"Quote-Unquote"

Chapters

Define "Virgin"
To "Dye" For
What She Said
Unconventional

Define "Virgin"

Making it back to the convention proved to be less of a walk and more of a train ride. Luckily, they weren't so far that they missed the final night. They were glad to have somepony to share the convention experience, as well as the unconventional experience they'd shared the day before. Now at Dash's room, they unwound from the excitement and shared stories, favorite moments, and a few drinks.

"You just travel with a bottle of your friend's hard apple cider?" Quibble asked, holding the drink in his hooves and inhaling the strong smell of apples and alcohol.

Swallowing her first glass in one go, Rainbow sighed and poured another. "Believe me, when you get a taste for this stuff, it's hard not to compare everything else to it."

Examining the drink closely, Quibble made another observation. "Huh, that kinda sounds like the mezcal-addicted village pony from the Daring Do's and Don't's: Drinking PSA Comic #1. Quote, 'it's the taste of life, and once you get it in you nothing is the same' un-quote."

Rainbow Dash chortled. "You actually found a copy of the underage drinking PSA comic? That had to be the most teetotalling, inaccurate depiction of alcoholism ever committed to paper. You're not one of those ponies that doesn't drink, are you?"

Quibble took a sip, grimacing at the sharp bite of alcohol. His expression smoothed out as the rich apple flavor hit, before grimacing again at the burn. "No, I drink." He coughed, nearly choking on the vapor of the high-proof beverage. "Just don't do it often. My mom got me the comic when I went to college."

Rainbow took a long look at her companion. In so many ways, he was the typical book-nerd egg-head. From his preference for puzzles down to his near encyclopedic knowledge of the Daring Do fandom. For sure, he wasn't anything like the flyers and athletes with whom she usually hung out. "College, eh? So, you know what your tolerance level is."

Swallowing another mouthful with a bit more ease, Quibble nodded. "Yeah, I used to be pretty good at chugging down some brewskies. I think my...size helped."

Dash frowned, refilling her glass. Sure, he wasn't a Wonderbolt, but Quibble didn't look that out of shape. Maybe a little more-so around the torso, but that just made him...comfortable. Like a big plushie. Or the body pillow he almost picked up. "You look just fine to me, Hot Pants."

Quibble blushed, but whether it was from finishing the glass or from embarrassment, Dashie wasn't sure. "Please don't call me that. It was...kind of a mean nickname in school."

Pouring him another drink without asking, Rainbow Dash decided to make it even. "In flight school, they called me 'Rainbow Crash.'"

Downing the liquid courage like Dash did, Quibble took a deep breath. He scooted closer on the bed so he could put a hoof on her shoulder. "Foals can be pretty mean, I guess."

"Yeah." Rainbow Dash agreed, turning to look him in the eye. She was surprised to see him so close. It was almost...intimate. Shaking her head, Rainbow stood up and took hold of the bottle of cider. "Um, would you like another?"

His voice was close to her ear, surprising her once again. "Dash, I know we've both had our disagreements. But, I really...wanted to thank you for everything you did while I made snarky comments and got us deeper into trouble." He took a step back, then another. The uncertainty that replaced the intensity in his eyes made Dash tilt her head. Was he afraid? Afraid of what?

"Uh, thanks for the cider, Rainbow Dash. You really hold it a lot better than I do. I should probably..." His voice trailed off as he turned away. Without thinking, she grabbed his black and grey tail with her teeth and stopped him.

When he turned around to protest, she planted a kiss on his lips, much to his surprise. He pulled away first. "Wuh, what?"

"You talk too much. You think too much. But you really don't drink enough. I bet you were about a half a glass away from wrapping me in your hooves and solving the mystery of my puzzle-box." She said, caressing his face with one hoof. Her wings stretched and flapped gently before wrapping around the back of his head and pulling him in for another kiss. He let himself sink into this one like a stallion in quicksand, except this stallion was in no hurry to get out now.

"Ms. Dash, I think you've had too much to drink." Quibble said as they came up for air. "I...value our friendship." She interrupted with a kiss, catching his bottom lip in her teeth gently before teasing his tongue with hers. "I...uh...respect you as a pony..." Another interruption, the passion building with the renewed contact. "I just think that I'm not looking for something with a lot of attachments and we live away from each other, so--" Huffing, Rainbow Dash pushed him backwards onto the bed. He sprawled onto the covers in an undignified spread-eagle with an even more undignified squeak of shock.

"Then let me be clear." Dashie stated as she placed her forehooves on the bed and started to climb in. "I haven't had so much that I don't know what I'm doing. We'll still be friends, just with some added benefits. I'm not looking to settle down anytime soon. But..." She paused to place a hoof on his chest as she gazed into his eyes. "If you're saying you wouldn't like to go on this adventure with me, I'll take it like a big mare."

Quibble swallowed audibly. "And...if I want to?"

"Then I'll take it like a big mare." She said with a smirk.

"This is just like Daring Do's relationship with Dr. Pones in the Barleyquin short story that Yearling wrote as a joke." Quibble babbled, oblivious to Dashie's eye-roll. "Well, except I'm not actually trying to steal the map to the lost city of--" Her hoof on his lips stemmed the tide of words.

"Kinda ruining the mood." Rainbow Dash chided.

"Sorry. My brain tends to run away with my mouth sometimes." Quibble said, shrugging.

"Well, there are other things your mouth could run away with, if you just think about that for a little bit." Dash joked.

Quibble smiled as he snaked his forehooves up her sides. "Oh? Is that a riddle you want me to figure out? I'm pretty good with riddles."

"Are you sure you wouldn't like a clue?" Rainbow asked, batting her eyes seductively.

Quibble quirked a brow. "Uh. What kind of clue?"

Rainbow Dash sighed and walked backwards slowly, planting a trail of kisses down his jaw, neck, and chest. "Think of it as a visual aid."

Quibble shuddered as her mouth made contact with his stomach, easily one of his most ticklish spots. "That's an interesting reaction." Dash observed as he fought to keep the heat in his face down. "We'll have to come back to that. But first..." She trailed a hoof up his underside, drawing a gasp. He'd expected the touch, he'd gotten more than ready for the contact. But the power of the sensation nearly sent him into overdrive. His back arched, a moan shuddering free of his lips. The sound made Rainbow all the more confident.

Her lips planted a kiss at the very top before parting to take him in. Opening her eyes, Dash saw the spasms and gasps, the heavy breathing and uncontrolled grasping of the sheets in his hooves. Sooner than she liked, she had to let him go or risk sending him over the edge. Temporarily bereft, he arched again and fought to regain some semblance of control.

"You're so amazing." He said when words finally found their way from his throat. "So...amazing."

Dash climbed back in bed to lay beside him and teased his stomach. "Hey, you're pretty amazing yourself. Getting us out of the gryffon's lock in, what, five seconds?"

Pushing her hoof away from his ticklish belly, he snorted. "More like three. Three and a half seconds, tops."

"How did you solve it?" Dashie asked, temporarily distracted.

"Well, I could tell you, but...I'd rather give you a clue." He said, his own smirk forming as he rolled over to straddle the blue pegasus. "Quote, 'Think of it as a visual aid' unquote."

His hooves were certainly more nimble than she'd guessed. And, for all his long tirades and ranting about minutiae in fiction, he certainly wasted no time when it came to a treasure hunt. Her legs parted, her juices flowing freely, Rainbow Dash made no effort to quiet her enthusiasm as he probed the depths of her cave of wonders. As he worked out the right way to open her up to a world of pleasure, he snorted. "Well, seems like I'm certainly on the right path. I'm just using the wrong tool for the job."

Before she could ask, his head lowered to between her thighs. Her eyes opened wide as the secret of her sex was discovered and activated. His tongue found just the right way to rub and within a few tries he had the proper cadence down to really get her going. She tensed and moaned, cried out and inhaled deeply. Her legs clenched, her hips eagerly thrusted forward to give herself over to a very strong climax. He took her to that special place and then afforded her no time to recover as he brought her back again. Before she knew it, her legs were jelly and her peak was reached a third time. Out of breath, the pair collapsed together, hooves intertwined.

"You..." She said, still fighting to catch her breath. "Are pretty amazing."

He smiled and nuzzled her neck. "Not bad for a first timer, eh? I really guess I--"

"What?" She asked, eyes wide as she sat up. "What do you mean 'first timer?' There's no way you're a virgin." She put her hooves to her face as she considered the possibility.

"Define 'virgin.'" He said, making air quotes with both hooves.

"Oh sweet Celestia! Are you kidding me?" Dash asked. "That's totally unbelievable!"

Quibble looked nonplussed. "What? I can't be that good at it. I mean, I don't even think I brought you to or--"

"Three times." She said, cutting him off.

"What?" He asked, confused.

"You heard me." She said, folding her forehooves and sitting against the headboard. "So either you're a very fast learner or our definitions of virginity are vastly different."

"Well, there's one way to satisfy both of our definitions." Quibbler said, nibbling at her neck as his hoof massaged a wing joint.

Dash sighed. "It's only fair. As long as you're up for it."

"My...enthusiasm hasn't diminished any." Quibbler said, looking down.

Dash followed his gaze. "So I see. Well, you solved one puzzle easy enough. I don't think you'll need to much more imagination to figure out what to do from here."

"You're sure?" Quibbler asked, hopefully.

"Actually, let me take the lead here." Crouched above him, Dash lowered herself down, guiding his way in. The look in his eyes was entrancing. Dash felt powerful and empowering at the same time. His pleasure plainly written on his face and her own just a few inches away. She took him all the way, slowly. Her muscle control allowed her to tease him without straining her legs. Her wings wrapped around her to trail down his sides and chest and he squirmed deliciously.

"Please." He said, almost too soft to hear. She set up a rhythm for both of them, but quickly had to adjust as he lifted up to meet her. Her lips curled into a smile as she wiped a drop of sweat from his brow with a feather. As she came close to the edge again, she grew frustrated. He seemed so calm, there had to be a secret she was missing to bring him up the peak with her. Wrapping hooves around him, she reversed their position and Quibble took charge without direction. As his strokes grew more frenzied, she bit her lip, her will to see him go first strong enough to hold off on her own pleasure. Finally, his bucking grew erratic and his breathing hitched. As he came, so did she, both flying higher than when they'd launched out of the temple.

He collapsed on her and rolled to the side. As they came down from the highest heights, he kissed her tenderly. They fell asleep in each other's hooves, this convention proving to be their most memorable yet for so many reasons.

To "Dye" For

"Quibble." Rainbow Dash called softly.

The stallion mumbled something and rolled over. Rolling her eyes, she pushed a hoof against his back. "Quibble. It's morning."

Lifting his head drowsily, Quibble Pants looked around the room with detachment. He blankly stared at Rainbow Dash as she stood wrapped in a soft white robe. Looking down, he saw turtle slippers on her hooves as she turned around to pull a cart with a silver-domed breakfast platter closer to the bed. "I've got pancakes." She announced, taking the dome off to reveal two stacks of still-warm golden-brown pancakes.

Confusion crossed his muzzle. "What are you doing in my room?" He asked, ruffling his messy black and gray mane. He licked his lips and grimaced at the taste of apples, alcohol and something he couldn't quite place in his mouth.

"Uh, this is my room." Rainbow clarified, rummaging through the syrup collection. "Now, do you prefer strawberry, blueberry or..."

The choices were lost to Quibble, as memories of their activities last night came flooding into his brain. His eyes went wide and he turned to Rainbow Dash. Oblivious to his woe, Dashie spread some butter on her stack, the maple syrup standing by. "Did...I...we...?" Thoughts wouldn't form correctly as he tried to process what happened.

Rainbow Dash glanced up and had to keep herself from laughing. Quickly, she looked back down at her pancakes, a hoof coming up to cover her smile. Quibble's expression was priceless. It was one part unbelieving and another part awed. At her lowered glance, his look took on a semblance of mortification. Leaping from the bed, he was at Rainbow Dash's side before she realized he'd moved.

"Rainbow Dash, I hope you know that I have nothing but the utmost respect for you. I value our friendship and I am so sorry if I did anything that would jeopardize that. This is so awkward, I can't believe we did...and I'm not looking to get involved either so--"

He found Rainbow Dash's hoof on his lips. Her shoulders shook with repressed mirth as she tried in vain to get control of herself.

"Uh, Rainbow Dash?" Quibble asked, muffled somewhat by her hoof.

She removed her hoof and faced him. He saw her smiling, shaking her head slightly as she wiped tears from her eyes. Before he could apologize again, she smacked him upside the head with a wing.

"H-hey!" Quibble protested, confused.

"Just what silly little thought did you get into your big thick head? That you took advantage of me? Puh-leaze, you were a perfect gentlecolt through it all! To tell you the truth, I was a little worried I'd have to coax you into everything and I only had the one bottle of cider. Thankfully, you must have realized that I wasn't going to disappear if handled too roughly and we got to enjoy some truly mind-blowing se--" His hoof held in the name of the game from last night.

"I'm sorry." At her muffled 'hey!' he clarified. "I'm sorry for being sorry. I just couldn't believe that something like that happened to somepony like me. I repeat, you are amazing, Rainbow Dash."

She batted his hoof away playfully. "And let me repeat, you are pretty amazing yourself, Quibbler. Now are you going to join me for breakfast or are you more intent on slinking away in shame? Because, let me tell you, you have nothing to be ashamed about." To emphasize her point, she kissed his neck and turned around, swishing her tail merrily.

"Do we have butter pecan?" He asked, pronouncing the last word like pea-can.

"I believe we have butter pecan." She replied, pronouncing it puh-cahn.

He snorted sitting on the edge of the bed and taking up his knife. "Tomato, tumahto."

She snorted in response, sitting back in her chair and shooting him a dirty look. "Who the hay pronounces it tumahto?"

Before he could respond, there was a knock at the door. Dash was at the door in a blink, pulling her robe tight before opening. Daring Do stood in the doorway, a look of triumph on her face. "I have the best surprise for you, Dashie." When she spotted Quibble on the bed, both eyebrows shot up. "Okay, maybe the second best surprise."

Quibble blushed deeply, pulling the sheets to cover his body. "Rainbow Dash and I were just having pancakes!"

Daring Do strode in, taking stock of the surroundings. "Uh-huh. Sure. That's why you're naked on her bed."

"Lots of ponies go naked." Quibble argued feebly.

Sauntering over to Rainbow Dash's unattended chair, Daring Do sat and helped herself to a strawberry. "My apologies. I must keep myself cooped up too often if ponies are now having breakfast with other ponies in their hotel rooms, naked, with messy bedhead and what appears to be quite the case of morning--"

Glancing down, Quibble pushed the offending appendage into a less provocative position. "Okay, okay. Can we just drop this?" Quibble asked miserably.

Daring Do laughed. "Sorry, Quibster. Teasing you is just so fun."

"And easy." Rainbow Dash agreed as she pulled up another chair.

"Who's side are you on?" Quibble asked, casting a scathing look at Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow picked up a strawberry from the same plate as Daring Do. She spoke around the morsel. "Who said there were sides?"

"Besides, I'm sure that you'll find it's a lot more fun with a partner who plays both sides." Daring suggested idly, quirking an eyebrow.

Rainbow snorted at the look of confusion on his face. Nonplussed, Quibble contented himself on eating some of his own pancakes. His plate was heaped with chocolate chip pancakes. With a frown, Quibble wondered if he'd mentioned his preference for chocolate or if Dashie made a lucky guess.

He saw a flash of red and suddenly, a splash of melted chocolate struck his muzzle. Looking up in surprise, he frowned at both mares. Their carefully averted gazes failed to faze Quibble. Although, with both looking equally guilty, it would be difficult to put together exactly which one threw the offending strawberry.

"As if it isn't obvious." Quibble sighed, reaching his conclusion. "Sure, you both are sharing the strawberries, but this one..." Here he lifted the fruit in question. "...has maple syrup on it. So it obviously came from Dash's stack of pancakes."

He reached for his napkin, but Daring knocked it away with a wing. "Well, once again, Mr. Smarty Pants has solved another mystery. I suppose he should get some kind of reward. Wouldn't you say, Rainbow?"

Rainbow Dash nodded emphatically, her mouth full of pancakes. With an effort, she swallowed the bite and piped up. "Oh, definitely. Then again, aren't you just saying that because you want to reward yourself?" She asked Daring Do with a nudge.

Daring feigned ignorance. "I have no clue what you mean. I'm certain an adventurous mare like me has never felt such a base desire as to exchange a job well done for a fleeting pleasure."

Rainbow Dash nudged Daring Do with an elbow and a wide grin. "It's too late. He's already read the Barleyquin story about you and Dr.--"

Daring buried her face in her hooves. "I swear, I wish my fans would forget that story! That whole sordid affair was one big mistake after another. The biggest of them all was publishing it."

Quibble hit his head with a hoof. "Oh, tartarus! That wasn't based on a real story, was it?" He asked, turning an incredulous look on his idol.

"Some of the parts were...exaggerated. Whinny and I are still good friends, but I cleared it with him and changed his name before I put it out there. I just...didn't expect the story to get picked up by a mushy romance publisher." Flapping her wings irritably, Daring turned a glare on Rainbow Dash. The mare still wore a huge smirk. "Let's not bring up some of your less-cool moments, eh Dashie? Like when you told me about Soarin and his love for pie--"

Rainbow Dash picked up a forkload of pancake and crammed it in Daring Do's mouth. "Shh!" At Quibble's questioning look, Rainbow rolled her eyes. "I mean, uh, sure, let's change the subject. You said you had a surprise?"

Daring nodded. "Sure do! I mean, not as good as you and Quibble deciding to get together--"

"We're not together!" They both protested. Rainbow and Quibble looked at each other. Blushing, Quibble turned to focus his attention on his breakfast.

"We're...having fun together. But we both live really far from each other and who knows when we'd ever see each other again, so we're both okay with this being just a part of this convention."

"Yeah." Quibble agreed.

Daring looked at Quibble for a moment, then turned back to Rainbow Dash. "Okay, well this surprise is something i have to show you, so once you're ready to go, both of you, then we can see the surprise!"

"Cool, I'll hit the shower. Coming, Quibble? It'd save water and time?" Rainbow offered.

"Uh, no thanks." He said nervously. His blush spread again as he realized Daring Do was looking at him.

Rainbow shrugged, glancing at Daring Do and throwing her a knowing smirk. "Okay, suit yourself." Trotting to the bathroom, she entered and closed the door behind her.

At the click of the door, Quibble realized how awkward things were. Here he sat, naked in Rainbow Dash's bed. On top of that, he was pitching a tent in the sheets that just wouldn't quit. How he was supposed to make polite conversation with a pony he admired was beyond his ability to problem-solve. The awkward silence consumed him.

Daring decided to break the ice. "So, you read my Barleyquin romance novel."

It wasn't a question, really, but Quibble nodded. "It was kind of a silly joke with my friends back home. So, I bought it and read it."

"So." Daring started, steepling her hooves at the table. "A more adult themed Daring Do is a joke with you and your friends? Is sex really that funny?"

Realizing his mistake, he groaned and put a hoof to his head. "No. I just...it's. I mean, I didn't think any of your stories were real. Daring Do was just a character, not a real pony."

"Well, as the last 24 hours has shown you, I am most certainly a real pony." Daring said, standing up to cross over in front of him. "A living, breathing pony."

Fixated on her gaze, Quibble realized he'd stopped breathing. Inhaling sharply, he caught her scent. She smelled slightly of dust, a touch of sweat and faintly of jasmine. Startled by her proximity, Quibble opened his mouth to say something when she leaned forward to kiss him.

As they parted, Quibble looked at her with wide eyes. Had he not just had her lips on his own, he wouldn't have believed it to be real. "What?"

She smiled. "I just wanted to thank you. You reminded me of how I was when I started out. I used to really think things through."

Quibble smiled in return. "You know, Dash and I were talking about that. I really loved the puzzle-solving, critical-thinking Daring Do, and Dash loves the adventurous, death-defying Daring Do."

"I'm mare enough to admit that I am more impulsive than I used to be." Daring said with a sigh. She leaned her head against his shoulder. "But you know what?"

"What?" Quibble asked.

"Some impulses shouldn't be ignored." She said, teasing her hoof underneath the sheet covering his lap.

"Oh?" Quibble asked, oblivious at first. "Oh. Oh!" He looked over at the bathroom door while Daring Do toyed with him. "I don't know if we should, I mean...not that I don't want to but--"

"This is Rainbow Dash's room? Please, it's a hotel, not her bedroom. And I happen to know that she takes really long, luxurious showers. Especially when stallions tease her without joining her." Daring pulled the sheet away to reveal him completely.

"I didn't...she's not...how would you...?" Three questions jammed themselves out at the same time and Quibble's brain shuddered to a stop. In his defence, Daring's attention on his most sensitive places wasn't helping his higher thinking.

Pushing him down with a hoof, Quibble laid back in stunned awe. Before she returned her attention to his lower region, she tapped his shoulder lightly. "One question before we continue. It's been in the back of my mind this whole time. That's obviously not a wig, otherwise it would have fallen off long before now. So, natural or dye?"

Blinking a bit in confusion, Quibble ran a hoof through his mane. Then it hit him. "Oh. The mane? Dyed. I'm naturally--" He was cut off by a moan as she went down again.

The analytical side of his brain couldn't help but draw immediate comparisons between this moment and the one last night. Dash has been patient, but firm. Daring was much more vigorous, almost to the point of intensity. He had to stop her before he reached the peak of his pleasure too quickly. The effort almost pained him, and his body protested.

So did Daring Do. "What?"

"I don't want to, at least not this way. It's too one-sided." Quibble argued.

Her eyes twinkled as she smiled fiercely. "So, you want to do 'The Do?'"

The joke almost took him completely out of the moment as he laughed. "That has to be the corniest, most ridiculous thing anypony could have said. Might as well have been written by some cheesy two-bit--" Her hooves cradling his bits brought him back into the moment.

"You were saying?" Daring Do asked, arching one brow meaningfully.

He gulped. "Uh, let's do 'The Do' Miss Do."

As she straddled him, she ran a hoof through his mane. "Here's something you won't read about in any of my main novels. Something to dye for." She promised as she leaned over to kiss him passionately. While still intwining her tongue with his, she lowered herself down his length. Their hips touched and she kept still for a moment to adjust to the penetration.

Again, Daring Do surprised him as she kept him held down with a strength he wouldn't have expected just from looking at her. She drew herself up and down in a steady rhythm that grew more intense. Her wings flared, and she drew back up into a seated position. She continued the rhythm and Quibble reached up to rub his hooves on her chest, stomach and legs. Her moans started low but grew in pitch and volume as she brought herself to the edge.

As she brough herself to completion, she fell back against him so that they lay chest to chest. Still unsatisfied, Quibble flipped them both over and found his rear hooves on the floor. With her open and waiting, Quibble availed himself of his new position by returning to her the intensity she'd displayed. Every inch of it.

Her forehooves locked around the back of his neck as she drew him down to kiss her. He lavished attention on the kiss, breaking only to take nips at her neck and ears. As he pumped into her he let out a cry that mingled with hers.

As they panted and puffed, applause rang out behind Quibble. Turning in alarm, he spotted Dash at the table, mane a bit damp as she ate more strawberries. "A little bit of a surprise, I'll grant you, DD, but I hope you have more than that in store. Or, at the very least, more of that."

Quibble's face turned deep crimson as both mares laughed.

What She Said

Caught red-hoofed and red-faced in Rainbow Dash's hotel bed with another mare, Quibble's considerable mind came to an abrupt halt. His warring senses gave conflicting information. His mind told him that nopony would find this acceptable, least of all his friend of only one weekend. Yet, it also told him that Rainbow seemed to be making light of the situation. As he glanced from mare to mare, he saw matching smirks on their faces, albeit Daring Do's had more of a glow thanks to their recent activity.

He was the third wheel; Quibble wasn't sure where he fit into this puzzle. Dash and Do obviously had some sort of history from everything he'd observed of the two. Certainly, he was the expendable one. He was the one who couldn't control his horny impulses. He inhaled sharply, worried intensely by the idea that he might have crossed a major line and cost himself his friendship with the rainbow-maned mare for a second time.

Pulling himself away from Daring Do, Quibble sat on the edge of the bed with a sheet over his lap. "Dash, I am so asham--" A tan hoof covered his mouth.

Daring Do shook her head as she covered herself with the rest of the sheet. "No, Quibble, if anypony should apologize, it would be me. I've been so charged with the excitement of getting another artifact to the museum, I got swept away. The first opportunity that popped up, I took advantage of it. Of you, Quibble."

Quibble turned to Daring Do with wide eyes. "Why are you apologizing to me? I'm trying to apologize to Rainbow--"

Rainbow Dash's laugh caught him off-guard. Lifting an eyebrow in her direction, Quibble shrugged. "Why are you laughing about this? Aren't you angry I had sex with another mare on your bed? And it was your friend!"

Rainbow laughed harder, wiping at her eyes with a hoof.

Daring rolled her eyes. "As you can see, Rainbow Dash is fine. Like I told you she would be. I've known Dash for a while now and we've both...enjoyed each other's company. And we've enjoyed other pony's company. Isn't that right, Dashie?"

"Eeyup! No worries, Quibs." Dash said, finally done with her fit of laughter. "I was a little disappointed that you didn't join me in the shower. You should see it, DD, it's big enough for three! Then I realized when neither of you joined me that somepony had decided to hog you all to herself!" She said the last part with an accusatory glance at Daring Do.

Daring looked distinctly unapologetic as she sat back against the headboard. "Fair is fair, you had him first. It was my turn. But we are going to be late for my surprise for you guys. So, shower?" She asked, looking at Dash and Quibble.

"Together?" Quibble asked, still unsure of how he fit in with the two.

"It'll save time." Rainbow shrugged. "And it's what I wanted in the first place."

Quibble looked at his lap and then back up at Dash. "Um, I don't know what you're expecting, but...seeing as I just...I mean--"

"As I recall, you have some extraordinary hooves. And an equally awesome tongue." Dash pointed out, standing up to lead the way. "I think we can find a way for us all to get clean and have some fun at the same time. Right, D?"

Daring Do nodded. "Hey, throw me a towel, Dash?"

"Hmm? Oh yeah. Here." Dash tossed a towel from the bathroom to Daring on the bed. "You really should use protection more often, DD. Less clean up and you won't have to worry about exploring a lost temple with a bun in the oven."

Daring laughed as she cleaned herself up. "Hey, some sensations are worth a little risk."

"Um, I don't suppose there's another towel?" Quibble asked.

"Doesn't look like it. We still need enough for all three of us to dry off. Come on, Quibble, we're wasting time!" Rainbow chided as she let her robe fall and pranced into the bathroom, tail high.

Quibble found himself halfway across the room before he realized he'd moved. Daring Do was right behind him, pushing on his rump with both forehooves. "C'mon big guy, time to get clean."

"Why does that make me feel so much dirtier?" Quibble asked idly as they walked though the bathroom door.

Rainbow Dash stood in the flow of water. Trickles ran through her mane and down her neck. As they watched, she leaned into the spray, sending water over her back and down her flanks. The humidity in the room lead to a slight sensation of light-headedness for Quibble. At least, he thought it was the humidity.

She gave him another light push and he entered the shower area. Daring was literally on his flanks. "Okay, now grab some soap and show me how well you can clean a mare." Daring ordered.

Quibble picked up the bar in one hoof and looked at Rainbow. At her nod, he lathered up and let his hooves roam over her body. Even with the alcohol-tinged memories of last night, he remembered the feel of her body. Her natural warmth was augmented by the water's heat. Her firm, richly soft chest, the well-developed flight muscles around her wings, the supple silky smoothness of her flanks, all of it registered in his head as not just familiar, but right. In many ways, Rainbow could be his ideal, his fantasy. He counted himself lucky that for now, this was reality. Unbelievable as it had become, it was real.

At the touch of Daring's hooves on his flanks, he could feel a shiver run down his spine. "Huh, ready to go again after all, eh?" Daring Do asked as he felt himself stirring. "Well, if the flesh is willing..."

He turned around to look at her, but her head disappeared below hip level. A shiver ran down Quibble's legs as he realized the object of Daring Do's exploration was...himself. His breathing hitched as her lips made contact; his hooves slowed on Dash's chest from the distraction.

"Hey bub, don't forget about me." Rainbow prompted. Quibble felt a bit flustered as his attention returned to his hooves on Rainbow Dash's chest. The lather he'd worked up slid down her coat and to the drain. Leaning in, she gave him an almost too-cute-to-be-Rainbow-Dash kiss before working his mouth open and delving into something decidedly passionate.

Quibble moaned as Daring disengaged from his stallionhood, leaving him feeling bereft and incredibly hard. Through parted lips, he let out a low moan. "Don't leave me hanging."

Daring Do chuckled in his ear. "Our host is most gracious, sharing her shower with us. I think it's only fair that she be rewarded. Wouldn't you agree?"

Before he could ask her, Rainbow turned her back to him and slapped her tail across his face playfully. "Get over here, stallion."

***

The trio, freshly showered and rosie-cheeked from their clean fun, stood in front of A.K.'s home. The trip was a pleasant flight, with Quibble only slightly ill from being carried between his pegasus friends. For some reason, Rainbow still hadn't landed, preferring to hover above the front porch.

"Why are you flying?" Quibble asked.

Rainbow rolled her eyes and blew her mane out of her face. "Nope. Because I don't feel like walking. Besides, Ms. Yearling over there has a very dirty mouth in public. As much as she tries to hide it under that proper mare get up."

"You can't tell me you're stiff?" Quibble asked.

"That's what she said." A.K. chimed in from beside him.

"Ugh, don't get her started.'" Rainbow cautioned, giving her mare friend a glare. "Once she starts, she just won't leave it alone. And I'm not stiff."

"Heh, that's what he said." A.K. said proudly, to Rainbow and Quibble's mutual chagrin. "Oh, come on! That was funny."

In spite of her insistence, neither pony laughed. Rainbow rolled her eyes and landed, setting her back hooves down gingerly. "Okay, we're here. What's the big surprise, A.K. Smugling?"

A.K. pouted first. "You know, Quibble. Next time you should ram it up her plot. Maybe she'd quiet down then." As Quibble spluttered and turned bright red, Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, once again immune to the antics of her writer friend.

"A.K." Rainbow said, warningly.

"Fine. Ruin all my fun, why don't you? I thought it might be nice to share the cover art for my next story with both of you. Come on in. I set it up right inside for you." Opening the door, A.K. gestured her guests inside.

As they stepped in, they were surprised to see nothing. Without the lights on, the interior was completely dark. With a click of the switch, A.K. flipped the lights on. Instantly, both Quibble and Rainbow Dash wished the lights were off. The painting was of Dash and Quibbler tied together and looking at each other passionately. Daring Do soared above, fighting off flighted henchponies.

"How did you get this done so quickly?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"How did you even think we'd be together?" Quibble added.

"Never underestimate the power of shipping. Also, I paid a friend quite a few bits to have this done by the time we got back. It was supposed to be a little joke between Rainbow Dash and myself, but since you were there too, Quibble, well. It was too perfect an opportunity."

Unconventional

In many ways, the convention last year seemed like a far off dream to Quibble Pants. A wet dream, perhaps, definitely not a dream he'd share with his mother, no matter how many times she coaxed him out of his attic. His nine to five job had secured his mother's home just as she was about to lose it, so he preferred to say that she lived with him. Had it not been for the letters from Daring and Dashie, he'd have written it off as a few too many drinks at the charity Daring Do Drink-a-thon.

He wished he had something that could compare to the adventures Rainbow and Daring experienced. The closest he ever got to action these days was when he wrote about it for the Daring Do fanzine he helped edit. His nitpick-y, detail-oriented editing style had its fair share of supporters and detractors. Principle amongst those was a fan known only by the pen-name Loyal Tea-leaf. Some of the letters the fanzine received reminded him that not all criticism was constructive.

Looking over his latest letter, he sighed at the pedantic, self-aggrandizing waste of ink and paper. Chucking it aside, Quibble decided it was time for his weekly fresh air.

He headed through the trap door and down the stairs. When he'd purchased the house from his mother, he'd insisted on keeping the attic. It was too much effort to move his memorabilia and, in spite of his mother's insistence, he just didn't want the master bedroom. It reminded him too much of his parents and especially of the time he caught them...

"Hey there, Quibby. Going out?" Mama Pants asked. He hadn't even realized that he'd made it down to the kitchen.

Quibble turned away to reach for his saddlebags. "Yes, ma'am. I need to stretch my legs."

"Are you sure you're not going out to stretch a nice mare's legs?" Mama asked.

Ears pointed straight up, Quibble turned around in surprised dismay. "Mom! Since when do you make jokes like that?"

A familiar voice rang out in laughter over the open kitchen counter from the family room on the other side. "She's probably made all sorts of jokes that went over your head. Your mom's a riot!"

Mama Pants smiled, patted her son gently on the shoulder before turning back to her guest. "Don't go putting thoughts into my poor son's head, Rainbow Dash. I'm a proper lady, as far as he knows."

Quibble wanted to dwell on that thought as little as possible. "Rainbow Dash? How did you find out where I live?"

"Forget that!" Rainbow answered enigmatically. "When did you dye your mane?"

Quibble narrowed his eyes in confusion, before he caught sight of a strand of his drab brown mane dangling over his eye. "Oh, I dyed it for the convention. I'm naturally this color."

"Hmm. Daring's 'do suited you." Dashie bantered, flicking the strand out of Quibble's face.

He merely shrugged. "Well, I guess you'll just have to wait until the next convention to see me sport that style."

Rainbow practically danced in place. "Ohmygosh! Which reminds me of why I'm here! There's a convention in Baltimare the week after next! It's pretty big; it's not just Daring Do, but also a lot of other fandoms. Everything from Gorge R. R. Smarty to C.S. Bluish to that silly Barleyquin romance author L. P. Rose."

"Yeah, I'd planned on going, but just couldn't get a hotel room in the harbor area." Quibble explained.

"Well, no sweat! I'm inviting you out; my treat. Stay with me and D.D. I doubt we'll have the kind of adventure we had last time. At least, as far as Ahuizotl is concerned. I'm sure there are other ways we can have adventures like we did last time." Rainbow said seductively.

Mama coughed politely, to remind Dash of her presence. Quibble had also forgotten his mother was in the room and he blushed profusely. "Mom! Um, well..."

Mama Pants waved a hoof. "I'll be fine if you take off for a weekend. Even if it is in the company of a certain mare. You are an adult now, after all."

"Mom, you know Dash and I are just friends, right?" Quibble said as a warning. The last thing he needed was to get his mother's expectations up after he'd expertly kept them down.

She shook her head. "Sure, sure. I've read Cosmarepolitan. I'm hip to how you kids operate these days. 'Just Friends.' Got it." Her reply was anything but comforting to Quibble's ears, but Rainbow Dash just laughed. "You youngsters and your unconventional relationships."

The train ride to the downtown Baltimore area was pleasant, made all the more so because Rainbow was with him. She'd stopped at his place on the way so she'd have somepony to talk to. Having traveled alone to the last convention, Quibble had to admit there were certain advantages to traveling with a companion.

"So then, in the first volume of the first print edition of the Daring Do Encyclopedia, there was a misprint on line twenty-two of page 394 that quoted text from Daring Do and the Marked Thief of Marapore. They accidentally attributed it to Daring Do and the Eternal Flower." Quibble nudged Rainbow with an elbow to keep her awake. "You know what makes it worse? The quote was about Marapore!"

"Fascinating." Rainbow said, in a tone that sounded anything but fascinated. "You really have dedicated your fan-life to just Daring Do, haven't you?"

Quibble shrugged. "I wouldn't say that. Sure, I'm a walking Daring Do expert, at least the fictionalized version. But I've read other things. I do enjoy the works of J. Free Saucer."

"Yikes, there's an old name. What about Tamarea Pierce?"

"Read a lot of her stuff in high school. The Immaretols. Protector of the Foals. I really enjoyed The Mare Who Runs Like A Stallion." Quibble pulled out a book he'd brought just in case. "How about these?"

Rainbow glanced at the book and her eyes bulged. "Twilight? Sure, it's popular with teenage fillies and middle-aged mares but, if you ask me, S. Mare couldn't write her way out of a paper bag. Also, she turned one of Equestria's most intelligent ponies into some blank-slate wannabe Vampony."

"Oh yeah, I forgot that the main character is based on one of your friends." Quibble turned the book over to look at the cover. Two hooves held up an apple as if in offering. "My mom really enjoys them though."

"Point proven. I might like your mother, but that's more because of her sense of humor than because of her taste in books." Rainbow flapped her wings a little to vent her irritation. "Looks like we're almost here."

Quibble noted the wing movement. "Tempted to fly off without me yet?"

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and pushed his shoulder. "No way! Loyalty, remember? Besides, there's more than one reason to keep you around. Sure, conversation is nice, but you're not half bad in bed."

"I believe your exact phrase last time was, quote, 'You are amazing.' Unquote." Quibble gave her a single raised brow.

She shoved him again. "Well, assuming you're up for some fun in the bedroom." She paused to wait for his consent. Quibble nodded quickly. "Then I'd say we're going to have a pretty amazing weekend."

After checking in to the hotel and heading through the VIP registration line (it paid to have a mare like Rainbow Dash around), the pair headed to the Dealer's Hall. Their VIP passes gave them and a select crowd the ability to hit the hall earlier than other attendees, and Rainbow and Quibble decided to take the time to search out A. K. Among the booths was a large corner booth set up for A.K. Yearling and her Daring Do novels and merchandise. D.D. was dressed in her demure A. K. garb, which drew Quibble's attention in more than one way. She was the picture of feminine elegance, from her classic floppy hat to her flowery blouse. She looked reserved and proper. Which, knowing her in the way he did, was as laughable as it was attractive.

The moment she spotted him, A. K. waved Quibble over. He complied, belatedly noticing the copy of his fanzine that she had in her hooves. Looking from the zine to her face, Quibble was the picture of guiltiness. "I was hoping you would be able to help me find a certain fan. There's a story I'm quite fond of in this month's mature insert. Great idea, by the way, having an age-gated optional insert of content. I'm surprised more legitimate publications don't adopt it. Anyway, the author's name is Loyal Tea-something or other."

"Loyal Tea-leaf. He's, or uh, she's quite a quiet individual normally. This is the first time they've really written something so...provocative. Usually they stick to sappy emotional romance." Quibble couldn't decide if he wanted to snatch the fanzine away and rip it to shreds or just bolt in panic.

Daring laughed. "Well, perhaps you will pass along my most heartfelt gratitude. They've certainly got an eye for detail. They even included Daring's birthmark. Something only referenced in...oh what interview was that now?"

Quibble answered automatically, without even thinking. "Celerity's Salute to Summer written by Prench contributor Stylo Puissant."

A. K. smiled a most Daring-style grin. Quibble froze, suddenly aware of how much he'd just admitted to. Luckily, Rainbow swooped in and saved him. "Honestly, you're going to break him before either of us get to play with him."

A. K. tossed her mane coquettishly. "Well, perhaps you can fix him up back at the hotel. Honestly, I've got a lighter schedule thanks to this being a bigger convention. Even if it is a rare personal appearance, I don't anticipate I'll be much busier than average. My panel isn't until tomorrow, as well. So why don't I meet you guys for lunch in an hour or so?"

After saying their goodbyes, Quibble and Rainbow walked around the Dealer's Hall and Artist's Alley before ducking into a few panels. Rainbow insisted on having room-service for lunch and so she encouraged a willing Quibble into their hotel room. Finishing up their lunch, Rainbow patted the bed. "Why don't you come on over here, big guy?"

Wordlessly, Quibble nodded. Joining her on the bed, they both let their hooves roam freely. Laying on his side, Quibble left one hoof tangled in her multi-hued mane as his other hoof drifted along to her pelvic region. He traced the mark on her flank a few times before going in for more intimate contact. Rainbow, meanwhile, turned her attention to kissing whatever she could reach. Lips, cheek, jaw, neck, collarbone, before nuzzling into his chest as he reached that most sensitive spot.

Her hooves held him close as he toyed with her. She fought the urge to thrust her hips forward to force him into direct contact. Rainbow was a patient mare and it would only give Quibble the idea that she was too into it. And that just wasn't cool.

As he teased and tormented her, she found her patience waning. Eyes snapping open, she looked down and reached for an exposed and engorged target. Her wingtips traced along the sides of his shaft and suddenly he was the one giving an uncontrolled thrust. His movement forward had the side effect of bringing him home to her pleasure button and she forgot herself just as easily. As Rainbow began to see stars, Quibble shifted position.

He turned around so that he could bring his mouth over her glistening slit. He let out a ragged breath as he prepared himself to go down on her and Rainbow almost thrust her pussy in his face. He's severely wrecked her patience. Luckily, his lips locked on and his warm tongue entered. As his mouth explored the place where his hoof had been before, Rainbow brought her mouth over his rigid cock.

Quibble noted with pride that he had the telltale signs of Rainbow climaxing down. Her breathing, where her body tensed, all of it was detail that he'd missed before. Lost as he'd been in his own pleasure and thoughts of inadequacy, he wasn't surprised how easily it was to miss. Now, however, he could tell that he'd brought her to her first peak. With an intensity he rarely possessed, Quibble pushed Rainbow over that edge and she moaned her pleasure around his throbbing erection. Quibble nearly lost the battle there and then, but managed to steady himself enough to pull his hips away. She let him go gently, though her attention was suddenly taken by another presence in the room.

As Quibble came back up for air, he noticed her too. Daring Do, stark as the day she was born, had sidled up behind Rainbow Dash. One hoof tangled in Rainbow's mane as Quibble had done earlier, only with more force. She pulled Rainbow's head back and laid her mouth on Rainbow's neck, biting and sucking her way up and down the side. Quibble scooted away just a bit to take in the scene before him. Daring Do had a look of intensity on her face that sent chills down his spine and spasms through his spear. He took a few deep breaths to bring himself under control, somewhat ashamed that he'd almost ejaculated at the sight of a little mare on mare action.

"Watch closely." Daring ordered, her voice husky with desire. She returned her attention to Rainbow's mouth and neck, but her hoof reached down to disappear into the front of Rainbow Dash's need-driven crotch. Daring's wing alighted on various parts of Rainbow's body, eliciting squeals and moans in equal measure. Drawing Rainbow up in front of her into a sitting position, Daring spread Dash's legs with her own. With both wings free, Daring drew the ticklish feathers into play not just on her external erogenous zones, but to tease along her juicy cleft. Her hooves took their time playing with Dash's eager sex and running along her sensitive underbelly and chest.

Rainbow seemed lost in the sheer tactile weight of pleasure that consumed her. Her legs, wings, and even the muscles under her skin twitched, writhed, the evidence of another impending orgasm written plainly across her beautiful face. As she came again, Rainbow opened her eyes and locked them on Quibble.

Satisfied and more than a little smug, Daring drew back away from the bed, leaving Rainbow a sweaty, jelly-fied mess in Quibble's soothing hooves. "How Daring do you think you are?" She asked quietly.

Not understanding her question, Quibble cocked his head. Smirking, Daring flipped open a suitcase he hadn't noticed and withdrew an item that made Quibble's eyes go wide.

"While you couple with her, I'll slip this little number on and see if you can take as much as you can dish out. How does that sound?" Daring asked, challengingly.

Licking dry lips, Quibble answered. "I've never..."

Daring slipped the toy on and pulled out a bottle of lubrication and a box of condoms. "I'll be gentle. Well, as gentle as you are."

Rainbow found her voice. At the same time, her hooves found his cock. "Too good to let yourself get as good as you give? I promise the discomfort passes. And then you're the luckiest of all three of us. Daring's little toy will get her off, your big boner will get me there again and you? Boning and getting an intimate massage from such a pretty toy? You'll think you've died and gone somewhere amazing."

"You won't make fun of me? Or bring it up in front of other ponies? Either of you?" Quibble asked, his inquisitiveness getting the better of him.

"I promise." Rainbow and Daring said together. Quibble had the fleeting thought that they'd had this conversation before, but he let that go. Rainbow was working him up into a frenzy and he'd rather be somewhere else entirely when he finally came.

"It's unconventional, but I'm in an experimental mood." Quibble got off the bed as Rainbow laid down on the edge on her back. Taking a condom and some lube, he tried not to think about it too much when Daring did the same behind him.

Quibble plunged himself into Rainbow, who gave him a smile before she looked over his shoulder. "He's a little over-eager. Don't do what he did, though. I'm a lot more prepared than he is."

Daring huffed, her hooves on Quibbles shoulder-blades. "Fine, I'll be nice. Quibble, lift you tail, dude."

Blushing, he complied with her order and tried not to tense up. Although he'd never done this before, he'd read enough of his friend's gay stallion stories to know where this was going.

"Relax, buddy. This will go easier if you don't fight it." Her words came in response to his instinctive clench against the intruding tip of a well-lubricated hoof. "I just need to relax your ring a bit before I slip through it."

As Quibble thrust in and out of Rainbow Dash, his back door was receiving similar, yet syncopated treatment. As he drew out, the hoof went in him, as he went in, the hoof retreated. Finally, this sweet torture subsided and he felt the press of the toy against his tail-hole. "Ready when you are Quibs."

Breathing deep, he pulled away from Rainbow Dash slowly, impaling himself on Daring's toy. The pattern repeated, with him setting the pace he found a rhythm that kept him hard and satisfied the uncertainty of what was going on behind him. He marveled at the sensation of fullness that he got, although this did come with a certain amount of discomfort. Eventually, that discomfort subsided and the fullness became more satisfying. It still wasn't on his list of favorite things to do, but it was bearable.

Then he began driving into Rainbow in earnest, his need for release beginning to percolate up from the depths of his being. Daring held onto his back, but then shifted slightly and he saw stars. Stunned for a moment, he slowed, but the husky, panting urging of Rainbow and the insistent tapping on his shoulders from Daring spurred him into action again. He drew in and out, driving Daring's toy into a spot previously unknown to him. A few more passes and he knew he was about to have the most explosive orgasm he'd ever had.

The moans and grunts became more frenzied as the three lost control together. Rainbow came first, her quivering sheath then threw Quibble into his peak of pleasure. Daring's toy pushed him over as his prostate could take no more and he almost dropped down on Dashie. Daring held onto his back for dear life as he legs wanted to give way beneath her. Her own orgasm came as the others evened out.

The trio stretched out across the bed, Daring only taking a moment to take off her strap-on before cuddling up to Quibble. "Not too bad, I hope?"

Rainbow laughed at the weighing expression on Quibble's face. He finally responded. "Let's just say this was another convention to remember. And we might not have had to battle a villain and his henchponies, but I certainly had an adventure."

Author's Note

As a thank you for all the views, thumbs up and comments that this story's enjoyed over the last year, here's an extra chapter.

When I originally wrote this story, I had many hang-ups about sex, sexuality and what an appropriate place to explore and share those things was. In short, I wasn't really keen on writing NSFW content. Over the last year, I've come to accept that this is a part of me as a writer. And, if I wanted to be a credit to the art of making love, I'd try to write it as well as I could. I hope you enjoy this story in whatever way is pleasing to you.

This world is full of people who would take life's little pleasures and hide them away for fear that they would become tainted and dull. But some things should be shared, respected, and shown to those who seek to truly work to make love.

After all, the love we get is equal to the love we give.