“Good morning, Applejack!” was the first thing the mare heard the next morning. When she opened her eyes, Minerva’s tiny face in her own, with as much regard for personal space as Pinkie Pie, was not the first thing she saw, happily.

“Minerva?” she asked, sitting up and looking around for the mini-divinity. Applejack found her standing on the table. Glancing out the window almost made Applejack panic from how late it was, before she remembered where she was.

“Yep! First of all, you’ve got some new Quests. Also, congratulations on leveling up overnight!”

“Ah leveled up?” Applejack asked, as she was reaching for her hat on the bedpost. It was too early—and also too late, funnily enough—to be thinking about sex.

“Mm-hm. After everything I taught you about this world yesterday, your Intelligence is now 9, which also means your Max MP is 90. And your three Transformation Skills all leveled up to 2, as well.” Minerva explained. This made Applejack stop and think for a moment.

“Okay, it makes sense that you didn’t tell me about the Transformation Skills, but why didn’t are you only mentioning the Intelligence growth now?” Applejack asked, remembering to not talk out loud, as she equipped a brassiere. She figured she’d learn to do it properly at some point, but just after waking up was not the time.

“Stats, Skills and Spells only level up when you sleep.” Minerva explained. “And not just a nap, either. You have to be asleep for at least five or six hours.”

“Why?”

“GOD says it’s because sleep is important for growth.” Minerva said, as Applejack pulled out a pair of pants and worked them on. “The only exception is when you change classes.”

“And how do Ah do that, by the way?”

“There are shrines in every settlement, and if you go there and meditate, you can change your class freely.”

“Meditate, huh? That might be a little bit of a problem.” Applejack said. “Ah meditate by bucking trees, and Ah don’t think Ah can do that in a shrine.”

“No, you can’t do that.” Minerva agreed with a chuckle. “But I can walk you through the more acceptable way. And it’s pretty easy, so don’t worry about it.”

A moment later, Applejack tightened her belt over her blue tunic and left the room. She was surprised to find the restroom unoccupied, since it was one of only two on the floor, but she didn’t hesitate to take advantage. She was also surprised by the shape of the toilet1, but quickly figured out that standing up was the best way to relieve her bladder. Keeping her dick out of the water when she sat down was a little tricky, and she had to resort to holding it in her hand. After she was done relieving herself and brushing her teeth, she made her way downstairs, where she found Rehema puttering around the main room.

“Good morning, Applejack.” the zebra greeted her. “Breakfast won’t be ready for another half-hour, I’m afraid. We’ll be offering scrambled eggs, savory grits with dried cherries, and fried mushrooms, once my husband and daughter finish their morning bath. Four coppers, if you’re interested.”

“No thanks. Ah’ve got some provisions Ah can eat, instead.” Applejack said after a few seconds of thought. “But while you’re here…” she started, opening her inventory.

“Yes?”

“Ah’d like to pay for tonight’s supper, and a week’s rent.” Applejack said, handing Rehema a silver coin. “And you said laundry was two coppers, right?”

“Two coppers for a basket.”

“Would it be too much to ask you to reserve a basket for later in the week?”

“I can make a note that you’ve paid for a basket, and you can use it when you’re ready.” Rehema confirmed.

“Thank ya kindly.”

“No problem, dear. Do you mind if I ask what you plan to do today?”

“Ah thought Ah’d take a stroll around town. Maybe pick up some more provisions. Then Ah might go…uh, go hunting. Or Ah might try to find some part-time work. You wouldn’t happen to know any farms or orchards in the area that could use a worker?”

“You could try the orchard south of town.” Rehema suggested. “They can usually find something to keep a hired hand busy. If not them, than I’m sure one of the farms to the west could. Most of the shops don’t open for an hour or two yet, though.”

“Well, thanks again. Ah’ll be back this evening.” Applejack said, heading for the door. A few moments later, once she’d found south and started walking, she asked, “What’re grits?”

“Like oatmeal, but made with corn instead of oats.”

A few streets away from the pub, Applejack caught the scent of fresh bread and followed her nose to the bakery. There she traded a copper coin for two cherry turnovers and a bit of information about the village. Including the fact—when she mentioned traveling with a caravan most of the way here—that the town a few days northeast got most of the merchant traffic in the area. And since a round trip took at least a week, most folks were more willing to settle for self-sufficiency.

“Maybe Ah could start my own mercantile business, between here and that town.” Applejack thought, as she left the bakery. “But probably not, really. Ah’d probably need a few more people helping, to have a steady supply of product. Plus, how much can Ah even carry at one time?”

“On your person, it’s fifteen pounds per level of Strength. In your inventory, it’s 100 pounds per level of Intelligence, shared between the red, yellow, and blue buttons.” Minerva answered. “The Menagerie, however, is unique, in that it has no limit. Mostly because few creatures you’d store in it weigh less than three or four dozen pounds, and some of them can weigh tons, so limited space would make delving harder, if not outright impossible.”

“And how much am Ah carrying now?”

“Over 200 pounds, with all your camping equipment, clothes, and combat equipment.”

“Ah should probably equip some of that, since Ah’m gonna be leaving town.” Applejack realized. She decided to wait until she was actually ready to leave town, though. Instead, she pulled out an apple and started munching on it.

After a bit more meandering, Applejack passed the shrine, which Minerva pointed out to her. It was a small building, about twice the size of a garden shed, and carved entirely out of stone. Soon after that, she passed the greengrocer. And further down the block, the butcher. Neither one was open yet, like Rehema had warned.

Eventually, Applejack made her way to the southern gate, which was being guarded by two humans. One had a spear, but the other had a smooth length of wood.

“That’s a staff.” Minerva explained, when Applejack asked about it. “It can be used as a focus for magic, or as a blunt weapon in its own right.”

“Good morning, traveler.” the staff-wielder greeted her when she reached the gate. His voice was stiffer than Kildrik’s had been. And both he and his partner looked stiffer than the pair from last night. Fresher too, Applejack realized.

“Morning, gents.” she responded.

“Might I ask your business, and if you’ll be coming back to the village?”

“Ah’m looking for some part-time work, and Rehema, at the pub, suggested Ah try the orchard south of the village.” Applejack told them, a little confused about why they wanted to know.

“There’ve been reports of spider swarms north of town, attacking people. Greenskulls aren’t very dangerous on their own, but in a large enough swarm, they can bring down an ogre.” the staff-wielder explained. “Reported attacks have been limited to the north of the village for now, but it’s only a matter of time.”

“The Hunter’s Guild is trying to get some people in to help clear them out, but it takes time.” the spear-wielder added.

“We just want to know if or where we need to start looking if you don’t come back.”

“Well, if Ah’m lucky, Ah’ll be back this evening. But truthfully, it’s a bit late for starting farm work, and it’ll be later still by the time Ah get where Ah’m going, so Ah’ll probably be back sooner than later.” Applejack admitted.

“Maybe not as late as all that.” the guard with the staff told her. “The farmhouse is a bit less than an hour’s walk down the road—you can’t miss it. If you’ve got the stamina for farm work, you ought to be able to gallop it quick and easy.”

“Thank ya for the directions. And the warning.” Applejack said, nodding at the two of them.

“Safe travels.” the spearman said.

“Here’s hoping.” Applejack said with a chuckle. She didn’t have much hope, though. While she didn’t read much fiction, and so didn’t have as much of an understanding of narrative casualty2—or whatever Twilight called it—she figured that now that she knew about the danger, fate was going to throw it at her. Or if not fate, then definitely The Gestalt.

“You said that as my Transformation Skills leveled up, Ah could use them more often, right?” she asked a couple minutes later, looking at Minerva.

“That’s right. And at level two, you can use them twice a day. No less than twelve hours apart, though the timer resets at dawn.” the mini-divinity answered.

“In that case…” Applejack muttered, equipping her gear the same way as the day before. Then she transformed into her horse form and started galloping.

Some time later, Applejack was surprised to find she’d made it without so much as a glimpse of a spider. Or anything else, for that matter. Then again, most of the road here had been lined with fields on one side and fenced-in cherry trees on the other. So it made sense that she didn’t see anything hostile.

As she approached the gate, Applejack transformed into her human form—for practice—then her anthro form and rang the bell, as the sign underneath it bade visitors to do. A voice hollered back, too distant to understand, but Applejack saw a figure approaching, so she waited where she was. She did unequip her knuckle and—after a moment of thought—her gun, too.

As the figure drew closer, what Applejack first took to be some kind of strange hat or helmet turned out to be deer-like horns. But thicker and fuzzier than she was used to seeing. Then again, she’d never actually seen a deer up close before. At least, she thought those slender legs and narrow hooves meant the man was a deer.3

“Is he a deer?” Applejack asked.

“Actually, he’s a Deer Manimal, which is called a Faun.4” Minerva told her.

As the faun got even closer, Applejack realized that he was wearing a sleeveless tunic, but nothing else. What she’d thought were pants was actually reddish-brown fur.

“Hey, there. Name’s Elias, and I run this place, along with my wives.5 How can I help you?” the man asked, once he reached the gate.

“Mine’s Applejack. Now Ah realize it’s pretty late to be starting work, but Ah was hoping you might be able to find something Ah can earn a few coins doing.”

“It’s not that late, yet. Not for folks like you.” he added.

“Folks like me?” Applejack asked, trying to hide her offense.

“Adventurers looking to make a little easy money on a slow day.” Elias said, gesturing at the sword peeking out from behind her back. “Most of you slugabeds don’t start trickling your way out here until nine. So you got that going for you, at least.” he added, the easy smile on his human face turning his condemnation into gentle teasing.

“No such thing as easy money in a place like this.” Applejack said with a snort.

“Ha! That’s the truth.” Elias laughed. “You ever work on an orchard before?”

Applejack almost laughed at that. Before she realized that so much of her work on the Acres was based on earth pony magic that ‘no’ was a more honest answer than the simple truth. So that was what she told him, hoping she didn’t look too much like she was lying.

“That would’ve been too good to be true.” Elias sighed. “Oh well. How’s your Strength?”

“Uh, eleven.” Applejack said, not expecting the question.

“Not bad, for your age. And your Endurance?”

“Twelve.”

“Decent. Think you can mend a fence?”

“Should be able to.” Applejack said. That shouldn’t be too different than back home.

“Everyone should be able to, in my opinion.” Elias smirked, opening the gate. “All too few people actually can, though. Come on. I’ll show you where the supplies are, and then we can get to work.” He led her to a shed just out of sight of the main house where Applejack collected the tools and wood, before they started hiking the fence line.

“You any good with that?” Elias asked after a few minutes, gesturing at her sword again.

“Good enough not to use it on myself.” Applejack admitted, a moment later. It earned her what Rarity would probably call a roguish grin.

“In that case, you’ll want to be careful on the western side of the property. We get the occasional beastie coming out of the woods.” he warned her. “Haven’t seen anything stronger than level three in over twenty years, but Hannah says that just means we’re due. I’m not that pessimistic, but carelessness leads to corpses, as they say.”

After proving that she could repair a fence, Elias left Applejack to her work, and she spent several hours working on long stretch of wood that was starting to rot. A little past noon, a young faun came by to tell her she’d missed lunch and give her a bowl of stew. The teenager, named Clarissa, stayed only long enough to give Applejack the bowl and tell her she’d be back for it in an hour.

Applejack barely got three bites before the texture of one of the ingredients caught her attention. A few experimental chews proved that the umami flavor wasn’t from mushrooms. A few more helped her pick out the flavor of the meat, which was earthy, with the slightest hint of tanginess. It wasn’t unpleasant, and after several more spoonfuls, Applejack found herself starting to enjoy the taste.

Even though she knew to expect it, it still felt weird to her, how naturally her tongue took to it. Nevertheless, she finished the stew quickly, then followed it with a piece of cheese from her inventory and some water from one of her canteens.

When Clarissa came back to collect the bowl, Applejack asked her where the nearest bathroom was. But even while following the teen to an outhouse, she managed to resist asking what kind of meat it had been. Ignorance wasn’t always bliss, but in this case, Applejack thought it just might be.

After finishing the section she’d spent the morning working on, Applejack started walking the fence line, checking for more bad areas. She didn’t find any others on the eastern border, and none at all on the northern one. But when she reached the northwest corner of the property, Applejack equipped her pistol and double-checked that it was loaded, before continuing. As much as she hoped she wouldn’t need it, she figured better safe than sorry.

About half a mile on, Applejack found a board that needed replacing, so she pulled out a tape measure and got started working. But just as she started cutting the replacement, a cacophony erupted from the underbrush beyond the fence. All the hissing and other noises reminded Applejack of cats in heat. Except the noises weren’t feline. More squeaking and squealing, instead of yowling. More like rats, she suddenly realized.

And right after she did, Applejack saw a dappled Huge Rat rush out of the greenery. A few seconds later, a brown one backed into sight, its back arched and lips pulled back. And a second after that, a white one leapt out, landing on the brown one. The pair rolled a few times, biting and scratching at each other, while the dappled one watched.

Applejack watched, too. She had some serious doubts about her ability to fight three rats at once, and was trying to decide if her best bet was to try it anyways, or just bag the fence supplies and get away. If she could transform into a horse, she’d already be running, but it was hours yet before she could use that Skill again. The gun might tip the scales in her favor, but she couldn’t be sure. Especially since the rats were near the limit of her weapon’s range. Just to be careful, she decided to bag everything.

As she was doing that, she kept an eye on the rats. Knowing how animals in heat could be, she figured they weren’t going to suddenly get interested in her, but she wanted to be sure. Especially since she wasn’t entirely sure that was what was going on.

As Applejack bagged the last of the tools, she saw the two males separate. They hissed and snapped at each other a few times, before the white one lunged at the brown one again, and they rolled a few meters closer to the fence, with the female staying close. A shrill squeal suddenly rang out, and the brown rat started moving more frantically.

Applejack wasn’t sure why, until they separated again. Then she saw that the white rat had somehow managed to sink its teeth into the brown one, just missing its throat. After a little more posturing, the brown rat lunged. Unfortunately for him, the white one reared up at the exact same time, and when they separated, the brown rat had lost an eye.

It started backing away, but not fast enough for the white rat, who lunged again. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out so well for the white rat this time, and it lost a toe or two to the brown rat’s snapping teeth.

With an angry screech, the white rat lunged again, swiping with its uninjured paw. It managed to catch the brown one’s face, right across its good eye.

Now effectively blind, the brown rat turned and ran, giving up on any pretense of dignity. Right towards Applejack, who barely noticed the white one hissing victoriously as she drew her sword. She thought about trying to shoot it, but she didn’t want to risk getting the attention of the other two. A second later, she remembered she wanted to practice everything she could, as much as possible, so she cast Scan on the brown rat.

Huge Rat – Lv. 1

Another loud squeal made Applejack take a glance at the other rats, which did confirm that she’d been right about why they were fighting. She only spared them a quick glance before returning her attention to the approaching rat, which was nearly to the fence now.

Applejack expected the rat to stop, at least for a second, when it reached the fence, and she’d try stabbing it when it did. But instead of stopping, the Huge Rat slammed right into it at full speed, nose first. That surprised Applejack at first, until she noticed that it wasn’t just effectively blind, but actually blind. Which meant that it was kinder just to kill it now. So she stepped forward quickly and thrust her sword into its head, killing it instantly.

After bagging the body and casting Clean on her sword, Applejack turned her attention to the couple. At least long enough to confirm they were still coupling and to cast Scan on both of them. The female was level two, while the male was level one. Looking away again, she considered shooting them, but as awkward as it was watching them mate, it was even more awkward, thinking about shooting them mid-coitus. So she pulled out the hammer and started prying free the nails holding the cracked board.

Applejack couldn’t really tune out the noises the rats were making, so she knew when they finished. And while killing them post-coitus was somewhat awkward, it was better than doing it during. So she drew her pistol and aimed at the female. After all, not only was she stronger, but getting rid of females was more effective population control than males. Resting her hand on a fencepost, Applejack pulled back the hammer, aimed carefully, and folded her ears against her skull before pulling the trigger.

The report was still loud enough to make Applejack recoil more than her gun, but she focused on the rats again after a few seconds. Neither one was moving. The female was either stunned or dead, but Applejack didn’t know why the male was so still. He almost seemed confused, but she figured he was just stunned by the noise. Either way, she turned the gun on him next.

Again, she flinched hard at the shot, but she recovered even quicker this time. Only a second or two, fortunately, since she saw the Huge Rat charging her. Her third shot hit it right in one eye, stopping the rat in its tracks.

With both of them down, Applejack hopped the fence and jogged over to the dappled female. Inspecting it, she found that her bullet had hit it behind the foreleg. It hadn’t been immediately fatal, judging by the very short blood trail, but it was dead now. So she bagged it and the Soul Crystal, before doing the same with the white rat. Then she went back to working on the fence, trying hard not to think about what she’d just seen.

Around four, Applejack ran out of nails, so she started making her way back to the shed. As she passed the house, a faun with dark green fur on her legs and small horns6 came out to meet her.

“Good afternoon. You’re Applejack, right?” she asked.

“That’s right.”

“I’m Yanagi, Elias’s and Hannah’s wife. You finished fixing the fence?” she asked.

“Nah, only about halfway. Ah just came to pick up some more nails.” Applejack explained. “Probably a few more boards, too.” she added, as Yanagi glanced over her shoulder.

“No, that’s enough for one day.” the faun told her. “The rest can wait until tomorrow. One more day won’t hurt anything. And if it does, then that’s on us. Come with me. I’ll show you where to put everything and give you your pay.”

“Ah can keep going.” Applejack insisted automatically.

“It’s fine.” Yanagi insisted. “You hang around here much longer and the shops’ll be closed by the time you get back to the village.”

“Ah did want to see if Ah could pick up a few more supplies.” Applejack admitted. She also admitted—if only to herself—that she was starting to get tired and sore. She’d been right yesterday, about having a lot less stamina than she was used to. It was like being a filly again.

“There you go. The butcher is usually open late, but Cerise, the greengrocer closes at 17:30, sharp. After that, you’ve gotta wait for the next morning, no exceptions. Not for strangers, at least.”

“Then Ah might just wait until tomorrow. Or more likely, the day after. Ah wanna get here nice and early tomorrow, so Ah can finish fixing the fence.”

“Well, I can’t fault your work ethic.” Yanagi said. “Did you have any trouble today, by the way?”

“Uh…” Applejack hedged, not really sure what to say about the rats. Or if she wanted to say anything. “A couple rats came out of the trees, fighting over a female.”

“Ooh, I bet that was fun.” Yanagi chuckled sarcastically. “You didn’t get in the way or anything, did you? The bucks get real vicious when it comes to breeding rights. And the does like it that way.”

“No, Ah know better than to do that.” Applejack assured her. “And Ah saw just how vicious they can get. The winner lost a couple toes, and the loser lost both his eyes.” Yanagi let out a low whistle at that.

“Damn.” she said, shaking her head. “It got off easy. It’s not too unusual for one challenger to end up dead.”

“Really?” Applejack asked. “Don’t animals mostly just stick to intimidation?” She’d never noticed that until Fluttershy pointed it out, but it made sense once she had.

“Critters do, sure.” Yanagi confirmed. “But beasties are more vicious. Huge Rats survive more often than not, but with Giant Rats, the odds of survival are about even. Now, Monstrous Rats? Those fights always end in death. The winner presents the corpse to the female as a gift. The first of many he’ll bring her to feed on, while the pups are growing. My little sister studies besties for a living.” Yanagi added, by way of explanation.

Applejack couldn’t think of anything to say to that, so she just nodded as they reached the shed. Applejack helped Yanagi put all the tools and other stuff away and collected the 24 coppers her almost eight hours of work had earned her. Then Yanagi walked her back to the gate, chatting politely about nothing.

It was still too soon to transform again, so Applejack started walking back towards the village quickly. A couple minutes after leaving the orchard, she remembered something she’d meant to ask earlier, before she got caught up in the work.

“Hey, Minerva? What was up with the fauns’ horns?”

“Since they’re shed every year, they’re antlers, not horns. And that’s a point of pride for people who have either, so try not to forget.”

“Antlers, that’s right. Ah knew that.” Applejack remembered. “Probably just spending too much time around unicorns. But anyways, why were their antlers all fuzzy and rounded? Every antler Ah’ve seen before was all dry and hard and pointy.”

“It sounds like you’ve only ever seen after they were shed, or just before.”

“Ah’ve never met a deer before. Only caught a few glimpses of them in Whitetail Woods.”

“Well, while antlers are growing, they’re covered by a thin layer of skin and fur, called velvet, because of its texture.” Minerva explained. “And when the antlers are fully grown, the velvet dries up and needs to be removed. Wild deer rub their antlers on trees and whatnot to remove it, but fauns and the Furred Races sometimes harvest theirs. It’s used in a couple potions, but otherwise it’s about as useless as any dead skin.”

The rest of the trip was uneventful, and apart from trading a few words with the gate guards, she didn’t stop until she reached the Hunter’s Guild.

Stepping inside, Applejack was surprised to see no one except the woman behind the bar. Confused, she approached the bar and sat on a stool.

“Evening, miss.”

“Evening. Where is everyone?” Applejack asked, not noticing her unusual word choice.

“Guildmaster Rucker is meeting with other local guildmasters, about the greenskull problem, and it’s a little early for most other folks to be coming in.” the dark-skinned woman explained. “Can I help you, instead? My name’s Leticia, by the way.”

“Applejack, and Ah got a couple more rats to sell.”

“Well, I can pay you for any Soul Crystals, but the boss doesn’t like me leaving the front room unattended, so if you’ve got bodies, you’ll have to either come back later or try the butcher.”

“How much later?”

“I don’t honestly know, but an hour, ninety minutes seems like a safe bet. You can sit and wait here, but if you’re not a guild member, you’ll have to buy a drink.”

“Ah’m not much of a…an idle drinker, Ah guess you’d call it, but thanks. Ah’ll just go back to Mirembe for supper, then come back. Ah do have one Soul Crystal to sell, though.” Applejack added, opening her Menagerie, which now had two more entries. Earth and Air affinities, as Applejack had expected. She pulled out the fire-affinitied rat’s Soul Crystal and passed it over to Leticia, who looked it over.

“I can only give you three copper for this.” she said, after casting Scan, sounding almost apologetic.

“Few creatures have much of a bounty until level four or five. The common ones, especially, don’t really take off until level eleven.” Minerva explained when Applejack discreetly glanced at her. “Low level Soul Crystals have weak bonuses, so they’re really only useful for beginners who can’t afford better ones or summoners.”

“Three’s fine.” Applejack accepted, after getting the confirmation. Once she had the coins, she said her good-byes and left the guildhouse.

When she got back to the pub, it was a little early for supper, so she went up to her room to clean and care for her weapons. By the time she finished that and went back downstairs, the scent of meat filled the main room. Applejack didn’t know what it was, but it smelled light and mild. Looking around, she saw Sauda behind the bar and the elf from last night sitting at a nearby table. She walked past his table, trying to discreetly see what he was eating, but all she really saw was that it was a brown color. That, and he was holding it in his hands as he ate it, like corn on the cob.

“Hello, Applejack.” Sauda greeted. “Can I get you something to drink, or are you ready for your meal?”

“Both, actually. But do you have anything sweeter than what you gave me last night? It was a little more bitter than Ah prefer.”

“Sorry about that. I can get you something a little fruitier this time.” Sauda said, moving to the kegs.

“Ah didn’t say anything, so it’s my fault. What’s cooking, by the way?”

“Tarragon roasted chicken and potatoes, with carrots, peas, and green beans. You want white meat, or dark?”

“Ah, uh…” Applejack almost said she didn’t know what that meant, but realized that would probably be strange. So she went with, “Ah don’t really care.” She waited until Sauda had pulled her a tankard of honey-brown beer and disappeared into the kitchen before moving to the nearest table and asking Minerva.

“White meat comes from the breast and wing, and is dryer, with a milder taste, while dark meat is the opposite, and comes from the legs and thighs.” she explained.

A moment later, Applejack remembered that Minerva had mentioned new quests that morning, so she opened that panel

Day 4 – Late Spring, 4147 AA
18:07
TOTAL SKILL POINTS: 1
QUESTS
Suck a Cock
1 Skill Point*

Swallow a Load of Cum
2 Skill Points*

Masturbate
1 Skill Point

Take a Ride With an Equine
2 Skill Points*

Feeling in the Feline Mood
2 Skill Points*

“Ah know Ah did those three last night.” Applejack said, confused.

“A lot quests are repeatable. Some of them even daily.” Minerva explained.

“Ah have to suck a cock every day?”

“Not at all. Every Quest is optional.” Minerva reminded her. Just then, Sauda came out of the kitchen.

“Here you go, Applejack. I got you a leg quarter.” she said, setting a plate in front of her. “Just speak up if you need anything.” she added, before heading over to check on the elf.

Applejack carefully touched the meat, gauging its temperature. When the bone started burning her fingers after only a second, she picked up her fork and started on the veggies. They were perfectly done, and Applejack ate them quickly, while marveling slightly at the fact that she was using a fork almost like a unicorn, instead of the clumsy fetlock-grip she’d learned as a filly. When she got to the potatoes though, the tarragon was a little strong for her taste. So she decided to try the chicken again. Since she didn’t burn her fingers this time, she took a tentative bite.

It had a crispy outer layer that, like the potatoes, had been a little more heavily seasoned than she would’ve preferred. The meat itself tasted okay, if a little bland, in comparison to what Applejack suddenly realized was the skin. It was a bit odd, but Applejack shrugged it off and kept eating.

When she eventually decided she’d gotten as much of the meat off the bone as she was going to, and polished off the last couple potatoes, Applejack sat back for a few minutes, before using the napkin. Then, since it was made of cloth, she discreetly cast Clean on it, before slowly finishing her beer.

Setting the empty tankard aside, Applejack checked the time. It had been an hour and change since she left the guild, so she decided to head back. If she made the trip a casual stroll, she probably wouldn’t need to wait too long when she got there.

Her walk turned out to be less casual than she’d expected, but Applejack was still surprised to not see Mr. Rucker when she walked in. She did see one person seated at the bar and three more at the tables, including the man with the wolf creature.

“Welcome back, Applejack.” Leticia said, as Applejack approached the bar.

“Hey. Is the meeting still not over?”

“No, it finished about twenty minutes ago. The boss is just in back, evaluating Ricardo’s haul. He’ll probably be a few more minutes.” she explained. “Can I get you something to drink while you wait?”

“Whatever it is, I’ll pay for it.” said the man with the wolf, who’d joined her at the bar.

“Thanks, but that’s not necessary.”

“Maybe not, but it’s a good way to start a conversation.” he said with an easy smile.

“So is just introducing yourself.” Applejack countered.

“Introducing myself, huh?” the man said, thoughtfully stroking his chin. “I’m not quite sure how that works. Think you could give me a demonstration?” he prompted, grinning again.

“Applejack.” she introduced herself, rolling her eyes as she held out her hand. (And remembering to go for a handshake, instead of a hoofbump.) But she had to smile a little, herself. That had been smooth, without being slimy. And, she had to admit, his smile was kind of cute.

“Taki.” he said in turn, shaking her hand. He had pale yellow skin, dark magenta eyes, and auburn hair. It was thick and wavy, and hung past his shoulders. “So, what’ll you have?”

“Well, Ah’m new in town—in the whole area, in fact—so what would you recommend?”

“I’ve only been here about a week, myself, but their cherry brandy is pretty good.”

“Ah’ve never had cherry brandy before, but Ah guess Ah can give it a try.”

“Two brandies, please.” Taki told the bartender. A moment later, Leticia placed two snifters on the bar, then Applejack followed Taki to his table. When they got close, the red wolf hopped up so its front paws were on the table and stared intently at Applejack. It seemed more curious than anything else, so Applejack wasn’t too bothered, though the flickering fur was a touch off-putting.

“Flamme! Down.” Taki ordered, and the red paws dropped back down. “Don’t worry about him. He’s a little rambunctious, but he won’t hurt you.”

“What is he?”

“He’s a tinderwolf.” Taki said, throwing Applejack for a second.

“Wait, tin-der-wolf? With a ‘d’?”

“Yep.” he confirmed, grabbing the thick ruff and scratching it playfully. “I’m hoping to metamorphose him into an emberwolf some day, but it’s slow going, getting his stats high enough. I was making my way to the dungeon south of here, since it’s supposed to have lots of creatures weak to fire when I decided to stop here for a bit, to stock up on funds and provisions for this bottomless pit.” he growled playfully, giving Flamme a loving squeeze.

“So, enough about me. What brought you here? If you don’t mind me asking.” Taki added quickly.

“Nah, it’s no problem.” Applejack told him, taking a sip of her drink. It wasn’t apple brandy, but it wasn’t bad, either. Thinking back to the introductory dream she’d had yesterday, and reminding herself she was playing a role, she said, “Ah…Ah lost my Ma, about a year and a half ago. Couldn’t really stand to stay in the village, so Ah joined up with a merchant caravan trying out a new route. Half a continent later, Ah struck out on my own. Now here Ah am.”

“Sorry to hear about your ma. You staying at the Mirembe, right?”

“Is there anywhere else to stay?”

“Well, there’s here, for one. Or if you’ve got extended family, or a friend of a friend in town, they’d probably find a bed for you.”

“Ah…never heard anything about extended family.” Applejack said, a hint of sadness slipping into her voice. “And those merchants were the first people Ah ever met from outside my village. And Ah’m not a member of this guild.”

“Still here two days in a row, though.”

“Ah ran into some rats on the way here. And a couple more at the orchard today.”

“Orchard?”

“There’s an orchard south of here that hires day-laborers.”

“Huh. I’ll have to remember that. Might be an easy way to pick up some coin, if I need a break from hunting.” Taki mused, making Applejack almost choke on her brandy. “Oh, here comes Ricardo and the guildmaster. You could sell your rats now.”

“What about you? You were here first, after all, and Ah wouldn’t want to cut the line.”

“I’ve already sold my catch, same as those other guys. I’m just hanging around to relax a bit, have a drink or three, and maybe strike up a conversation with someone. If a cutie catches my eye.” he added, giving Applejack a quick wink.

“You ain’t exactly hard on the eyes, yourself, but Ah probably shouldn’t loiter here too long, not being a member, and all.” Applejack said, knocking back the last swallow of her drink and enjoying the burn. Then she headed over to talk to Mr. Rucker, who took her back to the appraisal room, not bothering with any pleasantries. Taking his all-business attitude in stride, Applejack quickly pulled out the female rat for him to examine.

“Cleaner kill than the ones yesterday.” he remarked. “The pelt’s almost perfect, but dapples are never really popular. Ten coppers.”. Applejack agreed and waited for him to bag the body before pulling out the brown one.

“Another clean kill.”

“Not too hard, after the third rat blinded him.” Applejack admitted.

“That’s no reason to get complacent. Few things are more dangerous than an injured creature.”

“Ah know. Ah got a friend back home who’s something of an animal expert.” Applejack said without thinking.

“And yet, you still attacked it.”

“It ran at me while Ah was working at Elias’s orchard. Ah just put it down when it got close.” Applejack explained.

“Hm. Either way, I’ll pay ten for this one, too.”

Again, Applejack agreed, and bodies were traded out.

“That explains things.” Mr. Rucker said, at the sight of the rat’s penis, still hanging out of its sheath. Mostly hard, but softening again, now that it was out of stasis.

“Ah was not aware that there are multiple couplings in a single mating session.” Applejack admitted uncomfortably.

“Most aren’t.” the guildmaster agreed, ignoring the pink spike as he continued his examination. “One shot, right through the left eye. Nice.”

“Two, actually. The first one was a clean miss.”

“Whether it was luck or skill, it’s still a nice shot. And either way, it leaves a perfect pelt. Eleven copper.”

A couple moments later, Applejack walked out 31 copper coins richer. When she reached the main room, she saw Taki and Flamme standing by the door.

“Mind if we walk back to Mirembe with you?” Taki asked, still wearing that cute grin.

“Not at all.” Applejack said, and Taki opened the door for her. But as she got closer, Flamme stepped in between them. He didn’t growl, but he did have his head lowered and back slightly arched.

“Flamme, friend.” Taki scolded. It made the tinderwolf raise its head and look at him. “Friend.” he repeated, and Flamme looked back to her. Then he padded closer and started sniffing her.

While she was a little nervous with the almost waist-high creature standing so close, Applejack squashed that as much as possible, standing still while Flamme got her scent. He seemed very interested in her groin—more than most canines she’d met, in fact. He spent ten or twelve seconds snuffling at it, before trying to stick his head under her tunic, which made her jump.

“Flamme, behave!” Taki ordered, exasperated. “I’m sorry. My Taming Skill is growing a little slower than his level, so he’s just a bit more willful than usual.”

“Oh, it’s fine.” Applejack said, giving the wolf now snuffling at her hand a few pets. “How does that work, anyway? Taming levels, Ah mean.”

“The more a summoned creature’s—spell or true summoned—level exceeds your Taming Skill level, the wilder they act, and the less obedient they are. One or two levels isn’t too bad, but more than five is usually too dangerous to bother trying.” Taki told her as they started for Mirembe. “Gaining levels is easy enough, though. Any time you give an order, or play with, or feed, or otherwise care for a summoned creature, you gain experience. How much depends on the creature’s level.”

“Does it have to be a creature you summon?”

“Not at all. I grew my first five levels caring for horses at the local stable.”

“Huh.” Applejack responded absently. She tried to imagine what a stable like that might be like, but she couldn’t. She couldn’t get past some of the stories she’d heard about the pre-unification days, when some high ranking ponies kept stables for sexual purposes. Specifically, the horror stories of how some of the less scrupulous ones weren’t too concerned about consent.

A few minutes passed, with Applejack trying to purge those thoughts, before Taki spoke up again.

“So, if you’re staying at Mirembe, why didn’t I see you this morning?”

“Ah slept kinda late. Ah didn’t even get out of my room until after six-thirty.”

“That’s late for you?” Taki asked, incredulous. “Your family farmers, soldiers, or bakers? Oh jeez.” he added immediately. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…you know.”

“It’s okay.” Applejack assured him. “Ah’ve moved on. More or less. Now that Ah’m away.”

“Still, sorry.”

“Forget about it. But what time do you normally wake up, if six-thirty is so early for you?”

“Well, when I’m out in the wild, camping or traveling, or whatever, I’ll wake up a lot earlier, but when I can sleep in a real bed, I rarely even think about getting up before eight.”

The two of them spent the rest of the walk chatting amiably, mostly about the village and its surroundings, though Taki had to keep calling Flamme back. So when they reached the pub, Taki decided to take him for a run, to burn off some energy, while Applejack decided to take a bath.

After she went to the restroom.

“Oh, Applejack.” Rehema called, as Applejack came down the stairs. “Come and meet my children.” She was standing with a pair of zebras, a couple years younger than Applejack. Surprisingly, they weren’t black and white. The stallion’s white areas were instead almost the same color as a peanut. And the mare’s were a pale magenta.

“Applejack, you met Marjani and Sauda, my two eldest, last night. And these are my twins, Mosi and Subira.” Rehema introduced, slipping her arms around the pair’s waists.

“I’m Mosi.” the stallion said. He was wearing a pair of pants that didn’t reach his knees and clung tightly to his muscular calves. And nothing else, which showed his muscular arms and chest. It also showed off his abs, and Applejack now had a good idea what Minerva had meant by six-pack, when she was creating her character, yesterday.

Also, now that she was closer, Applejack noticed that his black portions were actually a midnight blue. Including his short dreadlocks.

“And I’m Subira.” the magenta and—on closer inspection—deep forest green mare said. She was wearing much the same thing Sauda had been the day before, all in black, and wore her mane in the same braid as her mom.

“It means patience, and by the fates, did I need it with her7.” Rehema laughed, kissing her daughter’s cheek.

“Mom.” Subira sighed.

“Oh, hush.” Rehema said, kissing her cheek again. “I’m your mother, I get to complain about how long you kept me in labor.”

“It’s nice to meet you both.” Applejack said, shaking hands with each of them in turn. They both used the same two-handed grip the family seemed to prefer. “So what do you two do here?”

“A little of everything.” Subira said.

“All my kids tend bar, clean rooms, and help out in the bath, same as me. Sauda helps cook, too.” Rehema elaborated.

“You’re all bath attendants?” Applejack asked, surprised. Prostitution was legal in Equestria, but she’d never heard of anypony who made it a family business, so to speak.

“It’s a good portion of our income.” Rehema explained. “And with the right client, it’s a lot of fun.”

“Right. Well, in that case,” Applejack continued, remembering her Quest list. “Mosi, are you, um, available?” It was awkward, since she had no experience hiring companionship.

“You tell me.” Mosi said, smiling seductively. He was quite handsome, if a little bit more of a pretty boy than she usually preferred. And the dreads didn’t do him any favors, either. But he was attractive enough she wouldn’t have to force herself to enjoy her time with him.

“How much?”

“Twelve coppers and I’m all yours, beautiful.”

“You don’t need to butter me up.” Applejack said, opening her inventory.

“Maybe not, but everything’s better with butter.” Mosi joked, accepting the money. He bagged his share and passed the rest to his mother.

“Show her a good time, baby.” Rehema teased, slapping his ass to send him on his way.

Mosi barely reacted, beyond swatting at her hand with his tail. He just put his arm around Applejack’s shoulders and pressed his body against hers. Applejack, unsure what to do with her arm, cautiously slipped it around Mosi’s waist, then let him guide her to the bathing room, where he gently directed her to stand in front of the mirror.

“This is all about you, so if I start doing something you don’t want, just say so.” he said softly, moving in front of her and putting his hands on her shoulders. Then he started undressing her.

He started by sensually running his hands down her sides, to her waist, and then back up her front. She couldn’t feel much through her jerkin, but she still felt her body warming a little. And a little more as his fingers nimbly opened the buttons of the armor. Mosi managed to drag the unbuttoning out for many more seconds than necessary, before stepping around behind her and easing the garment down her arms.

Mosi stopped to fold the jerkin and set it aside before continuing. Which he did by standing right behind her and wrapping his arms around her middle.

“Ready?” he asked, gently rubbing the side of his muzzle against her neck.

“Yeah.” she said, after a second.

He stood a head taller than her, so she had a clear view of his face as his hands moved to her belt buckle and opened it, just letting it drop. She could see the controlled desire in his eyes as he worked the hem of her loose tunic up to the point where he could get his hands under it. But when his warm hands skimmed up her bare sides, a shiver washed over Applejack, and she had to close her eyes for a second.

“Arms up.” Mosi whispered, nuzzling into her ear until she did, allowing him to pull the tunic off over her head. And again, he stopped to fold it and set it aside, before moving back behind her and resting his hands on her waist.

“Top or bottom?” he asked, and Applejack needed a second or two to answer.

“Top.” she said, surprised she couldn’t see the blush she felt burning her cheeks. Maybe it was just because all the blood was in her cock, which was fighting against the confines of her clothes. But before she could do much more than think that, nimble fingers had opened her brassiere, letting her breasts free.

“Lovely.” Mosi breathed, almost touching them. But he held his hands just above her flesh, instead. Close enough for her to feel the heat of them, but not actually touching.

Then Mosi gave her mane a quick nuzzle before easing himself down on one knee and untying the laces holding her pants closed. His fingers danced carefully over the clothing, plucking the laces like a bird, and Applejack had to wonder if this was more teasing, like her breasts, or if he was avoiding her cock for some other reason. She was embarrassed to realize she hadn’t considered the possibility that he might not be okay with her cock. But only momentarily.

Then Mosi pulled her pants to the floor, before running his hands up the inside of her legs, making her shiver again at the feeling of her fur being rubbed against the grain. Then he hooked his fingers in her panties and removed them. Easing them over the curve of her ass first, before tugging them the rest of the way down.

“Wow.” she heard him say as her cock sprang up, growing to full size in a heartbeat, now that it was free. “That is a gorgeous piece of mare meat.”

Hearing that made her feel a lot better. Enough that when he stood back up and grasped her hips, she grabbed his wrists and wrapped his arms around her, while also pushing back against his body. She pointedly rubbed against his bulge for a few seconds, before tilting her head up to give him a brief, teasing nuzzle. Then she slipped away from him. She meant to prance away a couple steps before to turning to face him—teasing him the way mares usually did with stallions—but walking with a hard-on bouncing and swinging in front of her proved a lot more distracting than she’d have ever thought.

Instead, she just walked over to the nearest tub and started the water running. Then she sat on the stone rim and looked at Mosi. It was hard to tell through his fur, but he might have been blushing slightly. Or more likely, he was just flushed. And the bulge of his crotch, which had been visible in his tight cloth before, was now a lot bigger. There was even an unmistakable bulge down his right leg.

“You gonna take those off?” Applejack asked. “They look a mite uncomfortable.”

“So does that.” Mosi countered, pointing at her hard cock. “Would you like me to take care of it now?”

Applejack considered the offer for a few seconds, before turning away from the blue and tan zebra and flagging her tail. “How about we both get a little more comfortable together?” she offered, smiling over her shoulder. Mosi just smiled back and worked his pants down. And it did take a bit of work to get the tight garment down far enough for his hard cock to spring free. It looked about the same size as hers, Applejack thought, watching Mosi stroke it to full hardness before approaching her.

The touch of his hand on her hip made her cunt wink, and the rubbing of his head against her slick lips made it happen again, a few seconds later. Without thinking about it, Applejack started moving her hips, helping Mosi get his cock wet enough to enter her. And two or three winks later, Applejack decided they were both ready, so she started pushing back.

“Impatient, are we?” Mosi teased, letting her take his first few inches before grabbing her hips. There were, unfortunately, some practical concerns to consider. “Are you on birth control?”

“Uhhh…” Applejack responded, as she thought frantically. “That’s a thing? Ah didn’t even think about that. It’s nowhere near my season back home. Wait. Maybe ah already am? Minerva?” she asked, her eyes darting to look at the mini-divinity. Who just shook her head.

“I’ll take that as a no. In that case, I’ll pull out when I get close, but you should still see the herbalist tomorrow.” Then he pulled back until there was only an inch left in her, before pushing in past his medial ring, making Applejack cry out. He moaned too, because of how tight she was.

After enjoying her wet grip for a moment, Mosi started taking long, slow strokes. Applejack quickly got into the rhythm, pushing back to meet his thrusts, but Mosi’s grip on her hips kept her from speeding up too much. The slow movements were driving Applejack nuts, and without even thinking about it, she moved one hand to her cock.

“Ah’m getting close.” she moaned a moment later.

“Turn over.” Mosi said, pulling out.

“What?” she asked, confused and disappointed.

“Turn over.” Mosi repeated. “I wanna watch your face as you cum.”

Hands on Applejack’s hips, Mosi directed her to the corner of the rock wall, where she could lay down without her head hanging in the tub. Then he lifted her hips until her hooves were resting on his shoulders and pushed back into her, resuming his previous slow thrusts. He rubbed one hand over the slightly flared head of her cock, coating it in Applejack’s slick precum, before wrapping it around the lower half of her shaft and starting to stroke it quickly.

In no time, the fingers bumping her medial ring with every stroke had Applejack on the edge of orgasm again. At the last moment, she remembered to take the first few inches in her mouth and start sucking. She heard Mosi mutter something, but she didn’t understand what. Then she felt her cock flare and focused on that, as much as she could. Seconds later, her mouth was filled with cum, and an instant after that, Mosi slammed home, making her choke a little.

Applejack still managed to swallow most of what was in her mouth just before it was filled again. And again, she was filled at the other end an instant later by Mosi’s cock, causing her to choke. But this time, she didn’t recover in quickly enough, so her third shot overflowed her mouth. And Mosi’s follow-up thrust only made her cough, spraying cum down her front.

Applejack managed to pull her mouth off her cock before her next shot, which splattered against her chin and neck. Half a second later, she felt wet warmth engulf the tip of her cock again, as Mosi took it in his mouth. He sucked it greedily, trying to get every drop of her cum into his mouth. His stroking hand and thrusting cock helped milk Applejack dry.

After she swallowed the cum still in her mouth, Applejack just lay still for a bit, catching her breath. The heated rock under her back was a little too warm to be comfortable, so she sat up before very long. When she did, she saw Mosi standing there, his cock hard and glistening with her honey.

“Let me take care of that.” she said, grabbing the base of the midnight blue shaft and tugging the zebra closer.

“If you want.”

Applejack started by leaning in and sniffing deeply. With her eyes closed, she could pick up her own fluids, of course, along with his personal musk, his sweat, and even traces of his pre-cum. She took another sniff, enjoying the mingled scents, before running her tongue up his shaft. She was no stranger to her own flavor, having tasted it on a few dicks and any number of toys, but she noticed it tasted different than she was used to. She didn’t pay it much mind, though. She just focused on licking the shaft clean.

When she couldn’t taste any more of herself, Applejack wrapped her lips around Mosi’s cock and slowly crept down the hard length, seemingly pulling herself along with her lips. She could get her front teeth just beyond the medial ring, but that was as deep as she was comfortable going. (She had about as much sexual experience as the average mare—maybe a bit less, considering how much time the Acres ate up—so deepthroating was well beyond her.)

Even so, it only took about twenty or thirty seconds of bobbing and—slightly clumsy—stroking before Applejack felt Mosi’s cock flaring in her mouth. Half a dozen more bobs, and the first blast of zebra cum filled her mouth. Like last night, she managed to swallow the first three shots before her mouth overflowed. She didn’t let him out of her mouth though, and just kept swallowing when she could. And even after Mosi finished cumming, she kept gently suckling his softening cock and swirling her tongue over it.

Eventually, even her gentle ministrations became too much for Mosi’s sensitive member, and he backed up a step or two. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again when Applejack cast Clean. Then they turned their attention to the tub, which was not full yet, surprisingly. Applejack eased herself into the water anyway. Mosi sat on the rock wall and grabbed the shampoo.

The next half hour was awkwardly luxurious for Applejack. It was even weirder than the time she’d let Rarity talk her onto a massage at the spa. Mosi would work the lather into her coat with a sensuous massage, before ladling water over her to rinse it out. And when he reached her mane, he started with a long, gentle scalp massage, before applying the shampoo. Then he dug in like Winona burying a bone. Then he was back to being gentle as he rinsed it out. And his second washing of her hair was just as gentle, all the way through.

The entire time, Mosi kept a healthy trickle of water running, keeping the water in the tub fresher. It did make Applejack a little worried about the water supply, but she—mostly—shrugged it off, trusting that he knew what he was doing. When he finished, he pulled the stopper and let the tub drain, before giving Applejack one more thorough rinsing. Then he held her hand as she climbed out of the tub and pulled out a large towel to pat her down. Setting the damp towel aside, he pulled out a second to dry her more thoroughly.

Just when Applejack figured he had to be done, he pulled out a curry comb and brushed her from poll to pastern.

Then came the hairbrush.

As he brushed out her mane, Applejack’s renewed arousal waned, right along with her patience. And by the time he was done with her tail, she was just done. Fortunately, so was Mosi it seemed, since he didn’t pull out anything else after bagging the brush. Though that might have something to do with the way her tail was starting to swish irritably. He stayed crouched where he was as Applejack walked over to her clothes and started casting Clean on them.

“I could have those laundered for you, if you wanted.” Mosi offered.

“No thanks. Ah need the practice.”

“Fair enough.”

Remembering her clean spell wasn’t very good yet, Applejack pulled on her tunic, but bagged everything else. Except for her hat, of course. She didn’t have any idea of the etiquette…post-transaction? (She wasn’t even sure how to refer to it)…but she felt like she had to say something. So as Mosi stepped into his short-pants, she spoke up.

“That was a lot more pampering than Ah’m used to. A whole lot more.” she added. “But it was nice. Real awkward, but real nice, too. It just got kinda drawn out a little too long, there at the end.”

“I kind of got that impression.” Mosi said with a smile. “But it’s nice to hear the confirmation, all the same. I’ll let my family know, in case you ask for one of their services next time.”

“Right. Uh, thanks.” Applejack said awkwardly.

“You wanna get a drink at the bar?” Mosi offered. “There’s few things better after a hot bath than a cold drink. We’ve got a few wines in the cellar, and there’s always milk.”

“What kind of milk?”

“Goat milk.” the zebra answered, sounding almost confused.

“Uh, no thanks.” Applejack had never tasted goat milk before. Having heard of goat cheese as a filly—and more recently, in Canterlot—she was aware on some level goat milk must be a thing, but it was a vague awareness, at best.

The pair exchanged goodnights, and Applejack returned to her room. As soon as she closed the door, Minerva flew around from behind her head, where she seemed to stay when she wasn’t wanted/needed.

“Congratulations! You completed some quests.” she said happily.

“Why didn’t you say something sooner? It’s been the better part of an hour.” Applejack wondered.

“Well, I wasn’t going to interrupt and ruin the mood.”

Applejack couldn’t deny that the mini-divinity had a point. So she just opened her Quest panel.

Day 4 – Late Spring, 4147 AA
20:38
TOTAL SKILL POINTS: 8
QUESTS
Suck a Cock
1 Skill Point

Swallow a Load of Cum
2 Skill Points + 2 Skill Points (No One Said It Couldn’t Be Your Own!)

Masturbate
1 Skill Point

Take a Ride With an Equine
2 Skill Points + 8 Copper Coins (Forecast: < 1% Chance Of Baby Showers)

Feeling in the Feline Mood
2 Skill Points*

“Okay, why didn’t Ah get the bonus for sucking my cock?” Applejack asked.

“Because it was only in your mouth for three or four seconds.” Minerva pointed out. “And while that might technically count, GOD doesn’t agree. And since It decides on Quests and Bonuses, It isn’t willing to give you the bonus for something that half-assed.”

“But Ah barely swallowed half my load, so why’d Ah get that bonus?”

“Because you made a good-faith effort, even though you choked. And for GOD, that’s good enough.”

Again, Applejack couldn’t really argue that point.

“Eight copper coins?” she asked, instead.

“As early as Mosi pulled out, there’s less than a one in a billion chance of you actually getting pregnant. So the reward is just enough to buy some emergency contraceptives.”

“Well, while we’re on the topic, what kinds of birth control option do Ah have?” Applejack asked.

“In this form, you’re fully fertile with all equines, or any other race. There are herbs you can take to minimize that risk, but you’ll build up a tolerance to them eventually. Potions too, but they’ll take longer to become resistant. The Level 10 Life Magic spell, Infertility, works in both your anthro and horse forms, and you can’t build up a resistance to it.”

“Infertility?” Applejack repeated out loud, worried.

“It lasts between one hour and all day, depending on the level, so don’t worry about it being permanent.” Minerva reassured her. “Equipment, including accessories, can be enchanted with the spell, and some Soul Crystals have the same effect.”

“You said my human form is entirely infertile during character creation, right?” Applejack asked.

“Right.” Minerva confirmed. “And your horse form is only fertile with other equines.”

“So zebras, ponies, unicorns, pegasi, and donkeys?” Applejack listed.

“And a couple others.”

“Like who? Deer?”

“No, deer are cervines.”

“Centaurs?” Applejack asked with a shudder at the thought of being pinned under Tirek.

“No, Manimals are different enough that only your anthro form is fertile with them. I’ll tell you if/when it comes up.” Minerva assured Applejack, as she tried to think of what other races might qualify as equine.

A moment later, she put that thought aside for the time being. Instead, she looked around the room, carefully eying its dimensions. Deciding that there wouldn’t be enough room for her to transform in here unless she moved the table onto the bed, she stepped out into the hall, instead. After double checking that there was no one in the hall, Applejack cycled through her transformations, before returning to her room and bagging her tunic.

Sitting down at the table, Applejack pulled out her gun and spent some time practicing taking it apart and putting it back together. When she didn’t need Minerva’s help doing it anymore, she switched to loading practice. And like last night, she kept at it until her fingers stopped cooperating. Then she went to bed.

She briefly considered masturbating before she went to sleep, for that last Skill Point, but decided that one sexual encounter was enough for today. She didn’t need to be in a hurry to level up, after all.

Author's Note

1. Most ponies have squat toilets, which are much more suitable for quadrupeds.

2. I know the real term is “narrative causality.” Though considering how often people are considered victims of it, I can’t say AJ’s version is entirely inaccurate. Also, just curious, but how many of you read that as causality at first?”

3. Deer are like Equestria’s Gypsies, just without the reputation for black magic, curses, killing, and thieving. So more like the Tuatha’an. Though moving from forest to forest, mostly living off the land and avoiding pony settlements means they still don’t have the best reputation. Like a hippy commune, or a mostly harmless cult. A few ponies from Ponyville will interact with the local herd when their migration takes them through Whitetail Woods—like Fluttershy—but not many.

4. Faun is actually what the Romans called satyrs, but tell me this doesn’t work, too.

5. Plural marriages, more commonly known as herd-families—to differentiate from the general term for a group of ponies—may not be very common in Equestria, but they’re far from unknown. Fluttershy’s parents formed one soon after Zephyr was born, though Night Gale had to move away just before he graduated school, so she divorced them so that they didn’t feel like they had to follow her to Manehattan. And there were two separate occasions where the Choosing Stone was the only reason Pinkie’s parents didn’t form one.

6. I know that most in most deer species, the females don’t grow antlers. But they’re also iconic, so… for artistic license!

7. According to Behind The Name, some Swahili name definitions, if you’re interested:
   Rehema – Mercy/Compassion
   Marjani – Coral, named for her primary fur color. On an unrelated note, she’s Rehana’s only child who isn’t also biologically Alder’s.
   Sauda – Dark Complexion, for her skin color.
   Mosi – First Born, since he is the older twin.
   Subira – Patience, since she was born after an exceptionally long labor. And she has consciously chosen to live up to her name for most of her life.
   And finally, the only non-Swahili name, Mirembe is an East African word for peace.