The Aura of Two

Chapters

A Special Sort of Picnic
A Peculiar Sort of Exercise
An Eclectic Sort of City
A Liberating Sort of Release
An Obvious Sort of Realization

A Special Sort of Picnic

There's something I let everyone I meet know right off the bat: I'm not good with secrets. I hate having somepony I only know by a face come up to me and tell me some bit of gossip or hidden demon they've been hiding in their closet, expecting me to not let it slip at the first confrontation. It's happened more than once, and that's why I've become such an introvert.

Well, until recently.

Something happened to me, and it made me realize that secrets are stupid. If you have something to say, you should just go ahead and say it. I'm not afraid of being me anymore. I'm shameless about my bizarre tastes in music. I dance like nopony's watching, even if everypony's watching. I'm open about my dorky habits. And I don't care what anypony has against me. Because of that, I have more friends than ever.

How ironic that it's my greatest secret of all that taught me how stupid secrets really are. The only reason I keep this one under wraps is because, honestly, I want this all to myself.

My name is Rumble, and six months ago, Vinyl Scratch turned me into an incubus.

Some would probably say I’m a demon. And no, they couldn’t be further off. If I really, really had to liken this to anything, it's more like being a reverse changeling. Those insect things feed off love; succubi and incubi spread it.

We live... honestly, kinda like how Pinkie Pie lives. We love to share joy with the world, just through the spreading of legs instead of batter. And our parties are a little more intimate, of course. Having been to a few, I can safely say that they are a very different sort of fun.

There's more to this power than just being able to bring pleasure, of course. While there isn't any sort of code or honor system we have to follow, I like to consider myself an agent of love.

That's why I'm sitting here right now, watching a rather homely looking mare sit by her lonesome at a coffee shop across the street. She has her beady eyes on a suave gentlecolt who wears his suit proud. He's talking to a curvy beauty with luscious locks and legs that go on for miles.

You'd think this suited fellow would sweep that belle off her hooves, but I don't see that happening. While his aura is strong, and it's clear he's looking for love, there doesn't seem to be any connection between him and the pretty one. His aura is a fiery red, whereas hers is a deep blue. She's not quite what the stallion is looking for.

However, the homely one’s aura is also pretty strong. It's a similar color to the stallion's, almost the exact same shade of red. It's clear to me that there's a missing opportunity for this stallion, and she's just a few steps away.

I pinch the auras between my fingers and bring them together. Yes, that's it... The stallion can't figure out why, but he's suddenly drawn from his conversation with the beautiful one. His heart flutters as he looks at other mare. He knows her, yes, but he can't comprehend why he's suddenly attracted to her askew glasses, unkempt mane and uncomposed manner of sitting. Yet, he walks over to her anyway, looking to strike up a conversation...

See? Succubi aren’t bad just because we're different. All that's really changed for me is I that now have the power to help ponies. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. It's not wrong to get two people to talk. It’s not as if I’m forcing them to fall in love. I don't have a cutie mark for love magic anyway. This is no different than pushing a friend towards that chick you met last week that you know would just love him to pieces. Except I can do it from across the street.

But this is where my work ends. It’s all up to those two now. I’ll find somepony for the pretty mare later. I have a previous engagement...

I've found myself standing outside the front door of this lakeside house, a picnic basket hanging from one arm, and a butterfly-friendly pith helmet on my head. It’s gonna mess up my haircut, but that’s a small price to pay for a lovely afternoon.

"Hey, Flitter, you ready to go?" I ask when the door opens.

This lovely pegasus, her bright blue hair reflecting the afternoon sun, her bow giving her a sense of innocence... She has soft blue aura tinged pink at the edges as she sways on her hooves. Her sun dress is fluttering on the breeze.

"Of course," she says, her smile still bright and cheerful. "I can’t thank you enough for this. Cloudchaser says the butterfly migration's a bit boring to watch ever since the dragons flew over a few years ago. I'm glad to be able to go again." She skips down the front steps and gives me a hug, which segues into the first steps of what’s bound to be a pleasant trip.

I love the Ponyville outskirts. It’s mostly wooded, with just a few beautiful houses and vibrant patches of grass I could lay in for hours, which is more or less what’s going to happen. It’s worth it to spend time with a good friend.

“Hey. Let’s hold hands,” I say to Flitter with a confident smirk.

"Oh, sure." I can almost feel her blush as her slim hand folds into mine, her aura increasing in brightness as her fingertips brushing against my knuckles. “So, uh, how’ve you been? We barely get any time to talk during training, so…”

“I’m absolutely wonderful, as per usual,” I boast. I think my transformation has also caused my voice to deepen. If I had said that six months ago, I would have sounded awkward. “I finished my final test for the Wonderbolts Spotting Division last week. They don’t have any openings at the moment, so I’m gonna enlist in Fall.”

“Aw. Still, you’re practically a Wonderbolt already. That’s something to be proud of,” Flitter says. She’s beaming at me.

“Hey.” I squeeze her hand. “Someday, you, me and your sister? We’ll all be Wonderbolts.”

Flitter looks doubtful. “Hm… Well, you and Cloudchaser might have to wait for me. I’m not quite flight team material yet.”

“Are you kidding me?” I snark at her. “Mistress Flitter, the pegasus with a zero-degree turning radius, capable of dodging a hundred clay discs with expert precision? The mare with nerves of steel who can survive a hundred rotations on the dizzitron and recover in six seconds? That’s way more impressive than a high top speed. You let your sister worry about crossing the finish line fast. You’re far better at showing your stuff in the air.”

Her blush is radiant, and it just makes her more beautiful. Her aura flits about like a hummingbird, her fingers sliding against my palm as she pulls herself closer. Yet, she’s also trying to shrink away. "But all I'm good at is turning. If someone's life was in danger, I couldn't help them..."

I put my free hand on her chin, bringing her eyes up to meet mine as I give her hand a gentle squeeze. "Hey, c'mon. It’s like I said last week: My eyes, Chaser's speed, and your grace are gonna turn those Wonderbolts on their heads. We’ll show those limpwings true talent.”

“Okay, okay.” Flitter giggles, wiping a strand of hair from her eyes. Something else catches her attention on the path ahead. “Ooh! Look!” She points forward. It takes me a moment to see what she she’s so captivated by. It’s one of the butterflies. This one, like her aura, is pink and blue.

“Little rascal must have gotten a head start on the migration.” I set down the picnic basket and reach out my free hand to let the bugger land on my finger. “Isn’t that right, you adorable overcompensator, you?”

“Ooh, let me hold her,” Flitter squeaks, slowly reaching out with her free hand.

“Actually, it’s a boy,” I say quickly.

Flitter looks genuinely curious as she lets the butterfly hop onto her palm. “How do you know?” she asks.

“The wing pattern,” I lie. In actuality, I can see this one’s aura too. A boy’s aura is usually a bit thicker than a girl’s, which tends to be softer and wider.

“That’s fascinating.” Flitter gently twitches her fingers, causing the butterfly to take off towards a small pond. “I can guess that the rest of the migration will be coming along soon. How about we take our seat over there?” She points to a shaded area on the grass, between the thick bushes and the pond.

“Took the words right out of my mouth.” I let go of Flitter’s hand and pick up the picnic basket.

So, a half hour later, Flitter and I are relaxing by the pond. I’m sitting upright while she’s lying on her side, lazily nibbling fruit from the picnic basket. We’re still waiting for the migration; only a few more early bloomers have fluttered on by.

Meaningless conversations are very underappreciated. We don’t talk about life or existence or significant events that could come back to haunt us at a later date. We just talk about ideas (“What if the Wonderbolts let us customize our flight suits?” Flitter suggests), our favorite foods (Hers is strawberry crepes, mine is strawberry shortcake), whatever parties we’ve been to recently (Flitter was at Pound and Pumpkin Cake’s birthday party. I, however, was with some fellow incubi and succubi for a… gathering. I just told Flitter about Diamond Tiara’s recent wine tasting instead).

“That doesn’t sound much like your sort of thing,” Flitter remarks as she suckles down on a strawberry. “I mean, aren’t you all about cool leather jackets and slang? I’m trying to picture you in a suit, but…”

“Diamond Tiara said I rock a suit pretty well. The one I wore, it’s double-breasted with a lightning patterned tie. Now that’s a conversation starter.” I would have worn that suit today, but it’s in dry cleaning. Plus, I don’t think all of this grass and dirt would be too kind to anything formal. I’m perfectly fine in my white button-up, black tank top and ripped jeans.

Flitter seems to be looking me over, analyzing my wardrobe. “Speaking of clothes, something seems different about your garb lately,” she says.

"What do you mean?" I look at myself again, and grimace, wondering if there’s something wrong with it. Is it the jeans? I'm sure a butterfly wouldn't care, but maybe Flitter doesn't like the ripped look.

“Well, I remember when you were little..."

I slump down a little, groaning internally. Great, foalsitting stories.

"... you were so adorable in those t-shirts you were always wearing. My favorite was probably the steel blue one with the Junior Speedsters logo on it. You were always so proud to have made the team!"

I flush a little at the memory, partly from embarrassment, and partly from pride. "Yeah, I rocked that shirt all the time, until we got the championship blazers." And then I hit puberty and realized that they let anypony onto that team, I mentally add.

Giggling as she scoots closer, Flitter playfully nudges my shoulder. "And remember that shirt I got you for your twelfth birthday?”

The color in my cheeks intensifies. "The flower shirt," I say in a near monotone. I can almost hear the dun dun duunnnn sound effect as I say the name. I remember that thing all too well. It was an oversized tie dye shirt that clashed violently with every other article of clothing I had.

Flitter rolls onto her back, brushing her hair out of her face. "You were so embarrassed, and I felt so awful... And you still wore it every time I came over so I'd know you still appreciated it. You were such a little gentlecolt."

Hm. I guess I wasn’t hopeless before my transformation.

“You haven’t lost your charm at all.”

“Really?” I ask her.

“I wouldn’t have said it unless I meant it,” she says. I expect her to blush or shy away again after saying that, but she keeps looking at me with wide, glimmering eyes.

Something colorful in the corner of my vision catches my attention. I turn my head to see the very thing Flitter and I came here for. I tap her on the shoulder and point ahead. “Get ready for a show.”

Flitter fumbles with her shoulder bag as she tries to find her camera. By the time she pulls it out, the butterflies have started to pass by. It’s a discombobulating mixture of every single color I could ever imagine, and probably a few that I can’t imagine. It’s a little surreal, too. The butterflies are so densely packed that they block out the sun as they fly past it, wreathing me and Flitter in flashes of light and shadow. Yet, not a single sound accompanies this.

I had only come down here because Flitter asked me to. I was expecting it to be diverting, at best, but now I am really glad I took her up on this. Although, I can’t help but feel a little bad. Thanks to my aura vision, these colors are more vibrant than anything a regular pony could ever see.

“It’s enchanting, isn’t it?” she asks me quietly.

“If only there were enough words in a dictionary…” I say. I’m utterly gawking at this.

"Careful," she whispers in my ear with a giggle as she closes my mouth. "Don't want them thinking your mouth's a landing strip, do we?"

“Oh, well, duh.”

I sit back and continue to watch the shifting spectrum of winged beauty fluttering across the pond. That is quite possibly the most beautiful sight of all. The refracted light of the butterflies’ wings reflects off of the water, essentially turning it into liquid rainbow.

As Flitter watches this, she leans her head against my shoulder. I can’t tell whether or not she’s doing this to be bold or she’s simply entranced. She’s a romantic, but she’s also meek, so it could be either of those things. What I do notice is that her aura is almost blindingly bright. I have to turn off my incubus eyes just to look at her. When the light clears, I see that Flitter is looking up at me. Her eyes sparkle through the dancing colors of the migration. It’s hard for me to decide what I should look at.

As much as I had been enjoying the migration, Flitter had informed me that it only lasts around a half hour. Not wanting the magic to end so quickly, I got an idea. I quickly packed up the picnic blanket and food, and took Flitter’s hand by surprise. Now we’re jogging alongside the butterflies.

“I can’t believe I never thought to do this before!” she shouts excitedly.

We’re easily outrunning every butterfly in the flock. If we get to the leaders and find another place to relax, we could easily spend the whole day just watching these spectral beauties block out the sun and bathe the land in a gorgeous mishmash of colors. That’s a sight that won’t get old anytime soon.

“You’re really enthusiastic about this, Rumble!” Flitter shouts again. “I didn’t think you’d enjoy this so much!”

She’s speaking my mind. “Are you kidding?” I reply. “Screw all the Wonderbolt stuff, this is the highlight of my summer! Woo! Nature!” I cheer, performing a fluttering leap.

I look to the long trail of butterflies again, still captivated by their natural beauty. I notice that the head of the flock is just a short distance away. This gives me another idea, though it could be a really stupid one. Still, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Let’s have some fun.

The moment Flitter and I outrun the flock, I pull on her arm and drag her with me until we’re standing in front. The butterflies are coming right towards us.

“Oh boy!” is the only thing Flitter can say before we’re overcome by the gentle wingbeats of hundreds of the colorful insects. It doesn’t feel odd in the slightest. It’s no more uncomfortable than a gentle breeze. So, that’s one of my concerns gone out the window.

It’s like standing in the middle of an enchanted speckle painting. The moving colors are even more varied and wonderfully chaotic in the eye of the storm, and any errant sounds of nature like trees in the wind or chirping birds have been deafened out, so it’s almost deathly quiet. This maelstrom of colors is a silent eyegasm, to put it simply. The only other thing I can see besides butterflies is Flitter, who stands with her arms out, embracing the maelstrom.

The magic of the moment is broken when I realize I can’t quite feel the ground beneath my feet. I look down and see that a dense collection of butterflies has surrounded my legs, and I’m being lifted up. What has me concerned is that I can’t open my mouth to tell Flitter what’s going on. I squeeze her hand, hard.

When I look over at her, I see that she’s having the same problem. The butterflies don’t seem too amused at our shenanigans. We both rise into the air against our will, moving away from the storm. We’re taken back out to the grassy field, carried by an almost weightless force. Forget what I said earlier. This is surreal.

I flap my free arm, forcing some of the butterflies away. “Okay, okay, I get it! I’m sorry! Won’t happen again! Let us go!”

That was a very poor choice of words.

The butterflies separate, letting me and Flitter fall to the ground. Unfortunately, we end up falling onto a slope. I end up with a repeated faceful of grass and dirt as I tumble down the hillside. I can hear Flitter shrieking and laughing simultaneously as I presume the same is happening to her.

This little detour ends with a SPLAT. With a strained groan, I get off of my stomach and wipe the mud off of my face. My pith helmet and the picnic basket have landed on the dirt road just next to me. I pick up the latter, only to find most of the food has been soiled with mud as well.

Flitter is standing up, brushing blades of grass and mud stains off of her sundress and her hair. “Well, that was an adventure.” She doesn’t say that sarcastically. She seriously looks like she’s having the time of her life. Her joyous laughter cheers me up instantly as she skips my way and offers me her hand.

“You’re not mad?” I ask.

“Why would I be mad?” she says as she helps me up. “That was great! We got to fly with the butterflies! I didn’t think it’d be as fun as Fluttershy said, but was I ever proven wrong.” She giggles like a teenager, then sighs. “It’s never dull moment with you.” She steps a bit closer and pulls me into another hug.

Something feels different about this one. It’s not the kind of ‘It’s good to see you’ hug that Flitter and I used to share when she was my foalsitter. It’s probably because she doesn’t have to kneel down to wrap her arms around me this time. Maybe it’s because I can feel her excited, warm breath ruffling my hair…

Oh, right. My hair. It’s all caked with mud. Same with hers.

“Yeah, we both did something new today,” I say. “Unfortunately, that knowledge comes at a cost.” I wipe a little more mud off of my face and shirt.

“So, what are we going to do about... this?” Flitter asks, pointing back and forth between me and her.

I immediately freeze in place, looking up at Flitter and tilting my head. “What?”

“What are we going to do about all this filth?” Flitter clarifies, causing a weight to be lifted off my shoulders. Hold on, why would there be a weight? I’ve got nothing to be nervous about. Unless... I shake myself back to attention and pay attention to Flitter, who is trying to stretch out her wings.

“Oh, that’s gonna be a problem,” I comment, noticing several of her feathers are out of place or stuck together by the mud. They’re able to move, but they’re not in ideal shape for extended flight. Flitter will barely be able to get off the ground.

She taps her chin and ponders our options. “We’re a while away from Ponyville. I don’t think we’ll be able to walk it if we want to be back before dark...”

“Okay, I’ve got this,” I say, taking the reins. I spread my wings, which are, thankfully, in better working condition. “I’ll gather up some clouds and put together a makeshift shower. We can clean ourselves up and get back home quickly.”

“It’s no trouble, you can just go. Migration’s over, I mean…” Flitter clutches her arm and shrinks away again. I bring her back with a gentle touch of her cheek, which is perfectly clean.

“I’m not going back without you,” I assure her.

Without hesitation, Flitter pulls on my arm and brings me in for another hug. She obviously doesn’t care about how dirty we both are, she just wants to hold me. Plus, I’m able to get a better handle on what’s different this time. I turn my aura vision back on and have a look.

I know somepony’s aura is strong when it beats in time with their heart, and Flitter’s is pulsating something fierce. It’s normally kinda subtle, but I’ve never had the opportunity to look at an aura up close until now. I only figured out how to use it recently, see, and I’d never use it to manipulate somepony into doing something against their will, not that I could even if I tried.

The heart wants what the heart wants. That’s what Vinyl Scratch taught me. But how do I know Flitter wants me out of her own free will, and I’m not accidentally using my newfound powers? What if I’m involuntarily taking advantage of some buried attraction she wouldn’t normally act on?

I break the hug and back away, trying my best to look casual and keep up that bold demeanor I had earlier. Flitter, bless her, can see right through it. “Are you okay, Rumble?” she asks.

Secrets are stupid. “Just have a lot on my mind. Let’s talk about it later, when our minds and bodies are clean, okay? I’ll go get those clouds.” I turn around and sprint into a jump, taking off into the afternoon sky.

I can hear Flitter down below. “Clean minds? Uh, sure.”

Even on a gorgeous summer day like this one, I can see clouds hiding around in the sky. It doesn’t take long to find some that could form a decent shower; this isn’t the first time I’ve been stranded out in the middle of nowhere in need of moisture. I’m able to find and grab four big nimbostrati and tuck them under my arms, then hop on a fifth and surf it back to Flitter, who is preening dirt out of her wings.

As I surf towards her, I can see that her aura is still pulsating. Now, if I were manipulating her, it wouldn’t still be doing that. It probably would have started to recede in my absence. I suppose there issomething else going on here. I mean, I would hope...

“Aw, who’s such a considerate sweetheart?” Flitter asks in that playful tone she’s used to cheer me up since I was young.

“Lots of people, but I’m guessing you’re referring to me,” I boast, making a dramatic leap off of my surfing cloud. Now that I’ve clarified the issue with the aura, I feel calm and happy as ever. I hold out my arms and let Flitter hug me again. It’s brief, but I’m able to enjoy it properly without any concerns on my mind. I love that little stroke she does along my back. It’s comfort incarnate.

Flitter has cleaned out her wings enough to get a little bit of height. We fly to opposite ends of the clouds and bunch them together, then stretch them out to form a hollow box. It takes a few minutes, and the sun going down definitely presses us for time, but we get it done quick enough.

“Hey, Flitter?” I ask her as we smooth out the corners. “I’ve been wondering why you asked me out here, of all ponies. I mean, you could have talked to my brother. He would have gone with you without a second thought.”

Flitter shrugs. She slowly ducks her head behind her side of the cloud, but I see her blush before she does. “Well, Thunderlane’s not into this sort of thing. He’d only come along to be polite.”

“That so? What about Caramel? He may be a jock, but he loves all animals.”

I can hear her soft groans as she mulls over what to say. “Mmm… Well, to be honest, uh…”

I swing around to the other side of the cloud and tap Flitter on the shoulder. “If I’m making you uncomfortable, you don’t have to answer.”

“No, it’s fine, it’s…” She’s about to shrink again.

“Deep breath,” I advise her. “Don’t say anything until you’re ready.”

“Okay…” She does as I suggested, then shows me a smile.

We both slip inside the cloud. I punch around the place to make it a bit more roomy, as well as test the surfaces. The ground and walls are stable, so we don’t have to worry about falling through.

Flitter claps her hands together and approaches the wall. “Alright, so, we just make some faucets and—”

“Uh, babe?” I raise a finger. “Shouldn’t we set up a modesty wall?”

Even if her attraction to me is obvious, I’d rather not deliberately steer her into a situation that would require her to do something as bold as get naked in front of me. I may be an ascended being that thrives in all things loving and sexual, but I’m a decent colt, dammit.

I grab a portion of the wall and drag it out until it forms a decently sized wall between me and Flitter. I’ll still be able to see her hooves, but that’ll be it. I do notice, before I complete the wall, that Flitter is looking at me with a glimmer in her eye once again.

What happens next is her call.

I remove my button-up and tank top, exposing my fairly muscular chest to the moist air. There was a period of time after my transformation where I practically lived at the gym, which was worth it in the end. It certainly impressed the Wonderbolts when I auditioned for their spotting program.

Next, I unbutton my jeans and pull them down (My cutie mark is an eagle eye, by the way), then take my socks and sneakers off.

I can see Flitter’s silhouette in the modesty wall. For a moment, my more perverted side takes over. She’s just removed her sundress, allowing me to see the shape of her buoyant breasts. While a large chest is considered taboo in pegasus culture, I don’t see anything wrong with it. I think Flitter should be proud to have such a gift.

It’s only now that I realize how much her breasts bounce as she walks, meaning she hasn’t been wearing a bra. What’s up with that? …Oh my. She’s been planning ahead. I continue to watch as she bends down and removes her sandals, followed by her panties. I can’t help but notice she leaves her bow on. Classic her.

“So, the nozzle?” she asks me.

“Actually, you don’t need one. You just do this.” I tap the cloud’s ceiling twice. After a few seconds, a healthy amount of warm rain cascades down on me. Already I feel the mud and grass start to wash away. It’s absolutely liberating.

I watch as Flitter starts her shower. When the water starts to fall, she sighs and leans back, letting the water wash over her. The little noises of relief she makes as she casts her chest out are just dead sexy. I wonder what her fur looks like when it’s wet…

“Just what the nurse ordered, right?” I ask as I scrub my arms. “I feel better alre—”

“Rumble…” she interrupts. She’s not all that loud, but I immediately ditch my train of thought when I hear how urgent her tone is.

“What’s up?”

“I asked you to come with me because I think I’m falling for you. This… This was a date.” She goes silent right then and there, for at least half a minute. “Yeah…” she mutters.

I freeze in place. I’m not surprised about what she said, considering her aura. I’m just surprised that she mustered up the courage to actually, here of all places. “Yeah?” I ask.

Flitter continues. “Last week, when you were helping me and Cloudchaser with our laps, I… Remember when I spun out and tumbled into the grass, and you helped me up? The sun was in my eyes, and when you stood above me, holding out your hand, I realized I wasn’t looking at that boy I used to foalsit. I was looking at somepony amazing.” I can see she’s counting on her fingers. “Helpful, generous, nice beyond reason…” She laughs. “And Cloudchaser said she found you pretty hot.”

I don’t really have a response to that. “Go on…” I say. I want to know everything about why her aura is pulsating like the bass at a Vinyl Scratch concert.

“With the migration coming along, I just had to invite you… I really couldn’t see myself here with anypony else.” The wall between us pushes out a little as she places a hand against it. "Even when you were just a little colt, you were always so kind and sweet. And now that you've gotten older, it... it really shows." She pulls her hand back, part of the wall going with it so I can see her face. The love in her eyes and smile is brilliant, though thankfully not blinding. "You've grown into a wonderful gentlecolt, Rumble. A true stallion, and..." She looks down, face flushing. "Well, I think I’ve made my point," she says with a slight stutter.

I jolt at that. "I..." My throat feels dry as a lump forms in my stomach. I step to the wall, looking her in the eye. "How about I take you to dinner tomorrow night?"

She looks at me, wincing, before her body relaxes. "You don't always have to be the gentlecolt, you know," she whispers. "Believe it or not, sometimes... sometimes, I don't want to be treated like a damsel."

With a swipe of her hand, the wall falls away. Her body glistens as she hesitantly steps forward. Breasts shaking with every step, she reaches out and touches my chest. She smiles at the touch, looking pleasantly surprised by how thick my pecs are.

"I-it's okay, Rumble. If it's with you, then it's okay."

As I step forward, I numbly wonder if she's saying that to reassure herself or me. Either way, it works. Her body isn’t nearly as restrained as her voice is, coming in close without hesitation.

Even though I'm the one that closes the distance, she's the one who kisses first. It's sweet and chaste, refreshingly different than any of the kisses I’ve shared with Vinyl or Silver Spoon.

“Ah— One more thing.” I break the kiss, but I make sure to not force Flitter away. I hold her cheek and smile at her as our foreheads meet. “It doesn’t weird you out at all that I’m, like, five years younger than you?”

“Well…” Her arms cross around my shoulders. “All I see is a stallion.” She steals another kiss from me before I can react. “Please?”

My other hand reaches for hers and gives it a squeeze. What little distance there is between us is reduced to almost nothing as her body falls against mine. I let myself fall, taking her with me as we hit the cloud. I only let go of her for a second. She spreads her arms out as I turn over, positioning myself over her slender figure.

“Hey, no matter what happens…” I interrupt myself by giving Flitter a loving kiss on the muzzle. “Love ya.”

Something connects between us. For a second, I figure it’s my aura merging with hers, but since I can feel her shudder against me, I realize has to something else. And it feels wonderful.

“I… I know...” Flitter gasps, burying her muzzle against my neck. “I love you too.”

Most of it is a haze. I can feel every push, thrust, grip, bite, grope and seize, but it all washes over me at once. Most of what I see is Flitter’s gorgeous body, accompanied with her ecstatic expressions as she calls out for me, all mixed in with her rapidly fluctuating aura. Until now, I’ve never seen what happens to a pony’s aura when the pony in question is pushed to such a limit.

Much less when that limit is reached... I want to say three times?

Also, when the hell did we relocate to the top of the cloud? Well, it makes for some awesome sunset ambience, I’ll admit that, and there’s definitely no concerns about getting cold between me and this lovely mare.

Flitter’s smooth, flowing mane is swept behind her, spread out along the surface of the cloud. Her breasts rise and fall as I push into her, making her body move and her insides quiver. I can see just hints of sweat forming on her chest and forehead.

Her eyes blink rapidly as her legs twitch. Her back bends as her breath escalates to a desperate moan. She convulses, her hands digging into the cloud beneath her. “Oooh! Hold on, hold on, Rumble! Oooh, I can’t…” She somehow manages to get control of herself and hold somewhat still, but she continues to shake a little bit. “Oh, Celestia, that was…”

“Mind blowing?” I ask.

I keep her steady as I slide away from her, removing myself from her nethers and letting a mixture of white and translucent fluids drip onto the cloud’s surface.

Flitter keeps letting out bouts of weak laughter between exhales. Her breasts give a slight bounce with every breath. She wraps her arms around herself as her lips curl into a smile, her eyes twinkling as she looks towards the sunset. “It felt so good. You have no idea…” She turns her whole body towards me as I lie down next to her. “How are you so good at this?”

I offer a simple shrug as my answer. “I’m a natural, I guess.”

I’m lying through my teeth, of course. I know that before I became what I am now, I was clumsy, at best. The only reason I was able to impress Vinyl Scratch was because she’s a ‘panophile,’ as she likes to call herself. But she didn’t give me her gift without a good reason, that much I know.

The aura has helped me understand what Flitter likes after just a few orgasms. Like I said, I have a keen eyesight for this sort of thing. Flitter craves contact. It isn’t enough for me to give it to her good; she wants to feel her lover’s hands and arms and legs all over her, and in turn she’ll make her lover feel all of her. Even now, despite having broken contact between my length and her sweet nethers, she still insists on holding my hand as she spoils me with her loving kisses.

I dunno why I’m remembering this, but she did kiss me a lot when she was my foalsitter. When she said hello, when she said good night, when she said goodbye… I always looked forward to it.

I slip my tongue into her mouth, just to mix things up a little. She backs away, eyes wide in surprise, though smiling all the while. She comes back for more, allowing me to explore her mouth with my tongue. She moans whenever our lips part.

“Rumble,” she whispers to me, “could you do something for me? I want to try something else.”

I rub my hand along her upper arm. “I’m always up for a new venture.”

“Could you… Mmm…” She’s folding her arms. Once again, she’s having trouble speaking her mind. I coax her little request out of her with a gentle brush of her cheek. “From… From behind?” she asks, tensing up hard.

I get her to relax with an embrace, which brings her arms away from herself and back around me. It’s a little odd. I’m shorter than her, but I’m the dominant one… I didn’t expect anything less, given Flitter’s meek personality. Even so, there are quirks to make note of here.

“Like this?” I ask, lifting myself up and bringing one leg over Flitter. As I position myself over her, getting a good look at her smooth back and tight bum, she nods and scoots her legs in, lifting her rear into the air. She meets my hands, which dig into her soft skin and give her ass a gentle squeeze.

“Mmm… Touch me…” she gasps.

As if I didn’t intend on doing that. I run my hands down her long legs and squeeze those too, eliciting just the tiniest moan. Wow, she’s almost as bad as Vinyl. I get a little curious and decide to take a trip upwards, leaning over and laying my chest over her back. We make for a pretty decent fit. My hands explore her torso. I trace circles around her stomach as I gently run a palm over her fine breasts.

I’m at her entrance, ready to take her for a fourth run, but something doesn’t feel quite right to me. It’s not the aura again. We’re perfectly in sync, so there’s nothing to worry about there… No, I may be touching her, but I’m not close to her.

I join my hands beneath Flitter’s bosom and lift her up. She lets out a cute little “Oh!” as her sweat-dabbled back falls against my chest. This the most vertical she’s been since we started. Thank goodness I’m shorter than her, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to thrust enough of myself into her. I start moving, and the raw expression of lust and love continues.

We’ve already established out rhythm. Whenever I thrust up into Flitter, she lowers her pelvis, causing her nethers to swallow my cock, only for her to rise again as I remove myself. Rinse and repeat. It’s quite satisfying.

She doesn’t like to be bitten, that much I know. She’s a gentle flower. Nothing rough. Nothing painful. Instead, she gets pleasure from the gentle embrace of her lover. And, of course, a little grope never hurt anyone. Flitter is a quiet moaner, so I’m able to tell when I’m doing things right. Not that her moans are really necessary, seeing as her aura shimmers every time I do something that pleases her. It definitely takes a lot of the guesswork out of the picture.

“R...Rumble…” Flitter calls out as I run my hands along her curves. She has such a shapely body, unorthodox for a pegasus, but to a lover, she is just irresistible. Having to pace my thrusts gives me plenty of time to explore her, from her squeezable thighs, to her flat belly, to her breasts… Hot damn, her breasts. Her aura sparkles when I touch them, even more so when I squeeze them. “Mmm… keep doing that…”

As she wishes. I steal a kiss from her pillowy lips, then grip her breasts even tighter, in sync with a particularly powerful thrust. Ooh, she really likes that. Her body seizes up in my grasp.

“Okay… Okay…” she keeps murmuring under her breath. I’ve heard weirder. I guess she’s trying to regulate her heartbeat, or something. Or maybe she’s trying keep herself from cumming too soon. Such a considerate mare. She always has been the giving type.

I look down. Her aura is especially thick around her pelvis. I know what that means. Not matter how much she tries to calm herself and avoid cumming, she can’t hold it in much longer. Odds are, she’s gonna cum before I do.

I’m okay with that. This day is all about her anyway.

“I’m going to lay you down now, okay?” I whisper to her.

“Yes, please…” she murmurs.

I lean forward, taking her with me as we fall to the cloud. It’s a gentle landing, and my penis remains interlocked with her insides, making for a seamless transition. I plant my hands into the cloud, securing a grip, and push forward a few times. Flitter starts moaning again.

I’m not entirely sure why, but I decide to trail my tongue up the length of her neck. It makes her voice shudder and her aura pulse, so I know she likes it.

This is good. Just her and me, with nopony to hear us shout for each other as we join our bodies together. These last six months have been good to me, and I’ve had quite a few encounters, but I’ll definitely remember this one above all the others. Mostly because I can easily say this is the first time I’ve ever had sex on a cloud.

She’s so wet. Her insides have coated me down to the base, and the insides of her legs are a mess all their own. I’m not surprised, but it’s definitely a sight to see, especially since this is a part of Flitter that I’ve never seen before.

I’m going faster, and her laborious breaths have turned into panting. She cranes her neck and looks to the sky, her mouth open and her tongue out. “Rumble… R-Rumble!” she cries out.

She doesn’t need to tell me she’s cumming. The way her aura sparks and flies off of her like a fire tells me more than enough. Her arms tense up, her fingers clench to her palms, her legs quiver, and her insides squeeze my cock. It’s not enough to make me cum, but that’s fine. Again, this is for her, not for me.

Her body flattens against the cloud. She tilts her head to look at me. She’s absolutely beaming, her eyes gazing at me with love and satisfaction.

The moment I pull out of her, I’m caught by surprise as she sits up and pushes on my chest. I fall onto my back, momentarily confused, but then I figure it out as she leans over my cock. “You could have just asked,” she says to me, brushing her mane away from her face.

“I didn’t know what to say.”

“Well, that’s not like you at all,” she says before downing my cock with her saliva-drenched mouth. I lean back, steady myself, smile, and let the fireworks happen.

Flitter is surprisingly good at this. She knows I’m already midway to an orgasm, so she foregoes any playing around and just starts off quick, working her mouth along my cock, assigning her hands to rub my pelvis. I love being touched there. Gets the blood flowing to my loins.

Flitter pops off of me a few times, only to lick the shaft. Even my medial ring doesn’t seem to hold her back. I’m so lubed up by her juices that there’s next to no friction. It’s one of the smoothest blowjobs I’ve ever experienced.

I expect Flitter to pull off, but as I reach my limit, she seems content to keep blowing me. Her hands are still firmly placed on my body. The best thing I can do at this moment is take her hands in mine, letting her warmth into my body and making the orgasm all the more pleasurable. I take my climax like a champ, only letting out a small, satisfied moan as I let loose.

My cum is released all at once instead of in waves, like I’m used to. Flitter moans as I fill her mouth, causing some of it to dribble along my length. The rest of it, however, stays within her mouth. She pulls back from me and makes a small display out of swallowing.

“Didn’t think that was your style,” I say.

“Good to know I can still surprise you,” she says, scooting up to me and kissing my muzzle. “You certainly surprised me. But you still haven’t answered my question, silly. Tell me honestly, how did you get so good?”

“I’m a love demon,” I say without sarcasm.

“Heh. Classic you.” Flitter kisses me again, this time on the lips, and she doesn’t stop. I clutch her back, she wraps her arms around my shoulders, and we fall to the cloud together.

Ever since I became an incubus, I treated those close to me as forbidden fruit. And then Flitter has to come along and muck that all up, in the most wonderful way. She’s that mare I never realized was right in front of me this whole time, a special kind of fruit just ripe for the picking.

My concerns about my abilities as an incubus have been torn to shreds. I don’t know why I was worried to begin with. Flitter gave herself to me, willingly, without any mingling on my part.

...Right?

A Peculiar Sort of Exercise

If anyone ever consulted me on a healthy, easy way to shake off the morning grogginess and start the day in good spirits, I could list off a few things.

Cloudchaser has repeatedly told me that, on an ideal morning, she starts with a glass of water, which gets her body moving and clears out her mouth. After that, she prepares some green tea and a stir fry. Or maybe a smoothie. Anything that’s healthy and goes down easy. After that, she does a few routine stretches, usually involving the neck and arms. She then goes for a jog around the block. By then, it hasn’t even been a half-hour and she’s already good and awake.

I’ve tried to follow that example, though on my budget, I have to substitute ramen and pieces of veggies for the stir fry. Even so, it’s definitely helped with my physique. I won’t be a part of the action when I join the Wonderbolts, instead standing on the sidelines and planning out flight trajectories, but I want to be as slender as the slendy dudes on the posters. Sweet Celestia’s bedchambers, those pecs. I could stare at the curvature of Corporal Kinetic’s chest for hours.

Anyway, that morning routine is all well and good, but I recently added an addendum. Recently, as in I made the change just a few days ago. This morning routine involves rolling over to the other side of the bed, taking Flitter’s twenty-something athletic body in my arms, squeezing her, feeling her, kissing her, and so on. The best part of this morning exercise is that it’s mutual, so she’s able to return the favor. We both make our morning wonderful.

As Flitter and I mash our lips together in a desperate attempt to touch tongues, I recall exactly what happened over the past few days, starting from that magical afternoon. Flitter and I, cold and wet after our encounter on top of that cloud, had raced back to her place and rushed under her covers. We didn’t have sex again, but we did turn on the flatscreen and cuddle up to some crappy romantic comedy. Why must I be a sucker for predictable, contrived schlock? It’s just so wonderfully cheesy.

The next morning, Flitter sat me down so we could define exactly what this relationship is. I was all for it, but that doesn’t change the fact that having ‘the talk’ sucks. I expected things to get complicated, given my infrequent encounters with Silver Spoon, and especially Vinyl Scratch. I’m lucky that this talk didn’t last too long. In fact, it was decided in a jiffy: I love Flitter and she loves me, but we’re not going to start picking out curtains or anything. She suggested we turn this little deal into a herd instead. That way we can keep focusing on our future in the Wonderbolts without drama getting in the way.

Then we had sex again.

In truth, being with Flitter isn’t too different from the way we were before. All the little things, like the way she looks at me with a gleam in her eye, how she hugs me before and after our training exercises, and the affectionate way she speaks to me and only me… Maybe I’m not as good with my aura as I thought I was. Or perhaps I’m like any other dude and can’t see when a good thing is standing right in front of me.

The fact that so little has changed is actually very reassuring. The only major change is that instead of just a hug, she kisses me instead. Also, we’ve started showering together. I love it when she combs my hair.

Anyway, this morning comes after a steamy movie night, where Flitter and I stripped down to our undies and watched the first two parts of Khala-Kane and the Seven Wives. And let me tell you, Saddle Arabia takes its porn very seriously. Flitter could barely make it through the second part before she reached under the sheets and started stroking me.

Eight hours of sleep later and, well, here we are.

Flitter’s legs bend and rise into the air, crossing over each other and locking me in. Our kiss is still messy, leaving our lips and chins doused in saliva. The flats of our tongues meet and rub together. Mine reaches into her mouth and grazes her teeth. I’m tempted to bite her lip, but I quickly remember that she doesn’t like that. She never really told me; the aura did. It subliminally whispers in my ear exactly what my vict… bedfellow wants.

My fingers squeeze her breast enough for her skin to rise between my fingers. I can feel her sweat on my palms, and see it glisten off of the sunlight. Flitter shines like a freakin’ jewel. No surprise here.

“I-I’m cum… cumming again!” she announces in an ecstatic moan.

“Should I slow down?” I ask.

“Ah, no...Goddesses, no!” She captures me in another tongue-heavy kiss. I shift positions a little, bringing my body further over her. In doing so, her legs lean against her stomach. My, she is flexible. With her legs in this position, there’s far less obstruction.

Her aura is firing up again, bursting with light. It goes in perfect sync with her orgasmic cries, which she bellows out in tandem with the fluctuations of her body. Her moans grow louder and longer, until it gets to the point where she’s screaming for me.

As she climaxes, her aura consumes her and flies off of her body. I’m used to seeing somepony’s aura shine during an orgasm, but never anything like this. I’m quick to assume that this is just a really good orgasm for her, but then something else happens. Her aura snaps back onto her, flows up to her breast, right where my hand is, and travels up my arm. It’s like I consumed her aura, and it resonated with me…

I look around the room in my confusion. My eyes fall on the TV when I notice a red glare emanating from my reflection. Crap, my glamour must have malfunctioned. My demon wings are on full display. I can’t let Flitter see me like this, but I’m balls deep inside of her…

“Babe, could you excuse me for one second?” I ask.

“Mmmm…” she sighs blissfully. Much to my relief, she keeps her eyes closed.

Taking her answer as a yes, I remove myself from her. The early morning air makes her juices cold on my cock. I roll to the far end of the bed and duck out of sight. I take a deep breath and concentrate. I gotta keep my true form under wraps.

As my wings turn less batlike and more like that of an average pegasus, I consider something Flitter and I didn’t discuss during ‘the talk’. Eventually, I’m gonna have to come clean about this. Clearly, there are other side effects to being an incubus that Vinyl Scratch forgot to tell me about. I’ll give her a call later. But the problem is that, at worst, Flitter is going to think I’ve been turning her into a drudge or something. Wait, no, drudges are for vampires… Point is, she might get the wrong idea.

I should just wait to confess until I can do something genuinely romantic for her. Something that can distance her from the assumption that all succubi and incubi are sexploitative monsters.

Until then, I have to learn to enjoy the moment. Why must I be so anhedonic? Part of being an incubus means that I’ve earned the right to enjoy love in all forms, so…

“Okay, I’m back!” I leap back onto the bed, the blankets and pillows bouncing as I stick the landing. I roll over to Flitter, grabbing her hip and gracing her cheek. “Where were we? Wait, don’t tell me…” I pretend to rack my brain for the answer. For years, Flitter has encouraged me to be as goofy as I need to be, and she always gets a kick out of it. I tap my forehead after a few seconds. “That’s right… I was about to agree to the new position you’re about to suggest.”

Flitter takes the hint and winks at me. She turns over, leaning on her side in the most picturesque way. One of her hips curves towards the ceiling, seguing perfectly into her slender waist and incomparable breasts. She flicks her tail at me, uncrossing her legs to reveal her moist, dripping slit. “I want to feel your chest against my wings, and your breath on my neck,” she coos. “I love that so much.”

Then I’ll provide. Just as she demands, I press into her body so tightly that we might as well be as one… and we’re about to be, as her hand reaches down to my pelvis and takes care of any softness I had left. It only takes a few strokes.

As I stick it in and move slowly, I choose to remain blissfully unaware of the sound of a door closing. A door that just so happens to be behind the bed, off in the corner of the room that Flitter and I had chosen to ignore.

Cloudchaser, her mane in even more of a mess than usual, stumbles out of the bathroom in her tank top and panties. “Agh, shit…” she grumbles, holding her head as she makes her way past me and Flitter. “Never agaaaain. Let me learn you some knowledge, sister; tequila is evil. It’s purely daiquiris from here on out…” She uncovers her eyes, treated to the view of Flitter’s open mouth and intense blush. “You two still doin’ it?” she asks, thoroughly unphased.

I look between myself and Flitter’s naked body, holding my arm out in disbelief that Cloudchaser even asked that.

“Welp, guess that means I’m taking over waffle duty while he spreads batter all over your backside?" she asks.

"Oh, there's an idea!" Flitter exclaims. "Never had a stallion do that before."

"It's freakin' sweet,” Cloudchaster purrs. “Much like my cinnamon vanilla waffle delights, which neither of you will have."

Flitter is having difficulty talking with me squeezing her breasts, and I’m especially surprised she can get a word out when I rub her nipple. “L-Liar, you can’t eat twenty waffles on your own.”

Cloudchaser looks like she’s taking that as a challenge. “I’ll do it. I’m hungover like a Saddle Arabian wrestler’s dick on a fence and I’m hungry as fuckall. So make it a quicky or cockblock yourself, Rumble. If you’re not in the kitchen in ten minutes—”

“That’s all the time in the world,” I say. And I genuinely mean that. I breathe heavily into Flitter’s ear, making her let out a shuddering moan. “Go ahead.”

For as unfettered as she is, Cloudchaser sure has quite the blush on her face, even if she doesn’t act like it. She’s a little slow on the draw as she opens the bedroom door and leaves.

With that minor distraction out of the way, I kiss Flitter’s cheek and quicken my thrusts. Her moans become shorter and more frequent in turn. “Oh, R-Rumble…”

“Mmm, yes?” I say in an innocent, tantalizing way.

“We… We’re still going to… to dinner tonight, right?”

“Oh, hell yeah.” I grope her bum, squeezing what little fat there is. “I just have a little martial arts training with Cloudchaser to get out of the way, and then I’m yours for the rest of the evening…”

Flitter’s aura sparkles just from hearing that. “Ooooh, that’s wonderful… It just sucks that we have to wait for tonight. We only have ten minutes now.”

“Hey, I said it’s all the time in the world for us. Time ain’t gonna slip through my fingers.” With that said, I remove one of my hands from her breast and snap my fingers. As far as Flitter is concerned, that was just a flourish, but it’s not quite the case from my end. To make sure it’s working, I check the retro square clock Flitter has on her nightstand.

Yep, the second hand is moving real slow now. By the time I’m done here, the rest of the world will have waited ten minutes, but for me and Flitter, it’s gonna be so much more. And she’s not gonna suspect a thing.

I hope…

It’s the early afternoon now, and I’m still detoxing from this morning. Yeah, Cloudchaser’s waffles were so delicious, I think I might be addicted. Also, I miss Flitter. But thankfully, I have a good workout ahead of me to help take my mind off of her. Cloudchaser is an intense sparring partner.

I’ve always been a fan of this particular gym. It was only installed about a year ago but it’s already gained a lot of subscribers. There’s never a day I’m here where I don’t see a mostly full weight room. It’s there in particular that I see a lot of intense auras, the most intense ones coming from the ponies who work out in front of the wall-sized mirror. Nothing wrong with loving yourself, just so long as you’re not obsessed.

I’m about to continue down the hall to the sparring rooms, but two similar auras catch my eye. At the benches, I see two stallions, both of them ripped as all get-out, so confident in both their figures that they choose to work out shirtless. One of them is at twenty reps with… three-fifty pounds, holy crap.

The other guy is spotting, not that he really needs to, seeing as his friend has got this in the bag. No, he wants to spot for this guy, but he’s not really sure why. Maybe it’s the pretty face? The chiseled jaw? The huge pecs? The giant bulge in his gym shorts? Either way, his yellow aura is trying to reach out to the lifting dude’s golden aura… Hm, these are pretty similar colors. Eh, what’s the harm?

With a casual swish of my hand, the yellow aura merges with the golden one. I don’t notice a change right away, but after another ten reps, the lifting dude asks his friend to help him put the bar back on the shelf. The spotting dude does so, only to find that he and his friend are touching hands. Even after the bar is put away, they don’t end up letting go for a while. They seem captivated with each other for some reason.

My work’s done here. I turn on my hoof and head down the hall.

“Desert Eagle, Shattered Earth, Hidden Lotus…” I read aloud. This matted room has a wall entirely dedicated to the basic stances for each fighting style. Jeez, how do the masters memorize all of this stuff? Eh, I guess it’s in the same way that I can memorize the calculations of flight trajectory with wind speed, humidity, thermal energy, velocity, and local weather patterns as modifiers. It just takes patience.

I decide to try one of the Lotus stances, just to see if I can get it right. I have to use the mirror to make sure. “Okay, left arm in, right arm out, palms flat, legs spread…” I talk myself through the instructions. I think I have the pose about right, though I’m sure I’ve made some sort of mistake.

Cloudchaser steps out of the changing room in a tight-fitting tanktop and hotpants, approaching me as I try to refine the pose. I start to worry when she picks a bo staff off the wall and steps towards me with an evil looking smirk on her face.

“Okay, first of all…” She lightly taps the staff on my right arm, forcing me to bend it slightly. “Relax your arms. You’re not taking out the trash, you’re preparing for the enemy’s strike.”

“What enemy?” I snark, doing as she requests. Even succubi and incubi don’t have enemies, and if we did, odds are we would just seduce them. Although, martial arts can be a turn-on. “Okay, what else?”

“Actually, in general, you’re just too stiff.”

“Phrasing.”

She taps both of my legs with the bo staff. “Seriously, make like a high schooler with an underdeveloped frontal lobe and get bent.”

I take her advice. This stance feels a lot more comfortable, actually. I feel relaxed and focused, not having to concentrate on keeping my arms and legs in position. “Okay, I get it.”

Cloudchaser chuckles at my ineptitude, but only because she cares. She gets behind me, her chest and legs brushing up against me. Her hands travel along my bare arms, squeezing my wrists as she adjusts my position manually. “You’ve gotten rusty, hon. Remember, two bros on motorcycles traveling at sixty on a thirty road. One’s high off his mind, the other is drunk. The drunk guy wrecks into a tree, tenses up, crippled on impact. High guy wrecks into a tree, he’s so relaxed that he stands right back up and makes it home in time for tofu wings with the wife. You feel me?”

“Buy me a drink first,” I jab.

Cloudchaser laughs, her breath ruffling my hair. Her breath smells like vegetables. Carrots, specifically. She’s been adhering to the fitness diet I suggested. “Classic you. Now, here’s what I want you to do…”

She begins listing out directions for me, saying I should start off with some sort of basic combo of punches and kicks, but I lose track when I notice something off about her aura. Where her hand touches my wrist, her aura is coalescing with mine. I’m not trying to make this happen, it’s just… happening. I steady myself and try not to react to this, for as much as I would love to have Cloudchaser in my herd, this is not the way to go about it. I have to get her off of me.

“Actually, before we do that,” I say, interrupting whatever she was just saying, “I’m a little sleepy.” I force a yawn, doing my best to make it sound natural. “Do you have an energy drink on you?”

“Yeah, sure.” Cloudchaser lets go, and our auras stop merging. That’s one bullet dodged.

So, that’s two in a row… First, Flitter’s aura grows towards me against my will, and now Cloudchaser’s is starting to resonate with mine. This wouldn’t be a problem, if it weren’t for the fact that I’m not in bed with her. Merging auras is something reserved for intimate moments, when I want to gain knowledge of what makes my bedfellow tick. Their aura speaks to me, telling me what to grab, where to touch, how fast do they like it, how hard do they like it… This shouldn’t happen outside of the bedroom.

It doesn’t help that Cloudchaser’s hotpants leave little to the imagination when she saunters to the other side of the room, and bends over to unzip her shoulderbag. The warm lighting of the room makes the curvature of her thighs glisten. Of course, having been here longer than me implies that she’s been working out, and that would explain a little sweat. Still, why must she be so tempting?

Cloudchaser lifts a sixpack of an off-brand energy drink out of her pack. “All I have is Fit. Is that okay?”

“Yeah, I like that stuff.” I raise my hand. “Toss me one of those bad boys.”

Cloudchaser casually throws a Fit can over her shoulder. I reach out and catch it just before it hits the ground. “Hey, Cloudchaser,” I say with a smirk.

“What?”

“You’re an adult. Why are you throwing a Fit?”

Cloudchaser zips her bag shut, stands up slowly, then looks at me like an owl looks at its prey. “You do realize I’m gonna have to hit you for that.” She pounds her fists together.

“Come at me, bro.” I pop the lid of the can, chug the drink down in about ten seconds (Mmm, dragonfruit!) and toss it aside. I’ll properly dispose of it later. I return to the proper Lotus pose, confident that I have it right this time, and await Cloudchaser’s attack.

She approaches me while she rolls her neck. A satisfying crack echoes off the walls. She gets into her own pose, with her front leg sticking far out and her arms extended on either side of her. “Aaaaand… go.”

She lunges at me with an uppercut, which I dodge with a simple side-step. She follows up by bringing that same arm down, spinning around, and leaping forward with her other arm. I’m too slow to block her. She strikes me in the noggin.

“Ha! One to none,” she boasts, dusting off her hands.

“I love a girl when she’s cocky,” I say, rubbing my forehead. I hold my hands close together, preparing for her next attack. Her downfall will be her aggression. “Go!”

She attacks again, bringing her arm around for a quick jab. I grab her fist, then her arm, and pull, stepping around her as she stumbles past me. I go for a strike on her back, but she counters with a backward kick. I step back just in time to avoid her. “Woah, jeez.”

I go on the offensive as Cloudchaser turns around. I wait until she lowers her arm, then I go in for a strike on her shoulder. She bats my arm away and tries to punch me, but I duck, force her arm upward, and kick her in the gut. “Ha!” I clap my hands as she backs away, holding her stomach. “One-one.”

“Don’t be so smug,” she says with a smirk.

This next round is a bit quicker. We keep circling around each other, our hands and arms crossing and blocking each other rapidly. She’s too fast for me to risk getting a kick in there; I might lose focus and get thrown off-balance. Instead, I plant my hooves, open my hands, and let her simultaneous punches land right into their grasp. She tries to tug her arms back, but it’s no use. I twist her arms and pull, let go, and let her fall onto her side. “Son of a bitch!” she yells.

“One-two.” I chuckle and hold my arms out in a dramatic shrug. “I’ll give you credit for talking a big game, but—”

Cloudchaser spins around on the ground, kicks her leg out, and strikes my hooves. I fall onto my ass like a doofus, too surprised to even vocalize my pain. As I stare up at the ceiling, Cloudchaser leans over me. “Two-two.” She tilts her head. “Say you’re my bitch and I’ll let you have this one.”

“Not a chance in Tartarus, sweetums.” I get my second wind, and what a hell of a rush it is. I plant my hands on the mat and somehow find the strength to get back up with a backward handstand. I land on my hooves, already prepared for battle. Cloudchaser is looking at me like she just saw the battle of Canterlot re-enacted through fireworks. She puts up her dukes, wipes her snout, and beckons to me.

This is one long lasting second wind. I charge at Cloudchaser with my fist at the ready. She swings her arm, but I planned for this. I duck, spin around and back away from her. I use the momentum to leap at her and throw a punch. She blocks with her arms, swings them forward, and pushes my arm away. She then tries to kick me, but I’m fast enough to grab her leg. I shove it aside, once again sending Cloudchaser plummeting to the ground.

Of course, these don’t count unless I land an actual hit, so I kneel down, flex my arm, and jab at Cloudchaser. “Three-two. Had enough yet?”

“Uh, buddy?” Cloudchaser says with a light chuckle and a narrowed gaze. “Check yourself.”

“Huh? ...Oh, geez.” Is my mind in the gutter or what? I definitely landed that hit, but now my hand is open wide and groping at something plump and squishy, although not nearly as large and buoyant as Flitter’s.

“...You gonna let go?”

I decide to be coy about this. I know Cloudchaser doesn’t mind. Wouldn’t be the first time this has happened. “Maybe,” I say.

Cloudchaser laughs and forcefully removes my hand from her breast. “You know, bro, if you’re that into my body, all you have to do is ask. You know I ain’t no prude.”

“Yes, yes, I remember the bedtime stories.” I return to a standing position. My arms are starting to feel a little sore, so I don’t get into another battle stance just yet. “The thing is, I respect you too much to just, uh, ask.”

Cloudchaser is still lying down. She turns over and pulls one of her legs in, presenting her wide hips. She definitely has Flitter beat in that department. “Ah, so you’d want to do something a little more special? Honestly, that’d be pretty refreshing. Not saying you need to treat me like a princess or anything, but…”

“I thought you hated girly shit like that.”

“Maybe I do. Or maybe stereotypes are bullshit.” Cloudchaster bends her legs, puts all her weight on her back, and leaps upward, landing on her hooves without having to flap her wings even once. She’s a bendy one, I’ll give her that. All the athleticism and passion of a Rainbow Dash with the quiet subtlety of a Spitfire.

“How so?” I ask her.

“Well, the only connection between princesses and girly girls with their elegant cul serré wardrobe and oh-so-perfect hair is the fact that our four current princesses just so happen to be like that. If I were a princess, I’d be wearing something like a military uniform. You know, with buttons and junk.”

Where were we going with this? “Anyway, I’m gonna say yes to that date you’re about to offer me.”

Cloudchaser crosses her arms in front of her chest. Whatever she’s about to do, she stops when she processes what I just said. She smirks at me. I can see her aura swirling in her head. “How about you and I head to Manehatten this weekend, put on clothing that emphasizes our best features, and paint the town?”

“Ugh, I’m so busy!” I say in a faux-dramatic voice. “But I’ll make the time.”

“Then it’s settled!” Cloudchaser bumps my shoulder with her fist. “Now, moving on to some routine stretches. Care to join me?” She resumes with the crossing of her arms, tucking her hands beneath her tank top and lifting it up. Her sweaty body causes the fabric to essentially peel off of her fur, granting her breasts a little extra bounce when they come loose from their trappings.

Oh, she’s getting naked in front of me. ...Oh, she’s getting naked in front of me!

In a moment of silent panic choreographed only by my wide eyes, I examine the aura in the room, via the giant mirror. My aura is a wide collection of colors, but unlike anypony else’s, which can be seen around their body, as well as the things and people they touch, my aura can be seen within me, being at its most intense in my eyes, hands, and wings. Speaking of my wings; while they’re in a pegasus form now, my aura is shaped as though they’re in their demonic form.

The reason I’m looking at my aura is to ensure that I haven’t linked mine with Cloudchaser’s in any way, and it seems as though I haven’t… There’s a problem, though. And that problem is round, shiny, and staring directly at me. Why is she getting naked in front of me?

“What?” Cloudchaser asks defensively as she grabs ahold of her hotpants and starts pulling them down as well, taking her dark blue panties with her. I am now in the vicinity of a fully naked mare in a place where nudity isn’t exactly a common sight. I hope to Celestia the door is locked.

“Nothing,” I lie.

“Oh, you’re probably wondering about this.” Cloudchaser gestures to all of her trim, athletic self. Which, at the risk of sounding redundant, is without any clothing whatsoever. “Don’t worry about it too much, kiddo. Fabric just gets a little obtrusive for a mare like me. Sensitive coat and all.” She casts her arms out and does a supraspinatus stretch. “I don’t mind if you look.”

“Really?” I ask with a bewildered glare.

“Nah, not at all. It just means I’m doing well.” She places her hand on the side of her head and bobs it back and forth. A loud crack sounds out. “Woo, yeah! That felt good.” She segues into a triceps stretch, reaching behind herself with both arms. She’s flexible enough for her hands to touch around her shoulder blades. She looks at me again. “Well, come on. Follow my movements.”

“Uh, sure.” She acts as though it’s difficult for me to concentrate with her body on full display. Granted, it kinda is. One would think I’d be longer over the thrill of seeing an attractive somepony naked, but the thing is, I’m a very happy-go-lucky person, and most thrills don’t wear off on me easily. Such is the case with Hipsy McMusclethighs over here. I trade glances between her, her reflection in the mirror, and myself as I mimic her stretch. My fingers just barely touch.

“I wanna go to Manehatten for this new Bridleway show,” Cloudchaser says as she reaches towards the ceiling. “Wrath of the Dragon. It stars actual martial artists, and the fight scenes aren’t pre-choreographed. Well, for the most part. The winners of each fight are obviously in the script, and some scenes are more planned out than others.”

“But for regular fights, they just play it by ear?” I ask. “That’s impressive!”

“And it’s got this awesome mix of rock and dubstep for its soundtrack played by a live band and DJ, and…” Cloudchaser punches the air and groans. “Argh! The problem is, I can’t score any tickets. Sales are more restrictive than Princess Celestia’s bedroom. Only filthy rich brosives stand a chance of getting in.”

There’s my opportunity. If I can’t control the aura well enough, and it’s causing her Cloudchaser fall for me, I can at least steer into the skid and find some way to woo her in a less demonic way. Cloudchaser is one of the coolest, most inspiring ponies I could ever hope to know, and I love her just the same as Flitter. But I have to work for this one’s affection. She said I could ‘just ask’, but that’s not good enough. Not for somepony who’s been so good to me for the better part of my life.

“You let me worry about that,” I say as we both go into a downward facing dog position. Of course she’s able to touch her hooves, while I’m just a few centimeters off. “Come this weekend, I promise we’ll have ourselves a martial arts show to watch. And even if I fail, which I won’t, I’ll still make this the most romantic getaway you could ever imagine. Anything you want, I’ll make it happen.”

“Aw, baby!” Cloudchaser clasps her hands together. “I oughta marry you right on the spot for that.”

“Uh, I dunno about that. I mean, I’d have to find my old wedding dress, and I’ve been working out so much, it might not fit anymore…” I give a sarcastic shrug.

As Cloudchaser and I sit down and cross our legs, I consider the near future. I have dinner with Flitter tonight, and a trip into Manehatten this weekend. That leaves me a few days to get in contact with Vinyl Scratch, which I now have two reasons for. Between all of that, I can enjoy my time with Flitter.

Until I’m able to figure out exactly what’s up with the aura, and whether Cloudchaser’s sudden affections are genuine or just the result of some passive incubus effect I wasn’t aware of, I can at least settle for knowing I can make her and Flitter happy, until the moment that I’ll have to confess what I’ve become to both of them.

It’s not gonna be easy. Telling my favorite mares that I’ve become a demon will be a far cry from when I confessed my bisexuality a few years back (which everypony knew about since I was thirteen), since this is actually a major change, and not just a part of me I’ve kept under wraps for a long time.

Seriously, working out naked? In a public gym? Who does that?

“Nopony does that,” says Flitter as she spears a piece of tomato in her salad and takes a bite. After she swallows, she continues. “There are a lot of things that Cloudchaser does, and it isn’t that.”

The Corner Bistro was a humble little dinner and dessert place right next to Ponyville’s marketplace. We’re eating outside, shielded from the evening sun by the striped umbrella above our table.

Flitter’s dinner order had come first, and mine is still on the way. I ordered a sundae, since I like to eat dessert first. After my hefty and rather unusual workout with Cloudchaser today, I think I’ve earned a few calories. Until my order comes, I’ve been relaying today’s events to Flitter.

“But she did!” I say defensively, though I don’t really need to defend myself from anything. Flitter is surprisingly good humored about this, smiling through her bites of salad.

“I believe you,” Flitter says nonchalantly. “I guess there are sides to my dear sister even I don’t know about.”

”And I would’ve been able to shake if off if it was just her being her. Y’know, boisterous and fearless and all, but then she starts flirting with me. I, uh…” I clear my throat and put my napkin in my lap. “I may have agreed to take her out this weekend, maybe catch a Bridleway show.”

“Wrath of the Dragon?” she asks.

“Yep.”

Flitter lets out a noise that sounds like a sigh of relief. “Finally, someone she can go with! She’s been begging me to take her to a showing for weeks, but I’m not wasting our money on such a violent spectacle. I mean, if you like that sort of thing, that’s fine, but I’m more into—”

“Predictable romantic comedies?” I guess.

Flitter puts down her fork and clasps her hands together, displaying a soft blush. “Actually, I only picked that movie the other night because, uh… I wanted something safe and relaxing, so I could... y’know... enjoy cuddling up next to you.”

I find myself blushing a little bit. “So, what are you into?”

“Adventures and epics, really. Those have their share of violence, but it’s not glamorized so much. It’s more about a trek across epic landscapes and exotic locations, seeing an amazing world, getting to know the characters on an intimate level…”

“Ah, no wonder you love Khala Kane so much.”

Flitter nods and blushes again. “Well, the sex scenes certainly don’t hurt… I can still barely get through the part with the bathhouse and the Prince of Thieves.”

“Ah, that is the best episode hands down!” I say with gusto. “Hey, has Cloudchaser watched those movies yet?”

“Unbelievably, she hasn’t!” Flitter says with a sudden realization. She smiles as the gears turn in her head. “Okay, I have a proposal for you and her both. It’s obvious that she wants to be a part of our little arrangement.”

“That’s gonna be a little more complicated than it sounds. I shouldn’t expect you two to wait on me, or vice versa. There aren’t any alphas in polyamory.” I point my fingers at Flitter for emphasis. “Mutual care and respect, that’s the key.”

Flitter rests her chin on her hand. “We have to make sure you can tend to both of us equally, and that we’re comfortable with sharing you. Adding another pony to the mix, especially one that’s so close, can be tricky for both parties, so a test run would be a good idea.”

I let her words sink in. In some other form of erotica, I would imagine this conversation being much more unrealistically sensual. However, what keeps it from feeling like some sort of dream or fantasy is Flitter’s calm nature. If it were anypony else, this conversation would be kind of embarrassing, and definitely not suitable for a public place such as this.

“It’s like stretching out a muscle before you make use of it. And if it doesn’t feel right, we’ll just hop right back to this.” I take a sip from my glass as I gesture between me and her. “No need to force something complicated.”

Flitter nods in happy agreement. “So, should this trial happen at our place, or—”

“No. You’ll both come by my apartment, and you’ll find the place to be so clean you can eat off the carpet. And I intend to. Hold for laughter…” I point at Flitter, and she chuckles immediately. “Then, I’ll prepare both of you your favorite dinners, as well as mine. When we’re all served, we’ll cavort over our grub, and upon completion retreat into the living room. We will rest our hooves as we take a gander upon my entertainment unit, and thusly, watch porn.”

“Now now, Khala Kane is not porn,” Flitter says insistently, wagging her finger at me. “It’s a well-choreographed, expertly directed adventure series with elegantly crafted action sequences and scenes that involve the title character, along with a few other diverse and likeable characters, doing the wild thing.” She blushes again. “Darn. Now I can’t get the bathhouse scene out of my head.”

“We could roleplay it when we get back to your place,” I suggest.

“No offense, honey, but I don’t think you can match the Price of Thieves’ figure, regardless of how pretty you are. Aaaand you don’t have a scimitar.”

I mull over that setback, but come to a simple yet brilliant solution. I raise my hands over my head and wave them in a long, sweeping arc. “Imaaaaaginaaaaation!”

Flitter snorts in the middle of her drink. “Why do you always know the right thing to say?”

“A steady stream of luck?”

No. You’re a demon, and you’ll have to tell her eventually.

The waiter exits the interior part of the restaurant, coming our way with my sundae in hand. Hopefully a mix of vanilla and chocolate can help quell this feeling of unease in my stomach.

I thank the waiter as he sets the bowl down. Flitter’s voice becomes distant as I take the first bite. Nope, don’t feel any better.

An Eclectic Sort of City

As a pegasus, I’ve conditioned myself to conserve my thought process whenever I’m not moving. My thoughts are best saved for when I’m in the air, plotting my course and dealing with several factors at once; air traffic, the positioning of my wings, the direction of the wind, how much energy I can expend during my trip, and so on. It’s not a simple matter of flying all willy-nilly. It’s a sweet science, and I resolve to treat it as such.

My conditioning does have a downfall, however, and it starts to become a nuisance as I run to one of Manehatten’s many bus stops. When I’m in a complicated situation, and I start to move, I begin to think too quickly for my own good. Add on a layer of stress, and a whipped topping of anticipation, and you have a boy who is silently panicking about what’s to come as soon as he gets home from his Manehatten vacation with Cloudchaser.

It’s the anticipation that’s the worst part. Flitter and I have meticulously gone over our ‘trial run’ plans time and time again, to the point where I might have had to forget a few basic flight formulas to cram them all in my noggin. I know that my natural incubus senses will lead me down the right path, but my mind is still mine, and I’ve always been a worrier. No magical transformation can change that. At least, as far as I know.

The worst part is not knowing if this magical transformation will have any ill effects on Flitter and Cloudchaser...

“Scuse me,” I say to a young, suit-clad businessmare sitting on at the bus stop. “Can you tell me if this is the C-line?”

She points upwards. “Did you check the sign that says ‘This is the C-line’?” she asks in a stilted tone.

I look up, and I’ll be damned, it actually says that. Of course, I already knew running over here that this is the C-line, but I have my reasons for asking this mare. I needed to get a closer look at her aura. It’s an icy white, a color I don’t see all that often. Usually I only see it around quiet and reserved ponies, and there are very few of those to be found in Ponyville, aside from Big Mac.

I take a seat next to this businessmare, adding a quick “Thank you.”

She nods in response. “Are you waiting for someone? I don’t know many pegasi who need to take the bus,” she asks.

“I was just curious.”

Understandably, she hums in confusion.

I face slightly away from her, pretending to take interest in a nearby street performer and his posse. He’s a rotund for a pegasus, but judging by his breakdancing abilities, he doesn’t seem to care. With a flourish of his crimson sports jacket and an adjustment of his beanie, he successfully pulls off a backspin, seguing into a windmill. This guy is already challenging my perceptions of body types.

I join his bystanding friends in a round of applause. My ear twitches when I hear somepony else clapping right behind me. It’s the businessmare. The moment I turn towards her, she immediately stops clapping and returns to an upright sitting position.

Even without the aura, I can see the signs. In fact, I wouldn’t acknowledge the aura at all if it weren’t for its behavior, the likes of which I haven’t seen until now. As the breakdancer busts an ill move to a bass-pounding hip hop song on his boombox, his green aura flies off of him in droves. Green is a good color; I see it most often on charismatic and outgoing ponies. As the bits of aura fly through the air, some of them begin to fade away. Others disappear on impact with passersby, or the posse. What surprises me is what happens when his aura strikes the aura of the businessmare’s. It merges with hers, floating around her like a satellite, staying there long after the others go away.

The feeling seems to be mutual, albeit unsaid; the breakdancer’s aura, upon closer inspection, has some orbiting pieces of the businessmare’s aura. In fact, I can see that his aura is being suppressed, like something is holding him back. I guess he and I have something in common; we both have a lot on our minds today.

For a second, I consider taking a strand of the breakdancer’s aura and connecting it to the businessmare’s, but I decide against it. This is not something for which an incubus is needed. Anypony can do the trick.

My sharp eyes take notice of the nametag on the front of the mare’s suit. She must be on a lunch break from work, or something. I see that her name is Open Forum, and that she works at Redheart Medical. Must be a receptionist; if she were a doctor, her aura would be a lot more contorted.

I reach into my coat pocket and grab my wallet. I take out a bill and a pen, and quickly jot down the businessmare’s name and place of business, along with some bold words saying GO GET HER. Then, I stand up, stroll over to the breakdancer, and drop the bill into the suitcase next to his dancing mat. I give him a thumbs up as he picks up the bill and looks at my writing. I then wave to his posse, turn around, and take off.

Just before I vault the print store on the other side of the street, I turn around. My heart pauses for a second as the bus comes by and the mare gets onboard. Then, thankfully, the breakdancer sprints to the bus and hops on after her.

Having gotten what I stepped outside for, I return to the hotel. I give a polite nod to the bellboy as I step inside and have luxury poured into my eyeballs. I picked up an extra shift at the bakery so I could spring for someplace fancy, and I think that a place with a decorative indoor waterfall is fancy enough. The floors are reflective enough to serve as mirrors, and the ceiling is so tall, I wonder why they couldn’t separate this building into thirteen floors instead of twelve. Perhaps they’re superstitious.

I tap the button for the seventh floor (lucky me) and hop in the lift. Now that I’m able to stand still and slow my thoughts, I can be a little more objective instead of letting myself drown in my own nerves. Here’s what’s happening at this very moment: I’m in Manehatten, one of the greatest cities in Equestria (though I prefer Seahorsattle), with a beautiful mare waiting for me upstairs.

I check the contents of my bag. Four donuts. Two maple bars, one with rainbow frosting, and another with fruit cereal sprinkles. The bakery three blocks down was selling these at half price, and I just had to treat Cloudchaser. She’s been working her tight butt off getting into shape, and I think she deserves to cheat, at least for a little while.

Besides, sugar is important. You don’t need to be an incubus to use a little bit of nature’s adrenaline. With a ding, the door to the elevator opens up and I make my way into the hall and arrive at the room after a short walk. The sound of a TV left on too loud greets me as I push open the door. Cloudchaser is lying belly-down on the bed, kicking her legs and watching intently in a gray tanktop, spats, and a lonely sock.

“Heeey, buddy!” she chimes with a lazy wave.

“Wow,” I say, stumped at not seeing her bedridden like I was expecting. “You were out cold when I left. How do you recover from hangovers so quickly?”

She points her finger at me. “Hard work and determination, buddy-boy. Y’know in the fourth Khala Kane movie, when she poisons both cups and makes that duke drink one, and he thinks, ‘Hey, I picked the one without poison!’ and it turns out he didn’t, and it was hilarious?”

“Uh, yeah.” I sit down on the bed and take my loafers off.

“And it turned out Khala had a poison immunity she’d be building up? That’s like me and hangovers.”

“Inconceivable,” I mutter. I smile and pat Cloudchaser on the head.

“Ow,” she grunts. “Okay, not entirely immune. But come on, you drank almost as much as I did and you don’t seem much worse for wear. Confess!” she commands with another point.

The truth is that I have a substance immunity of my own, thanks to being an incubus. It keeps me from making poor decisions whenever I get my drink on, not that I have the opportunity all that often. I’m glad I have it, since I’ve got a lot of new responsibilities now, and it would be a shame if I ended up using them to hurt anyone in a drunken rage.

Or worse, accidentally exploit somepony I care about…

“Uh, hello?” Cloudchaser grabs her hairbrush out of her bag and slams it against the bed like a gavel. “Honorable Judge Cloudchaser demands you confess how you’re not as blitzed as I am right now.”

I loosen my socks and kick them off. “Judges can’t force confessions. And let’s just assume I burned through that alcohol in my sleep. I’m young. My metabolism is through the roof. It happens.”

As my socks hit the floor, I notice they’re in good company—It seems as if half the contents of Cloudchaser’s suitcase are strewn about as well.

“Yeah, yeah. Just means I have to try harder next time,” Cloudchaser says, standing up and wobbling a bit. “Whew! You know what sounds good right now? Cleaning up a bit.”

I cock my eyebrow and look up at her, only to realize that the floor couldn’t be further from her point as she saunters off towards the bathroom. “Sure,” I say, leaning down to gather some of the clothing on the ground. “Take your time. I’ll take care of the room while you’re at it.”

She looks over her shoulder and gives me a deadpan stare. “Oh, no. Don’t think you’re getting off that easy.”

“Come again?” I ask with a sly smirk.

She shrugs. “Again? I haven’t even once.”

“Har-diddily-har.” I stand up from the bed and start undoing the buttons on my shirt. I chuckle as I realize what’s about to happen, releasing my tension from my shoulders. I lower my eyelids at the sight of Cloudchaser, who leans against the frame of the bathroom door. Her arms are folded and her expression is wide and expectant. But I have to disappoint her. “Okay, I’ll join you, but we’re not having sex.”

“Bruh.” Cloudchaser hangs her head.

I point at her accusingly. “Don’t ‘bruh’ me, bruh. You have a hangover, and I’m not letting our first time be a hazy romp.” With a swish of my arms, my shirt is across the room, falling draped over the solitary chair in the room.

“Oooh, look at him,” Cloudchaser whines, bowing mockingly. “Rumble is such a gentlecolt among gentlecolts. Couldn’t you tell by the way he porked my sister for three straight hours?”

I open my mouth to retort, (and claim that it was four hours) but Cloudchaser decides to put an early end to my words.

“Oh calm down, I was just poking fun. I’m sure you’ll more than make it up to me later.” She winks and thumbs the inside of her spats’ waistband. “Now… you first! I was already generous enough to show you earlier.”

I roll my eyes, but can’t help myself from a grin. “Fine, fine. If that’s the way you want to play, I don’t mind making a big show of it.” I tilt my chin down but keep my eyes on hers, unbuttoning my shorts and sliding them off my frame, leg by leg, until only my black boxers remain. I’m about to take them off as well, but then I get an idea.

“Well? Go oooon.” Cloudchaser is resting her chin in her hand, leaning closer to me.

“Hold on.” I hold my arms out. I clear my throat and speak dramatically, “At the end of our hope, at the end of our time, when all semblance of a chance in hell seems lost to ponykind, from the depths of the blackest void, one stallion—”

“Flitter already told me how big you are. Take ‘em off.”

With a sigh and a grumble, I oblige, slipping out of my boxers unceremoniously. Despite her words, Cloudchaser’s eyes and aura flare noticeably as they hit the ground. Trying to play it cool, she pulls her eyes away and spins her body around the bathroom door, leaving only an arm around the frame to guide me in.

As I turn the corner to enter the bathroom myself I’m greeted with the enticing sight of Cloudchaser bent over the bathtub, turning the knobs to get the water just the right temperature. I can see her glance my way in the rapidly fogging mirror, her eyes meeting mine for just a moment, but she never turns her head.

The tub itself looks halfway between an otherworldly spring and an alchemical station. It’s lit softly from by a number of lights embedded in the frosted glass floor below. Behind the bath is a tiled ledge where a couple tiny bottles of shampoo and candles lay alongside what looks like an oversized ladle that holds a bar of soap. I cock my eyebrow at one of the bottles, which is labeled Bubble Babes: a babe’s favorite bubble bath. That could certainly come in handy.

“You gonna take a bath in that garb?” I ask as Cloudchaser gradually stands upright again, finished fiddling with the bath.

She grins, putting her hands on her hips. “Only if you let me.” She presents her finger again, only this time waving it towards herself. “Come and get it, stud.”

I step towards her. My hooves find a comfortable position on either side of hers as my chin settles against her neck. I vocalize a pleasant coo, which her ear flicks at the sound of, and bring my hands to her hips, bringing them up underneath her tank. There’s a little less torso on her compared to Flitter, but her flat belly and thick muscle tone is nothing to scoff at. She worked for it, and I’m reaping the reward.

Cloudchaser giggles at my touch. “You plan on pawing at me all day, or do you wanna see me naked?”

Come to think of it, I can’t recall a time when she hasn’t been impatient. Taking the hint, I slip my hands further up her chest until her toned figure gives way to two soft masses. Well, masses is kind of a blanket term here, but hers are nothing to sneeze at. Squeeze at, however...

Cloudchaser breathes heavily at my touch. “Ooh. How do you like ‘em?”

“The best things come in small packages,” I recite.

Cloudchaser turns her head and clasps her hands over mine beneath her tank. “You callin’ me small, boyo?”

“You’re big where it matters, babe.” I squeeze her left breast. “Beneath this thing is your big heart. And down here…” I slide that same naughty hand down to her waist. Her spats are loose enough to pull away from her hips with an easy tug. I let them slide to her thighs as I run my palm over the prominent beauty that is her ass. Good golly gosh, Celestia’s sake, I love my Cloudchaser’s gorgeous ass.

“Keep touching me, babe. Enjoy me for a bit,” she says as she bends over and pulls her spats down the rest of the way. My intense squeeze is only interrupted by her lifting her leg to kick her sock away. “Now, off with this…” She crosses her arms over her tank. I join her hands and help her lift it up to her neck and over her hair. “Ah, freedom…”

I lean around her to take a look at her frontal splendor, but alas, she’s quick to cover her chest. “Nah-ah. No points for half-credit,” she snips. She turns around, keeping her arms in lock in front of her breasts. There is beauty in knowing she’s only two limbs worth of a gesture from exposing herself to me. “Finish what you started.”

I step forward and wrap my arms around her waist, slipping my thumb into the waistband of her light blue panties, but hesitate from moving anymore. Instead, I slip my face into the crook of her neck and send some warm breaths down her back, letting her shiver a bit before I continue. Slowly, I move my hands down, giving her shapely backside a final squeeze. Flipping my palms around, I roll down her panties from the brim while leaning back and appreciating my work.

I whistle as I appraise her tantalizing slit, a perfect gradient between the lavender of her fur and the pinkness beyond. I expect her to blush or look away, but instead she just gives me a sly smile. Following my movements she takes in a soft hiss of breath and ever-so-slowly pulls her hands away, finally leaving herself fully exposed.

She tilts her hand and leans on her leg, flaunting her sizeable hips for my hands to enjoy. “Sure you can keep your promise? You know I wouldn’t blame you if… certain details changed your mind.” She practically purrs the words and steps forward, giving me a once-over with her eyes.

I raise my hand next to my head as I pledge an oath. “I’ll cuddle you, squeeze you, touch you anywhere, but I don’t want to have sex with you.” I raise an eyebrow. “Yet.”

“Well, something is clearly wrong with you. Or maybe you’re trying to be a little more noble than the average pervert.” Cloudchaser drags the tips of her fingers up along my neck, ending at my chin. “Don’t let me seethe in jealousy over my dear sister for too long, okay?”

I have my reasons.

I take Cloudchaser’s hand as she spreads her legs and steps into the running water of the tub. She takes her seat, keeping her knees elevated. She leans back and dips her mane into the water. It instantly loses all of its spiked, feathered weightlessness and falls across her face, covering one of her eyes. She winks at me with the visible one as she kicks back towards the edge of the tub and gestures towards herself. “Well, come on already.”

I step in after her. Even the water emanates luxury, sparkling at the touch with nary an imperfection on its crystalline surface. Out of curiosity, I turn on my aura vision, allowing myself to see the water in an ethereal glow that captivates every corner of my vision.

But my awe turns into concern the instant my hands touch the water. My mixed aura becomes like tendrils, forming with the water, twisting about until it reaches Cloudchaser and wraps around her leg. I reach out to her, catching myself from yelling something. Just as the aura reaches her chest, I blink quickly so my vision returns to normal.

“You go schizo for a second?” Cloudchaser asks, leaning forward with a puckered lower lip.

“No… Nope.” I shake my head quickly. “Are you feeling okay?” I ask.

“Well, I’m here in a hotel that has fancy plastered all over its walls, I’m naked from head to toe, I’m bathing in water that I’m pretty sure has healing properties, since my hangover subsided about ten seconds ago, and I’m staring at you, sweetcheeks.” She counts the number of things she just said off on her fingers. She raises all four and directs them at me. “Care to give me a fifth reason to be the happiest mare in the world right now?”

“I could order some chardanae and put on Braytoven’s Fifth,” I suggest.

Cloudchaser sighs, clearly having enough of my prudishness. “Hilarious. Get over here.”

With a push forward, I float over to her, finding myself leaning over her as she rests against the slope of the tub behind her. With a smile, I let my head fall, the nose of my muzzle meeting her own. I wrap my hands gingerly around her hips and run them up and down, softly caressing her with my fingers. Her aura seems to retract beneath me and she gives me a smirk. I move my hands up, teasing the sides of her breasts once before wrapping my arms fully around her.

I pull my body close to hers, pressing us together, and alight in the feeling. I can’t stop myself from smiling. Pushing my muzzle into the nape of her neck, I leave a string of kisses down the side, teasing the bottom of her chin with some flicks from my ear. She shivers, but her aura flicks hungrily beneath me, and I move my hands down to her ass to oblige. This kind of tension is exactly what I wanted to build; I capitalize with a squeeze to her cheeks and a tiny nip on her neck. The smallest of moans escapes her lips, and her aura flares like an ember in the wind.

The flare concentrates into a red sigil around her neck, just above her collar. The sigil has a rough shape that looks a little bit like lips. I’ve never seen this happen before, but I’m easily able to figure out what this means. I wet my lips, bare my teeth, and gently chomp on Cloudchaser’s neck, right where the sigil tells me to. The sigil bursts instant I ground my teeth into her fur, and light envelopes all of Cloudchaser’s body, brightening in sync with her ecstatic moan. “Oooh! How’d you know…?” she asks in a lusty whisper, her hand stroking my mane.

“A magician never reveals his secrets,” I say, licking where I bit her.

“You ain’t a magician,” she says with a snort.

“Not true; I can do the card tri— Oh!” I find myself interrupted when Cloudchaser pushes against my chest. I spread my wings before I hit the water, so I don’t end up submerging my head. Now I’m lazily drifting along, treated to a view of the fluorescent lights on the ceiling, until Cloudchaser’s head replaces the view.

“Flitter may have been your babysitter,” she says enticingly as her hands cup my ears, “but I’ll be your momma.”

Before I can reply, she presses herself against me and pushes her muzzle hungrily to my own. Moving my hands up and around her neck, I oblige her, and flick her lips with my tongue. With a click, she pulls back, giving me a sly smile. “Momma doesn’t play around, Rumble. If you won’t give me your all, I’ll just have to show you how it’s done.”

Again she pushes down on me, pushing her tongue deep into my mouth. Now it’s my turn to moan; I simply grope along her back and try to keep up with her as she sloppily kisses me. The aura isn’t telling me what to do this time, so I take it as a safe sign to surrender to her approach.

Cloudchaser has a dangerous glint in her eyes, at least the one that isn’t covered by wet hair. She runs her fingers through my mane and clasps herself to me, squeezing her breasts between us. Each kiss she gives me is adorned with a satisfied hum. Finally, she pulls back, but keeps her face close to mine. Our breath runs hot and heavy, and I suddenly notice just how quickly my heart is beating.

She gives me a peculiar smile, one that I’ve never seen from her before. “Sorry,” she says, taking a deep breath, “Sometimes I just—”

I’m relieved to know she isn’t planning on suffocating me, but I don’t want to see her break out of her dominant demeanor so quickly. “Keep goin’, Momma,” I say with an intense glare.

“Oh, baby…” She kisses me lightly, and again a bit hot and heavier. Then, she strokes my shoulder, kneading into my wettened fur before following along the length of my arm. She stops at my wrist and gently wraps her hand around it. I surrender control of my arm as she lifts it to her face.

She looks at my hand as though it’s some sort of toy she got out a dentist’s toy chest. She spreads all of my fingers apart, examines them for a few seconds, then puts my pointer and pinky fingers down, and folds in my thumb. Then, she presses her lips to my middle and ring fingers, and licks them once before putting them into her mouth, downing them as if they’re a small erect cock.

As strange as it sounds, it’s making me throb, feeling her saliva coat my fingers, her tongue mingling with the very tips, down to the base and the edges of my knuckles. I especially love it when her tongue slips between my fingers and laps up her own saliva, only to replace it with more.

“Oh, what’s this?” Cloudchaser grins deviously as her eyes trail down my body. “Looks like my baby wants something.” She compliments her words with another long, slow lick up my fingers, then looks directly into my eyes and whispers, “All you have to do is ask…”

I gulp and try to gather my wits as she returns to licking my fingers, making a show of moaning about it as she does. This can’t be my aura, can it? No, it’s stayed more or less in its place since I first entered the tub…

“Hey, Cloud—”

She stops licking me for a moment. “Momma.”

“M-Momma.” It sounds just as strange as it is enticing. “Do you do this to stallions often?”

She nods, tracing her tongue across her lips.“Oh yeah. But your reaction is the best on record.” She leans back and looks down along my body, smiling as she takes in the sight of my cock. She takes my wrist again. “Here’s an idea…”

“Not having sex,” I blurt out.

“I know, baby, I know…” Cloudchaser’s naughty expression hasn’t changed, so now I know she’s found a loophole, and I know I’ll have to play along. She brings my wrist down to my pelvis, opens my hand, and brings it around the base of my cock.

“And what would Momma have me do?” I ask, honestly a little confused. Not even Silver Spoon or Vinyl Scratch, in their most perverted, ecstatic moments, have ever done anything like this. Not that this is beyond their pervertedness, I mean. The thought just never occurred to them, it seems.

“Momma wants you to masturbate.” She lets go of my hand and touches the tip of my cock, making me shudder. She then presses her fingers into her wet fur and drags them up her body, starting at her thighs, pausing to grope as much of her breasts as she is able, and ending at her tongue, which she uses to lap at her middle finger. “Mmm, even a little of you tastes good.”

I find her logic surprisingly agreeable. I nod and get up into sitting position, keeping my hand gripped firmly around my dick. “I guess masturbating to y… to Momma doesn’t really count as having sex.”

“The devil’s in the details, baby…” She’s on her knees now, her hands on her gyrating hips. She creates ripples as she rotates her lower body like a belly dancer. “Won’t you make Momma feel beautiful by touching yourself, stroking that meaty prize of yours until you explode?”

It sounds and feels a little strange, but sure enough, her aura is responding, pulsating as if I were teasing her in any other way. Slowly, I begin to move my hand up to the tip of my cock, leaning back against the wall behind me. Cloudchaser smiles, turns around, and bends over, reaching for the body wash on the ledge beside the tub.

With a flick of her thumb, the cap pops off and she begins to lather her hands in the stuff. “You like seeing your momma get all soaped up?” she hums, turning to face me again.

I stroke myself faster, letting out a small groan as she spreads the body wash all over her stomach, moving up between her breasts, though not attending to them in earnest just yet. “Mm, aah,” she hums, pushing both her hands over her breasts once, a smooth sheen of body wash and bubbles remaining behind. “I love it when you look at me like that, baby.”

My breath is starting to come shorter and hotter. In spite of what I expected, this is actually the best of both worlds. No pressure on me or her, but I can tell that all this waiting is going to make the actual thing miles better than it would be otherwise. I can tell that she feels the same way; her aura is pulsing in time with her heartbeat, betraying her cool exterior. I wonder if she’ll really be able to wait much longer. Though, if Cloudchaser is anything like her sister, she definitely won’t mind if it suddenly takes a turn for the better, despite my earlier insistence.

I just hope nothing goes wrong if we do end up making love…

Cloudchaser turns her backside to me, bending down to lean on the lip of the tub, and wiggles her backside ever-so-slowly. For her efforts she earns a groan, and I can’t help but work myself faster and harder for her.

“So…” she purrs, running a soapy hand over her ass, “Tell me, is all the working out paying off? It’s rare to hear an opinion from someone I’m sure isn’t trying to get into my pants.”

“Oh Goddesses,” I moan, feeling my hips push forward a bit on their own. Normally I last plenty of time, but I feel the pleasure inside of me rising like a bubble and I can’t bring myself to slow down. “You know it is, Momma.”

Cloudchaser smiles evilly and licks her lips, her eyes straight on my member. Her hand moves from atop her ass lower and lower, to the tantalizing slit below. “Oh, how you must be holding back… You know, nothing’s stopping you from leaning forward and spreading me wide open. Just. Like. This.” As the words leave her mouth, she parts her legs, revealing the glistening pinkness of her interior folds.

I moan and lean forward, working myself hard to the sight of her pink sweetness. “Oh, does baby like that?” she asks. “Hmm? Well, alright. You’ve been a good plaything, so I guess it’s okay to take the show to the next level.”

Cloudchaser plunges a finger inside of her and lets out a restrained, needy gasp. Periodically, her thumb flicks her clit and her long, muscled legs tense up in bliss. I feel the pleasure inside heighten again, as I notice each twitch, moan, movement and drip of her self-ministrations. The water of the bath has made my dick slick and, using my thumb on my own sensitive head, I feel myself pushing closer and closer to climax. My breathing is coming hotter and faster as I feel myself dip into all the wells of pleasure that Cloudchaser’s incessant teasing and flirting have built up within me.

“N-Nnh… Is baby close?” Cloudchaser purrs through a moan, wiggling her hips again. “I can’t wait until I feel your load shoot all over my ass… Come on, now, it can’t be long...”

Cloudchaser doubles down her own efforts, paying all of her love to her own clit, and her body tenses and releases as she staggers for breath.

“Oooh, shit… Cloudchaser,” I moan, rocking my hips forward. “I’m… I’m close, I…” I shut my mouth and feel the familiar sensation of looming orgasm crawl inch by inch up my spine, until the wave of ecstasy that comes from knowing that I can’t stop my own release hits me. I gasp and moan, lean forward, and let my mane fall into my face as I finally cum.

A thick spurt of my cum erupts from my pulsating cock and splats across both rounds of Cloudchaser’s ass. It’s quickly followed by another long rope, falling onto her lower ass and dripping down onto the wrist of the hand she’s working herself with. Load after load of my love showers down on her, making a beautiful mess of her backside.

“Mmmf!” I hear Cloudchaser’s orgasm hit, and marvel as her long, fantastic legs simultaneously stiffen, dripping with my cum. “Oh, Goddess, baby! Baby…” she croons, wracked with wave after wave of pleasure.

She gyrates her waist as she plunges her middle digits into herself, letting my cum drain around them, then removes them. She raises them to her lips with a hungry gaze in her eyes. I can tell she’s about to taste both herself and me at the same time.

In a moment of blind, lust-driven instinct, I push past my barrier of post-orgasm haze and dive forward, sliding past Cloudchaser. I reach out and grab her wrist, pulling her hand towards me. I immediately stick out my tongue and lick the whitened fluids from her fingers. It tastes like old salt. Why do I love it so much?

Cloudchaser, aghast at my audacity, smiles down at me as I swallow. “You audacious fool.” She dips her hand in the water and washes my remaining spunk away. She then nods to her rear. “Could you freshen Momma up?”

“Absolutely,” I say with gusto. I sit up and reach over the edge of the tub to grab a washcloth from the towel rack. I soak it in the water of the tub, then reach one arm around Cloudchaser’s figure for a solid grip. I then flatten the cloth against her curvaceous rump, press down hard, and go to down wiping my mess away. “You know I would have licked it off of you, Momma,” I say with a glance back at Cloudchaser’s blushing face.

“Mmm, I have more restraint than you think, baby.”

Cloudchaser closes her eyes, her ears drooping as she snuggles her head against my neck. “Woah, what’s up?” I ask.

“I’m cold,” she whines. “Keep me warm.”

I’m guessing she’s acclimatized to the water, or maybe she became so heated that coming down from her orgasm has made the water seem colder in comparison to the moment of heat. Either way, I do as she asks and wrap my arms around her. I pull her back against me, bringing us both into a sitting position as I kiss her forehead, then her lips.

I take another look at her aura. Not a single bit of mine is on her. Good to know my plan worked. Maybe if I focus hard enough, I won’t end up doing any nasty incubus stuff to her when we do inevitably have sex.

Actual sex.

A plain ol’ suit is something I find to be played out these days. Any middle-incomer can get a suit. That said, I am intrigued by the effect this garb has on my admittedly still-young body. I’ve forgone a suit coat for a simple black vest and red button-up shirt, which gives me an intense, almost demonic presence. Although I would juxtapose that with suaveness. Yes, demonically suave, that’s it.

I pull my belt over a set of black slacks that match the vest in tone, hue, and material down to the last fiber. If I could see the aura of clothes, there wouldn’t be even the slightest imperfection on mine. The belt buckle, when shown in the right light, has an eye insignia on it, matching my cutie mark to a T. That was not cheap to order.

With one final look in the mirror, I lean my head around the corner, trying to sneak a peek into the cracked-open bathroom door where Cloudchaser is getting ready. She has been very adamant about disallowing any outsiders from witnessing her. Not that I really blame her; surely it isn’t often that the tall and mighty Cloudchaser dresses up in anything except the clothes she finds on the bedroom floor. She deserves a big reveal.

I’m not able to see the full dress, but I do see Cloudchaser has fixed her ratty hair into a surprisingly stable bun. She’s sticking a pin into it; I wonder how many of those she used? Her bangs are still heavy over her eyes, but her sparkling eyeliner brings them out a bit more.

I lean in for a closer look, only for a tube of lipstick to hit me in the forehead. “Perverts begone,” Cloudchaser states in an annoyed tone. “Honestly, what did you fall on when you were young?”

I smirk as I rub my forehead. Hope there won’t be a welt. “My doctor says I have ADH… something. How’s it going in there?”

“Nearly done, baby boy.” I hear her set the bag of pins down on the counter. “Is my date ready for the prom?”

I lean against the door lining and fold my arms. “Aw, Momma, you’re so kind to be my plus one. And by the way, I was ready before you finished with your eyelashes.”

“I’ll bat one off in your eye.” She’s standing up. Moment of truth incoming. “Okay, here comes the loveliest pony in Manehattan.”

“But I’m still here!” I snark as I turn towards the bathroom door.

As the gates to Paradiso opens before me, a light mist of steam and foundation billows forth befitting the form of the goddess that rides its wake. Cloudchaser, or perhaps an angel taking the fleeting form of Cloudchaser, bashfully smiles from underneath her straightened bangs, parted meticulously to perfectly frame her face. Only her ears poke out above them.

Her shoulders are unfettered by any sort of strap, though a small white coat covers them, as well as what is easily the shiniest black gown I’ve ever laid eyes on. It goes on for miles, or at least down to her slippers. Ooh, and part of the dress is cut to reveal a singular muscular leg. That’s tempting.

Cloudchaser frets with her bangs before looking over me and saying “Oh my goodness, Rumble! Your outfit!”

“What’s up?” I ask, suddenly becoming alarmed. I check my vest, ensuring I didn’t spill anything on it between now and when I put it on five minutes ago. “What is it?”

“Somepony spilled gorgeous all over it,” Cloudchaser says, wearing her signature smirk. “So, what do you think of this demigoddess that stands before you?” she asks. She sweeps her hand through her mane and strikes a pose, one hand on her hip and the other gracing her shoulder.

“Demigoddess is a bit modest, don’t you think?” I suggest.

“Flatterer.” Cloudchaser leans down and adjusts her dress. Even the slightest movement makes the fabric shimmer against every source of light. “Anypony would look good in this dress.”

“Especially me,” I say. “But when you get an amazing dress on an amazing mare…”

Cloudchaser makes a solitary flap of her wings as she plays with her bangs. “You get a mare who’s trying not to blush?”

I step up to her and touch her cheek. It’s growing warmer by the second, and I’m at least 95% sure all of that redness isn’t coming from one of the red neon signs outside the hotel window. “Too late,” I whisper, quickly pressing my lips to Cloudchaser’s cheek.

Before my lips can leave her face, she slides her head over and brushes her lips against mine. There’s a moment of silent hesitation. I could say ‘Wait until we get back,’ or maybe ‘We’re gonna be late for the show,’ but my hesitation is my downfall, literally, as Cloudchaser drags me onto the bed. I fall on top of her, my muzzle colliding with hers. I grunt and clasp it in my hand, chuckling to myself as Cloudchaser giggles, running a hand through my hair.

I can’t stop. I position myself over her as if clothes aren’t a factor. My hands clasp her breasts, which are held only by the glimmering fabric of her dress. She clenches her teeth as I rub my fingers over her perky morsels, only to find that I can feel her nipples. She’s not wearing a bra. I feel my heart jump and the pressure in my slacks build. Somepony’s gonna have to help me out of these.

Cloudchaser is feeling it too. Just a moment ago, when we were talking, her aura was still, like a body of water on a still summer’s day. Now it’s rippling, moving in waves that increase with every second I touch her. Such a far cry from before. Her quickening heartbeat and rising arousal compel her to drag her fingers against my scalp, squeeze my shoulder like it’s caught between pistons, and reach underneath my undershirt to stroke my back.

The shirt is starting to come off. I even the odds by reaching for the slit of Cloudchaser’s dress. I slide my hand beneath it. The tightness of her dress leaves my hand wedged between fabric and fur, with her heating pelvis being the only thing I can reach. Wait, she’s not wearing any panties either…

I stop kissing her, much to her disapproval as heard through her groan. “Uh…”

“Sup?” she asks.

“No underwear, huh?” I roll onto my back and make eye contact with Cloudchaser. “This was supposed to happen later, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah, probably.” She nods a few times. “I mean, we have a show to get to, and I don’t do quickies.”

“This show…” My head sinks lower into the bed’s comforter. “Wrath of the Dragon. You’ve wanted to see it for a real long time, haven’t you?”

Cloudchaser smiles like a geek who finally got a rare #1 issue of his favorite obscure superhero series. “For years, bro. I keep having nightmares that they’ll retire it before I get a chance to see it.”

“So why haven’t we left to go see it yet?” I ask grimly.

“I figured we’d leave whenever you’re ready,” she answers, seeming not to notice my sour mood. “I’m following your lead. You invited me out here, after all. You bought the tickets. I figure, you get final say on everything.”

“Final say?” I mutter.

She nods. “Yeah. I’ll do whatever you wanna do.”

It all washes over me like a flash fever. Final say. I’ve had final say on everything that’s happened since we got to Manehattan; what we ordered from room service (we got the chardanae, along with some hot crepes, which I didn’t even know she liked), what movie we watched on cable (Red Drake, and I know for sure that Cloudchaser hates superhero movies), and she was perfectly okay with what we did in the bathtub earlier. I know Cloudchaser, and the fact that we didn’t have actual sex is a miracle when it comes to her. Though it was pretty damn close, I would have expected her to pin me down and get what she wanted.

I remember our aura merging back in the gym, a few days back. Whatever happened there, it might have had some effect on the assertive and dominant Cloudchaser. And now, suddenly, she’s waiting for my call. That never happens.

“There are a lot of things that Cloudchaser does, and it isn’t that,” I remember Flitter saying.

I can’t know for certain, but I’m pretty sure I’m starting to possess Cloudchaser. And no matter how much I want to deny it, I might have done the same to Flitter.

“Well…” I say, sitting up and tucking my shirt back into my slacks. “What do you want to do?”

Cloudchaser looks at me oddly. Only now does she notice how suddenly I shifted gears. She sits up, leaning on her side. Her hip becomes exposed as the slit of her dress widens. “I say I want to go see Wrath of the Dragon.”

“With me?” I feel compelled to ask.

“Yeah. With you.”

I look away from her. “You’re sure?”

“Rumble, is something wrong?” Cloudchaser reaches out for my hand, which lies clenched on the bed. Just before hers comes in contact with mine, her aura begins crawling up her arm, about to merge with mine. I snap my hand away before that happens. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” No.

A Liberating Sort of Release

I’ve never known intimacy like this. I thought I did, but apparently, now that I’ve experienced it, I know I haven’t until now, and it’s with a pony I never really struck as an intimate one. See, Cloudchaser has always been… different. She’s compelled beyond belief, with her head fixated on the horizon. She was the first to suggest that she, Flitter and I start working out together, and was the first to suggest we start following the Wonderbolts training regiment. It wasn’t long after that we were going for spots with the Wonderbolts themselves. Granted, I’ll be in a different branch, but even so, Cloudchaser pulled the trigger that propelled us all forward.

But in her wake, she left a trail of broken hearts. No stallion could really keep up with her, and she had no intention of slowing down. She wasn’t satisfied with a stallion that asked her to come down to their level. It was like she thought they were holding her back, or something. Maybe she just never cared much for commitment in the first place. Given her ambitions, that would be understandable.

When we snuck away for the weekend, I thought I had her figured out. Despite my conflictions with the aura, I had an image in my head of a hotel room with messy sheets, overflowed condoms (though by all accounts, incubi are sterile, so no need), and never once beyond the play would these two heartthrobs be departing the room.

And yet, here we are. Gentle touches upon each other’s arms and legs, a gentle kiss here and there. Naked bodies comfortably lying together, bathed in candlelight and the dim glow of a neon sign outside. I hope that sign belongs to a 24 hour establishment, because it’s effin’ romantic.

Cloudchaser’s head fits perfectly into where my neck meets my shoulder, with enough room for her to brush her muzzle against my fur. She purrs every time she rubs against me, and her body moves in turn. Her breasts, perky as ever, push against my chest, and her arm tightens around the other side of my neck.

I’ve been staring at the off-white ceiling of this hotel room for a good ten minutes now, and I may well never get bored of it with athletic sex on legs wrapped around me so tenderly.

“Love you, dork,” she whispers.

“Love you too, but we’ve said that, like, three times already,” I say, suddenly the smarmiest pony in Manehatten. “Helps the message sink in, though.”

“My head’s still in the clouds here. Saying the three magic words makes it feel a little more real.” She kisses my neck twice, first down low, then up near my jaw. “Can’t believe you used to be that wormy little kid who sat in the corner during his own birthday party. Glad I broke him out of his shell. Bit by bit…” She rotates her body slightly so she can circle her finger across my chest. “You took care of the rest.”

“I’m nothing without you or Flitter,” I say, gripping Cloudchaser’s shoulder tightly. “Without you two, I’m just a nerdy mathematician who got lucky once or twice.”

“Who is also incredibly handsome, has a killer rockstar haircut…” She runs her fingers through my heavy bangs. “...and let’s not forget that time he ran off to Manehattan just for some hot piece of ass.”

“You mean… you?” I ask.

“Aw, you’re making me blush.” She kisses me on the cheek, then nibbles on my ear. “I wanna fuck you again.”

“Again?” I ask. I’m not against the idea at all. In fact, my question is more of the rhetorical sort. I just figured she’d be tired by now. Then I remember who I’m dealing with as I touch her cheeks and kiss her full on the mouth. “...Yeah, again. Definitely.”

She rests her head against her hands, her elbows getting comfortable on my pecs. “You’re so good to me. How about I drive your cock crazy with my pussy for a little while?”

I snort. “You kiss your hot mom with that mouth?”

“Hey. I draw the line at you fucking my sister. Besides, you know I go crazy for dirty talk, even when it’s coming from here…” She sticks her tongue in her mouth and slowly pulls it out. “Do you want this hot piece of ass milking your dick or not?”

“Dirty talk, huh? Here, let me try.” I clear my throat. “Cloudchaser, please borken my glockenspiel.”

Cloudchaser bursts out laughing, falling flat across my body. She slams her fist against the bed after a few long seconds of hysterics. “Don’t kill my ladyboner, dude!” She recovers from her laughter, coming back to light giggling. For such a paragon of strength and athleticism, she always did have the most adorable laugh.

I give her hard thighs a firm squeeze. In a duel between these and a vice grip, they’d win. Slowly, I inch my curious hands up, sweeping the skin between her thigh and round ass with the slightest touch I can manage. I content myself to drawing wide circles, tantalizing, but never gripping her backside in earnest. She gazes up at me from below, the needy twitches of her eyelids telling me more than her aura could ever hope to manage. Likewise, it is instinct, not incubus insight, that tells me to make her wait, and wind her down the longest path of needy lust I can find.

Leaning forward, I give her a soft, shallow kiss, pulling away just as soon as her eyes fall closed in anticipation for more. With a grin, I nuzzle my nose against hers and let my only my hot breath tease her lonely lips, giving her ass a single squeeze to divert her attention away. She wriggles back into my grasp, and so I move my hands away, back over her thighs again, wrapping around them and pulling her chest against my own. My fingers curl as her lower lips brush against my rising cock. I am so ready for this.

“I’m so sorry I kept you waiting,” I confess.

Cloudchaser pulls away from me. Her back arches ever so slightly as she sways her arms back. With a light chuckle, her breasts shake. “Your dick is worth waiting for, buddy.” She looks into my eyes. “Are you staring at my tits?”

I’m a terrible liar, so I won’t even try. “Babe, I could compose poetry about what I’m looking at.”

Cloudchaser’s bright body does little to mask her blush. She still manages a confident smirk despite the red in her face. She rubs the crevice of her ass against my dick, rolling her chest to accentuate her breasts. “This ain’t a cam show. Touch ‘em. Squeeze ‘em. Do whatever you want with them.” Her hips rise. I feel her folds slip along my tip, and at the same time feel her body shudder. “D-do whatever you want with me. I’m yours.” She drops her body onto mine, and I penetrate her insides. “Mmm, fuck...”

I push my body up to meet her, and she twitches as the tip of my cock finds the deepest part of her. Sitting up, I run my hands down her sides and around to her ass, groaning as I feel her wetness down my whole length. Her breasts press up against me, and she throws her arms around my shoulders, humming her pleasure and whispering things that I never get tired of hearing, especially coming out of her mouth.

“You’re making this real hard on me,” she whispers, stopped by a short moan as I grind myself up into her. “When I’m this full, I never want to pull you back out…”

“Even after I blow my load?”

“Even after we go to sleep!” Her fingers curl around the blankets next to my head. She gains full control of her hips, slipping up and down along my length without any effort. She’s using me like gym equipment, and I think I like it. “I want you inside me all the damn time, you big fucker,” she says through a bitten lip.

The slow pace I kept with Flitter just doesn’t work here. I have to strain myself to keep up with Cloudchaser, rapidly slapping my hips against hers every time her walls slide down my dick. She makes my effort worth it, squeezing down on me whenever I thrust into her.

Cloudchaser pushes me down onto my back, leaning over with me and giving me a deep, rough kiss as she keeps her hips moving. I feel her moan and gasp into the kiss as the wet sounds of her love grow louder and louder.

“Rumble, baby…” She pulls back, staring at me intensely as she runs her palms over her breasts. She grabs them, shaking up and down. “Please.”

Her hands come off as I reach out for her breasts. I press into them with my digits, and with a clockwork turn of my hands, I push my thumbs against her nipples. She quivers at the touch, and her riding grows even faster.

“Oh, sweet…” She hisses, coherence slipping away for a second. “Did I ever tell you how sensitive those are?”

“Are they?” I bring my pointer fingers to my thumbs and pinch down on her points.

Cloudchaser’s breath catches in her throat. Her lips snap shut when I twist and push, driving her even crazier. Her hips might as well be a blur. I can’t keep up anymore, and the fluids that coat my dick are flying off as quickly as they’re replenished. “F-fuck, I wanna cum…”

Pressing myself up into her, I feel sweet pressure start to build dangerously inside of me. Cloudchaser’s eyes are starting to flutter close and her ride becomes jerky; I can tell she’s starting to lose control. Pushing my body up and into her, I grab ahold of her hips and take control of the pace myself, once again casting myself deep into her body.

“Ahnnngh,” she moans, her jaw going slack, “Rumble, R-Rumble,” she stutters, falling down on top of me. Her legs begin to twitch, and I can tell her orgasm is just about to hit her. Quickly, I move a hand down and find her clit, pressing my thumb into it and simultaneously biting down on her neck. Cloudchaser takes in a final deep breath of air, then lets out a loud, throaty moan, as her pussy clamps down on me in orgasm. I hold her close to me with my free hand as her body shudders to the core, and I feel a gush of her love drip down my crotch.

“I felt that one,” I whisper in her ear. “Was it good?”

“What… What do you think, blueballs?” she asks, her breaths as heavy as her face is sweaty. She brushes her hand over her muzzle. “Fuck’s sake… Now I feel alive.”

“How long has it been for—” I can’t open my mouth for more than a second before she mashes her lips against mine. My words turn to indecipherable murmurs as her tongue slips into my mouth and steals them all away, along with a fair amount of saliva. When the kiss ends, I feel like a bit of me has been sapped away, and I have to take a few deep breaths.

Cloudchaser rolls over to the edge of the bed and stands up. “A few months, not counting our mutual climax in the bathtub. Couldja gimme a sec?”

I nod, worried she might kiss the words out of my mouth again. And I’m what bestiaries call a soul-sucking demon… I’m not, of course, but the irony is definitely there.

I watch as Cloudchaser half-runs to the bathroom. Somehow, despite coming off of such a wild ride, she has just as much energy as she did when she started straddling me. I severely underestimated her, and I honestly feel a little bad that I did. I should have expected that this is all one big endurance round for somepony like her.

With a cheerful flap of her wings, she drains a cup of water down her throat and slams it on the counter. She then skips out of the bathroom, places one hand on her hip, and leans against the wall. “Rumble. Come here,” she commands.

I’m too transfixed on the athletic body in front of me to obey her. I savor the sight. A bottom-heavy, toned frame with a sturdy waist and wide hips. It all serves to give her the most phenomenal ass I could imagine. The light of the candles enhances not only the size, but the prominence. So much of Cloudchaser to love, but her ass, of all things…

“Rumble?” She drags her finger across one of her cheeks, tracing a circle. “Mommy needs her boy.” She gives her ass a firm spanking. “Come get me.”

My body is instinctively pulled towards her, taking steps even as my mind is wholly transfixed on the enticing sight in front of me. I wrap my arms around her as I reach her, letting my face fall into the crook of her neck, and give her curves a liberal squeezing. “Dayum, girl…” I whisper into her ear.

“What are you, from the south side? You don’t fuck like you’re from the south— Oooh!” Cloudchaser’s quip is cut off when my hand squeezes the inside of her left leg. I rub down only slightly, then get gradually closer to her wet spot. Although ‘wet’ might be an understatement.

Wasting no more time, I grip her thigh tightly and pull her leg up, spreading her glistening nethers before me. She shudders and gasps at the sensation, and her aura ripples appropriately. She’s already in love with this feeling, this loss of control. Judging by her aura’s inconsistency, she doesn’t get to be submissive as often as she takes control. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

I grind my hardness against her and lean forward, whispering gruffly into her ear, “This is what you’ve been waiting for, right? To be fucked upside a wall until you can’t walk anymore?”

“Y-yeah… So why aren’t ya doin’ it? Break me already…”

“Call me baby.”

“B-baby…” Her mouth is wide open, gasping like she just ran a marathon. “Please fuck Momma.”

I feel my aura surge. Leave it to somepony as inhibited as Cloudchaser to help me discover a new kink. I bend my legs and angle my pelvis so my cock lines up with ‘Momma’, ready for the push. I slowly move upwards, the head of my cock pressing up against her walls. She soaks me with her vaginal juices, moaning softly. I turn that moan into a loud one when I grab her hip with my free hand and push her down.

With a sudden jerk of my hips, I pull out and slam back inside of her, groaning as I feel her walls tighten around me. Cloudchaser moans and turns the side of her face to the wall, letting her arms and breasts push back against me. After a couple long, heavy thrusts I quicken the pace, pistoning her and kneeling down so that the curve of my member rubs along her soft upper walls.

Cloudchaser makes no effort to stifle her voice, freely moaning with every thrust, and sharply breathing each time I pull out. She begins to gyrate her hips down onto my cock, pushing all of her deepest parts against it each time I find my way inside of her. With a grin, I spank her, and grip her asscheeks tightly, regaining full control and letting her simply slump against the wall in bliss.

“You’re dripping like the little cockslut you are,” I say between belaboured breaths and heavy thrusts. “You’re tightening around me like you wanna cum. Are you really going to lose it so quickly, after you’ve been waiting for this all night?”

“I’m… mmhn… Baby, I can’t help it. Fuck me until I’m filled to the brim. I-I don’t wanna walk... Mmm, please…” Cloudchaser’s voice slurs down further and further into blissful delirium, “Oh goddesses, baby, d-don’t stop, don’t stop, I-I’m gonna—”

“Fuck, Cloudchaser!” I howl as her pussy clamps down on my length. Her body matches her words; she really does want it bad. But I’m not ready yet. I’m in charge, I get to decide when she gets my load… which she won’t have to wait long for, but dammit, if I’m not going to keep her waiting as long as I can.

“R-Rumble, please…” Her eyes are panned up, her face is red, and she seems to have lost control of her tongue. I can make her sweat more, though. I slam my moistened palms to her breasts and squeeze them as hard as I can, making her cry out in blissful agony. “Agh! This is toooorture!” she moans.

“Rrrgh, just you wait…” I say through clamped teeth. I’m slamming into her so quickly, my length is hardly anything but balls deep inside. I can’t fuck her any closer than I am now, and that’s why I can’t hold it in anymore.

Our auras begin to merge, and this time, I know I have nothing to fear. I let the colors intertwine, tangling together, melting into one between and within our bodies, until there’s an explosion of color that fills my vision, leaving me blinded for one sweet moment as I shoot my load into Cloudchaser with one thick, unimpeded burst.

When the white clears, I see Cloudchaser fall, her hand clawing at the wall, a trail of saliva left in her wake. She slumps down where the floor meets the wall, breathing so heavily I fear she might bust a lung. Sweat clings to her back like rain.

I look at myself, noticing that my real wings have come out to play once again. I quickly will them to disappear, and in an instant my fake pegasus wings return.

Cloudchaser remains hunched over. Her nethers apparently couldn’t contain all of me; my spunk leaks out of her slit, draining onto the carpet, no doubt leaving a stain in the process. Like I care. It’s just a testament to how satisfied I left my mare…

Wow, since when do I think like that? This lady’s freaky attitude is getting to me.

“R-Rumble…” she mutters, clumsily motioning her arm towards me. “Baby, I…”

“What is it?” I ask, kneeling down and wrapping my arm around her.

She laughs out loud. “...I can’t move my legs.”

An Obvious Sort of Realization

“You haven’t told her about what’s happening when you get back, right?” Flitter asks me. Her voice is so innocent and soothing, even through the slightly garbled speaker of the hotel phone. It’s probably due to that rough reception that she can’t hear the bits of worry in my voice.

I pull my head away from the phone, looking over my shoulder towards the bathroom. Cloudchaser has finally located the zipper on the back of her dress, and has begun to part it. Her toned back becomes visible, and there isn’t any brastrap to censor its beauty.

I cut my distraction short and return to the phone, cupping my hand over my mouth to avoid spilling the beans in front of Cloudchaser. “Haven’t told her. Not a thing. As far as she’s concerned, she’s just borrowing me for the weekend.” I smile at a mental image of Cloudchaser dragging me to the train station out of Flitter’s arms… Which, come to think of it, is more or less what happened.

“That’s great! See, until all three of us have our night together, she’s under the assumption that we’re sharing you,” Flitter comments. “This’ll be her first herd, so I figured I’d ease her into it by letting her have you for a weekend. It hasn’t been awkward, has it? I mean, I know you get your, uh, sugar on the side, which is fine, but I wasn’t sure if Cloudchaser would be okay with—”

“She hasn’t hesitated.” She hasn’t hesitated. “If anything, she’s a bit more crazy about me than you are.”

I hear Flitter laugh softly. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Oh! How about the show? Was it everything she wanted it to be?”

I look at Cloudchaser again, skipping a breath when I see that the dress has come off entirely. I can safely say that I’ve never seen a mare do naked kung fu before, but I’m quite impressed with how well she makes a case for it. A lack of clothes can make a few palm strikes and a flurry kick even more visually stimulating, though I’m sure knocking the tiny soap bottles off the counter will cost her a few points.

“Dammit!” Cloudchaser snarls as she gets on her hands and knees. Uh, to grab the soap bottles. Still, how can I ignore how naturally her back curves into her prominent, oh-so-wide hips? Those are child-bearing hips if I ever saw them… Urgh. Don’t give into temptation, Rumble.

“Rumble?” Flitter asks again. “How was the show?”

“Oh, she loved it! Couldn’t stop gabbing all the way home.” I raise my voice slightly, just for this one jab. “Although I’m concerned for all the countertops that she’s going to destroy imitating Kukri-san in the bar scene.”

Cloudchaser sets the soaps back where they belong and flashes her middle finger at me.

I resume my hushed voice as I return to the phone. “Listen, Flitter… Are you having any doubts about this?” If I want an out, this’ll be it. I can postpone a gathering between Flitter and Cloudchaser and figure out why I can’t keep my aura from merging with theirs. I will not let them become my slaves.

Flitter takes a moment to respond. “Why? Are you worried?”

“Don’t be so selfless, babe, just…” My hand hits my face. How do I put this into words without coming across as incurably insane? I love you, but I recently became a demon and I might be turning you both into my personal sex toys? “If you’re not down with this, even slightly…”

“Rumble, I want this. For all three of us. I know herds aren’t exactly a big trend these days, but I think we can pull it off. But if you just want to keep this between us…”

Cloudchaser taps me on the shoulder and says “Hey, can you remind Flitter to pick up three jugs of nonfat milk? Her two-percent heresy makes me puke.”

I avoid looking at the naked mare behind me and relay the request. “Uh, Cloudchaser thinks two-percent—”

“I heard her,” Flitter interrupts. “Rumble, don’t worry about a thing. This is just a test run.”

Say you’re uncomfortable with this and you need to take a step back for a little while. “Okay.” Damn you!

I peek over my shoulder at Cloudchaser. She proves Flitter’s point just from a mere glance, unabashedly flopping onto the bed, landing on her back with her legs spread wide open and her hair a feathered mess... The legs being spread wide open is more of an attention grabber. One of them hangs lazily over the bed while the other is bent.

I return to Flitter over the phone, though I keep Cloudchaser well within my sight as my other admirer talks. “I’ll be counting the minutes until you both get back to Ponyville, okay, baby?” Flitter chirps. “Startiiiing… now.”

I chuckle. Even the simplest of jokes are so amusing when she’s the one saying them. “Tick-tock. Love you, babe.” I drop the phone back on the dialer, only for it to fall off the buffet. “Shit!” I pick the phone back up and put it back properly. Then, I turn to Cloudchaser and stand up straight. “Hello.”

“Hey, you.” Cloudchaser has just taken out her makeup mirror. She’s taking a brush to her eyelashes. “Give me a sec, I wanna cover up some stuff.”

“What’s to cover up? You’re raw as hell, dude.” I shrug and take a seat next to her legs. I’m still at least two layers of clothing her superior. No doubt she’ll want me to change that. “You look pretty,” I say quickly.

Cloudchaser turns her body and curls up closer to me, slipping a finger into my collar. “And you look stuffy. More comfortable in all that formal wear?”

“That applies to absolutely no one.”

“Then take it off, dummy. Wait, scratch that…” Cloudchaser throws her makeup kit behind her and sits up to lean her cheek against my chest. “Let me do it for you?”

I raise a hand and run it through her hair once. “No objections here,” I say, hoping I won’t regret my words as I notice the aura in my hands sticking to hers… Okay, she’ll have to hang on for a little longer.

Listen to me, aura. I have a bad feeling about what you wanna do, but I genuinely love this mare, so you’d better behave yourself. Stay out of her body, and stay out of her head. Okay? She is not a toy to play with, she’s a lady. Who swears like a sailor and drinks a lot, but that’s beside the point.

The aura between us disappears, leaving Cloudchaser with just her signature reddish-purple gleam. It’s a bit pinker in the middle than usual, with that part beating in time with her heartbeat.

I can feel what her aura wants, and by extension what she wants. She wants to be touched. On the upper leg. My arm glides around Cloudchaser. I grace her knee and move upward, my fingers making a landing on her lower thigh. Then, as soon as the aura whispers for me to do so, I grab her leg.

The pink part of Cloudchaser gleams while her voice shudders. “U-Ugh... How’d you know that’s my weak leg?”

“Magic?” I say, shrugging my free arm.

She grabs that arm, moves it towards herself, and slips her fingers between mine. She drags my hand onto her breast and presses it down hard. “Just kiss me, you idiot.”

I lean forward and happily oblige, starting off softly and sweetly before pulling away for the briefest of moments to let her hunger build. Before long she takes the initiative, pushing into me and kissing me roughly, letting her hand trail to my back and grasping desperately at my body.

I can feel her intent on her breath, hardly even needing the aura at all; she’s already waited far too long and now she can’t even wait for my shirt to hit the floor. It’s painful to stop myself from drifting off to the same mindset, that carefree train of indulgence and pleasure, but with each push forward I manage to pull back just enough for her to notice.

No wonder she makes use of her muscles to push especially hard, my back hitting the comforter before her head collides against mine— “Ow!”

“Agh!” she grunts as her hand goes for her muzzle, and I do the same. “Wow. Last name zealous, first name over…”

I keep an arm around Cloudchaser as she rolls onto her back. “It’s the alcohol,” I say. “Who sets up an open sake bar at a Bridleway show?”

Cloudchaser looks like she’s about to answer that question before she notices what I’ve been wearing beneath my button-up shirt, which now sits on the floor below us. "You were wearing that beneath your suit?"

I look down at my t-shirt. It’s a limited edition collector’s item I got when I bought the one thousand five hundred and thirty-first copy of Mistress Marevelous #201. The shirt shows the cattle farmer of courage herself sticking her posterior out while she prepares her magic whip.

"Button-ups make me itchy,” is all I really have to say.

Cloudchaser snorts. "You're such a fucking nerd. I love you."

Is that her or the aura talking?

I can almost hear the window shatter as Cloudchaser throws all sense of subtlety out of it. Her freshly curled eyelashes make her eyes-lowered gaze seem all the more lust-filled and desperate. She rolls on top of me, her torso bent upwards, allowing her to stroking her body and lift her breasts. Relatively small as they are, they jiggle pleasantly as they fall.

Her hands then cup my cheeks. “Now, come here and let Momma get you out of that silly thing,” she purrs, moving her hands to the bottom of the shirt with a devious grin. “Don’t worry. Mistress Marevelous can watch in the corner while you fuck me.”

The pink in her aura seems to pulsate, and her aura extends from her outstretched hand as if hungry to meet with my own. With a gulp, I lean backwards. “Wait,” I say, holding up a hand.

Cloudchaser blinks and moves her hand only the slightest bit back. “What? Is there something in my teeth?”

My mind races as I try to come up with a suitable explanation. I can’t keep dodging this bullet forever. “No, it’s not that, it’s just…”

Ah. Lightbulb. Got it. I stretch my arms up and over my head, letting out a big yawn. “I have something to admit… Drinking makes me kinda sleepy.”

She cocks an eyebrow. “Kinda? You’re gonna put this on hold for kinda sleepy?”

I give a lame smile. “Look, Cloudchaser, I know it’s awful, but…” I hesitate for a moment, wondering whether it’s really preferable to lie just because of my worries. “Bathtub shenanigans aside, it’s going to be our first time together.”

She seems taken aback, and I can immediately tell she’s taking me seriously.

“I know it’s kinda sappy, and I know you probably just want to get on with it, but… I don’t want to do this when there’s a very real possibility that I’m gonna mess up what should be the best night of your life.”

Cloudchaser sits up and sighs. She brushes her feathered hair out of her eyes. “This is already the best night of my life.”

Suddenly every possible thing I could say to get me out of this hotel room, just to think for a moment, turns to slivers of incomplete thoughts in my mind. Dammit, I had a really good fib… Wait, is this how it’s gonna be? Constant loss of control over my aura, followed by Flitter or Cloudchaser’s bitter disappointment when I try to avoid corrupting them? I’ve seen the latter’s disgruntled face far too often tonight already. I don’t think I can keep seeing it…

“Rumble.” Cloudchaser taps me on the cheek. “There’s a Steerbucks two blocks south from here. I want you to get us both white chocolate mochas, then come back here. Whatever’s going on in your head, we can talk about it.”

And now I’m stuck in a metaphorical corner, with a mare expecting a simple discussion about a budding young adult’s mental blocks. What she doesn’t realize is that if she presses hard enough, eventually she’s going to hear about how the stallion who treated her to, ah, the best night of her life, is secretly a demon who might have been turning her into something she’s not.

It better be one hell of a white chocolate mocha.

Okay, it helped a little bit. It was sweet, but not overwhelmingly so, and I could actually taste the chocolate and cream beneath all of that coffee. I’ve already drained my cup, so I throw it away before crossing the street. Still have Cloudchaser’s cup on hand.

More sobering than the coffee is the atmosphere of nighttime Manehattan. A few late workers and night owls walk down the street, their aura humming softly along with the evening lull. There are so many blips of aura on the streets ahead, it’s difficult to tell the difference between people and headlights. Suddenly it’s a good thing that I don’t drive.

Some of them are winding down, as their aura is dim and confined to their bodies, instead of coming off of them like usual. Others are just starting their evening. Their auras are like electricity. Chaotic, intimidating, and an obvious sign of a raver. Though I don’t need to look much further than their tight clothes and fishnets to be aware of that.

A few raver girls skip past me, chatting loudly over the sound of music (I think) blasting out of their headphones. Ugh. If you’re gonna multitask, do it properly… No, no, don’t be a jerk. You’re supposed to be charming. You’re an incubus. ...Incubi are supposed to be charming, right?

I forgot to grab a cardboard ring for Cloudchaser’s coffee, and it’s really hot in my hand, so I switch it to the other one. My fingers cross over as I do so, and suddenly I stop walking, right between Hot Beats and Lust-ease Lingerie.

I remember the morning I became an incubus. There was coffee there too. A decadent mocha, handed to me by a naked Vinyl Scratch. I was in a trance. I had lusted after her my whole life. Hell, I loved her. Still do, really. She was so in awe that I was able to see through the illusion and see her for what she really is. She was even more aghast that I didn’t think less of her for being a succubus.

She must have felt some desire in me to become something more than just the geeky mathematics expert who sat in the front of class. It wasn’t long after she told me what she is that we made love again, and by the time we climaxed, I was already turned. My wings turned demonic. My eyes went red. I thought I looked awesome, but now I’m really not so sure.

I look in the window of Lust-ease, only to find myself stepping away at the sight of smiley-face pasties. I awkwardly go over to Hot Beats instead, and look at myself through the mirror. I can see my true self, even though all these passersby remain blissfully unaware that there’s an emotion manipulator walking among them. So many auras mingling together. And then there’s me. A mishmash of all auras, glowing brighter than the rest. my wings intimidating, my eyes piercing harshly through all other lights.

That’s when it hits me: Vinyl never told me what it means to be an incubus.

I hit my head against the glass, hoping I can get some idea of how to cope with this. No dice. Really, what was I thinking? I should have just said a simple word. No. Hardly takes any effort. But I was so damn curious. And now I might be corrupting the mares I’ve loved since before I liked mares, turning them into slaves. My slaves. I’m living out a middle schooler’s immature fantasy, and I’m reaping the repercussions.

I hear a knocking. The clerk of Hot Beats is tapping the glass. “Excuse me, dude?” she asks. The glass is thin enough for me to hear her. “Couldja not? Your hair is wicked sick, but it could stain the window.”

I look up at her and pull away at her command. “Right, sorry.” I rub the spot I left with my forearm.

“All good,” she says reassuringly.

I catch a glance at her pink aura. Hers is plenty bright, pulsating a steady rate. She must have gotten into a really good relationship lately. Did she find it herself? Or did a succubus or incubus bring her and her loved one together?

“Hey, uh…” I say to her just as she turns back to her desk. She looks at me and nods expectantly. “Have you ever had a dream that didn’t turn out right?”

She ponders that for a second, blinking a few times. “...Surprisingly, no,” she says, suddenly cheerful. She sits in her chair and gets back to sorting records.

Well, I envy her. I have the mares of my dreams, but that’s what worries me. What could I do to them? Have I done it to them already? How powerful am I? Should I just leave them behind and hope that, if I have done anything to them, they can snap out of it?

All of these thoughts fall to the wayside when a peculiar sound plays from across the street. In stark contrast to the static noise of the city, a concerto of string and brass hums sweetly in the air. The sultry tones draw a yearning feeling from within me, suddenly enrapturing me, and soon I am imagining myself lying down, eyes closed, flaked out on my carpeted floor at home, just swimming in the beautiful flow.

From within the pool of sound comes a deep, thrumming electronic bassline that somehow melds together with the concerto, pulling at the pounding of my heart. For once, it feels like I’m the one being influenced by the aura of another. Curious, I look towards across the street to the source of the sound, and find my gaze locked with the very unicorn I had on my mind.

Vinyl Scratch. As expected of a fellow succubus, her aura is just as bright and colorful as mine. She walks alongside another succubus, this one tall and elegant. I don’t know her, though.

Vinyl is strutting her exposed arms and legs across the sidewalk, rocking her short pants and sleeveless hoodie. Her headphones distract her from the world around her, reminding me of myself as a teenager, although without any of the moodiness. I’m also reminded of why I fell in love with her to begin with: She was everything I wanted to be.

But now, for once in my life, I won’t be showering her with reverence. I have a few questions.

Covering the lid of Cloudchaser’s cup of coffee, I step onto the street, kick off, and take flight over oncoming traffic. I land on the other side, right behind Vinyl. Of course, her music is blaring, so she can’t hear me. The other succubus, though, is more than aware of my presence. She turns my way, showing off her long horn, a pink mane that frames her face like a curtain, and a long muzzle that gives her an air of elegance. She’s about to say hello, but I bring my finger to my lips. She understands, and steps aside for me to do something hilarious.

I quietly approach the strutting Vinyl, reach around her head, and snatch her headphones right off her ears. “Yoink!” I shout.

The moment the headphones are off her ears, Vinyl halts mid-pace. Without even turning around, she gives a shrug and a sigh. “Look, bud,” she says with a carefree wilt to her words unbefitting of a situation that should have been surprising. “I ain’t gonna tell you to quit stealing, but if there’s one pony in the city you don’t want to steal from, it’s me.” I can just hear the grin on her face. “So here’s a choice for you: put the headphones back, or be kissing my hooves in a couple of seconds.”

I snicker and put the headphones on, only for my ears to be assaulted by thumping house music. I’ll be hearing that beat in my eardrums for weeks. I immediately throw the headphones off of my head, and Vinyl catches them behind her back.

She twirls as she puts them back on, turning them off as she sees me. She immediately props up her shades, the glow of her eyes intensifying at the sight of me. “Well, as I live and die and live again! Finally found you!”

I smile as she pinches my cheeks, finding myself both partially relieved and confused. “Found me?”

The elegant unicorn nods, cupping her chin in one hand and adjusting her long magenta dress with the other. “I told you if we followed the sounds of distorted hair metal we’d find him. Ignoring an anomaly like that was starting to become impossible.”

Vinyl sighs and gestures to the elegant one. “Tall, bright and beautiful here is Fleur De Lis. She and her husband are also succubi, based in Canterlot.”

“Charmed,” Fleur says, extending her arm to tousle my hair. She then offers a handshake, which I take after setting my do correctly. “So, the famous Rumble… Vinyl never shuts up about you, truly,” she says, her manner of speaking poised and calm, though I have a feeling she doesn’t quite want to be here. “But, then again, inaugurating somepony into our league is quite the experience, for both the transformed and the one who transforms them.”

“Best orgasms of my liiiife,” Vinyl whispers loudly.

I find myself blushing, and then confused. “Wait, inauguration? I know there are more of us, and even if I didn’t, well…” I gesture to Fleur. “But I didn’t really think there was, like, a secret succubus-slash-incubus clubhouse, or something. Is there?”

Vinyl snickers from behind her hand. “Oh boy, Mom is gonna punish me something fierce for not laying down all the details on your adorable ass.”

Mom?

Fleur rolls her eyes. “Perhaps you should have thought of that before putting him through this commitment. Or do you secretly think Mother’s punishments are of the late-night cable sort?”

Who’s Mom?

Vinyl looks away innocently. “Maybe. Hopefully. But let’s not focus on that. Let’s focus on this!” She holds her arms out and wraps them around me in a surprise embrace. After a few seconds, I happily reciprocate, nuzzling against her rosy cheek. “Hey, slugger!” she chirps. “How are you liking the new powers!”

“Oh, they’re fan…” I stop myself. “...tastic.”

Vinyl clicks her tongue and says, “Go on.”

“...Maybe I should start at the beginning.” I clutch the coffee cup nervously. I almost forgot that I was holding it in the first place. “See, a few months after you turned me—”

Vinyl snatches the cup out of my hand and examines it. “Who’s Cloudchaser?” she asks, eyeing me curiously.

“One half of my perfect world,” I say with earnest. “And I think that I might be losing control of my powers. I love her, and Flitter, and I might be manipulating them into loving me against their will.”

“Hm.” Vinyl looks over at Fleur. “Should we, or shouldn’t we?”

Fleur sighs. “For the record, dearest, I do not know what action you are referring to. Not everypony operates on your level.”

“Oh, for Mom’s sake, Fleur,” Vinyl groans. “We were just there. It only makes sense to invite him along.” She cocks her brow at me as she hands me the coffee back. “How about it, kiddo? Are you into Manehattan’s nightlife?”

I shrug. “I want to talk to you, Vinyl. Not dance at you. And if by nightlife, you mean a Braegian waffle joint and a travel bag full of angry chickens, you’ll be the second pony to—”

“No chickens, joints, or bags where we’re going. You have the DJ’s solemn vow.” Vinyl places her hand on her chest. I notice that beneath her hoodie and skirt, she’s wearing fishnets. She then takes my arm and pulls me along, with Fleur De Lis sashaying alongside us. “Come on, walk and talk.”

“Where are we going?” I ask.

Fleur De Lis rests her hand on my shoulder. “A haven for ponies like us. Ever heard of a club called Paramour?”

We’ve walked far past the hotel at this point. Five blocks, I think. We’ve entered a mellower part of the city, past all the shops and a fair distance away from the square.

I’m starting to wonder where this Paramour place could possibly be. Apparently it’s specially made for succubi and incubi, and it’s insanely difficult to find without the aura. I can tell we’re getting somewhat close; I can feel music vibrating in the street.

Vinyl raises her arm and waves towards an alley between some high-end clothing shop and a burger joint. Fleur and I follow her into the alley, pausing at the sight of some awesome looking graffiti. It shows the more common interpretation of a succubus; a pale, curvaceous naked pony with bat wings. She’s lying on her side atop Neighponese kanji that I wish I could read.

The aura starts going nuts on the ground. It takes the form of a hollow square. Turns out, it’s a trap door. It eases open, and as the music turns from a subtle thumping in the background of the aura into a fully audible beat, I come to understand why I’ve never heard of Paramour before.

Vinyl tugs on my shirt, practically dragging me down the stairs. I’m worried that I’m going to see something unpleasant… Perhaps a bunch of dudes in robes gathered around, watching an unspeakable act with baited breath. It’s actually more of a surprise when I see that this succubus hangout is… surprisingly normal.

The inside of Paramour is rather mellow, defying my expectations of what Fleur meant by ‘club’. The interior is spacious, and branches out into many wings and outcroppings that seem to be enjoyable in relative privacy. All the seating areas are red satin, bathed in a swirl of blue and purple lowlight that seems to ooze from the ceiling as if dripping from a smoking cauldron.

The seating arrangements include several chairs and a few couches. There’s a curious dance floor made of flat, smoothed cuts of glass. Behind it sits the gem of the room: a DJ table fit for kings, or a fraction of Vinyl’s ego. Embedded within are a myriad of magical lights that must be magically synced up to whatever happens to be playing. Since all that’s playing is mood music right now, the lights lazily flow from blue to red without any real rhythm.

The denizens of the club are as varied and unique as the features; some are dressed in suit & tie, some in long, form-fitting cocktail dresses, and others are so scantily clad it might be illegal for them to even walk down the street. Try as I might, I can’t pick out any groupings of people or cliques. It seems like everyone, no matter their dress or walk of life, is comfortably mingling.

What unifies them all, however, is that they’re all succubi and incubi. Their overwhelming combined aura is nearly blinding to me, so I shut it off. I can still see the wings and red eyes on everypony, and that means they’ve all let their glamour down.

Vinyl pats me on the back, between my wings. “Come on, homeslice. Relax a little. Let your freakshow fly.”

“Haven’t let my real wings out to play for a while. Willingly, anyway,” I say. I clap my hands together and focus on myself. With a flap of my wings, feathers give way to leather, and the demonic side of me makes itself known. My body feels much more relaxed without having to keep up a veil all the damn time.

“Have I ever told you how good the real you looks?” Vinyl purrs. She steps in front of me and taps my muzzle. “Because you are gorgeous.”

“Should have seen me in my suit earlier. I feel a little underdressed…”

Just as I say that, a skinny mare in short shorts, a cut tank top, and even more fishnets than Vinyl strolls by, waving hello.

“Strike that last statement. So, shall we have a seat?” I ask.

Vinyl applauds as Fleur strides over to an empty couch. “Yes, please! Fleur and I walked around an obscene amount of blocks looking for you, and my legs are killing me.” Vinyl then turns to what looks like a waiter. Apparently they have waiters at this bar. “Oh, Shotglass!” she sings. “A plate of mini hayburgers and three Glenn Marekennas, if you’d be so kind!”

“Right away,” Shotglass says, jotting down the order.

I’m still overwhelmed by how much knowledge has been dumped on me in the span of a half-hour. Not only are there way, way more succubi and incubi than I figured, there’s also a whole joint for them to max and relax. I’ll also have to ask Vinyl and Fleur who the heck this ‘Mom’ is.

“So, this Cloudchaser…” Fleur says as I take a seat next to her. She lies along the length of the couch, her elbows propped on the armrest. I never noticed this until now, but it seems like she’s always striking a pose for a nonexistent camera. “She must be one foxy lady to take a incubus’ heart.”

“Well, she and Flitter both,” I correct.

Vinyl takes a seat as well, though she lacks Fleur’s dignity. Her legs are spread as if she forgot she’s wearing a skirt. “You hittin’ that?”

“Vinyl!” Fleur exclaims. “Just because we’re seductresses does not mean we lack for class.” She clears her throat. “So, Rumble, a proper first question would be how you’re making use of your newfound powers. Are they serving you well?”

“Well, they’re hardly serving me as much as letting me serve other people,” I admit, leaning back in my chair and getting comfy. “Most of what I’ve been doing is playing matchmaker. It feels very fulfilling to let other people find love, even if it may be a little irresponsible.”

“There is nothing irresponsible about assisting in the process of mutual affection.” Fleur cocks an eyebrow. “Are you sure you were made an incubus by Vinyl? I fail to sense any trace of her on you.”

Vinyl lets out a hearty laugh. “Aww, Fleur, are you saying I’m selfish?” She postures with her hands under her chin and gives a faux pout. “Isn’t that a little uncouth? I… I might cry!”

“Oh please, Vinyl,” Fleur says, rolling her eyes and only just betraying her sarcasm with a playful grin. “The first thing you notice about a person is how good in bed they might be.”

Vinyl gives Fleur a deadpan stare. “Hey. Don’t underestimate how many things you can learn about someone from what they do in bed.” She turns her gaze to me and leans forward, clocking me on my shoulder. “Besides, that’s how I knew this kid would make such a good incubus. And don’t pretend you’re a pure little maiden, either. Or do you want me to get into the nitty gritty details of Fancy Pants’ birthday org—” Vinyl is silenced as a cloud of Fleur’s magic materializes over her mouth.

Fleur herself is flushing a bright red. “Come now! Be proper!”

I have a feeling seeing Fleur embarrassed is the closest I’ll get to seeing who she truly is beneath that snooty exterior. “Well, uh, she has a point…” I say to her. “Vinyl told me, after we, y’know…”

“Made fucky,” Vinyl suggests after the anti-mouth magic fades.

“Uh, right. She told me that I was quite the selfless lover, and I was almost a completely different pony once she broke down my walls. I try to keep those walls unbroken, but sometimes they go up when I’m not looking, and then I become paranoid. Like, am I really fully in control of my powers? Can I only use them from a distance? And what could I be doing to Cloudchaser and Flitter?”

Vinyl nods, and shares a knowing look with Fleur. “Hm. Well, let’s not leave any stone unturned. Tell us about these two mares.”

Oh, they are in for a treat. I take a curious sip of my glass of beer (sweet and smokey, nice) and relax against the chair. “Flitter is.. something else. She’s like somepony out of a fairy tale. Kind beyond belief. Always puts others before herself, that sort of thing. Honestly, her only real fault is how neurotic she gets, and even then, seeing her freak out over dirty dishes is hilarious.” I think back to when I first saw Flitter. She was barely a teenager, and I was barely out of little kid overalls. “I believe the first thing I said to her was ‘Why do I need a babysitter?’”

Vinyl stares at me blankly. “Uh, hold on a moment…” She sits still, until Shotglass comes over and sets a plate of mini hayburgers and three glasses of beer on the table. Vinyl takes her glass, drains a good third of it, and then spits it out, laughing hysterically. “Your babysitter?! Did you really take me that seriously when I said your life could be like a living Braezzers video?!”

It’s like Fleur has an infinite supply of disapproving stares towards Vinyl. “And what else did you tell him aside from the important parts?”

Vinyl acts as though she didn’t hear her. “Now, about the coffee girl?”

“Cloudchaser. She’s…” I take a moment to think before answering confidently. “Not unlike you, actually,” I say, gesturing to Vinyl. “Spunky and fun on the outside, but really generous and loving at heart… Didn’t take her too long to make that known. The first time I met her was at my tenth birthday party. She showed up late, but only because she went all over town to get me a copy of Shadow Hearts II.”

“A bit of a violent game for a child, isn’t it?” Fleur asks.

Vinyl stands up, her arms up and her hands pointed towards herself. “No wonder you fell in love with her. Irresponsible wildling with a heart of gold? Never fails to catch the heart of the young and free.” She widens her eyes. “This episode of Rumble’s precious little life is brought to you by the letter V, which is the forerunner for words such as ‘vicarious’ and ‘Vinyl’.”

I take Vinyl’s hand and pull her back down to the couch. She lands in a lax, sexy pose with her arms behind her head. “I get it, you feel cheated,” I say. “She is a little bit like you. Although what she lacks in wisdom, she has in spirit.” I sigh and look down at the psychedelic carpet. “I’ve been killing that spirit all day.”

“Oh dear. What’d you do?” Vinyl grills.

“Isn’t it obvious? He doesn’t know the extent of his powers,” Fleur says in a matter-of-fact tone. She sounds as though this isn’t an usual conversation for her, which makes me feel both relieved and nervous. I suppose that balances things out and puts me right back at cautiously optimistic.

I remove myself from the couch and sit down on the table for a more head-to-head conversation. My legs are spread and my arms hang low as I speak candidly. “It’s not what I did. It’s what they want to do. Or, well… They want me. Bad. And I’m worried that… that I’m making them want me.”

“That’s the idea of seduction,” Vinyl says quietly. “Sorry. Continue?”

I’m not entirely sure what I say beyond a summary of what I’ve seen through the aura this past week. I mention that the aura has acted up whenever I’ve gotten intimate with Cloudchaser and Flitter, but never with any other mare or stallion, and there have been plenty. I tell Fleur and Vinyl that I fear I’ve lost control over the aura, potentially turning Cloudchaser and Flitter into my sex slaves. After confessing that, Fleur and Vinyl both scoot a little closer together, with the latter laying her hand on my leg.

“No wonder your aura was so messed up,” Vinyl says. “Now I feel like an idiot…”

Fleur suddenly displays a smile towards Vinyl. “Darling, you are not an idiot, don’t even think it. Even if you had told him everything, he probably would have had these fears eventually. He’s a good kid, so of course he’s gonna worry every once in a while that he’s messing up.”

“Yeah, but am I really a good kid? Am I messing up? I’ve been told so many times that it’s okay for kids to make mistakes, but this isn’t something I can just apologize for and try again. This is not trigonometry, this is love. And I can’t shake the feeling that I’m exploiting my powers to create a love that isn’t real. If that’s true, then…” I bury my head in my hands. “What do you call every time I had sex with Flitter?!”

My sudden yelling seemed, for a second, like it would silence the music and bring everypony’s evening to a dead halt. Thankfully, only Vinyl and Fleur take any notice. Vinyl sighs and leans forward across the table. “Dude, want to know the number one way to make a freakout worse? Making it a bigger deal than it really is. Just calm down and think for a bit.”

Fleur, on the other hand, gives Vinyl a peculiar look before just standing up and walking away. Somehow Vinyl seems to understand what I didn’t, and puts her hands on my shoulders, roughly turning me in my seat to watch her.

Fleur saunters her way over to a crowd of regular ponies. No demonic wings to speak of, unless they’re hiding them… I put my aura vision back on, and based on their simple auras, I can conclude that these are non-succubi in a succubus club. “How did they…”

“Don’t worry,” Vinyl says. “Sometimes a few desperate night owls fly in through the window. But that’s not what’s important. Watch closely.”

Fleur seems to find her way into the conversation (which I can’t hear over all this music) as naturally as if she had known them for years. I have no doubt that she’d carry this charisma even if she wasn’t using her powers, which she most definitely is.

Her aura finds its way around the hunkiest stallion in the group, who she approaches with a flirty gaze. She says something to him, and he says something in return, which causes her to laugh. After a minute or so of fraternizing, Fleur slings her arm around his waist, and whispers something in his ear.

Surprisingly enough, though, he only cocks an eyebrow and politely steps away. “See that?” Vinyl says, watching just as intently. “She just asked him to go dance with her… Or maybe something dirtier. Hard to tell with that one.”

“Wait, but he... “ I start, watching as Fleur gives him a pout and a nod, and begins walking our way again. “How could he say no?”

“Oh, you know, there’s plenty of reasons. Maybe he has a marefriend. Maybe she was just too snooty for him. Maybe he’s got a crush on that stallion on the other side. The point is, Fleur, the most beautiful mare on this side of Equestria and more importantly, a succubus, just got shot down. Did it seem like she had to worry about her aura? Of course not! It was flying all around the place, getting all up in their faces.” Vinyl gives me a smirk, nodding to Fleur as she returns to the table.

As Fleur sits down, she lays an open palm across her forehead in faux-dramatic gesture as she falls against the couch. “Oh, woe is me, rejected and alone!” She drops her arm and points to Vinyl. “Also, apparently he’s married.”

“And he doesn’t wear a ring?” Vinyl asks. “Must be one of those granola marriages without any binding contracts or material possessions.”

“Possibly. His aura did sound like a drum circle.” Fleur returns to a proper sitting position and clears her throat. “So, Rumble. What have we learned?”

It’s taken too long to hit me, because part of me was still holding onto the cynical idea that everything that’s happened with Cloudchaser and Flitter is far too good to be true. But I know now that my fears were unfounded. Some of them, anyway.

“I understand that Cloudchaser and Flitter’s feelings are entirely real,” I say with a sense of confidence. I’ve been running low on that as of recently. “But what about those intense bursts that appear whenever there’s a heated moment between me and either of them?”

“With your newfound knowledge that your fears can be thrown out the window, how about you come to a conclusion?” Fleur suggests.

“...It’s most likely signifies how well-intertwined our aura is. Like a successful chemical mixture.”

Vinyl smirks and points at me. “Bingo, kid. The aura isn’t some force of nature. It’s a part of us, all of us, and it knows what the heart wants, even if we don’t. Hell, I didn’t know I could find a little geeky fanboy so charming, but somehow, our auras intersected in such a unique, eclectic way, that I wanted to show him just beautiful the world can really be.”

I gaze over the dancing crowds surrounding me, Vinyl, and Fleur. The auras of the succubi and incubi are so bright and intense, and yet so stunning. It’s like looking at perpetual fireworks. When it becomes too much for my eyes to take, I look back at Cloudchaser’s cup of coffee, suddenly finding myself smitten by her name. “It is pretty beautiful.”

“Something tells me that you have somewhere to be, champ,” Vinyl says, tapping the coffee cup with her finger.

“That I do… Shouldn’t keep her waiting.” I get off the table and stand proud, suddenly feeling a similar burst of confidence to the one I felt on Hearth’s Warming Day a few months ago. I straighten out my shirt and pants, show off a devilish grin, and nod at both Vinyl and Fleur. “Y’know, I’m gonna wanna find out who this Mom is.”

“Don’t worry. You’ll meet her someday,” Fleur says. “I know she would just adore you.”

“Go on your merry way, Rumble.” Vinyl stands up alongside me and pulls me in for a hug, which I fully accept. “Remember what we talked about, okay? And don’t hesitate to come down here if you have any other questions. There are entrances to this lovely lounge all throughout Equestria.” She lets me go and nudges me away. “Now go get some.”

Fleur waves to me as I step away. “We lead a glamorous life! Don’t waste a moment of it on worrying.” She snaps her fingers, and in an instant the lights of the lounge turn from low and mellow to bright and vibrant, with intense blues and greens lighting up the floor. The music intensifies into a pounding mix of synth and guitar.

I have a sneaking suspicion that there’s more to being a succubus or incubus than just controlling the aura. I have a lot of experimenting to do…

The hotel is dead silent from the moment I step back into it. I don’t know how long I’ve been gone, though I’d hazard a half-hour at the least, and at the most, I can expect an empty room. The elevator ride up is especially nerve-wracking, as it brings me closer and closer to a definite answer.

I rush to the door to the hotel room, straighten out my shirt again, and take a deep breath. I grab the handle and turn it, opening the door slowly. “Cloudchaser?” I say softly.

Entering the room is like being bathed in everything that can be used to define serene. Rose petals litter the floor, and warm, orange candles flicker on the bedside tables. Smooth, soft jazz fills the air. The cherry on top of the romantic atmosphere is a naked Cloudchaser… sleeping sprawled out all over the top of the bed. I put my hand to my face, floored in embarrassment and guilt. She went through all this trouble… That’s not like her at all.

We can still make the best of this. I can see in her purple aura that her heartbeat isn’t too far off from that of a conscious pony, meaning that she most likely just nodded off… Or she’s taking a breather from thinking about me a little too intensely.

Knowing that my messing with the aura won’t mess with her head, I feel comfortable with taking ahold of her aura around her ear and snapping my fingers. With a groan, her eyes flutter open. She turns her head towards me and smiles sultrily.

“Hey, hot stuff…” she mutters, smacking her lips. “Long coffee run, huh?”

“I got a little distracted. I’m a little more distracted now, though,” I say, slinking my arm up and around her waist, pushing my body against hers. “But I cleared my head, and now I’m ready to give you what you’ve been asking for.”

Cloudchaser raises her hand to my cheek. “Show it to me, baby.”

I hold up her white chocolate mocha. “Touch it. It’s nice and warm.”

Cloudchaser bursts out laughing so hard that she snorts. She takes her cup of coffee and shoves me off the bed. A few rose petals follow me in my fall, landing over my eyes.

“Celestia’s graces, I’m blind!” I yell. I brush the petals off, and when my vision returns, I see Cloudchaser leaning over the bed, her arms reaching out for me. I meet her halfway, sitting up and allowing her to reach around me. “So… Sex?” I ask.

Cloudchaser’s goofy smile spreads across her entire face. She seizes me and pulls me onto the bed.