How to Tag Friends and Influence People

Stars swirled around him. doomcup was alone, floating in the depths of space. Lights of billions of galaxies, billions of stars, all shone around him.

And yet, he felt warm. He felt like the cosmos around him was giving him a warm caress.

A soft voice came from somewhere in this fantastic scene, so he thought, until he realized it was being heard in his own mind.

"You feel quite alone, don't you?"

He nodded, looking around to see if he could find anybody making that speech. He could find nobody.

"It is the way of things, is it not? I've heard your cries and I know your desires. Dry your tears. Listen to me, and I will give you everything you want."

He was unable to speak. He waited attentively for the voice to tell him what to do.

"Go to the Everfree Forest. Look for three stones in a row. From there, you will find your way to everything you desire."

doomcup woke up, stretching as the sunlight started to make its way across the room from the south window, its arc tracing the day very slowly across the wall. He wondered just what was going on.

They'd told him that Princess Luna had returned (and were puzzled that the news hadn't reached him) and was controlling dreams again, but he'd heard her briefly one day, and knew it couldn't have been her. He wasn't sure whether he believed the voice in his dream, but he could use a walk, and even in his dire straits, the forest had been comforting.

He opened the door, and found below a bunch of cupcakes and a note. With his magic, he pulled the note to his face.

"We're sorry. Please enjoy these cupcakes.
--Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity, Starlight Glimmer"

He ate into one hungrily. They were good cupcakes.

He took them downstairs and put all but two in a box. The last two he put into a paper bag, which he tucked into a saddlebag along with a map, compass, and a few other bits and bobs. He retrieved a hat (an old one of Applejack's, a parting gift), drifted a cloak over himself, and struck out for the Everfree Forest.

The woods looked very different under the cover of day. He felt relaxed as he walked on. The sunlight streaked down through the gaps in the canopy. All kinds of birdsong met his ears, mixed with the low sounds of the fantastic beasts that filled it.

The stallion already felt in higher spirits, just from being in this hallowed woods. He felt totally at peace, a smile working itself onto his face where none had been before.

He hunted up and down for the three rocks, but not hurriedly. He wanted to take his time. Whatever was there to be found, he was sure it'd be there and wouldn't be going anywhere.

Eventually, he did indeed come across three large rocks, mossy from long having stood there. The clearing let the sunlight shine brightly on them, the noonday sun sitting directly overhead.

He carefully examined them, looking for something, anything, to confirm that his dreams that night had been more than just images that had been projected into the backs of his eyelids.

Scraping some of the moss off, he finally found what he was looking for: an arrow, pointing to the east. He followed it, though the going was difficult thanks to the vegetation all around.

At last, when he'd gone as far as he could stand and was ready to write off following the dream as wishful thinking, he saw something in the overgrown shrubs. It looked like it could be some kind of stone structure, but he could see no door. After taking a moment to rest, he followed the stone, all around, looking for something, anything that would allow him ingress.

It was very much like a box that the earth had half swallowed, one side more than another. The stone was hewn, but well worn. This hadn't been used for a long time. No paths made its way to it.

At last, he thought he saw a small opening, mostly covered by dirt and vines. With the air of one rolling up their sleeves, he wheeled his head around as he exercised his unicorn magic on the vines around, pulling them out of the way without touching them. Clearing the rubble was a bit harder, but he eventually managed with enough magical sweating.

After a rest, he took stock. Was he crazy? Was he about to enter this strange building with who knows whatall inside it? Was he going to do this ridiculous thing just because a voice in a dream told him to?

Of course he was. What else was there?

He squeezed his way in, producing a barely sufficient light that let him see where he was going for a meter or two ahead, and threw the shadows into sharp relief beyond that.

He stayed at the entrance for a time. He felt a strange feeling of apprehension as he looked at his surroundings. Strange tapestries, barely touched by the ravages of time, bore out strange and eerie images that defied description. There was strangely far less dirt and mold and stray plants than one would expect in a place that had been so open to the elements.

He steeled himself, and walked forward, his hooves echoing into the dark depths.

He thought, as he wandered those halls, that he could hear something faint in his head. Whispers, mumbles, too faint and indistinct to make out words. And yet, they seemed to help him through this place, guiding him at forks as he went deeper and deeper in.

Eventually, after countless ages of wandering, or what seemed like it, there was a light at the end of the tunnel, growing soft light at the end of the hallway.

The voices subsided, and at last a clear voice entered his mind with a single word.

"Welcome."

doomcup looked around at this chamber, putting out his light that had become redundant. No obvious light sources were around. Before him was a stone seat, empty, but feeling like there was something sitting there. Or rather, that there should have been.

Beneath the seat, like a footstool, was a stone chest. Carvings and bas reliefs on it showed many ponies celebrating a big one. It put him in mind of Celestia or Luna, but it didn't look like either of them.

"It has been a very long time since I have had any supplic- er, guests in my home. I know your wishes. Do you wish them to be true?"

doomcup closed his eyes, feeling that feeling welling up within him. "I do."

"Open the cask in front of you. Once you do, everything you desire can be yours."

He looked at it. There was a lid. It looked massively heavy. He'd barely gotten the hang of using unicorn magic in normal ways. Could he really do this?

He remembered the conversation he'd overheard yesterday. He resolved that he'd damn well try.

His horn shined as the strain of his effort made itself obvious all over him. The lid struggled to move. He slowly buckled under the force of its weight. It was heavy, so heavy, the weight of it...

He looked up in his struggle. Was that a loose bit of ceiling above him? The gears in his head turned very rapidly. His magic worked on that too, but it only needed a little encouragement.

The ceiling chunk fell, and working quickly, doomcup channeled the falling force and levered it onto the stone lid.

It went flying, and came down on the stone floor, shattering.

"Cleverly done, my suppl- friend. Look within, and see the help you need."

He looked.

Next thing he knew, he was outside again. He looked around, and was surprised to see that he now had a cutie mark!

He was confused that it was an @ symbol. What could it mean? He was very confused.

He also took the box that he found next to him. Was this what the voice had given him? He opened it.

It was full of strange little tags. They looked like they attached to the ear, and they too had a little @ symbol on each of them.

He was very confused. He picked up the box and started to leave, but before he did, he turned around to have one last look at the ruins.

They were gone.

He trotted through the woods again. He wondered what exactly he was meant to do with these things. The voice had stopped talking to him. He thought it was very rude that it didn't tell him what these were or how they worked.

He stopped for a moment, and took one of the small tags out of the box. He examined it up and down, then moved to attach it to his own ear.

He suddenly got a surge of thought in his mind that this would be a very wasteful thing to do. He should just put the tag back in the box.

He did so, a little confused at what just happened.

He thought again. Wasn't there an enchantress of some kind living here in the Everfree Forest? Weren't they somebody skilled with magic and lore and such? What was her name?

Zecora. A zebra. He'd never met a zebra before. He hadn't really met many at all before he came to Ponyville.

He checked his map. It wasn't that far of a walk. He'd certainly pay her a visit.

He approached the door of the rhyming shaman, the exquisitely made masks and totems displayed everywhere around the entrance. He took a moment to examine them, intrigued by the strange artistry he'd never seen before. He then remembered what he'd come here for, and knocked on the door.

"Who knocks outside, come in, abide!"

Yes, he'd known about the rhyming. Didn't they say she did it to keep her mastery of the Equestrian language? Being of limited education, he found rhyming and poetry a bit difficult, so he was impressed that she'd managed it.

He opened the door and walked inside. "Hello, I'm Hu- I'm doomcup, the new pony in Ponyville?"

"Of you, there is much I have heard. For what with me you'd have a word?"

The unicorn took off his hat and hung it behind him on the hat rack, or so he hoped it was. "I was walking in the forest, and I found something. I was wondering if you'd know what it is."

He drew the box out and placed it in front of the zebra, and opened the lid.

As Zecora examined the tags, he examined her. There was something hypnotic about the stripes. The same basic shape of a pony was there, but with a few different contours, a few different curves...

He shook himself back to the current moment as Zecora spoke.

"These things I've never seen around. Can you tell me how they were found?"

He nodded, and recounted what he'd seen as he went into the ruins, but leaving out the matter of dreams and voices. Something within him told him that these would be unwanted distractions. He wondered just why he was having these thoughts, but soon shook it out to return to the business at hand.

"Such a tale is very strange. I do not see what these would change."

"As far as I can tell, they clip to a pony's ear. I'm not even sure if they do anything at all."

Zecora considered this, rolling a tag around in the box.

"If their use we are going to find, perhaps we shall take one, and put it on mine."

"Your ear, you mean."

She gratefully nodded. Not every rhyme was going to be a winner.

"Well, if you're sure then. Still, are you sure you want to risk it?"

"It is their use that use will prove. Put it on me, I can't, I have hooves."

doomcup picked up the tag with his magic, and felt a strange feeling of excited apprehension. Everything in him said to go ahead and do it, but there was a niggling doubt needling the back of his brain. Should he really do this?

He clicked the tag in place.

The world held its breath for a few seconds.

"So, do you feel any different?"

"No change at all, I feel the same. A boring result, quite a shame."

"Huh, okay."

He felt something poking the back of his brain. This stuff was supposed to make him friends, right? He wondered if...

"Zecora? How do you feel about me?"

Zecora gave a smile.

"On my answer you can depend. My welcome and beloved friend."

Well, how about that? He supposed he'd see how far he could push this.

"So, if I asked you to do something as a friend, would you do it?"

"On me, you truly can rely. Whatever things you ask, I'll try."

doomcup took a moment to think. Why not start with something a little innocuous?

"Would you hold your breath for as long as you can?"

She gave a nod, drew a deep breath, and held it. She was doing her best to hold it for as long as possible. The seconds felt like minutes going by. She was starting to turn colors, which was a bit disturbing.

"Okay, you can breathe now."

With a massive exhale, Zecora started to catch her breath.

"Are you okay?"

"*Pant* of course, I merely held my breath. *Pant* from this I will not catch my death."

"Okay, just take a few moments."

So she would do that for a friend? Okay, let's try something else, he thought.

Once she'd caught her breath again, he turned to her and asked, "Zecora, could you try to speak for the next couple of minutes without rhyming?"

A look of confusion crossed her face. "I could try, but it would be hard. I find..." she started to look very uncomfortable now, "...not rhyming... mutes... my bard."

She blushed and looked away. "I'm truly sorry, friend of mine. I cannot make myself not rhyme."

doomcup thought on this. So you couldn't make a pony act against their nature? That was fair.

"It's okay, Zecora, I was wrong to ask. I'm sorry."

"Forgiven and forgotten now. Twas not important anyhow."

Okay, he thought to himself, you've come this far. There's nothing for it. Time to cross the rubicon. Alea iacta est.

"Zecora.... could you kiss me?"

He was as surprised at these words leaving his mouth as the zebra was at hearing them, but sure enough, she approached closer, put a hoof on his shoulders, and pulled closer to give him a kiss, the first he'd ever had. He felt like his heart was going to beat out of its chest.

After a few seconds, she pulled away. "I feel that you are getting hot; did my kiss for you hit the spot?"

He was completely speechless. He couldn't think straight. He felt the pounding, both in his chest, and from elsewhere entirely.

Zecora looked downwards and saw his excitement becoming tangible. "It seems you have become excited. Shall I to your cock be invited?"

There was surprise that she'd be the one to make the suggestion, but suddenly doomcup wasn't really feeling in an inquisitive mood. This was just like those forbidden books he'd snuck around reading back when... he terminated that line of thought. It would have wrecked the mood.

"Zecora, could I ask you as a friend to help take care of this?"

"My yes for this, a certainty. Come and lie on this couch for me."

He found his way to it, a wicker deal with a sprinkling of cushions. They were pleasantly soft. He reclined on them, his pony erection standing tall before Zecora's eyes.

She took her time to admire the amazing thing. It was a very inviting member, very gently used. For the stallion's relatively slight build, it was impressive indeed.

"This will be no problem, take heart," Zecora said, moving her mouth to the tip. He could feel her breath on it when she finished the rhyme, "on this I know just where to start."

With this, she moved to the base and started licking it. Slowly, from the bottom, along the side, past the medial ring and up towards the tip, she ran her tongue, in slow, even, gentle laps.

The young stallion bit his lip, trying hard not to squirm. This was so much better than doing it himself. Even using his unicorn magic on it didn't feel this good.

The zebra ran her tongue in circles on the tip of his cock for a little while before finally taking it into her muzzle, gently bobbing up and down on it before starting to suck and massage on the member in earnest.

Just at that moment, the door came open and in walked Twilight Sparkle!

"Hi Zecora, I-"

She looked at the scene. Zecora didn't react, but doomcup looked straight at her with panic written on her face.

Twilight just gave a smile. "Oh, you're busy. I'll just come back later."

And having reacted as if Zecora was just washing the dishes or something, she walked right back out, closing the door behind her.

Once he recovered from the near heart attack, he was thoughtful, or as thoughtful as one could be while having an attractive zebra sucking on their dong.

So, he thought to himself, when somebody's wearing a tag, whatever they're doing is just normal stuff? How very curious.

He pondered how it worked before Zecora finally took his entire length down her throat and started really working it. He couldn't hold out very long against this.

His cock flared and he came, orgasm hitting him hard as he pumped three or four torrents of hot pony cum down her throat. Zecora was taken off guard, but managed to swallow it all without much fuss.

She pulled off of him, his softening erection flopping out with a satisfying sound of smacking against his belly. "So tasty is your pony spoo, I'm glad I could do this thing for you."

"Th-thank you, Zecora. I think Twilight wanted something, so I'll be on my way now. But I'll come back soon, okay?"

"Come whenever you have the time. For any reason, any rhyme."

He took his leave and struck out into the woods as Twilight passed by him, for whatever she needed from his new dear friend.

He got home without any trouble. He flopped down on his bed.

He'd got his dream. He'd finally done something sexual with a mare. He finally had a friend. And he had a cutie mark, though he still wasn't sure what the @ symbol was supposed to mean.

So now he knew what the tags were and how they worked.

But... did he really want to use these on other ponies? Zecora had put on a tag by choice and in ignorance. Could he get himself to put these tags on others? Would it be a bridge too far? Could he live with himself if he did?

But the memory of that conversation at his housewarming party came flowing back.

Nah. He could live with it.

He pondered just who he'd make his "beloved friend" next, until at last sleep took him.