and the whole city seems to have been planned out beforehand.

Cadance said something about Germaneigh being proud of its incredible efficiency, and even though you know jack shit about architecture or civil engineering or anything of the sort, you'd be inclined to agree.

Then again, after the confusing, complex, and winding web that is Canterlot, you may not have the best vantage point.

Anyway, after a rather long walk, you arrive at the hotel with sore feet.

Some of the goats snarl at the smell and sight as you walk by, covered in vomit.

Some even laugh.

You'd laugh too, if you weren't the victim.

After checking in and doing your best to ignore the snickering receptionist, you make it to your room.

The first thing you do is plop Trixie's ass on the couch.

The second thing you do?

"Cadace, for the love of god, can you get me a towel to wipe this shit up?"

It was then you noticed that she was way ahead of you, walking out of the bathroom with a towel balanced on her head.

"Here you go, dear," she coos, trotting up to you.

You throw off your dirty shirt and grab the towel.

"Egh. Thank you," you say, sopping up the mess.

"No problem!"

She trots to the bedroom afterwards, a smile on her face.

Octavia has taken a seat next to Trixie on the couch, and Scootaloo and the doctor are sitting on a couple other seats in the room.

Octavia looks over Trixie, wiping some of the vomit off of her face.

Trixie snarls a bit and snorts.

She's finally seeming to stir.

"...Heh. She's in for a world of hurt when she wakes up."

With that, you hear Trixie make some weird noises.

Was she trying to talk?

"...Shhhuh... Ubh... Uhnuuhn..."

You're still not sure.

Octavia grimaces, and idly pets Trixie's mane without saying a word.

Meanwhile, you turn to your left and look at the pile of stuff.

Everyone's stuff.

Thank you, Octavia, for taking one less hassle off of our hands.

You walk towards it, grabbing the box that held Scootaloo's scooter.

The filly immediately bolts over to you, a comically large grin plastered on her face.

You look down at her, smiling.

Her tail is even wagging a little.

"Are we gonna go set up the scooter now?!"

Your smile grows at the sound of her voice.

"That was the plan."

"Like, right now?!"

You nod, starting to walk towards the door.

"Yeah."

She's literally bouncing up and down in excitement.

With the way she's acting, you're expecting her to turn bright pink any moment.

"Oooohohohohoh! This is so COOL! C'mon, let's hurry up! I wanna see my scooter! I WANNA SEE MY SCOOTER!"

You can only smile, swinging the door open and stepping outside.

As you start to make your way out of the hotel and across town, she just gets more and more excited.

She giggles uncontrollably, and that smile just keeps growing.

You march through the city, ignoring the stares you get from the goats that probably think you're some sort of ape pedo.

But you don't really care.

After a bit of a trek, you see ahead of you a large field of grass, with trees, benches, and trails all about.

Just a simple, plain park.

A few goats around, and some of their kids.

Perfect.

With that, you set down the box and start unpacking.

Scootaloo gladly helps you in her anxiety.

Soon, you have all of the parts pulled out and laid out, and you have the instruction manual in your hands.

"Okay, so, let's see. You have the... Uh..."

You squint, and try to read the fine print.

"The hurka-durka-durka-durr, or whatever this thing is. I'm guessing it's the engine, but it's... Hold on, let me see ...Huh?"

You look across the field after hearing a yelp from one of the kids.

It's hard to see exactly where it came from; there's a huddle of kids around the base of a tree, but...

Are they playing some weird ass game?

It looks like it, and sounds like it.

They're yelling stuff in Germane, and you've given up all hope of understanding them.

"Kartoffelkopf!" you hear one of them yell.

You're not sure what that means, but it sounds malicious.

Whatever. Probably some teenagers fucking around.

You turn back to Scootaloo, who has taken the manual from your hands and started putting the body together.

"Heh. You handling this yourself?"

She nods.

"Yeah. Kinda basic, dude. But I can't put all of the little screw things in. I don't have a horn."

"Or, uh... Those weird things. Claws?"

She gestures to your hands.

"Oh, right. Gotcha. So, how about you put the pieces of the puzzle together," you say, grabbing a screwdriver, "and I do this?"

Sounds like a plan! But hurry. I wanna ride this thing."

You nod, grabbing a few of the screws and screwing parts of the body together.

It's like trying to pull two of those tiny thin Lego's apart, but it's possible.

Working through the stress and irritation, you manage to start some sort of conversation.

"Did you bring your old scooter?"

Scootaloo shakes her head, putting together the base and the wheels.

"Nah. It's still in Windsoar next to my bed."

She had a bed?

You open your mouth, about to ask, but then you decide it's likely a wise idea not to.

"Ah, gotcha."

You grab a few more screws, and start working away.

The kids in the background are getting rowdier, and it's a little distracting.

But, it's bearable.

Eventually, you get most of the frame of the scooter put together.

All you have to do is screw together the handlebars, hook up the engine, and add the auxiliaries, and you're done.

You work on the handlebars, and Scootaloo starts grabbing all of the little playthings out of the box.

First thing, she puts the rubber honker right in between the handlebars.

After giving it a squeeze and gigglesnorting at the adorable honk, she digs back into the box.

As she grabs the two mounted squirt guns that go on either end, as well as the mechanism that allows you to fire them from the handlebars, you work on hooking up the motor.

And it's not too difficult.

There's just one simple plug in.

It's literally just one plug in.

Shrugging at how easy it seemed, you inserted the engine into its spot right behind the back wheel.

And, now, for the batteries.

Two D batteries, to be precise.

And, contrary to how things normally are, these batteries were included.

You pop open the hatch, clicking them into place with your sore fingers.

After they're both in place and ready to go, you smile, looking up at Scootaloo, who is—

Wait, holy shit, where did she get those water bottles?

And how did she hook it up that fast?

Maybe you spent more time on the engine than you thought.

"Heheh. Got it all working there, Scoots?"

She squeezes one of the handlebar-mounted triggers, and out squirts a rather strong stream from the right turret.

"Yep! It works!"

"Heh, Anon, you have noooooo idea what you've just given me..."

"I actually do. And I'm having second thoughts."

"Well, it's too late now dude!" she says, smiling as she hops on the scooter for the first time.

And, before you can even start to comprehend what's happening, she takes off, riding down the concrete path that's laid out through the park.

You smile, looking at her as she zips around.

The filly lets out some whoops and hollars, giggling and laughing the whole time she rides around at breakneck speeds.

She's pumped full of joy, and it's contagious.

Some of the other goats are even looking at her and smiling.

"HAHAH! HERE COMES THE PAYLOAD!"

...

Wait.

No.

NO.

You watch in horror as she reaches up at the triggers for the squirt guns, unleashing their load on a poor, unsuspecting—

Chapter 50

Tree.

Oh, thank the gods.

You let out a sigh of relief as she pew-pews her way through the park.

Even though the gun is fixed to the handlebars and can only fire straight forward, she seems to be aiming fairly well.

Heheh...

You sit back and relax a bit, watching her zip around with more pent-up energy than you could have ever imagined.

Dear god, she was just...

Exuberant.

So full of life and energy.

You have to give yourself a pat on the back.

It's clear that you've never seen anyone this happy before.

Well, spare when you saw Octavia at the train station for the first time.

Good job, Anonymous.

You're making lives better, one at a time.

Sadly, your reminiscence is cut off by the sound of a terrible smack.

You look around, and see Scootaloo still buzzing along.

Wasn't her, looks like.

You're about to relax again, until you hear another smack, this one accompanied by a yelp, as well as what sounds like an insult.

"Mädchen!"

What the hell?

You look at the rowdy group of kids you heard earlier, and you see one of them throw a punch into the middle of their huddle.

What the fuck is going on?

You stand up, moving to get a better angle.

From what you can tell, a group of bullies is wailing on some poor little kid.

You frown, and your eyebrows arch.

"...Son of a bitch..."

Your fists instinctively clench, and you start walking over there.

However, you're stopped by a sound; a buzzing of a motor, to be precise.

You turn around, seeing Scootaloo pulling up behind you.

"Anon! That! that was it was just so! I can't even!"

You can tell her heart is racing faster than the scooter itself, and no doubt she's getting a taste of adrenaline.

Even after the ugly sights, it brings a smile to your face.

And, then, you get an idea.

An absolutely evil idea.

But it's such a great idea.

"...Hey, Scoots?"

"Uh-huh?"

"See those kids over there?"

You gesture to the huddle of kids by the tree.

Scootaloo nods, squinting.

"...Yeah, I do. Wait, what are they? Are they beating someone up?"

"They are," you say. "Want to help break it up?"

"What? How?"

You smile deviously, and as Scootaloo looks at you, then at her scooter, she catches on.

"I'd totally do it, if I still had water."

"Oh, you're out of water?"

"I can fix that, no problem."

"Really?"

"Yeah, there's a fountain nearby, isn't there?"

Scootaloo nods.

"Yeah, but it's dry. Some filly tried drinking it earlier, and nothing came out."

Well, damn.

Wait...

No, Anon.

That's a bad idea.

You'd never do THAT.

Especially after your little escapade to the hut of fucking asparagus.

Your piss would be absolutely rank.

You look at the kids again, who are still in a huddle.

Then, you look at Scootaloo.

You know what?

Fuck it.

You can't scold them; you don't speak Germane.

And, even if you tried to break them up, they'd probably pound your ass too.

You couldn't outrun them.

Scootaloo could, though, given she's going full speed on her scooter.

You doubt any of the other parents are going to intervene, since they haven't already.

And you really, really don't want to disappoint Scootaloo.

You look at the little filly, and then at her scooter's squirt guns.

"...Okay, Scoots?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm about to do something. But whatever you do, don't tell Cadance, don't tell anyone. More importantly, don't ever, ever try to do it again."

You start to smile, and a dark, contemplating laugh escapes you.

She looks confused, and cocks an eyebrow as you take her squirt guns.

"Huh?"

"I'll be right back."

You walk over, behind a bunch of trees.

Once you think nobody can see you, you unzip your pants.

After pulling down your underwear, you take the cap off of the squirt gun.

You can already feel your bladder pushing.

When was the last time you took a piss?

It was probably before your dinner date in Marelin.

Christ.

You jam your head into the hole of the squirt gun and let loose.

It's such a relief, you let out a light sigh.

You can feel warm air coming out of the compartment, and you listen to the sounds it makes.

And, sweet Celestia, does it smell...

It's a unbelievably sharp, pungent smell.

That's coming out of your dick?!

You cough a little, and put your shirt over your nose.

When you think it's almost full, you pinch your dick with your left hand.

You still have one more to fill.

It takes some skill, but you manage to pop the cap back on and hold the gun upright with your right hand.

You set the loaded weapon down, and grab the other.

Off goes the cap, in goes your dick, and your stream flows again.

It's about three-fourths full by the time you peter out of piss,and you grab the gun and close the cap.

After shaking your dick violently to get the last drops out, you grab both of the guns and walk over to Scootaloo.

She still looks confused.

Oh, boy, she has no idea...

"Whad'ja do?" she asks, watching as you put the squirt guns back on the scooter.

And then, her nose scrunches, and her eyes cross as the smell hits.

"AUGH, DUDE! That's rank! Wait, dude! You -peed- in those?!"

Immediately, that gigantic, adorable smile is there again.

Only this time, it's mischievous.

"Ooohohoho, did you really?"

You nod.

"Yup."

"Y-you want me to?"

You nod, a mischievous smile of your own growing.

"Yup."

Her anticipation grows, and she mounts her warhorse.

"Now, make sure you're going full speed, Scoots. You don't want them to catch you after you."

Without heeding your warning at all, she darts off at almost supersonic speeds.

And, after a moment, you don't think she'll need the warning.

She rides around a bit, picking up speed faster than you could ever imagine.

Then, she comes around a curve, turns right the fuck around, and sets course straight for the group of rowdy kids.

Oh, shit, here it comes.

Your smile grows exponentially, and your eyes widen as she narrows in on her target.

As she gets closer, all of the kids look at her in confusion and rage.

"Was zum Teufel?!"

"Huh?!"

And, with the skill of a divebomber, she gets closer and closer, until, at the last moment, she pulls down on the triggers.

Hard.

The rancid piss sprays out like a machine gun, peppering the first kid.

"AAAAAUGH! HIMMEL!"

The first one falls to the ground in nasal agony, trying to cleanse himself from the filth.

A second, who still has no idea what's going on, gets peppered with asparagus-fuelled piss.

Most of the shots go straight to his face, and he flails as he falls backwards to the ground, making sounds akin to that of a cat with his tail stepped on.

He lands on his head, and the third and last one looks at the two in horror as Scootaloo zips by.

"Scheiße! Was zur Hölle?!"

In horror, he turns around and runs.

Scootaloo, now a distance away from the group, looks over her shoulder and sees this.

He's not getting away that easy.

She takes a bank, and makes a complete u-turn.

It doesn't take her long to set course for the last coward.

Even though that goat is in a gallop, he's a golf cart against a race car.

It doesn't take Scootaloo to get right behind him.

"Verdammt, nein! NEIN!"

His words go unheard as he's brought down by a relentless onslaught of piss.

His back and mane gets soaked, and he stumbles and falls onto the sidewalk straight on his face.

Scootaloo takes a left, turning to go behind some trees.

Meanwhile, the three goats, stained a dark yellow, all stand up and look at each other.

Not a word needs to be said; they immediately scram, running away from the park as fast as they can, leaving behind a little kid huddled up under the tree.

Scootaloo puts her way back to you, once she sees the crowd is clear.

She has a full on grin on her face, and she's laughing like a total dork.

"HAHAHA! DUUUDE! Did you see that?! That was awesome! HIS FACE! DID YOU SEE HIS FACE?!"

You?

You had lost your sides long ago.

When the first one was hit, you burst out laughing.

And the laughter had only tripled since then.

You grip your sides, laughing hard enough to make them literally ache.

"Y-Yeah, I did! That was gold!"

"Your -piss- was gold!"

That was the last straw.

You throw your head back, laughing too hard to breathe.

Scootaloo joins you, and you both fall to the ground, gripping your sides.

After a long, agonizing laugh in which you can't breathe, you finally come to a calm.

Your face is cramped, and your both still giggling like idiots, but you can breathe.

Eventually, your attention is brought to the victim, who has made their way back to their hooves, and is looking at the two of you.

Some concern comes over your face, and you look at him.

You look at Scootaloo, gesturing lightly to the kid.

"Think we should at least try to talk to the poor thing?"

"Maybe. Bring him or her over here."

You nod, agreeing.

With that, you wave them over.

They start trotting in your direction, head high and a smile on their face.

The little kid beams up at you, absolutely ecstatic at his rescue.

"Oh, mein gott! Thank you, misser! Thank you!"

You can tell he's no Equestrian speaker, by his pronunciation, but the point gets across.

Instead, you just smile and nod, patting him on his head.

"You're welcome."

Scootaloo nods to the kid as well, smiling.

After the brief exchange of gestures, he looks behind him at the bullies running away.

He sighs, and turns back to you.

A smile on his face, he starts scratching his head.

No, wait, he's digging.

Digging?

In his hair?

Is he hiding something?

A moment later, you're surprised at what you see.

Out of his hair, he pulled a...

Figurine?

You vaguely recognize the feline figurine.

It's from that series of comics, Kyuety Kats.

You remember Sweetie Belle showing it to you one day; she loved all of the cutesy stuff.

It looks like one of the protagonist's friends.

Wait, why does this little kid have it?

Isn't it a he?

He gestures again, holding it up to you.

Does he want you to take it?

You think he does.

Reluctantly, you reach forward and take it out of his grasp.

He smiles, nodding.

You inspect the little doll for a moment.

It was pretty cute.

It was probably the reason he was being bullied, too, when you think about it.

Poor dude.

At least he's better now.

After you take it, he gives you one last nod, a bow of sorts, and starts trotting off.

''...What the hay?"

You look down at the absolutely bewildered Scootaloo.

"Your guess is as good as mine," you say, holding the doll out to her.

She takes it, and like the curious filly she is, tries to do what the goat did.

A moment later, the toy has disappeared inside of Scoot's pink mane.

She bobs her head a bit to see if it sticks, and evidently, it works.

"...Huh. I'll give this to Sweets when I get back to Ponyville."

"Well, you have one helluva story to tell."

Aw, shit, you just swore, didn't you?

Oh, whatever, it's Scooaloo.

"Heheh, yeah I do."

"But, dude, let's get going back. We're gonna need to really really wash these squirt guns otherwise they're going to kill someone because they reek so bad."

"Yeah, good idea, Scoots. Let's get going. I'm sure Cadance can get some bleach for us or something."

"You're probably going to need super bleach."

You raise an eyebrow.

"That's a thing?"

"It's gonna have to be if you wanna clean these things."

You laugh a little, shaking your head as you grab the box.

Scootaloo hops on her scooter, taking the guns off and putting them in the box.

"Mind if I ride it on the way back?"

"Not at all."

With that, you start your journey back to the hotel.

Many of the city folk snarl at the smell radiating from your box like the elephant's foot of Chernobyl.

You feel so sorry for them.

But, at least they didn't get hozed.

Like you're about to be, whether you know it or not.

The sun's setting; it's later in the afternoon.

You'd guess... Six thirty? Maybe seven?

After a trek, you find yourself back at the hotel.

You make your way back to the room, and slide the door open.

A quick look around tells you four things.

One: Cadance is up and about.

Two: She's taking care of Trixie.

Three: Trixie is awake.

Four: Her stomach must be empty.

You grimace a bit, looking at the poor mare.

She looks like she ran through a buffalo stampede.

Thankfully, she's able to stand upright with only minimal amounts of swaying.

You wave, catching Cadance's attention.

She sees you from across the room, and nods.

"Welcome back," she says, trotting towards you.

Trixie trots into the bathroom, grumbling after glancing at the two of you.

Cadance smiles.

"How did it go?"

...*sniff*...

"And what in Celestia's holy name is that smell?"

You and Scootaloo start giggling to yourselves.

"W-Well, uh... We had some fun with the scooter. I'll tell you later, but right now, I need about a gallon of bleach and a toilet brush."

Cadance's jaw drops a bit, and it's clear she's absolutely confused and perplexed.

"Erm, certainly. I'm certain I could call the front desk and ask for help. They would be able to clean... Whatever it is you need to clean."

Scootaloo amazingly manages to contain her giggles.

"But, Anonymous," Cadance says, giving you a more serious look. "It will have to wait. We have a fairly important meeting some time soon."

Oh, yeah, Spitfire was supposed to meet you.

Fucking joy.

Chapter 51

"Speaking of that," Cadance says as an afterthought, turning around, "doctor?!"

A very disgruntled and irritated grumblegroan comes from the bedroom.

"I need you to take Trixie and Scootaloo downstairs into the lobby for me! I have some important business to attend to."

"Anon's pants don't count," comes the irritated reply.

Cadance, a bit flustered, yells back.

"H-Hey! That's not it! The Crystal Empire isn't easy to rule from a distance, you know!"

"Vhy do you need a Crystal -Empire- vhen ze biggest gem in ze vorld is in hoof's reach?"

Aw, doc...

"A fair point," she retorts, "but mine still stands."

"Okay, okay, sí, I'll take ze drunkard and ze filly to ze lobby for you," she mutters, emerging from the bedroom and coming to the living room.

Trixie seems to have burning ears, and comes to the living room as well.

The doctor goes straight for the door.

"Come come, you two. No sense in vasting time. I heard of a pinball machine in ze lobby."

That grabbed Scootaloo's attention damn quick.

Soon, she's right beside the other two mares, smiling.

"Oh, uh, doc, take, uh... These."

You reach in the box and pull out the pair of rancid squirt guns.

She reaches for them and looks at them in horror.

"Merda sacra! Did you actually!"

"Eeyup."

The doctor snarls, and looks at the squirt guns wide-eyed.

"I suppose I could, but zere isn't enough bleach or alcohol in ze vorld to sterilize zis..."

With that, she turns around and trots out the door.

Scootaloo and Trixie follow in tow, and the little filly closes the door behind her.

"Anonymous, that's disgusting," Cadance says, snarling a bit as she stares at the door.

"Well, we were out of water, and some kids were beating the crap out of someone. Scootaloo was happy to stop them."

Cadance takes a double take.

"Wait, what?"

You smile, laughing and shaking your head.

"There were some kids wailing on another one because he read Kyuety Kats. Since Scootaloo used all of her water on a test run, we had to improvise. And it was fucking hilarious."

Cadance covers her face with her hoof, a dumb smile on her face as she tries to contain her giggling.

"That's... Stellar work, Anonymous..."

"It worked damn well. They all ran off like their tails were on fire."

"I would too, if I was getting shot at by asparagus piss!"

"Exactly!"

With that, you hear a loud knock on the door.

Cadance looks at the door, and then turns back to you.

She leans forward and gives you a quick peck on the cheek before turning to answer the door.

With a dopey smile on your face, you stand back.

The door opens, and Cadance steps back to reveal none other than Spitfire, a large crate behind her.

She stands tall and proud; her posture is absolutely impeccable, and even though she's a third of your height, it feels as if she's looking down at you.

It's actually a little scary, how stern she seems.

Her navy blue suit, adorned with various medals and decals, is damn near perfect.

Not a fold, wrinkle, or schnibble can be seen, even when you squint.

Everything from her mane to her hooves are well taken care of, and her dark shades on her snout add a finishing touch to her vibe.

She's not a mare you'd want to fuck with.

Behind her is a wooden crate, about half her height.

Nothing fancy, it seems.

Chest high, she steps into the room, her wheeled crate in tow.

"Good evening, Spitfire," Cadance says, closing the door behind the captain.

"Mmmhmm. Good evenin'," she responds, turning to look you over.

She eyes you up and down, keeping that same unreadable expression.

"So, this is the man I've heard so much about, eh?" she asks, her eyes glued on you.

Cadance nods. "That is indeed Anonymous, Captain."

Spitfire gives an affirmative nod. "I can see that you weren't lying earlier when you said his nickname was Tankmeat,"

Holy shit, Cadance actually bought that?

"but that's beside the point. Cadance, how much does he know?"

Cadance sighs.

"He knows that Shining is gone, that you're in charge, and that things are generally a tad chaotic."

And that Shining has an exotic mount.

And said exotic mount is within punting distance.

Spitfire nods again, still eyeing every little detail of you.

You can't help but feel you're being judged profusely.

"How much do you want him to know?"

"However much you're comfortable with," Cadance replies.

"Mmmhm, gotcha. So fuck all."

Bitch.

She finally turns away from you to look at Cadance.

"I'll be careful with my words, then."

You let out a breath you didn't know you were holding, and plop down on the couch.

"So, I have the gen— the delivery. It's as you asked; no harm done, nothing wrong with it. I'm sure of it."

Cadance nods.

"And I take it you took a private chariot here?"

Spitfire shakes her head.

"I flew with one other. We carried the package together."

Cadance nods again. "I see. Did he know what was inside?"

Spitfire shakes her head. "Nobody does. I made sure of it."

"Good. Now, with that out of the way, anything else we need to discuss?"

And, no doubt, with that a long, boring talk about politics will ensue.

You don't catch much of it; what has your attention right now is the box.

The big wooden box on the floor is no doubt large enough for a number of things.

Could it be a bunch of sex toys?

Documents?

A body?

The Crystal Heart?

Fuck, it could be anything.

You're too curious to not look.

But, if you look now, it sounds like Spitfire would kick your ass so hard you'd be singing soprano for a month and a half.

It's best not to look down.

Speaking of looking, another thing has caught your attention.

Although Spitfire's face and body are covered by clothes, one thing is left out in the open.

Her firm, toned ass is plain as day.

It's almost as squeezable as Octavia's.

You can even see the reflection from the light on her mark, it looks so smooth.

And, since she's at an angle, you can see past her tail and to her nethers.

Unf.

You look up and away as you see Spitfire give you an odd glance.

Hopefully she didn't see you gawking at her ass.

Finally, after another few minutes of boring speaking, you hear Spitfire say,

"Gotcha. That all, then?"

"I hope so," Cadance says. "So long as there aren't any other major issues, I should be fine."

"Roger. Now, I'll leave you to handle the box. I had better get back to the empire, stat; I don't think Soarin' is the most dependable in a leading position. The moron is probably bathing in apple pie or fucking Fleetfoot. Maybe even both, concerning he's so Moon-damned scatterbrained he can multitask that well."

"That actually sounds impressive."

Spitfire pulls down her shades and gives you a look.

"Hmmph. You should see him on the field."

She turns back to Cadance, nodding.

"I'll take my leave. You said you wanted to visit again in St. Cloppersburg for the biannual military parade, correct?"

"That is correct," Cadance says affirmatively. "Anonymous and I will be there as well."

"Sounds like a plan, Princess," Spitfire says, trotting out the door.

"Good night, Spitfire."

"G'night, Captain."

"Stay safe, Cadance."

She turns to you before closing the door behind her.

"And you, monkey man?"

"Next time I visit, you and me. Mono-a-mono. I just might have a use or three for you, if you'd be interested."

You feel a bit of pride swell through you, and you nod.

"Of course, Captain."

"Stay frosty."

And, with that, the door shuts.

The wooden box lay in the corner.

And your curiosity is at an all time high.

"And don't you dare even -think- of touching that," Cadance says, shooting you a glare.

"What, the box?"

"No, her ass!"

You start giggling to yourself, trying not to smile.

"Don't think I didn't see you staring at her rump."

"Can you blame me?"

Cadance looks down for a moment.

"Not really. But still!"

You laugh out loud, shaking your head.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, Cadance. You know I wouldn't want to touch her since she'd kill me."

"She wouldn't just kill you. Your punishment would be much more severe."

"Yeah, I kinda figured," you say, walking over to the box.

Cadance power-trots over to you, stopping you in your tracks. "Ooooh, nonononono. Don't touch that either."

"Well, what the hell is inside?!" you ask, your curiosity at an all time high.

Cadance pauses for a moment, looking down.

"I... I can't tell you. Not now, anyhow."

"Well why the fuck not?"

She sighs. "Look, it's just better if you don't know, Anonymous. There's a lot going on, and I need to handle the situation."

"And you don't think you can trust me?"

She lets out yet another exasperated sigh, shooting you a half-hearted glare.

"It's for your own good, Anonymous. The last thing I want is for you to get in trouble because you're involved in politics."

This strikes an odd chord.

Trouble?

There can't be that much, can there?

Everything was, quite literally, almost perfect.

From what you read in the news, anyhow.

"Trouble? What kind of trouble could I get into?"

"Ugh, Anonymous, I... Just, please, trust me."

You sigh internally.

Whatever she's hiding from you can't be good.

Or, if it is good, it's really, really good.

Torn for a moment, you let out an actual sigh, and look at Cadance.

"Fine. If you don't think you can trust me, so be it. I guess I'll just-"

"Ugh, damn it, fine. You want me to just get rid of the damned thing?"

You look at it.

"Well, if it's important, no! I just want to know what the hell's got you so defensive!"

"And I've told you, it's best if you don't know. Do you question my judgement?"

"Yes, yes I do! If you're afraid to tell me, it can't be any good!"

"And you're damned right it isn't any good! That's why I don't want you to get involved! I'd rather have just my ass in trouble instead of both of ours!"

"Cadance, you know better than I do that I'm never letting go of that ass. I love it too much. I'm going wherever you're going."

She lets out a long, drawn out, irritated sigh.

"Fine. I'll just... I'll just toss the damned thing. I was going to get rid of it anyway," she says, reaching for the box.

You stop her, holding her back.

"No. Let me take it."

"What?"

You grab hold of the box.

"I'll take it. It's too heavy for you to be hauling around."

With a heave, you pick it up.

And it's fucking HEAVY.

"Jesus Christ, how heavy is this thing?! Shit..."

Cadance shakes her head, putting a hoof on the box.

"No, Anonymous, let me take it. You don't know what—"

"Don't fucking worry, Cadance. I won't look inside if it matters that much to you."

She stays silent, looking at you with worry.

"Okay?"

Cadance falters a bit, her ears falling to her head.

'"Anonymous..."

"Okay? I won't. I promise."

"Okay. I trust you. Now, just..."

She thinks for a moment, looking at the door.

"Take it to the big dumpster behind the hotel. Put some of the other trash over it. Make sure nobody sees it. Hopefully the trash compactor will come tomorrow morning or some time relatively soon."

You nod, holding the box on your shoulder.

Fucking hell, it was heavy.

"Gotcha. Anything else?"

"Do. Not. Look. Inside."

"I got that much."

"I just need to stress that point, Anonymous."

You nod, opening the door.

"Okay, hun. I'll be right back."

As you step through, Cadance says goodbye, closing the door behind you.

You make your way out the hotel.

When you get outside, it's night time.

The sky is dark, and the bustle of the city has diminished.

Shouldn't be too difficult to lay low, then.

You head around back, and soon enough, come up to the dumpster.

You take the box off of your shoulder and look at it.

Something's thunking around inside.

You really want to know what it is, since Cadance was so protective...

But you DID make a promise...

You carefully consider this for a moment.

And, some time later, you come to a conclusion.

Whatever Cadance is hiding, it must be really, REALLY bad.

You're actually questioning Cadance's judgement, if she's this rash about things.

Well, think of it this way.

If you look, you can pretend you don't know a thing.

That way, you can have at least some confidence in Cadance, and you won't be left in the dark.

Sounds like a plan.

You set the box down, and look for a place to open it.

You take off two of the latches on one end, and with some effort, the box pops open.

Whatever is in the box is covered by some velvet cloth.

And it's...

Warm.

Very warm.

You even feel a bit of wetness to the touch, and the liquid is just as warm.

You're hopelessly confused, and can't see a damned thing.

You look at your hand in an attempt to identify the liquid, but it's in vain.

After giving up on that, you pull back the cloth.

Oh.

Oh my.

That's a body.

Chapter 52

That's...

That's...

Yup, that's a body...

But who is it?

Who the hell could it be?

Fucked if you know; all you can see is that they have a bright coat, and not much else.

The moonlight isn't sufficient.

But, then again, you've got what you wanted.

You know what's inside.

A body.

No doubt Cadance has had to put an... End to things, before.

Right?

But why did she have it delivered here?

That seems a little ridiculous.

As much as you want to stop asking questions, you can't.

There's too much left to your wandering imagination.

All you can really think of is—

*WHEEEEEEZE*

You jump at the sudden sound coming from the box.

Holy shit, was it alive?!

You look in horror, and you can hear a faint wheezing.

And, if you squint, the moonlight reflects enough to show that the body's chest is rising and lowering.

Okay, that crossed a bit of a line.

You have to find out more.

You pull back more cloth, revealing a bloodstained, ragged coat of a pony.

It looks like whoever it is took quite a beating.

You can see an eye look up at you, almost devoid of hope.

It's heart-rending, how defeated it looks.

With that, you pick up the box, and start heading to where you can find light.

Looking around, you don't see anywhere that can give you an ample source of light.

Without going into the hotel, that is.

You let out a sigh, and keep looking.

You see a door, though, on the side of the hotel.

It's a metal door, clearly not for guests.

Labeled, 'Hauswart'.

You have no clue what it is.

But, it's looking like your best bet.

You walk up to the door, and check the handle.

It's unlocked.

And, a quick peek at the cracks between the door and the wall reveal that there are no lights currently on.

Well, nobody's in there, then.

You swing the door open, revealing a hallway barely lit by the moonlight.

And, your arm reaching forward, you grasp at a string.

With a tug, the blinding lights come on.

You look down at the crate, and its contents.

And, at first, you don't believe your eyes.

It doesn't make any sense at all!

The bright-colored mare writes in agony in the crate, and all you can do is stare in shock and awe.

This...

It is really...?

"Spitfire?!"

She looks at you and snarls with what little stength she has left.

You can tell she's trying to glare at you, too.

But she looks so weak, it's hard to notice.

"Make it quick... You..."

You feel your heart skip a beat, and look down at her in confusion.

"Huh?"

She coughs up some blood and then averts her gaze away from you, staring off into the distance.

"Make it quick. I— I know damned well when I'm beat. I can't move anything without feeling my broken bones shift around in place. I'm not getting out of it— you have me. I'm done. And, if you have any honor, you're going to get what you came for and be done with it."

You look at her for a moment, and you let out a sigh.

"Spitfire, what the hell's going on?! I'm not going to kill y--"

"Then what the! HNNN—"

She bursts into a short coughing fit, blood spattering everywhere as she coughs up a lung.

Afterwards, she composes herself.

"Then what the hell do you want from me? To mock me before you kill me? Intel? You're never going to get any, if that's the case."

You shake your head.

"No, no, I'm not going to—"

"Bull fucking shit. I know you and that— Ugh, that pink -witch- are plotting something! I'd rather die than let you-"

"No! No, no, no! I have no idea what's going on! Why the hell are you like this?!"

She finally regains the strength to glare at you again.

"I don't believe you in the slightest."

You let out an exasperated sigh, and look behind you in case someone is there.

"If I was with Cadance, I would have listened to her when she told me to put this box in the garbage."

With this, she raises an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Cadance told me to put this box in the garbage until the trash compactor came around. She also told me not to look inside. And, well, I didn't listen. Whatever she's hiding, it's not good, and I need to know what."

Spitfire takes amoment to let this all sink in,staring at the wall of th ebox in front of her.

"I would have killed you already if I knew what was going on. But I don't. And now I'm worried, concerning I just saw you, in full uniform, only five minutes ag—"

"You WHAT?!"

After she hollars, she bursts out into another coughing fit.

Blood gets everywhere, and drops are now on your hands and clothes.

Shit...

After a sigh, you let her calm down, and you explain.

"You, yes, you. In full uniform. You were talking to Cadance and I about how the Crystal Empire was being ran."

Suddenly, the expression on her face turns to one of horror.

And, soon, guilt shows itself too.

"Me? You... It wasn't me..."

"Yes, it was. And YOU dropped off this box. When I found out this box contained the very mare that delivered it, I was beyond confused."

Spitfire seems to be going into a full panic mode, at this point.

"This... This is bad... And you're saying Cadance is in on this?"

"I think so, concerning she told me not to open the box."

"God fucking damnit, no wonder Shining left her in the dust. That broad is about as smart as fuckin' Rainbow Dash when she's drunk on cider."

You suddenly realize how much time you've spent talking to Spitfire, and a bit of panic sets in.

"Look, I have to get back before Cadance figures out what the hell I've been doing. Will you be all right?"

She grumbles.

"Well, I'll live, I can tell you that, but not much else."

You sigh, standing up.

"I-I'll be back, with first aid. Soon. As soon as I can."

Spitfire rests her head, closing her eyes.

"Please, hurry back, soldier. Make an excuse and come back. I need you to help me."

You can tell the embarrasment she's going through by her tone of voice.

Bet she doesn't say that last line often.

"I will. Don't worry—I'll think of something."

With that, you take off, closing the door behind you.

You walk into the hotel, finding your way up to your room soon.

Cadance greets you as you walk in the door.

"Hey, hun," she says, smiling.

"Howdy," you reply.

"Everything taken care of?"

You nod.

"Eeyup. It's in the trash, under a couple of bags."

"And you didn't look inside?" she asks, tilting her head forward.

"Nope, I didn't," you say reassuringly, nodding.

"Oh. Good. But what took you so long?"

panic

brain.exe has stopped working

"Oh, I just ran into Scootaloo when I was down in the lobby."

"Oh, I see," she says, nodding.

And, then, she looks at your hand and your shirt.

"How'd you get blood on you?"

Oh, fuck.

"Did you not hear what I said?"

Oh dear god you're not going to be able to rebound from this.

"What?"

"I, uh, RAN into Scootaloo."

"Oh, lovely."

"She has a bad nosebleed. You got some TP?"

"TP?"

"Asswipe."

"Oh, sure."

As she trots to the bathroom, you recompose yourself and reboot brain.exe.

How the fuck did you weasel your way out of that?

You're never that witty.

Or Cadence isn't that smart.

It must have been pure dumb luck.

Soon, Cadance comes back, a roll of TP with her.

She tosses it to you, and you catch.

"There you go. Sorry about Scootaloo," she says, trotting over to the kitchen.

"Eh, it's fine. Nothing you could do, I suppose," you respond, walking out the door.

"Goodbye!"

*LATCH*

After the door's closed, you powerwalk down the stairs, out the lobby, and to the closet where you're keeping Spitfire.

It doesn't take you long to make it, and you look around.

You see Spitfire, where she was before you left.

And, then, for the first time, you look at the things in the closet.

A mop bucket, a broom, various tools and thingalings...

Must be a custodian's closet.

Oh! Maybe there's a first aid kit!

"Welcome back, savior" Spitfire says sarcastically.

"Did you get your ass out of trouble?"

You nod.

"Somehow. I really don't know how."

She chuckles, and for once, you see her smile. "Good, so our asses are still covered, right?"

"Right. She won't know a thing," you say, looking back further into the closet.

After a bit of searching, you see a rusty metal box that's probably thirty years old.

You can't read the Germane on it, but you can assume it's a first aid kit due to the symbols.

You pop it open, walking over to Spitfire.

"And, well, after this, I really have to consider a few things," you say, pulling out a roll of bandage.

Spitfire looks up at it with some hope.

"There's a bad gash on my front left leg, and another on my left mark," she says, not even bothering to gesture. "My wings are also crumpled and cut everywhere. If you can find a way to take care of those, you'll stop most of the bleeding. I'm going to need to go to a hospital, one way or another. One of my hind legs is shattered to pieces. A simple stint might do until then, though. I'd complain about my ribs and wings, but there's nothing you can do about those anyhow."

As she speaks, you start working on the cut on her front left leg.

It's no small cut; this is pretty deep, and should probably get stitches.

Grimacing, you do your best to wrap it tight.

Spitfire grimaces a bit, but doesn't do much else.

"Mind if I ask what the hell happened?"

As you keep wrapping, she lets out a sigh.

"I don't remember. All I remember is that I had recently been scheduled to fly to the Crystal Empire, to take Cadance's place. I was in Canterlot that night, staying at a hotel, and some time in the night, I was... Attacked. That's all I remember. I haven't woken up since."

Yikes.

"How long ago was this?"

"I... I don't know how long I've been out. Egh, shit."

You sigh, and you start working on her hind leg and plot.

This gash was just as nasty as the last, if not more so.

You're careful not to touch her broken leg as you go.

You could about imagine how much that must hurt.

And, as tough as Spirfire may be, you don't think you want to torture her any more than you have to.

She grits her teeth as you try to pull it together, but doesn't make a sound otherwise.

Damn, that's a nasty cut...

You'll have to talk to doc after this.

Intel is her business, she won't tell a soul, if you tell her not to.

And pay enough.

So long as Cadance doesn't get suspicious, and ask directly.

"Look, uh... Marshal... General... right?"

"Cut the fancy terms. You aren't in the military. Yet. That, and you're the one saving my ass. Call me Spitfire."

You nod.

"Sure."

"No sense in being formal in what's probably the shadiest situation I've been in for years."

"Good point. But, anyway, Spitfire, I know someone who can give you some first aid and can keep a secret well. I'll bring you to her as soon as I find a way."

Spitfire tries to jerk her neck to look at you, but hurts her self in the process.

"You! AUGH! ...Okay, who? You can't trust just anybody, Anonymous. We can NOT get our cover blown."

Heh, she knows your name.

"Yes, yes, I know. Trust me. She won't tell a soul, so long as Cadance doesn't have any suspicion."

Spitfire gives you a stern look.

"Are you absolutely sure?!"

After a beat, you nod.

"...Yes. Yes I am."

"I hope you can fall back on those words later on. It's looking like our only chance, at this point."

"I figured. No other doctor is going to patch a high-ranking, world-famous official without saying something."

Spitfire grumbles. "...Half the world knows my ass, if not more than half. It's going to be tough to stay low, especially until I find out what's going on."

Wait, what?

"Wait, what'd you say?"

"Do you think I'm just going to go right back home to the Crystal Empire like nothing happened?! No, I'll get killed! I'm going to try and tag along until I either know what's wrong or I get found out, whichever comes last."

You blink.

She's going to...

Join you?

How?

"Wait, how the hell do you expect to come with us?!"

"I'm not! I'm going to follow you!"

You cock an eyebrow.

"Follow us? As in, stalk us as we go on our tour?"

She nods.

"That's exactly what I mean. I need to find out what's going on, and fast; as much as I trust Cadance's judgement, something fishy's going on her. She's trying to kill her best, fuck, only general, officer, commander, or whatever you want me to be. I know damned well I'm the finest on the planet. Trying to take me out of the picture is incredibly suspicious, especially since tensions with several nations are at an all-time high. I need to find out what's what, before the shit hits the fan."

Your jaw drops a little bit.

"Uh, Can you, uh... Back up a little bit?"

"Huh?"

"Okay, I'm lost. Tensions?"

There's a small pause.

And, then, Spitfire lets out a long, drawn-out sigh.

"Damn it to the stars, how much do you know?"

"Uhm, the big Russian country up north evidently doesn't like us?"

"A fuckin' understatement to say the least!"

Chapter 53

You start wrapping her wings in bandages, careful not to hurt her too much.

"Anything else? I need to know everything you know, Anonymous."

"Well, the other-you said I should know 'fuck all'."

Spitfire deadpans, a defeated look on her face.

"Perfeeeeeect."

"But I do know one thing."

"What?"

"Uh, the Hooviets or whatever invited us to an event to improve relations."

"The Hooviets WHAT?!"

You recoil in shock from her yell, but continue.

"They invited us to a military parade. They want to improve relations."

"Because THAT doesn't sound fishy at all."

"...Uh..."

Spitfire sighs at your evident obliviousness, and sighs.

"Look, I'll talk later. Now? We need to find a way to get me to this doctor."

"Oh. Okay. I can do that."

"Get her. Now. Please."

"Wait, before you go."

"Yeah?"

"We need to find a way to smuggle me with you."

"Can't you just wa... Oh, yeah."

"Yes, Anonymous, it's blatantly obvious I can't walk. Now, how are we going to get my ass with you guys? I take it you're taking a train to your next stop?"

"Eeyup. Guadeloope, I think."

"In Prance?"

"Yup."

"Good, and good. Prance has no security on the entering side, and trains even less so. It'll be easy... If we can find a way, that is."

"Well, uh... Fuck."

You were drawing a blank here.

"Look, you think about that, I'll go grab the doctor."

"Hurry back. Please."

With that, you walk out of the room and into the hotel.

You see the Doctor, sitting in the lobby with Trixie and Scootaloo.

They wave at you as they see you enter, and you wave back.

"Hey," you say, a light smile.

They all say their hellos as you approach them.

As soon as you're within hearing distance, you look at Cuore.

"...Okay, so, Doc. We have a situation."

She looks at you, ears perked.

"Oh? Hm?"

You nod, directing to the door.

"Yeah. Come outside with me, quick?"

"Erm, of course?"

You motion for her to follow, heading towards the door.

Trixie and Scootaloo look a little confused as Cuore exits, but they don't say anything.

As you turn your back on them, you head outside, and make your way around the building.

As you step into the night, and the door closes behind Cuore, you hear her speak up.

"...You know, I vas vondering if you vere ever going to make a move on me..."

...wait, wut

"I beg your pardon?"

The doctor chuckles darkly, a clear lustful tone in her voice.

"Don't play dumb, Anonymous. Spending so much time out back? Asking me to come outside vith a face as red as yours? In ze dead of ze night? It's not zat hard to put together."

...Does...

Does doc think you're coming onto her?

"Okay, doc, as much as I'd like to ravage your ass"

"—Ooh, my—"

"There are more important things to attend to."

With that, you grab the handle to the closet and swing it open.

"Such as this!"

The doctor looks at you in confusion, and then notices the curled up Spitfire in the box.

Her brain freezes u as she tries to take in what she's seeing, and a moment later, it catches up to her.

"...Vhat's in Celestia's sveet vorld?!"

You grab her shoulder, getting her attention.

"Look, doc, you can ask questions later, and I'll be happy to give you more intel. But, right now? Spitfire has a plethora of broken bones, gashes, and other problems. You need to help her. Now."

She looks at Spitfire again, and rushes over.

"Didn't I just see you a minute ago, marshal?! Valking out of ze hotel?" she asks, looking Spitfire over.

Spitfire sighs. "Nope. Wasn't me, doctor. It was a fraud."

You can tell the doctor's heart stops for a split second, and her calculating eyes go wide.

"...Okayokayokay, I need to grab my medical eqvipment. Zis is incredibly bad, and not just because your bones have ze consistency of orange juice vith pulp. Anonymous, hold ze fort, make sure nobody sees Marshall Spitfire. I'll be back immediately."

With that, the doctor absconds.

When the door closes, the first thing that Spitfire does is yell.

"What the hell?! You're in cahoots with the royal doctor?!"

All you can do is nod.

"Eeyup, I am."

"She's tagging along with you guys?"

"Eeyup, she is."

"Oh, dear god, the conspiracy runs deeper than I thought."

You look at her, cocking an eyebrow.

"You know?"

She looks at you.

"I do. Only three of us know about the doctor and her way of doing things. Cadance, who told me and Shining. Just us. Not even the sun goddess knows, and the only reason I know is because I caught her in a lie not that long ago."

You're about to ask, but she cuts you off.

"And, no, I'm not explaining right now. I'll explain later, since it's a long and incredibly ridiculous story. But, for now? Please, for the love of god, could you get me a drink so I don't have to taste blood and vomit for another half an hour?!"

You nod.

"Uh, sure, I can," you say, heading to the door.

"Nonono, Anonymous, you're in the janitor's closet. There's probably a faucet here somewhere. And, no, I don't give a shit if the water's dirty. Just give it to me, somehow!"

"Uh, I don't have a cup."

"You have hands, don't you?"

You glance at your hands for a moment.

"...I guess that'll work."

"Yes, yes it will. Please hurry. I don't want to taste last week's mach nachos any more than I have to. Speaking of food, I'm hungry as hell, and I'm probably anhydrous, at this point. I'm going to need some sustenance soon," she says, exasperated.

"And I'll get you BOTH as soon as I can. But, I'm limited on options here," you say, walking up to a nearby dirty sink.

The thing is filthy, and looks like it's used to empty the mop bucket, but it's all you got.

"I can tell. And I appreciate it."

You turn the faucet on, and cup both of your hands together.

Your hands are filled and dripping, but they can work as a cup.

You carefully walk over to Spitfire, kneeling down and bringing your hands down to her face.

She reaches forward, and when she's close enough, she starts lapping up the water in your hands with her tongue.

Her warm tongue tickles to the touch, but you resist giggling.

Once she's gotten all she could get, she licks her lips and looks up at you.

"...Fuck, that tasted like dirt... Get me some more."

She's starting to sound like Trixie, she's getting so demanding.

But, then again, if you were beaten to within an inch of your life, you'd probably be demanding as hell, too.

You go back to get some more water, and, as you do, you hear the door open.

"Okay, okay, Marshal, I'm back," the doctor says, hauling her equipment through the door. "Several broken bones, a dislocated elbow, several broken ribs, likely internal bleeding... Going to need a lot of things. Please, give me some time."

"Celestia -damnit-, on the double, doc! I'm going to die soon, from either dehydration, blood loss, or the concentrated stupidity radiating from Cadance! Possibly all three, if you let me rot here long enough to turn into an orange raisin!"

"Okay, okay! I got it! Give me some time! I'll fix you up as qvick as I can!"

Spitfire grumbles, and you bring her some more water.

She quickly laps it up again, keeping an eye on the doctor.

Said doctor is currently in a panic, pulling our various things from her bag.

An IV, a bunch of sharp tools and objects, bandages, what looks like casting material, and a giant jug.

"Anonymous. Grab zat ironing board in ze back."

You look, and, sure enough, you see an old, rusty ironing board.

"Oh, great. A ghetto operating table."

"I've used vorse. Now hurry."

You oblige, and walk over to grab it.

In a moment, you have the thing set up in front of the box and behind the doctor.

As the doctor makes use of the various shelves to place her equipment, she turns to you.

"Get ze marshall on ze board. Put ze cloth beneath her so ve don't make as much of a mess."

"Oh, uh..."

You look down at the broken pegasus, and grimace at the thought of picking her up.

Aren't her legs shattered?

Spitfire can see this, and she glares up at you.

"Damnit, Anonymous, just do it. I've dealt with worse pain before, I can handle this."

Amen to that.

You reach down, sliding one hand under her shoulder and one hand under her flank.

As you lift her, two of her legs bend at unnatural angles, and you can't help but cringe.

Spitfire grits her teeth and clenches her eyes shut in pain, but she doesn't make a sound other than a grunt.

Through the pain, she manages to speak as you set her down.

"What's the skinny, doc?"

Immediately, she responds.

"Casting two limbs, and putting a brace on your neck. But, before zat, I need to handle ze internal bleeding."

Spitfire looks a tad worried.

"You gonna hav'ta cut me open?"

Cuore nods.

"Yes, yes I do. It hopefully von't take long."

Suddenly, panic hits you.

"...Doc?!"

"Vhat?"

"Did you restock on drugs?!"

She looks confused, and arches her eyebrows.

"Huh? Vhat? I'm never low on drugs."

You roll your eyes.

"Right. Except for that one time you didn't have any anesthetics to give me when you had to cut me open?!"

After you finish, there's nothing but silence.

And, soon, the panic sets in.

The doctor's eyes drift to the floor, thinking about it.

"...Dannazione..!"

"DAMN IT TO TARTARUS, DOC! Tell me, right fucking now, that you DIDN'T forget the shit that's supposed to knock me out before you cut me open like some sort of damn science experiment!"

The doctor freezes stiff, and looks at Spitfire, bug-eyed.

"...Uh, uh, I, uh-"

You're half expecting lazers to shoot out of Spitfire's eyes and vaporize the doctor.

"How bad is it?!" she hollers, looking at herself.

The doctor looks down, and mutters.

"...Spleen... Could be lethal-"

"Then don't waste any fuckin' time!"

The doctor's eyes grow twice their size yet again.

"Vhat?!"

"You heard me! I'm not going to die, not yet! Not like this!"

She looks at you with determination, and grits her teeth as she speaks.

"Anonymous, give me your belt to bite on, and hold my shoulders down!"

Chapter 54

Her barking of orders scared you a bit, and you did your best to be quick about it.

You take off your belt and hold it in front of Spitfire's mouth.

As she clamps down on it, the doctor speaks up.

"I can't believe you're making me do zis," she says, getting her mask on and her tools ready.

"Rrh crn't brlrrrv yrr surr FURKHRN rrncrmprtrnt!" Spitfire says through a belt.

As the doctor hooks Spitfire up to the IV, you place your hands on those buff shoulders.

Dear god, this mare is RIPPED.

Even with broken legs, you can feel her muscles flexing with incredible strength.

You're not even sure if Applejack or her brother were this strong.

The doctor holds her scalpel with her magic, just above Spitfire's exposed belly.

"Here goes," she says unceremoniously.

You cringe at the sight, and look away, holding Spitfire down.

You don't dare look as the doctor does her business.

Tears are coming to Spitfire's eyes, and the grunts and groans she's making are ear-rending.

It makes you sick to your stomach, and all you can do is close your eyes and hope to hell that it ends soon.

Soon, however, is no adjective to describe; this goes on for what seems like hours, and even in her haste, the doctor can only go so fast.

By the end of it all, you think you're going to be sick.

Your gut hurts, your head aches, and overall, you think you're a bit traumatized from what you heard.

Spitfire is as pale as a glass of milk, and her gaze is distant.

The sounds she makes as she's stitched back together are weak, but you can tell she's going through ab absolute hell.

You take your hands off of her shoulders, and as the final stitch is sewed, the doctor pulls away, and Spitfire closes her eyes.

She lets out one last  groan before slipping out of consciousness, and the doctor trots over to tamper with the IV.

You let out a grumble, and try to ease your stomach pains as the doctor does her business.

And, as you walk over by the entrance, you hear a high-pitched, coarse voice.

"...Dude, seriously, what the hay?"

And, immediately, your heart stops.

Standing in front of the door is none other than Scootaloo, and she has a look of absolute horror on her face.

"Scootaloo?! What the hell—why are you here?!"

She looks like she's about to have a heart attack, and tries to explain.

"W-Well, y-you were gone and I didn't know where you were and I wanted to look for you so I went outside and looked around and then I heard screaming and then I walked in and then I saw this and then I closed the door and then— IS SHE DEAD?!"

Just now, she takes note of the orange body on the ironing board, along with the copious amount of blood.

As she stands there, petrified, her tail lifts, and the only thing you hear is a resounding *plop*.

That's going to smell great.

As Poopaloo starts to hyperventilate, you grab her shoulders and pick her up.

"No, Scoots, she's not dead! She's going to live! Calm down!"

"Dude, there's blood everywhere! What the hay?"

"Yes, yes I know, Scootaloo, just"

...Liiiightbuuulb...

"Scootaloo?"

"Wh-What?"

"Where's your scooter?"

She looks out the door, and then back at you.

"It's, uh, in the lobby with the squirt guns? There was some pee on it too."

This might just work!

"Go grab it. Quickly. Please."

"Uh, why?"

"Just do it," you say firmly. "And don't say a word to Trixie, or anyone else about what you saw, okay?"

"Uhm..."

She looks nervous, and incredibly scared.

"Scootaloo, please. This is really important. I'll explain later. Just go get your scooter and its box."

"Uh... Okay, Anon... I-I'll be right back!"

With that, she darts out the door and to the lobby.

"...Great," the doctor says, taking off her mask. "Now ve have a foal to deal vith."

You turn to her, and try to give a confident look.

"She can keep a secret. I know she can. She's got your back when you need it."

"You? You need to make zat absolutely certain," she says, shooting you a glare. "Ze last thing I need is to have a kid spill all of ze beans. And, concerning I haven't even been told vhat in Celestia's name is happening, I have a feeling zat now is ze vorst time ever to let beans spill. Explain. Tell me as much as you know. Right now. You promised to tell me, and damn it, I need to know."

You take a step back.

"Whoa, whoa, okay. I don't know what the hell's happening either, but I know a few things."

You point to the unconscious pile of orange on the table.

"That Spitfire is the real Spitfire. There was another Spitfire that Cadance and I talked to earlier; that Spitfire was fake, I'm sure of it. And that fake Spitfire dropped off a box. That box had the unconscious, beat up, and bleeding REAL Spitfire inside. Cadance is trying to keep secrets from me, and didn't want me to open the box. She must know what's inside, and what's up. Other than that, I have no clue what's going on, or why, or how!"

"...Vell now, I... Zis, is... Erm... Unexpected... Zis is new. And zat's saying something; I thought I knew everything."

She looks at Spitfire, and sighs.

"And now ze changelings are getting involved."

She groans in irritation, and slowly a glare forms on her face.

"Damn it all to hell! Vhat ze hell is Cadance doing?!"

The doctor's gaze is distant as she starts preparing supplies, likely to cast Spitfire's legs.

"It makes no sense! It makes absolutely no sense!"

She trots over to the 'operating table, and carefully stretches out one of the broken legs.

"Two Spitfires, a missing Shining Armor—is she doing all of zis out of jealousy?! By ze moon, I knew she vasn't ze brightest of mares, but WOW! Jealousy has always been her vorst vice since ze Siege of Canterlot!"

She keeps working on the hind leg, wrapping it in a cast.

While she does that, the last sentence of hers catches your attention.

"Wait, what did you say about jealousy?"

The doctor grumbles a bit, not daring to take her attention off of her patient.

"Ever since ze siege, she almost lost Shining, and she's been as protective as ze royal guard ever since. I svear, you can -see- ze jealousy in her eyes vhenever ze slightest thing happens. It's almost scary."

Well, that would... Kinda explain one thing...

But you probably shouldn't bring it up now.

It seems like she already knows.

You sit down on the ground and rest for a moment.

"Do you have any idea what's going on?"

She shakes her head, putting the finishing touches on the cast.

"No, I don't, but I'm going to do my best to find out. And, vith Spitfire's help, I'm certain I can get to ze bottom of zis."

Confidence.

Something everyone else in your little clique has, spare you.

You really need to work on that.

After a short moment of peace and quiet, the door opens.

Scootaloo has her giant box on her back, and she's looking at you.

"...Uh, I got it," she says, gesturing to the box.

"Great. Doctor?"

"Hum?"

"Spitfire said she's planning on following us to find out what's going on. I'm smuggling her."

Finally, this catches her attention.

Her ears perk, and she looks at you.

"Smuggling? ...Oh, don't tell me you're doing vhat I think you're doing."

You smile.

"Eeyup. I think she'll fit nicely inside the box, until she's walking again."

Something bumps your shoulder.

You look over, and see the assailant.

Scootaloo is trying to get your attention.

She seems to have calmed down by now, thankfully, but is still a bit unnerved.

"Uh, dude? You still need to tell me what the buck is up."

You sigh.

"Look, Scootaloo, it's a long, incredibly complex story. Want me to give you a short version?"

"Please, dude."

"Okay, so. There's a lot of weird stuff going on, and Marshall Spitfire here needs to come with us. But, there's one thing, and this is really important. You listening?"

"Yeah?" she says, nodding.

"Cadance can't know a thing. Neither can anyone else. It has to be super secret."

At this point, her wings slowly rise, and her ears perk.

"Super secret?"

You nod.

"Mmmhmm."

"So, like, in some of those super-cool shows I see at the theatre with secret agent dudes?"

You nod again.

"Precisely. Only now, this is really serious, and this could get us in big trouble. Can I trust you, Scootaloo?"

She nods.

"Of course you can, dude! When haven't I had your back?"

You smile, bringing Scootaloo into a tight hug.

"I knew I could trust you."

You shake her around in your grasp, and give her a light noogie.

"H-Hey, knucklehead! I'm not done yet! One condition!"

Chapter 55

You loosen your hug, and look down at her.

"And what's that?"

Scootaloo glances at the doctor, who has long since gone back to her work.

And then, she looks at you.

"We're going to Pearis in Prance, right?"

You nod.

"Okay then. I want you to take me to this one place Rainbow Dash was talking about. This one time, she was in Prance to perform for the Wonderbolts, and when they were done, they all went to this club. Club Lucius, I think it was called. I heard it was cool, and that the whole place was like one giant party with drinks and dancing and loud music and stuff. I wanna go there."

Is Scootaloo asking you to go to a night club?

"Uh, Scoots, are you sure you want to—"

"Of course I am! Dash talked about it all day at Sugarcube Corner one day, and told Pinkie everything! I really wanna go!"

"Scoots. I'm not sure you know what you're—"

"Anon, no, I know what I'm getting into. I know it's for big ponies, but I'm big enough."

Damn, she's persistent.

"You have to, dude. Or I'm not going to keep the secret."

With that sentence, you feel a shock go down your spine and your heart skips a beat.

"Fine, fine, I'll take you. But you're not leaving my side the whole time."

"Fine by me. Besides, you're probably the best person to hang out with, even though you're not really... Y'know... Someone that'd go out on the dance floor."

Oh, you have no idea...

You're paranoid of the dance floor.

You have crippling stage fright.

That's why you were never in drama, band, or sports in high school.

You didn't want to be watched.

Or, worse, laughed at.

"Y-yeah, I know."

"So, do we got a deal?"

You nod.

"I suppose. But, seriously, you're going to need to stay safe. Stay near me at all times. I can't lose you."

"You couldn't lose me if you tried, Anonymous. I'd never leave you alone."

Yeah, no shit...

You smile, bringing Scootaloo into another hug.

"I know. You're like a... Butt."

She looks up at you, giving you a fake glare.

"I'm a butt?"

You nod.

"You're a butt."

"Well why am I a butt?

You smile, tightening the hug a bit and holding her head to your chest.

"Because, even though you smell bad and you're in the way sometimes, you're always there for me."

"Aww, Anon is getting all mushy-mushy..."

"That, and you're fun to SQUEEEEEZE!"

With that, you take the filly into a bone crushing hug.

"AAH! Oh, OW! ANON!"

She squirms and giggles as she tries to escape your grasp.

Her efforts, however valiant, get her nowhere.

After giving her a noogie, you let her go, and she steps back.

"Damn it, dude..."

"Heheh."

As pissed as she tries to look, you can tell it's a facade.

She loves roughousing more than Cadance does.

"What, are you angry?"

"I'm gonna get you back, I hope you know that."

You give her a serious look.

And, try as you might to hold it back, a smile creeps onto your face.

"Don't make me do it."

She looks at you, giving you a condescending look.

"Oh, do what?"

"Don't make me bring out the claw."

Immediately, her ears fall to the sides of her head, her eyes widen, and her confidence falters.

"uhokayyouwin"

You burst into a chuckling fit, and as you do, you hear the doctor speak up.

"Okay," she says flatly. "She's... ready to be... packaged, I suppose."

"Leave me ze box. I can handle it. Anonymous, take dear Scootaloo to bed, and get back to Cadance so her suspicion isn't vorse zan it already is."

"Roger," you say, standing up.

And, without warning, you reach down and wrap your hands around Scootaloo, picking her up like a small dog.

"See you in the morning, doc?"

She nods.

"Of course. Have a good night."

"Good night."

"Nighty night, doctor!"

And, with that, you head out the door, slam it behind you, and make your way back into the hotel.

You make your way back into the hotel, Scootaloo nestled under your arm.

"So, we still goin' with the plan you had?"

Oh, that's right.

You nod.

"Yeah. Let's get some tissues before we go back to the room."

"Wait, hold on."

You reach into your coat pocket.

Oh.

So that's where you put the TP Cadance gave you.

Jesus Christ, that's a little weird, Anon, It's like you're packing.

But instead of a revolver, you have grade-C asswipe.

Nice.

After taking a moment to contemplate the fact that your suit could probably hide anything you want it to, you rip open the roll of toilet paper and tear some tissue off.

You wipe some of Spitfire's blood off of your suit, arms, hands, and wherever else.

Then, you hand the bloodied tissues to Scootaloo.

"Sorry, Scoots," you say, holding them in front of her.

She begrudgingly takes them, and covers her nose.

"You owe me for this."

"Hey. Remember, you still have three hundred bits from that poker game you rigged."

"Oh, come on! You're graspin' at hay, now! Besides, that wasn't even your money!"

"I got you your scooter."

"W-Well, yeah, but—"

"And I let you shoot a bunch of kids with pee."

"Okay, ya got me. Fine," she says, plugging her nose. "Just let me know as soon as I can throw these things out. It's gross. Kinda glad it doesn't smell like your piss though."

In due time, you wind up back in the hotel room.

Trixie's on the couch, KO.

Octavia is right beside her, currently being used as Trixie's pillow.

Cadance is in the bedroom.

You can tell because of the humming noises.

After a brief inspection of the room, you set Scooters down.

"Okay, go clean that up in the bathroom. Get all of that damn blood out."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," comes the nazily reply as she heads to the bathroom.

You hear Cadance giggle a little as she hears Scootaloo trot into the bathroom.

"Was it really that bad?" she asks, peeking her head out the door.

She's currently curling her hair, but not with a curling iron; she has a dozen little tube things in her hair, as well as a bunch of green paste on her face.

Looks like a Nightmare Night costume.

"Yyyyyeah, it was pretty bad. Wood is... Unforgiving, on the nose," you say.

Smooth as fucking sandpaper

"Ouch. Sounds like it hurts. I saw all of that blood on the tissues."

But, thankfully, sandpaper makes things smooth in itself.

"Yeah, I know. That was the last of the damn roll too."

"Heh, wow. That sounds like hell," she says, turning to head back into the

"I'd have to agree."

You walk over and plop your ass onto the bed.

You also admire Cadance's features as she looks herself over in the mirror.

Although she was generally a bit disheveled when it came to her appearance, she was still beautiful.

Which is to be expected; not only is she a god, but she's the go of love.

She'd probably be the god of fire, too, if Celestia didn't control the sun.

You lay back, and you cover yourself under the blankets.

Holy shit, are you tired.

Today was a long ass day.

After... Well, Scootaloo's antics, Spitfire, the other Spitfire, and a whole heap of trouble...

You're spent.

You rest your head, and let out a sigh.

"Tired, I take it?" Cadance asks sweetly.

"Yeah... Scootaloo wore me out today at the park..."

"Well, no wonder. She has more energy than Auntie Tia in the morning."

You nod, letting out a sigh.

"That's an understatement."

She giggles, and starts taking stuff out of her hair.

"That bad, huh?"

"Yyyyyeah..."

"Well, I'll tell you what," she says, starting to wipe off her face. "Tomorrow morning? How about I bring up some of the skills I learned in Canterlot?"

You raise an eyebrow.

"Such as..?"

She smiles, looking at herself in the mirror.

"You realize I'm a licensed masseur?"

"Oooh! Me likey!"

At your outburst, she lets out a giglesnort, and then goes back to tending to herself.

"I thought you would. I rub your back, you rub mine?"

You nod.

"Course."

"Good. Now, I'll be back later tonight, Anonymous. I'll see you in a few hours."

Wait, what?

"Wait, what?"

"I literally just received a message not two minutes ago."

In shock, you sit up.

"Okay, I'm just going to repeat myself. What?"

Cadance sighs, turning to you after putting on the finishing touches.

"Germane authorities. I have no idea what they want from me, but they requested an audience, and I have to give it to them. It sounded important, though, and it must be if they didn't want to state what in the letter itself."

With that, she trots over to you.

"I'll be back late, hun. Sorry."

You look up at her.

"You're gonna leave me all alone?" you say, trying to look sad.

She just laughs, and shakes her head.

"Ooohoho, no, Anonymous. I'd never do that. Trixie and Octavia will be keeping you company tonight."

"That's... Well, not as good as you, but I'll take what I can get."

She giggles adorably, and reaches in for a quick smooch on the lips before turning around and trotting off.

"I'll send them in in just a moment. Good night, Anonymous."

"Night."

"I love you," she says, stepping through the door.

"Love you too."

With that, the door latches shut.

You sigh, resting back on the bed and thinking.

As soon as she left, you could feel your anxiety and worry coming back.

And now, it's all you feel.

What the hell is going on?

What is she trying to hide?

And why are you suddenly questioning everything you've ever done with her?

Dear god, you've been thrown in for a loop.

What about the rest of the group?

Can they be trusted?

Or is this some sort of master scheme plotted against you?

Or is it something much, much bigger?

You're almost sick to your stomach, it's got you so worried.

What are you going to do?

You can't let Spitfire follow you everywhere, she'll be noticed eventually, especially if she has multiple casts.

Hell, what were you thinking, agreeing to smuggle her with in Scootloo's scooter box?

Hell, what were you thinking when you told SCOOTALOO what the hell was happening?!

You're knee deep in shit, and the flood gates are long gone.

You can only hope that whatever gods are out there have mercy on an innocent soul.

Well, perhaps not innocent; you've put your dick in multiple places it shouldn't have been.

Many partners, among them royalty, high class, and sophisticated, and a number more that weren't as formal.

Though, most of those were one time things and/or drunken stupor fuck-ups.

Especially that time you put your dick in Pinkie Pie's apple pie.

No, literally; she had baked some pie with her orange friend, and you were drunk and it dawned upon you that it might feel good on your shaft.

That was a long explanation to Ms. Cake.

And an even longer and more painful experience to watch the oblivious duo gobble it down faster than Cadance does a 'midnight snack'.

Okay, that's enough cringing for one night.

Chapter 56

A moment later, the door bursts open, and the two mares stumble in.

"Good... Evening," Octavia says, clearly worn.

You nod.

"Howdy. How ya holdin' up, Trix?"

"Whargble..."

"I'll take that as 'fucking awful'. So, you two get the bed tonight, huh?"

The grey one nods, trotting over and plopping down on the bed.

"I suppose. Cadance said she'd be leaving tonight. I'm not exactly sure what the deal is, but I'm not complaining. Something about an audience?"

You shrug.

"No idea. But it sounds important."

She lets out a sigh, resting on her back.

"With great power comes great responsibility."

And it was in the hands of a naive teenager trapped in a god's body.

Perfect.

"No kidding. With all the shit she's trying to juggle, I'm impressed."

"As am I. But there's someone else that's been catching my eye lately."

"Oh? And what's that?"

She smiles.

"Well, the doctor was happy to tell me about your little contingencies with Scootaloo this morning."

You smile.

"Oh, god, here we go..."

"I couldn't stop laughing! It was disgusting, it was crude, and it was absolutely uncouth, but it was hilarious! Scootaloo couldn't stop bragging about 'justice', and how the goats couldn't stand up or think straight after they got sprayed, and it was just!"

By this time, you both have giggling uncontrollably at the little details.

And, finally, you both snap, bursting into fits of laughter.

"I wish I could've been there!"

"Heheh... Y-Yeah, so do I."

You smile, and you feel something drop on the bed.

Player 3 has entered the game.

"Oh, hey Trix."

"Mmmmgh..."

You can't help but chuckle at her dismay.

"Stop... Laughing," she protests, bumping you lightly on your shin.

"Heh, whatever you say, Trix," you respond, wrapping an arm around Octavia.

She snuggles up to you, humming.

You turn to her, still smiling.

"So, how was the concert?"

She shrugs lightly, the smile coming off of her face.

"It was... As usual."

You raise an eyebrow, a tad worried at her tone.

"Something wrong?"

She shakes her head.

"Not really. I just can't help but feel a little alone when I'm out there, since none of you showed up. I realize you had your... Stuff to do, and I understand, but usually Trixie or the doctor or someone shows up. It felt a bit meaningless today."

You let out a little sigh through your nose, and nod.

"Yeah, I know. I was planning on taking Scootaloo some time soon, since she's never been to a performance.

Octavia's eyebrows raise, and she looks a bit surprised.

"Oh, really? Well, a request—either bring her tomorrow or the day after the day after tomorrow. I have plans after my recital in Pearis, and it probably isn't a good idea to have small children around."

It was your turn to be surprised.

"Oh? Plans?"

She nods, smiling.

"A... Reunion, of sorts. An old friend happens to be in Pearis the same day I am. We've decided to meet up."

"An old friend? Anyone I know?"

Her smile only grows, as if she knows way more than you do.

"Oh, yes it is," she says, nodding.

You give her a flat look.

"Any hints at all?"

"Well, she's incredibly loud—the second loudest you know."

"Uh-huh."

"She's also the second-best party-goer you know."

"Uh-huh."

"And she's also the single most uncultured person on the planet."

You nod, thinking.

"Okay, so that narrows it down to THREE."

After a beat, you start rattling off answers.

"The mailmare?"

She shakes her head.

"No, it's been years since I've seen this one."

Well fuck.

"Fleetfoot?"

She shakes her head again.

"Nope, she's in the Crystal Empire, remember?"

Damn.

"Rainbow Dash?"

"Nope"

"What? Bass Clef?"

"Nope."

"Jewel?!"

"Nope."

"Oh, come the fuck on—Vinyl Scratch?"

"Bingo!"

Well, that caught you a bit by surprise.

You laugh a little, thinking back to when you last saw Vinyl.

"Hah! No shit?"

She nods.

"Mmmhmm. I haven't seen her since we were roommates in NCU. And, as brash as she is, I can't help but miss her."

"Did you not get along or something?" you ask, curious.

She shakes her head.

"Oh, no, we were great friends. We just had... Erm... Different tastes, and talents. Although her love and understanding for music was far, far above that of many others, she seemed a bit more uncivilized than my typical crowd. But, I can't deny; she was fun to be around."

"Oh, well that's good to hear, but-"

"And, no, we didn't get anywhere," she says, reading your thoughts.

"Aw..."

"But, she's gone down on more stallions than I could count. I just never did anything with her personally. I was too scared, and awfully shy at the time."

Now, this caught a snag in your mind.

"Wait, when did you actually..?"

She cocks a brow, waiting for you to finish.

"Y'know, finally lose your virginity?"

She looks over your shoulder at the blue lump in the fetal position resting behind you.

"She did."

You look at Trixie for a moment, and then turn to Octavia.

"Really?"

She nods.

"When she was doing a show in Canterlot. I managed to catch her after her amazing show, and she said she saw me at the Grand Galloping Gala on stage. ...Well, before it was crashed. But, from then on, we had a discussion. One thing led to another, and, well, we wound up dating in the next week or two."

"And, from there on, one thing led to another, and one night, we booked a hotel room in Canterlot's suburbs, as we planned to attend a musical festival that night. We both had our share of drinks, we had a good time, and then we got home, and, next thing I know, she has her lips on mine, and her hoof between my legs."

"Damn... That sounds—"

"Amazing," she says, finishing your sentence. "It was amazing."

She bites her lip.

You can tell she's thinking about it.

"Y'know something, Octy?"

Time to make your move.

"Y-Yes?"

"It's been a long day, a long, stressful day."

She nods.

"I can agree."

"Now, whadaya say we... Oh, I don't know..."

You pull her close, wrapping your other arm around her waist.

"Relax?"

She lets out a little yelp as your hips touch, and soon, a wanting look comes onto her face.

"I like this idea."

She giggles a bit, and soon, you feel something poke your back.

Hard.

"Trixie, is... Still..."

"Yes, yes, in hell. I'll be glad to help you too, Trixie."

"Trixie doesn't... Need... Help, but... Will certainly... Take it..."

Oh, dear god, you are going to plow that ass like a gravy train when you get the chance.

But, it's probably better to take things slow, first...

You hold Octavia close, your arm wrapped tightly around her midsection.

She giggles a bit, snuggling up against you with a foreleg pressed against your chest.

"So, what do you want to do first?"

She glances at you, and soon, her eyes start to slowly drift down your body, halting at your crotch.

"Well... You did take care of Scootaloo for most of the day. I suppose it's time for me to take care of you?"

Your dick just grew three sizes today.

"Y-Yes, please."

She doesn't hesitate, and as soon as the words are out of your mouth, she's sliding herself downwards.

Octavia grasps at your boxers, and the cold air hits your crotch as their pulled down.

As she positions herself between your legs, you feel someone else make their way up.

Trixie plops down right beside you, her head level to yours.

Her eyes are half lidded, but you're not sure if it's from lust or the hangover.

It's probably both, at this point.

"Come... Give Trixie, a... A-"

You don't let her finish her sentence before you grab her head and pull her into a kiss.

It's not like the other kisses you give; to any other in your group, it would be passionate and expressive.

This?

This was just a sloppy, lip-smacking, tongue-twisting mess you were making.

Your face is burning red, and you can feel something gently prod at your shaft.

It's warm, and soft.

There's no doubt Octavia's about to get started.

You pull back from the kiss for a moment as you feel something warm, smooth, and wet cover your head.

It glides over your tip, and you can't help but let out a groan.

The dazed and confused Trixie opens her eyes to look at you, but closes them again as you return to the kiss.

You drag your lips across hers, and she lets out a low moan as she wraps her forelegs around you.

A moment later, she's snuggled up to you like a teddy bear, and you return the hug.

You feel Octavia's warm lips slowly glide down your shaft, sure not to miss an inch.

Her tongue lathers your length in saliva, and it's so slick and smooth you can already feel a bit of a rush.

You pull back from the kiss, only to gasp for air and dive right back in.

Trixie is happy to return the favor, although it's evident by her slurred motions she's still under the effects of alcohol.

Just the thought of that, oddly enough, eggs you on to push forward.

You reach down with your right hand, gliding it between Trixie's thighs.

She lightly gasps as your hand meets its mark, but she doesn't falter on the northern front.

You aggressively start rubbing her lower lips, and only a moment later, you can feel Trixie moan into your mouth.

Octavia is starting to pick up the pace, her head gliding up and down with ease.

Her warm tongue teases your tip as she raises her head, and then comforts your shaft as she goes back down.

You can feel her gently fondling and massaging your sack as she does this.

She learns fast...

Trixie very suddenly pulls back from the kiss, and looks down at you.

And then, her hind leg comes up and kicks your arm out of the way.

"...You... You need to... More."

With that, she climbs over you, and turns around.

You're on your back, and Trixie's hips are front and center.

If she wants more, you'll give her more.

You plant a firm grip on those round, juicy cheeks, and reach your head up to sniff.

It's nice and ripe, no doubt.

Your anticipation reaches an all time high as Trixie lowers her entire body on top of you.

Her moist nethers rest comfortably on your chin, and you slowly start to dig in, sliding your tongue along her folds.

She lets out an unf, looking over her shoulder at you.

And, then, you feel Octavia stop her work on your shaft for a moment.

After a short, worrysome moment, you're met with a surprise.

You can feel not one, but two warm, slithering tongues caressing your pole.

Dear god, the sensation is heavenly; so warm, moist, and soft...

Although, it's a bit lopsided.

Trixie knows what she's doing, while Octavia is merely a novice.

But you'd be damned if this wasn't the best blowjob you've ever had.

You go right back to lapping up Trixie's juices, eager to egg her on.

One of her legs shivers at the touch, and soon, you can feel Trixie herself begin to tremble from your efforts.

You hold her hips onto your face, massaging and groping her flanks as you do.

She's loving this just as much as you are.

You take a deep breath, and you notice your breath is erratic.

Something is welling up inside of your chest, and you know what it is.

As the twin tongues work away at your shaft, you rest your head back.

Your eyes roll into the back of your head as the peak overtakes you.

With a grunt, you let it all out.

Your load spurts straight up, shooting out higher than it ever has before.

It falls back down, landing on Trixie's and Octavia's snouts.

Their faces covered in white batter, they don't stop for a while; they wait until your done, and even then, they keep going, gently and tenderly loving your shaft.

You look over, and you can see the ropes of warm cum resting on their noses, manes, and faces, as well as some on Trixie's horn.

You just rest back, and after a moment, the three of you come to a rest.

You catch your breath, and so do the other two.

"Holy shit," you mutter under your breath.

Trixie and Octavia both share a lustful giggle.

"Well, that was rather short, compared to other times," Octavia notes.

"Well, no shit!"

She giggles again, slinking away from her position.

"Though, I suppose you aren't done?"

Hell no, you aren't done.

You shake your head.

"I'm not done. Not yet. I still have a couple things I need to do. Namely, you two."

"Oh, cut it with the corny sex jokes," Octavia says, shoving Trixie off from on top of you.

She falls over with a plop, and gives Trixie a disgruntled look.

Octavia, however, doesn't care at all.

She quickly gets on top of you and straddles your hips.

You can feel her nethers pressing against your crotch.

Already, she's slowly and subconsciously grinding against you.

You look up, and all you see is a ragged shell where Octavia used to be.

Her eyes are aflame, her mane is unkempt, and as icing on the cake, the white ropes of cum still rest on her face and snout.

"Ready for round two, Anonymous?"

You were about to answer, but it seems like it was a rhetorical question.

Before you even reply, she slides back and forth along your length.

And, finally, she arches her back and slides back, and you jolt as your shaft slides into her.

She grinds back and forth, and your tool swishes around inside of her holy ground.

Although it stings a little, since you only blew your load a moment earlier, you let her keep going.

This was for her.

You lie back, letting her do most of the work.

Your hips help her along with the rhythm as she grinds.

She closes her eyes and lets out a shudder in a moment of absolute bliss, and plants her forehooves on either side of you.

As time passes, she digs in deeper, and her jaw drops.

Trixie, previously a spectator of this tango, decides to take action.

She sits up by your side, and reaches over to grab Octavia's chin.

Before you know it, Octavia's sliding slows down; she's preoccupied with Trixie's lips.

You watch the spectacle as the two start to swap saliva, and consequently, your cum.

A small white blob slides from Trixie's mouth into Octavia's, and she slides it right back.

Soon enough, her pace picks up again, and her hips move faster and more erratic than before.

Octavia and Trixie are wrapped up in a hug, at this point, and their tongues are wrestling yet again.

You can only watch as your shaft hardens at the sight.

Suddenly, Octavia pulls back, closes her eyes, and her chin lowers to her neck.

She starts panting, and her hips almost double in speed.

Your dick is bent at incredible angles, but you let her ride.

It's time.

She lets out one last  moan, and you can feel her walls clamp around your dick as it swishes around inside.

The infamous monsoon Octavia has released before is back, and you can feel her juices puddling on your crotch, your belly, and on the bed between your legs.

After a moment, she groans again, and then her whole body goes limp, landing on top of you.

With one last low moan, Octavia rolls over and falls off of you.

Your dick bounces back up to where it was, finally at rest.

The both of you try to catch your breath, and your chests rise and fall almost in sync.

"...A-Anonymous?"

You turn to Octavia as she speaks, giving her a blank, tired expression.

"Huh?"

"You—You aren't done yet..."

At first, you were confused by this.

And then, you remember.

It's two on one.

You look over, and Trixie has re-positioned herself.

Her hind legs are on the floor, but her body rests on the bed, her front legs curled up beneath her chest.

Her face is still covered in your white mess.

But more importantly?

That beautiful booty is perfectly exposed over the edge of the bed.

Somebody blow an air horn, the gravy train's about to roll through town.

You slide off of the bed, stand up, and admire the view for a moment.

"I'm waiting," she say impatiently, wiggling her rump as you stand behind her.

"We have all night, Trixie."

"That doesn't mean you should waste any time!" she says, incredibly whiney.

Heheh, Trixie's going to learn a lesson.

Be careful what you wish for.

"If you say so!"

Your hands collide with her rear, and she lets out a yelp as you dig your fingers in.

Your grip is tighter than it was earlier, no doubt.

That ass is going nowhere you don't want it to.

You position yourself, shoving her tail out of the way and your dick into the way.

Trixie looks back at you for a moment, worried.

That must be your cue.

Wasting absolutely no time, you brace yourself, and you dive right in to those warm walls.

Your hips collide with a resounding smack, and her ass jiggles like a bowl of jello.

She gasps, and as her jaw hits the mattress, you slide back out.

"AnonymoooOOOH!" she yelps, just as you jam yourself right back into her cozy cave.

It takes the breath out of her lungs, and she arches her back before she can even finish your name.

You get right to business, pushing back and forth with all of the might you can muster.

Trixie's entire body, as well as the bed itself, move under the might of your hips.

It's just a little too much for the Great and Powerful Trixie to handle, and her head buries itself into the blankets.

With each thrust, you force her deeper into the covers, and yourself deeper into her.

You drive into her as hard as you can, and in doing so, let out a grunt of your own.

It was slick; no doubt your work on her earlier paid off now.

As you grind your length against her walls, you hear some high-pitched squeals coming from Trixie's mouth.

They're muffled by the blanket her face is buried in.

You take your left hand off of her ass, and you get a tight grip on the base of her tail.

With the rhythm of her body and your hips, you yank on her tail, causing her to not only squeak, but to let out a full blown orgasmic scream into the covers.

It's about now your stamina catches up to you.

Your hips, ass, and lower back are starting to get sore.

Your balls are sore from overuse.

And, to top it all off, your chest pains are coming back with a vengeance.

But that's not going to stop you.

Not yet.

You keep going, and for the second time tonight, you can feel it building up inside of you.

The rush helps you along, and your hips keep firing away.

Trixie hasn't stopped making noise for a good while now, and her screams are driving you mad.

As you feel the rush coming on, you reach forward, grab Trixie's fabulous mane, and pull it back.

Her jaw drops again, and her eyes jolt open.

You pull on both her hair and her tail as you reach your finish.

In one last act of masculine gusto, you ram your hips into hers, and unleash your load inside.

"Aaah-h-h-haa..."

After she makes her cute, breathless moans, you let her mane and tail go, and she plops down on the mattress.

You pull out, and as you gasp for air, you fall face-first beside her.

"Trixie's... Done..."

"I'd fucking hope."

With that, you take deep breaths, and you start crawling under the covers.

As you do, you see a familiar cum-covered face on the other side of the bed..

"That was quite the show," Octavia says, smiling as you crawl under the covers next to her..

You wrap your arms around her, bringing her into a warm embrace.

"It sounded like it."

You feel Trixie shuffling around behind you, and before you know it, you're the middle spoon again.

Awwww yes

"Are you ready to go to bed?" she asks, giving you a caring look.

"Yyyyeah. I'm tired, and... Relaxed, now, thanks to you," you say, laughing a little.

"Hmmhmm, good," Octavia hums, giving you a smile in return.

"Good night."

She reaches forward and gives you a quick smooch before closing her eyes and resting her head.

"Night, hun."

"I love you."

"Love you too, sweetheart."

After a beat, she looks over your shoulder.

"Oh, I love you too, Trixie."

Silence.

"...Erm, Trixie?"

After an awkward pause, a very loud bout of snoring assaults your ears.

Well, it didn't take her long to pass the fuck out.

You must have worn her out.

"She loves you too, Octy," you say, trying to stifle your laughter.

"Hmm. I know, I know. Oh well. I guess I'll have to tell her in the morning. Good night."

"Night."

With that, you both rest your heads, close your eyes, and drift to sleep.

Chapter 57

"Goooood MOOOOOOORNIIIIING EQUESTRIAAA!"

Your eyes jolt open as you wake.

A loud, scratchy voice is blaring from the radio on the nightstand.

"Oh, thank god, I can still get her signal from here," Octavia says, letting out a sigh of relief.

"From Manebourne to Darwhinny, from Las Pegasus to Detrot, I'm comin' to ya, loud an' proud from my schnazzy new studio in Pearis!"

Oh, hey.

It's Vinyl's radio station.

"Wait, isn't her studio in Canterlot?"

Octavia turns to face you, smiling.

"Oh, good morning, Anonymous. And, yes, it is."

"That's right, folks! Pearis, Prance! In case you aren't in the know, lemme catch you up; I, the one an' only DJ Pon-three, am goin' on tour around the world, bringin' my music, and my voice, around the world! And, you tell me, kids, where better to start than the cultural capital of the second bes—I mean, second most influential country under Celestian rule? If you live in Equestria, Pearis, or Celestia knows where else, when you got time, haul your plot up to Club Lucius in Pearis. I'm kickin' off my live, gut-bustin', ear-smashing concert in the biggest, baddest, craziest club on the planet! Can't make it? Aw, boo hoo. You'll have to make it to one of my other concerts. Look at the newspaper, or give me a ring if you wanna find out my dates. Anyway, enough of my self-inflation. Celestia knows I'm already the best. Time for some music. Feel free to call in and request anything! And, by anything, I mean anything! Rock, classical, honky-tonk—hell, I'm even aching for some techno every now and again. We're the best, and only, radio station in Equestria. Anything goes! And, ironically, that's the name of our request! This one's from an old friend of mine, Granny Smith, back in Ponyville. As the man once said, Anything Goes!" [youtube.com/watch?v=r7NJ9ylAhos]

The old tune starts playing through the scratchy radio.

Granny Smith made that request, eh?

You always liked her.

Even though she was cranky, usually, she was wise, and wanted the best for everyone.

That, and she gave you enough bits to do whatever the hell you wanted.

You'll have to pay her a visit when you get back.

Octavia turns the volume down, but doesn't quite shut it off.

"Well, it's nice to know she's back on air herself, instead of that godawful substitute," Octavia says, smiling.

That's a relief.

You sit up and start crawling out of bed, leaving Trixie without anything to cuddle.

"I'm gonna go wash off, Octavia."

"Of course," she says, nodding. "I'll be there in a minute. We'll have to make this on the double. Our train leaves rather soon."

Some concern shows on your face, and you quirk an eyebrow.

"And, uh, Cadance? Where's she?"

"I have no idea," she responds flatly, letting out a sigh. "I can only hope she comes back soon enough."

Great.

She's taking after her husband with a knack to go AWOL.

"Yeah, I hope too. See you in a minute, Octy."

"Of couse."

You head straight to the shower.

Considering how much sweat you worked up last night, you probably smell like satan's anal seepage.

You reach in, turn on the faucet, and wait for the water to warm up.

Every now and again, you test the water with the back of your hand.

It's bitter cold for at least a couple of minutes, but then, it's finally warm enough for you to step inside comfortably.

Watching your head to avoid clonking into the showerhead, you duck down and sit down in the tub.

You wet your hair, scratch your balls, and grab a soap bar, in that order.

As you wait for your, erm...

What would you even call her?

Marefriend?

Yeah, that'll work.

As you wait for your marefriend, you lather your cock and balls in soap.

Those things must smell like Shrek's swamp after all they've been through recently.

Time to give them a good ol' scrubbin'.

Afterwards, you wash your pubes off of the soap bar, set it down, and grab the shampoo.

And, just as you're putting it in your hair, you hear the door slide open.

Octavia trots inside, Trixie close behind.

She looks... Better.

Not nearly as bad as she was.

But still not 100% quite yet, it seems.

As you scrub your hair, you wave them over.

"All right, then, we're here," she says quaintly, trotting over.

You can see the crusty gunk still on both of their faces as they both manage to step inside and squeeze in.

Time to fix that.

Octavia steps in and sits in your lap, and Trixie sits right in front of her.

They both wash their faces under the showerhead, taking turns.

You, meanwhile, put some shampoo in your hands.

"Hey. Hey Octy."

"Hmm?"

She turns to face you.

"Look at the showerhead."

"Huh? Why?"

As she turns her head to look, you reach forward and dig your fingers into her luscious hair.

"Scrub scrub scrub."

She's surprised, at first, but doesn't move.

Well, until you really start digging your fingers in.

At that point, she visibly relaxes, and her eyes close.

Trixie is too preoccupied with the mess on her face to notice that Octavia is in an absolute bliss.

You keep scrubbing, scratching behind her ears, and moving your fingers down her neck.

She lets out a little hum as you do your work.

Trixie, having just finished washing her face successfully, just now takes notice of what you're doing.

"Trixie wants a scrub too," she says, unsurprisingly whiny.

"And you'll get one. Just wait a minute."

After another moment of scrubbing, you scoot under the showerhead with Octavia, washing both of your heads.

"Close your eyes."

"They're already closed."

"Oh. Right."

With an easy rinse and some gentle scrubbing, the soap is all gone, and her hair is squeaky clean.

Literally; when you run your fingers over it, it squeaks.

And damn is it shiny.

It looks like it belongs in a Disney princess movie.

Y'know, thinking about it for a moment, that applies to Trixie's hair too.

And Cadance's.

No kidding on the last one, she really IS a princess.

If not some sort of god, or demigod, that is.

It's a shame she isn't here right now.

"Ahem."

"Oh, right. Come here, Trix."

Octavia scoots out of your lap, and steps out of the shower to dry.

Meanwhile, you squirt some shampoo into your hands.

Trixie finds her way into your lap, and plops down.

Her mane's already soaked, so this should be easy.

She gives you a glance, impatiently waiting for you to start.

"Hey, Trixie?"

"What?"

"What's the magic woooord?"

"Shazam," she says flatly.

"Gee, someone's not one for manners."

"And someone's not one for fair treatment."

You let out a hmmph.

"Well, if you won't cool your jets, then maybe I won't scrub your mane!"

"Fine. Please, Anonymous. PLEASE, brush it."

"Thaaat's... Better, I suppose."

After a long moment of silence, she looks back over her shoulder.

"Oh, what now?" she says, impatient.

"I'm not convinced."

She lets out another hmmph.

"It's like you think I'm a circus clown..."

"No, I think you're just a cranky snootykins. Now, lighten up, and try again."

You can tell she's getting irritated as all hell.

But it's too fun.

"Please, Anon. Please, brush my hair like you did to Octavia. She looked like she loved it."

Well, that's better.

Having fulfilled her end of the bargain, you work on yours.

You dig your fingers into that light blue hair, lathering it with the shampoo.

Her eyes close as well, and one of her ears flick involuntarily.

You scratch behind her ears, down her neck, and below her chin.

As cranky as she was, or pretended to be, this brought a smile to her face.

You reach up her neck to the top of her head, and then down to her bangs.

After getting those all soaped up, you reach up, and—

*bump*

"Whoa! Whoa! Watch the horn, Anonymous!"

You recoil a bit, in fear you may have hurt Trixie.

Those horns must be sensitive as hell, you imagine.

You don't have to imagine, actually.

You got a first hand experience in Canterlot's auditorium.

And, with that memory, a curious thought comes to mind.

Are they all alike?

Or is Cadance's just that way because she's the princess of love?

Is it time to find out?

As much as you'd like, perhaps it's something to keep in mind for later.

Octavia says we're on a tight schedule.

With that, you bring Trixie under the showerhead and get all of the soap out of her mane.

It doesn't take too long, and just like that, you're done.

You let Trixie go, and you both hop out of the shower, grabbing towels.

As you start to dry off, you hear some commotion out in the living room.

Three or four people, talking.

One of them is Cadance.

Another is distinctly Itailian.

One is more refined.

And the other is about as crude and squirrelly as you can get.

Oh, hey, the whole gang's here.

After hanging up your towel, you glance at Trixie.

"I'm going to see what's up with the gang, and why Cadance was gone for so long," you say, putting your towel on the counter.

"Very well. It will take a while for Trixie to dry off. It'll be a few minutes."

"Mmmhmm."

With that, you step outside, and close the door behind you.

Not even a 'thank you'.

Sheesh.

Oh well. She must be pretty cranky and bothered, too, after the rough time she's had.

You decide to cut her some more slack, and give it until later today.

If it's still a problem?

Well, you'll be able to fix that.

You look around, and see the four ponies in question talking in the main room.

Cadance is back, looking just as prim and proper as ever.

The four turn their heads to you as you enter the room.

"Ready to go?" Octavia asks, smiling.

You nod.

"You'll be bunking with Scootaloo, Anonymous," Cadance says, gesturing towards the filly. "The train cab we have is made to have three people in it for the eight hour trip. We'll have to cram."

"Oh, good. We heading out right now?"

The group collectively nods, saying various affirmative phrases.

"As soon as dear Trixie gets out of ze shower," the doctor says, looking at the bathroom door, "ve'll be ready to go."

And, as if on cue, the door opens, revealing an absolutely semi-fabulous Trixie Lulamoon.

"Vell, speak of ze devil."

Trixie trots over to the group unceremoniously, her head rather low.

"Are we leaving?"

"Yep."

"Uh-huh."

"As soon as you're ready."

"Of course."

"Si."

Trixie nods. "Good. I'll be able to get more sleep on the way to Guadeloope. Let's get going."

Octavia nods.

"Yes, let's. We have fifteen minutes until the train departs."

Chapter 58

With that, the group makes its way out the hotel, across town, and to the train station yet again.

Finding the train isn't a hassle; the station is incredibly straight-forward and efficient.

Just two minutes before the train's scheduled departure, you're on board, in the cab, and ready to go.

Octavia and Trixie hop in a bunk together, and across from them, so do the doctor and Cadance.

Octavia and Trixie are quick to get under the covers and snuggle.

It's quite the contrary for the doctor and Cadance.

There's no contact at all.

That's to be expected, though.

You, meanwhile, hop into the third, middle bunk.

As you rest on your back, you scoot over to the edge of the bed, leaving room for Scootaloo.

The energetic filly hops up onto the bunk next to you, finding a place to lay right next to your side.

"All right, lights are going off. See you in a few hours," Cadance says, flicking off the lights.

The group says a choir of good nights, and then all is silent.

Scootaloo curls up next to your side, and you wrap your arm around her.

She's so tiny and adorable, you can't help but snuggle her, even a little.

With a filly in your arm and warming your heart, you rest your head and close your eyes.

"Anon?" Scoots says in a hushed whisper.

You cock an eyebrow, looking down at Scootaloo.

"Yeah?"

"Can I... Use you as a pillow?"

You're pretty sure your heart just imploded a little.

"Oh, sure. Go ahead, Scoots."

"Thanks."

She scoots up a little, and you can feel her neck in your armpit as she rests her chin on your shoulder.

You wrap your arm gently around her, and hold her close.

And, even though the bed is about as comfortable as a slab of concrete, you think you're going to sleep just fine.

"Anon?"

Given that Scootaloo stops whispering to you.

"Yeah?" you ask quietly, turning your head towards her.

"I uh... I just... Wanted to say something," she says, reluctant with her words.

After a short silence, you nod.

"Go right ahead. What's up?"

Another short pause comes, and then Scootaloo finally steels her nerves.

"I... I wanted to say thank you. Well, 'cause, you just... Kinda... I dunno..."

You're a little concerned, but you can feel your chest warming up.

"Yeah?"

"It's just that... You just took me in. You just came and helped me without any... I dunno, asking for anything, or, telling me to do something, or anything. It was just... Out of nowhere, almost. And it's even... Bigger, I guess, concerning everything you've already done. I thought I was gonna die in Windsoar, no joke. If the streets didn't get me, I think I woulda got myself. But then I got a big old slap in the face. And I really needed one. And then you go on to take me into your... Group of marefriends, not even caring that I wouldn't fit in at all. And then you buy me a scooter, feed me, and take me on an adventure, and I just... I... I just..."

You can feel your shoulder getting wet by now, and you can hear Scootaloo lightly sobbing.

"...I think you've done more for me in a few days than Rainbow Dash has ever done. And... You're... You're just a really, really cool guy, Anonymous... I just want you to know that."

You lie there for a moment, dumbfounded.

That came straight from Scootaloo's little heart.

A little unrefined, but the message was pure.

You wrap Scootaloo into a tight hug, patting her on the back.

She quietly sobs in your arms, and you do your best to comfort her.

"Scootaloo?" you ask, idly petting her.

"Y-Yeah?" comes the weak, strained reply.

"Are you okay?"

You can feel her head nodding.

"Y-Yeah, I'm... I'm great. Better than ever. I'm not lying, either."

"I'm just... Really sad about everything, but... I'm really happy at the same time, and... I don't know what to think, but I'm just really happy you're here."

You smile, and you brush your hand through her mane.

Her mane is incredibly greasy.

How long has it been since she's had a bath?

You'll have to give her one soon.

"Don't worry, Scoots. I'll always be here, if you need me," you say, trying to comfort her.

"I know, dude. You've always been."

After that, you both go silent.

You just lie there, thinking, and enjoying the moment.

After a while, you take a deep breath, and lighten up on the hug.

"Thank you..."

"Any time, Scootaloo."

With that, she rests her head on your shoulder again, and closes her eyes.

You rest your head, too, and drift off to sleep yet again.

Some time later, you wake up.

The train's horn is blaring, and you can feel the locomotive coming to a stop.

You glance out the window, revealing an early afternoon lighting up the rolling hills.

And, in the distance, you see some tall buildings.

Judging by the red, white, and blue flags flying on several of them, you can make a fair assumption that you've arrived at Guadeloope.

You would sit up, but you don't feel like disturbing the slumbering filly in your arms.

Instead, you wait.

Octavia gets up, stretching her back.

Trixie remains undisturbed in her sleep.

Cadance is out of bed, and nowhere to be seen.

The doctor is still out cold, and her jaw is hinged open.

There's drool everywhere.

Lovely.

You hear Octavia stand up out of bed, and look at you.

She smiles sweetly before turning to head to the bathroom.

Which, coincidentally, is where Cadance must have been.

As Octavia takes her leave, Cadance enters.

She sees the cute filly nestled under your arm, and smiles as well.

"Someone's tired..."

You wonder; how much of last night's conversation did they all hear?

You'll have to find out later.

"It looks like it," you say, scratching Scootaloo with your idle hand as the train comes to a complete stop.

You look outside, and yet again, you're met with the view of another magnificent city.

Or, at least, kinda magnificent.

The city looks a little filthy, even for your tastes.

But it's nothing that's too distracting.

Now, what's got your eye?

The architecture.

You look at the buildings, with all of the fancy decor, impressive models, and creative designs.

That shit is only rivaled by the Canterlot Castle.

What's Pearis like, you wonder?

As the Prench buildings give you an architectural stiffie, you decide now isn't the best time to gawk.

You have to get going.

You pick up the still sleeping Scootaloo, and hop out of bed.

She doesn't stir, spare some twitching in her adorable little wings.

Fuck that's cute.

A Prench ticketmaster shouts out some stuff, and you can only assume it's something akin to 'ALL ABOARD!'

Meanwhile, Trixie and the doctor lazily get out of their beds, and Octavia re-enters.

Octy, perky as can be for someone who just woke up, smiles brightly at everyone.

"Okay, we ready to go?"

Some disgruntled mumbles from the group are what she gets as a response.

"Perfect. Now, I'm pinched on time yet again. We'd best get going and check into the hotel."

Same old song and dance.

She turns to head out the door, and you follow, as does the rest of the group.

Once you step outside and start walking, again, you're incredibly impressed with the architecture.

You thought Ponyville was creative.

This is absolutely marvelous.

The cheapest material used is marble, it seems.

The streets are paved with cobblestone, a royalty that can be said for very few cities.

Not even Marelin had cobblestone throughout the city.

And this was some amazing stonework.

Not only that, but every last thing is absolutely astounding.

Hell, even the lamp posts are decorative.

With all of their interesting curls and twists, and the magic-powered bulbs...

You're going to like this place.

But, another thing catches your eye.

The locals?

They're equine, no doubt.

But they're much...

Taller.

And lankier.

Much like the fashion icon, Fleur de Lis, back in Canterlot.

Well, that makes a lot of sense.

Cadance doesn't stick out as much anymore, and the rest of the gang, spare you, now look like stubby little midgets.

Especially Scootaloo.

You're still an ape, though.

You get all of the locals' attention.

Fucking hell, you hate stares.

These were even more degrading than the ones in Germaneigh, too.

They were higher-up, no doubt.

It shows, in both their attire, self-care, and, well, everything, really.

Everything looks like it was made with no expense spared.

Well, what do you expect, with a GDP that's supposedly double that of Equestria's?

After a half an hour of walking, you make it to what you think is your hotel.

Again, the building is carved from decorative marble.

And something shiny catches your eye

The address number!

452, it reads.

Plated in what is either polished brass, or...

Is that gold?

Is this country that rich?

You step inside, looking around.

A very intricate chandelier hangs over the gigantic looby, illuminating the building with bright light.

There are decorative, flowered plants everywhere, as well as a fountain full of bits, detailed designs and carvings in the walls, and overcompensatingly decorative tings everywhere.

Shit's nice.

As Octavia handles the check-in process, you stand back, and wait.

After a long glance at the fountain, an idea comes to mind.

You look at the bits in the fountain, and think; isn't magic real?

Wishes might work.

But, then again, this was probably a different type of magic.

Eh, fuck it.

You have bits to spare.

What'll one coin do?

You dig, pulling one bit out of your pocket.

After looking it over, you walk over to the fountain.

And you take a long, hard moment to think.

What do you want to wish for, Anonymous?

Better not say it out loud.

You take the coin, and think.

'I wish...'

Why is this decision so hard to make?

Should it be big?

Small?

Let's start small.

If it works, you'll try again.

Actually, fuck it, there's something that's bugging you.

You need a prayer, and this is as good as any in this world of magical cartoon horses.

'I wish this whole ordeal with Spitfire finds a resolution soon.'

With that, you flick the coin into the fountain.

With a blurble, it sinks and clinks down onto the bottom of the stone-laid pond.

You stare at it for a moment, and then you hear Octavia yell.

"Anonymous! We're ready to go!"

You turn to face her.

"All right, I'm comin'."

Chapter 60

You walk out the bathroom door, find your clothes, and slide them on.

"Let's go once you're done drying off. We want to get good seats so we can see Octavia."

She nods.

"Yeah, gotcha. You wearing your fancy hyooman clothes?"

You nod back.

"Heh, yeah, I am," you say, buttoning up your dress shirt.

After your pants, dress shirt, socks, and shoes are on, you grab your blood red tie.

You mutter to yourself as you tie it around your neck.

"Over, around, right in the hole..."

Scootaloo cocks an eyebrow at your odd behavior, but doesn't say anything.

A little embarrassed, you turn away and grab your blazer.

You slide it on with ease, button the top button and the top button only, and look at Scootaloo.

"All right. I'll be waiting on the couch for you to be ready."

"Uh-huh!" she hollers, still drying herself off.

She's using her mouth and her hind legs with the grace of a pregnant yak.

It's an... Odd sight, but you contain your laughter for her sake.

Soon enough, she comes bounding out of the bathroom, right up to you.

"Okay, Nonny. I'm ready to go!"

A warm smile comes onto your face.

She's definitely a lot better than before.

You stand up, walking to the door.

"All right. Let's head out, then. It's a trek to the concert hall, just so you know."

"Eh, that's okay. I trot a lot."

With that, the two of you head out.

"See you later, Cadance!"

"Have fun at the concert!"

The door latches behind you, and the two of you make your way out of the hotel.

As you walk down the streets, the looks you get are...

Well, not welcoming, to say the least.

They're all a bunch of "I can do anything better than you" hoity-toity ponies.

You can barely stand ponies like that.

But, you ignore them.

A fair amount of them don't even give you a passing glance, anyhow.

Besides, you're far too captivated with the absolutely fabulous skyline.

The buildings are tall,  almost as much so as the country's collective ego.

And everything?

Everything is absolutely.

Fucking.

Pristine.

It's an OCD paradise.

Spare the abstract architecture, of course.

Which is still cool to look at.

Finally, the two of you reach the concert hall.

Ponies are flocking in already, speaking in their native tongue.

You pick Scootaloo up so she doesn't get trampled, holding her under your arm.

She doesn't resist at all.

"Front row or up high?"

"I wanna go up high!"

So Scootaloo said, and so it shall be.

With that, you check in with the ticketmaster.

The mare is probably one of the most pompous of all, concerning her makeup and attire.

Hopefully tickets aren't expensive.

"Boonjar," you say, walking up to her.

She gives you a quizzical look.

"Ugh, merde, just... Speak Eqvestrian. Don't stomp on my langvage," she says, clearly irritated.

"...Okay then."

Sheesh.

"I need tickets for the concert."

"No you don't."

You blink.

"What?"

You saw a sign not long ago.

'Tickets Required for Admission—-12##'

You don't remember the symbol, but you could only assume they're not bits.

"You zink you are hard to recognise? I know who you are," she says, no emotion on her face. "You need no ticket. Go ahead. And take your..."

She gives Scootaloo a blunt look.

"Vittle... Child, vis you."

Oh, god, now they think you have a kid.

Just fucking dandy.

Not that you would mind having Scootaloo as your kid.

But still, that's gotta look back.

Either way, you nod your head, say thank you, and take a right to head up the stairs.

You can hear the hum of strings in the background.

Sounds like they're warming up.

You and Scootaloo quickly make your way up the stairs.

After going up what must be at least five stories, you finally reach the top floor.

As you step out to where the seating is, the absolutely astonishing view of the auditorium is revealed.

You thought the one in Canterlot was magnificent, with all of its intricate stone design and incredible detail?

This place is even more so—every square inch that you can see is some sort of decorative design.

Certain spots, like along the walls above where the seats are, are plated in gold.

Said gold has what appear to be inscriptons.

The gold plated portions of the wall depict a familiar sight or two, to say the least.

They reminded you of the stained glass windows in Canterlot Castle.

You can see Discord on one of them, as well as a few other symbolic moments, like the Equestrian uprising.

Gems are littered about, adding emphasis on all of the little graphical details around the auditorium.

Some are in the place of Discord's eyes, both bright rubies.

A dark sapphire is in place of Luna's one visible eye, and a vibrant topaz in Celestia's.

On the far side of the room, you can pick out what you could guess was a Nightmare Moon scene.

You could see a stone moon protruding from the walls, complete with the Nightmare itself, as well as a mourning Celestia.

Others depict the summer sun celebration, and various other historical events.

The biggest one of all, however?

The roof.

The roof is one gigantic stained-glass mosaic, depicting a golden Celestia, an azure princess, as well as giant colored symbols for all six of the elements.

It's absolutely huge, and the light that shines down perfectly on the stage is fabulous.

The lighting of the auditorium all came from the sun, via this stained glass window.

And something unbelievable dawns on you, only after a long moment of inspection.

That shit isn't glass.

Those are nothing short of gargantuan, masterfully carved gems placed on the roof of the auditorium.

Scootaloo is at least thrice as mesmerized as you are.

Her eyes are wide, and she stares with a low jaw.

There's absolutely no way they had this much fucking wealth to spare.

With that, you look around for a brochure.

There has to be some sort of information on this shit.

Are they fake?

Is this some sort of damned monument?

If so, holy shit, Celly.

Eventually, you do find a brochure, under your seat.

Written in Prench.

Of course.

You sigh, and look around.

"Un vue magnifique, hm?"

A deep voice rumbles from behind you.

You turn your head, an eyebrow raised.

You see a tall, lanky stallion, with a bluish-grey coat and a dark blue uniform, complete with a hat and a pointed mustache.

The pony you see is clearly an usher of sorts, due to his apparel.

He was almost as proper as Spitfire in a uniform.

Well, fake Spitfire.

Who might as well be real Spitfire.

But let's not get distracted.

You understood what he said, based on your limited knowledge of roots and his tone.

With that, you nod.

"Yeah. Wow."

Scootaloo looks over as well, looking at the man.

"Dude, what's up with this place?"

He smiles knowingly.

"Ah, you know not of ze auditorium in Guadeloope? It is a very important historical landmark."

You shrug.

"I'm not good at my history. I only arrived in Equestria a few years ago."

"Yeah, and I'm barely into Ponyville's history in Cheerilee's class," Scootaloo chimes in.

The usher nods, smiling.

He knows what's happening.

For once, someone wasn't a stuck-up asshole.

You're relieved, and thank him.

"Ah. Care for me to educate you, monsieur? I would be happy to."

"Please."

He smiles, trots a step closer to the two of you, and smiles.

Then, suddenly, he breaks character, and takes a seat.

A little improper, but it makes you feel at ease.

"Vell, you see," he starts, staring up at the roof, "long, long ago, vhen zis vonderful nation ve life in today vas forming into Eqvestria, zere vas a mare by ze name of Clover ze Clever. You have heard about hear in history books, oui?"

You're...

A little lost.

But maybe—

"Oooh! Oooh! I remember! She was that one mare! One of the founding ponies that foundeded Equestria or whatever! Twilight played as her in that one play!"

Although her words are a bit childish, the usher seems to understand.

He nods, smiling.

"Mmm, you are correct, ma petite fille. One of ze mares who founded Equestria. Some thousand years ago, she taught many many unicorns magic. Among zem vas none ozer zen Starsvirl ze Bearded."

That name you recognize.

Twilight was happy to inform you.

"I'm guessing he has something to do with this whole... Grand auditorium?"

He nods.

"Zis building vas, at vone point, a classroom. Starsvirl himself taught magic in here, to grand masses of unicorns. Among them, Celestia herself."

Your eyebrows raise in surprise.

"Wow, really?"

He nods again.

"It vas here vhere he studied ze magic of friendship for part of his life, until he moved back to Canterlot to continue his studies. Although his research never found a true conclusion, due to his lack of understanding of friendship, he vent qvite some vay. And, since his passing, ze auditorium vas used as a cathedral, of sorts, as vell as a library. Celestia ordered zis herself. Since Canterlot Castle, vhere his studies were, couldn't be modified without making her seem too grandiose, and zere veren't many. Rich, regions in ze area zat could afford a grand chapel, spare Prance, she ordered ze construction. She vanted ze grandest of buildings, for one of ze grandest of souls. Over a millenium, more knowledge, more ponies, and more magic came. It had to grow bigger and bigger -- up and out, to accommodate. And, come Luna's return, Celestia decided zat vorship of magic and friendship vas not vhat vas best -- instead, ze vorship of life, love, and happiness is vhat mattered most."

He motions up to the mosaic on the roof.

"Friendship is a very, very large part, no doubt. But, she looked at her pupils, her citizens, and her country, and realized, happiness and love came not only from friendship, but from passion, of art, song, dance, and things of ze like. Since zen, it has been an auditorium, and no doubt ze most popular and largest attraction in Guadeloope, and arguably Prance."

As he reaches the end of his sentence, the rumbling of the orchestra comes to a stop.

It seems that they're ready to play.

The usher smiles, stands up, and nods.

"I must get back to my position. Enjoy ze show, monsieur."

You smile, nodding.

"Thank you."

You can't help but feel like you just walked out of a sermon.

Soon, a very well-dressed stallion trots on stage from stage right.

The orchestra stands, and the audience applauds.

After the round of applause, the conductor grabs a microphone and, much to your surprise, starts speaking in Equestrian.

This strikes odd, since you're only in one of the cultural capitals of Prance.

But, you figure that it makes sense, concerning how many people are coming.

You just sit back and relax, most of what he's saying going over your head as your standard 'thank you for coming' speech.

Until the very end, when a change of tone catches your attention.

"And, now, we've had a special request from the Prince of himself. To honor His Highness, his country, and his people, we'll begin our concert with none other than Le Chant Du Depart."

The audience applauds loudly, and the orchestra gets ready to play.

The conductor's baton glows blue, rises, and with a downbeat, the music starts.

[www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqdxBh4ZUeM]

Yeah, this is Prench.

You can just tell.

A nation's music is like its drinks.

Germaneigh? Hard beer.

Moosiya? Vodka.

Prance?

Bubbly champagne.

This is a march.

But this is a fucking frilly march.

And, even though it is, the orchestra still makes it sound great.

Scootaloo is at attention, her ears perked and her wings out.

She's in awe, you can tell.

You never took her to be one for classical music.

But then again, the auditorium mixed with arguably the best orchestra in the world must be mesmerizing for damn near anyone.

After a good five minutes of the most pompous march you've ever heard, the conductor cuts the orchestra off.

The audience roars with the sounds of hooves coming together, and you do your best to contribute.

"Duuude! That was cool! That, like, made my fur stand on end!"

You look down at Scootaloo.

"Scoots? That was just the first song. And I don't even think that was the biggest one that they have. They usually save the best for last."

She bounces up and down in her seat, she's so excited.

"Dude, I thought those ponies with guitars and drums were cool. Well, they kinda are, and this isn't really cool, but this is awesome!"

"And your marefriend is on that stage! That's even awesomer!"

You just smile, giggling a little bit at her exuberance

"And you're telling me, Scoots."

With that, you grab the program.

Your attempts at reading it are futile, but it's more entertaining than the person speaking on stage about whatever piece it is they're playing next.

You'd rather hear for yourself.

The next piece they're playing?

"Mars Slave en Si Bémol Mineur", by some Moosiyan composer.

You fucking what, mate?

Mars Slave?

You shake your head, looking at the next piece.

"1812".

Well.

That sure says a lot.

You sigh, shaking your head as you put the program back under your seat.

At the same time, the conductor finally shuts his mouth, turns to the orchestra, and holds the baton up.

Looks like they're about to begin again.

[www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYimJfaXucE]

The low strings instantly roar to life.

You look down, and somehow, you can pick out your darling, stage left to the composer.

Although you can't remember what the placing is for chairs, you remember her saying that they're arranged from best to worst.

She's on the end of her section. Meaning she's the best or the worst.

You can only come to one logical conclusion, knowing Octavia.

Even from up here, you can see her.

Her eyes are closed, and her whole body moves with the strings.

She puts her soul into the music.

As the music grows, you sit back in your chair.

Stare any longer, and you might find yourself staring at her rump.

After the last mishap in Canterlot, you don't want to risk popping a stiffy in the concert.

And, well, Octavia's sharp, as you said; that means she sure as hell isn't flat, by any means.

One look at that ass could prove that theory right away.

But you catch yourself.

No thoughts of rump right now.

Scoots is here, and you need to be careful.

Enjoy the music, you tell yourself.

You look at Scootaloo, just to see how she's doing.

Her foreleg is lightly bouncing along with the music as they play, and you can even see one of her tiny wings twitch with the beat.

Her gaze is distant; she's staring down at the orchestra, and at the instruments of all shapes and sizes.

It was a neat sight, indeed.

Especially for someone as young and curious as Scootaloo.

As you listen, you sit back and relax.

And, even though you don't notice, at first, you start to drift off.

Your eyes have some trouble staying open, and your head is suddenly heavy.

And, then, very unexpectedly, the orchestra takes a very unexpected turn.

With a splash of a symbol and a huge dynamic change, the whole orchestra is now at a booming forte.

Your butthole puckers in surprise, and you sit straight up

Scootaloo gigglesnorts at you, but then looks back at the orchestra.

"Heh. Wakey wakey, sleepin' beauty," she teases, smiling.

"Oh, shut it."

You smile with her, and direct your attention back to the orchestra.

Even though you've seen it before, and you have been for quite some time, you can't help but stare in awe.

They're all so perfectly in sync, so expressive, and so...

Artistic.

The usher certainly made his point.

This was a place to love the arts.

The ponies in the auditorium no doubt love the art being made.

The ones making the music themselves are all clearly passionate about what they do.

Especially Octavia.

It makes you question for a moment.

Are you passionate about anything?

If you are, it's not cominng to mind.

Not right now, at least.

After a good 10 minutes or so of playing pass, the conductor cuts them off, relaxes, and turns around to take a bow as the audience applauds.

As this happens, you see some ponies roll some things on stage.

They're large, black, and covered by a white cloth.

You can't quite make out what they are, but they must be important.

There's 8 of them.

With that, you hear the whirr of a microphone being turned on.

For once, you're interested in what the conductor is about to say.

"Moving on. Now, for our next piece, we're doing another famous theme from the very same composer. A bit of background for this piece; it was composed some time after the Prench invasion of Moosiya, in celebration of their successful defense of the motherland. After many years passing, it remains one of the best orchestral pieces of all time, and although there are still some tensions between our nations, we now hope to put the past in the past, celebrate it as it is, and move forward into a new age of friendship, harmony, and peace."

The audience applauds once more, and the conductor cuts them off much like he does to his orchestra.

"To celebrate the centuries of peace between our nations, we have sixteen honorary operators on stage today. They hail proudly from all corners of the Hooviet Union; from Mooscow to Saint Cloppersberg, from Vladivoschoke to Stableclad, these officers are here to honor the peace, Prance, and Greater Equestria, as well as represent their proud nation."

"Let's give them a round of applause."

The audience does so, and as you clap your hands, you look down at the officers in question.

They're all in full military garb.

But, more notably, they aren't ponies.

They're cows.

And they all look almost exactly the same.

Their posture is unwavering and almost robotic, much like those toy soldiers Scootaloo used to play with.

Their gaze is distant, staring straight forward.

Their faces are expressionless.

You actually feel a little intimidated.

As they stand, you see some motion behind them.

The conductor's baton is raised, and the orchestra is ready.

You can feel butterflies in your stomach.

Something awesome is coming, you can feel it...

[www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BbT0E990IQ]

It starts out calm and relaxing.

The strings are gentle and beautiful, yet full of sound.

You sit back, relaxing with the sound.

Scootaloo does the same.

You even catch her dozing off a bit, after about a minute passes.

You suppose that strings have their magics, if played right.

This orchestra certainly knows what it's doing.

But then, the pace starts to pick up.

And, as time passes, the mood changes, from fast and rough, to a fantastic fanfare, to violin melodies belonging in the aether.

The whole overture is just one gigantic rollercoaster, and as it goes by, you don't know what to expect next.

Your  ears are in an absolute bliss, and more than once, you take a deep breath from the beautiful sounds.

You can feel your heart beating in your chest as the orchestra plays.

It almost skips a beat, even, when you see the Hooviet officers take the cloths off of the contraptions they rolled on stage earlier.

Those things aren't any typical orchestral instrument.

Those are nothing short of metal cannons.

Ones that, from what you can tell, have seen some use.

Slowly, the orchestra does a grand rallentando.

The brass blares, the percussion pounds, and the chimes let loose a stream of cacophony.

As the orchestra gets slower, broader, and grander, you get an overwhelming feeling of suspense.

Said feeling only grows as the officials shift.

One of them slides something in the barrel of the cannon.

Another grabs what appears to be a string behind the cannon.

Suddenly, the orchestra does a total shift.

The tempo at least triples, and the trumpets let out a light, prancing fanfare.

Then, on the 5th downbeat, a loud, sudden blast comes from stage.

You can feel the rumble go through your chest, and the whole building shakes.

The crack resonates in the auditorium, and—

You think Scootaloo just shit herself.

The brass keeps playing their iconic melody, while another cannon lets out another loud boom with the beat.

The low brass comes in, playing with such vigor, you can't help but have your chest swell.

Another round of blank cannon fire goes off, and the entire orchestra only grows in power as they keep playing.

But, finally, you can hear the end coming.

There's a long drumroll, and after a few loud notes from the trumpet section, the entire orchestra tunes into one large, grand chord in the finale.

And, from onstage, overpowering the entire orchestra at a forte, you hear one of the cows scream.

"FOR THE MOTHERLAAAAND!"

As the orchestra lets off of the chord, you hear one last explosion.

Chapter 61

Soon followed by the ear-shattering sound of a cannonball colliding with a marble wall only 10 meters away from where you're sitting.

You almost shit your pants as you hear the marble crackle and crumble.

In a panic, you look down below you at the orchestra.

Everyone, audience members and musicians alike, is fleeing.

All of the officers are in a huddle.

They seem to be detaining one or two of the other cannoneers.

Holy shit.

You look at where the cannonball hit, and see a giant crater where an engraved mosaic used to stand.

"Scoots?"

"H-huh?"

"Come here."

You reach down and pick her up, slinging her over your shoulder.

"What's happening?"

"I have no idea!"

Without thinking, you make your way to and down the flights of stairs, through the panicked crowds, and out the door.

Before you even leave the city block, law officers are showing up with chariots.

You do your best to evade their attention and keep running.

"Anon? What just happened?" Scootaloo asks innocently and fearfully.

The tone of her voice strikes an odd chord, but you don't feel like explaining.

This is partly due to you wanting to keep her innocence, and partly due to you not having a full explanation.

"I-I don't know, Scoots. I don't know. Let's just go back and talk to Cadance. Maybe she knows what's up."

"Why were they shooting at us?!"

"I don't think they were shooting at US, Scoots. I—I just think they—"

"Anonymous!"

You hear someone hollar your name from down the block.

When you look, you see none other than Octavia, her eyes wide and fearful.

"Oh, thank God," you say, setting Scoots down as Octy gallops up to you.

As she reaches you, she takes you in a tight embrace, and you return the favor.

"Miss Octavia? Are you okay?" Scootaloo says, worried.

Octy looks down at the filly, and sighs, a worried look on her face.

"Yes, I'm... Quite all right, physically, anyhow," she says between breaths.

"I'm just... Riled up, is all, and... Confused. What in Equestria happened, Anonymous?"

You give her an exasperated look.

"I don't know, just, that last cannon fire, it sent an actual cannon back hurling up towards our section!"

"Oh, my gosh, you were in the top row?"

"Yeah, we were!"

"But, why? Why did they..."

"Look, Octy, nobody knows. That's why Scoots and I are headed back to the hotel to ask Cadance."

Octavia lets out a very worried sigh.

"This is bad. This is really, really bad."

You let go of Octavia, stand up, and start walking.

"Yes, yes it is, now let's get going.

The three of you make your way back to the hotel.

Around this time, the sun is starting to set.

Thankfully, the streets aren't nearly as active as they were earlier, and you manage to make it back to the hotel without attracting any attention.

The three of you quickly make your way up to your room and knock on the door.

"It's us," you say, hoping Cadance will hear.

You hear some panicked mumbling on the other side of the door.

Seems like the other three are home.

The door swings open, and in the doorway stands Cadance.

"Oh, thank the stars," she says, stepping to the side. "You're all safe."

You walk inside, and after the other two follow you, you close the door behind you.

"I know. We were... Hell, I think about a dozen meters away from getting turned into cannon fodder."

Cadance suddenly stands on her hind legs and brings you into a hug.

"I heard the chaos. I heard people panicking. I heard the cannonball hit, and everything. I tuned in to the radio as fast as I could. I'm so glad you're okay."

You let out a sigh, lightly returning the hug.

"It's... Pretty crazy down there."

"Craziness tends to follow suit after a terrorist attack, Anonymous," Trixie chimes in from the couch.

You let go of Cadance, and she drops to all fours.

"Well, no shit, Sherlock."

The doctor, also on the couch, gives Trixie a glance.

"However, claiming zis vas a terrorist attack is a slight understatement."

"Okay, I'm tired of being confused. Just what the hell is going on?"

Cadance places a hoof on your thigh to get your attention.

"Anonymous? Look, I know that the princess says that everything is fine and dandy. And it's true, for the most part, but recently, some tensions have been rising. Politically. And, well, the Hooviets take pride in their nation, and from what I understand, this was just a patriot's doing."

You think for a moment.

"A patriot's doing?"

"Yes. The officer responsible for he loaded cannon was detained, from what I understand. Keep in mind, I'm getting most of this from the radio."

She gestures across the room, and, like she said, the radio is on.

You can hear Vinyl Scratch's voice in a light panic, as faint as it is across the room.

"But you were there firsthand. What did you see?"

You think, trying to recall the moment.

"Well, it was at the end of this really big overture with cannons, and right on the last chord, one of the cows screamed 'for the Motherland', and next thing I know, one of the walls has a giant hole in it."

"And then?"

"And then he got dogpiled on by all of the other officers, and everyone ran, and it was absolute chaos."

Cadance bites her cheek, a concerned and calculating look on her face.

"Of course. Yes, it's... Definitely a patriot, then. I doubt it's anything more," she says, shaking her head.

"Keep your hedges trimmed, not cut," says the doctor, looking at the Princess. "It may seem unlikely, but if ze Hooviets are actually up to

something, zhey vill no doubt try to disguise it. It's vhat zhey do best, hide things, from their own people. Or people with big noses."

After a snort, the doctor goes back to examining her hoof.

Cadance nods in agreement.

"You have a point. But, still, best not to dwell on... Conspiracy theories."

She shakes her head, and turns back to you.

"Anonymous. The Prince will be here soon. He's requested to speak with you directly."

This takes you by surprise, and you take a double take.

"Wait, me? What? Why?"

Cadance looks down at the floor, and after a pause, says one word.

"Reasons."

In the awkward silence, Scootaloo moves over and finds a perch on one of the armrests of the couch.

"So, word's out, eh?" you say, letting out a sigh.

"I'm afraid so," Cadance says, looking down at the floor again.

"It's only ze talk of ze whole town, Anonymous," says the doctor, who promptly rolls over to take a nap.

Trixie chimes in, equally as worried.

"It's the talk of the whole town. Then the doctor and I went to have a drink, we overheard three conversations that brought you two up as an alleged romantic couple. Those three were in Equestrian, so who knows how much the Prenchies know?"

You throw up your arms in defeat.

"Great. That's just... Fine and dandy."

Cadance nuzzles your leg, grabbing your attention.

"Hun, don't worry so much. You're fine. If anyone's getting flak, it's me."

"I know," you say sternly, looking down at her, "and that's why I'm worried. People are going to get fishy when they find out Shining's disappeared, and I've popped in like an incredibly untimely stiffie to take his place."

"Anon, please. Your arrival was anything but untimely," Octavia says, nuzzling your other leg. "I owe a lot to you, after all you've done."

You reach down to run your fingers through Octavia's mane, and you notice Cadance looking up at you.

"I owe you too, Anon. I'd never have imagined anything like this in a thousand years, but I want you to know we'll be fine. Things are looking better than they have in years, thanks to you."

Trixie hops off of the couch, and starts to trot over.

"I have to agree with these two," she says, coming up behind Octavia. "If it weren't for you, I'd still be..."

It's clear she doesn't want to finish that sentence.

You  take a breath and are about to say something comforting, until you see an orange blob leap from the couch and cling right into your head like a headcrab.

"Don't forget about me!" Scootaloo hollars, climbing on top of your head and sitting down, perched like the most majestic of felines.

Or, galluses, rather.

"Don't worry, Anon," Cadance says, offering a smile. "We'll be fine. Besides, it's not like some gossip is going to hurt anyone."

You can't help but return the smile.

You're surrounded by people who absolutely love you, and in more ways than one.

Not many people have that.

Your chest swells with pride.

"Yeah, I guess you guys are right. We'll be fine."

The five of you stay there in silence for a moment, smiles all around.

Until Cadance does what needs to be done.

"Anonymous?"

"Hmm?"

"Our, erm... Company, is arriving soon."

"Oh."

You look at Octavia, Trixie, and then up at Scootaloo, who is still roosting on your head.

"You three mind going to the pool for a bit?"

"Wait, there's a pool?!" Scootaloo yells, looking down at you.

"There sure is!"

With that, she hops off of your head and trots to the door.

"I'm goin'! You girls goin'?"

Octavia shrugs.

"I suppose. Someone needs to watch Scootaloo. Trixie, are you coming with?"

Trixie nods.

"Of course I am. I won't be in the pool, however."

"Oh, why not? It'll be fun!" Octavia says, trying to convince her.

The three make their way out the door, and it closes behind them before you could respond.

You look at the couch, and the previously napping doctor is nowhere to be seen.

All that's left is you and Cadance.

"So."

She looks up at you.

"Yes?"

"How long do we have until he gets here?"

Cadance takes a moment to think.

"I'm guessing a half an hour, since you're home early after... That."

"Makes sense."

"I wonder what I can do in a half an hour."

"What can you do?"

"That's the question."

Cadance gives you an overblown seductive look.

"I know what you could do."

You put on your best sexyface, wiggling your eyebrows and slide your hand down her foreleg.

"Oh? And what's that?"

"I'll give you a hint."

Cadance starts pacing around you, some swing in her hips as she steps.

"It's... Hard."

She flicks her tail, brushing it against one of your legs.

"It's... Long."

You watch her as she circles around your legs.

"Hard and long?"

"Yes. And it takes two people to play."

"Hmmm..."

Cadance stops, looking up at you with half-lidded eyes.

"Oh. And it's wood. And it involves... A queen, who is no doubt better than anyone else, with her husband and her toys..."

You smile devilishly at Cadance.

"I got it."

She returns that evil smile, letting out a light hum.

"You game?"

"When aren't I?"

Cadance giggles a bit, and nods.

"Though, this isn't something we've done before."

"Sadly. Did you bring the chessboard?"

"No, but I can get one at the front desk."

"Then nah. No sense going down there and risk being late."

"Good point."

With that, you both share a laugh, and you plop down on the couch.

Cadance does so, as well, sitting next to you.

"I was actually thinking a nap."

"A nap sounds nice, actually. Mind if I use you as a pillow?"

"Not at all."

You rest back against the couch, and Cadance curls up beside you.

Her head rests on your lap, and you reach down to pet her mane and skritch behind her ears.

She lets out a hum of satisfaction at your fingers, and closes her eyes.

You close your eyes, as well, and take a snooze.

Some time later, you feel Cadance shaking your shoulder.

"Wake up, hun. They're almost here."

You grumble, sitting up.

Cadance hops off of the couch.

"Make sure you look nice. It's royalty, after all."

You stretch your back and your legs, and several of your joints pop.

"So they're meeting us here? In our hotel room?"

"That's right."

That fact seems a little peculiar to you.

"Isn't meeting in a hotel room a bit informal?"

Cadance nods.

"It is. But this meeting is short notice, and we don't have much time."

"Good point."

You make sure your tie is straight, and you brush off Cadance's bright pink fur.

Well, most of it, anyhow.

"Hey, sweetheart?"

"Mmmm, yes?"

"Do you have a lintroller? I think the Prince might laugh at me if he sees pink fur on my legs."

Cadance blushes a little, and nods.

"You're right. Let me go get my lint roller."

She trots back into her room, and a moment later, comes out with a heavily used pink lint roller.

Wait, that isn't pink. It's white.

That's just her fur.

Eugh.

Regardless, you grab it, thank Cadance, and rip off the heavily used paper.

You start brushing off your legs and your jacket—wherever you see fur, fuzz, or other things.

And, just in time, it seems.

There's a very loud knock on the door.

Chapter 62

You set the lint roller aside, stand up straight, and wait for Cadance to answer the door.

You figure you're in no position to.

A moment later, Cadance comes back out of the bedroom, after a quick brush.

Her hair bounces as she trots to the door and turns the knob.

As the door swings open, the first thing you see is...

Fabulous.

A tall, slender stallion, prim, proper, and pristine, stands tall.

He's taller than Cadance, reaching the heights of your nipples.

He has a light faded blue coat, and a dark blue dress suit, with golden buttons and white cuffs.

On  his neck is a pendant, with the famous symbol of the two alicorns touching horns.

Behind him are two white armored guards.

They seem quite a bit shorter, and a lot bulkier.

Perhaps these are normal earth ponies with the EQAF.

"My. It's been quite some time, Princess, has it not?" the prince says, cocking an eyebrow with a smile.

It's interesting to note that his accent, although apparent, is surprisingly light.

He's  easy to understand, even if his accents are off every now and again.

"Indeed it has!" Cadance exclaims, nodding.

"Come in, come in. Please. Make yourself at home."

The two guards and the prince all trot in, and one of the guards closes the door behind him. One of them stays by the door, and the other trots across the room.

Once they reach their positions, they both stand strong and stoic.

It's fairly intimidating, actually.

But any intimidation is lost when you see the prince look up at you with a smile.

"Oh, my, you are a tall one, are you not?" he says, looking up at you.

You nod, and put on your formal face.

Hopefully you can speak in a more dignified manner around this guy.

Maybe you can impress him.

"Yes, I am. Believe me. Doorways in most other places give me painful reminders."

The prince laughs a little, nodding.

"I would assume so, Prince Anonymous! One of your stature would have trouble in nations other than Prance."

Wait, did he just..?

"My my. Where ever did Cadance find you? You look astounding."

"Oh. Thank you!" you say, trying to be polite and formal.

"I never was in favor of inter-special relationships, myself, but I might just be willing to make an exception for you two."

That's a little creepy.

The prince sits down on a nearby chair, his posture still impeccable.

"So. Princess Cadance," he says formally, "Shall we get down to business?"

"Please."

The prince nods, reaching into his vest and pulling out some documents.

"These are what I'm here for. They're documents, describing the defense pact between our nations."

He sets them on the table and slides them over.

"I trust you know most of the major details already, but I wanted to give you the actual fine print. Formalities, and all."

Cadance nods. "Yes, yes, formalities. Right. It's appreciated.'

"We have more important things to talk about," the prince says, his tone darkening a tad.

You take a seat next to Cadance on the couch, glancing at the documents.

"Yes, yes we do," Cadance says, flipping through the documents before setting them down. "What first?"

"Well. Let's get the bad news out of the way, shall we?" he says, trying to sound a little hopeful.

"I suppose. What's first?"

The prince looks at you.

"Anonymous. Do I or do I not recall correctly saying that you were at the orchestra's concert earlier this evening?"

"That's right. I was in the top rows, watching one of my marefriends."

Oh shit, you just said that.

His hopeful look falters.

"I'm... I'm sorry, could you say that again? I don't think you're polygamous, are you, Anonymous?"

"Uh..."

You think of something to save your ass.

Thankfully you don't have to.

"No, no, he doesn't mean it that way," Cadance says, butting in.

"My apologies, Prince. He's still relatively new to our culture, and namely, our... Terms. Octavia and Anonymous are truly the best of friends."

Holy shit, Cadance is quick on her hooftips.

The prince nods, understanding and laughing a little.

"Ooooh! Oh, I see. Yes, I see now! The cellist! That's right! Next time you see her, tell her I'm quite fond of her work. And, should she be so willing, I may want to have a visit with her, about a certain commission I was planning. Pardon me being so forward, but if there's one thing I adore more than her music, it's her contours."

Contours?

It takes an extreme amount of willpower to keep a straight face and NOT smack this guy.

Cadance stifles a giggle, all the while.

"You had me worried for a minute there. But we're getting off track."

He turns to you again.

"The concert tonight. If you remember, would you mind explaining to me exactly what happened?"

You regain your internal composure after that little slip, and you nod.

"Of course. They were playing the Overture of 1812

"—a wildly overrated piece—"

"...The cannons came in at the end. The very last shot was loaded with an actual cannonball, and blew a hole through the auditorium."

"Yes, that much is obvious. What did you see on stage? Was this a coordinated effort?"

You shake your head.

"The two rogue cannoneers were detained by the other fourteen. I didn't get a good sight of this, since I was running, but I did see it."

You leave out mentioning Scootaloo for now.

The last thing you want this prick to think is that you two have a kid.

"It was likely just a lone rebel, or a strong patriot with impaired judgement," Cadance says, putting in her two bits.

The prince nods, contemplating.

"Hm. I see. Although that seems likely, I wouldn't doubt this to be planned by someone higher up. It IS Moosiya, after all."

"Of course."

The prince clears his throat, and continues. "With that out of the way, let's look at the bigger picture. Officer, if you would, please? The map?"

"Which map, your Highness?" the guard says in a low, manly voice.

The prince looks indecisive for a moment, but comes to a conclusion.

"Mmm, give me the one of the Central Plains, as well as the one of the Southern Shelf."

"Of course."

The guard reaches into his saddlebags, which are relatively small and difficult to notice beneath his clothing.

Out he pulls two scrolls, and he hands them to the prince.

"My appreciation, amigo. Now, Cadance. I'm certain you know of the Hooviet Union, as well as their allies. I won't bother to explain."

Cadance raises a hoof.

"Ahem. I am well aware of the situation and the threats the Hooviets pose. However, Anonymous here has but a clue."

The prince looks at you with worry.

"Oh. Oh my. I suppose he's new to this business, isn't he?"

"He is," Cadance says with a nod.

"Well then, Prince. Do tell; how much do you know of this? I'd want to explain."

You think for a moment.

Well, you know there are tensions.

You don't know why, though.

And you know that they exist.

You don't know a damned thing other than that.

So, you offer the prince a shrug.

"Well, to be blunt, I know hardly anything, spare the fact that they exist and that there are tensions for reasons unknown."

The prince gives you an absolutely flat look, blinking a few times as he seems to try to comprehend your obliviousness.

"Very well then," he says finally, "I suppose I can start by telling you the basics."

"Please."

"Okay then. The basics. The Hooviets have a different structure than Equestria. They drive most all of their citizens to labor, and on slave wages. They also view our society as inferior and underdeveloped. This, combined with the fact that they have the largest, strongest, and most advanced army in the world, poses a great threat to Greater Equestria. And the fact that they have allies makes it worse tenfold."

With that, he spreads out a map.

"Here is a color-coated map, depicting our Central Plains. Pardon the quality, it was made on extremely short notice by a stallion with a printer, some markers, and a lamination device. Everything red has a strong alliance with the Hooviet Union. The countries that are orange are vassals, protectorates, satellites, or other things. In contrast, you see more Equestrian societies in light blue, and Equestria itself is light green. Now. I know one thing for certain; we could destroy the Moosiyans, if it were just us and them, due to our superior tactics and divine superiority. However, this is not nearly the case. With the Ibex Empire on our doors, the already hostile Griffin Kingdoms posing a thread, and the multiple sattelites they have in the Central Plains and around the globe, they're nothing short of dwarfing us. I also got some valuable intelligence, thanks to an inside ear, that they're recruiting Brandia into their ranks. If that happens, we'll be at least quintupled in size and forces. That can't happen. Princess, this is where I want you to come in."

He takes out the other map, sliding it across the table.

"This is of the Southern Shelf—more local to the Crystal Empire, which is the blue on the south end. Already, there are strong ties between the Hooviets and two or three of your bordering countries. Although de facto, alliances will most likely form unless action is taken. Another thing, Cervidas is pleading neutrality. I know you can change that. You have a way with words, Princess."

"Thank you."

"But, that's for you to decide. Right now, let's focus on us. I'm willing to pass an agreement right now. Should one of us be called, the other will follow, regardless of circumstance. We will also share any intelligence, be it technological, statistical, or otherwise important. Our borders and minds are open to eachother, and to Greater Equestria, but no other."

Cadance doesn't hesitate to respond.

"Of course I accept. I understand Celestia has signed a similar contract?"

The prince hilts his head, letting out a sigh.

"We've proposed the same contract. However, she refused."

"Wait, what?"

Cadance seems taken by surprise.

"Celestia herself said that the proposition was too... Bold, I believe her word was. We're revising it to fit the Celestial Princess as we speak."

"Oh. I see," Cadance says, nodding.

You can tell that was a white lie.

"Anything else, Prince, or are we done?"

The prince nods.

"As far as I'm concerned, we've discussed all we've needed to. All that's left to do is your business."

"Very well then. It's been a pleasant chat," Cadance notes, standing up.

The prince stands up as well, straightening his jacket.

"The feelings are mutual. You two have a good night. And be sure to inform Octavia I wish to speak with her in the future, be it near or distant."

Asshole.

You keep back your insults, and instead say a simple goodbye.

"Farewell," you say, trying to keep your tone under control.

"To you as well, Anonymous," he responds as he trots out the door.

The guards follow him close behind.

Just before the door closes, however, he takes an awkward step to turn around, and you get a glimpse at his plot.

And, more notably, his mark.

It's  a golden 2D fleur de lys.

Complete with little cutiemark.

Just after you catch your glimpse, the door slams shut.

"Oh, oh wow! Are you kidding me? Are you fucking, She has to be joking! She has to!"

Chapter 63

Oh, fun.

Cadance is mad again.

"That's unbelievable! I know Celestia is a greedy hothead, but holy fucking shit! The Prenchies are practically on their knees, kissing her gold-plated horseshoes, and begging for recognition, and she tells them to get fucked and get better at cobbling!"

Okay, so she's really mad.

Her face is bright red, and you can see her absolute scowl on her face.

It's actually pretty scary.

"Cadance?"

"Can you believe that, Anonymous?! Celestia turned down that deal! She denied the richest country on the planet that deal because she felt that it was too big of a commitment or some shit! I mean, for the love of the moon, they're practically handing over their country and their army for you, and you're just swatting them away! What more could you want, you fucking Celestial bitch?!"

It doesn't sound like Cadance is stopping any time soon.

Cadance takes a deep breath, starting to pace around the room as she rants.

"And to make it worse— to make it far, far worse—she has to do it in a time where tensions are higher than they've been for a century, a looming threat of socialism, slavery, and evil is above our heads, and our very way of life is at risk! This is not a time to be fucking around, and here Celestia is, doing things on her damned whim without so much as a thought or a consideration of her sister, her niece, or her student! I was never told a damned thing! Then again, she doesn't say much anyhow, the dumb broad!"

"Okay, Cadance, calm down!"

"No! I won't! This is getting ridiculous! Every time, Celestia pulls this horse shit, and it's getting sickening!"

"Okay, okay, Cadance, I get it, you're mad, but there's gotta be some sort of reason she's—"

"Turning into a despot? OH, WAIT! She already is! But, yes, there is a reason! And that reason is power!"

"Don't you think she wants power, if she's in a tough spot?"

"Yes! Yes, she does! And your power is directly proportional with the number of allies and neighbors you have! She doesn't get that!"

You grab Cadance on her shoulder firmly.

"Cadance. Calm down. Please."

With a snarl still on her face, she takes a deep breath and lets it out.

"...Sorry. Sorry, it's just that politics piss me off sometimes. Celestia especially."

"I, uh, I-I've noticed, sweetheart."

She just shakes her head.

"Sorry for all of that. I really am. I just needed to vent a little."

"More like a lot."

"Right..."

With that, she plops back down onto the comfortable couch, trying to relax.

You walk over and sit down next to her, leaning back.

Soon, Cadance's head finds its way to your lap and idly rests.

You do your duty and start petting her soft mane, idly rubbing her neck and scratching behind her ears.

"...I'm impressed, Anon."

You cock an eyebrow, looking down at her.

"Huh? What did I do?"

Her eyes are closed, and it's clear your hands are working their magic.

"You really kept your composure back there. I thought you were going to kill him when he brought up Octavia."

"I was tempted. But I know I'd never hit him, even if there weren't guards."

"Hmm? Why's that?"

"Well, y'know, he kinda has a point."

Cadance starts snickering, and you can see her lips curl into a smile.

"No, I'm serious! I can't remember how many times I've just sat and stared. Sure, I'm not just gonna let anyone else do that, if I can help it, but still!"

She just shakes her head a little, still giggling.

"Oh, you. But that isn't the only thing I noticed. You were actually formal."

This brings a smile to your face.

"I tried to be."

"If only you had the whole 'politics' portion of that down. Which you'll need soon, since that seems how it's going to be."

"Speaking of that."

"What?"

"I have a million questions."

Cadance sighs a little.

"Ask away, I suppose. Let's get it over with."

"Okay, well, let's start... Well, not with the Hooviets. First off, what about the neighboring nations? Are they completely independent, or are they administered by Celestia? Do they all have the same kind of government, or do they vary?"

Cadance hesitates.

"It's... A little complicated."

"Most nations, like Prance, Germaneigh, and Glascow, are completely independent. Prance is actually an empire, and has an absolute monarchy. Said monarch you just saw. Germaneigh is a constitutional republic, with elected representatives and leaders. Glascow is the world's only true total democracy, since quite literally everyone is called into an assembly once a year to vote for their president, and anyone has the right to speak. Their nation is that small, yes, and it works incredibly well for them, even though this assembly can take up to a week. One country, Mexicolt, doesn't even have a true functioning government. That isn't that big of an issue, since the population is scarce, but the neglect seems to be doing them well. Equestria is actually a despotic theocratic monarchy. I'm not joking, that's literally and legally what it is... All of these nations are independent. However, Celestia and Equestria have absolutely incredible influence on all of these nations, to the point where the only reason we're separate nations is because governments are hard to change and cultural differences make things harder. We're tight knit, and there's not much stopping us. And, recently, with the Neighponese Empire becoming close allies with Equestria, our sphere of influence is growing more and more."

"...Oh. So, basically, they're countries in a country?"

"Precisely. We, Equestria and her allies, are collectively referred to as 'Greater Equestria', just to emphasize the point."

"I get it now. Now, what about the other side of the deal? What's with the Hooviets and their allies?"

Cadance lets out a troubled sigh.

"That's even harder to explain. Ready for a history lesson?"

"I guess."

"Okay, so. Some one hundread years ago, there was a war. It was a devastating war, involving Greater Equestria, which, at the time, was Moosiya, Itailia, Thatcholm, Glascow, and the separatist state of Noveria, which was gaining independence from Prance. We were fighting against two powers, Prance and Germaneigh, which were both imperialistic empires at the time. They took swathes of land from Equestria, which was still relatively weak at the time. I know that's difficult to imagine, but that's important -- it's the reason we're so heavy on military today. Anyway, they had us beat back, Thatcholm and Noveria were both knocked out of the picture, and things were looking grim for Itailia. So, in this mess, Prance decided to launch a full scale invasion of Moosiya. Moosiya, in this time, was a powerhouse in agriculture, manufacturing, and production. This was due to the cow trade."

"Cow trade?"

Cadance lets out a light sigh again.

"Yes, the cow trade. We didn't learn our lesson after the zebras gained independence after countless revolts. Cows were our new slaves, at this time, since they were much less intelligent and less able to fight. Many, many, many cows were sent to Moosiya to farm the land and work in the factories. And, when the Prench attacked, every last one of them was sent off into the military. To be concise, the Moosiyan generals were smart. They retreated, starved the Prench forces, and them when the harsh Moosiyan winters hit, they struck back. One battle, the Battle for Mooscow, was nothing short of a humiliation. More than seventy five percent of the Prench army was wiped out in this one battle. Yes, you heard that right. Seventy five percent of the entire army. Eighty percent of the army was in Moosiya after the attack. The emperor wanted to scare and embarrass the Hooviets; that's why he sent so many into their largest city. Little did he expect for them to not only be much more numerous than he guessed, but they also had something unheard of before."

"Cannons. Cannons were born in Moosiya. The legends say the ground was a field of the dead, and those that weren't killed by the Moosiyan cannons were killed in the devastating melee of sickles, hammers, and hooves. Those that ran from that, however, had no such luck either. The winter was harsh, and the Prench had no preparations. There was no food, water, or warm clothing. The Moosiyans landed on Itailian soil, pushed the Prench back all the way to Pearis, and before we knew it, the war was over. Little did we know that this would be the start of a whole new ordeal. When the cows returned, naturally, they were outraged. They were all sent off to war without even a say in the matter. They were slaves, after all. In mid October, the largest revolution in recorded history took place. The cows completely dismantled the government, killed or sent away any ponies that previously ruled, and established the new socialist government over several of their Hooviet states. These states united to form the Hooviet Union, which would later grow in military and power to rival even Equestria itself. Their political ideas are based on the philosophy of their first ruler, whose name escapes me at the moment. He believed that before, the working masses, the proletariat, all toiled for the upper class, the bourgeoisie. They believed this wasn't right; everyone should be treated equal. And so it is; the Hooviets, for the most part, are classless. Most are even, spare the government leaders, which is hypocritical. They are even on their way to becoming a true communism -- a society with no money or definite social divisions. However, in this, the masses suffer, as well, laboring day and night. Their entire life is devoted to work, likely because it's all they've known. Their idealism spread very, very quickly. The Ibex Empire, after a very hard depression caused by the government, upper class, and other important figures, had a similar revolution supported by the Hooviets. They are now under a similar government system. After them, the Griffin Kingdoms adopted a similar system, overthrowing their monarch and instating a socialist republic. After them followed Noveria, as well as Zebrica and Camelu, former slave colonies of Equestria and Prance. And, now, we find ourselves in a pickle. You have one half of the world that's liberal, peaceful, and full of life, and another half that has forsaken their Celestial Princess, has reduced their societies to rubble, and is armed to the teeth. That... That doesn't sound fun. To make matters worse, they've vassalized multiple states along the way, and have expanded their borders. They have more influence than ever."

"Okay, lemme get something cleared up. How much do the Hooviets and Equestria interact?"

"Pfft, interaction? That's a thing of the past. They wouldn't allow tourists until two years ago, and even then, that was under special circumstances. Do you have any idea how much paperwork the CSO had to go through to get clearance to go to Moosiya on their tour?"

"Lots. Lots and lots of paperwork. As in, stacks. Most of them agreements that if anyone's shot or killed that there's nothing they can do. But, other than that, I think we've only had one diplomat successfully make contact, and even then, that was over a trade dispute in northern Noveria between Noveria and the Hooviets. Other than that, there's no chat, no trading, no discussion. No actions at all, until recently, with their invitation to us to their parade."

"Speaking of that parade. What's that all about, now?"

"It's the annual celebration of the Battle for Mooscow. They basically flaunt their military, give speeches, and retell the story as they give honors to veterans and commanders. This is good for us, since we have no idea what we're dealing with."

"Makes a lot of sense. Anything else?"

"Yeah. What kind of magic do the Hooviets have?"

"Heh, magic? Cows? Nope, nothing."

"Then how do they control the weather?"

"They don't! They've gotten used to the natural weather patterns, which is absolutely incredible, in my opinion."

"Wait, doesn't Celly control the sun?"

"Yes, yes she does. But there's a snowball's chance in hell she's even going to consider using that against the Hooviets. That would harm us just as much as it would harm them, so don't even think about it."

"Oh. Okay.'

"So what you're saying is that this is basically a bomb waiting to go off, and if anyone goes to war, we're all going to war?"

"Assuming that they belong either to Greater Equestria or the Hooviet's sphere of influence, that answer is almost certainly yes. That's why it's so important for us to be careful and keep on our toes. And, unless I can convince the Cervidans to join my side, they might be inclined to smack us down early."

"That's actually scary. Why are the Cervidans so reluctant on joining us?"

"The king died of illness, and now there are disputes over the throne. They're quite unstable."

"That's not good. For them or us.

"It isn't. Especially since we're unprepared for war. We haven't been at war for almost a century, and most of the veterans are long gone. That, and not many Equestrians even know that much history anyhow."

That last fact strikes an odd chord.

"Wait, what? Why?"

Cadance shrugs.

"It's just not a commonly researched subject. I'm assuming most just don't want to, since it's so graphic and horrible, most of the time."

"True."

"And I don't want to have to put anyone through that. Especially not my own people. Not after Sombra's reign."

You sigh a little.

"That's... I'd never be able to do that. That would be way too much for me to handle."

"Well, you have to deal with me and four other mares. I think you could handle a country just as well as I do."

You both laugh a little, but stay quiet.

"Think that's enough, for tonight? My mouth is dry, and I'm getting tired."

"Yeah, I'm fine, for now. Are you okay, now?"

She shrugs.

"Still a little irritated, but, yes, I'm much better now."

"Good. Because I think you've forgotten something."

She looks up at you in confusion.

"Oh? What?"

"Remember, yesterday, or the day before, you promised to give me a little something?"

Cadance looks around the room, and in a moment, her horn glows.

Your zipper does, as well, and she starts to tug it down.

"No, no, not that. Not that I don't want that! Yes, I'll want that too, actually, but after another thing."

"Then what?"

"You said one night that you were a licensed masseur?"

A smile comes to her face.

Chapter 64

That's right. I suppose you'd want that right about now?"

"Please. I'll return the favor, if you want me to."

"I might actually take you up on that offer," she says, getting off of you and standing up.

You stand up as well.

'As she stretches, she gestures to the bedroom.

"Go to the bedroom, strip, and get ready. I'm going to see if I have any oil to lather on you. I'll be there in a minute."

"Sure thing."

With that, you make your way into the bedroom.

Your back is actually pretty sore, and after dealing with Scootaloo, the orchestra this afternoon, and the meeting tonight, you need a break.

You're so glad Cadance is more than happy to help.

Once you reach the bed, it doesn't take you long to strip.

You fold your dress clothes in an almost neat fashion and lazily set them down on top of a counter.

After that, you jump up and plop down onto the bed.

It squeaks.

That is very bad news, but it's not going to stop you.

Hopefully the neighbors won't complain.

As you lie down, you stretch, and let out your inner pornstar moan as you do.

Damn, you really need this massage.

Soon  after, you hear the door swing open.

In steps Cadance, carrying several bottles of lotions, oils, and stuff you'd typically find on the bathroom counter when a mare is in the house.

No surprise.

But you can smell that shit from here.

And it smells great.

A bit fruity for your tastes, but still great.

"Okay, Anon, roll onto your belly," she says, popping the cap off of one of the bottles.

You comply, resting your forehead on one of your arms.

After a few minutes of patient waiting, the lights go off.

But there's still a dim orange light.

Soon, a faint smell of vanilla and some light smoke hits your nose.

Are those scented candles?"

You hear the flickering of some faint magic.

She must be lighting them.

You turn your head to see a few lit candles, scattered about the room.

Cadance is rubbing her hooves together and mixing some sorts of oils.

"Just a moment, Anonymous," she says, concentrating on whatever concoction she's brewing, "I'll be there in a moment. Get comfortable."

With that, you roll your head to face down again.

"That stuff smells nice."

"It was either this or lavender. I felt like vanilla," she says, finally finishing up whatever it was she was doing.

"And why's that?"

You feel the bed sink as she sits on the edge.

"Lavender is supposed to help with a deep and faster coming sleep."

"Don't we want that?"

"Not until we're done, Anonymous."

She shuffles around, straddling your hips.

"Okay, I'm going to start with your back and shoulders and work on your arms, since those are probably the worst. How do your arms and legs feel?"

You think a moment, and wiggle your toes as you wait.

"I haven't done much. My arms are fine. My thighs could use some work, though."

"I can help with that."

You feel a very cold, wet liquid press against your shoulder, at the base of your neck.

The cold, however, is quickly replaced by the warmth of Cadance's soft hoof.

Another hoof touches down on the opposite side.

Not much pressure is applied, and for a moment, you wonder what she's waiting for.

But then, she glides her oiled hooves down across your shoulder and down your back.

It's a bit cold to the touch at first, but soon, you can feel a powerful warmth return.

Her hooves slide up and down lightly, almost tickling your back as they do.

You let out a deep breath and relax into the mattress.

"This stuff works well. Trust me. Tomorrow morning, you'll be feeling much better."

Once she's done coating you in her oil, she reaches up, and you can feel her push on the base of your neck.

There's a twinge of pain, at first, but after she kneads at the knot in your neck, that pain vanishes.

"...Ouch."

"What?"

"Anon, do you crack your neck?"

"Sometimes."

"This is awful. It feels like I'm rubbing a rock under your skin."

"It's been a while since I've stretched or had anything done."

"Remind me about this whenever you feel stiff," she says, starting to work up your neck.

"You're the one that gets me stiff half the time."

"At least I can take care of the problem."

She works her way up your neck to the base of your skull.

"That you do."

There's a brief pause, and she starts slowly moving back down your neck.

"Anon, can I talk to you about something?"

"Yeah? What's up?" you mumble, trying your best to not sound stupid as your neck is squeezed.

"It's about that little filly. Scootaloo."

Great.

"What about her?"

Cadance lets out a short sigh, moving over to work your shoulders.

"Are you sure she should come with us? I'm not sure it's the best idea."

You try to contain a sigh of your own, and respond.

"Well, to be honest, it's probably a terrible idea. But I really don't see another option."

"Anon, I'm not sure we'll be able to handle a filly. We have enough drama on our hands with Trixie and Octavia, those two, and you had a taste of politics today, so..."

She moves down to your spine, pressing the edges of her hooves into your back.

"Yeah, I know. We'll have a lot on our plate. But I can handle Scootaloo," you say reassuringly.

After a beat, you hear what you knew this was about.

"You know she's going to get in the way. Of us."

"Of course she is. We just need to deal with it," you state, trying to sound firm and assertive.

"Just deal with it? Why?" Cadance pleads, seeming more sad than irritated. "She just swooped in here all of the sudden, and now a filly I've never met takes priority?"

It's clear Cadance isn't trying to sound imposing or rude at all.

She really cares.

"I get that she's in a tough spot, and—"

"She's an orphan, Cadance."

She lets out a light breath.

"Yes, I know. Can't we just... Leave her at the orphanage in Cloudsdale?" she says, knowing full well how thin the ice is that she's walking on.

"I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that she ran away from that place. And, if she ran away, she'd have a good reason. Trust me. Scootaloo has a hard head and a strong will. She wouldn't have ran away because the food stunk, or something like that."

Cadance hesitates for a moment, and her voice weakens even further.

"There's gotta be some place she can go, besides with us. It's just going to be too much."

You shake your head.

"Yeah, the only other place she can go is the streets. I won't let that happen again, because she means too much to me. She was one of my first friends in Ponyville, and probably the single most curious soul I've ever met. The first day I met her, she found a pair of my pants outside, and came to my front door wearing them on her head."

Cadance giggles a little, and moves even further down your back.

"And with all of her crusading, and her scooter, and her... Everything, really. I'm not just going to pass the buck. I couldn't."

Cadance nods, moving down to your tailbone with her hooves.

"I understand. Love is a powerful thing."

You take a double-take.

"Wait, love?"

"Yes, love. You love Scootaloo. I can see it."

You give her an odd look, raising a brow.

"Okay, Cadance, I'm not—"

Cadance waves a hoof in front of your face, cutting you off.

"No, not that kind of love, Anon. There are four different kinds of love, romance, friendship, family, and unconditional love. This is a love of a friend. And, with everything you've done, it's probably a little more. And that's a very, very good thing. That's something to be thankful for."

She stops massaging your back, and she takes a minute to collect herself.

"And now I feel like an idiot for trying to take that away."

After another short pause, she goes back to massaging your back.

You feel her hooves roll across your back, wringing your muscles of any tension you have.

She's silent.

You know you have to say something, but you don't know what.

"Cadance?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you gonna let her stay?"

"Of course I am," she says reassuringly, "but I just don't know if it'll be easy to handle her. She's so energetic."

You can't help but laugh a little at that last bit.

"You haven't seen half of her, yet."

"I've seen plenty."

She makes her way between your shoulderblades, slowly and carefully rubbing you down.

You let out a sigh of relief.

"I'll ask Octavia to help. I'm sure she'd love to."

"Are you sure?" she asks, tilting her head. "Trixie has something against Scootaloo."

"Yeah, well, Trixie's Trixie," you grumble. "It was probably something stupid involving Snips, Snails, Trixie, and her."

"Who?"

"They're two little annoying kids in Scootaloo's class. They were Trixie's laboring slaves at one point. No joke."

Cadance takes her hooves off of your back, and reaches to pull back your right arm.

"That sounds very, very bad, and very illegal."

"It was willing, so it probably isn't. But it was pretty messed up."

"It sounds like it," she says, rolling her hooves across your tricep.

"But, I'll find out later. You said Octavia would help?"

You let out a huff.

"Come on, Cadance. You know Octavia. You should know that she'd never say no to something like this. She's too sweet."

"I don't know her as well as you do, Anonymous. But, I think I can see what you're talking about."

She moves over to the other side of your arm, pinching your bicep.

"She's just a real softie. She always cares about others, and she's sweet."

"You two are alike, in that regard."

You smile, and you can feel your heart swell.

Cadance grabs your forearm and goes back to work.

"Thank you. But, you're right. We're a lot a like. We both read, we both would rather be at small things instead of parties, we're both generally very quiet..."

"You both have respect, too," she says, moving up to rub your wrists.

"I can't emphasize that enough."

"Huh? Whadaya mean?"

"You both respect each other," she says, moving on to grab your hand.

After a short confused pause and a quizzical look, she tries her best to massage your hand and fingers.

She starts by kneading your palm.

"Respect is important. It's one of the reasons why arranged marriages were so popular back in the day."

After a moment of consideration, she moves in to roll your fingers between her hooves.

"With arranged marriages, they were raised and taught to respect each other. They just had to learn to love."

Gingerly, she sets your arm down by your side, and moves to your other, starting with your tricep.

"Nowadays, people meet each other, and they know they love each other. Learning respect, however, is much more difficult to do, unless the parents were great at raising their foals. It's why divorce rates are higher," she says, positioning herself.

Her still oiled hooves stroke the back of your arm.

You can already feel how much better your back and right arm are.

Now you really need to return the favor.

everyone panic

mhm

our writer may have ditched us

everyone panic

Your editor is busy and can't doesn't want to continue this at the moment because I'm slacking off and being lazy legitimately working on another project.

Please PM me if you wish to continue the story, write an offshoot or muck around in the world the writer made.

k thx bye

Chapter 65 Part 1

After a bit longer, she drops your arm and moves on to your legs.

She starts with the back of your right thigh, right below your asscheek.

"But, I guess that I'm the only one that notices this and cares much. After all, it is more liberal than times of the past."

"Although, liberty is powerful. And that takes a lot of responsibility."

She slowly rolls her way up and down your thighs, and seems hell-bent on getting a stubborn knot out of your hamstring.

"Anon, did you do a lot of running in the park?"

"Uh, kinda, but not really. -Ow!"

You jolt as the knot snags on her hoof.

It stung for a bit, but the relief was worth the pain.

"Sorry. That knot was awful."

"Yeah, I know, I felt it."

"So did I. Ouch."

She moves on to your other leg, doing the exact same thing she did on the other.

Although she focuses on your hamstrings more than you'd like, you're not going to complain.

You let out a deep breath, rest your face into the pillow, and relax again.

Cadance seems content; she's lightly humming as she works on your muscles.

Finally.

She shut her mouth.

It's not that you hate her talking.

It's just that you want to relax, and her constant and perpetual talking can get in the way of that.

Now, it's just you, the lights, the candles, and a nice masseur on your back.

Thank God.

After a moment, she moves down further, dragging her hooves across your calves.

Your body feels like it's made of jello already.

You slowly drag your arms up and slide them underneath your pillow to prop your head up.

Your shoulder pinches a bit, so you roll it.

Any irritation or discomfort is now gone.

You take in another deep breath, and let out a deep, deep sigh.

This was perfect.

Cadance digs in deep with her hooves, and it almost feels like she's wringing out whatever crap has built up in your muscles.

She moves to your other calf, and repeats the process.

"Anonymous?"

Ugh.

"Yeah?"

"How do you want me to handle your, erm... What are these things, again?"

She bumps the sole of your foot.

"Feet?"

"Yeah, feet."

"Uhm..."

You think of how to describe it the best.

"The middle of the bottom of my foot is probably the easiest thing to massage. And then there's the arc."

"The arc?"

"Yeah, see where it kinda curves? In there are a lot of muscles. The rest of it's bone."

"Oh. Uhm... All right, let me just... See what I can do. Let me know if it hurts."

"I will."

With a bit of reluctance, she moves down and tenderly prods at the heel of your foot.

She dips her hooves in her oils, and brings them back up to your feet.

It seems you explained it to her well enough; the reaches for the arch of your left foot, and gently rolls her hoof against it.

"Like this?"

After your initial internal sigh of relief, you nod.

"Y-yeah, like that."

Your big toe wiggles a bit as she massages your arc.

Cadance lets out a little giggle at this, and keeps going.

"Anon?"

"Huh?"

"Next time you're in the shower, please, make sure these things get a good washing."

You raise an eyebrow, a little surprised.

And maybe a little insulted.

"Why? Do they smell bad?"

"A little. I'd assume it's from having them trapped in those big horseshoes all of the time that go all the way around your feet."

"You mean just shoes?"

She takes a minute to consider.

"You're right."

"Why do we call them that, then?"

"Beats me."

"But, anyway. They do smell funny. And you have some buildup of... Stuff, under your... Foot-hooves?"

"Uh, what?"

"The hard things you have on the end of your stubs. I mean, toes."

"You mean nails?"

"Oh, right."

"But, yeah, there's stuff stuck under them."

"I should probably trim them."

She moves onto the sole of your foot, doing much the same as she did with your arch.

"Trim them? You have to cut them?"

"Yeah, they keep growing. Kinda like my hair."

"Oh. That's weird."

"Tell me about it."

After a few more seconds, she switches to your other foot.

"How do you manage to stand on these things?"

She works on your sole, gently rolling your foot's soft muscles beneath.

"I mean, I have four things to stand on and a tail, and even then, I lose balance sometimes."

"Well..."

You give it a moment of thought.

"They're kinda flexible, unlike hooves, and are round. They're easier to stand on than something that's just flat and hard."

"Makes sense."

"That, and you just get used on standing on two legs."

"I can see that. It's interesting."

She moves a little to the side, getting your arch and playing with your big toe.

"Interesting indeed."

She pushes deep into your arch, relieving any tension you have.

In the silence, you relax, and let your mind and body calm down.

This was nice.

The candles' smell was great.

That, with the warmth of the room, Cadance's soft touch, the oils, and everything...

You're almost asleep.

At this point, you're so relaxed, you're pretty sure your limbs are spaghetti noodles.

Everything is just relaxed, loose, and calm.

As you lie there, you start to doze off.

Your eyes close, and what little part of your mind that still works starts to take over.

Some incoherent thoughts start to drift through your head -- memories, odd thoughts, and other things you can't quite remember but a moment after you've thought of them.

Now your brain is spaghetti too, it seems.

After a moment, you feel Cadance pull back from your foot.

"I think that's everything. Anything else bugging you, dear?"

This catches you by a bit of surprise, and you try to wake yourself up a bit to respond.

"Oh? Uh, no. I think I'm fine. Your massage was pretty thorough."

"I have a feeling you're lying to me."

"Huh?"

Confused, you raise your head and look over your shoulder at Cadance.

"No? I mean, you even got my feet. There isn't much else you could do, is there?"

"You sure?" she asks, clearly trying to hint at something.

As to what, you're not sure.

Until you shift around a little, that is.

As soon as you wiggle your hips, you feel something hard and incredibly warm move underneath your belly.

"Because I'm pretty sure you're forgetting something."

With that, she slowly spreads your legs apart and moves forward.

"Y'know, on second thought, you might actually be right."

Her forelegs wrap around your thighs and grab hold.

"I can see what you mean. Want me to give you a happy ending?"

"Oh, yes, please..."

"Ah!"

She catches you by surprise, and you can't help but yelp a little as you feel her wet tongue press against your crotch.

If she was a little higher, she'd be doing analingus.

She pulls back quickly to talk to you.

"No, no, just relax," she says, gingerly going back to where she was.

Her tongue slides across your loose skil, and finds its way down to your jewels.

She fondles them with her mouth a bit, working at a pace so slow it's riding the line between stimulation and relaxation.

You'd love to look down and see her face as she does this, but your neck is so loose and weak after that massage that you really don't even know if you can lift your head.

Instead, you just rest as Cadance wants you too, your face buried in the pillow.

After a moment, she lets your balls slide out of her mouth.

And then, with a squee of delight, you can feel Cadance press her face into your blubbery ass.

Her warm horn is wedged in your asscrack, and her warm cheeks are against your asscheeks.

She's literally snuggling against your ass.

She gives it a loving nuzzle, humming a bit.

"You have a lovely butt, Anonymous."

"It takes one to know one."

"Cute."

After another brief moment of ass snuggling, her head pulls away, and you can feel her trying to lift one of your legs.

"Roll over, Anon. It's stuck underneath you."

Chapter 1

It's a Friday night, and you just got back home from a short little gathering with you and some friends.

You and some friends were saying your goodbyes to Octavia; she was leaving soon to go on a very, very long tour with her orchestra.

She'd be back in about 6 months or so, concerning they're going everywhere in Equestria and beyond.

It was a nice little gathering, even though it was sad to see her go. As reserved as she is, you, Lyra, BonBon, and the mailmare all got to know her fairly well.

Evidently she had a liking to you as well; before you left for the night, she gave you a little surprise—a peck on the cheek.

Before promptly slamming the door shut.

An odd mare, she was.

But you couldn't help but be curious, and a bit excited for her return.

A smile on your face and a butterfly in your stomach, you go to sleep.

Or, so you think, that is.

Just as you close your eyes, the phone rings.

Reluctantly, you drag your lazy ass out of bed to answer the phone.

After finally finding it, you pick it up.

"Hello?” you ask, your fatigue showing in your voice.

”H-Hey, Anon" Oh, boy, it’s Cadance.

And she sounds troubled.

She must be depressed over something again, like last time she called you.

Last time, you found yourself hugging a giant pink crying pillow in a giant pink bed, until some big guy with a shield cutie mark came in and asked what was going on.

That was an awful night, and you hoped it wouldn’t happen again.

Your train of thought is cut off by Cadance’s sweet voice.

”I hope you aren’t busy or anything,” she says, noticing the silence on your end.

Oh, uh, not at all,” you stammer.

Christ, what was wrong this time?

”I-I just wanted you to know that, uhm, well…”

Fuck...

”Shining is leaving tonight to go to Canterlot. Auntie Celestia has summoned him to go help Twilight out with her new castle.”

You knew that much. You had read it on the news.

Snobs. They live in a castle because it's their destiny, and you're stuck here in this shitty shack hardly big enough for one pony, let alone a human thrice their size.

"Oh, I heard about that."

”Y-Yeah. H-He won't be back for another few days once he's gone...and it's been weeks since you and I last....w-well, you know...”

Was that a hint?

You didn't get anywhere last time.

There's no way the princess of love would do that.

”I-I was wondering if maybe, once he leaves, you'd...like for me to go to your house and bring you over to spend the next few days with me?”

Your mind slams on its breaks and comes to a screeching halt.

You can't think of anything to say, and you just stand there dumbfounded.

After a beat, she continues.

”This would be perfect for us. Shining won't be anywhere in sight, no one will be able to bother us, and you and I can have lots and lots of alone time to—well you know... S-So what do you say? Do you want me to come stay with you?”

You blink.

Is this some sort of joke?

Probably.

"Cadance?"

"Y-Yes?"

"Are you... Serious?"

There's an awkward pause.

"Anon, I... I get it if you don't want to, I... I-I just thought it'd be nice, having some company with a man that knows how to talk to me."

It sounded oddly sincere, and rather innocent. You really can't tell if it was another hint or just a compliment about your comforting nature.

Either way, you're not about to drop her like a rock.

"I suppose I could do something. When and where?"

She lets out a gleeful giggle.

"Tomorrow night? Around ten?"

"Sure, that'd work."

"A-Anon?"

"Hmm?"

"Th-Thank you..."

"Any time, hun."

With that, she hangs up.

With a smile on your face, you put the phone down, lie down in bed, and start drifting off.

You're actually really happy inside... Great thoughts cloud your mind as you start to drift, resting in a paradise of bliss and

*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*

"God fucking damnit."

You hop our of your warm, cozy bed and into the bitter cold air, making your way to the door.

After a bit of a walk, you grab the handle and swing it open.

Looking down, you see a visitor.

Octavia, to be exact, with her big, adorable purple eyes.

"Anonymous," she says, looking up at you with a sly look.

"Uh, Octavia? Don't you have a train to catch?" you ask, genuinely concerned.

"That's correct."

She takes a step inside and takes off her collar.

It's almost amazing how much more 'naked' she looks with just taking off the collar.

"May I take a seat?"

"Sure," you respond, sitting down on the couch yourself.

She sits on the other end, lying on her side.

"But, yes. The train departs in... Four hours, I believe."

She scoots a little closer, looking up at you.

"Concerning the station is a ten minute walk from here, that leaves plenty of time."

She grabs your hand with her hoof.

"For us."

She looks up at you with a smile, her ears perked up.

You're a little bewildered by this, and you raise an eyebrow.

"Uhm, 'Tavi?"

She pulls your hand close to her.

"Anonymous, I... I have something to say. Will you lend me your ears?"

You nod, leaning in a bit closer yourself.

"I-I've been, Hiding something. Something rather, large."

She looks down at your pants. "...I actually have a feeling you are, as well, but the difference is that you can't see mine."

She looks back up at you. "Anonymous, since the first time we spoke, I've felt a little fire inside of me. It's been burning, and the more and more we got to know each other, the brighter and brighter it's gotten. What was once a pile of hot coals is now ablaze. I can't keep it in any longer, and I... I was wondering... This trip I'm going on... All of my colleagues in the orchestra are all. Well, bitter and resentful for the things I've done in the past. I won't have anyone to talk to, to mingle with."

"...I'll be alone. And that thought is scary."

She gulps, wrapping her forelegs around your arm.

"Anonymous, I don't want to be alone. And all of the hotel rooms I have rented for the tour are all empty, spare myself—nobody wanted to room with me."

"Anonymous, will you... Will you come with me?"

Fuck, how are you going to get out of this one.

Octavia looks up at you.

There are some tears glazing her eyes.

"I-Is something wrong, Anonymous?" she asks, looking up at you pleadingly.

You sigh and look away

And, at that same moment, you can see Octavia's heart fall through her chest.

Might as well get this over with.

"I... I'm sorry, 'Tavi, but, I've already got some plans--"

"Plans?! Who could you possibly have plans with?!"

Sheesh, she jumped to conclusions.

Might as well put it bluntly.

"Princess Mi Amore Cadenza."

There's an odd pause, and Octavia drifts her gaze downward.

"Oh, Anon, I didn't know you had such... Well, an honor. What, pray tell, are your plans?"

Fuck.

Suddenly, you remember the secret of diplomacy.

The best lies are not lies; they're merely twisted truths.

With that, you decide not to lie at all.

"Shining's gone. She needs some help, with her royal duties. Not only that, but also she's curious about humans, like Twilight was. I could about imagine all of the questions she has in store for me.

She thinks for a moment. "And she's, married, correct?"

"Of course she is. Didn't you hear what I said?"

She blinks, off guard. "What?"

"I said, Shining left. As in, Shining Armour? Her husband? Captain of the royal guard?"

"Oh. O-Of course."

You nod.

"You wouldn't be, making 'plans'?" she asks innocently.

You shake your head.

"I'd imagine she'd be loyal. She's the princess of love, after all."

She looks down, still clinging to your arm. "Oh... O-Okay, Anon, I... I understand."

Christ, you can see the broken pieces of her heart scattered around on the floor.

"Hey, hold on, 'Tavi," you say, grabbing her chin and bringing her face up.

You smile at her.

"She only needs me for a week. After that, I'll be sure to catch up with you."

"A week?! We'll be in southern Hosstralia by that time! How could you possibly --"

You put your hand on her mouth to shut her up.

"I'm certain aiding an alicorn princess will let me pull some strings, hm?"

She looks down, and seems to understand.

You let her mouth go.

You both sit in silence for a minute, thinking.

"I-I, I have a train to catch," she says, letting go of your arm and heading out the door.

You follow her, and stop her as she puts her collar on.

"Farewell, Anonymous," she says, opening the door.

You kneel down and grab Tavi before she can walk out the door.

"Ah! Anon?! What're you—"

She's cut off by you grabbing her behind her head and pulling her face into yours, lips locking.

You give her a quick kiss and offer a smile.

"'ll see you in a week, sweetheart."

With that, you close the door before she says another word, leaving her absolutely astonished on your front doorstep.

Chapter 5

After dinner, you put your food in to-go boxes and head out for the hotel.

'L'Parfait', to be exact.

Some fancy Prench hotel with big rooms, according to Octavia.

You make your way through the city streets, eventually winding up at the hotel and finding your way to your room.

Upon arrival, Octavia drops all of her stuff and piles it up in the corner.

Cadance sets the cello down gently, propped up against the wall.

"Here we are," Octavia says, looking at you and Cadance. "This is a great hotel, trust me. I've been here before, and the service is -excellent-. Well, the only downside is the lack of shower curtains, but, still, it's hardly noteworthy with the way they treat you."

"Make yourselves comfortable. Sit down or lie down, listen to some music. Whatever fits your fancy."

She turns to you.

"Anonymous, I won't have you sleeping on the couch tonight like a dog. Feel free to hop in bed with me."

She smiles lightly, and turns around.

"Oh, don't worry, Octavia," Cadance says.

Octavia does a 180 and looks at Cadance as she continues.

"Anonymous can sleep with me. No need to have you have to share a bed, with all of the things you need to be doing."

"Oh, it's... Quite all right," she says, a bit insistent. "Royalty shouldn't have to share bed in a hotel room."

"I'd like to consider myself a citizen, as of now, thank you very much. Being 'royal' of the time gets fairly tedious, after a while."

Octavia shakes her head. "No matter. I still won't have you sharing a bed."

"I won't have -you- sharing a bed -either-," Cadance says.

This is escalating fairly quickly...

As if there was a fire alarm, both of the girls stop yelling at each other.

And they both turn to you.

"Well?! Who do you want to sleep with?!"

Suddenly, you feel the heavy, heavy weight of the gazes of a princess and a cellist hindering your thoughts.

"Uh... Uuuuhm..."

It's never that easy.

You have an absolute master to your right, and a mare that loves you to your left.

"Uh... Why not both?"

There's an awkward silence.

Both of the mares immediately lose their angry expressions, glance at each other, and look at you in bewilderment.

"I'm sorry?"

"I beg your pardon!?"

"Uh, why can't we just scoot the beds together and just have one big bed? And all of us sleep in it?"

They both look down at the ground, considering your proposition.

"That way, none of us get the short stick, and we all have plenty of room?"

"Fine by me."

"That's swell."

They both nod in agreement.

Octavia leans over to whisper to Cadance in a raspy voice.

You can't make it out, however.

Cadance responds, even more harshly.

Even though you can't understand either of them, you can tell they're fighting as you set the beds in place.

Mares...

You get the beds put together after a bit of work.

Cadance and Octavia are still arguing with whispers.

You still have no idea what they're saying. Nor do you want to know.

You just sigh, kick back, turn some music on, and relax on the bed.

You take a deep breath, put your hands behind your head, and relax.

This day's had its ups and downs, and you're glad to be able to kick back, if even for a few minutes.

You wait patiently for Cadance and Octavia to stop their bickering.

Eventually, the noise from the other side of the room stops, and Cadance trots into the shower.

You hear the faucet roar to life, and Octavia comes and plops down on the bed beside you.

You pat the top of her head and smile

"Tired?" you ask.

"Just a little... I think it was lunch that got to me," she says, making her way towards the middle of the bed.

You scoot back and sit beside her, idly petting her mane.

"Makes sense. You weren't kidding when you said they had the best food in Canterlot..."

"Thank you, Anonymous. I know our tastes are... Different, to say the least, but... A good meal is a good meal."

She closes her eyes, and starts wriggling under the covers.

"Sorry about what... Happened," you say.

"Hmm. You know, Anonymous, I didn't know you would pull a stunt like that."

You freeze.

"Huh? What? I can't help it, the thing has a mind of its—"

"Don't deem me a fool, Anonymous. I know well what that glitter was."

She opens an eye, and you see a light glare.

You slink your head in shame.

"Might I ask for an explanation?"

You sigh.

She had you by the balls.

"I guess... Oh, it just... Happened, I guess. Her horn was there, the music was beautiful, and it set the mood real well..."

"Which piece was it?"

"Uhm..."

Might as well make her feel a little better about this.

"The second one, I believe."

"Mmm. So I suppose part of it is my fault, then?"

You shake your head.

"No, it was just my dumb mistake. I shouldn't have done it. I risked so much, and, I..."

You look at Octavia.

"I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings.

She opens her eyes.

"I'm... Well, I'm not going to lie, it does sting a bit..."

Your heart gains 20 pounds in your chest.

"But, after the chat Cadance and I had in the train car, I can understand why she would be so... Willing, to do such a thing."

You raise an eyebrow.

"What'd you say?"

"She told me about Shining, and his endeavors with some other mare he talks to frequently. I'd imagine the princess of love wouldn't appreciate such acts."

You sigh.

"Yeah, she told me too... It's sad to see that happen to her."

There's a short pause.

"I hope you can forgive me, Octavia."

".I... I do. I shouldn't be reacting as badly as I am anyhow."

Besides, you had plans with her before you had any with me..."

Ouch.

You lie back, and look Octavia in the eyes.

"Please, don't beat yourself up."

"I'm not. I'm just being blunt."

"Yes, you're being blunt. So blunt that you're beating yourself up with how blunt you are."

"I'd rather have my point be blunt than sharp."

" 'Tavi?"

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Anonymous. I understand. I've had my fair share of mistakes as well."

"Really?"

"Yes, actually, I have. Do you take me fore a bland mare?"

You shake your head.

"No, not at all. Just not one that would do that."

She chuckles, smiling.

"What if I told you..."

She motions for you to lean in closer.

You do, tilting your ear towards her.

"...Aloe and Lotus."

You blink.

You don't know them personally since you never go to the spa, but they were what you would consider very good looking.

"Holy shit, what?"

She nods, a sly smile on her face.

"One night at the spa. They offered to take me in the back and 'treat' me..."

She chuckles. "That was a good day. I still go back there now and again, too."

"Sadly, I haven't had much experience with, males."

You're still taking the fact in that Octavia actually got laid.

You chuckle a bit, and respond.

"Well, to be fair, there aren't nearly as many stallions in Equestria as there should be. I suppose that's a reason I turned to you."

She smiles, grabbing your hand.

You return the smile, grabbing her hoof.

"I'm glad."

Those two words were enough, and Octavia pulls you into a tight hug.

"Thank you so much for coming, Anonymous... I can't thank you enough..."

You smile, wrapping an arm around her.

"I'm glad I came."

A moment later, you hear the showerhead turn off, and you hear the ruffling of a towel in the bathroom.

Cadance comes trotting out, her freshly dried fur puffing up like a pile of cotton balls.

You and Tavi both stifle a chuckle.

She makes her way to the bed, plopping down on your other side without another word.

You and Tavi, however, are still giggling like idiots at her appearance.

"Quiet!"

Her outburst only makes things funnier, and you're both struggling to control yourselves.

She glares at you both again.

It's incredibly hard to take her seriously when she looks like Fluffle Puff...

"Hmmph! Fine! I'll just—Ignore you!"

She turns around with another hmmph of protest, lying down facing away from you.

You and Tavi burst out laughing.

She crosses her forelegs, and snorts.

After a minute, the laughter dies down.

Tavi decides to try and make Cadance feel better through her dumb grin.

"Pff... Cadance, we're merely teasing."

"Anon would know a lot about -that-."

After a beat, Octavia looks at you, and then back at Cadance.

"So I've heard..."

You think you just heard Cadance shit a brick.

She immediately turns around, glaring at Octavia.

"You—You know?!"

"He only had your magiculate on his shirt. It doesn't take a rocket scientist or a brain surgeon to put the dots together."

You sink back into the mattress as the two fight again.

"But you were so clueless in the restaurant! Anon, did you—"

"No, he didn't," she interrupts. "I just wanted to put on a facade of sorts."

"And pick on poor Anonymous..."

She grunts.

"I'm—I'm going to be right back."

She stands up off of the bed and walks off.

"I'll be back in, some time soon. Once I've had enough to drinks to calm down."

Before you know it, the door slams shut.

You turn to Octavia.

"Hmm. So, Anonymous. Mind showing me a thing or two about teasing?"

Octavia stands on all fours over you.

You look up at her, a smile on your face.

"We're going to have to slow down quiiite a bit, if teasing is what you're after."

She looks down at you, her eyes half lidded.

"What do you propose?"

"Roll onto your back."

After a moment, she does so, lying on her back beside you.

You hop of of the bed, and drag her plot to the edge of the bed.

Her hind legs splay apart, revealing a warm pair of lips, ready to be teased.

"Not yet... We need to get ready, first."

She whimpers a bit, and you walk up to her.

You go down on your knees, your face right in front of her marehood.

As tempting as it is to dive in, you had a lesson to teach.

You reach up with your hands, sliding them just under her forelegs.

You slowly glide them down her side, feeling her warm body under her soft fur.

They come down and gently grasp her soft plot, and she quietly whimpers.

She looks down at you with those big, purple eyes.

They were so sweet, so full of love...

You drag your hands along, caressing her inner thighs and lower belly.

She bites her lip as you go, and flops her head back onto the pillow.

Slowly, you move your right hand up her thigh, and up to her petals.

You gently glide your hand over them, juices getting your hand wet.

After lathering two of your fingers, you slide them inside.

She reaches up to cover her mouth, and bites her lip.

Slowly, you start to pull back, feeling the juices between your fingers.

You take them out for a moment, bringing them up to your mouth and licking them.

The taste was bitter, but oddly and primitively satisfying.

You slide them back in, Octavia covering her mouth with a blush on her cheeks.

You pick up the pace, sliding back and forth, and holding your face close to breathe in the smell.

You let out a hot breath, ticking Octavia. She shudders in your hands.

After another minute of sliding your fingers along her walls, you pull out and lick your fingers clean.

Octavia looks down at you again as you pull back.

"Is... Is that all..?"

You shake your head.

"We're just getting started, sweetheart..."

You reach forward and firmly grab her warm cheeks.

She giggles naughtily, and you bring your head in between her legs again.

You stay there for a moment, eyes looking up at Octavia's.

After a short pause, she looks down at you with some concern, as if she isn't sure if you're going to continue.

It's clear she's anxious.

You wait another second or two, and then you slowly move forward.

You stick your tongue out and press it against the edge of her rim, ever so slowly gliding up to her clit.

Your tongue glides along and in between the folds as it moves up, lapping up the juices on the surface.

You finish your first lick, and lick your lips in satisfaction.

Her breathing has become erratic, and she looks like she's about to melt.

"K-Keep going... Please..."

You do so, slowly gliding your tongue up and down her nethers.

Not hard enough to dive inside, and not fast enough to stimulate too much.

You were torturing her, and you knew it.

And she absolutely loved it.

After one last lap, you slink your head down and stick your lips against her crotch.

Your tongue slides out like an eel, slithering around inside of her private grounds.

You slide it against her walls, breathing in her hot musk.

She starts breathing a little heavier, and reaches down to place a hoof on your head.

You keep going, faster and faster, more aggressive with your tongue as time passes.

In return, Octavia makes more and more moans, biting her lips and pushing your head into her snatch.

You think you loved it just as much as she did...

Soon, you couldn't push any deeper, and you couldn't lick any faster.

"M-More... More!" she demands, pressing against your head.

After a moment, you need to breathe.

You pull back and gasp for air, wiping her juices off of your face.

You look up at her, and she looks down at you.

Her face is redder than you could have ever imagined.

"A-Anon..."

"Are you ready?" you ask, unbuttoning your pants.

"I... I don't know... Is it...?"

You drop your pants and your boxers, and throw them to the side.

Your dick hangs proudly in the air as you take your shirt off.

"It... It is..."

"It's what?"

"It's really big..."

She shuffles around a bit uncomfortably as you approach her.

"Will... Will it hurt?"

"I'll go slow, hun. It won't hurt, I promise."

She nods. "O-Okay... Please, be gentle..."

You ready yourself, standing in front of her and positioning your waist as you grab her haunches.

You press your tip against her lips, looking at her in the eyes.

Slowly, you sink in, and Octavia gasps in pleasure.

She whimpers loudly as you slide in to the hilt, wiggling around inside.

"Does it hurt?"

Oohohohohh, Anon, it... Oooooh..."

Her head rolls to the side, lost in a puddle of ectasy.

You keep going, sliding out of her.

Once you pop out, you see juices drop off of your shaft as Octavia whimpers again.

You aren't going to need lube for this one...

You gently prod your way back in, and start pumping at a slow pace.

She moans with every thrust, biting on her hoof to try and contain her noises.

Her mane is in a mess, and the prim and proper mare you talked to earlier was gone.

All that was left was this lustful, timid mare.

The thought of that drives you, and you thrust faster and with more force.

Octavia keeps moaning, steadily getting louder and louder as you go.

You take your hands off of her ass and reach down, grabbing her shoulders and hoisting her up.

You keep thrusting as you carry her in your arms, sure not to slow pace.

Octavia wraps her forelegs around your neck and starts kissing you, moaning into your mouth as your tongues wrestle.

Your lips lock and suckle at each other while your hips pound and slap together, getting louder and louder as time passes.

You feel something welling up inside of you, and you know you can't take this much longer.

Octavia pulls back for breath, and after a deep gasp, she holds it again.

The eyes roll into the back of her skull, and she cries out your name in the moonlight.

There's a monsoon being unleashed down at your crotch, and you can feel your hips getting drenched in her fluids.

After she stops screaming and cumming everywhere, you look her in the eyes, grab her head, and pull her into the kiss again.

With a few last violent thrusts, you jam yourself deep inside of her, bottoming out and unleashing your load.

Not a moment later, you both fall on the bed exhausted, Octavia on top of you.

You both try to catch your breath (to no avail), and you look into each other’s eyes.

"A-Anonymous…”

"’Tavi…”

Suddenly, she collapses onto you, resting on your chest.

You’re still inside of her, and your cock is still pumping an pulsing, trying to pump every last white soldier out.

She doesn’t object, and neither do you.

In fact, you think it’s comforting.

She pulls her head back to look at you.

"Anon?”

You breathe a bit more, and look at her.

"Yes?”

”Wh… What was that..?”

You blink.

Evidently she had never had an orgasm before.

“That was magic, hun,” you say, holding her tight.

She rests her head on your shoulder.

”That was amazing…”

“It was…”

You lie there in silence for another few minutes, until finally, you can tell Octavia has passed into a deep, deep sleep.

You’re too lazy to get up and clean the mess you made…

You decide to just say you fell asleep in heaven alongside Octavia if Cadance has any questions.

You could care less what she thinks.

All you care about now is the mare in your arms and on your dick.

Soon, you pass out as well, your arms tight around Octavia.

Some time later, you're woken up by the sound of a troubled mare yelling.

"H-Holy mother of—!"

You move your head from under Octavia's silky smooth mane to look.

It's Cadance, and she's admiring the mess Octavia had made earlier.

She was quite the squirter, and everything on or near the bed was covered in juices.

Cadance was snarling, eyebrows arched in what appeared to be an odd combination of disgust and amazement.

She looks around at the wet dresser, the wet music player, and the absolutely drenched carpet.

She glances at you and Octavia.

"Anon?"

Fuck, she caught you with your eyes open.

Only now do you realize that you haven't pulled out of Octavia, and Cadance had a nice view of everything.

"Mmmgh..." You grunt, showing a bit of disinterest.

"What... What happened?! Did she piss everywhere?"

"Well, does it smell like piss?"

She shakes her head.

"Sweet Celestia, I've heard of squirters, but this is a little ridiculous!"

Chapter 22

After about 15 minutes of cuddling with Octavia, the door swings open.

Octavia and Trixie hop off the bed.

You don't.

Well, actually, you tried.

You just didn't succeed.

You see the doctor trot in, her ridiculously large suitcase in tow.

"You know, I think I need to start charghig extra for zis..." she mutters, setting her bag down on the side of the bed.

Cadance sighs, and Trixie and Octavia sit on the other end of the bed.

"What, exactly, is wrong with Anonymous?" Trixie asks, raising an eyebrow at the doctor.

Dr. Cuore looks up for a moment. "Oh, so you're ze new vone Cadance mentioned."

With a knowing smile on her face, she continues. "...Vell, he suffered some severe trauma to his abdomen and stomach. He's hemorrhaging, and may have a collapsed lung."

"Vhatever ze hell he fell on must've been blunt, and he must've fell pretty hard..."

She shot a look at Trixie.

Did she know?

You never told the truth to anyone, and Cadance never said anything...

Afterwards, she looks at you.

By now, she has most everything set up.

"Just going to check and see vhat's wrong. Hopefully it's nothing too incredibly bad."

She takes out her stethoscope, and slides it under your shirt.

It goes right below your sternum.

And, holy shit, is it cold.

"Okay, breathe."

You take a deep breath in.

Her eyebrows hit the sky.

"Ooookay, I know ze problem," she says, shaking her head.

She looks bewildered.

"What's wrong?"

"Your lung."

"What about it?"

"Vant ze science and medical terminology, or just ze blunt vay to put it?"

"Blunt, please."

"It's not working."

You raise your eyebrows.

"It's not working?"

"Nope."

"At all?"

"Nope."

"Should I be alive?"

"I vouldn't go zat far, but... It's a simple fix."

"Should I be awake for this?"

"Probably not. I'm going to have to cut you open for a minute. It von't be major, though," she says, with an oddly giddy and sadistic tone in her voice.

Joy.

She sets the IV up on the side of the bed.

She takes out the sheets from under you, as well, and puts down a waterproof cloth for you to lie on.

Likely for the blood.

Once everything is in place, she grabs a small cloth dipped in rubbing alcohol.

She wipes off your stomach, as well as the areas where the IV is to be put in.

After that, she hooks you up to the IV again.

Christ, at this rate, ponies are going to start thinking you're on heroine...

After a grumble and a shock of pain at the needles, she nods

"Oookay, I'm going to put you under, and I'll start. For those of you vith veak stomachs, you should likely go out of ze room."

Octavia nods, and hops off of the bed.

"I never was much one for... Blood. Eugh. Blood alone gives me shivers. I don't want to know what would happen if I saw... This."

With that, she takes her leave.

Trixie, however, stays.

As does Cadance.

Trixie seemed... Intrigued.

Cadance just didn't give a shit.

You aren't surprised.

The doctor smiles, looking at everything.

Soon, she rummages through her bags, starting to speak.

"All right, it looks like ve're ready to go! I just need to knock you out, and-"

"...Vait."

Her eyes show some sudden concern, and she rummages even faster.

"Vhere is it?"

FUCK.

You wanted to scream, but you didn't dare.

It'd hurt too much.

"Vell," the doctor sighs, looking at her equipment, "evidently I'm out of anesthetics. I'm not going to go through vith ze operation vithout them."

"Wait, but what about my-"

"It's non-lethal. But it may very vell be if I cut you open, concerning your heart rate vould go through ze roof."

"Blood. EVERYVHERE."

She shakes her head.

"Bad, bad idea. I've done it before, and it's vone hell of a mess."

You think you just shit your pants a little.

"But. Cadance," she says, turning. "You need to send in an order for it. Ze royalty is ze vone paying for my services, after all."

Cadance sighs.

"I will. After the concert tonight, I'll make a phone call," she says, nodding. "Where should I send it to?"

She pauses.

"Erm... Make it so a specific courier brings it to us. Concerning ve'll be moving, it'll be hard to pin down vhere to be. Just... Find out vhere ve'll be in 'X' amount of time, and have zem sent it zere."

Cadance nods. "Our next stop is... Erm..."

"Vindsoar," Aperta says, nodding. "Cloud city. About half the size of Cloudsdale, but still huge nonzeless. It's just across the river, actually, so ze trip isn't far."

"Excellent," Cadance says, nodding. "I'll just have to find out where our hotel is."

"Mmm, yes. But. Take good care of Anonymous until ze time comes. I don't vant to have to go through another operation vith a conscious patient."

With a sigh, she starts packing up again.

"And by careful, I mean very careful. As in, treat him like a baby."

"But, Cadance? Don't do vhat you and... Shining... Did..."

You look over at Cadance, and her face was as red as a tomato.

"Wh-HEY! I thought you said you'd never bring that up!"

"And I von't. I'm just saying, ze embarassment might get Anonymous going again. And zat is bad. Zat is very bad."

Cadance shoots her a glare. "...Gee, thanks. Makes me feel good."

Aperta chuckles, yanking out your needles.

"Oh, I know, Cadance. I got qvite a show."

Now she was gritting her teeth.

"I never took you for ze kind of pony to take to a hospital bed... Merda sacra."

The doctor was loving every second of this, and you could tell she was struggling to keep a straight face.

Cadance, meanwhile, was also struggling.

Except her issue was with rage.

And humiliation, it seems.

"Just... Stop talking," she demands, stern faced.

"As you vish, Princess."

With that, she finishes packing up the last of her gear and slides the gigantic backpack on her back.

"Oh, before I forget."

She pulls a giant paper tube out her packs.

"A map. You vanted to see it, yes? I have it."

She unrolls the map and holds it up to the wall.

Some pins float from her bag and tack it to the wall.

"Hmm. Ze train ride to Roama from Pawland vill be... Fun..."

You have a long trip ahead of you...

(Map: i.imgur.com/ujkFevK.jpg)

Everyone in the room just looks at the map with varying degrees of fucks to be given.

Cadance is interested, but hardly surprised.

You yourself had no idea exactly how far you would be going, and you were surprised.

Hell, you don't even think you've SEEN a full map before.

The doctor is absolutely exuberant.

Trixie's look is hard to pin down; she's looking at it, and you see her eyebrows raised, but she has an oddly stern and serious look.

You decide it's best to ask questions later.

"Vell, I best be off now. I'll see you at ze concert, yes?"

The three of you nod your heads.

"Good! Farevell for now, friends!"

And, just then, the door swings open and shuts behind the doctor.

Octavia came back inside a moment later, after you heard the doctor explain things as briefly as she could.

She trots in the room, immediately noticing the map.

"Oh, good. She did bring it back! I was worried I had lost it."

She turns to the three of you. "It's probably best we get going some time soon. Are you three ready to go?"

The other two nod.

You, however?

You aren't certain if you can walk with this pain in your chest.

Actually, you can, you're just a pussy about it.

That, and the doctor certainly didn't help your willingness to do so.

Well, you didn't have a wheelchair, so that was out of the picture.

Hopefully you can go for the next best thing.

"Hey, Cadance? You got a saddle?"

Cadance gives you the most bewildered of looks.

"...You... What? You want to go again?! Anon, we have to leave!"

wut

"What?! No, I'm not having sex again! I need a ride, and I don't think walking is the best idea right now!"

The silence is cold, and the awkwardness on Octavia's face is unbelievable.

"Anonymous."

"Yeah?"

"I take it you don't know exactly what a saddle is used for, other than for newborns?"

"Uh, I'm going to guess it'd be awkward for you to have a saddle on?"

"Very."

"Well. Good to know."

"I'd be willing to give you a ride," Octavia says. "I know I can haul more than the Princess."

Cadance was about to object, but then she realized it'd be pointless; not only was Octavia an earth pony, but she also effortlessly hauled around a giant string instrument.

The comment wasn't meant as rude, either, so Cadance didn't object.

Octavia smiles, looking up at you.

"Want a ride?"

You smile.

You were thrice her size...

But this deal was too good to pass up.

"Sure, why not?"

As you straddle Octavia, you can hear Cadance sigh as she dies a little inside from embarrassment.

Trixie stands beside Octavia, looking between the two of you as you mount her. (non-sexually, this time)

Octavia is...

Surprisingly well built.

You're held up nicely, and her back muscles are strong.

Sure, it's a little hard on your ass and crotch as you sit, but it's bearable.

She looks up at you and smiles.

"Ready to go?"

"'Course I am."

"Coming, Candy?"

"Hey! Only Nonnie can call me Candy!"

"Too late~"

Octavia opens the door and steps outside with a grin.

Cadance follows close behind, and Trixie trots to your right as you make your way down the halls.

"I have a cab in advance. The ride to the auditorium is... Fairly long, but nothing too terrible."

Octavia chuckles a bit. "Celestia knows how we are with carriage rides..."

Trixie gives you an odd look.

Heheh...

You smile wryly, chuckling a bit.

Trixie just shakes her head and looks forward.

"Sweet Celestia, and I thought I was bad..."

It doesn't take long for the three of you to step out the door and onto the sidewalks.

The ponies gawk at you just as much as they had before.

Princesses were usually ponies that caught attention.

You yourself might as well be Bigfoot.

No doubt Trixie has had her fair share of fame, and Octavia is just as noteworthy in her own respect.

Needless to say, some ponies gave a generous amount of room.

It felt good.

Octavia was happy, too, carrying you with a wide smile on her face.

Cadance looks like she's about to die from embarrassment.

And Trixie is...

...Trixie.

Even though you know how squishy and fickle she truly is, her facade of an arrogant, proud, boastful mare is so convincing it's almost real.

Then again, even she believes it's real.

That's how she escaped the pain before.

Shaking the depressing thoughts out of your mind, you sigh, and look forward.

"How long of a walk is it?"

"A long one."

"How long?"

"Pretty long."

Gee, Octavia was helpful.

You look up at the skyline.

Even though most of the city was about as clean as Trixie on a Saturday night, you have to admit.

There was a certain air of... Majesty, in cities like this.

The tall buildings, the sun shining off of the windows, the busy, bustling streets...

It was unique, and interesting.

Especially to you, who had lived his whole life out in the country.

A smile on your face, you ride forward.

Chapter 41

You figure this isn't a good time for the princess to sulk.

You'll bring it up later, no doubt; there are some things you want to know.

But, for now?

It's time to brighten the mood.

"So he's a softie, eh?"

She nods.

"He might look big and tough, but, really, I'm not exaggerating when I say he's the softest stallion I've ever met."

"Trust me, Cadance. You've told me plenty about how things have gone in the bedroom."

After a moment, the joke finally hits her.

And, immediately, her face slams straight into the table.

"Damnit, Anonymous, I—I didn't..."

She starts giggling a bit, bringing her head back up and shaking her head.

You have a chuckle yourself, since you see a bit of blush coming to your face.

"Well, am I right?"

She lets out a little sigh after her laughing fit, and she has that cute little smile on her face.

"Yes, yes you are. You're more right than you know."

That smile she has on her face...

It's not a common sight.

It's a genuine, truly happy smile.

You're glad to have given it to her.

After you stop chuckling, you nod.

"Okay, I'll stop with the jokes now. I'd better watch my mouth here."

She nods.

"That would be wise."

Some of the goats at the bar are chuckling.

Oh god, one of them might have heard what you said.

You hope to hell that they don't completely understand what's going on.

But, then, your mind is immediately wiped.

You see a pleasant surprise across the room.

Your waiter, a doe, prancing across the room with a tray on her back.

She's coming right for you, too.

Yessssssss...

Soon, she reaches the table, sets everything down, and smiles.

Her and Cadance have a short exchange, and right after, she departs, leaving you two be.

Your steamed asparagus and potatoes actually look pretty good, with the butter lathered on them.

Cadance's soup looks like the stuff you'd find in a witch's pot, however.

Disregarding her choice of asparagus, you take a whiff of your own.

You can smell the steamed vegetables, as well as a light smell of butter.

With that, you grab a piece of asparagus and bite down, ripping it in half.

Nice, smooth, and salty.

A little fibrous, but not enough to cause any trouble.

You gulp, and it goes down with ease, leaving a bitter but not unpleasant aftertaste.

Cadance slurps at her soup slowly, and takes a drink of her juice.

And immediately regrets her decision.

She snarls a bit, setting the glass down.

"Okay, in Manehattan, I heard the phrase 'don't knock it 'til you try it'. Now that I've tried it, I think I'll pass..."

You chuckle, and her nose scrunches.

"Ugh, wow, that's bitter..."

"I thought so. I hope you brought a breath mint."

She nods.

"I did. I planned ahead. I've had mints on me ever since we started this tour."

"Good thinking."

Wait...

The meal's short and sweet; it doesn't take you long at all to finish up your meal, and neither of you talk for the rest of the meal.

It was a lot better than you expected, too.

But not quite as filling as you would have hoped.

You might have to get a midnight snack later.

Anyway, after Cadance asks your waiter for a bill, you stand up and stretch your legs.

A moment later, the bill is brought back, paid for, and gone.

Cadance stands up as well, and stretches her back.

"Ready to head back to the hotel?"

"I suppose," she says, heading to the door. "What time is it?"

"Three o'clock," you say affirmatively as you hold the door open for your princess.

"Oh, good. We still have some time before Octavia gets back."

You look at her, interested.

"Oh? Have plans? Ideas?"

She pauses, and sighs.

"Well, I would, if not for the new little one we just added to our group."

Oh yeah.

Scoots...

Damnit.

"But, then again, I'm fairly certain we can convince someone to take her somewhere."

"Yeah, but still."

She nods. "I know."

"But. I do have some ideas."

"Like?"

"Well, the hotel has a pool, you know..."

"Oh, that's right. But I don't have my swim trunks."

Cadance hesitates a moment, before looking at you quizzically.

"Wait, you wear clothes when you swim? Just take it off."

Skinny dipping, eh?

"All right, I guess."

With that, the two of you walk forward.

It's a short walk to the hotel, and it's mostly in silence.

You find yourself back at the hotel room in a few minutes after you walk upstairs and open the door.

You're greeted by nobody, at first.

Cuore is passed out on the couch.

Trixie's over on the bed, asleep as well.

Scootaloo isn't anywhere to be seen.A

Probably in the bathroom, though.

After a shrug, you step inside.

You take off your suit jacket and start undressing.

"Think they'll have a problem with me in the pool?"

Cadanes smiles.

"Well, if they do, I'll be sure to inform them who they're dealing with."

You let out a hmmph.

"Right."

Off go your pants, your shirt, your socks, and your boxers.

Standing in your full on naked glory, you turn to Cadance.

"This doesn't feel right."

Cadance gives you a funny look.

"Well, you don't look right when you have clothes on, if you want me to be perfectly honest. It doesn't look natural unless it's a special event, like a wedding, or a ball."

"Keep in mind, I don't have fur, Cadance. I get really cold, really fast. That, and my dangly parts are a lot more visible.

"Huh. Good point. But let's go."

With that, the both of you walk out the door and back down the stairs.

Junior takes this time to retreat from the cold air.

Ping and Pong aren't particularly happy with the frigid assault, and they retreat as well.

You get goosebumps all over, too.

It's a lot colder than you remember.

How used to clothes WERE you?

Crossing your arms and trying to stay warm, you walk along.

Cadance glances at you now and again as she takes the lead towards the pool.

Hopefully the water's warm.

Thankfully, the walk isn't long.

The pool is just ahead.

Cadance walks forward and swings open the door.

Immediately, nice, warm, and humid air hits you.

You relax a bit, and the goosebumps fade.

The both of you step inside, and what lies before you is a great sight.

A decent size, rectangular pool-nothing extraordinary, really.

The deep end is 8 feet, and there isn't a diving board.

Oh well.

Cadance trots past some white lounge chairs, to the stairway into the pool.

You look around.

There are a few goats here.

A couple are lounging in the chairs.

A few kids are swimming in the pool, too.

Most of them are staring at the two of you as you walk in.

You try to ignore the stares and the comments as you walk towards the pool.

None confront you, thankfully.

Most of them do give you odd looks, though.

Again, there's a lot of confusion, and a bit of disgust.

One couple and their kids outright leave when you arrive.

Although it does sting your ego a bit, you can't really blame them.

You take your first step into the pool.

The water's warm and welcoming, and you immediately get comfortable as you walk inside.

Thing is, it's only a foot and a half deep on the shallow end.

Cadance is almost up to her chest in water.

Odd.

"It's... Not really suited for you, is it?" she asks, trying to keep a light mood as she goes into deeper water.

You walk with her, water reaching your knees and thighs.

"I guess. Then again, I tower everyone here, so, I shouldn't expect much."

"I'm surprised you make it through a lot of the doorways."

Ugh, fucking doorways.

Thankfully a lot of them in the cities are much taller to accommodate you.

But, in a little town like Ponyville?

None of them were hardly ever chest high, spare Sugarcube Corner, the Apples' barn, and Butterbutt's shack.

"Yes, yes, I know. Doorways are the bane of my existence."

Cadance giggles as you shake your head and sigh.

The two of you make it farther back.

You're about belly-button level by now, and Cadance is underwater, spare her head.

As tall as she is, it's too deep for her here; she's still a pony.

A little pony, at that, and she's yours.

She paddles a bit more to get to the deeper end, and finally, she can't touch without going under.

You follow, now about nipple height.

You get your hair and your chest wet.

It's a bit of a shock at first, but you quickly ease into the warmness of the water.

Cadance is idly doggie-paddling, keeping herself afloat.

Her wings are splayed out underwater, moving ever so slightly.

You smile, swimming a bit deeper.

Finally, your feet can't touch the bottom of the pool, and you're left drifting on the surface of the water.

The water's fairly relaxing.

And, you notice right about now that all the kids have left the pool.

As have all of the parents.

Spare one goat, who's asleep on one of the chairs.

After noticing this, you turn to Cadance.

"Looks like we scared them off."

She looks around, a bit surprised.

"Well. I can't say I blame them."

"I can't say that them being gone is a bad thing, either."

She turns to you, and starts paddling a little closer.

"I'd have to agree."

She hums, smiling as she swims right up to you.

You reach out and gently place your hand on her back.

She's all wet, spare her head and part of her neck.

Her coat's incredibly smooth and slick when it's underwater

You yank her over to your side and bring her close.

She looks up at you with a bright smile.

"Hey, Cadance. Guess what."

"What?"

You place both of your hands on her back.

"It's time."

She looks confused.

With that, you give one hard, definitive shove on her back.

"Wait, what time is i—EEEE–"

*Blurbleblurble*

Her face, as well as the front half of her body, disappears under her mane as it scatters about underwater.

She flails and kicks, and you quickly pull away.

Right after, her head pops out of the water, and she gasps for air

Her mane is soaked, and falls in front of her face like a heavy, polychrome mop.

A mesmerizing mop, at that.

It covers one of her eyes.

The other is glaring at you with the fury you can hardly imagine.

She's snarling, and you can see her gritted teeth.

It is only now that you realize your mistake.

You have angered a god.

Instantly her horn glows bright, and you can feel weight on your shoulders.

"Oh, you little shit!"

Next thing you know, everything is blue.

You're flat against the bottom of the pool.

The collision knocked the wind out of you, and you scramble to get back to the surface.

Your chest burns until you reach the surface, gasping for air.

After you barely manage to catch your wind, you come back to your senses, and hear Cadance snickering at your misfortune.

"Agh, you BITCH!"

With that, you raise your arm and smack the water, sending a giant splash wave right into her face.

Her laughing halts immediately.

"And, then, next thing you know, the pool is only half as deep as it was before.

You notice the lights have dimmed too.

You look up, and all you see is a gigantic pink-glowing ball of water looming above your head.

"...Fuck."

"All is fair in love and war."

And, with one mighty fwoosh, the gigantic aqua-ball of death falls down.

The collosal crash is the last thing you hear before going under completely.

You can't see a thing, bubbles block your vision everywhere.

You flail wildly, trying to get back to the surface.

The tides jerk you around, but you eventually manage.

After you gasp for breath, you realize Cadance isn't in the pool anymore.

She's washed up on the side, laughing her ass off.

Oh, no.

She thinks she's won.

No.

This isn't over yet.

You swim underwater and make your way to the edge of the pool.

You jump up and out, hoisting yourself onto the stone above.

Then, you walk up to her.

She's still laughing unbelievably hard.

"HAAHAHAAHA! OH, OH WOW, THAT WAS! HAHAAAA! YOUR FACE! YOUR FUCKING—"

As she laughs, you reach down, grab her in a firm grip, and hoist her up.

She immediately stops laughing.

"—OH CELESTIA ANONYMOUS WAIT!"

You hoist her up and above your head, holding her by her torso.

She flails and kicks helplessly in the air as you lean back.

"NONONO DON'T PLEASE DON'T!"

"ALL'S FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR, BITCH!"

"NononononoooOOooOOO! WAAAAAAAAA—"

With her futile screams overhead, you give one last mighty heave, sending her flying into the water.

Her wet wings are of little use, and she screams as she side-flops onto the water with a sickening smack.

Fuck, that sounded like it hurt!

You see her come to the surface moments later, reeling in pain and flailing about.

"AH! OOOW! Fuck! You win! I-I'm done! UGH!"

She floats back to the side of the pool in pain, and holds on.

She breathes heavily, and tries to calm down.

However, as hard as she tries to catch her breath, it isn't going very well.

You walk over to her, giggling at her pain.

"You all right, hun?"

She lets out an exasperated sigh, shaking her head.

"Hell no! That hurt!"

Her wet mane sags and drips.

It's notably slick, and still covers half of her face.

The one eye she has glares at you.

But, as fateful as it is, you can tell she's had fun.

You hop into the pool, sinking down next to her.

"Heheh. Sorry, Candy."

She lightly bumps you in the shoulder.

"No you aren't. Butthead..."

You shake your head and wrap an arm around her.

Your other arm is on the side of the pool, working as an anchor.

You pull Cadance close, shaking her a bit.

"You put up one hell of a fight, you know that?"

She smiles, and rolls her eyes.

"You never stop, do you?"

"Nope. Stamina of an Olympian here."

Cadance gives you a surprised look.

"No, not like that, you pervert! As in you have a really hard head!"

"That too!"

"Damn it to the moon, Anonymous, sometimes..."

You have a hearty giggle, pulling Cadance into a hug.

"Aw, come on. You know you walked right into that one.

"I know, I did."

Cadance's sopping wet mane sticks to your shoulder as you hold her close with your arm.

For a moment, you just stay as you are, looking down at the water.

You both needed a breather after that scramble.

After a moment, Cadance looks up at you.

You look down, raising an eyebrow.

"That was fun, though."

"Yeah, it was."

You both smile, and you lower yourself deeper into the water.

Now you're actually face-level with Cadance.

She wastes no time to take advantage of this.

Right away, she reaches in to give you a kiss as she closes her eyes.

You return the favor, tilting your head to the right and leaning in closer.

Your wet lips meet, and the warmth makes your heart ache.

Her wet mane sticks onto your cheek and your shoulder as your lips meet, but doesn't interfere.

Gently, you suckle on her upper lip, and she lets out a warm breath onto your neck.

After another moment of kissing, she pulls back and looks up at you with those big purple eyes.

You press your forehead against hers, returning her gaze.

You smile, and playfully rub your nose against her snout.

She giggles, and wraps her forelegs around your chest.

You wrap your arms around her body, holding her close.

And it's now you very suddenly remember you are naked.

Not only that, but you're at full attention.

Your length presses against her soft belly, and she jumps at first, looking down.

But, then, once she sees what's happening, she doesn't seem to mind.

"I can't say I'm surprised."

"You told me not to wear clothes."

"You think I don't know that?"

She gives you a wicked smile and a wink.

"Eh. Guess I don't mind that much."

"I can see that."

"Oh, and I wasn't lying."

"Huh? About?"

"You having a hard head."

"Oh, I know that."

She giggles seductively, and looks up at you.

And, suddenly, in a very coarse and masculine voice, she starts speaking in a heavy Germane accent.

"Was zum Teufel?"

Wait, hold on a second.

That isn't Cadance at all.

You look up in surprise and worry, to notice the previously slumbering goat has awoken.

Not only that, but he's gawking at the sight before him.

It's also VERY clear that he likes what he sees.

After shitting a brick house, you look at Cadance.

"We... We should go."

"That's a good idea."

With that, you part, and you start swimming.

You reach the door before Cadance does, since you can do more than doggie-paddle.

You wait for Cadance to catch up, and you hastily walk out the door.

The peeping goat across the room says something unintelligible–likely a cat call or an insult.

Perhaps both.

"Verdammt ist das ein geiler Affenarsch."

"Und diese Prinzessin...  Ihr Hintern ist einfach Göttlich..."

After that, you close the door, shake your head, and look down at Cadance in worry.

"You all right?"

She nods, grasping at her pounding chest.

"Y-Yeah, I'll be fine. I just got spooked."

"Good."

You sigh, trying to get the anxiety out of your chest.

Thankfully your boner instantly deflated once you went into full panic mode.

Dear god, that would be a sight...

A dopey smile on your face, you drift off for a moment, thinking of your paddle-dick.

And then you remember.

You're running out of time.

"Uh, Candy?"

"Yes?"

"What time is it?"

"Do I look like a clock?"

Fair point.

You look around, and you see a clock down the hall.

But it's pretty far away...

You squint...

It's... Six?

Six. The little hand is pointing to the six.

And the big hand is thin, but you can see one near the '9'...

Is it 6:45 already?

Shit, you had better get going.

Octavia's probably back already.

Time really does fly when you're having fun.

Although, getting pummeled by an alicorn isn't normally considered fun.

But, it was fun for you.

"Welp. We have fifteen minutes until poker night."

There's a short pause.

"Huh? It's been that long already?"

"Yeah, I know."

She blinks in disbelief, processing exactly what you just said for a moment.

"Well, let's get going then. You have to get dressed."

Chapter 59

The six of you make your way up to the hotel room.

Upon your arrival, you take note of all of your luggage.

Most notably, the slightly deformed scooter box.

That's a powder keg waiting to go off, right there...

But, you bring no attention to it, and sit on the couch.

Scootaloo is still sound asleep in your arms.

Poor little thing.

You look at Octavia, who has wasted no time in finding a mirror to comb her mane.

"So, when are you leaving?"

"Soon," she replies, glancing at you before returning to herself. "The concert, in case you were wondering, starts in an hour and a half."

"That's actually exactly what I was wondering."

She stops combing for a minute, and gives you and Scootaloo a look.

"You're bringing her to my concert?"

You nod.

"She wanted to see one, and, well, you said you wanted it today rather than tomorrow."

"That's right," she replies, putting her comb back in her bags.

"I'll have to be on the ball then, today."

You smile.

"Well, you're usually pretty sharp, so—"

"Excuse me?!"

Octavia looks completely and utterly insulted.

"Huh, what? Oh, wait! No! Not sharp as in off tune, I mean, sharp as in... Focused! Skilled!"

She takes a minute to regain her composure, and then she lets out a little sigh.

"Oh. Good. I was wondering why you'd say... that...."

With that, she turns around and trots towards the door.

"I'd best be heading out. You'll have some time to yourself; seating starts about an hour from now, I'd assume."

"Great. We'll be there."

You can see Octavia smile sweetly just before she goes through the doorway.

"See you soon."

"Yep, see ya."

With that, the door latches shut.

Scootaloo is starting to stir, it seems; she's wriggling around in your arms.

The doctor, in the meantime, found a seat on the other end of the couch.

Cadance is taking a nap on the bed.

Trixie is nowhere to be seen. Probably in the bathroom.

You're content with just sitting back for an hour.

There's no rush to do anything.

"Anonymous, dear?" Cadance calls from the bed, not bothering to move her lazy ass.

"Yes, Candy?"

"Can I talk to you for a minute?"

You just why'd inside.

"Of couse."

"Come here, please. Set Scootaloo down, too."

You look down at the adorable filly in your arms.

"But I don't wanna..."

She lets out a groan.

"Please, Anon? It's important."

You sigh, and gently set down Scootaloo on the couch.

She doesn't wake, it seems, and you stand up.

You walk over to the bed, and sit down.

Cadance rolls over to face you.

"After the concert tonight?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't take your dress clothes off. We're getting a visit."

You raise an eyebrow.

"Is it Spitfire again?"

She shakes her head.

"No, it's not. It's probably more important than Spitfire, actually," she says, letting out a huff.

"Oh. Then who is it?"

She gives you a hopeful look.

"Have you ever met a world leader, other than me or Spitfire?"

You shake your head.

"Am I going to?"

"Yes, you are. The Prench Prince will be here to discuss relations, since he caught wind of my visit last night. It'll be a brief visit, I hope, but still. Look sharp, Anonymous."

"The Prench Prince?" you ask, a smile creeping on your face.

There's no way she'll get what you're thinking, is there?

"Yes, the Prench Prince."

"Is he from Bel Aire?"

Cadance blinks, surprised and astonished.

"...Uh, wow, I... I didn't take you to be much of a politician, or... Someone even remotely interested in foreign affairs, Anonymous."

Wait, what?

"Yes, he is. How did you know that?"

"Oh, I heard it somewhere before."

"Oh. Well, it's good to know you're no stranger to foreign affairs, at least."

She rolls over, facing away from you.

"It'll be right after the concert, pretty much. The doctor is taking the other four out to eat."

Oh.

That reminds you.

You haven't had something to eat for a while.

Your stomach grumbles with righteous fury.

"Speaking of food,"

"They're bringing us back some, don't you worry."

"I love you."

She giggles at you, smiling.

"I love you too. Now, go get Scootaloo ready. I'd imagine you want her to look good for the concert.

Oh, yeah.

You need to... Erm...

There's a lot of work to be done.

Concerning her mane and coat are about as greasy as a fryer at the drive inn, and she's about as formal as Applejack on a good day.

The formalities won't be easy to fix, you'll just have to tell her what to do and hope to high hell she listens.

But, the filth?

You can fix that.

You walk back over to the couch.

Scootaloo's sitting up, and is half awake.

Eh, close enough to awake, you suppose.

Without warning, you reach down and snatch her up.

She's taken by surprise, and flails a bit as you grab her.

"Huhwhat?!"

"Time to take a bath, Scooters."

"Huh?! What?!" she asks again, even more confused than before.

You pat her on the head to calm her down.

"I'm giving you a bath, since you're smelly and I want you to look nice at the concert."

"Gee, thanks, Anon," she grumbles, dangling helplessly in your arms.

"Oh, hush up. It won't be that bad," you say, opening the bathroom door and stepping inside.

You set her down in the tub, and after taking off your clothes, step in with her.

"You don't have to hold my hoof in the shower, y'know," she says, pouty.

"Well, too bad. I'm doing it anyway. Besides, you need a good scrubbing, and my hands can do just that."

At the thought of your hands, Scootaloo suddenly warms up to the idea.

But, she tries to hide it.

Although she isn't successful, you can still see Scootaloo being her typical self.

"Oh, okay, fine," she says in a tsundere tone.

With that, you reach and turn on the shower.

It's a shock at first, since it's so cold, bu in a moment it warms up.

Scootaloo's unkempt mane is now flat, covering her face.

All you can see is the stubby little tip of her snout.

She tries to look up at you, but her soppy mane is in the way.

"...Uh, Anon? I can't... See you."

"Then move your hair out of the way.

She does, throwing it back over her shoulder.

As she waits for you to get the soap, she plops down on her rump.

Those cute little stubby legs...

You squirt some shampoo into your hands.

"Okay, c'mere, Scoots. Let's start with your coat."

"Fine."

Scooters scoots over to you, not even bothering to get off of her rear.

You turn her so she's facing away from you, and you lather her coat with the berry-scented shampoo.

As soon as it's all over, you start digging in with your fingers, making sure that there's shampoo in every last place it needs to be.

Scootaloo, although reluctant to show her feelings at first, eventually relaxes, and closes her eyes.

Your fingers really are magic.

You reach up, scratching along her back and neck.

And then, you reach down to get her sides.

She wriggles a bit, but doesn't object in the slightest.

Fucking hell, her coat is filthy.

Dirt, crumbs, and Celestia knows what else is stuck in there.

And it's really, incredibly greasy.

Poor little filly.

How long has it been since she's had a bath?

You squirt more soap on, and keep lathering her coat.

Eventually, everything but her mane and tail are foaming with soap.

At which point, you shove her under the shower head and start scrubbing again.

After running your hands all over her coat, you get all of the soap out.

It's literally squeaky clean, and the difference is noticeable.

Instead of a dull, dirty orange before, now it's bright, vibrant, and a real eye-catcher.

But, the easy part was over, it seemed.

Time to handle her mane.

Eugh.

That mane was terrible.

You can physically see chunks of dirt and crap stuck in it.

Time to go to work.

You reach for the bottle of soap again, give Scootaloo's head one last hopeless look, and say to yourself;

"Fuck it."

You squirt the shampoo on her head without giving a single shit.

Then, you get to scrubbing that thing like there's no tomorrow.

Until you feel... Stuff stuck inside, that is.

You feel several large objects stuck in there.

Deciding soap will do no good, you try your best to dissect Scootaloo's mane and remove the contents within.

The first thing you pull out is the piss-stained Kyutey Kats figurine.

Laughing to yourself, you set it to the side.

But there are still some more things lodged in there.

Further investigation proves that said things are:

A pencil

A lone ketchup packet

A toy soldier

A half-empty pack of gum

A wad of already chewed gum

13 bits

And, last but not least, a pair of light blue earrings, which is odd, concerning you've never seen Scootaloo wear earrings.

Does she even have her ears pierced?

And why was she hiding these in her mane?

Wait, the doctor have a pair just like these...

Shrugging it off as a mystery only Scootaloo's young mind could explain, you keep scrubbing.

It's remarkably greasy.

So much so, your hands even feel grimy and sticky.

But, with time, scrubbing, and an assload of shampoo and soap, you manage to get it clean.

With even more scrubbing, that mane is pristine.

It's dark pink, and vibrant like her coat.

She looks twice as energetic as before, just because of this.

You didn't know that was possible.

Scootaloo, as you can clearly tell, is loving this.

She's let out a little groan as you scratch behind her ears, and you were sure to give her tiny neck a little massage as you worked down there.

She was the happiest filly you've ever seen.

That's no surprise; she usually is.

Usually.

With that, you rinse, and reluctantly repeat.

You grab her tail.

Thankfully, it's not nearly as messy.

Somehow.

Even though her shitter is right next to it.

You avoid looking at her privates the best you can.

She's just a filly.

That's just wrong, man.

After a long, painstaking scrubbing, that tail is poofy and clean as can be.

Or, well, so you hope.

The water isn't coming out brownish anymore.

She looks at you, her mane still dangling in front of her face.

"...Sheesh, Anon, how long are you gonna clean that thing? It's been, like, an hour."

"Well, I'm sorry, but you have more dirt on you than I have on Cadance."

She giggles a bit at your joke, and nods.

"Okay, okay, I get it. Is that thing clean yet?"

"I think so," you say, letting her tail plop to the floor.

"Finally."

With that, she waits and looks up at you expectantly as you open the shower door.

"Can I get some help?"

She must want a lift.

You nod, picking the soaking wet filly up and setting her down on the mat outside of the shower.

She lands on the floor, and before you can grab a towel, she starts shaking herself off like a dog.

Soapy water flies everywhere, peppering you, the towels, the sink, the mirror, and everything in the bathroom.

And, just like that, Scootaloo is about as puffy as a cottonball.

As you shield your eyes and reach for your towel, you can hear Scootaloo snickering at you.

As much as this annoys you, you can't help but smile.

The rambunctious little filly has a way to make you smile and laugh.

It might be her own laugh, and how squeaky and erratic it is.

Or maybe it's just that gigantic smile.

Either way, she's always a joy to be around.

You toss a towel on her head, enticing a little yelp as she's blinded.

After taking the towel off of her face, she starts to dry herself off.

You grab another towel. One that, fortunately, was unscathed by the Tscootanami -- and start to dry yourself off.

It doesn't take you long, since you don't have fur.

Except for on your head and around your dangly bits.

Once you're finished, you walk over and help Scootaloo get some of the tougher spots, like her back.

But, she shoos you away.

"I got this, dude. Don't worry."

You can only laugh at her and her attitude, smiling.

"Whatever you say, Scoots. Feel better after that?"

"Heheh, oh yeah, I do. I feel like a million bits."

As... Crude as she is, you think she's at least presentable at the concert.

Let's hope that assumption proves true.

Hope.

Story Update

Hey everyone

Editor here, just saying that our original writer is busy and won't be able to update as much.

Now we've got a few options

Mark the story as On Hiatus and wait

Leave as is and post monthly-bimonthly updates until he gets his shit together

I temporarily take over, with seperate chapters, marked differently, as a branch from the main story

So where do you guys want this to go?

I'm not an amazing writer, but I'll see what I can do if you guys want me to

(Note: I'm just as clueless as you all are with where the story is going, so things I write will be spoiler free)

Make your decision

Poll: strawpoll.me/3372519

It would be nice if you voted