The Derpy I Know And Love 3 or How Pinkie Got Her Groove Back

by Stormbringer

Rating: mature
Tags: Slice of Life, Human, Dark, Alternate Universe, Romance
Length: 20563

Pinkie has been to the door step of Death and back. What dark secret my hold her back from a normal life once more?

***NOTICE*** With Twilight's elevation, I have had to list these stories as Alternate Universe. Does not take away anything from the content!

Takes place not long after 'The Derpy I Know And Love 2'. Pinkie's life had been saved by an unselfish(?) sacrifice. But what price will have to be paid? And by whom?

Cover art: http://www.deviantart.com/

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2013-03-14 19:10:00 UTC

Chapter One: A Scream In The Night

CHAPTER ONE

A Scream in the Night

Pinkie screamed as she plummeted to the ground.

“Dashie!”

The ground was coming up quickly.

As she smashed into the earth, her helmet split as if made of egg shell, her head hit hard against a large rock.  She could not remember anything ever being more painful.  The last thing she saw was blood splattering everywhere.

All went dark, she was in a world of mist.  More like a tunnel.  She was being drawn quickly toward a dark opening.

There was a gray stallion with red mane and tail standing by the gaping black opening.  He looked at Pinkie and smiled.

“When I gave you my life, I took yours.  I’m on my way to Paradise, thanks to you.  Enjoy my fate.”  He said as he disappeared.

Then, all of the sudden, the opening was alive with intense flames.

Pinkie tried to turn and run in the opposite direction.  But her speed was increasing in the direction of the opening.

She passed through the opening then started falling.  The flames surrounded her, engulfing her.  It burned the hair of her mane, coat and tail.  Her flesh was on fire, it was falling off her.  The smell was putrid, the smell of burning flesh mixed with the smell of burning sulfur.  The pain was more than she could stand.

“DASHIE!”

Rainbow Dash thought she heard her name being called, the bed was shaking violently.

At first Rainbow thought that the cloud house was being hit by an unscheduled storm.  Then she realized that they had temporarily taken a house on the ground while Pinkie healed.

“Dashie!  Please help me Dashie! It hurts so much!”

Rainbow sat straight up.  Pinkie was having another nightmare.  Her pink wife was flailing about, screaming and crying.

“Dashie! Help me!”

Rainbow reached over and shook Pinkie as hard as she dared.  It was dark, but Rainbow could see Pinkie’s eyes pop open widely.  She had stopped thrashing about.  At first, it looked as if she was still asleep.  But then she turned her head toward Dash.  Her eyes locked in Rainbow’s.  Pinkie put her forelegs around Rainbow, pulled her close and started crying on her shoulder.  Rainbow put her forelegs and wings around Pinkie and held her tight.  It hurt to see Pinkie like this.

Just a few months ago, Rainbow would have not believe that she would ever admit to caring for anypony this deeply.

“Oh Pink,” said Rainbow in a comforting tone.

‘Pink’ was the only pet name Rainbow could manage.  It helped Pinkie feel special having a name nopony else used, even though Rainbow thought it sappy, Pinkie was worth it.

“Another nightmare?”

“Yes,” said Pinkie between sobs.

Seeing Pinkie this scared was un-nerving.  After she had only laughed at the terrors that Nightmare Moon had thrown at them several years ago.  But since, they had been through a lot.  Her darling Pinkie had passed through life and death.  Rainbow reasoned that in itself earned her the right to have bad dreams.

“Just like the other ones?”

“Yes, it was so real.  I can’t stop shaking.”

“Well, at least you didn’t wet the bed this time.” Said Rainbow trying to lighten up.

“I have never wet the bed!” said Pinkie.

“Come on Pink.  I’m messing with you.”

“I’m sorry Dashie, I’m just not in a messing mood.”

“Its okay Pink, there is still a lot of night left.  Let’s go back to sleep.”

“I can’t, I’m afraid to have the dream again.”

“What can I do to help?  Get you a cup of water? warm milk? whiskey?”

“You know what I want.” Said Pinkie.

“Oh come on, its late and you know I can’t sing.”

“You sing good enough for me.”

Rainbow paused, looking into Pinkie’s imploring eyes.

“Only for you Pink, only for you.  I love you that much.”

Pinkie loosened her grip on Rainbow.  Rainbow retracted her wings, they both lay back, Pinkie rested her head on Rainbow’s chest.

“Are you sure?” asked Rainbow, hopefully.

“Yes Dashie, I’m sure”.

Rainbow cleared her throat.  Knowing that this pink pony was the only pony in the world she would ever act this sappy for.

“My name is Rainbow Dash,”

“Rainbow Pie-Dash,” Pinky interrupted, giggling lightly, her humor returning.

“My name is Rainbow Pie-Dash

And I’m here to say

I'm gonna make you smile, and I will brighten up your day!

It doesn't matter now

If you are sad or blue

'Cause cheering up my wife is just what Rainbow’s here to do.

'Cause I love to make you smile, smile, smile

Yes I do

It fills my heart with sunshine all the while

Yes it does

'Cause all I really need's a smile, smile, smile

From this happy love of mine.

I like to see you grin

I would love to see you beam

The corners of your mouth turned up

Is always Rainbow’s dream

But if you're kind of worried

And your face has made a frown

I'll work real hard and do my best

To turn that sad frown upside down.

'Cause I love to make you grin, grin, grin

Yes I do

Bust it out from ear to ear, let it begin

Just give me a joyful grin, grin, grin

And you fill me with good cheer.

Its true, some days are dark and lonely

And maybe you feel sad

But Rainbow will be there to show you that it isn't that bad.

There's one thing that makes me happy

And makes my whole life worthwhile

And that's when I talk to my wife and get her to smile!

I really am so happy

Your smile fills me with glee

I give a smile, I get a smile

And that's so special to me.

'Cause I love to see you beam, beam, beam

Yes I do

Tell me, what more can I say to make you see

That I do

It makes me happy when you beam, beam, beam

Yes, it always makes my day!

Come on now Pinkie smile, smile, smile

Fill my heart up with sunshine, sunshine

All I really need's a smile, smile, smile

From this happy love of mine!

Rainbow could not go on singing.  There was one very good reason that she gave in to singing Pinkie’s song so easily.  And that was because it always put Pinkie in the mood.

“I thought you weren’t in the messing mood,” said Rainbow.

A giggle was the only response.

While she was singing, Pinkie had moved down and was now ‘eating’ Rainbow’s marehood as if there was nothing else to do in the universe.

Rainbow had to be careful of repositioning Pinkie.  Her injuries were fairly healed.  But there was still a lot of pain and weakness if she moved wrong.

Soon Rainbow had her tongue deep in Pinkie’s sweet marehood.  After hearing Pinkie screaming and crying, it was good to hear Pinkie’s unique cum laugh.

Pinkie would be able to sleep now, but there was no rush just yet.

About two hours later, Pinkie and Rainbow were back under the covers.  Rainbow was almost asleep, she was ‘spooning’ with Pinkie.  Her forelegs around the pink pony.  In retrospect, Rainbow questioned why she had ever wanted to be unfettered.  There was no feeling in the world greater than when she lay in the bed this close to Pinkie.  Just like now, with no manic craziness, no random songs, no bouts of Pinkie logic.  Just the feeling of holding the pony she had not before allowed herself to realize just how special she was.  And how deeply she had loved her without even admitting to even herself.

It was brought home sharply when just a few scant months ago, Pinkie lay on death’s doorstep. Bubbles’ ex-husband performed a spell to give his life-force to Pinky thus saving her at the cost of his own life.  It was even more amazing to find how much her friends were willing to go to save her.

Rainbow and Pinkie learned that Twilight Sparkle was going to give her life to save Pinkie, but Shooting Star had put a spell on Twilight that knocked her out, then Shooting Star had taken the spell from her.

Rainbow did not want to lose her best friend and she did not want to loose Pinkie.  And what bothered her most was when she reflected on the matter was if the places were different and she had the chance, would she do the same for Twilight, or one of her other friends?  Or most especially, for Pinkie?  She liked to think that she was noble enough to lay down her life for her friends, but put to the test, she was not sure if she would come up lacking.

But she was not ungrateful, she had asked Twilight if she would perform a marriage ceremony there in the hospital, surrounded by her closest friends.  No other pony was worthy to do this for them, not even Celestia.  Rainbow and Pinkie owed their lives to Twilight and now they owed their love and happiness to her as well.

While laying there, just enjoying the afterglow of their love-making and the feeling of this most special of ponies in her forelegs, Pinkie turned over and gave Rainbow a small but honest kiss.

“Dashie, I need to ask you something, and don’t be mad at me for asking.” Said Pinkie.

“Why would I be mad at you?” asked the blue pegasus.

“It is just that I am starting to remember parts of when I was out, after the accident.”  Said Pinkie, uncharacteristically subdued.  “I remember you telling me that you would not let me go alone.  That as soon as I was gone, you would go outside and climb as high as you could and then do a sonic rainboom straight into the ground, that you had to go out in style.”

“I think I did say that.”

“Dashie, I love you so much, more than any pony ever.  I think I have for a very long time.  I am flattered that you think you would have to go if I went.

But that would not be my wish.  My wish would be that the pony who is so special to me, a pony I don’t deserve, a pony that every time I think that I am now her wife, it gives me such a thrill.  I would want that she would go on and find ways to keep my memory alive.  To find joy, happiness and even love for me.”

Pinkie then pulled Rainbow close, she rested her head on Rainbow’s shoulder.  Rainbow could feel tears against her coat.

“Pink, it is I who doesn’t deserve you.  So many years I had avoided you.  Yes you still can be a pain in the flanks.”

Pinkie giggled, Rainbow continued.

“But I think the biggest reason that I avoided you was that I did have feelings for you.  More than I ever wanted to admit or believe at the time.

Yes, I let my guard down from time to time.  And when I did, I never regretted any of the times I woke up next to you.  In fact when Twilight told me that she had woke up to find you in her bed.  Well, I was a bit jealous, even though I knew you would not have done anything with her.”

“Scrawny flanks!” They said together.

“I guess she is Bubbles’ problem now!” said Pinkie.

They both laughed.

Soon the two ponies were in blissful slumber, still with their forelegs around each other.  Thankful to have the other as a wife to love fully.

After a night interrupted with nightmares, love-play and honest pillow-talk, Rainbow was amazed that Pinkie was still up early and making breakfast.

Rainbow walked into the kitchen, immediately she knew something was up.  On the table were Rainbow’s favorites.  There was oat muffins, berries with whipped cream and eggs over easy.  A hot cup of coffee steaming by her plate.  Pinkie was already sitting at the table.

“Good morning, sleepy-head,” said Pinkie, no trace of the night’s terrors in her voice.  “I was just about to come get you.  Sit and eat before it gets cold.”

Rainbow sat and the two ponies ate in silence.  Odd for Pinkie, but it was the way Rainbow liked it, which set off another red flag.  Pinkie had done a fantastic job on the breakfast.  Rainbow had finished and was sipping on a second cup of coffee, she figured it was the right time to ask what she was being buttered up for.

“Great meal Pink, as usual,” she started, “so what’s up.  You don’t go this all out unless you want something.  So spill it.”

“What do you mean Dashie?” said Pinkie, pure innocence in her voice.  “Can’t I cook the pony I love more than anything her favorite breakfast?”

“Then you aren’t wanting or needing anything?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Okay look, its not like in the past where you had to chase me down to see if I would hang with you and pull pranks.  We are married, I have pulled my head out of my flanks and realized just how important you were and are to me.  We are partners now, if you need something and you don’t know what I would say, then just tell me.  I love you, I have made that clear and I only wish I had admitted it sooner.  So out with it.”

Pinkie looked at the floor in thought.

“Since the accident, I have been stuck at home, not even our home.  I know I needed to take it easy so I could heal.  But now I feel like the walls are closing in.  I have read all your Daring Do books three times, and the mail and the news papers.  I have even had Scootaloo bring me the Foal Free Press, just to have some diversion.”

“And.....” Interrupted Rainbow.

“I want to go back to work Dashie.  I have talked to Carrot and Cup Cake and they said they would love to have me back helping.”

“Do you feel up to it?” asked Rainbow concerned.  “We don’t need the bits.  I got that promotion with the weather bureau.”

“Its not the money,” said Pinkie. “I just need to get out of the house before I go more coco-loco!”

Rainbow got up and walked to Pinkie.  She gave her a large hug and kiss.

“If you feel up to it, then go ahead.  Just promise me that you will take it easy.”

“I promise Dashie!” said Pinkie returning an even larger kiss to Rainbow.

Chapter Two: What Is Up With Pinkie?

CHAPTER TWO

What Is Up With Pinkie?

Bubbles was in Sugarcube Corner picking up her favorite cookies.

“Pinkie!” exclaimed Bubbles, seeing her friend.

“Bubbles!  So good to see you,” said the pink pony.

“You must be doing better to be back at work.”

“Yes, I told Dashie that if I did not get out of the house, I would go crazy!  Or at least crazier.”

Both ponies chuckled.

“I understand.” Said Bubbles, “after giving birth to Dawn, Twilight and I decided that we wanted to nurse her as long as possible, I got tired of being stuck home most of the time.  But since I live where I work, I did not have to miss that.”

“I know what you mean.  You know that I use to live here, so I use to have no problem being at work.  But being stuck in the house, well it was time I got out.”

“Well I’m glad to see you out and about.  You and Rainbow need to come over for dinner one evening.  It will do you good to be around your friends.  And Muffin and Dawn miss you.”

“Awe! They are so sweet,” said Pinkie. “I miss the little angels too.  I will talk to Dashie and we will make a date”

“That is great,” said Bubbles turning and leaving.  “I will tell Twilight.  See you later Pinkie.”

“See you too B.H.” said Pinkie gong back to the backroom.

Bubbles stopped in her tracks.

“Did she just call me what I think she did?” Bubbles asked herself out loud.  “No! couldn’t be.  Just my imagination.”

Later that evening, Twilight had finished reshelfing the cooking section, she came into the main room of the library to see Pinkie spread out on a sofa, there were several books around her and on the floor.

“Hey Pinkie!” said Twilight, glad to see her friend.  “I heard you were back to work, that’s great!  Bubbles told me that she invited you and Rainbow over for dinner some night.  I have some eggplant steaks we could put on the grill.  How about Thursday night?”

“That sounds great Twi.” Said Pinkie, “I will bring a carrot cake, not my boss!”

Both laughed.

“Hey Twi, do you have a copy of Orion Shine’s The Dark Magic of Spirits?”

“Yes It is over there on the top shelf.....” Twilight paused, she noticed the books Pinkie had around her.  All advanced magic books.  “What do you need that for?”

“Just catching up,” said Pinkie nonchalantly.

“Are you going to be taking all these books home?” asked Twilight.

“No, I have already read them.”

“O...K...,” said Twilight, “I’ll get your book.”

Twilight looked and the book was gone.

“Its okay,” said Pinkie, “I got it.  Just needed to check one thing”

Twilight was sure that Pinkie had not gotten up.  Twilight turned to look at the shelf again, the book was now there.  Then she heard the door.

“See you later,” said Pinkie leaving.

Twilight turned back and all the books Pinkie had collected were back on the shelves.

“Uh, bye Pinkie Pie,”

Pinkie laughed as the door closed.

“That rhymes!”

As Pinkie was leaving, Bubbles was returning;

“Hello again Pinkie!”

“Hello again Bubbles!” said Pinkie.

As Pinkie passed, she reached out and ‘goosed’ Bubbles on the inner side of her thigh.  The exact spot extremely ticklish to Bubbles.

“Pinkie!” she exclaimed, but Pinkie had already taken off at a fast trot.

Bubbles rushed into the library and called out.

“TWILIGHT!”

Twilight froze, no endearment, no ‘hello, I’m home!’  Twilight tried hard to think of what she might have done, or forgot to do.

“Yes Darling?”

Twilight could tell Bubbles was pissed about something,  When she was irked, she would hover about three feet off the floor in an upright posture with her forelegs crossed across her chest.  It was an instinctive action to make herself look bigger and more intimidating.  And right now, it was working.  Bubbles reminded Twilight of some bird of prey about to pounce on  its victim.

“What intimate information about us have you been telling Pinkie Pie?”

“Other than you could suck the chrome off a wagon hitch, lick a stone mare to climax and that you drool when you sleep, nothing.” Said Twilight hoping to be funny.

It did not work.  Bubbles rose about another foot up.

“Twilight, the children are upstairs and they can hear you!  And I do not drool!”

“Sorry sweetie,” said Twilight, “I did not think you were serious.  I don’t talk about such things to anypony, even my closest friends, why?”

“Well, while I was leaving Sugarcube Corner, Pinkie called me by a name Shooting Star use to call me while we were dating.  Then as I was coming in, she ‘goosed’ me in my ticklish spot.  How did she know about these things unless you have told her?”

“First, I have not said anything.  That ticklish spot was found out by me after hard, honest love-making.”  Twilight said with a sly smile.  Bubbles blushed.

“Well what about the name?” asked Bubbles.

“What about the name?” asked Twilight.  “I have never asked you anything about your love life with Shooting Star, other than maybe ‘who licked your clit better?’”

Bubbles looked annoyed but smiled and blushed anyway.

“The children can hear you!” said Bubbles. “Then why did Pinkie call me B.H.?”

“Why would Pinkie call you a bitch?”

“No!  B.H., Bubbles Hooves.  Shooting was into initials at that time for some reason.  You know scientist with their abbreviations, acronyms and jargon.”

Bubbles settled back to the floor, wings still upraised.  Another sub-conscience intimidation posture.  Twilight had seen Rainbow Dash do this when she was chewing out one of her weather team underlings, Bubbles had probably been on the receiving end of such a rant at one time..

Twilight was starting to wish she had grown up with pegasi friends.  It would have prepared herself to deal with the actions and reactions of her wife.

“That is starting to bother me.  Just before you came in, I found Pinkie with several advanced magic books, she said she had just read them.  She asked for another one.  When I went to get it, it was gone.  When I turned back to Pinkie, she had it.  Then when she went to leave, all the books were back where they belonged.  And I would swear that Pinkie never left where she was sitting.”

“We had better keep an eye on Pinkie.  She has been through a lot.  Maybe she is still suffering some affects of the brain trauma.”

It was a long first day back at work.  Rainbow was concerned that her wife would over do it.  But Pinkie reported that she had fun and even had some time to go to the library.  She related how Twilight and Bubbles invited them over to grill some eggplant steaks on Thursday.

Pinkie was feeling good enough to make a oat noodle and cheese casserole.  They spent the evening sitting around and talking about their day.

It was getting late and having her pink wife all back to normal was making Rainbow happy.  Rainbow said she was going to hit the shower before bed.  Pinkie said she would too, but she had to finish putting the dishes away.

Rainbow was laying on the bed, she could hear Pinkie in the shower.  The shower stopped and then she could her the pink pony brushing her teeth.

After a few minutes, Rainbow heard Pinkie come in the room.  Pinkie climbed on the bed.  She gently rolled Rainbow on her stomach.  Then she felt Pinkie’s hooves on her hips pulling her up,  Rainbow took the hint and raised up to her back knees.  She was happy to accommodate the best love maker she ever knew.

Soon Pinkie’s tongue was deep in Rainbow’s marehood, the feeling was awesome.

“Pink, for a pony who isn’t a mare-lover, you are the best mare-lover I have ever known!”

Then Pinkie stopped.  Next was unexpected, Pinkie mounted Rainbow’s back.  Rainbow was about to ask what her wife was up to when she felt her marehood penetrated.  A shock, but not unpleasant.

‘Pinkie must have found a new toy,’ thought Rainbow.

It had been a while since Rainbow had had intercourse as with a colt.  Not her favorite way but it still was good.

Pinkie was working it good,  Rainbow felt parts of her marehood stimulated that had been untouched for a while.  The orgasm was coming and fast, she could tell that Pinkie was really into this.

The orgasm hit, Rainbow let out a loud cry, but so did Pinkie, not her typical cum laugh.  As she did, Rainbow could swear that she felt something hot pumping deep inside her marehood.  But the feeling quickly passed, she attributed it to her imagination.

Rainbow slumped to her belly, Pinkie rolled off Rainbow’s back and on to her own.  Rainbow looked over to her wife in prelude of giving her a kiss when she noticed a red aura around her wife.  Also, there was no sex toy strapped to Pinkie.

Rainbow panicked.  She ran to the bathroom and checked herself.  Other than the normal marehood wetness, there was nothing inside her.

She returned to the bed room and from the doorway she saw that there was still a red aura around Pinkie, but it was slowly fading.

Pinkie looked over at Rainbow, still in the doorway.

“You are still the best lay in all Equestria, Bubbles.” Said the pink pony.

It was like being hit with a bag of rocks.  Rainbow rushed the bed and grabbed up Pinkie and shouted.

“Bubbles??? Bubbles!!! If you weren’t getting over a head injury, I would slap the horse-apples out of you!  That was not funny!”

Suddenly the aura around Pinkie was gone.  Pinkie looked panicked.

“Dashie! What are you doing?” said Pinkie starting to cry, “I thought you loved me!”

“Calling me Bubbles is not cool!  I don’t appreciate you thinking about somepony else when we are making love.  Or is there something more to it than that?  Do I need to go talk to Twilight about you and her wife?”

“Dashie, you are frightening me!  I have no idea what you are talking about!”  Tears were streaming from her eyes.

“We will talk in the morning!”

With that Rainbow grabbed a blanket and stormed out to the living-room to sleep on the couch.  But she could not go to sleep, Pinkie was crying that loud.

Nothing made sense, Pinkie was a joker and a sex fiend when she was alone with Rainbow.  But to think that Pinkie was fantasizing about one of their friends during sex. Or worse, that Pinkie and Bubbles were having an liaison was unthinkable.

Rainbow got up and went back into the bedroom.  Pinkie was laying on her side, facing the wall.  She was still crying.  Rainbow lay back down on the bed, Pinky spun around and threw her forelegs around her, looking into her eyes.  Pinkie’s beautiful blue eyes were red from crying, in her face was the innocence of a newborn foal.  But the fear that comes from the threat of lost love.

“What ever I did, what ever I said, what ever I thought, I am so, so sorry!” she pleaded.

“No Pink, Its me that’s sorry.  I had no right to threaten to hit you. What ever the reason.”

Rainbow was trying to stay cool about it, but it was not working.  She could feel the tears pouring down her cheeks.

The two lay there hugging tightly, crying hard.

“Pink, I love you so much, please forgive me.”

“Forgive me Dashie, I would never do anything to make you doubt me.  Being your wife is the greatest thrill, the greatest success of my life!  Don’t hate me.”

“Oh Pink! I never could,” said Rainbow.

The two of them hugged tightly and cried themselves to sleep.

Rainbow awoke the next morning, there was no smell of cooking or food.  She got out of bed and went to find Pinkie.  Pinkie was just sitting on the couch in the living room.  She looked up and saw Rainbow.

“Dashie, I’m frightened,” said the pink pony.

“Of what?” asked Rainbow.  “Last night was a fluke.  All couples have falling outs.  The important thing it that they work it out and move on.  Our love is strong enough to weather this.”

Rainbow sat by Pinkie and put her wing around Pinkie’s shoulders, and put her hoof in Pinkie’s lap.  Pinky took her hoof and kissed it and put it to her cheek.

“Listen Pink, last night I threatened to go to Twilight to talk about what I thought was going on.  I still think that we should go talk to her.  Not about me thinking you are unfaithful, which I don’t think you could ever be.  But something is going on and Twi knows a lot about a lot.”

“Sure thing, I want to find out myself.”

“Good!  We can grab some doughnuts and coffee at Sugarcube Corner.  Plus you can let the Cakes know you wont be in today for personal reasons.”

Rainbow held Pinkie close, put both wings around her pink love and kissed her deeply.

The couple walked to Sugarcube Corner, quite often gently nudging the other playfully with their flanks.  Since the accident, Rainbow stayed on the ground when she was with Pinkie.  She had always enjoyed the thrill of flight, even if it was just hovering along while her friends walked.  But Pinkie still had some weakness in her hind legs and the occasional dizzy spell.  So Rainbow liked to be close by to help.

Rainbow did not care how sappy it made her look, doting over her wife.  She had almost lost her permanently and she was bound and determined to make sure that she gave Pinkie all the attention she deserved, and had been denied by her in the past.

Rainbow often reflected on the past, how she would actively avoid Pinkie at most times.  Pinkie was so wild and free, random and infuriating.  But most ponies would just say ‘Pinkie Pie is just being Pinkie Pie’.

The truth was, Rainbow was just as wild and free, and she was actually a little jealous.  Rainbow thought she had to appear ‘cool’ at all times.  Pinkie did not care what ponies thought of her.  She had fun and she did what she wanted to do.

Such a pony was the only type of pony Rainbow could love.  She just had to come to terms with the whole ‘love’ thing, and it was hard.  She had always thought it was too sappy when a couple would sit in the park and hold Hooves, or sit at the soda shop and share one hay smoothie with two straws.  Or worse (at that time), be committed to an exclusive relationship, with all the playful banter and pet names, in public.

Pinkie sat eating a couple jelly-filled doughnuts and sipping some fresh milk, while Rainbow enjoyed some maple frosted bars and some stiff coffee.  Pinkie was a beauty to Rainbow, even now with powdered sugar on her face.

“Dashie, I want to change my name.”  Said Pinkie out of nowhere.

Rainbow paused, swallowed her mouthful of doughnut, washed it down with coffee.

“Change it to what?  And why?”

“I was thinking that Pinkamena Diane Dash sounds so much better.  After all, you have taken such good care of me.  Watched over me, and was even ready to die for me.  I have no way else to prove how much I am thankful for all you have done and are willing to do.  I am yours and nopony else’s and I want all the world to know.”

“That is a big step,” said Rainbow, feeling a little misty. “We kept our names and added the other’s as a sign of our partnership.  I know it is an old-fashioned idea, but I always thought that when a mare took the colt’s name it was more like a sign of property.  Neither of us is a colt.”

“Thank Celestia,” injected Pinkie with a giggle.

“But if this is how you truly feel, then I am for it.  Do you want me to drop the ‘Pie’ from my name?  I kind of like having that connection to you.”

“You can do what you want.  You always can.

I remember how my mother was always there for Blinkie, Octavia and me.  She was always there for my dad as well.  She was proud of who she was, and worked hard in the home and at the rock farm.  Being my dad’s wife was the proudest thing she did.  My dad saw all this and did all he could to make things easier on mom.

I want us to be like that.  You are not the husband or the dad.  But in our relationship, you kind of fill that position, and I am happy with that.  It excites me to think of you that way.  And I want to be the wife you deserve.

So I hope you are not upset, but I asked Twilight about a week ago if she would draw up the papers and have Princess Celestia sign them.”

There was such a tender look on Pinkie’s face.

“I would breakdown and cry right now Pink, but it is hard to take you totally seriously with doughnut sugar on your face like that.” Said Rainbow with a smile.

“Well, you can lick it off me if you want,” said Pinkie flashing her ‘bedroom eyes’.

‘What the hell?’ thought Rainbow, and she leaned forward started to lick Pinkie’s cheek.

But Pinkie quickly turned and caught Rainbow’s tongue in her mouth.  The pink pony sucked it in then would back off again, she did this over and over again, it reminded Rainbow of a technique she had used on one especially hot colt’s ‘thing’.  Finally their lips met and were firmly sealed against each other.  It was perhaps the most erotic kiss Rainbow had ever done with any pony in public, and Rainbow did not care who saw.  She only hoped nopony would notice just how wet she had become.

“Get a room!” called Lyra Heartstrings jokingly from another table.

“Yes, and let us know if you need any help!”  Said Bon-Bon, her wife.

All four ponies giggled.

“Not this time girls,” said Rainbow.

“Can we get a rain-check?” asked Pinkie.

Laughs all around.

Rainbow and Pinkie got up to leave, but not before Rainbow took a napkin and wiped off the cushion she had been setting on.  Then just to be sure, she turned it over.

Lyra and Bon-Bon giggled at the procedure but said nothing.  Rainbow looked over and shrugged her shoulders.  Bon-Bon and Lyra responded by copying the kiss between themselves.  Rainbow just smiled.

On leaving Sugarcube Corner, they turned down the street toward the library.

Standing by a vegetable cart, were Bubbles and Twilight.  Rainbow could not tell what Bubbles was saying, but it had Twilight looking sheepish.  Then, while Bubbles was saying something, with an impish look on her face, Twilight grabbed the blue-gray pegasus and planted a large wet kiss on  the lips.

What followed, shocked Rainbow to the core.

“NO!” screamed Pinkie.

Pinkie took off like a shot in the direction of Twilight and Bubbles.  Rainbow saw the red aura around her wife, even in the bright sunlight.

“Keep your filthy hooves off my wife you mare-lover!” continued Pinkie.

There was a red aura around Bubbles, it pulled Bubbles away several feet from Twilight.  Startled by her wife moving off mid-kiss, Twilight looked up in time to see Pinkie draw back and backhoof her across the face and jaw.  Twilight went flying.  Rainbow then saw Pinkie rear up on her hind legs as if she intended to come down on Twilight’s head with both front hooves.

Then there was the sound of a loud voice, but the words were unrecognizable.

Twilight and Bubbles were picking up some fresh vegetables for Rainbow and Pinkie’s visit the next day.  Bubbles gestured to the vegetables.

“We should pick up some carrots for the children, you know how much they love carrots.” Said Bubbles, then with a mischievous gleam in her eyes, she continued. “But look at the size of those cucumbers!  Maybe we could pick up some for something other than the salad!”

Twilight blushed and lowered her head.  Bubbles was enjoying Twilight’s embarrassment, so she continued teasing.

“So which would you prefer?  One of these large round ones?  No I bet you would like one of the really long ones....”

Bubbles was cut off by Twilight’s kiss.  It was taking Twilight’s breath away when she heard what sounded like Pinkie screaming.

“Keep your filthy hooves off my wife you mare-lover!”

Bubbles felt herself lifted and moved away.

Twilight was confused.  Bubbles just moving off in the middle of a kiss was a shock.  She looked up in time to see what looked like Pinkie but encased in a red aura.  Then came the backhoof across her face.  It stunned Twilight for a moment.  She managed to open her eyes in time to see Pinkie on her hind legs with her front hooves poised to come down on her head.

Then there was the sound of a loud voice, but the words were unrecognizable. Then there was a flash.

Chapter Three: Zecora

CHAPTER THREE

Zecora

Zecora was in meditation.  To most ponies she was just that odd zebra who spoke in verse and lived in the Everfree Forest.  An herbalist and natural medicine healer.  But there were a few ponies, like Twilight Sparkle, who knew that her talents, and yes, powers were much deeper.

She was living proof of the theory that you did not have to be a unicorn to be able to use magic.  She practiced a slightly different type of magic than the unicorns did.  There were charlatans who used theatrics, superstition and to a degree, knowledge of chemistry to fool others into thinking that they had special powers.  Even some unicorns took this short-cut rather than honest study.

But Zecora used a knowledge of the natural universe, the living world, medicinal plants and substances along with a discipline that had been passed down for incalculable generations back to antiquity.

Zecora reached out in her contemplation, feeling the flow of nature.  She could feel something out of place.  It was coming from Ponyville.  The feeling of a presence that should not be there.  Zecora opened her eyes, lowered herself from the staff she had been balancing on the top of with just one hoof.  She collected her saddlebag and placed several herbs and bags of premixed ingredients in the saddlebag, and headed out to Ponyville.

In many ways, Zecora missed her native land.  The wide open grassy plains which stretched from horizon to horizon, the holy mountain in the distance.  She and her kind had occupied these lands for all of time, or so it seemed.  It was a wild beauty that was part of her.  Her tribe and all the zebra tribes lived nomadic lives, following the food, when one area was well grazed, they would move on.  It was hard sometimes having to compete with some of the other, not quiet sentient, occupants.  Also the predators made life sometimes precarious.

Evolution had led some of the others to a level equal to the point of lesser equines of antiquity.  In fact giraffes and gazelle were starting to be at a point where some could communicate with her people, but at a primitive level.

It was a hard living, but Zecora did enjoy a certain level of privilege, being a tribal shaman.   But came the day when she was out collecting herbs when she returned to the encampment to find that her people had been decimated by a pack of vicious hyenas.  Only old Kin’la, her teacher, was still alive, but barely.   There were scores of hyena carcasses surrounding her, but there were more hyenas than she could have handled.  Zecora knew that she also would be laying dead if she had been there.  Two shamans were not enough to stop the hyenas once they had blood.

Kin’la instructed Zecora to seek her destiny elsewhere or suffer her people’s fate.  She had to find a spirit guide and trust them.  Then Kin’la was gone.  Zecora felt crushed to loose her people. But more over, to loose Kin’la, her teacher, mentor and mother.  It was more than enough motivation to leave.

Afterward, she meditated in a safe spot she had found on the holy mountain.  She ate nothing and only took a few sips of water each day for twenty days.

Finally when she was about to give up, her spirit guide came to her.

He was like a gorilla but not as stocky.  He stood upright on his hind legs.  He looked wise yet sad.  He was almost hairless except for the top of his head, and it was the color of the snow that always covered the top of the holy mountain.  His skin was the color of night with bright eyes shining forth on his face.  It appeared that he was covered, lightly, with colorful flowing robes.  Her spirit guide said he was a Hoo-mon, a race that destroyed themselves, countless millennia ago.  He had once been a holy-man and healer of the Masai tribe in this land.  He had chosen to stay between the worlds to try to prevent any race that came after, not to make the mistakes that destroyed the Hoo-mons.

He had the strange name of Dahood.  Dahood told Zecora that she needed to travel north, to a land inhabited by a race called ‘Little Ponies’.  They had magic, science and wisdom.  They had powerful leaders but few had any true direction.  He was sending her to be the first to offer that direction.  Her and any apprentices that may be willing to come after.

It had been an arduous journey from there to here.  But Dahood directed her to this place.  She could always feel him at the edge of consciousness.  And with meditation, she could communicate with him. Along the way she learned from Witch Doctors, Shamans and Scientist.  Her powers grew, but she had made sure to not to cultivate fame or public notice.

It was her intent to let her knowledge and personality bring those who needed her help to her.

It had worked, she now had many friends in Ponyville after a shaky start.  It took one brave little filly to break the ice and get others to know her.  That filly was always full of questions, and for the most part, they were the right questions.  Indeed, Zecora was starting to teach her to be an apprentice.  She could always feel the curiosity when Apple Bloom visited, and these were becoming more and more frequent.  She found that Apple Bloom’s little filly friends were encouraging her to learn more and more.  Once Zecora was a pariah, now she was almost as much a celebrity as the six hero ponies of Ponyville.  Apple Bloom looked up to Zecora the way Scootaloo looked up to Rainbow Pie-Dash.

As Zecora left the boundaries of the forest, she headed directly into Ponyville.  She was almost to Sugarcube Corner when the feeling of something out of place hit her.  She looked and saw Pinkie charging toward Bubbles and Twilight Sparkle.  What she saw next was not something she had expected.  Pinkie was surrounded by a red aura.  Pinkie projected that aura at Bubbles, lifting and moving her away from Twilight.  Then Pinkie struck Twilight across the face, knocking her down.  Pinkie reared up to bring her hooves down on Twilight’s head.  It could have been a death blow.

Zecora shouted in her native language a command taught to her by old Kin’la, her mentor.

There was a bright flash around Pinkie.  The red aura was still there but she was frozen mid-action.   Pinkie’s eyes looked this way and that.  But that was the only motion from the pink pony.

Rainbow Dash came flying up.

“Twi!  What did you do to her?”

“It wasn’t me Rainbow, I didn’t have time to do anything!”

“Then who did?” Asked Bubbles.

At that moment, Zecora came trotting up.

“It was I who did it, Bubbles my dear;

I could not let Pinkie hurt Twilight right here.”

“Thank you, Zecora.  You must teach me that sometime.” Said Twilight.

Zecora just smiled and nodded her head.  Then chanted another command that the rest didn’t understand.  Pinkie collapsed, her eyes closed, but the aura was still there.

“What did you do now?” exclaimed Rainbow.

“She is only asleep now, but I think it best;

To take her to my hut, to discus the rest.”

Twilight levitated the motionless Pinkie and started to follow Zecora.  Bubbles and Rainbow followed.  Bubbles noticed blood oozing from the corner of Twilight’s mouth where Pinkie hit her.

“Are you alright Darling?” asked Bubbles to Twilight, “you’re bleeding.”

“I am fine for now.  I think Pinkie knocked a couple teeth loose.  I am starting to feel it.”

“Fixing your teeth will be easy, my friend;

But fixing Pinkie may be harder in the end.”

They entered the Everfree Forest and followed the well worn path to Zecora’s hut.  Once inside, Zecora motioned to put Pinkie on her bed.  Zecora busied herself gathering some herbs and berries, put them in a mortar, and ground them with a pestle.   Then she dumped the ingredients into her cauldron.  There was a puff of green smoke.  Zecora took a ladle, dipped it into the brew, and then poured the measure into a drinking bowl.

Zecora then motioned Twilight to take the bowl.

“Drink it down, every last drop;

It will fix your teeth and cause the bleeding to stop.”

Twilight levitated the bowl to her mouth.  Trusting Zecora, downed it quickly.  There was a tingling in her mouth, she felt the teeth moving.  Then all was still.  Twilight felt the teeth with her tongue.  They were solidly imbedded in her jaw.  She also noticed that the taste of blood had stopped as had the pain.

“Thank you Zecora,” said Twilight.  “Again, I am in your debt.”

“Your friendship is all the payment I need;

But now, Pinkie’s story I must now heed.”

Twilight started to relate what had happened a few months ago when Shooting Star, Bubbles’ late ex-husband appeared from the past.  And also the crash that all but killed Pinkie.  How she was crushed by Shooting Star’s insistence that he would keep herself from her beloved Bubbles and children.  Then overhearing that Pinkie was about to die and Rainbow swearing to kill herself when it happened because she did not want to go on without Pinkie.  Twilight told how devastated it made her, she felt that she was about to loose her love her family and two of her best friends.  It was then she remembered an obscure spell for trading your life-force for another pony’s.  She was just about to do the spell when Shooting Star knocked her out with a spell of his own, and while she was out, he performed the spell and gave his life to Pinkie.

“After this time is when, I presume;

That Pinkie’s troubles started to bloom?”

“Shooting Star had left a book inscribed to me.  When I read the inscription, Pinkie quoted some fact about the book, saying it was Shooting Stars favorite chapter.”  Related Twilight.

“That is strange, I must admit’

But is there more that’s not been revealed yet?”

“Well,” said Bubbles, “I met Pinkie at Sugarcube Corner.  She had just went back to work.  When I left she called me B.H.”

“Oh dear Bubbles, that’s really rich;

Why would Pinkie call you a bitch?”

Twilight snickered.  Bubbles kicked her shin.

“Ouch!” exclaimed Twilight.

“No!” said Bubbles slightly annoyed, “B.H.  Bubbles Hooves!  It is a nickname that Shooting Star called me when we first started dating.  Later that day I met Pinkie coming out of the library, she ‘goosed’ me in a very private ticklish spot that only Shooting Star and Twilight knew about.”

“Oh yea, where?”  whispered Rainbow to Twilight.

“Rainbow!” exclaimed Bubbles.

Twilight continued with her experience from that day.

“I came into the main floor of the library, there was Pinkie surrounded by advanced magic books.  She said she had just read all of them and asked for another.  I told her where it was, when I turned to get it, it was gone and Pinkie had it.  I turned again to look and the book was back, in fact all the books were back in their place.  And I would swear that Pinkie had not gotten out of her seat.”

“This is good information to know;

But I believe there’s more, am I right Rainbow?”

“It’s rather personal.”  Said Rainbow, here friends had never seen Rainbow this embarrassed.

“If you wish to help Pinkie, the truth must be had;

Otherwise the end of this all will be sad!”

Rainbow blushed and took a deep breath.

“Last night, Pinkie came to bed and pulled me up to my back knees.  She proceeded to perform oral sex.  I was really getting into it when she stopped.  She mounted my back and I felt something penetrate my marehood, just like a colt’s ‘thing’.  You know the feeling, there’s no mistaking it.”

Bubbles and Zecora nodded their heads.

“Actually, no,” said Twilight quietly, lowering her head embarrassed.

“You aren’t missing anything my Darling,” whispered Bubbles nuzzling her wife.

“I thought Pinkie had got a new sex toy.  It was feeling really good.  When the orgasm hit, it did for Pinkie also.  But instead of her normal noise, she let out a cry, I swear I felt something hot pumping in me for a moment.  Pinkie rolled off and I was about to kiss her when I noticed the red glow around her.  I also noticed that there was no sex toy.  I ran into the bathroom to check inside my marehood, but there was nothing.  I perhaps imagined  it.   But when I came back into the room, Pinkie was still glowing.  She turned to me and said,

‘You are still the best........’”

“...lay in all Equestria, Bubbles.” Finished Bubbles.  “Shooting Star would always say that after sex!”

Twilight looked a little uncomfortable.

“Sorry Darling,” whispered Bubbles.

Rainbow looked unnerved.

“I lost my temper,” said Rainbow, “I threatened to slap her for fantasizing about Bubbles during sex, I then went too far and said that I was going to talk to Twilight and accuse her of having an affair with Bubbles.”

There was a tears rolling down Rainbow’s cheek.

“I’m so, so sorry Bubbles, I lost my head, I know that you and Pinkie could never do that.  I guess after all these years of denial, I’ve become quite possessive of Pinkie.

She told me this morning about contacting you, Twilight, about changing her last name to Dash and dropping the Pie.  I never thought I could feel this much love for anypony, so the thought of Pinkie being with another pony hurt so much.”

“The Princess signed those papers and I have them in the library.  We were going to give them to you at dinner tomorrow,” said Twilight.

Bubbles hugged Rainbow, Rainbow cried hard.

Zecora looked at the ground, as if in thought, then she spoke to Twilight.

“What was the spell, Shooting Star did use;

I must know, or Pinkie we may loose.”

Twilight started to speak in terms that only she and Zecora understood.  It was if they were speaking in another language.

“I know this spell, if your words are true;

It is one that was known to my tribe too.

There must be preparation of the mind, you see;

Or trouble with the results there will be.

If the mind is not bound to the spirit, or so I’ve heard;

Then more than the life-force is transferred.

Instead of the spell being a means of salvation;

It becomes a vehicle of possession!”

“I doubt Shooting Star knew of this, or had time to do the preparation.”  Said Twilight.  Then Twilight’s eyes went wide and looked at Bubbles, “or perhaps he did know this.”

“Oh no!” said Bubbles in horror.

“That makes sense!”  said Rainbow, “Pinkie has been having nightmares about her crash.  She is in a dark tunnel and there is a stallion that she describes as gray with red mane and tail.”

“Shooting Star!” exclaimed Bubbles and Twilight.

“He tells Pinkie that when he gave her his life, he took hers.  Then Pinkie is drawn into what can only be described as hell.”

“There is no more room for debate;

We must act before it is too late!”

Chapter Four: A Dark Journey

CHAPTER FOUR

A Dark Journey

It took a lot of persuasion to get Rainbow to leave the hut with Pinkie unconscious.  But Zecora told her that she needed assistance and there was only one pony to do this.  And Rainbow Dash was the only pony who could go and get them and come back quickly.  To all’s surprise, the pony she wanted was Apple Bloom.

It was a bigger surprise when Rainbow Dash barged in on Miss Cheerilee’s spelling test and insisted that there was a medical emergency and Apple Bloom was needed for it.

Dinky, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon (who both had become better friends with the CMC’s after Twilight saved Diamond from expulsion from school), were worried for their friend.  They thought something was wrong with Granny Smith, Big Mac or Applejack.

Rainbow told Apple Bloom on the way that Zecora had requested her assistance.  This was no surprise to Apple Bloom.  But Apple Bloom did thoroughly enjoy the ride on Rainbow’s back.  She could see why Scootaloo was so stoked about the flying lessons that Rainbow was giving her.

They arrived at Zecora’s hut.  Apple Bloom got off Rainbow’s back but was courteous enough to thank her for the ride.

On entering, Apple Bloom and Zecora greeted each other in words the rest of the ponies did not understand, then gave formal kisses to each others cheeks.

Rainbow stood by the bed so she could be by Pinkie, she was being reminded of a similar time with Pinkie laying on a bed comatose, not that very long ago.  Rainbow did not know if even her daredevil nerves could take much of that again.  Rainbow was stroking Pinkie’s mane and speaking quietly.

“Hold on Pink,” said Rainbow, “I won’t let anything happen to you, I swear.  I love you too much to lose you.”

Then Rainbow leaned in and kissed Pinkie lightly on the lips.

Zecora was consulting some scrolls and then turned to Apple Bloom and spoke;

“Empty the caldron and fill it anew;

Fresh water must be had for the next brew.”

Apple Bloom walked over the cauldron as if to size it up.  Twilight knew that the filly could not move such a large vessel full of liquid by herself, at least the Earth Pony way.  Twilight started to go over to help her, when Zecora put a hoof out to stop her.

“I thank you for your offer, but I must insist;

The apprentice is able to handle this.”

Apple Bloom stood in front of the cauldron, she lowered her head and closed her eyes.  She started chanting something in a quiet voice.  Nopony could quite hear it or at least, understand it.

Twilight looked at Zecora who was smiling proudly, then Twilight looked back at Apple Bloom.

“Now you will heed;

Why your help she did not need.”

Twilight was use to the working of magic, but this was new to her.  There was no magic aura around the cauldron, at least what she was accustom to.  She thought she could detect the air around it shimmer.  Then to the surprise of all but Zecora, the cauldron rose about a foot off the fire and proceeded Apple Bloom out the door.

“Would you look at that!” said Rainbow.

“I did not realize that Apple Bloom was studying under you, Zecora,”  said Twilight.  “If I can be any help in the future, please let me know.”

Zecora smiled and nodded.

Apple Bloom came back with the caldron.  She maneuvered it on the fire.  She then went out and quickly came back with more firewood.  It was stacked around the caldron neatly.  Then again to everyone’s surprise (except Zecora) the filly said a word of command which caused the fire to intensify.

“I did not realize that Apple Bloom had such abilities.” Said Bubbles.

“I am not allowed to use anything I have learned without Zecora’s supervision,” said Apple Bloom.

“A wise policy,” said Twilight,” I have seen the reason why, when I was in school.”

Zecora started to gather some herbs from a chest against the wall.  Twilight recognized what she was using.

“I beg your pardon, Zecora, but aren’t they poisonous?” asked Twilight.

“If eaten without care, poison they would be;

But used the right way, the results you will see.

I will not lie, the risks are high;

But to go where you must, you must all but die.

But to save Pinkie’s soul, then it is a must;

My words you must head and my skills you must trust”

“Are you saying that we must come close to death, and that there is a possibility that we may not come back?”  asked Twilight.

Zecora gravely nodded her head.  She informed them that it must be Twilight and Rainbow that would have do this.

Twilight looked at Bubbles.  There was fear in her eyes.  Twilight knew from memories shared at Dawn’s birth, that she had watched her husband die.  The same look was now on her face.

Rainbow was struggling with thoughts she had before.  Could she willingly give up her life, the life that she loved so much for a friend, or even for her beloved Pink.

She looked over at Twilight and Bubbles, they were embracing.  Bubbles had just told Twilight that she knew that Twilight was ready to die for Pinkie and Rainbow once before, and even if she could talk Twilight out of it, Twilight would regret not taking the chance for the rest of her life.

Rainbow felt shame, Twilight had nothing at risk with this but she was going to do this for Pinkie and for herself.  For a pony who had not known anything about friendship just a hoof-full of years ago, Twilight was willing to practice the highest level of friendship, that of love.  The words returned to Rainbow;

‘No greater love has anypony than that they lay down their life for another pony’

Did Twilight love Pinkie more than herself.  She had denied Pinkie for so long, and now she had accepted her as the love of her life.  Why did Twilight love Pinkie so much, but Dash also realized that Twilight also loved herself.

The most random of thoughts hit her at that time, perhaps being around Pinkie so much was having an effect on her.  She remembered Twilight’s love crisis after Bon-Bon and Lyra’s wedding.  When Twilight mistakenly thought that she was wanting to have sex with Twilight.  Now, just out of a newly perceived understanding, and yes, love for this friend, she wished she had at least once.

Then Rainbow heard her name;

“Rainbow, are you in?” asked Twilight.

Not wanting to appear reluctant she chimed in;

“Of course, what are we waiting for?”

They placed the unconscious Pinkie on the floor.  Zecora had drawn with chalk many strange glyphs around her unmoving form.  Zecora then mixed up her brew, it smelled nasty.  She instructed Rainbow and Twilight to lay on either side of Pinkie and hold her hoof.

Bubbles stood off to the side, not sure if she wanted to watch this or not.  But love made her strong.

“After you drink the brew,

I can not assist you.

You will know what you will have to do;

You will come back only when your task is through.

If Pinkie can not be spared;

Then her fate you will share.”

Then Zecora did something that Twilight had never witnessed before, she spoke plainly.  Repeating her warning so to give weight and understanding to her words.

“You understand that you do not have to do this.  But once started it can not be undone until you have accomplished your task,” Zecora paused, “or you will expire.  All of Pinkie is not here, nor has all of Shooting Star gone away.  This is the task you must accomplish, you must go and get the rest of her from the underworld!”

Bubbles was trying not to cry.  She walked to Rainbow bent down and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“Good luck, bring back Pinkie,” said Bubbles.

Then she went to Twilight and gave her what she hoped was not the final passionate kiss.

“Bring them both back, my love,” she said.

“Don’t worry,” said Twilight trying to be brave, “I will.”

“Hey!” said Rainbow trying to lighten things up for herself, “Twilight gets an awesome kiss and I get one that I would have been disappointed with if my mother had kissed me that way!”

Despite the grave situation all got a chuckle.

“I will let Pinkie fix that for you,” said Bubbles, “when you get back.”

“When you are done and a path you do lack;

Follow the chant and drum, to find your way back.”

Zecora then levitated two drinking bowls and dipped them in the brew.

“You must drink these dry;

Or else all you will do is die.”

The bowls floated to Rainbow and Twilight, they opened their mouths and the foul liquid poured in.  It was the worst thing they had ever tasted.

Zecora started to chant and Apple Bloom started to beat a steady beat on a drum.

It did not take long.  Twilight felt her stomach on fire, it spread through her quickly.  As it hit her brain, everything grew dim.  She felt colder than when she was in the arctic on the way to the Crystal Empire.  Soon she could not feel her limbs, her sight was going, the last thing she saw was Bubbles crying.  There was a ringing in her ears which was growing softer and softer until the only thing she heard was the chant and the drum.  It felt as if she was holding her breath but try as she might, she could not take a breath.  Then all was black, there was no longer the feeling of breathlessness, no numb feeling in her limbs, no feeling at all, not even the cold.  There was only the chant and the drum.

Then the black gave way to a misty, half dark world.  The mist started to lighten up, she saw Rainbow laying on the ground, if ground it was.  Twilight stood up and walked to her friend and shook her.

“Rainbow!” she said loudly, “are you with me?”

The pegasus moaned then slowly opened her eyes, looked around then focused on Twilight.

“So this is the place Pink tells me about, when she feels like talking about her crash.”

Rainbow got up, helped by Twilight.  Somehow Twilight’s touch gave her strength and reassurance.

“Let’s get going and find Pinkie," said Twilight concerned, “I don’t think we can spend too much time in doing this.”

“Nor do I want to,” answered Rainbow.  “I don’t think ponies were meant to spend too much time here.”

They looked around and saw ghostly shapes of ponies all going in one direction, just on the edge of sight.  There was also the sound of the chant and the drum.

“I guess we go this way,” said Twilight, pointing in the direction of the way the specters were headed.

Rainbow and Twilight walked together so close that they were touching.  The feel of the warmth of Rainbow was the only physical sensation she was having.  It was comforting.  Rainbow was feeling the same.

The touch awakened something in Twilight.  She could remember, or was it a premonition?  In here time was not certain.  She and Rainbow were grieving together, finding comfort in the forelegs of the other.  Passion was the only solace for the pain that they had been feeling for years.  Twilight could feel that they were in love.  There was the memory of making love with Rainbow.  It was not better or worse than with Bubbles.  It was different, and that made it special.  But this was another time, to come or gone by, she could not tell.

Twilight looked at Rainbow, Rainbow was looking back at her.

Rainbow lowered her head as if embarrassed and said;

“I am sorry I may have hurt your feelings in the past, your flanks are actually hot, they were never too scrawny.”

“I have always admired your physical prowess, the way all that activity has sculpted your body,  I only called you a show-off to hide my feelings.” Said Twilight, “I just wanted you to know just in case we never make it back.”

There was a sudden urge to embrace each other, but they fought it as neither the place or the time.

As they went along, they saw a glow, they were not sure if it was coming toward them or they it.  Then the mist around it cleared.

“Princess Celestia!” cried both ponies at once.

Bubbles looked at her love and her two friends.  Twilight and Rainbow were pale, deathly pale.  She could hardly see them breathing.  She was frightened beyond words.   She had so many things she wanted to ask Zecora, but she was told not to say anything while the chant and drum were going.  It had been hours and she wanted to cry, but was afraid that she would distract Zecora or Apple Bloom, and then there would be no way back for any of them.

“Yes it is I,” said the princess.  “You were going to learn about this quality of my position soon anyway Twilight.  I am indeed the guardian and guide of Equestria’s dead.  I exist here and in the world of the living at the same time.  You will learn this one day, but now is not the time to talk about that.”

“We are so glad you are here, will you help us with getting Pinkie back!” asked Rainbow.

“I am sorry my dear Rainbow Dash, here I can not interfere with the natural course of things.  I am only a guide.” Said the princess, “but as guardian I could not allow even you Twilight to hinder those who have already gone.  There is time for Pinkie, but not much.”

“Then as guide can you tell us where to go to find Pinkie?” asked Twilight.

Celestia smiled and pointed in  the direction they had been going.

“There is only one way here, normally.  Just follow the other ponies,” said Celestia.  “But beware, I sense great magic, there could be obstacles!”

With that Celestia faded and no other questions could be asked.

The two friends walked on, this time afraid to touch.  But they would glance at each other from time to time.  They walked on for what seemed like forever.  Twilight could not take the awkward silence any longer.  She stopped and turned to Rainbow, who stopped at the same time.

“Listen Rainbow,” said Twilight, “we can’t go on like this.  I am sure that you had the same thing happen to you as I did.  I don’t know if it was a premonition, a memory from a past life (if there is such a thing), or just a fantasy.  But we have to work together on this to save Pinkie, we have loving wives to go back to and we can not become afraid to interact with each other because of amorous feelings that we might have or had or will have for each other.  So I want to clear the air, as it were, and then we have to go on with what we have to do.”

Rainbow looked intensely, Twilight swallowed hard.

“Before Bubbles, I was never really drawn to anypony, and you know that.  But even before that thing after Bon-Bon and Lyra’s wedding, I had always thought that you would be a pony, that if I was to give into feelings, I would have wanted to be with.  You are outgoing, athletic and not afraid to say and do what you wanted.  Everything I am not.  But I never followed up on it because of my studies and my inexperience, but most of all, I was afraid of rejection.  You were and still are a very popular pony and I was sure that you had enough ‘relationships’ that I would not have been of any interest to you being the ‘Egg-Head’ you always accused me of being.”

Rainbow looked into Twilight’s eyes, she was trying to figure the right way to say what she was thinking.

“That first day we met, when I plowed into you, knocking you in the mud.  I did that on purpose, I had seen you from a distance, and what I saw was a very cute pony.  You know my ‘proclivities’, so seeing a cute mare that I had not met, I wanted to get to meet you somehow.  So I did the ‘Rainbow Dash’ thing and tackled you.  Even though we were laying in the mud, the feeling of being on top of you, you being warm and soft, it was all I could do not to ‘take you’ right then and there.  After that I tried to do my best not to think about it.  To just be friends was, and still is a very hard thing.  I said the scrawny flanks things to mask my true feelings.”

“True feelings?” asked Twilight.

“There were and to a point, still are times, when you are walking in front of me, your adorable flanks in plain sight, your marehood peeking out from under your tail occasionally.  I just want to stick my muzzle in between your flanks and, as Pinkie says, ‘eat you with a spoon’.”

“I never knew that any pony had any kind of feelings for me.  I had thought that Bubbles was an exception, that everypony just loved Twilight as a ‘friend’.”

“Twi,” said Rainbow with an odd gleam in her eyes, “there are friends and there are friends.  You know what I mean?  I could name several ponies who would trade their best set of horseshoes to be with you!”

“No way!” said Twilight.

“If you tell anypony that I told you this, I will deny it.  But that pony at the Quill and Sofa shop, I overheard him say after one of your visits that he would love to break in one of the new sofas with you.  That artist Claude Ponet, he told me once that he really wanted you to do some erotic poses for him, some he would even paint!

And not just the stallions.  That pony that works at the Children’s Home where Scootaloo lives, Candy Mane I believe.  I overheard heard her once when I was picking up Scoot, that she would love to make a romantic dinner for you.  And that one mare that looks kind of like Sparkler, but a little lighter in color and has a two dolphin cutie mark, Sea Swirl.  She told me that she would love to cover your marehood with honey and take a whole day to make sure that she had licked it clean.”

Twilight was shocked.

“Twi, you are loved and even lusted after.  Don’t sell yourself short.  Given the chance I would.....”

With that Rainbow kissed Twilight a fairly passionate kiss.  Twilight experienced a different kind of breathlessness.  Twilight wanted to break the kiss right away, she did not understand why she did not.  After, they both just stood there looking into each others eyes.

“I don’t know if it is this place or what we were talking about, I am not even sure that we will remember all this, if we get back.  But I will explain to Bubbles, if I have to, that I kissed you.  But I had to try once, just in case we don’t make it back.”

“I won’t lie to Bubbles,” said Twilight, “so if she ever asks, I will have to tell her the truth.”

“Fair enough,” said Rainbow with a wink, “let’s get moving before we both have some explaining that neither of us would want to do.”

They trotted off in the proper direction.  Still careful about touching, but no longer afraid to.  Wondering if this is one of the obstacles Celestia spoke of.

Chapter Five: Going Ahead

CHAPTER FIVE

Going Ahead

Pinkie felt the voice inside her saying that this was all going to be over soon.  And she would be free to go.

‘Go where?’ thought Pinkie to the voice.

‘Why, to go home, if this works out.’ It said, ‘but if you work against me, then it will be limbo for the both of us.  Me in you forever, making your non-existence an eternal nightmare!  And don’t try to do anything sneaky, I am in your head, I know you, I know your friends.  I know everything you know, they will not let you die, so I will get back and have Bubbles in your body or Twilight’s.  With my knowledge and Twilight’s power, I will rule not only Equestria, but the world as well.’

‘Why do you want to do this,’ thought Pinkie, ‘I know as well as you that you are not really Shooting Star.  You are some kind of incomplete copy..’

“Stop that!’ commanded the voice, ‘I am Shooting Star, I am at least his knowledge, his power, his force of will.  I will continue.  I don’t need any of that compassion or sentiment garbage.

Bubbles will love me, the world will beg me to rule them, and I will comply to all their requests with the authority and cruelty they so desire!’

‘And they think that I am loco!’ thought Pinkie.

There was a severe pain shoot through pinkie.

‘Wrong thinking will be punished, right thinking will be rewarded!’ said the voice.

Pinkie took the pain, but she failed to give the voice the pleasure of crying out.

‘You think you are strong,’ said the voice with a laugh.  ‘I am just toying with you.  I can make you scream for me to toss you through the portal before I would be done!’

‘Dashie will save me!  Twilight will destroy you!’

‘Your Rainbow Dash could never harm me.  She would be swept away like dust before me on a whim!

Although I will try to salvage as much of her as I can.  That sex we had with her was quite satisfying,  Perhaps I, through Twilight’s body, will show her the power of Unicorn Horn Sex.  Yes, she would be a nice addition to my stable.

And your Twilight Sparkle will not sparkle as much as she thinks, she will find her magic does not work here like in the other world.

Why do you think we read all those books in the library?’

‘I thought you were trying to bore me to death!’ thought Pinkie.

‘You still try to be funny, even here where I could dispose of you forever!’

‘No you can’t,’ thought Pinkie, ‘without me you will never see Bubbles again.  I don’t think you have truly thought this out.  I could want to save my friends and just jump through the portal now and save them all.’

‘You wouldn’t!’

Pinkie started to walk in the direction of the portal.  The agonizing pain shot through her again.  She stumbled on, the pain grew until her knees buckled.

‘I know that you can not do worse to me, you feel it too!’ said Pinkie.  Then in a flash of insight, ‘you say that you can dispose of me, I can dispose of you.  You will get tired of the pain as well.  We will see who’s will is stronger.  I have the love of my friends and my wife to defend.  You only have misguided anger.  Who stands to gain more in dying?’

Shooting Star started to worry.  Perhaps he had underestimated this pony.  She was not the idiot he thought that would be easy to control.  She had a brand of deep twisted logic that he could not even begin to understand.  He now, like Pinkie, was hoping that Twilight would get there soon.

Twilight and Rainbow walked on.  Without landmarks, it was difficult to tell if they were truly moving.  The mist would move past them and they would get the feeling of forward movement.  Then it would move with them and give the feeling of standing still.  The mist would shift and would come from behind and past them giving the perception of going backward.

All the time the ghostly ponies were on the edge of vision.

“I guess with these poor souls around us are still going our way, then we must be going in the right direction," said Twilight.

They walked on for a bit.  Still glancing at each other, despite coming to terms with what had happened.  And the glances were not always in the direction of the others eyes.  However, Twilight managed to make sure that she did not get ahead of Rainbow, even though she was pretty sure that Rainbow had not brought any spoons with her.

The floor, if floor it was, was as flat and smooth as polished stone.  It was pitch black, that is why Twilight did not see the gaping chasm in front of her.  Her fore-hooves steeped down on nothing.  She had totally lost her balance, there was no chance of her rearing up on her hind legs.  She felt herself plunging forward and downward.

Her fall was checked as soon as it started.  But it felt like forever.  Rainbow had caught Twilight’s tail in her mouth.  Twilight had been caught like this before, but then Rainbow had no problem pulling her back, such is the lift strength of pegasus’ wings.   But she could tell that Rainbow was struggling.

“Scramble back!  Help me!” said the pegasus through gritted teeth and Twilight’s tail.

They both went back the little distance to safety and collapsed to the floor.  Twilight heard and felt Rainbow spit her tail out.

“Putttt!  Hey Egg-Head, nice view, got any spoons on you?”

“Right now,” said Twilight, trying to get her breath under control, “if I had one I would give it to you.”

Twilight got to her feet.  Crept forward to the edge.  On closer examination, she could make out the color of the floor and the edge of the abyss.

Then turning back to Rainbow who was still panting on the floor.

“You were struggling, are you not able to fly well in this atmosphere?”

“It felt like that the air could barely support me.  I think it was pure panic that allowed me to pull you back.” Said Rainbow, then with a wicked smile, “I just kept thinking that if I came back without you, Bubbles would send me here for real!

Had I known how strong of will and body she really was when she was on the weather team, I might have been nicer to her.”

Twilight smiled despite the grim situation.  She helped Rainbow back up to her hooves.  Twilight looked around at the ghostly ponies.  They were continuing without the aid of a floor.

“I am worried about something,” said Twilight, “Pinkie was reading a book on the dark magic of spirits.  I had not read that since I lived in Canterlot.  “I think I remember that it told how normal magic would work differently in the spirit realm, which is where we must be.”

Twilight then looked around on the floor, she saw a small blue downy feather that Rainbow must have shed in the exertion.  She closed her eyes, visualizing the feather.  She attempted the first and easiest spell a unicorn learns, levitation.

Rainbow saw the purple aura around the feather, it lifted off the about two feet, then Twilight cried out and it dropped to the floor.

“It felt like when I lifted the Ursa Minor!” said Twilight.

Rainbow walked over to it and blew, it drifted in the air, just like a feather.

“Do you think that you can fly ahead and see how far the chasm stretches?” asked Twilight.

Rainbow beat her wings furiously, she lifted up a couple feet and then went forward.  She had cleared the edge of the pit when her wings simply gave out, with a cry she plummeted down.  It was a cry, but not of terror, but of surprise.

“Twi!” said Rainbow, “the pit is three feet deep.  The worse you might have gotten was a bloody muzzle if you landed on your face!”

“This is getting weirder and weirder!” said Twilight, “pitfalls that are only three feet deep, feathers that weigh tons.  The best flyer in Ponyville....”

“Equestria,” interjected Rainbow.

“Equestria,” said Twilight, “who can’t fly ten yards without giving out.”

“It is like everything is in reverse,” responded Rainbow.

“Everything in reverse?” said Twilight, to nopony in particular.

“Hold still Rainbow,” said Twilight.

A purple aura surrounded Rainbow,  She lifted off the floor, she went away from Twilight then back.  It was a little unnerving flying without being in control.  She settled down just in front of Twilight.

“What was that for?” asked Rainbow.

“You weigh a lot more than a feather, so I was seeing how hard it was to move you.  I would have tried something else, but we seem to be short of objects to try, said Twilight.  “And it was easier to move you than the feather.  Let’s try this, fly ahead about ten yards and back, but barely flap your wings.”

Rainbow nodded and complied, her wings barely moved yet she shot off the floor and ahead overshooting the ten yard mark by a score of yards or more.  She then  turned and with a little more control, landed by Twilight.

“That is freaky!” said Rainbow.

“I think that somepony is counting on us not to know these things,” said Twilight.   When confronted, we will need to feign ignorance until it is absolutely necessary.  Let’s get going, we need to find Pinkie, and I have no idea how long we have been at this or how much longer we can go on."

With that the two ponies trotted off in the direction the ghostly ponies were headed.  It was hard to tell how long they were going.  Time did not appear to matter here, but exertion did take a toll on a pony.

After a while, Rainbow noticed that Twilight was having a little trouble walking, she would falter on some steps.  Her eyes were glazed and drooping.  Rainbow realized that Twilight, being a unicorn, did not have a pegasus’ stamina.  After all it took a lot more out of a pony to fly than to be an ‘Egg-Head’.  But she was putting up a good face, perhaps not wanting to show weakness to her friend.

“Twilight stop,” said Rainbow, “we cannot go on like this if you are dead on your hooves, no pun intended.  I think we can afford a short rest.  It will not do Pinkie any good if we have to fight and we are already worn out.”

Twilight started to argue, but she conceded to the logic.

“You lay down,” said Rainbow, “I will watch for a while.”

Twilight lay down on her side.  As she lay there she started to shiver and toss and turn, obviously the floor was uncomfortable and cold.

“Twi!” said Rainbow, sitting down, her hind legs jutting out on front of her, “lay your head on my lap.  It is softer than the floor and perhaps it will keep you a little warmer.”

Twilight, too tired to argue, did as she was told.  Rainbow could tell her friend was asleep in no time.  With out knowing why Rainbow started to slowly and gently stroke Twilight’s mane.  It was soft and soothing to the touch.

The memories of earlier started to come back to her.  Here was a pony that she was or will be in love with.  Perhaps to a point has been in love with at a certain level since she first met her.  The thoughts of how awesome sex was or will be with this mare was making her wet.  Pinkie was a freak in the sack.  But thoughts of the intense level of love and passion that Twilight delivered was more than anything Rainbow had ever experienced.

And she was right there for the taking.

Twilight had not fought the kiss, perhaps it would be as easy as that.  Perhaps the same argument would work, it was she that initiated it and Twilight was taken unaware.

She looked over at Twilight’s flanks, her tail twitching that way tails twitch when the pony is content.  The sight of those flanks so often denied, were there.  Round and smooth, her cutie mark appeared to be pointing the way.  It was making her own marehood tingle.

‘Go ahead, taker her!” said a voice in her head.  ‘You know that she would not admit it but you know that she wants you as much as you want her.  Maybe she is one of those mares that likes to be taken aggressively.  You know of what I am saying.’

‘I can’t do that,’ thought Rainbow, ‘she is my best friend, she was and is willing to give her life to save me and Pinkie.  How can I represent the element of Loyalty and be unfaithful to Pinkie.  Not to mention my relationship with Twilight, Bubbles and the rest of my friends?

‘You think they would ever know?’ asked the voice. ‘You don’t know that you will ever make it back.  This might be all that is left to you.  You might be gone at any moment now.  To die without ever tasting the forbidden fruit, literally.’

‘I better wake up Twilight before I give into my carnal impulses.’ Thought Rainbow, almost in a panic.

‘Before you do that, let me sweeten the deal,’ there was a pause.

To Rainbow’s surprise, Twilight tuned over, her muzzle was brushing up against Rainbow’s sensitive nipples, they erected instantly.  Twilight lay there just inches from her marehood.  She could feel Twilight’s breath against it and it was about to drive her wild!

‘You will come to the end of the tunnel soon and you will find Pinkie and myself,’ said the voice.

Rainbow almost panicked when she realized that it was a strange pony’s voice she was hearing and not just her inner self.

‘When you do, aid me.  If you deliver Twilight to me, then you can have her anytime you want, along with Pinkie, Bubbles and any other mare or stallion you want!  And at any time.  With my knowledge and Twilight’s power, I will rule the whole world and you will be my queen!  If you don’t or if you tell Twilight what has transpired here, then I will cast Pinkie to limbo, beyond any pony’s ability to retrieve her!’

Rainbow felt the presence leave her but she was not sure that it was gone.  She gently roused Twilight who was a little shocked to have Rainbow’s nipples in front of her.

“How long was I asleep?” asked Twilight.

“Who knows, it this place we may have been here for days or seconds.  The sooner we get out of here the better,” answered Rainbow.

She so much wanted to tell Twilight what had transpired, but she feared the threat of losing Pinkie.

The chanting and drumming had been going nonstop for thirty-six hours.  Bubbles would doze from time to time but she was too worried to sleep.  She could tell that neither Zecora or Apple Bloom could continue much longer.

Knowing that she could not talk to Zecora, Bubbles asked Apple Bloom;

“Is there nothing I can do to help?”

“Do you think you could repeat Zecora’s chant accurately?” asked the little filly.

“I think after all this time, I am going to hear it in my sleep, why?”

“You need to go find Scootaloo, bring her back here.  I know you don’t want to leave them, but if you don’t we may loose them all,” warned Apple Bloom.

Bubbles nodded, went to the door, looked back at her friends and her love.  Then she took to the sky.

Bubbles was not sure exactly what time it was so she climbed high to get a better view of Ponyville.  As it happened, school was letting out.  She saw Diamond Tiara, Dinky Star, Sweetie Belle and Silver Spoon walking together being that they lived in the same direction, Scootaloo looked as if she was saying good-buy to them.  Bubbles then went into a dive that would have impressed Rainbow Dash.

“I don’t know,” said Sweetie Belle.  “Applejack said that she had not heard from her, but if Rainbow Dash needed her, then she was sure that she was safe and that they would hear from her soon.”

“Plus my moms haven’t been seen either.” Said Dinky.

“I do hope they are all alright,” said Diamond, looking into Sweetie’s eyes. “I would hate it if something happened to them.”

Sweetie could feel comfort and concern in Diamond’s eyes.

“Like what?” asked Scootaloo, “it isn’t like somepony just swooped down out of the sky and carried them off!”

They all laughed.  That is until a blue-gray and blonde blur arced past and Scootaloo was gone!

“Scootaloo!” cried Dinky, Diamond, Silver and Sweetie at the same time.

They saw the form of a pegasus with Scootaloo hanging beneath them.  They were headed in the direction of the Everfree Forest.

“I think that was my mommy!” said Dinky running in the direction where the pony was headed.

The rest of the friends took off after Dinky.

Scootaloo almost passed out from the sudden g-forces.  She saw that she was already quite high off the ground, it was kind of exhilarating, she then looked up to see that it was Bubbles Sparkle that had picked her up.

“Wow! Mrs. Sparkle,” said Scootaloo in awe, “I did not know that a pegasus could pick up a load at that speed!”

“We normally can’t,” said Bubbles, “I have pulled every muscle in my shoulders and forelegs in doing this.  The only thing that keeps me from dropping you is concern for your safety.  If I were you, I would grip one of my forelegs, just in case.”

Scootaloo complied with Bubbles advice.  Along the way, Bubbles related what was going on and that Apple Bloom had asked for her help.

It did not take long to get back to Zecora’s, any faster then they might have experienced  a sonic rainboom!

Inside, nothing had changed, Bubbles cold tell the fatigue on Zecora and Apple Bloom.  Apple Bloom looked up and smiled.

“Scoot, I am glad to see you, we need your help.  Mrs. Sparkle if you could, sit by Zecora, and start chanting with her.  She will stop when she is sure that you have it right.  After that, you must not stop for nothing until Zecora relieves you.  Scoot, you need to match my drumming.  Don’t stop for anything or we could lose them all.  Just pay attention to the chant and keep rhythm.

The two complied to Apple Bloom’s instructions.  After a few moments, Zecora just laid down right there and was asleep in no time, as was Apple Bloom.

The chant became mind numbing, the pain in her shoulders and forelegs was pounding.  The only thing that kept her going was the thought that she could be the cause of her darling Twilight and her friends not coming back kept her going.  Scootaloo took what she was doing more seriously than she ever had anything in her life.  Rainbow was her hero, Twilight was one of her best friend’s mother and who did not love Pinkie?

Rainbow and Twilight trudged on, when something odd happened.

“Did that chanting change?”  Asked Rainbow.

Twilight cocked her head and listened.

“I would swear that is Bubbles voice!” said Twilight.  “I hope that is not a bad thing.  Perhaps we have been at this a while, for back there and Zecora needed a break.”

“We had better hurry up, I don’t like this even more.” Said Rainbow.

The two sped up to a trot, afraid to run into another pitfall that might be more than three feet deep, but just as afraid to get to Pinkie too late.

Chapter Six: The Ultimate Sacrifice

CHAPTER SIX

The Ultimate Sacrifice

The tunnel or world or realm or what ever it is was starting to become mind-numbing.  They could not tell if it was miles that they had traveled or if by some cruel trick had just stayed in place.   However, the only sign that they were making any progress was the occasional pitfalls.  Some were just a mild dip, others were about the same as the first.  However they did come across one that they could not determine the bottom.  It was a good thing that they were so wary or they might have just stepped off into nothingness.  Rainbow Dash was able to fly across with some difficulty in getting the control of her flight.  She had to almost do everything the reverse of what her tuned instincts  were telling her.

Twilight found that her teleportation did not work here, or at least in a way she had as yet discovered.  She decided to levitate herself across, fearing all the way that she would lose control and plummet to nothingness.

They continued on despite the growing sense of futility.  They were not sure if it was the place, something that was being projected on them or they were really about to give up.

Rainbow had not had any good rest.  Even when Twilight was sleeping, she had stayed awake to watch over them.  Now it was getting to her.  She normally would take several cat naps a day when she could.  But now she felt like she had not slept in years.

“Twilight,” said Rainbow, “we have to stop.  I can’t take one more step.”

Twilight turned and looked at her friend.  She was about to say something about the urgency of the situation when Rainbow collapsed to the floor.

“Rainbow!” shouted Twilight.

She ran to her friend, Twilight cradled Rainbow’s head.  Rainbow looked up at her and smiled.

“I was wondering what it would take to get some attention from you.”

Despite the disparity of feelings she was fighting, Twilight bent down and gave Rainbow a small kiss on the lips.

“Sleep now Rainbow,” said Twilight, “it is my turn to watch.”

Rainbow did not argue.  Almost as soon as the words had left Twilight’s mouth, the blue pegasus was asleep.

The situation gave her a chance to rest as well.  She only wished that her mind would rest.

Those other feelings were starting to intensify again.  Here she was holding a mare that she had hidden the fact that she was attracted to, hidden even from herself.  She looked on Rainbow’s roguish features, the little smile she was doing right now.  That rainbow mane was always a marvel to Twilight.

She so much wanted to run her hooves through it.  She wanted to stroke the fine blue coat of this special pony.

From just supporting her head, Twilight could feel the toned muscles just below the skin.  The feeling of Rainbow was a paradox.  She was as soft as any mare but she was as hard as any stallion.  Then looking down the length of her body, Twilight was starting to fight with the feelings that Rainbow had fought when she was sleeping.

It would be so easy to gently wake her with kisses that Twilight was sure that Rainbow would not fight.  She would work her way down that lovely neck to her strong chest.  Continuing on stopping for nothing, except perhaps to linger on the nipples that she could now see.  Kissing on until Rainbow’s marehood was before her.  Twilight would dive in and please this closest of friends, pouring out all of her skill to bring to climax this mare that she now knew that there was not any doubt that she loved.  She did not even consider in her fantasy Rainbow doing anything for herself, it did not matter.  That was not what this would be all about.  If Twilight was to loose the last thread of control, it would be about showing this mare just how much she was desired and loved.

Twilight was not sure if Rainbow was asleep for minutes or hours, but she started to stir.

“Is the air in here getting bad?” asked Rainbow, “you are breathing awful hard.”

“Sorry,” said Twilight, “I was just thinking.”

Rainbow knew better than to ask what she had been thinking about.  She knew what, and the only reason Twilight had not asked her the same when she woke up was that Rainbow was able to control her breathing better.

But ‘it must have been a good one’, thought Rainbow to get Twilight breathing that hard.

They stood up, got their bearings from the direction of the ghostly ponies and continued on.

Shooting Star could feel Rainbow Dash coming nearer.  She had been easy to influence.  Rainbow operated at a more basic level, relying on her impulses and instincts.  She was not stupid but with the basic level that she operated, it made it easy for him to use the spirit magic to contact and to a small degree, control.

Twilight was different.  She was logical, controlled and suspicious of everything.  Even her passions were tempered with understanding and control.  He could understand why Bubbles had chosen her.  She was much like himself originally.  He had no chance of trying to interfere with her at this point, so he had to rely on the hold he was having on the pegasus.

The only problem, if problem it was, was that the pegasus had a very strong loyalty streak.

‘That is because her Element of Harmony is Loyalty.’ Thought Pinkie.

‘You think that you have some advantage by knowing what I am thinking,’ thought Shooting Star.  ‘Don’t!  I can still control you, Rainbow and even Twilight!  This will be easy, I will return to the real world in one of your bodies.  I will take my knowledge and I will rule!’

‘And ponies will just submit to you without any question.’ Said Pinkie, ‘I know that Twilight and Rainbow would gladly be killed rather than have you try to overthrow Celestia.  As far as myself, you have not paid any attention that I have already walked to the edge of the portal and it would only take one more time that you are not paying attention for me to jump through!’

Shooting Star realized that what Pinkie had thought was true, they were at the very brink.

‘The only reason I have not done it yet is I want to watch Rainbow and Twilight send you straight to hell!’ said Pinkie in a way that made Shooting unsure.

‘You wouldn’t!’ thought Shooting Star in a panic, ‘you love life too much just to throw it away!’

‘My happiness is based on my friends, and especially my love for my wife, Rainbow Dash!  I would gladly take you to hell myself if it meant that Rainbow went home free and that the threat of you gone forever from the world!’  Thought Pinkie, ‘maybe I should take that last step now!’

Shooting felt Pinkie’s leg move, he realized that if he inflicted pain right now, she might collapse and fall through the portal anyway.

‘I think I now understand why you act the way you do,’ thought Pinkie, ‘it is kind of fun to make you panic!’

All of the sudden Pinkie came in view, right at the threshold of a gaping maw.  Rainbow and Twilight could feel that beyond that was no return.  And it looked as if Pinkie was about to step into it.

“STOP!” cried Rainbow Dash.

‘They are here,’ said Shooting, ‘I will show you now what I am capable of.’

Pinkie felt Shooting Star using perhaps all the reserve strength to control her.  For the moment she did not resist.  They walked a little way from the opening.

“Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, congratulations on making such an arduous journey.” Said Pinkie, but they could tell that it was not Pinkie.

“What good do you think it will do to have control of Pinkie?” said Twilight.  “Give her up, we can come to terms.”

“Terms?” said Pinkie/Shooting Star.  “Here are my terms.  You Twilight will give yourself over to me.  I realized that you were willing to give your life for these ponies.  So I figured that if you did not come to save this one, I would eventually have Bubbles after I got full control of Pinkie.  But if you did come for her then I would have a proposition that you will not be able to turn down.

You will be displaced, without any chance of surfacing again.  Pinkie and Rainbow will go free, we will go back to the real world and from there we will build a new dynasty.  Your power and my knowledge will be unstoppable!”

“And if I don’t?” Asked Twilight.

“Then I take this one with me to limbo.” Answered Shooting/Pinkie.

Twilight turned to Rainbow and spoke quietly;

“If you love me the way I love you,” said Twilight grimly, “as soon as we get back you must kill me before he can fully use my body.  I will fight him as long as I can.  Tell Bubbles that I am sorry and that I love her.”

“Twilight! No,” said Rainbow.

But it was too late.  Twilight was walking over to Pinkie.

“Okay, you win.” Said Twilight, “I cannot let you hurt the ones I love anymore.”

Rainbow caught the inflection on the work love.  She really did love Rainbow the way she hoped.  She was willing to give her life for friends.  Knowing that as much as Rainbow would hate to do it, she would comply with Twilight’s last instructions.

Twilight stopped just short of Pinkie, there was about five feet between them.

“Get it over with!” demanded  Twilight.

Rainbow saw the red aura around Pinkie, it faded, there stood the gray stallion with the red mane and tail.  He was laughing wildly, Twilight looked as if she was about to cry.  He approached Twilight the red aura growing around Shooting Star.

Several thoughts went through Rainbow’s head in a quick instant.

‘If you love me the way I love you' and ‘no greater love has anypony than that they lay down their life for another pony’

Rainbow then remembered how things worked here.  She grit her teeth, and said in her mind ‘for the two I love’!

She spread her wings and gave only one might stroke down.  She shot ahead, and was pleased that she felt the impact with Shooting Star, he had no time to react.  The momentum carried the two right to the portal.

“NO!” screamed Twilight and Pinkie as they saw Rainbow and Shooting Star about to enter the portal.

What happened next, neither Rainbow or Twilight was ready for.  Around Rainbow was a yellow aura.  Rainbow was frozen right at the brink, Shooting star disappeared beyond.

Rainbow floated back to the ponies standing there, Twilight saw a yellow glow in Pinkie’s eyes, she saw Pinkie directing Rainbow back to them.  Rainbow set down, then the aura cleared.  Both Twilight and Pinkie rushed Rainbow and started hugging her and kissing her.

“Now I know I am dead,” said Rainbow, “I am in heaven!”

“Rainbow!” cried Twilight, “that was the bravest and most stupid thing I ever saw!  Thank you!”

“I could not stand to see something happen to either pony I love.” Said Rainbow sheepishly.

To her surprise, Pinkie did not react with her declaration of loving Twilight.

“Of course you love Twilight.” Said Pinkie, “here you learn things if you wait long enough.  And I am glad that when I am finally gone, Twilight will take care of you Dashie!”

The two mares stood there trying to figure out why Pinkie said what she did.  Then it hit Twilight.

“Wait a moment!  How in Equestria were you able to levitate Rainbow?” asked Twilight.

“Not that I am ungrateful but I would like to know it as well.”  Said Rainbow.

Pinkie looked embarrassed;

“I know that most Ponies think that I don’t pay attention to anything important.  But when it is important I do pay attention.

When I realized that he could read my thoughts and was able to know the things I know, I figured that while he was busy, I would see if it worked both ways.  I remembered the theory that he had put forth that not just unicorns but anypony could do magic.  So I wandered around his mind while he was in mine.   I absorbed his knowledge of magic.  When you are in their mind it does not take long.  It is as if you had learned it yourself.  It might take me some time, but I am sure with help, Twilight, I could master it.”

“It would be my honor to help train you,” said Twilight hugging Pinkie.

“I do have a question for you Twi,” said Pinkie.

“Anything!” said Twilight.

“Did you not think that Dashie is a fantastic kisser?”

Rainbow and Twilight stood there dumbfounded.

“Come on!” said Pinkie, “Shooting Star was able to reach out through Dashie and knew what was going on.  And so did I.”

“You are not upset?” asked Twilight.

“Heck no!” said Pinkie, “I thought it kind of exciting!  I could tell through Shooting Star, who could tell through Dashie that you are quite the kisser yourself!”

“So Shooting Star put all that in our minds,” said Rainbow, glancing over to Twilight.

“No!” said Pinkie.  “Time does not work the same here,  you are able to tap into the past, present and future.  All he did was bring it to your attention.  He was trying to distract you.  Make you so confused that you would not pay attention enough until too late.  He did not realize that the feelings he was making you aware of would be his downfall.  Now you love Twilight, and Twilight loves you.  Don’t be ashamed, love is a very special thing, never to be ashamed of.”

“I guess I have a lot to explain to Bubbles when we get back.” Said Twilight.  She was looking very worried.

“No, you don’t” said Rainbow, “I will explain everything.  I will take all the blame.”

“No, both of you are wrong,” said Pinkie.  “I will explain everything to Bubbles, since I know everything that has gone on more than either of you.  I guarantee that it will all work out.”

Twilight was not so sure.

“Well this has been fun,” said Pinkie, “but if you two love birds don’t mind, I want to go home.”

“How?” asked Twilight.

“Shooting Star knew how, listen,” said Pinkie.

They could hear the chant and drum.

“Here we go!” said Pinkie.

There was a yellow glow in Pinkie’s eyes, then a yellow aura around the three.  The world around them went to a blur.  The chant and drum grew louder.  There was a very bad sick feeling in Twilight and Rainbow’s stomachs.  Everything was black.  Twilight opened her eyes, she was in Zecora’s hut.

Bubbles stopped the chant as the three ponies sat up.

“Give them the buckets!” shouted Zecora.

It was immediately evident to Rainbow and Twilight why the zebra said what she said.  As soon as the buckets were sat down by them, the two felt that the nasty brew they had ingested was wanting to come out.  The two unashamedly vomited into the buckets.

Zecora just smiled.

Chapter Seven: Reward

CHAPTER SEVEN

Reward

Twilight did not know how she could face Bubbles.  At night she lay on her side of the bed and did not say anything except goodnight.  The guilt was tearing her apart, the thought of the possibly of losing Bubbles made her sick.  It was so hard on her, she was insanely in love with Bubbles, but it was true, she was in love with Rainbow Dash as well.

Twilight also knew that Bubbles could tell that something was bothering Twilight, but she was wise enough not to approach it yet.  After all, she had come back from the land only the dead normally go.

It was two days later, despite Twilight being very reserved, pensive and standoffish.  Bubbles insisted that the dinner with Rainbow and Pinkie be rescheduled for this day.

Their friends came over, some choice eggplant steaks were grilled, Bubbles made one of her awesome salads.  Sparkler was there, Muffin and Dawn were so excited to have Pinkie there to play with them.  But it was evident that Twilight and Rainbow were keeping their distance from each other.  They made sure that they were at the opposite ends of the table from each other, it also was obvious that they were trying not to have their eyes meet.

After the meal and desert, Bubbles told Twilight to get the paperwork.

“Pinkie,” said Twilight trying to let the moment lift her spirits. “Princess Celestia was delighted to sign this.”

Twilight handed the paper to Pinkie.

“Congratulations, Pinkie Dash.” Said Twilight.

“Congratulations” repeated all the other ponies.

Then Twilight looked at Muffin.

“So Muffin, I have a surprise for you,” Twilight said, “do you think it would be fun to change your name?”

“What do you mean, mom?” asked the filly.

“I would really like it if you would allow me to adopt you,” said Twilight, cheering up a little.  “Would you like to be Dinky Sparkle?

“Like my mommy and sister?” asked Muffin, “I would love that!”

Twilight handed her a paper.

“This is yours, but mommy and I will keep it safe for you for now.  But it says Princess Celestia has given her permission for you to be truly my daughter too, and if you want, you are now Dinky Sparkle.”

The ponies all around got up and congratulated Pinkie and Dinky.

“Sparkler,” said Bubbles, “would you mind taking the children upstairs, you may need to watch them tonight if necessary.  Twilight and Rainbow have been holding something back.  So Pinkie Dash has asked to talk to me, alone.  This may take all night.”

Bubbles looked at Twilight and Rainbow as if to accentuate the alone part.

Sparkler took the kids to the living quarters.

“Give us a couple hours and meet us back at the cloud house.” Said Pinkie.

“Come on Twi,” said Rainbow, “I think we both could use a drink.”

Later at their favorite pub.

“I am dead,” said Twilight, “so very, very dead.  I should have stayed in the shadow world, it would have been quicker.  Bubbles is now going to kill me and then throw me out and then never talk to me again.”

“How many of those have you drank?” asked Rainbow.

“Two,” said Twilight.

“Come on, we have fifteen minutes, you are going to need at least one more to kill the pain.” Said Rainbow joking.  They ordered another round.

“I guess it is true,” said Twilight.

“What?” asked Rainbow.

“No good deed ever goes unpunished.” Said Twilight.

Rainbow burst out laughing, Twilight managed a smile.

“Come on Twi,” said Rainbow, “if Bubbles does throw you out.  You could stay with Pinkie and me.”

“I don’t think that I have the endurance to survive that!” said Twilight.

“Well,” said Rainbow, downing her drink.  “I think the whisky is having its effect.  Let’s see how bad it is going to be.”

Twilight downed her drink as well, then they went out the door.  They walked to where the cloud house was hovering.  Along the way they playfully bumped flanks.  Anything to break up the apprehension.

They looked up, Twilight inhaled deeply.

“As my mother said to my father on their wedding night, let’s get this over with!” said Rainbow, then she launched into the air.

Twilight appeared with a flash right beside her.

Rainbow opened the door, it was dark inside.

“Pink!” said Rainbow, “are you here?”

“Back here Dashie,” said Pinkie, “is Twi with you?”

“Yes,” said Rainbow, “but I think that she would rather not be.”

“The two of you come back here.”  Said Pinkie.

They went through the darkened house.  Twilight had been here enough to know her way around.  Rainbow had let her and Bubbles use the place while they were secretly dating.  Twilight was remembering those times, she was so afraid that that happiness was now over.

Twilight followed Rainbow into the bedroom, it was not what either were expecting.  The only light was candles, there was perfume in the air.  The biggest shock was that both Pinkie and Bubbles were in the bed, propped up with pillows in a sitting position, under the covers, together.

“What the……” said Rainbow.

“I understand from Pinkie,” said Bubbles sternly, “that the two of you discovered that at some time to come, Pinkie and I will be gone, and you two will be in love.  I also understand that the two of you kissed, we are not sure what to think of that!”

Pinkie snickered.

“But because of that revelation, those feelings now a part of you.  Not that you two don’t love us, we have no doubt that you do.  It is a hazard of what you went through.

Because of those feelings, Shooting Star or what was left of him, was defeated because the two of you were willing to give up your lives for us and each other.

Twilight you were going to give yourself to Shooing Star, so to have Rainbow kill you when you made it back, to protect all of Equestria.

Rainbow, you were going to sacrifice yourself to limbo so to save Twilight and Pinkie.

And strangely enough, while Shooting Star was in Pinkie’s head, she learned magic without him realizing.  The magic Pinkie learned, save Rainbow.”

Bubbles paused as if to let the words sink in.

“So what do I do now?  I have a wife who went off and made out with our best friend.  The two of you have confessed your love for each other.  Then you were willing to die to save everypony they loved.

And of all ponies, Pinkie saved us all.

Rainbow, I don’t blame you.  As you finally confessed, Twilight is hot!  I have always known this.

Twilight, I don’t blame you either.  When I was on the weather team, I would have made out with Rainbow, had I been given the chance.”

Rainbow looked at Twilight, neither could tell who was more confused.

“So I think through all this, despite you two going off to save the day, it was Pinkie who turned out to be the hero in the end.,” said Bubbles, it was getting hard to keep a straight face.  “so I asked her what I should do with the two of you.”

Again Bubbles paused.

“Rainbow, thank you for watching after Twilight and being willing to die for Pinkie and Twilight.  You are forgiven.

Twilight, you were your noble self, willing to give your life for other ponies.  So you are forgiven as well.”

Rainbow and Twilight were shocked.  Then it hit them.

“Then why the hoof are you two in the same bed?” asked Twilight.

“Yes, I would like to know that as well,” said Rainbow.

“Well like I said, Pinkie turned out to be the hero, so I asked what she would want as a reward.

She said she had two things, first that I truly forgive you two.”

“And,” asked Twilight.

“Pinkie told me the only thing she could think of, because of the revelations, and plus she has been wanting it for a while…”

“You don’t mean….” Replied Rainbow.

“A FOURSOME!” squealed Pinkie happier than they had ever heard her.

“Just one condition,” said Bubbles with a smile.  “Pinkie and I are here also , the two of you better share the love!  But don’t count on doing this again....

That is if you don’t impress us.”

Both Twilight and Rainbow were in shock.  Even more so when Bubbles threw the blankets back, turned over to make out with Pinkie and placed her hoof squarely in Pinkie’s marehood.  Which made Pinkie gasp.

Twilight and Rainbow looked at each other and smiled.  Then unexpectedly, Twilight threw Rainbow to the bed and leapt on her spinning around in a feat of agility that surprised Rainbow.  It was a long held fantasy of Rainbow’s come to life, Twilight’s marehood hovering right over Rainbow’s muzzle, free for the taking.

“Now you will see just what an ‘Egg-Head’ is capable of!”  Said Twilight, her tongue dove deep into Rainbow’s marehood finding her clit instantly, fulfilling her own fantasy.  Rainbow moaned at the sudden stimulation, but she recovered enough to know what to do.

“Anypony have a spoon?” asked Rainbow.

All the ponies giggled.

Chapter Eight: Life Finally Goes On

CHAPTER EIGHT

Life Finally Goes On

Morning found Twilight warm, comfortable and on her back,  she felt the presence of other ponies.  In fact there were three ponies resting their heads on her chest and shoulders.  Plus one hoof on/in her marehood (Rainbow’s hoof).

Pinkie’s reward for her saving Twilight and Rainbow was the foursome she had always wanted.  Twilight was surprised that Bubbles gave into this, but it did appear that she quite enjoyed herself (along with the other ponies).  But despite her desire for Rainbow Dash, Twilight was not sure how it would work out.

But the memories of a night of awesome love making came back to her.

Bubbles was, as always, satisfying beyond belief.  Before, Twilight had no frame of reference, having only ever been with Bubbles.  But now it was proven as Twilight had conjectured, Bubbles was the best at everything.  But now she did get to expand her experience with the blessings of her beloved Bubbles.  Rainbow and Pinkie found Bubbles to be an artist with love making as her medium.

Rainbow Dash, for so long Twilight’s desire for her was deeply repressed.  It was not until their recent journey in the underworld that forced to focus not only her desire but yes, love of this pony that represented the opposite of herself.  Her love making was active, aggressive and giving.  But she was found to be sensitive to the needs of her partner, surprisingly gentle and more than willing to please.  And even with the forbidden nature removed, she was still an amazing kisser who left Twilight breathless in a different way than did Bubbles.

As for  Pinkie, Twilight did not know what to expect.  She had heard Rainbow on many occasions describe her a ‘a freak in the sack’.  It turned out the drive of this special pony was to bring maximum joy and pleasure to her partner.  She was giving to the point of obsession.  But she received in such a way that drove her partner to want to give more.  Plus Twilight made a mental note to look into what would make Pinkie’s marehood taste so sweet.

To Pinkie and Rainbow, Twilight was not what they expected.  Bubbles had trained her well.  She was precise, methodical and well versed in many techniques.  But add to it a heart that held the whole package together.  It was clear that Twilight was more interested in pleasing then to be pleased.  The best way to put it was that Twilight put the ‘love’ in making love.  As sensitive to other’s feelings as Pinkie was, she was quite impressed with Twilight.  To Rainbow, her fantasies were not disappointed as she feared they might be.

Twilight now had experiences to help her understand some of the differences in love making styles.  She had always feared that if she had had other experience, would she still see Bubbles as special as she has been.

But with all the carnal pleasure she had experienced that night, Twilight could tell that the other ponies shown like stars in the sky, while Bubbles was the sun.  Twilight was pleased that, in spite of her discovered feelings for Rainbow Dash and the pure joy that Pinkie had brought, Bubbles was still the center of the universe.

“Well, did you get Rainbow out of you head,” said Bubbles quietly.  She was looking up at Twilight with a beautiful smile.

“Perhaps out of my mind,” said Twilight herself slyly smiling, “but I think she is still in my marehood.”

“What did you expect,” said Rainbow quietly, “ apparently I will be with Twilight eventually.  So I wanted as much as I can get to last until that time.”

To Twilight’s surprise, Bubbles gave Rainbow a passionate kiss.

“What was that for,” asked Rainbow, “not that I am complaining.”

“That is because I know that one day you will be protecting Twilight,” said Bubbles, “I just want you to know ahead of time how much that means to me.”

“I think that the dynamic of our little group has changed,” said Twilight, “even if we never do this again, we can never go back to just being friends.”

“I would not say that it will never happen again,” said Bubbles with a giggle, “but don’t count on it as a daily thing.”

“I don’t think even Rainbow would have the stamina for that!  I guess we had better get up and get the day going.” Said Twilight.

“Not so fast,” said Pinkie speaking up for the first time.  Apparently she had not been asleep.  “Let the pony finish stimulating me.  Twilight is not the only pony with a hoof in her marehood.”

“Bubbles?” exclaimed Twilight and Rainbow.

“Well, I am very grateful to Pinkie.”  Said Bubbles blushing.

They all agreed on one more time before getting up.  Bubbles pleased Pinkie as Pinkie pleased her.  And Twilight and Rainbow Dash got to experience each other one more time.

It wasn’t long before Ponyville heard the news of what had happened (the journey to the underworld and defeat of another threat to Equestria, not the foursome).

The Apple family decided to hold one of their famous barn dances.   Plus cousin Braeburn was in town on business so they thought it all a reason for a party.

Almost everypony they knew were in attendance, both the close friends, the kids and even some from the town who were inquisitive.  Many knew of the now famous six ponies who lived there.  And they were always curious to see these ponies.  Plus it had been said far and wide that when there was a celebration that involved Twilight Sparkle, Canterlot royalty would show up.

In fact, Princess Luna decided to come to the party, and for the pleasure of her subjects, she would raise the moon as part of the celebration.

They were not staying apart, but most of the Apples were keeping to one corner of the barn.  Braeburn turned out to be there mostly on business for Appleloosa.  Rarity was with the gathering, being an Apple, and Fluttershy was there also, she had been dating Caramel and word was that it was getting serious.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders were enthralled with Princess Luna.  So were their now friends Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.  But the pony who got the most attention was Dawn.  Luna had been visiting the little filly a lot.  She was just starting to talk and she would cry out ‘Auntie Luna!’ when ever she saw her.

Everypony could tell that the sun was being lowered.  Princess Luna called all the ponies in attendance to follow her outside.  She made the crowd form a circle around her.  Twilight came forward to take Dawn while the princess performed her duty.

“That will not be necessary, Twilight Sparkle,”

With that the princess lifted her hooves high, still holding Dawn.  She spread her wings, her magic aura surrounded them.  Many got a chuckle because Dawn was copying Luna by raising her forelegs and spreading her little wings.  Then Luna rose off the ground, her glow became almost blinding.  Then it faded and she settled back to earth as the moon peeked over the horizon.  There were cheers all around.

Luna acknowledged the accolades.  Then she handed Dawn to Twilight.  There was a collective gasp of the ponies around.  But the Cutie Mark Crusaders all cried;

“No fair!”

But they were not really too upset.

There on the little, barely one year old filly’s flank was a cutie mark.  It appeared to be the sun coming up over the horizon.

“A raising sun cutie mark!” exclaimed Twilight.

“You would think that, factoring in her name.” Said Luna, “but it does not always work that way.  Instead, it is a setting sun.  This child is destined for greatness.  Or have you been asleep all this time?”

Everypony was buzzing about what just happened.  But as the party worked it’s way on in, the Sparkles and the Dashes sat at a table away from the greater crowd.  They had for the last couple days been trying not to be too noticeable that they were spending a lot of time together.  They did not have a repeat performance (yet) but they felt very happy to be in the company of each other.

Princess Luna walked over to their table.  The ponies started to stand, but the princess motioned them to stay seated.  She pulled up a chair, backwards, straddling the back with her hind legs on either side and she propped herself on the top of the back.

“Ladies,” began the princess, “a pony could not help but notice how content the four of you look.  The happiness of my subjects is always my top  priority.

So I just wanted to know if the group sex was all you were hoping it would be?

Don’t look at me like you are shocked or like you don’t know what I am speaking of.”

“Princess?” said Twilight Sparkle.

“Don’t Princess me!  I am the Princess of the Night, sex is my domain.  I rule sex, I bless sex.  I am the source of all sexual drive.  If I did not know of any special occasions that have happened, I would not be worthy of my tiara.

So knowing that my sister’s apprentice has taken that next step to being a more rounded and loving pony is my job.

I congratulate you, I bless you and I would be sorely disappointed if it never happening again.

You are four beautiful mares.  Yes Twilight, I do mean you as well, despite how you see yourself.  You should enjoy this activity as often as possible.  Being the ponies you are, I would be greatly surprised if you let this level of love interfere with the love of your mate.

What you have achieved is a level of love few ponies can handle.  Your love has been tested by life and death and life.  You four are bound as if you all were married together.  It is special, enjoy it.”

The princess got up and started to walk off.  She paused and said over her shoulder;

“By the way ladies, just in case you feel like a challenge, I try to leave my Thursday evenings free.”

The princess winked and walked on.

Most of the CMC were fussing over Dawn, touching the cutie mark as if to either test the genuineness, or hoping touching it would bring them luck.  The only CMC not there, was Sweetie Belle, she was sitting with Diamond Tiara talking and laughing as if there were no ponies around them.

Suddenly the music on the impromptu stage stopped, Braeburn called for everypony’s attention.

“I guess you know that I came to Ponyville because the Apple’s business in Appleloosa is booming!”

There were cheers all around.  Braeburn motioned to the crowd for attention again.

“I was in need of an assistant to run the business, I spoke to Applejack, Big Mac and the matriarch of the Apple Family, Granny Smith on who I should recruit.  They all named one name!

Come on up Caramel Apple!”

More cheers.

At this time, Rarity and Applejack had went back to sit with their four friends.  Fluttershy was standing up by the stage.

Caramel came forward, there was more cheering.  Braeburn motioned for quiet again.

“So Caramel, have you given my offer any thought?”

“I have, cousin Braeburn,” said Caramel with a large smile. “I will under one condition.”

There was a hush that fell over the crowd.  Caramel looked down to the front of the crowd and said.

“I will go to Appleloosa and work the family business, IF!  You will come with me and be my wife, Fluttershy.”

The crowd was hushed, Rainbow, Twilight, Pinkie, Rarity, Applejack and Bubbles all looked with surprise and joy on their faces.

Fluttershy beat her wings, shot up on stage grabbing Caramel almost knocking him over.

“Yes! Yes! Yes!” shouted Fluttershy in a volume few of her friends had heard before.

“Then as soon as we can get married, we will go to Appleloosa.” Said Caramel.

There was a cheer from the crowd,  Fluttershy’s friends all ran to congratulate her.  The noise was pandemonium.

Suddenly a voice that carried above the din rang out.  It was the traditional royal Canterlot voice of Princess Luna.

“I believe I can be of some assistance!” she said.