The guys alongside Button Mash left the school, following the amatuer down the road. The town was emptying out as adventurers were leaving on their missions, a few even waving to Button as they left.

“Stay safe, little guy!” one of the mares called as she flew off.

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” he said, grumbling to himself.

The guys shared a look between one another before Mike approached the colt.

“Uh, hey man, you alright?” Mike asked.

“Huh? Oh, yeah, I’m just… ugh, I’m so sick of everypony treating me like I’m some useless little punk,” he said with frustration.

“You want to try and talk about it?” Mathias asked. “It might make you feel better if you had someone to talk to.”

“We can try Sugarcube Corner,” Button Mash said pointing towards the gingerbread building.

“That was the building we walked past when we were with Lyra and Bon Bon earlier,” Zander added.

“Oh, so that’s what the place is called?” Sam said. “So what’s in there anyways?”

“It’s a bakery… they sell, you know, baked goods. Like pies, and cakes?”

“We know what a bakery is, but we’ve never seen a bakery that looks like a freaking Gingerbread house,” Mike said with a dull stare. “Not to mention they don’t look like this back home.”

“Your world must be pretty dull then,” Button Mash said in confusion. “How can you tell what's a bakery then?”

“They have signs on the building to let us know what story they are,” Mathias added. “Some of them have wacky and catchy names.”

“Yeah but names aren’t worth much when you can’t tell the stores apart without the signs. Plus, come on!” Sam said, motioning his arms to the store. “Look at it! It’s a literal gingerbread house!”

“Can we just fucking eat, already?” Zander said.

“Uh, sure, but I don’t have that much money on me, so you guys will have to start a tab,” Button said.

“Wait, the bakery takes tabs?” Mathias asked. “Why?”

“Since it’s right next to the Guild, Mr. or Mrs. Cake can just report on whoever doesn’t pay and they’ll get their reward money confiscated. Adventurers are their main customers.”

“Pay the sugar mafia on time, got it,” Sam said, walking to the door. “Now, let’s get-”

The doors opened as a large mare stumbled out, carrying a stack of boxes. Due to her back being turned as she exited the building, she couldn’t see Sam as she turned around. The two ran into each other and the mare dropped her boxes.

“Whoa!”

She fell on top of him, Sam’s hands trying to catch her as she fell, only for one of his clawed appendages to go up her brown shirt, ripping the buttons open. The two landed on the ground, Sam on his back with his hands holding her up by her stomach and left breast, the other one bouncing out and slapping him in the face while the mare landed one hand on his face.

“Eeek! I’m so sorry, little guy!” she said, sitting up.

As she sat up, her hoof slipped on a rock and she fell forward, her skirt hiking up as she landed ass-first on his face.

“Oh my gosh, not again!” the grey and blonde mare cried.

She unfurled her wings and flapped them to get off of Sam, who laid there completely still.

“I’m so sorry about that,” she said, fixing her shirt’s buttons. “I just don’t know how this keeps happening!”

The mare was about six and a half feet tall, her body covered in light grey fur, her mane and tail smooth, long and blonde. She wore a skimpy post office worker’s outfit with a brown miniskirt and a messenger bag by her hip. Her eyes were crossed, though the guys could tell that she was sincerely sorry about what happened.

“Nah, it’s fine,” Sam said, standing up. “Sorry about the shirt, though.”

“Oh, it’s fine, the buttons are magnetic,” she said, snapping them open and accidentally flashing the guys. “The Post Office can’t keep paying for new buttons so they gave me a special shirt. I guess I should have watched where I was going.”

“It’s alright, I shouldn’t have rushed in blindly like that. Name’s Sam, by the way,” he said, offering her his hand.

“Oh! I’m Derpy!” she said shaking his hand with both of hers. “Though most ponies call me Muffins since I mostly snack on them so often. What’s a colt like you wandering alone?”

“I’m not alone, I’ve got these guys with me!” he said, pointing to the group.

“Oh, a whole team of colts! And little Button Mash, oh how’ve you been?” she said, flying over the colt.

“I’m fine, Ms. Doo,” he sighed.

“Well, I hope you boys can take care of yourselves. I’ve got to get back to work.”

She started picking up her dropped boxes, Sam grabbing a few to hand back to her. When she got them all, she flew off and waved her farewells to them.

“Damn man, got lucky there for a second,” Zander said, nudging Sam with his elbow.

“Lucky?” Sam asked, raising an eyebrow. “Dude, she sat on my face.”

“What’s so bad about that?”

“I could smell things you shouldn’t.”

“UGH!” Zander recoiled. “Yeah, nevermind.”

“Can we PLEASE move on from Ms. Doo!?” Button screamed. “I don’t want to hear about my Godmother’s ass being smelly!”

“Godmother?” Mike asked.

“Yes, she and my mom were Adventurers together at one point and so she’s my Godmother, let’s just go inside and eat, alright!?”

“Okay, sheesh, no need to be rude about it,” Mike said.

The five walked inside, finding the place with only a few patrons here and there, townsfolk in plain attire dotting some of the many tables and booths the store had inside. The inside did have a candy theme to it, and the guys looked around to see that there were some tables that looked like they were made of chocolate, the stools looking like they were made of candy canes and the cushions being gumdrops. Not to mention the walls being like candy.

“What is this, a candy house?” Mike asked in shock.

“You get used to it,” Button Mash said as he sat down. “Anyways, let’s find a table.”

The guys followed Button to a booth, where they sat down with Zander, Mike and Mathias on one end and Sam and Button on the other side. When they sat down, they noticed a piece of parchment hanging on the wall above the table, listing off the various foods they were offering. From cupcakes and muffins to egg sandwiches and even full on breakfast platters.

“Some menu they’ve got here,” Mathias said, scanning the paper.

“Oh, I’m definitely getting some egg and cheese wraps,” Zander said.

“I’d take an egg-cellent platter,” Sam said.

“I think I’ll have… a Breakfast burrito platter,” Mike said.

“I guess I’ll have some waffles,” Mathias said.

“Well, I’ll ask the Cakes for my usual then,” Button said, getting up to order. “Hey, Mr. Cake,” Button Mash called out. The sounds of stumbling from a room upstairs followed suit as a yelp and grunts soon followed and what sounded like a male who was covered in a sheet was tumbling downstairs rather painfully. He finally stopped when he hit the table that was a few feet away from the guy’s table with a loud thud and the male underneath the sheets was groaning.

“Ouch,” Mike said as he looked at the male covered by the sheets with pity.

“That’s gotta hurt,” Mathias said, feeling sorry for him.

Sam jumped out of his seat and grabbed the stallion, carefully trying to not move his neck.

“Sir, are you alright?” Sam asked. “Can you feel anything below the neck?”

“Just about, yes, I’m alright,” the stallion said in a high toned voice. “I’ve had worse falls than that before, trust me.”

Sam helped him stand up to his full height of seven feet, the stallion’s face covered in yellow fur with a mane of curly orange hair. His muzzle was longer and thinner than most other stallions they’ve seen, and he was noticeably scrawny.

“Mr. Cake? What happened?” Button asked.

“My wife asked me to bring a box downstairs and when you called my name, I missed one of the steps and stumbled down,” He said with a nervous glance. “The blanket fell over me too, hope it’s not ruined. We’ve had that since we started dating.”

“Who were you dating?” Mike asked.

“He’s talking about his wife Mrs. Cake,” Button mentioned.

“Did someone call for me?” A female voice called out from upstairs. The sounds of footsteps followed suit and the guys were shocked with who they saw stepping down.

The blue and pink mare stepping downstairs was the absolute definition of the word, ‘thick’. Her hips and thighs were almost grazing the walls, her body was cushioned in a generous amount of curves, her belly was round enough to be appealing without being outright fat, and her breasts were large enough to nearly reach her thighs. She stood about six feet and eight inches, and the power she seemed to output was overwhelming. The sense of mother-bear like aura she radiated was as much a turn-on as it was a warning. Her mane was a tall spire of pink hair, like someone had taken frosting from a cupcake and popped it on her head, her tail also generously fluffy. All she wore was a dirty apron that barely covered her chest and a skirt that reached down to her knees.

“Oh, well hello there kids!” she said, smiling at the group. “Honey, are you alright?” she asked, cupping his face in her hands.

“I’m alright, dear, thank you,” he said, kissing her palms. “These young colts walked in with Button Mash.”

“Oh, you’re so attentive when somepony makes an order!” she laughed. “Oh, I shouldn’t have made you move stuff around upstairs when we’re open.”

“Dear, I told you you can handle the kitchen while I clean up here for you!”

“I know, but I had that… other customers, remember?”

“Holy shit, he married that?” Zander whispered.

“What? They seem like they get along,” Sam whispered back.

“Still, I can’t believe someone like him gets to pound that ass every day!”

“What? Why would he do that to her? She seems nice,” Sam said in confusion.

“You’re hopeless,” Zander sighed.

“Anyways, what can I get you fine colts?” she asked, turning back to them. “Any friend of little Button gets their first order free!”

Button listed off their orders as she walked into the kitchen while Mr. Cake picked up stuff off of the stairs, Sam helping him out while the rest of the group went back to the table.

“So, they seem to like you, huh?” Mathias said. “Got a history here?”

“Everypony in town knows me since my mom’s super popular. Mrs. Cake was actually part of my mom’s team before they settled down here. My mom was a Paladin, Caring Hearts used to be a master thief, Mrs. Cake was a Barbarian, Stellar Flare was a mage, Mayor Mare was a charm-caster, and Derpy, the grey mare you met earlier, was an archer for the team. They managed to fight off a daemonic incursion years ago when a cult tried to take over the town, and ever since they’ve been idolized by everypony here.” Button sighed and followed up, “So yeah, no pressure on us, just got a legacy of legendary warriors to follow up on.”

“I don’t know a few of those names but I’m sure they’re all pretty nice, considering the rest we’ve met,” Sam said.

“Wait, that girl with the weird eyes was an archer!?” Mathias said.

“Yeah, I don’t think that’s possible,” Zander said. “Did you even see what happened earlier?”

“Trust me, she’s had worse blunders but she’s a heck of a shot with a bow,” Button said. “I once saw her fire three arrows at once and she managed to land the bullseye on three separate targets.”

“Alright. So, what happened to their team? Why’d they retire?” Mike asked.

“From what Mom told me, when the village was halfway burned down, they decided they needed to stay because they felt responsible for not being able to save most of the town. They helped rebuild everything that got torched and, in the process, they all found love, apparently. Dad met Mom when they were assigned to work on rebuilding the hospital, and they ended up talking about how much they loved foals. They got drunk and got the idea that, since they loved foals so much, they should make one. Years later?” he followed up by waving his hands over himself.

“So what about Mrs. Cake? Or Mayor Mare?”

“Well, sport,” Mrs. Cake said as she hauled a tray of their orders to the table, “I think I’ll answer some of those.”

She set the platter down at the center of the table before giving each of the guys their respective meals, each with a tall glass of milk. As they dug in, she pulled up a chair and spoke.

“Well, I guess it started when I got parched one day, fending off some wolves from the forest. Since the cult stirred up the wildlife, they were getting a tad frisky, and decided to try and scout the town for dinner every now and again. One night, I slew a couple of them to scare off the pack, and I got a little hungry. Didn’t even notice they’d torn up my good bra, so I ended up strolling through town topless! Oh, I still blush when I think about it!” she said, fanning herself.

Zander, Mike and Mathias looked down to see that her point wasn’t quite convincing.

“Anyways, I stumbled into this very store, and ordered a stiff drink and a hot meal. Didn’t bother asking nicely, I was quite fed up with those fuzzy little B-words, pardon my language. A few minutes after I sat down, I noticed everypony looking at me funny, which was when I noticed my girls were stiff as a board, out in the open! Now back then I didn’t care much at all, since I was raised to fight first and be decent never. But then out comes this stallion, scrawny as a prawn with about half the muscle mass, with a blanket in his hand and just rushes up and covers me! Now I thought he was trying to pull something, so I snatched him up and pinned him to a wall. I asked him what he was thinking, and my stars, I’ll never forget those words.”

“‘A mare as pretty as you shouldn’t let anypony see such a beautiful sight’,” Mr. Cake called from upstairs.

“Oh! It gets my heart fluttering every time. First time somepony called me a mare. Now back then, I was all brawn and muscle, and a whole lot less nice about it too. I didn’t have much charm to woo a stallion, but then here comes dear Carrot Cake, running a packed bakery in the middle of a town-wide crisis, using up his last blanket to offer me some cover because he thought somepony as ungrateful as I was deserved it. After that, he sat down with me, gave me a nice meal and oh my goodness, he was just gushing over how amazing he thought I was! He saw me fight off a Juggernaut one-on-one and thought I was the most gorgeous being to walk in Celestia’s light when he saw that. I shared some other tales from my time adventuring, he acted like a little colt being told a bedtime story, and… well, I ordered a stiff drink that night, but I got something much more stiff after that,” she chuckled, blushing deeply. “We kept at it for a few years, he’d made a bed for me but I took his instead when I moved in, started helping him around in my spare time, when we weren’t being ‘busy’. When I found out I was pregnant, I thought he’d try to make up excuses, but I was shocked to see him, one morning, learning how to swing an axe! He was getting ready to fight alongside me, put his life at risk for our little bundles of joy we had no idea were coming! When I saw that, saw this meek little stallion, scared to death of any kind of bump in the night, ready to fight and die for me… I knew it was love. And so I put up the axe, and I’ve worked here since.”

“That is quite the story Mrs. Cake,” Mike said with surprise. “Where is your axe anyways?”

“Oh, it’s hanging above you boys right now,” She said pointing towards the ceiling. Mike and the guys looked up and nearly freaked out seeing the sharp pointed axe hanging above their heads. It was nearly twelve feet tall with twin blades, five feet long and five wide, it was stained with black streaks, the handle intertwined with twin snakes that bit each of the steel blades.

“Holy Crap!” Mike said as he and the guys backed away from it. “Why is that up there?”

“Right, forgot she keeps it above this table,” Button said with a sigh.

“That’s fucking awesome!” Sam screamed. “That’s like something out of Warhammer!”

“Well I had to hang it somewhere,” She said with a smile. “It's something to remember my old adventures with.”

“You don’t think that’s the least bit dangerous?” Mathias asked, eyeing the hooks holding it.

“I normally don’t hear anyone else complain when I have it there,” Mrs Cake followed up. “Well anyways, enjoy your meals boys.”

“Mommy,” two voices called out getting everyone's attention.

Two small children run up to Mrs. Cake, jumping into her arms as she turned to catch them. One was a small colt with beige fur and a brown mane and tail, his mane tall and curled back into a swirl at the tip. He flapped tiny wings as he hugged the mare, and he wore a grey t-shirt with baggy shorts. The filly had pale yellow fur with a puffy orange mane and tail, her mane tied back into a bun that let her horn poke through easily. She wore a dress shirt and a long skirt, both a pale pink.

“Oh, sweet babies!” Mrs. Cake said, lifting them up.

She blew raspberries into their bellies one at a time, the kids laughing hysterically as she did so. Afterwards, she set them down and ran her hands through their manes.

“And how have the sweetest little cakes in the whole wide world been doing today?” she asked in a bubbly voice.

“Heh, her kids look cute, but why does one have wings while the other has a horn?” Mathias asked.

“Oh, that’s from my husband’s side,” she said with a smile. “He had ancestors that were either a pegasus or a unicorn and they both had their traits from them. The adorable little pegasus is our son, Pound Cake, and the precious little unicorn filly is our daughter, Pumpkin Cake.”

“Wow, are you all monsters like what mommy fights?” Pumpkin asked, hopping in place.

“No, their friends of this young Colt Button Mash here,”

“The names Mike, and these are my friends Sam, Mathias and Zander,” he said pointing towards his friends and then holding out his hand for a handshake. “Nice to meet you both.”

He holds his hand out and Pound takes his hand for the handshake, but it wasn’t what he was expecting. Before he knew what was happening, Mike was suddenly flying in the air while Pound was on the ground and he was flailing him around like a ragdoll.

“Oh crap, dude,” Zander said before a blue hand smacked him.

“LANGUAGE!” Mrs. Cake yelled, standing up.

“Our friend is being flailed around like a freaking ragdoll and that’s what you’re worried about?” Zander said with shock on his face. Meanwhile Mike was still screaming and it caused some of the onlookers to look in either amusement, horror, or surprise seeing him getting tossed around.

“Pound, please put him down,” Mr cake said in horror seeing him like this. Pound heard his father and let go of Mike, cueing him to fly forwards and onto the table and a loud crash was heard and he was groaning onto the floor as he never expected that to happen.

“Aw man, that smarts,” Mike groaned. “What’re you feeding your kids?”

“Well, they get that from Cupcake’s side,” Mr. Cake said, picking up his son. “Little rascals can cause a bit of trouble from time to time, but I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he said, booping his son, causing him to giggle.

“Well, this is just precious, but I feel that we need to get going,” Mathias said. “We don’t have all day and I’d like it if we could find something useful to start out at the school.”

“Oh, you boys are starting at the school too!?” Mrs. Cake said, clapping. “That’s fantastic! Maybe you can help Button finally get his license too! Oh, his mom will be so happy to hear about the little party you five have.”

“Actually, we’re not-” Button started before Sam clamped his claws over his mouth.

“Yes! Yes, that’s right, we’re gonna help him train! And in return, he’s going to teach us everything we need to know to pass our classes!” Sam said. “Isn’t that right?” he asked, looking at Button.

Sam released the colt and he nodded along. “Y-yeah, they’re gonna… train me, and I’ll help them with the written exams.”

“Oh, that’s just wonderful,” Mrs. Cake said. “I know you boys will be in good hands. Well, I suppose I should get back to the kitchen. Going to need to refill some of our stock,” she said, jiggling her breasts.

With that, she walked off, leaving Mathias and Zander to stare at the glasses on the table. Zander quickly grabbed his glass and chugged it down, slamming back the whole thing in a massive gulp before he put it back on the table.

“Five stars,” he said, gasping for air.

“Yeah, food’s fantastic,” Sam said.

“Are you alright young man?” Mr cake asked as he walked over to Mike who was still on the floor.

“I’ll let you know when I’m not in any pain right now,” Mike groaned.

\\\//////

“Goodbye, come again,” Mrs cake said with a smile on her face as the family waved them off. The guys finish eating and are already leaving the building. The cake family was waving them off. Mike was still feeling sore from the flailing that he got and needed to stretch after that.

“Damn, if he’s that strong as a kid, I’d hate to piss him off when he gets older,” Mike said, cricking his neck.

“Yeah, I probably should’ve warned you about that,” Button Mash said while rubbing the back of his head with a blush. “Last time I tried that, I ended up being thrown through the wall. I’d say you got off lucky compared to me.”

“Yeah... lucky… Anyways, what’s next on the town tour?” Mathias asked.

“Well there’s the weapons shop that my friend’s mom owns, and the armor and potions shop next to it,” Button said, pointing towards two building off in the distance.

The weapon’s shop was a brick and mortar building, two stories, the whole thing red and grey, with a massive greatsword speared through a shield sticking out above the door, as if it were impaled there after the store was opened. There were no windows, and the door was heavy and looked like it could be easily barred.

The next store was a round building, the walls lined with large windows. The wood of the building was painted a bright blue, and the sign that hung above the door was of a heart with a set of potions and armor on the top of it.

“So a weapons shop and an armor shop are together?” Zander asked.

“Yeah, it’s where new adventurers get new or rare weapons depending on their rank, and you can even create stronger weapons or armor if you have specific materials for smelting,” Button explained as they walked towards the pair of buildings.

“Seriously?” Sam asked in shock.

“Yeah, but you can hear more of it from my mom and Caring Heart since they can explain it better,” Button explained as he opened the door.

Inside were racks and mannequins covered in armor, with various degrees of skimpiness. Some sets were just bikinis, some were actual plate and mail sets. Along the walls were paintings of Adventurers wearing some sets of armor that were encased beneath them. At the far wall of the building was a large semi-circle work area, with a full forge and a large anvil, glowing with runes.

Working at the back of the store was a large mare, nearly the same size and proportions as Mrs. Cake, except this mare wasn’t as chubby, her arms and legs had more muscle definition, and her breasts were a few sizes smaller. Her fur was beige and she had long, flowing locks of brown mane and tail. She wore a smith’s apron, a thick black tarp that wrapped around her chest and hips, and she wore black gloves as well, both articles stained and burned, and a pair of short shorts clamped around her buns and thighs.

“Oh, Button, sweetie!” she called from across the store. “How’s your day going?”

“Hi Mom,” Button said, waving at her. “I uh, made some friends at the school today.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful! I see they’re such fine young colts as well! My name is Cream Heart, I’m Button Mash’s mother. How are all of you doing?”

“Uh, we’re alright,” Mike said. “Is it, um, safe? For you to work…”

“Topless?” Zander finished. “Not that we mind, though, if it’s comfortable for you don’t mind us, by all means.”

“Of course it’s safe, after all, I’m quite tough. Back in my days, I was a Paladin under Celestia’s Light. When a mare takes on a role, they’re innately granted heat resistance almost high enough to compare to a dragon’s. Not to mention that the forge gets a bit toasty and I end up sweating straight through all of my clothes anyways.”

“I see,” Mathias said. “So… you work as an armorsmith? Aren’t there already enough shops by the Guild? No offense, but I’m not really seeing a point to having another shop out here when there’s almost three vendors at the Guild.”

“It’s quite alright,” she said with a smile. “You’d be surprised how many adventurers I get coming in here for new armor or to have it repaired when their previous armor gets damaged. I have a specific unicorn come in as a regular here.”

“I think she’s talking about Rarity,” Mike said to himself.

“Anyways, the reason they would come here is to have their armor enhanced when they get their armor to a certain level,” she said.

“Enhanced?” Mathias asked. “Wouldn’t it be easier to just put on a new armor piece they find?”

“I doubt a piece of armor you’d find in a thousand year old ruin would be fitted to a mare’s natural cup size, or a stallion’s height. A pony’s armor isn’t just something easily replaced, it has to be tailored to your body and fighting style, otherwise you’d end up hurting yourself trying to fit in something that just doesn’t work for you. Some newbies think that just because a piece of armor is cooler or has a better enchantment then they can just slap it on, but some enchanted armors can have runes that make it so they only work for the intended wearer. If any of that’s the case, then, whelp, just watch.”

She reached under her counter and pulled out a small pair of gloves, black with grey d-pads as a logo. They were set on the anvil as she pulled out a large pair of brass arm pieces, nearly five times the size and covered in faded runes. When they were set down, she put the gauntlets on top of the gloves, and grabbed a large hammer with a circular rune on it. From underneath her workbench, Cream Heart pulled out a vial of glowing green liquid and poured it over the gauntlets, causing them to melt and bend. While they were being melted down, she struck with her hammer. Each blow she delivered caused a burst of sparks to douse her apron, and the gauntlets were reduced into a small mass of glowing liquid. When she landed her last strike, she set the hammer down and grabbed a bottle of sparkling dust. With a careful hand, she slowly peppered the masses with it, grabbed her hammer again, and slammed it onto each glove once.

Cream Heart pulled back and revealed the gloves, now glowing with the same runes that were on the gauntlets.

“When a piece of gear is enchanted, the magic that’s used isn’t completely tied to the item itself, it’s just a constant spell that’s always binding itself to the original casting point,” she said, brushing the gloves off. “A good enough smith can isolate the magical loop of an enchantment and work it out of the item, so long as there’s something nearby to ground it to. The resulting relocation of magic, however, can rupture the integrity of the original item, so it’s often lost in the process.”

“So that’s something to take into account when it comes to what materials go with what?” Mathias asked, very intrigued by all of this.

“Thanks for the explanation,” Mike followed up.

“Huh. Neat,” Sam said.

“No problem boys,” she said with a smile. “So, can you boys tell me-”

The door rang as a mare and filly walked in behind them. Turning around, the guys saw a tall pegasus mare, as tall as Cream Heart but with a slightly smaller waistline and chest. Her fur was white, and her mane and tail were a dark grey, though her mane was braided into a single braid down to her knees. She wore a button shirt, though it was tied up around her impressive chest, and a torn skirt that rested at her knees. Beside her was a filly about Button’s height, with the same fur and mane colors, though her mane was much more poofy, with a windswept style, and her proportions were far less abundant than most other ponies they’d seen. She wore a black dress shirt and yellow pants, and she eyed the guys nervously.

“Hello, Creamy~!” the large mare greeted in a sing-song voice. “I see Button’s met some new friends!”

“Hi Carey!” Cream greeted. “I was just saying hi to them, to! Come in, we can all have a nice chat!”

The mare stepped past the guys, hiking up a basket filled with bulky armor pieces and a much smaller set at the top of the pile. While she walked off with Cream Heart, the filly approached the guys and looked between them.

“Wow, you guys are weirdos,” she said. “No wonder you’re friends with Button.”

“Well up yours too,” Zander said, flicking his hand off of his chin.

“Come on man, she’s just a kid,” Mathias said with a sigh. “She’s probably doing it to get a rise out of us.”

“Anyways, why are you here, Button?” she asked, walking up to him and flicking the spinner on his hat. “I thought you’d be at the school, failing another exam.”

“Well, Tumble,” he growled, waving her hand away, “I met these guys at the school while I was watching the Crusaders have an FFA.”

“So they caught you perving out on the top students?”

“I was examining! Their fighting techniques!” he said, stomping his hoof and pointing a finger at her. “Not that you’d understand since the only thing you know how to study is how to be a rotten cunt!”

“Get to the point, you little turd mongler,” Tumble growled.

“The point is, is that they’re new adventurers too, and they need help passing the written exams, so I’ve agreed to tutor them so they can help me train for the practical exam, so I can finally get my license.”

“Oh, wow!” she said, faking enthusiasm. “What a wonderful surprise! A bunch of noponies coming to the aid of another nopony! I bet they’ll really be helpful when they learn you can’t even swing a mace properly. If you’ll excuse me, my mom’s passing on her armor’s enchantments to my first set, since my Licensing exam is coming up soon and I know I’ll pass this time. I’ll be out in the fields in no time while you just sit in the back of your class and jerk it until you pass out. Later, Butt-Mash,” she said, walking to the back of the store.

“Celestia, I hate her!” He said, kicking over some boxes that had armor scraps inside of it.

“Okay, do you have some issues with her or something?” Mike asked towards Button.

“I don’t even know what in Tartarus her problem is,” Button said in annoyance. “She always looks for any excuse to make fun of me, and I always hated her for it. I don’t even know why she always picks on me when I didn't even do anything to her.”

“Yeah, kinda weird since your parents seem to get along just fine,” Mathias said.

“Why would she even bother picking on you if she’s already got a license?” Zander asked. “Kinda stupid for someone like her to just go around picking on students. She’s probably just a petty bitch at heart, man, don’t take it too personal.”

“Not to mention when it comes to bullies, they're usually insecure about something or someone,” Mathias added.

“If she was insecure about anything I’m pretty sure it’s her, you know, sizes,” Zander said, motioning his hand over his chest. “She’s probably jealous other girls get attention that she’ll never get.”

A boot sailed past Zander’s head as he ducked. He stood upright and glared at Tumble, who had another boot in her other hand, plucked straight from the shelf. She looked between the boot and Zander, who was practically growling, his teeth bared as he drew his knife. Tumble dropped the boot and ran through the nearby door, slamming it shut.

“Yeah, that’s what I fucking thought!” Zander shouted, sheathing the knife. “I’ve stabbed people for less, you skinny little bitch!”

“Why would she be mad at me for that?” Button Mash said in confusion. “It’s not like that really matters when you’re an adventurer. It’s important to have skill, the knowledge to put it to use, and the willpower to do what you need to. My mom taught me about what it takes to be a hero, not just to other ponies, but for yourself, and… I’ll be honest, I never saw myself becoming one. I have knowledge, that’s what everypony tells me, but I can’t find one weapon, one single weapon I can even remotely use well! And, willpower… I may as well not even be related to my mom at all. I mean, she’s got enough willpower to channel Sol’s magic! SOL! She’s a Paladin that’s bested Daemons, and I can’t even sleep at night without a candle because I’m scared of the dark and I can’t believe I just said that out loud,” he said, smacking himself in the face. “The point is, if looks determined adventurers, we wouldn’t have had Mage Meadowbrook or Mistmane the Sorceress, or even Starswirl the Bearded as heroes! If that’s what she’s concerned with, it’ll only hold her back.”

“Yeah, that’s the spirit!” Sam said, patting Button’s shoulders. “I mean, look at me! I don’t let this stop me! If she can’t get over whatever it is she’s worried about, she’s only slowing herself down.”

“Just wish she wouldn’t drag me down with her.”

“Hey! Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey,” Sam said, slapping his hands against Button’s face. “No. You don’t let her do that, alright? You let her attitude affect you, she wins. You gotta let her be by herself. If she wants to be miserable, let her be miserable on her own! It’s what I did with my parents and I’ve been great ever since!”

“Alright… I, I’ll try and remember that, thanks,” Button said, smiling. “Can you please let go of my face?”

“It is very soft, I’m sorry,” Sam said as he let go.

“Well we still haven’t toured the rest of town so maybe we can-”

“Excuse me!” A mare shouted from the doorway interrupting the guys from their talk. They all turned around to find an azure unicorn with a silverish mane and tail who was soaking wet from head to hoof and looked pretty pissed off.

The mare was about six feet and eight inches tall, her body quite voluptuous around the thighs and waist, though her belly toted little fat. Her chest was perked with FF-cup breasts, which were plainly visible as possible, her bright silver nipples visible for all to see under her translucent clothes. She wore what looked like a set of curtains, cloth wrapped around her neck and shoulders that draped only thin little flaps over her breasts, hanging just below her areolas, which didn’t matter since the fabric was soaked through. Another curtain flowed around her waist from the back, acting as a barrier in front of her snatch, which also did nothing as it too was soaking wet. Aside from those, she wore a massive cape and a tall wizard hat, both lavender and covered with stars and moons.

“Trixie would like to speak with somepony about her attire’s enchantments not working properly!” she announced, strutting through the guys’ group.

Zander and Button hung their heads to get a glimpse of Trixie’s ass as she walked by, which had no covering at all, allowing them to glimpse her cushiony pillows and marks of a wand with the crescent moon.

“Do you colts know where Trixie can find the shop owners?” she demanded, slamming both of her hands on the front desk. “Trixie demands that she speak to them.”

The door behind the desk soon opened to reveal both mothers walking back into the room.

“Oh, Trixie, what happened to you?” Caring Hearts asked with concern.

“What happened? What HAPPENED!?” she yelled seeming to get more frustrated as her magenta eyes glared at them. “The stupid charm you used for my armor failed is what happened! I was working on a Level three water spell and it backfired on me, leaving my clothes in such a state!”

“How did a water spell manage to keep all of your robes clear and stuck to you this whole time?” Caring asked.

“Because it was a binding spell meant to keep a monster stuck in water until Trixie’s party could subdue it, but now Trixie’s robes won’t dry since the charm attracted the bind!”

“Does this happen a lot?” Mike asked Button.

“Yeah,” He said with a sigh. “She’s a bronze adventurer and she usually flops on some of her spells.”

“Any why is she referring to herself in the third person?” Mathias asked.

“Apparently there’s some research about how speaking in the third person can make you more aware of your actions and makes you a better judge of character. At least, that’s what she says, but I think it’s because she’s full of herself.”

“Well, I can take a look at the enchantment again if you’d like, Trixie,” Cream Heart said.

“Very well,” Trixie said, blushing. “However, due to the nature of the bind, Trixie is unable to… remove her clothes at the moment. She was wondering if you could-”

“Hop on the table,” Cream sighed.

“Trixie thanks you.”

Trixie turned and sat on the edge of the counter, hoisting her legs around so she could get on the table and laid down. Cream Heart ran her hands along the wet cloth, and the moment her hands slid up Trixie’s breast curtain, the water locked itself around her fingers and pressed her hand down into Trixie’s chest.

“Ahn! N-not so rough!” Trixie moaned.

“Oh yeah, that’s a binding, alright,” Cream said as her hand started to glow.

The water hissed as it evaporated to steam as Cream Heart pulled her hand out of the bind, glowing with intense power.

“The best I can do is remove the enchantments and start from scratch.”

“B-but Trixie doesn’t have any money!” Trixie said, sitting up. “She… s-she may have spent it, at a… rowdy show.”

“Hey, looks like it does teach humility,” Mathias whispered.

“You guys notice how all these weird things tend to happen the moment we walk in any place?” Sam asked.

“Shut up, I’m trying to watch this,” Zander hissed.

“Well, since I know you’re good for it, seeing as how you’ve always paid your tabs, I’ll just make you a replacement set and you can pay it back over time.”

“Trixie is immensely grateful.”

Cream Heart’s hands glowed as she grasped Trixie’s top by the neck piece, one hand pulling the fabric while the other held Trixie’s shoulder back. It sizzled and steamed as she peeled the thin outfit off of Trixie’s body, the water cascading off of her fur and off the table. Trixie hissed as the heat from the process radiated across her body, and yelped in pain as she was wrenched from the binding.

“Ah, a thousand thanks, Trixie gives you,” Trixie said as she stretched, standing up from the table. “Truly Celestia chose a wonderful mare to be a Paladin.”

“She is aware that she’s flashing us, right?” Mike asked Button.

“Trixie has nothing to be ashamed of,” she said, waving her hands over her curves, “for Trixie knows how beautiful her temple of flesh is.”

“Keep flashing my son and I’ll put you back in the bind,” Cream Heart growled.

Trixie quickly folded her cape over herself, smiling sheepishly to Cream Heart as she walked off.

“Trixie will wait in the bathroom!” she said before running inside.

“Well, that happened,” Sam said. “So, what were we here for? We can’t afford armor, so we can’t exactly do much here.”

“I was going to show you guys the weapon shop next, since you should know where to go for all of your needs.”

“I’m going to go out on a limb and say that there’s something special about the weapon shop since it’s all the way out here instead of being a vendor at the Guild?” Mathias said.

“Well, I’m flattered you’d think that, sweetie,” Caring Hearts said, walking up to them. “I’m Caring Hearts, Tumble’s mother, and I own the weapon shop next door. I can show you lovely young things around, if you’d like.”

“That depends on whether or not your daughter would tag along,” Zander said.

“Oh, she needs to stay here to get her armor refitted. It’s been a few months since her last exam, so she needs to have new measurements taken. I’m hopeful that her next exam will mean she’s getting her license. What about you, Button? How are your tests?”

“Uh, well, I’ve gotten perfect scores on all of my written tests,” he said, looking at the ground. “And, I met these guys, and they agreed to help train me for my practical exam.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful!” she said, clapping. “If you boys want to sample some arms, you’re more than welcome to visit my store anytime for a discount. In fact, why don’t you come right now? I’m sure I can find something that’ll interest you.”

“I mean, we might as well,” Button said.

The guys agreed and followed the mare out the door. When they left, Trixie poked her head out of the bathroom and looked around.

“Are they gone?”

“Yes Trixie, they’re gone,” Cream Heart said, smelting the clothes Trixie wore. “Please be more aware of the ponies around you before you proclaim your naked beauty to the world.”

“Trixie apologizes, she didn’t know your son was in the crowd,” she said. “But, you have to admit, those colts he was with were quite cute, weren’t they?”

“If you like furless little freakazoids, yes,” Cream Heart said, hammering the enchantments into a set of clothes identical to Trixie’s last set, only matching her cape and hat in color.

“Hmph. Well, Trixie was raised to be more open minded with whom she shares company with. And besides, that dragon looking one was adorable as well.”

“Like ‘em short?”

“Quite. Why else would Trixie wear something like this?”

“If I didn’t know any better, you sound like you’re desperate for a mate,” Cream joked, making Trixie blush.

“A-as if,” she said in defense while her face turned red. “Trixie just….hasn't found the right mate, that’s all.”

“And you think cradle-robbing anypony my son hangs out with doesn’t look suspicious?”

“Trixie will take her armor and leave while she pretends to have some dignity, thank you very much.”

“Alright, alright, I just finished anyway,” She said, setting Trixie’s clothes on the counter and she walked back towards the bathroom and got dressed. She later stepped out with her armor on.

“Thank you.”

“Sure thing, oh and Trixie,” Cream said with a smile that soon turned into a dark glare to scare a manticore. “Flash my son again, Sol and Artemis themselves won’t be able to fix what I do to you.”

Author's Note

And another chapter bites the dust with showing off some of the town and retired adventurers. Hope you enjoyed some more lore from the world as the story gets more and more interesting.