The Aura of Two

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.