The Aura of Two

“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.