The Favor that Changed it All

The chilly air surrounded the weeping stallion as he dodged through every apple tree that was in his through his tear soaked eyes, but he could care less about running into anything at that point. All Esbin could think about was his three friends he had fornicated with over the past few days, and it made him sick to his stomach just thinking about, he just could get any of the three mares that he known since he was colt out of his head. He made his way back on the dirt path and headed straight to Ponyville as fast as his hooves could take him, some ponies avoided Esbin as best they could the very moment he came galloping down the road. Even though his eyes stung from the salty tears, he still managed to make his way to his home; he opened the door and slammed it shut behind him. Charles and Margret poked their heads out from the kitchen to see their son trying to keep himself from balling his eyes out. “Esbin, where have you been,” Charles asked with a slightly angry expression, “Me and your mother have been worried all day since you left this morning to go see Scootaloo and…” With that Esbin lost his composure and started to burst into tears again as he ran up the stairs to leave his parent to hear a door slam upstairs.

“Now what in all of Equestria was that all about?” Charles asked turning to his wife.

“I don’t know sweetie, but something really must have really upset him. Come on lets go see what’s wrong.” Margret said as she trotted toward the stairs to confront her son.

“Have you ever seen Esbin that upset before?” Charles asked as he and Margret stepped onto the second floor of the house.

“Not since we used to live back at Canterlot,” Margret replied in a sadder tone which caused Charles to feel depress from past memories.

Esbin tuned the shower on hot as he laid in the bathtub crying as the hot drops of water rain on him. He didn’t notice the sound of his parents walking down the hallway until he heard Margret knocked on the door and asked, “Esbin, are you okay sweetheart?” At first he didn’t answer but simply said in a low voice, “No, I’m not okay.” “Would you like to talk about it,” Margret asked after his response. There was short pause for a moment before he said, “Not really.” “Look Esbin, we only want to help you,” Charles said while stepping to the side of Margret, “We’re your parents, you can tell us anything you…” But before Charles could even finish his sentence, Esbin shouted in anger, “I DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT!! I just…-sign- I just need to be alone for a bit…please. Just leave me alone for now.” Charles and Margret faced each other; both of them had an uncertain expression on their faces as Margret said, “Okay sweetie, but if you ever want to talk about it, just let us know okay?” “Okay.” Esbin said with the same tone of voice as his parents trotted into the master bedroom to get ready for bed. As soon as they left the hallway Esbin mutter to himself, “But I doubt they would understand…” Esbin tucked in his hind hooves as he curled into a ball on the tub floor and continued crying to himself as he closed his eyes he heard only the water around him drain on the other end of the tub. Just outside the house, the clock tower nearby rang at 10:00 P.M.

-14 hours later-

Apple Bloom, Applejack, Big Mac, and Granny Smith made their way off the Ponyville express train from Appaloosa came to a holt at the train station. “Now listen, Apple Bloom,” Big Mac said placing a hoof on her shoulder, “Me, AJ and Granny will meet ya back at Sweet Apple Acres take’ in care of the barn from our absence in the past five days, so if ya need ta get a few things. I suggest ya go get them.” Apple Bloom smiled and said, “Ah otta meet up with mah friends since we just left without tell’ in them about it. Also, ah gotta something important to tell them. I’ll catch up with all ya later.” She took off in search for her three friends around Ponyville, after a while of looking around she soon spotted Sweetie Belle leaving the Carousel Boutique and dashed over to her while saying, “Sweetie Belle!” The white unicorn swung her head to see the yellow earth pony galloping towards her, “Apple Bloom!” Sweetie Belle cheered and trotted toward her friend and embraced each other in a hug, “Where have you been? I haven’t seen you for a while.”

“I’ll explain when ah find Scootaloo, speaking of which have ya seen that Pegasus?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Not really, now that you’ve mentioned it I haven’t seen her for a while now too.” Sweetie Belle said with puzzled expression on her face.

“Well that’s just crazy,” Apple Bloom started, “Now where’s do ya think she is any ways, ah got something ta tell the both of…”

“HEY GIRLS,” called out a voice from above, the two mares looked up to see Scootaloo hovering above the rooftops of the houses around them. “SCOOTALOO,” Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle simultaneously cheered out as the Pegasus lowered herself the pavement while saying, “The one and only!” Just as Scootaloo landed on the ground, she moaned in a pleasurable way as her head lowered, she looked up to see Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle stared as her with an awkward confused expression on their faces.

“What was that,” Sweetie Belle asked taking a step towards Scootaloo.

“What was what?” Scootaloo questioned trying not to sound too obvious of her sudden loose of composure.

“That weird moaning ya just did,” Apple Bloom added in to the conversation.

“OH that, I’m just a sore around my hunches that’s all.” Scootaloo said.

“Sore hunches, how did that happen?” Apple Bloom asked with curiosity.

“OH umm,” Scootaloo started as she tried to come up with an excuse from last night’s activity, “I was exercising and I guess I over did it a bit.” Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle looked at each other and simultaneously said, “Okay.” Scootaloo trotted alongside her friends into the Ponyville park and asked, “So where have you been Apple Bloom, I was up in Cloudsdale with Rainbow Dash and the Wonderbolts doing all sorts of cool stuff, like learning new tricks, seeing neat jumpsuits and oh man I could go on.” Apple Bloom smiled and said, “Well after the Apple Family Reunion, me and mah family took a train to Appaloosa to go see mah pappy. Ya see he couldn’t make it ta the reunion so Apple Jack said that we should go visit him ta see if he needs any help so we spent a day getting there, two days in Appaloosa and finally a day getting back to Ponyville. It was so great ta seeing mah ma and pa; they could believe how much I’ve grown.” Sweetie Belle laughed and said, “I had a pretty nice time at the spa with my big sis, but still it was kind of boring though. So now that were all here, what was it you wanted to tell as Apple Bloom?”

Apple Bloom tuned to face her friends and said, “Well, ah kinda wanted ta wait till Esbin was here but ah think ah guess ah can tell ya’ll. Before ah left, Esbin and ah had a very great time at the reunion, we went back ta mah room and well…things got a little interesting for us.” “What do you mean by that?” Sweetie Belle asked feeling a bit uncomfortable from Apple Blooms response. Apple Bloom giggled and said, “I’m say’ in that me and Esbin were, what they say, rolling in the hay. If you know what ah mean.” Both of Apple Blooms friends gasped as their eyes widened with shock, no of them didn’t even know what to say, this left Apple Bloom feeling a little embarrassed by what she just said. “Wait a second you had sex with Esbin?!” Sweetie Belle asked with tears in eyes starting to form. “Yah, it felt really good though and ah…” Apple Bloom started but stopped when she heard something from Sweetie Belle, “Wh-what was that Sweetie Belle? Ah didn’t quite…” “I said I thought I was Esbins first!” Sweetie Belle cried out, Scootaloo gasped again but Apple Bloom stood there with her mouth hanging open in shock.

“W-W-WHAT,” Apple Bloom stuttered in shock as she stared at Sweetie Belle.

“I-I…I said too much!” Sweetie Belle spat out covering her mouth her hooves, Apple Bloom trotted up to her friend placed a hoof on her shoulder to keep her from running.

“Sweetie Belle, what do ya mean ya had sex with Esbin?” Apple Bloom asked in a slightly agitated tone.

“I mean I had sex with Esbin about three days ago.” Sweetie Belle answered holding back her tears but afraid to look at Apple Bloom, yet she took a step back from Sweetie Belles response. Apple Bloom eyes widened and said, “That was…that was two days after the reunion…and he just…” Before she could even finish, Apple Blooms eyes stared to build up with tears and said, “I…I told him that it would be our little secret.” Scootaloo’s eyes widened with a gasp and muttered, “Is that why he ran off like that?!” Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle looked back to see the Pegasus who seemed rather stunned by Apple Blooms whimpering, Sweetie Belle asked, “Ran off? What do you mean by…” Scootaloo let out a bright blush on her face from embarrassment, Apple Blooms crying stopped almost instantly, while Sweetie Belle blushed with her hooves covering her mouth. “YOU TOO,” Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom asked simultaneously as Scootaloo chuckled nervously but it shortly faded into expression of disappointment. Apple Bloom shoved Scootaloo but not enough to force her on the ground and said, “Ah can’t believe ya slept with mah coltfriend!” “Your coltfriend,” Scootaloo asked in a slightly sarcastic tone as she took a step forward, “What makes you thinks he’s your coltfriend?” Thankfully there weren’t anyone around to hear them argue to each other. Before any of them could say anything, Scootaloo blurted out, “Besides I don’t know how it happened! It just…kind of happened after this race we had and well… things took off from there.”

“Ah can’t believe this! Ah thought Esbin cared about us, but it turns out that he’s a horny stallion just like rest of them.” Apple Bloom shouted out in anger, “And ta think I gave myself ta him, I thought we had –sniffle- something special.”

“Well I guess we were all wrong about that,” Scootaloo added with her temper starting to flare up, “I say we pay old pal Esbin a bit of a visit and teach why love hurts.”

Apple Bloom smugly grinned and nodded to Scootaloo, but Sweetie Belle didn’t think that what they were going to do was wrong and said, “Wait, should we ask him if he didn’t mean to do it behind our backs, I mean I’m sure there’s a reason why he did or somethi…” “What are you a detective,” Scootaloo asked turning to Sweetie Belle with a frown on her face, “Besides what makes you think he didn’t do it on purpose? He had sex with all three of us and he didn’t so much as to say a word to stop us?!” “Well…” Sweetie Belle said as she felt the eyes of her friends darting at her, she didn’t know what to say after that, she had always considered Esbin to be a trustworthy friend or in her case coltfriend. “Now are you coming or what?” Scootaloo asked with the same tone of voice, Sweetie Belle turned her head around and then back at her friends who were now starting to trot out of the park; she sighed and started to follow her friends to Esbins house. All three of them weren’t sure what they were going to when they finally reach Esbins place, but they were going to get some answers from him whether he wanted to or not.

The three mares trotted down the street and while that they did, they want to know what Esbin did to them when he had sex with them, “Wait so he made ya pee yourself,” Apple Bloom asked feeling a little disgusted by Sweetie Belles explanation. “Well no, I mean I don’t he made me pee myself,” Sweetie Belle said with a blush. “I just felt this pressure building up and I just couldn’t handle it, I’m sure you understand right?” “Uuhhh right, maybe we can discuss this after we get our answers and not on the streets where everypony can hear us,” Apple Bloom suggested feeling embarrass yet a little jealous inside. “Well were almost there,” Scootaloo said, “Thank Celestia, my ass is getting sore.” Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle didn’t say a word and kept their comments to themselves while Scootaloo gave a quick rub on one side of her rump. After about several minutes of walking, the girls finally arrived at Esbins home and trotted up the front door. Apple Bloom knocked on the door a few times; it opened to reveal Margret Hoofwin with a somewhat tearful expression on her face before she saying, “Oh…hello girls.”

“Hello Miss Hoofwin, is everything alright?” Apple Bloom asked after seeing the depressed mare at the door.

“No…everything’s not alright girls.” Margret answered with the same sad tone in her voice.

“Well what’s wrong?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“It’s about Esbin,” Margret replied feeling uncomfortable about admitting this to the girls as they looked at each other with slight concern.

“Speaking of which, we were just about to ask him something rather important. So can we see him?” Scootaloo added with a slight tone of anger in her voice.

“Well your more than welcome to try, he hasn’t talked to anyone as soon as he came home crying last night and locking himself in the bathroom.” Margret said as she pointed a hoof past the stair to the second floor.

“Crying? Why would he be crying?” Apple Bloom asked.

“That’s just it; yesterday he seemed pretty upset about something, went to look for you Scootaloo, we hadn’t seen him for most of the day, and then he come galloping back home crying and dashes upstairs to locking himself up in the bathroom. And ever since then, he’s been…saying some strange things.”

“Ya don’t say,” Apple Bloom said as she and Sweetie Belle glared daggers at Scootaloo who smiled nervously at her friends.

“Wait you mentioned he’s been saying strange things, what do you mean by that?” Sweetie Belle asked snapping out of her glare with Scootaloo.

“-Sigh- He’s been say things like, he’s a horrible pony, how he doesn’t deserve friends like you three, or how could he let this go so far out of hoof. I don’t know what he means by all that, but he’s been saying stuff like that all night, I don’t think he even slept at all last night.” Margret explained leaving the three mares in front of her in a state of shock.

“H-he hasn’t?” Apple Bloom asked feeling her anger toward Esbin fading away.

“Maybe since your all here,” Margret said as her mood started to lighten up a bit, “You three could go up and… I don’t know talk to him maybe convince him to come out of the bathroom, Charles and I are really concern for him.”

Apple Bloom and her friends looked at each other with concern and said, “Sure thing Miss Hoofwin, we kinda want ta see him today.” “Oh thank you girls,” Margret thanked with a happier expression, “You all are such good friends, I’m glad that Esbin met you three. Please come inside, he right upstairs first door on the left.” Margret stepped aside to the let the mares inside the house, as they trotted up the stairs Apple Bloom still felt conflicted by both hate and worry for Esbin, Sweetie Belle felt more concern for him than anything else, Scootaloo on the other hand still felt upset with Esbin for having relations with her friends behind her back. By the time they reached the second floor they could see the bathroom door as they trotted quietly over, but suddenly they heard sobbing coming from the other side of the door, they stopped dead in their tracks. They quietly walked a little closer to the door and gently pressed their ears against the door to listen in on what was going on the other side of the door. On the inside of the bathroom, Esbin was standing up in the tub walking back and forth in the confined space with the shower off.

The only thing they could hear was the voice a familiar stallion inside, “-Sigh- Why…why… why in the name of Celestia did this have to happen to me?! There my best friends, or should I say they were my friends if I ever see them again. They’ll probably think I’m such a horny bastard if I ever tell them what happened…” Apple Bloom blushed with embarrassment from his exact comment on being a ‘horny bastard’. “He is so gonna get it.” Scootaloo muttered but Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom shushed at the Pegasus and continued listen to Esbin. He got out of the bath tub as he dragged his hooves on the floor with water dripping onto the floor, he walked over to the sink and look at himself in the mirror like he talking to another side of himself. “…I mean I know I should tell them but what if… what if they don’t believe me like Scootaloo, I practically told her everything and she thought it was a damn joke…” Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle glared at Scootaloo once again but Scootaloo merely said, “It was just the way he said it that made it sound like a joke.” They ignored Scootaloo and went back to the door, “…Maybe they don’t have to know, no pony has to know. Oh who am I kidding?! They’re bound to find out eventually and when do there going to either beat the tar out of me or just ignore me for what left of my life. –sigh- Might as well though, I don’t deserve friends like them…”

“Wow, he seems really torn up about all this,” Apple Bloom mutter quietly. “Yah I thought he was gonna keep lying until he got what he wanted but I never knew…” Scootaloo said feeling a little guilty from both her previous thoughts and Esbins rambling. “Ssshhh he’ll hear us.” Sweetie Belle said. “…This shouldn’t have happen; I was just having a simple day with my friends but it turned into a damn three-way cheaters fiasco!” Esbin continued completely unaware of the three mares listening in on his complaining, “There my best friends, I mean…I mean they…they trusted me and they loved me and I just… I just threw it all away! I should have tried harder to tell them before it was too late but… -sigh- Celestia strike me down…” The more they listened to Esbin, the more it became uncomfortable to maintain their hate for him; they just didn’t know what to say anymore. But what happened next had them really scared for Esbin on what they heard next.

“…Maybe things would have been better for them if they never met me,” Esbin said with a more depressed voice, “ maybe…maybe things would have been better for them if I just drowned in that damn lake when I first got here.” Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo gasped in shock from that last sentence.

“H-he…he doesn’t mean that. Does he?” Apple Bloom said trying to fool herself not to believe in what Esbin just said.

“N-no…Esbin would never think of something like that, right Scootaloo… um Scootaloo?” Sweetie Belle asked to Pegasus beside her.

“Esbin…” Scootaloo whispered quietly as she started to break down with tears.

There was a long pause in the hallway for a moment before any of them could say a word; they suddenly heard Esbin say, “NO! No that’s just regretful thinking, I…I have to make things right… no matter how heart retching it is to me. I have to tell them the truth! And if they don’t ever want to see me again, FINE! But I have to tell them what happened even if they don’t believe me, as Celestia as my witness!” After a quick splash of water in his face to cool himself off, Esbin turned to face the bathroom door and unlock it to search for his friends and reveal his mistakes over the past few days. But just as he was about to touch the door knob, he suddenly heard, “Ya don’t have to Esbin…” from Apple Bloom. Esbin froze exactly where he was stood with a hoof reaching for the knob, for the longest moment he didn’t say a word, everything just seemed to stand still for Esbin as he just realized that Apple Bloom was listening on him for who knows how long. “Apple Bloom,” Esbin asked he managed to get out, “Is that you?” “Eeyup,” Apple Bloom replied, “and Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo are here too.” Esbin nearly jumped right out of his skin when he found out the not only Apple Bloom heard what he was saying, but the rest of his friends heard as well. He tried to put together something to say and asked, “How long have you three have been standing there?” “Long enough Esbin,” Apple Bloom answered softly, “long enough.”

With that being in mind Esbin was in a mixture of both relief and fear bottling up inside of him, then Sweetie Belle asked, “Esbin, is it alright if you can open the door so we can talk face to face and not through the door?” After a moments past of thinking, Esbin said, “Okay, I guess so. Just promise not to beat me to a pulp alright?” “We promise,” the three mares said simultaneously.

“P-pinkie promise,” Esbin asked still sounding nervous to come out.

“Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake my eye.” They simultaneously promised in their own tone of voice.

A slight clicked of the lock and the turn of knob, the door slowly creaked opened to revile a physically exhausted stallion in front of them. Esbins eyes were bloodshot with bags under them, his coat was damp and seemed slightly darker than what it usually was, and his mane looked rather disheveled. The three mares winced at the sight of the stallion and retuned to look at him, “Wow, I thought this was going to get ugly,” Scootaloo said, “I just didn’t think I would be this ugly.” Sweetie Belle glared and gave quick shove on the shoulder to shush her and say, “Watch your mouth feather brain!” “No no s-she right Sweetie Belle,” Esbin said, “I kind of let myself go, but that’s not really important right now, but you mind if talk in my room? I don’t want my parents to hear about this, okay?” The mares nodded at Esbin and trotted over to his room, they closed the door behind them, “Alright, now that were alone,” Scootaloo said with a sigh, “Let’s get some answers, and none of us are leaving until we get them.” Esbin lead his friends to his bed and said, “You might want to have a seat it’s gonna be a long story.” The three mares sat in Esbins bed while he pulled his desk chair up and sat on it to explain everything to them.

“Alright, it goes like this,” Esbin started after a sigh, “I have to say it all started when Apple Bloom needed help with her dress. I offered to fix it since Sweetie Belle and her sister were at the spa, and after I did she then asked me to join her and her family at the Apple Family Reunion. And while this was going on, Apple Bloom kind of wanted me to be more than just a friend or something because the next thing I know she wanted me to meet her in her room and well…”

“The two of you did it?” Scootaloo asked in a flat tone before Esbin began to trail off.

Apple Bloom nudged Scootaloo and asked, “Then what happened after that?” “Well after that Apple Bloom said that it would be our little secret, then I went home and met up with Sweetie Belle when I was grocery shopping and…” “I was crushing on Esbin so hard!” Sweetie Belle blurted out, leaving her friends staring at her, “He generously gave me his spearmint and I fell head over hooves for him and I… I…” “Sweetie Belle kindly made me lunch,” Esbin continuing from her side of the story. “EW,” Apple Bloom and Scootaloo both said, “No not EW,” Esbin said as he hugged the white unicorn for comfort, “It was really sweet of her, granted it didn’t go the way she thought it would. So I offered to take her out to Sugarcube Coner for desert, after that we were on our way back to the boutique when the storm started to pick up so I stayed until it would die down. But it didn’t and things went in a different direction…”

“You could say it went in a sweeter direction.” Sweetie Belle said with a blush and giggle. Her friends gave a slight chuckle as Esbin slightly rolled his eyes in a happier mood but it soon disappeared as he continued on. “I tried to say that me and Apple Bloom were kind of in a relationship, but…but I just couldn’t help myself. Later the next morning, Sweetie Belle said that this was going to be out secret too, and when I heard that I just felt horrible. I decided to head back since the storm was gone and there was no telling when Rarity was going to come back. But during breakfast time, I just felt just a bad as I did that morning. So I asked my dad for advice for keeping secrets and he said I should tell to somepony I can trust, so I figured, why not Scootaloo? When I found her I told her to meet up with me at Sugarcube Corner so I could have moment to think of what I was going to say, and when I did, she didn’t believe me!” With that Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle glared at Scootaloo again and said, “I thought he was kidding! And beside how was I supposed to know you were in a relationship, you two never showed any signs!” “Well look ‘in back at it now,” Apple Bloom said with a blush, “Ah did kinda rush it a little bit.” “Me too, I should have started out slow,” Sweetie Belle added in with her head looking down at the floor.

“It’s quite alright, everypony makes a mistake every once and a while,” Esbin said in an apologetic tone, “Me on the other hoof, I made one big mistake after another. Any who as I was saying, after we left Scootaloo wanted to make it up to me by spending the day with her since she left with Rainbow Dash to go to this Wonderbolts academy. So we have a little hoof wrestling match and then she showed me these cool tricks from what she learned while she was away, but then we crashed and we started cloud watching and looking back on the old days. After a while it started getting dark out, I wanted to head back home but Scootaloo suggested we have a quick race, but she started egging me on when I said no, so we raced. But when we did I just felt angry for some reason and well… I beat Scootaloo in the race.” “Wait a minute,” Apple Bloom interrupted, “Are you say ‘in ya beat Scootaloo on hoof while she was using her wings?” “Well no,” Scootaloo added in, “I raced with my wings tucked in, well for the most part anyway.” “What’s that supposed to mean,” Sweetie Belle asked. “Well, I was still kind of jealous of Esbin when he beat me in that hoof wrestling match, so when he started to gain the lead in the race, I used my wings but they started to cramp up and I crashed into him. Then well… I just lost it and I started making out with him. I mean, just being on top of his broad chest and feeling his heart pounding against mine, ooohhhh man it just felt too…” “Any who, I just couldn’t control myself, I guess I just got swept up in the heat of the race, I’m sorry girls.” Esbin butted in before she could get into more details, “Pretty much after that, Scootaloo said, once again, that this was our little secret, I… I just lost if after that, all I could see was you three looking at me with the most disappointed looks I’ve ever seen I my life and I ran home crying.”

“Well that explains a lot, I thought I was being a little too rough with you, my bad Esbin.” Scootaloo apologized.

“So regardless of the both the mental and physical stress I went through, what I’m trying to say to you all is. I’m sorry, I’m sorry to all of you. For sleeping with you behind each other’s backs and for not trying to tell any of you about my little problem right from the start, but…” Esbin said burying his head in his front hooves.

“Ah ‘m so sorry about all this too Esbin,” Apple Bloom said as she got off the chair, trotted over to Esbin and placed a hoof in his shoulder. Esbin raised his head and looked deep into her eyes, but suddenly felt a hard slap on the side of his face. “That’s for all the stink ‘in think ‘in from the bathroom,” Apple Bloom started as Esbin rubbed his cheek from the pain, “And this if for apologizing to all of us.” She then planted a kiss on his lips, sneaking in a little bit of tongue. “But wait,” Sweetie Belle called out, breaking up the kiss, “I love Esbin as much as you and Scootaloo, can’t he have a choice in which he could go out with?” “Yah, it’s only fair that he should choose,” Scootaloo agreed before rubbing her rump as she got off the bed. All three of the ponies started to gather around Esbin, but he quickly got off from his chair and trotted back so he could face them and said, “Whoa, whoa, whoa hang on a second! Before this becomes a pony fight over me, can I just say one thing? Look, I can’t decide between the three of you for being my one and only marefriend, I mean… I love you all unique in your own special way; Scootaloo for your competitive, energetic attitude, Sweetie Belle for being romantic and caring, and Apple Bloom…just because you and your family treated me more than just like family. I love you all so much I can’t possible choose for only picking one of you.”

All three of the girls stared at Esbin with surprise by this response, one by one each of them started to break into tears, Scootaloo was the last trying not to break down as they embraced Esbin in a tight hug as they wept, all three of them then said, “We love you Esbin.” “I love you too girls,” Esbin said as he too began to weep from the emotional relief from the affair over the course of the past five days, when he looked at the three ponies around him, he soon saw the three fillies he first met on his first day at school looking up at him through their weeping eyes. In a heartbeat he instantly saw different memories from his past up to the present day and the feelings of those precious memories overwhelmed him and he suddenly broke down as well as the feeling in his legs felt weak like jelly. Pretty soon all four of them collapsed on the floor holding onto each other with care and passion, he shut his eye and let those feelings flow through him. Just then Apple Bloom saw a bright flash of light and it instantly stunned her, but she managed to say, “Esbin…” “Yah Apple Bloom,” Esbin asked through his tears.

“Your…your…” Apple Bloom stuttered from the sight.

“My hug, I know! I know it feels good, it all feels so good!” Esbin cried happily.

“NO Esbin, i-it’s your flank! Look at your flank!” Apple cheered out with excitement, soon Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo peered over Esbins shoulder to look at what Apple Bloom was cheering about. The two of them soon cheered with happiness leaving Esbin with complete confusion of what was going on just now.

“My flank, why would be so important that a moment li…” Esbin stopped at midsentence as the craned his neck to see his flank side, only to see the most amazing sight he has ever seen in his entire life and it left his mouth hanging open in shock. There on his flank, was his own cutie mark. It had a red heart in the center, with three arrows; two of them crossed together on opposite sides of each other through the heart without showing the shafts of the arrow, with the nock at the bottom and the arrow head at the top sides. While the third arrow came straight down through the center half of the heart with the arrow head pointing down. Each of the arrow heads were all shaped like hearts and each of those arrow heads had their own color to them, one was light yellow, the other was light grey, and the last one was bright orange. Esbin was absolutely speechless; all he could do was just stare at the cutie mark with wide open eyes with his tears being held back. In a soft teary voice, he said, “M-my…my cutie mark. I FINALLY GOT MY CUTIE MARK!!” Esbin started crying with joy again as he and his friends embraced each other with another hug, just then Charles and Margret opened the door to see what the commotion was going on in the room. The four ponies turned to face Esbins parents who were standing in the doorway with confused expressions.

“Esbin, what’s going on dearie?” Margret asked trying to maintain her excitement that her son was now out of the bathroom.

“MOM DAD, I JUST GOT MY CUTIE MARK! LOOK!” Esbin cheered as he turned his flank to the side so his parents could see it.

Charles mouth was hanging wide open while Margret gasped with a squeal as she dashed over to her son and hugged him tighter than his friends did. “OH I knew someday you would get your cutie mark! I just knew it, I just knew it! I’m so proud of you Esby sweetie!”

“Esby sweetie?” Scootaloo asked before she and the other mares beside her bursted out laughing, Esbin gave a slight groan as he merely glared at them.

“We’re all proud of you kiddo, but… what is exactly is you special talent anyway?” Charles asked with a little concern in his voice.

“Aaahhhh well,” Esbin tried to think as his parents stared at him and said, “It’s kind of a long story, but I’ll tell you two as long as I get a few more ponies I need to tell as well.”

“Such as,” Charles asked rising an eyebrow.

“I need to get Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash if you want Scootaloo.” Esbin said as he faced his friends behind him.

“You bet I want to make sure she knows too!” Scootaloo said with enthusiasm.

Esbin nodded as he face his parents and said, “Don’t worry, everything is gonna be alright, I’m not gonna make any more mistakes anymore. Me and the girls will explain everything once everypony is here later tonight, but first I really need to get some sleep. I couldn’t sleep a wink all night.” “Sure thing Esbin,” Charles said, “Whatever you need. Girls we’ll see you later.” “Sure thing,” Sweetie Belle replied, “But first we gotta ask Esbin something and we’ll leave.” “Alright girls just don’t take too long.” Margret said as she and Charles walked out of the room and closed the door behind them.

“What was it that you wanted to ask me?” Esbin asked.

“I wanted to know if we could sleep with you until tonight?” Sweetie Belle asked, as Esbin stared blankly for a moment and said, “Sure thing.” The three mares walked up to Esbin as he lay on top of the blanket as they climbed on top of him and his sides as they wrapped their arms around Esbins when he closed his eyes. “Goodnight Esbin,” Each of the mares said as they gave him a quick kiss, he smiled and said, “Good night girls, I love you.” They sighed happily and began to sleep soundly as they cuddled closely together in the one pony size bed. Outside of the bedroom, Margret asked, “Charles what do you think they were talking about?” “I’m not sure sweetheart,” Charles replied, “But I think whatever problem they had, Esbin just solved it on his own.”