Living in Equestria

Pinkie Pie was already gathering her things to head over to the farm as we left for Twilight's library. It was still early morning and predictably, Twilight Sparkle was already engrossed in a book. We found her sitting outside in the soft grass at the base of the tree with a large tome open before her, absorbing the words she found there intently.

"Hey guys!" she greeted us happily. "What brings you two here?"

"Applejack... I mean... we ...need help at the farm. 'Cause she's been hurt and with all the stuff goin on, they aren't going to be ready for the Summer Sun festival! So we wanted to ask if you can come help out for a day or so! Were inviting everypony and there's gonna be a camp out and Pinkie Pie is gonna set up a party!" Scootaloo did her best sales pitch. I wouldn't have bought it and I love her to death.

Twilight surprised me with her reaction. In a flash she was up on her hooves, the book in front of her closing with a heavy, magical thud.

"What!! Applejack can't organize anything! Why... it will be a disaster if somepony isn't there with a checklist!" her face grew worried. "Ohhh.. Why didn't I get that extra long scroll at the shop?! SPIIIIIIKEEE!" she turned and ran into the library leaving Scootaloo and I to blink at each other and grin. Two down, three to go.

Next on the list was Rarity and Sweetie Belle, the boutique that Rarity ran was nearby according to Scootaloo. We walked down the streets with brown, rustic buildings on either side and it wasn't long before we rounded a corner populated by a busy shop that had a bunch of ponies milling about in front of it. As we passed by, they began to turn and watch me with recognition.

"Mason... why are those ponies looking at you?" Scootaloo whispered out of the corner of her muzzle.

"I dunno, maybe - " I stopped when a unicorn walked slowly in front of us. A newspaper was open in front of her head, suspended by magic and open to the middle section. We could see the front page clearly with huge, bold letters popping out against the white background.

"WHIPWIND PLEADS INNOCENT!"

Below this was a picture of Scootaloo's father, still frozen in the grotesque pose as I had last seen him in Cloudsdale. Under this picture this was another headline, one that made my stomach drop.

"HUMAN VISITOR PROFESSES HIS LOVE TO PEGASUS IN MID AIR ROMANCE!!"

There was a larger picture here. A crystal clear snapshot of the moment Rainbow Dash had swooped in to pull me out of the tight circle of press ponies yesterday. In it, she was holding me below with her two front hooves and the timing was just right that we both appeared to be gazing into each others eyes, our faces inches away. If I didn't know any better, it was misleading enough to support the headline's claim. I stared at disbelief at the blatant a lie that was printed on the cover of the newspaper. A burning sense of indignation roiled up inside me and I felt the sudden urge to take to my wings and find the pony that did it.

Scootaloo took no notice of this headline however, instead she turned her purple mane and orange face up to me asking "What does that mean if he pleads innocent?"

"I guess that mean he wants a trial? I dunno, that's how it works in my world anyways..." I didn't know much about the legal system, but I'd seen enough court dramas on TV to understand that much.

"What will happen in the trial?" her purple rimmed eyes were wide and questioning.

"A bunch of talking... probably really boring." I shrugged.

"Oh..." she looked after the unicorn who was far enough away now that we could no longer see the paper. "You should get one! I'd like ta see how Rainbow Dash 'loves' you!" she gave a strangely human hooking motion with the end of her front leg, it was a perfect pony imitation of me doing air quotes, something she thought was the most clever thing she'd ever seen.

"Heh.. yeah. Me too..." I muttered, the anger coming back again.

I pushed my way past the ponies gathered around the corner store, all of whom had a paper and were studying it intently. At the center, there was a sharp looking, bright yellow unicorn with a garishly stripped suit sitting behind a stack of papers just outside the door of the establishment. I'd never seen a pony with a mustache, but this one had a long handlebar one that matched the dark brown color of his mane.

"Hey hey! If it isn't the human everypony is talking about this morning!" he said loudly in recognition. The group around me dropped their papers and a whispers floated in the air between them.

"Yeah... just.... want a paper, please." I tried to ignore the burning feeling from all the eyes.

"Sure thing! Two bits please!" he said.

Even after all this time, the move to my back pocket for my wallet was automatic. Years of conditioning couldn't be broken even by travel to another world and wings sprouting from my back. But there was no wallet there... there wasn't even a pocket. Just the light brush from the ends of my grey, iridescent feathers. A flighty sense of panic struck me for a split second before reality caught up with my reflexes.

"Eerrh.. I left my... Sorry..." I tried to back out of the crowd but the ponies behind me didn't move.

"Whats that? No bits! Well... how about I give you one for free if you answer a few simple questions!" The yellow horn on his head lit up, bringing a small pad of paper and a quill from under his makeshift stand. "When did your relationship with the pegasus begin?" he asked forcefully with a practiced and slimy ease.

"W-What?!" I stammered.

"How long have you been involved with the pegaus? Is it serious?" another pause came, the quill hovering just above the pad's surface.

"I..."

"Is it true that the pegasus is Rainbow Dash?" another fired from his lips.

"As if!!" came a loud, boisterous female voice that rang out in the loaded silence. Everypony nearby turned and parted as a light blue figure strode into the crowd. She wore a purple cap and cape, decorated with stars and moons that looked like a fantasy wizard's outfit and sparkled with sequins. The crowd around us shrank back from her, as if they didn't want to stand to close to this new pony who had arrived.

She gave me a haughty stare and then turned her gaze to the unicorn hawking the papers. "Everypony knows that if this human is going to be with somepony, it would be I.... The Great and Powerful Trixie!" she declared.

"Trixie..." the yellow unicorn breathed in amazement.

"Yes, it is I! I have come to lay my claim to this human, for he is worthy and unique enough to be at my side! Do not listen to these rumors, people of Ponyville! This human would not be so low as to stoop to the level of a simple pegasus for companionship!"

She spoke with an air of a performer. Her words were commanding, but there was an empty hollowness behind them that reflected in her eyes. It was a bad act, and I could see right through it to the unsure pony behind almost immediately. I was so caught up in the appearance of her that I didn't notice Scootaloo had worked her way beside me.

"Trixie! You gotta a lotta tail showing up here like this after Twilight spanked you" Scoots glowered at her, bristling her purple mane. "You find a new necklace again?" a sarcastic snap lashed out of her mouth at the pale blue pony.

"Oh... Hello, Scootaloo." her eyes became shifty and a look of uncertainty crept across her face. "Why don't you run along and play with your friends while I talk to my new human friend here.... Twilight isn't around is she?" Trixie gave a quick look over her shoulder.

"You got nothing to say to him. I'm a pegasus, too ya know!" her little orange wings buzzed their agreement.

"That's nice, dear... run along.. heh heh..." Trixie tried to arrange her face into the performance act again but was struggling to regain her command of the situation. The appearance of Scootaloo had jarred her.

"No, Make me!" Scootaloo planted her hooves wide and lowered her head. I'd never seen her this way before and even though she was smaller than a fully grown mare, she was still intimidating when riled up.

Trixie tried to rally. "Aww... isn't that sweet. You have a little crush on him, do you? Well... That won't be enough to keep his eyes away from a grown mare, you know. There are things we know that a young one like you can't possibly compete against!" her eyes fixed on me hungrily.

"I'd like ta see you try..." she growled. "He's mine." Her possessiveness was shocking. She reminded me of a dog guarding it's food bowl.

"Ah hahahahah!" Trixie threw her head back and laughed dramatically. "And what makes you think this human would be with you, when one taste of The Great and Powerful Trixie would have him at my beckoning hoof instantly?"

"Because we have the herding magic..." she growled back.

Trixie stepped back as if the words had smacked her on the cheek, her eyes widening as she looked between myself and Scootaloo repeatedly. "Wha... You mean... you and he have..." she stammered.

Scootaloo didn't say anything, but a satisfied half smile came over her face. A low gasp came from the rest of the ponies nearby, making me thing that this herding thing was a bigger deal than I thought. A talk with my little orange lover was in order.

Trixie changed course dramatically. Her face melted over Scootaloo in a puddle of flattery and praise, stepping forward again with a patronizing speech. "Did I ever tell you I always liked you?" she purred. "I mean, sure you're a bit younger than me but I always felt a special connection with you that I -"

"Buzz off, Trixie..." Scootaloo warned, cutting her off smartly.

Trixie paused, and then her expression changed again. This time it sagged into a sad and desperate expression of need. "No.. Scootaloo.. please! He's herded... can't I just borrow him for ten minutes? I promise I won't use any magic on him!!... I'll... I'll..." Trixie cast her eyes about frantically. "I'll make Snips and Snails be your servants! You'd like that, wouldn't you?" her eyes shined as she nodded with desperate hope.

"'Cmon, Mason, we got things ta do..." Scootaloo said lowly and turned away without acknowledging Trixie's offers. I followed dumbly, unable to process everything that had taken place. Trixie's strange behavior was confusing.

Nopony challenged us as we moved away from the crowd although their faces followed. Scootaloo's statement about herding had shocked them all into a dumbfounded silence.

"What was that all about?" I asked her once we were out of earshot.

"What?... Trixie doesn't deserve you." she said simply, as it if was a common fact. Her aggressive mood was gone as if it had never existed.

"Deserve me? Wait.." I put a hand on her back to slow her down. She turned and looked up at me with sincere confusion. "Why did everypony back there act like the herding thing was a big deal? Why did Trixie say that stuff about 'borrowing' me? And what the fuck was she going to 'borrow' me for?"

"Didn't Luna tell you? I thought she came and talked to you that night?"

"Well, yeah... but what's that got to do with Trixie and those other ponies?"

"Wait... what did she tell you?" her face twisted in confusion. "I thought you said she told you about the herding magic?"

"She did... but... but just about us... and how, you know... you wanted to share me with your friends."

She looked at me expectantly for a second. "...and?" Scootaloo was waiting for me to continue.

"That's all!"

"She didn't tell you about the rest? Like that stuff about all our friends and disharmony and all that?"

"No!" I flung my hands up. Me being in the dark about stuff was becoming a common theme here, even if it involved how much sex I was supposed to be having.

Scootaloo gave a groan of frustration herself. "I'll tell you when we get to the Carousel Boutique. I don't wanna talk about it standing here like a couple a crazy ponies."

She set off towards a large, ornate building at the end of the road leaving me no choice but to follow her purple tail. It looked like a grand tent, but was made out of a solid material. A large parapet on top and the roof below was covered in alternating shades of light and dark purple in a diamond pattern with ornate wrought iron columns near the top. Two large windows flanked a single half door at it's entrance that had been painted to match the rest of the building. A triangle window capped by a stenciled fleur de lis was set in the center and it was against this window that Scootaloo reached up to tap a hoof loudly against.

We waited several moments with no answer. Scootaloo tapped again, this time lower on the wood and harder.

"We're closed!" came a small, high voice from far behind the door. I recognized it as Sweetie Belle's.

"It's Mason and me, Sweetie Belle! Let us in!" Scootaloo hollered back.

"Rarity is at the shops... she won't be back for a while and told me not to open the door for anypony!" came the reply. Scootaloo looked up at me, irritated.

"We ain't here ta buy nuthin, stupid! Just let us in! Since when do ya not let your friends in?!"

"It's... kind of a bad... uh... hair day for me. I don't wanna be seen by anypony!" her voice was unsure and wavering now. This only served to make Scootaloo try harder.

"What! Are you kidding me?! Open the door Sweetie Belle and quit bein crazy!"

Silence dragged out for a moment before we heard the latch thrown back on the far side. Scootaloo grumbled something that sounded like "about time" and pushed open the door.

The interior was immaculately clean and fresh. Dresses and bolts of cloth were on display in tasteful arrangements even to my unskilled eyes. It was a storefront and workshop in one, two large sewing machines with scraps of cloth and dress dummies lined one wall near a staircase leading up to the second floor where we both just barely caught sight of Sweetie Belle's flank as it climbed out of sight. Scootaloo chased after her.

"What in Tartarus is wrong with you, Sweetie Belle!?" she yelled up to her friend as she gave chase. I followed, climbing the stairs and came to a landing with three doors. Scootaloo had reached the only open one and had stopped, looking in. Even before I caught up to her, a scent caught my nose like a fishhook. It was hot and musky, dripping with a primal component that fogged my head briefly with it's power. A shiver ran up my spine that I recognized as magic but couldn't understand why at the moment.

"What is that smell?" I asked but Scootaloo stomped a hoof on my foot painfully, snapping me out of my haze. "Ow! Scoot! What the hell?!"

In the silence that followed, I could hear a high pitched keening cry coming from the bed where Sweetie Belle lay. She was facing away from us, curled into a ball on her side with her two toned tail draped over the edge. The scent was coming from her room in invisible waves, radiating out to me with unyielding strength. I had no control over what it was doing to my body and felt a small amount of disbelief that I had suddenly grown a massive erection with no conscious though of my own from it's influence.

"Sweetie Belle?" Scootaloo asked softly.

"There... you happy now?" she said pitifully. "My estrus started today..."