Everfree Village

Lodestone and Granite slept through all the commotion over the thunder rocs - partially thanks to the thick castle walls, but mainly because they had stayed up far too late in the night. Granite, being freshly introduced to intimacy was eager to try everything, over and over, and Lodestone - with all the teasing and near-misses over the past few days - was able to keep up for a long while.

The morning sun didn't even fully wake them and just caused Granite to turn around and bury her muzzle in the pegasus' chest. What did eventually bring her back to the world of the living was a growing pressure she couldn't keep ignoring, no matter how comfortable she was.

Granite didn't even open her eyes, but she smiled and gave Lodestone a lick on his muzzle. Then she made a face.

"Ew... shower..." she commanded. The poor stallion wasn't sticky all over, if only because some patches have dried up by now and were crusty. Still, now that the mare was up, she couldn't get back to sleep. Her hind hoof kicked feebly and she pushed herself to the edge of the bed.

"G'na... haff-" she tried to mumble, but a yawn interrupted her. "Got t' pee..."

She finished her roll out of the bed and landed heavily on the ground. It took her a couple of tries to climb to her hooves and then, peering blearily, located the door and headed there, dragging her hooves. For the moment she didn't seem to realize she was in a castle with multiple occupants, but she did remember which way was the bathroom and headed there.

Lodestone was worn out, tired, exhausted, spent, and fatigued. He was sore all over and had never been so thirsty in his entire life. The pegasus was filthy, crusty, disheveled, disoriented, and stank worse than that old Griffon he met in Las Pegasus.

In other words, he had never felt better.

As Granite flopped out of bed, he concentrated and lifted his head just in time to see her walk out the bedroom door.

"...Uh oh."

Starlight Glimmer was trotting happily down the hallway, having just finished her second panic attack about whether or not she'd just teleported the Princess of Friendship a mile underground by accident. She just needed to return Kalshaen's Galvinizer to it's pedestal where it would slowly recharge itself with trace amounts of excess magic in the area, ready to overload the next unsuspecting unicorn which was totally not going to be her.

One of the bedroom doors ahead of her slowly opened and a filthy mass of crusted fur that once might have been a mare named Granite lurched into the hall. Starlight smirked and slowly approached the mostly-asleep mare.

"Hey, filly! Showers are this way. Have fun last night?"

"Mmmphpm," Granite commented and kept going towards her destination for a few steps before Starlight's message got through to her. She adjusted her direction and gave the unicorn what she hoped was a friendly smile. "Mmmm, fanks..."

It was only once she was inside the pristine crystal bathroom and shower did Granite realize what had just happened. Her eyes flared open and she hurriedly leaned on the door, as if worried that Starlight might follow her.

"Buck, buck, did she see?! I hope she didn't smell it!"

The poor pony rushed at the mirror and peered into it. "Oh, buck, oh buck... tell me I didn't go walking around looking like that!"

Only then did Granite think to sniff her own flank "Sweet Celestia, gah!"

Yes, she had definitely walked right past somepony who lived in the castle with the bucking Princess of Friendship, looking exactly like she'd been up all night having all kinds of sex.

The fact that it was true didn't help.

Granite spotted the encrusted stuff all over her muzzle and, with a sinking feeling realized Starlight had probably also seen it.

Oh, bucking... moo..." she swore quietly.

The unicorn in question had been a bit disappointed by her lack of reaction, so she trotted down the hall and into the lower basement, depositing the amulet and locking the room behind her. Next she fetched several clean towels and an extra bottle of shampoo for good measure and gently tapped the bathroom door with a hoof. There was a tiny mooing noise from the other side and Starlight suppressed a giggle.

"Granite? I brought more towels and soap."

She eased the door open a bit, then when there was no protest, slowly pushed it open the other way.

"It's okay, really, nothing to be ashamed of. Tartarus, I'm a a bit jealous to tell the truth."

Starlight was casually floating the towels to the counter beside Granite and moving the towel she'd already turned brown into a nearby hamper.

"Really the only issue was Spike, cause he's just a baby dragon, you know... You have any idea how many times I had to renew the silence spell on his bedroom?"

She gave Granite a wink, somehow oblivious to the poor mare's utter horror.

"I didn't really mind though. Normally I'd be embarrassed to admit I listened in, but, well... I didn't have much of a choice. Hey, speaking of - you want a few toys for round two tonight? Now that he's had a taste you could have him wrapped around your... ahem, 'hoof' if you wanted."

Granite stood petrified, terrified, mortified and probably other things ending in "-fied" which she couldn't think up just at the moment. "L-L-Listened?!" she managed a squeak, and then a bit later: "B-Baby dragon?!"

She was quickly turning into a red-and-black pony, rather than a white-and-black one and started taking half-hoof steps away from the too-familiar unicorn.

"W-We weren't- I wasn't- moo!"

Her ears couldn't go any flatter and her gaze was on her forehooves. It seemed like Granite had only heard the embarrassing parts of what Starlight had said and none of the encouraging.

"I didn't realize we were being l-loud," she admitted quietly. "Sorry..."

It looked rather like the unicorn would have to repeat at least some of what she'd said. For that matter, Granite didn't look like she had any strength left to get in the shower by herself. The cowpoke seemed just... frozen, out of sheer embarrassment.

Starlight finally realized the little cow pony was, for some reason, horribly embarrassed about all this.

"Hey... come on, don't be like that..."

A damp towel floated over and tenderly pressed against Granite's neck, rubbing a fraction of the filth out of her mane.

"It's alright, filly... I mean it, nopony minded in the slightest. We're all adults here - well except Spike, but like I said, I took care of him."

Granite was slowly edging away from the towel, but Starlight wasn't really paying attention, gently rubbing her neck and mane with the towel without straying to more familiar parts of her body.

"We're all just happy for you two, really. When I said I was jealous I was talking about having a relationship like what you have."

Starlight stopped fussing the the towel and looked away uncomfortably.

"It's not about the sex, I can get that whenever I want... You're just both so... precious with each other, you know? He obviously cares about you a lot... That's what I'm jealous of."

The towel was limp on the floor, her gaze had drifted, and she was sitting loosely on her haunches. She might not notice Granite sneaking away, but she looked so terribly sad...

Granite was indeed trying to sneak away and find a different shower, but she paused when she caught Starlight's faraway look.

The cowpoke had to take a deep breath, but she managed to stay in the room, even if she was trembling a little and her ears absolutely wouldn't come up.

"Um... sorry?" It seemed the only thing she could really say. "I'll, uh- I'll just go shower real quick..."

Rather than bolting out the door, Granite fled to one of the showers and gratefully slid the door shut behind herself. Moments later the water started, making the poor mare yelp as it came out freezing cold.

That was soon followed by a luxurious sigh as it warmed up and started to take some of the soreness out of her muscles.

Maybe the fact that she wasn't looking at the unfamiliar unicorn made it easier, but Granite attempted a bit of conversation: "Um, I'm sure you can... find somepony... no?"

She started scrubbing herself, at first just with hooves to get most of the filth out, so her voice was strained and interspersed with grunts. "Me and Lodestone just kinda... met."

"Well... I used to think so. Tried an awful lot of stallions now though. Instead of nine out of ten stallions simply not being interested, now nine out of ten are ex-coltfriends." She fell silent for a moment, then sighed, her breath catching slightly in her throat. "Sorry, I didn't mean to bother you. Just... don't be shy about what you have, Granite. It's more precious than you realize."

Granite heard her hooves click as she stood up, but no other sound. For all she could tell, Starlight was still just standing there.

Lodestone, meanwhile, hadn't even mustered the energy to climb out of bed yet. He had at least attempted to open his wings, but the crunching crust that glued his feathers together would have made even a harpy wince. He wouldn't even bother trying to get up except he was so bucking thirsty...

"I h-hope it works out... in the end," Granite said, feeling a little bit for this strange unicorn. "Um, what's your n-name?"

She'd been lost deep in thought and jumped slightly at Granite's words, "O-Oh, um... I'm Starlight Glimmer."

Granite quickly finished her coat and started on her mane. Luckily, the shower was well-stocked with shampoo and soap, for which the cowpoke was immensely grateful. She turned the knob a bit more, making the water hotter still, which made her sigh luxuriously. "Mmm, this is nice."

Maybe after sharing a few love-related problems like they had, she could face the mare outside without too much blush? It was worth a shot, before Lodestone also came wandering around and met a similar fate.

"Um, could you do me a favor?" Granite tried, even though she wasn't quite friendly with the unicorn enough for this, "could you, um, get Lodestone in here? I bet he'd like a shower too and I don't want him to meet the- um, the b-baby dragon."

The unicorn blushed as Granite's little happy noises at the hot water reminded her of similar sounds last night. Oh, buck... she was gonna need her toys again, wasn't--

"W-What? Oh, sure. I'll go and get him..."

She giggled, then murmured just barely loud enough for Granite to hear.

"Would you like some lubricant that will still work in the water?

"Moo!" Granite suddenly realized what she'd said. "I didn't mean this shower! Jeez! We're not doing it all the time..."

She fell silent, realizing just how it probably seemed to Starlight. She'd known the couple for all of twelve or so hours and they'd spent most of it moaning and thrashing around the bed.

"Not all the time..." she repeated more quietly. "Hey! I thought you said it was a beautiful thing!"

Not being able to see Starlight or look in her eyes was doing wonders for Granite's self-confidence.

Starlight burst out laughing and quickly tried to get it under control as the mare was sure to take it the wrong way.

"Oh, it's beautiful alright!" She stiffled another giggle, "If I was in your hooves I'd have kept going until my dock was rubbed raw and then a little longer just because I could."

"Who said I didn't," Granite murmured, but unfortunately the shower made it echo a bit more than she'd intended. "Eep!" She hurriedly went back to the shampoo and her mane, mostly to hide the fresh wave of embarrassment.

Starlight shook her head and chuckled lightly again. "But fine, I'll take him to a different shower. In fact, I'll take him to the one right across the hall, just in case you get bored..."

"Also, um, is there something to drink here? I don't think I realized, but I'm really thirsty." The shower took her mind off it, but Granite was starting to feel just as parched as Lodestone was. That reminded her. "Oh my gosh, Lodestone is probably about to die of thirst! Um- I know I'm asking a lot, but I'm not leaving this shower for some time... could you?" The cowpoke made her voice as pleading as she could without being able to look at Starlight and splay her ears in supplication.

She heaved a huge, over dramatic sigh. "Oh alright, I'll take care of your colt for you. You owe me for this, though." Starlight finally trotted out of the room, ignoring Granite's stuttering protests.

Lodestone had finally decided that more sleep was worth being thirsty and began to doze off again when the door suddenly opened and a bright voice pierced his head. "Riiiise and shine, stud! Your marefriend asked and I deliver."

The pegasus croaked as he was suddenly floated off the bed. His wings instinctively tried to open but it sounded like he actually managed to snap a feather in half, they'd stuck together so firmly. "Wha... who..."

"Starlight Glimmer, Granite's newest sort-of friend I guess. Here, drink up..." She'd flown him through the hall so fast he felt dizzy, but a large cup of water was thrust into his hooves and he greedily sucked up half the cup before it was yanked from him again.

"Okay okay, you'll make yourself sick, more later. Off we goooo!" He zoomed down the halls again and turned sharply into a large, ornate bathroom. He was unceremoniously dunked into the water, which was already running and quite warm, and he groaned deeply as he collapsed in a little pool of relaxation.

"Alright, you can probably handle it from here. Granite will proooobably be here shortly. Think you're still functional down there, lover-boy?"

She laughed merrily and the door thudded shut before he even attempted to respond. He was left dazed and reeling, barely even awake, unmoving under the flow of water.

Starlight trotted across the hall and tapped on the door, speaking much more cautiously now, "Granite? Hey, I'm coming in..."

Again she slowly opened the door in stages, then finally closed it behind her. She grinned wickedly.

"Okay, he's had some water and a bit of nutrients I mixed into the glass with it and he's lying half-dead in the shower across the hall. Here..."

She floated a small tube over the open space at the top of the shower and heard a little squeak of surprise, then a gasp and a bit of stammering.

"Hush hush, don't worry about it. Just try it out in his shower if you want. Fair warning though, it takes a lot of soap to feel truly dry again after you use that stuff."

"Eep!" was all Granite could get out for a moment. The tube of whatever-it-was clattered on the floor as soon as Starlight let it go. "I'm not gonna- We're not gonna... now!" the mare protested.

Then she realized what the unicorn had said. "H-Half-dead?! I better go see him!"

Granite reached for the handle, but paused. "Um- I'm coming out," she announced, as if it was something important or embarrassing. Then she finally pushed the door open and stepped out, dripping.

"Towel..." she muttered, more to keep making noise than to actually say anything. She found one and draped it around her back. It didn't stop the dripping, but it helped a little. "Where is he?"

Starlight stepped to the side of the door and used her magic to open it and the door directly across, where Lodestone could faintly be seen slumped against the wall in the shower. The little tube floated up and balanced on top of Granite's head.

"Trust me, Granite. You'll thank me for this stuff later... that is, if you can get him up again."

She lightly tapped the mare's snout with a hoof and giggled.

"I'll bring you two some sustenance when you quiet down again. Oh, and don't worry, the castle is empty for once, aside from me: Spike's out with Big Mac and Discord so he'll be gone until well after dark, and Twilight and the others went to some emergency at that human village."

She pressed a clean towel into Granite's flank, urging her gently toward the barely-conscious pegasus.

Granite made it halfway across the hallway before she realized what the unicorn was saying. "Twilight is what who where?!" She didn't pay any attention to the bottle of lube which, once again, fell to the floor. "Oh no, why didn't anypony wake us up? We should be helping!" The cowpoke ran for her coltfriend. "Lodestone! Get up! Get up quick! We gotta go help! Emergency at the humans' village!" She stopped when she reached the poor pegasus and saw in what a state he was. "Um, I'll help you shower first, quick."

The mare glared back at the sniggering unicorn and pointedly pulled the shower door closed. She didn't seem to mind that she was getting wet once again herself. What Granite didn't notice was that Lodestone's feather fell out of her mane in the shower and was now lying forlornly on the floor.

Granite had been acting a little strange toward the end there, but Starlight paid it no mind. She headed off to the kitchen to prepare a simple meal she could quickly reheat later, then returned to her bedroom, which by some interesting coincidence just happened to be two doors down from the shower where Lodestone lay. Fancy that. Starlight pulled out a large box and considered the toys inside... after all, she'd finally gotten a good look at Lodestone now. Yes... Granite was quite the lucky mare.