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Excuses (NSFW)

By Mobius
Created: 2020-12-20 17:32:17
Expiry: Never
anonromanceslice of liferainbow dashsex

  1. >Today’s the day!
  2. >The sun is shining, the tank is clean, and you are going to spend the afternoon with your best friend!
  3. >The most recent addition to the Wonderbolts had asked you to critique her form during her afternoon practice. Of course you’d agreed.
  4. >Dash was trying to perfect a wingtip turn for the upcoming Wonderbolts show, and to be honest, she had quite a ways to go.
  5. >You being the one to help her didn’t really make sense, being a flightless alien and all, but you weren’t about to let her down.
  6. >The majority of the concern was in your own abilities to spot corrections.
  7. >You'd seen her master more difficult maneuvers in similar short order, so your concern was checked.
  8. >All you had to do was make sure everything was…delegated? No…deliberate, that’s what she’d said.
  9. >You were counting on her giving you a more in depth explanation when you got there, deliberate was a bit hard to go off of.
  10. >After all, mistakes can be deliberate too. You knew that all too well.
  11. >You made sure to grab your stopwatch before you left your front door. She was especially concerned about the timing of her moves due to the team dynamic.
  12. >The mid morning air was crisp on your lungs and you decided to break out into a light jog.
  13. >At this rate, you might interrupt her warm-up routine, but you were full of energy and had let it out somehow.
  14. >As you approach the park you spot her multicolored mane and azure wings—pointed skyward in a stretch.
  15. >But she’s not alone, a fuzzy green blob is moving next to her.
  16. >As you get closer, you recognize the bogey as the Zephyr guy she was telling you about.
  17. >You also recognize that he probably wasn’t invited.
  18. >She’s in the middle of a yoga pose, but her nose is scrunched up and her features are crossed with a tired frown. She’s trying her best to ignore him bantering on in front of her.
  19. >Around the same time you take stock of the situation she notices you.
  20. >A wave of relief washes over her face and manages to make the nose scrunch disappear.
  21. >You smile and wave, but you lose her attention as she makes an awkward retreat from Zeph sticking his nose in her face.
  22. >The closer you get, the more you feel some of Dash’s discomfort shift to you.
  23. >Well, it doesn’t exactly shift, Dash still looked like a fish out of water, it more like copies and pastes itself onto you.
  24. >You’re close enough to hear his swooning now and Dash physically pushes him away after he gets too close a second time.
  25. >That’s it, you’ve seen enough.
  26. “Hey Rainbow what’s up!” You manage in a chipper yet firm tone.
  27. >The first impression is everything.
  28. >Both sets of eyes snap towards you, but only Zephyr looks surprised.
  29. >She skitters over to you with the most grateful look you’ve seen from anyone before.
  30. >”Hey anon! What took you so long?”
  31. >You could see it in her eyes that her phrase carried more meaning than her words allowed.
  32. >You were actually early but you weren’t about to throw her under the bus.
  33. “Sorry I had trouble finding my…clothes.”
  34. >Your eyes shift from her to Zephyr, then back to her.
  35. >The stallion bun decides to but in.
  36. >”Excuse me, who…”
  37. >But is cut off by Dash holding her hoof out.
  38. >For a moment she forgets she was making up excuses to get away from him and she starts to rag on you about your choice of words.
  39. >”Pffft really?”
  40. >She’s about to tease you more, but you motion with your eyes to the lime green pegasus who now has an angry frown on his face. That seems to snap her out of it.
  41. >Your excuse sounded way to unconvincing and Zephyr knew it.
  42. >But the more complicated the lie the more believable it is right?
  43. >Yeah that should work.
  44. “Yeah, my clothes. I think I left them at your place.”
  45. >That totally knocked the scowl off Zeph’s face!
  46. >You are about to continue when you notice Dash staring at you with a shocked look, only then did you realize the weight your words carried.
  47. >Oh no.
  48. >This was not good, she was probably plotting your murder right now…just waiting till you were both out of sight. They would never find the body in the woods.
  49. >Fortunately Zephyr was too mortified to notice that you looked like puppy who just pissed on the carpet.
  50. >Dash’s eyes are narrowed at you and you can almost hear her growling. You imagine all the flowers in the field around you withering and dying.
  51. >Unfortunately Dash’s aggressive stance and the obvious lack of fluid conversation lasted far too long.
  52. >The charade tipped off Zephyr and he snapped out of his self pity trance.
  53. >As you backed up from the blue terror in front of you, part of your mind hoped that he wasn’t smart enough to catch on to the tension in the situation, but he had seen far too much now for your wish to come true.
  54. >Oh no, now he’s deciding to man up… err pony up…saddle up, lets go with that.
  55. >“Excuse me, but what exactly are you?” He asks with skepticism.
  56. >Dash stops her death look and realizes what she’d done.
  57. “I’m a human.” You respond with as much condescension as possible.
  58. >You were hoping to play on any lingering uncertainty he still had.
  59. >He wasn’t buying it and it only seemed to make him angry.
  60. >”Well, since Rainbow Dash and I were enjoying a delightful conversation until you showed up, I must ask you to…”
  61. >”He’s my colt friend.”
  62. >You feel Dash’s hoof around your waist; you catch you breath and try to not show any surprise.
  63. >You never expected her to try to keep up the story, and you weren’t sure it would work.
  64. >Fortunately his self esteem mirrored his confidence and he quickly reverted back to questioning his earlier judgement. Except this time he looked even more distraught.
  65. >You glance down at Dash and catch her glancing back up at you.
  66. >She was banking on your ability to play along with it, why back out now?
  67. >You clear your throat.
  68. “Yeah… that too.”
  69. >You complete the stab through his heart by resting your hand on the cradle of Dash’s wings, one of the more sensitive parts of their anatomy.
  70. >You felt her back muscles twitch under your touch, but she kept a straight face and stared down the now completely deflated pegasus in front of her.
  71. >The reality of the situation hits you and a slight blush begins to creep its way to your face.
  72. >”Y-you mean…y-you’re…”
  73. >”Together, yep. For the past, oh whaddaya say dude? Three months?”
  74. >You just nod down at Dash who rolled her eyes at your flushed cheeks.
  75. >”Anon just came to take me out to lunch!”
  76. >She was just digging you into a deeper and deeper hole now.
  77. >It’s justice you suppose.
  78. >She flies up and pecks you on the cheek.
  79. >”Come one dude, let’s get there before rush hour! Oh see ya around Zephyr.”
  80. >You could swear he was on the verge of tears, but you had far more pressing matters on your mind like the fact that you could smell the redness on your face.
  81. >You mindlessly follow Dash until you’re both out of sight of Zephyr.
  82. >She turns around with the biggest shit eating grin you’ve ever seen.
  83. >”HAH! And you thought you could prank me! See how that worked out for you!”
  84. >She thought it was a prank?
  85. >You might get off easier than you thought.
  86. “Heh… yeah, I guess that didn’t go as planned.”
  87. >You scratch the back of your head as your blush begins to fade.
  88. >”You should’ve seen the look on your face! It was priceless!”
  89. >She’s just laughing and pointing at you now.
  90. >She’d never let you live it down, but it beats getting murdered in the woods.
  91. >You were’t sure what it meant, but you couldn’t shake the fact that part of you kinda enjoyed it, even though it was fake.
  92. >Her laughter finally dies down.
  93. “Sorry about your practice Dash, I guess I kinda ruined your plans today.”
  94. >”Oh don’t worry about that dude! I can master that wingtip roll in a snap! But it’s not every day I can have a laugh like that!”
  95. >Her smile shows that she thoroughly enjoyed ditching Zephyr as well as embarrassing you.
  96. “Yeah I suppose…”
  97. >”So since you were taking me out to lunch where are we headed?”
  98. >What.
  99. “What?”
  100. >She stifles a giggle with her hoof.
  101. >”You were just about to take me on a date remember?”
  102. >You blush returns, but much lighter than before. You hoped she didn’t notice.
  103. >There was no reason to keep up the role-play now, Zephyr was long gone.
  104. >You weren’t about to drop it though, you’ve traveled down this path too far for that. It would just be…uncool.
  105. >You look over at her and see her mocking grin was replaced with a genuine smile.
  106. “Well… uhh, I always wanted to try Donut Palace III, you know it’s sounds…exotic.”
  107. >She gives you an incredulous look before smiling again and bumping her rump into your thigh.
  108. >”All right but you’re paying!”
  109. >Maybe you didn’t ruin the day after all.
  110.  
  111. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
  112.  
  113. >The glorious smell of baked donuts wafts over you as you stand outside the small food cart parked near the end of Ponyville Main st. It’s a run-down, whitewashed caravan that’s identified only by small red lettering painted on the side by some pony with 3rd grade painting skills. DONUT PALACE III
  114. >It was the equivalent of one of those Mexican border pickup truck burrito vendors.
  115. >It did’t look very legit but you knew that meant it was good, at least it was supposed to.
  116. >Your nose told you your gut was right.
  117. “Holy shit Dash, you smell that?”
  118. >You glance up to her hovering next to you and see her salivating with her eyes locked on the cart.
  119. >”Dude don’t remind me!”
  120. >And so does the line.
  121. >Oh yeah. You forgot she hated lines.
  122. >From your position you count the ponies in line ahead of you. They weren’t exactly in line, more of a gaggle.
  123. >About ten or so…might as well be a hundred. As far as Dash is concerned, the world would come to an end before you get to order.
  124. >You chuckle to yourself, not exactly going well for a first date.
  125. >At least she’d stopped messing with you now. If you had to pretend to be her colt friend any longer you weren’t sure you’d be able to keep it together.
  126. >You’ve been best friends for several months, but you had no idea she had a more…feminine side until today.
  127. >If you could even call it that…
  128. >She punches you on the shoulder before dropping to her hooves to rest her wings.
  129. >“You really suck at dates dude.”
  130. >Dammit you jinxed yourself.
  131. ”Well I wasn’t aiming to impress if that’s what you’re wondering.”
  132. >”Heh, don’t worry, you’re not.”
  133. >That was cold.
  134. >You reach over and ruffle her mane a bit. She ducks out from under your hand but the damage was already done.
  135. >She steps back and stares up angrily at you.
  136. >”I told you not to do that dude!”
  137. >She’s so cute when she gets angry and it makes you want to do it again.
  138. >But if you did, you might not get your hand back.
  139. >Luckily the ponies in the line either don’t notice or are too frustrated with the waiting to care. That’s probably the only reason you were still alive.
  140. >She did threaten you with death the last time you did it, but then again a bit of friction was necessary to keep you both on your toes/hoof tips.
  141. >You were just eager to keep her mind off her frustrations. Your daily schedule did not plan for a grumpy Dash.
  142. “Hey, look on the bright side. At least that green guy stopped bothering you.”
  143. >She softens up and drops her defensive stance.
  144. >”Pfft, yeah he did. Ever since he graduated that hair school he’s been like super confident in everything.”
  145. “So he doesn’t know when to take no for an answer?”
  146. >”No, it’s like he all the sudden had a massive ego boost or something.”
  147. “Then you two should get along great.”
  148. >She gives you a shocked look and you bring your hands up in mock defense.
  149. >“You can’t be serious.”
  150. “Oh I am, you have the biggest ego I know. You would make two of a kind.”
  151. >Another, unidentified emotion flashes behind her eyes for a split second, just long enough for you to catch it.
  152. >”Do you really think that?”
  153. >For the second time in a day she surprised you, but this time it was a bit more unsettling.
  154. >Rainbow Dash was sad.
  155. >That won’t do at all. You kneel down to her level and rest a hand on her shoulder.
  156. “Dash, you know I’m just teasing right? I mean, sure you have a big ego and all, but that doesn’t make you any less likable.”
  157. >You really hoped she didn’t take that jibe too seriously, the last thing you wanted to do was hurt her. The more you had gotten to know each other the more often you two found you were pushing your limits. Even if she was the Rainbow Dash she was still a pony with feelings.
  158. >She was also your best friend.
  159. >And you’d be dammed if you lost a friend over careless words.
  160. >It was really amazing how much you could read into other ponies’ body language, you never expected it to translate to human body language but it did.
  161. >And their eyes…her eyes…were windows into her soul.
  162. >She blinks and it snaps you out of your trance.
  163. >She’s looking much happier now: Crisis management accomplished.
  164. >Her eyes dart to the grass and she shuffles her hooves a bit.
  165. >”Heh, because you know he’s not my type at all…”
  166. >Oh…this was new information.
  167. “You know, somehow he just didn’t seem cool enough.”
  168. >You give her shoulder a pat and stand up.
  169. >For a second you could almost see her face tint red.
  170. >”AHEM!”
  171. >Both your heads snap around to see a frustrated looking earth stallion at the front of a long line, tapping his hoof on the ground.
  172. >You turn the other direction and see the line in front of you has completely disappeared.
  173. “Sorry!”
  174. >You jog up to elderly mare at the stand with Dash close behind.
  175. “Good afternoon ma’am I’d…”
  176. >”Don’t be holdin’ up no lines, ya-hear!”
  177. “Uhh…sorry ma’am we were just…”
  178. >”Is how I make mah livin!”
  179. >”Look lady, we already said we’re sorry so just drop it!”
  180. >You speak up to cover for Dash before the two can get in an argument.
  181. “Like I said, my apologies. Now we’d like to support your living’ if you’ll let us.”
  182. >Her eyes shift back and forth giving you disapproving looks.
  183. >”Alright but keep it short we’re goin’ on a lunch break soon.”
  184. “Got it, I’ll take a uhh…”
  185. >Your eyes gloss over the menu for the first time.
  186. “…deep fried glazed cream filled donut, and she’ll…”
  187. >”And I’ll have the same, but with chocolate icing.”
  188. >She looks up with a scrunched, bespectacled snout after typing some notes on what looks like a typewriter.
  189. >”That’ll be all for ya?”
  190. >”Yep.”
  191. >”All aight, that comes ta…tree bits.”
  192. >After you finish paying the lady you grab your donuts and head over to a nearby bench.
  193. >You sit down and hand a giddy Dash her chocolate donut. You’re all too eager to dig in to your own glazed sweet staring up enticingly at you.
  194. >Right before you go to take a bite Dash taps your shoulder.
  195. >”Psssst, heads up, Zephyr’s looking for us.”
  196. >Please god no.
  197. >You tear your tired eyes away from the glazed beauty in your hands.
  198. “Where?”
  199. >Your question was followed by an audible sigh. You were one hundred percent done with this pony.
  200. >First off, you disliked him for the way he was treating your friend. The events of the morning only proved what Dash had told you earlier about him being pushy.
  201. >Second, you disliked the way he tried to buck up to you when you tried to pull Dash out of the awkward situation. Part of you just wanted to tell his scrawny bitch ass to square up.
  202. >Not that you were much bulkier.
  203. >”Over there by the post office.”
  204. >Your eyes follow her hoof to the pony in question. It was definitely him, and he was definitely looking for something.
  205. >You check Dash and notice her nervously looking around for avenues of escape. Damn he must really be getting to her.
  206. >She usually never gets this upset by anything other than loosing a Daring Doo book or something. You’ll have to ask her about it later.
  207. “Yeah I see him. He should leave you alone though after this morning.”
  208. >”I hope. He’s starting to creep me out.”
  209. >She shuffles in her seat, her mind completely forgotten about her donut.
  210. >Seeing her uncomfortable like this makes you realize you really don’t like seeing her like this.
  211. “Look Dash, the only way this will stop is if you…we confront him about it. If we sneak away he’s just going to come back again and again. Just remember I’ve got your back, heck, maybe he’s looking for something else and we’re overthinking it.”
  212. >”Y-yeah, maybe.”
  213. >It doesn’t sound like she believes it, but mentioning that you were there to back her up seemed to give her confidence.
  214. >That’s what friends do after all.
  215. >”Wait, wait, he’s seen us!”
  216. >You glance up to see him trotting over with a very punchable, smug grin on his face.
  217. >”Listen, if he thinks I’m single I’m never going to lose him. Our only chance is to keep up appearances and… uhh… you know…”
  218. “Act like we’re together again?”
  219. >”…y-yeah.”
  220. >Well it worked last time, you just had to keep it up long enough to thoroughly convince him.
  221. >You honestly felt pretty embarrassed acting that way with Dash; it wasn’t because she was embarrassing in any way, you just felt really awkward being that…close to her.
  222. >But you were’t going to let her down right after you promised you had her back.
  223. “Ok, but if I murder him it’s your job to bury the body.”
  224. >”Heheh…dontcha think that’s a bit cruel dude?”
  225. >You raise your eyebrows at her.
  226. “That depends on his attitude.”
  227. >She tries suppressing her smile and shuffles over closer to you on the bench.
  228. >She’s close enough that you can feel the warmth coming off of her body.
  229. >You suppress your self consciousness, you were doing a favor for a friend and nothing more.
  230. >The time you planned for mental preparation was smothered by her unusually close presence. You hear hoof steps approach.
  231. >The hour of tribulation is upon you.
  232. >”Heyyy Rainbow! Fancy seeing you here.”
  233. >She looks up from her donut and acts surprised to see him.
  234. >”Oh, hi.”
  235. >”Doesn’t look like you’re enjoying your lunch.”
  236. >Zephyr motions to the donut Dash was holding but still hadn’t touched.
  237. >”Oh…no just uhh, haha, hadn’t gotten around to eating it yet.”
  238. >That laugh sounded really fake.
  239. >She takes an unusually large bite out of the donut and begins painfully chewing it while talking.
  240. >”Iss…reaw goot!”
  241. >”Oh Rainbow you don’t have to eat that trash just to please your…acquaintance. Why don’t you let me take you to get some real food!”
  242. >That ruffled her feathers. Literally. But her mouth was too full to let out more than an angry grumble.
  243. >Wow and he was still ignoring you.
  244. >Not murdering him might be harder than you thought.
  245. “For the record she actually wanted to eat here too, so if she says the donut’s good, the donut’s good.”
  246. >You were going for the Clint Eastwood macho voice from that one western movie you saw.
  247. >Understandably it failed. You were missing the half inch beard and the poncho…and the six shooters.
  248. >Zephyr still had the smug look on his face and you would do anything to get it to go away.
  249. >Dash wasn’t looking to confident either, but you spot an opportunity to fix it.
  250. “Dash you have some chocolate on your face.”
  251. >She breaks her awkward stare.
  252. >”Where?”
  253. >You motion to the large chocolate streak that ran across most of her top lip.
  254. >Zephyr advanced and you eyed him warily.
  255. >”Here Rainbow let me help you.”
  256. >”I can get it myself I'm not a little filly!”
  257. >The outburst stopped him in his tracks.
  258. “It’s right on your upper lip Dash.” You say calmly.
  259. >Her tongue shoots out to lick it up but she only succeeds in smearing the chocolate across her blue fur along with a glistening coat of saliva.
  260. “It’s really thick icing so you’re only going to stain your coat. Let me look for a napkin.”
  261. >”Oh…ok.”
  262. >You check your pockets in the hope that you had pocketed a handkerchief or something earlier. But before you can finish, Dash speaks up.
  263. >”Can’t you just uhh…use your finger things?”
  264. >Finger things?
  265. >Well it would work but then where would you…oh.
  266. >Your face turns a shade of red in response to your thoughts.
  267. >Well, you did promise her you’d keep up the role playing, for now at least.
  268. >And that would definitely fall under the role playing as a colt friend category.
  269. >Get it together, just act confident and it will go off without a hitch.
  270. “Y-yeah, here.”
  271. >She leans forward to meet your hand as you gently wipe the chocolate icing off her wet upper lip with your thumb.
  272. >Without missing a beat you bring your thumb to your mouth and lick the icing off.
  273. >You had to admit, even with Dash’s drool it tasted pretty good.
  274. >Or was it good because she licked it first?
  275. >Your face was now unavoidably betraying your emotions.
  276. >Dash was surprised as well and you saw a hint of red touching her cheeks.
  277. >Whatever you do, don’t make eye contact.
  278. >Your suffering…well resiliency, was rewarded by a crack in Zephyr’s facade.
  279. >Just a crack, but it was enough to grab onto.
  280. >Little did you know Dash planned on turning it into the grand canyon.
  281. >”Now it’s on your face silly!”
  282. >What.
  283. >Your eyes lock on Dash’s, she has a rather playful smile, and she manages to wink at you.
  284. >She obviously plans on doing something which was obviously going to take you out of your comfort zone again.
  285. >She leans forward smile and all, and you resist the urge to lean back.
  286. >We’re sailing uncharted waters captain!
  287. >At least that would be nothing new.
  288. >After today you’d be the equivalent of Christopher Columbus.
  289. >She’s close enough now that you can smell her breath, and it doesn’t smell bad either.
  290. >You couldn’t tell what was in it, but it was kinda nice.
  291. >You looked into her eyes one last time and all you could get out of them was ‘trust me’.
  292. >Then it happened.
  293. >Dash’s head tilts and her tongue rolls out as she drags it slowly across your lips.
  294. >The shock of what she was doing hit you like a freight train and your entire body felt like you were standing naked in front of an open oven.
  295. >Her surprisingly long tongue form fit to your lips and left a sticky Dash-trail as it traced the length of your mouth.
  296. >A hot breath left her nose and warmed your face.
  297. >It was numbing, but not desensitizing. It was a pleasant numbness.
  298. >You hated to admit it, but under normal circumstances it would be hard to complain. Luckily you were under no obligation to protest.
  299. >As soon as it started, it was over.
  300. >Her tongue retreats back to its home and you catch a glimpse of chocolate on it.
  301. >She did get what she was aiming for, it would’ve been hard to miss with her approach but still…
  302. >It was now her turn to be beat red.
  303. >Surprisingly, you find your feet much faster than her and manage to get the show back on track.
  304. “Thanks…I know I can always count on you.”
  305. >You reach out and hook an arm around her, pulling her into your shoulder while ruffling her hair with your free hand.
  306. >She didn’t resist, nor did she give you a sour look for the ruffle, instead you’re met with a kind of thousand yard stare…and more blushing.
  307. >”Y-yeah s-sure thing.”
  308. >Dash had effectively put herself out of commission with her last stunt, you were going to be on your own for a while.
  309. >Luckily that wouldn’t be much of an issue.
  310. >Zephyr was gone.
  311. >Just a bunch of ponies staring at you two with wide eyes.
  312. >You get up and nudge her to follow you.
  313. >You were headed back to your place. You two had a lot to sort out.
  314. >The two of you made the short walk back to your low-budget apartment in total silence.
  315. >Dash made no mention of where you were headed, nor did she protest in any way.
  316. >Only the sound of her hooves plodding next to you intruded on your thoughts.
  317. >And boy did you have some thoughts.
  318. >To start things off, your best friend just licked your mouth.
  319. >You remember reading in a magazine somewhere that the lips had more nerve endings than the rest of the face combined. It seemed unrealistic at the time, but now you had no doubt it was true.
  320. >In your mind’s eye you could still feel the fine, almost felt-like stippling of her taste buds on your lips. Heck, you could even tell that her buds got thicker farther back on her tongue.
  321. >A shudder racks your body.
  322. >It was surreal, even in afterthought.
  323. >As much as you reminded yourself it was out of necessity, you wouldn’t label the experience as unenjoyable.
  324. >And as much as you tried to push it out of your mind, you couldn’t.
  325. >Her saliva was drying on your yet untouched mouth, making it feel surprisingly cool in the afternoon air.
  326. >You had been resisting the urge to roll or lick your lips; you didn’t bother justifying to yourself why, you just wanted to do it.
  327. >But the more you resisted the stronger the urge became.
  328. >This must be what it’s like to have Tourette’s—constantly being driven to do something. Or was that OCD?
  329. >You lick your lips.
  330. >That wasn’t so hard, it was a normal thing to do anyways wasn’t it? People lick their lips on occasion?
  331. >The secret advantage of being almost twice as tall as ponies was that they couldn’t immediately see you blushing. That and you could reach the top shelf.
  332. >The most prominent taste was chocolate, but you caught hints of grass and hay. Something you’d had the unfortunate experience of tasting before in something the locals called a hay burger.
  333. >But it wasn’t bad, it was tempered by…something else, an unknown taste.
  334. >It definitely wasn’t Skittles, but you figured that’s what you’d dub it. That way you felt less embarrassed than if you’d named it directly after the pony it originated from.
  335. >Sort of a code name.
  336. >Holy shit what were you doing.
  337. >You ask yourself rhetorically, you know exactly what you’re doing.
  338. >You were enjoying it. Every little bit.
  339. >You were beyond the point of being squeamish of her.
  340. >As nearly all good friends, you’d shared water bottles and ice cream cones, used the same towel to wipe sweat after workouts, ex cetera.
  341. >But this was different, it was…intimate.
  342. >You shouldn’t have enjoyed it, it should’ve grossed you out not brightened your mood.
  343. >You really need to sort things out.
  344. >Just as the silence becomes unbearably awkward, you spot your apartment.
  345. >A minute later you were sitting across from Dash in your living room awkwardly hopping your knee.
  346. “So…uhh…I think he got the message.”
  347. >Her head snaps up and her eyes briefly meet yours before dropping to the floor again.
  348. >”Y-yeah…that’s…exactly what I thought would happen…”
  349. >You thought she’d at least happy Zephyr left.
  350. “Listen, Dash…I uhh…I want you to know that what happened wasn’t…it was…”
  351. >Why is this so hard?
  352. “What I’m trying to say is, it wasn’t…bad.”
  353. >God that was horrible.
  354. >She finally manages to make eye contact and stops tapping her hoof on the couch.
  355. >”I-I’m just glad you’re not afraid of my cooties…or something haha”
  356. >The fake laugh showed she was embarrassed about her actions.
  357. >She’s blushing like mad, but you can’t blame her, the mutually shared awkwardness warranted nothing less.
  358. >Well at least you know she wasn’t grossed out by the whole experience.
  359. >That was a good thing right? If neither of you were weirded out by it then it was okay.
  360. “Geez Dash I’m just glad you didn’t freak out about it or something. You know…it would’ve ruined the whole show.”
  361. >She perks up defensively.
  362. >”Me? Freak out? Dude, you’re talking to the most level headed pegasus in Ponyville!”
  363. >You doubt that. But there must be some merit to her statement, there was no other explanation for how she performed flawlessly at such high speeds.
  364. >”And besides, it’s not like it was weird…or anything. I mean, you brush your teeth don’t you?”
  365. >The question caught you off guard, it made you feel like you were in an interview.
  366. “Yeah twice a day.”
  367. >That sounded too enthusiastic.
  368. “You do too right?
  369. >Her fading blush returned with a vengeance.
  370. >”Well duh…you couldn’t taste the mint?”
  371. >No, you definitely didn’t taste that.
  372. “No...”
  373. >Her whole demeanor had been steadily improving in accordance with the easing of the conversation…until now.
  374. >Her shoulders slouch and her eyes drop to the scruffy carpet again.
  375. >“Oh…”
  376. “Wait, I didn’t mean…it tasted like…it was good okay?”
  377. >”G-good?”
  378. “…y-yeah like…I don’t know, it would’ve been a weird taste maybe if it was a stranger or something.”
  379. >You have her full attention now.
  380. “But…I guess what I’m trying to say is that because we’re already good friends, I didn’t mind. I guess…I’m just comfortable around you.”
  381. >Her blush remains but you can see she really wants to smile.
  382. >That was a pretty accurate mirror of what you felt…without going as far as to say you liked it.
  383. >”Heh…yeah. No harm done right.”
  384. >It seemed like she was talking to herself more than she was talking to you.
  385. >Her ears pin to the back of her head and she bites her bottom lip.
  386. >”Look, uhh…if he comes back…”
  387. “I still plan on keeping my promise to help you out.”
  388. >For the first time this afternoon you saw relief wash over her.
  389. >She way far and away the most steadfast friend you’ve ever had in your entire life. You knew she wouldn’t ever leave you hanging in an embarrassing situation, so the least you can do is promise the same to her.
  390. >”But we may have to…you know…do embarrassing things again?”
  391. “Rainbow Dash, friends don’t leave friends hanging and you’re the best friend I have. I’m not going to chicken out because I’m afraid of some mare-cooties.”
  392. >Hopefully your sarcasm would lighten her mood.
  393. >”Hey! I was the one that licked you! That proves I’m not the chicken!”
  394. >Mission successful.
  395. “I know Dash, you’re not afraid of anything.”
  396. >You think about ruffling her mane but refrain from it. Her emotions seemed to be in delicate balance today, you didn’t want to throw too much into the equation.
  397. >Your abstinence is rewarded with a soft smile.
  398. “Do you think he’s really going to annoy you again after…that?”
  399. >”I hope not. I mean the message was pretty clear and all, but I’ve been surprised by his stubbornness before.”
  400. “Well then lets just hope for the best.”
  401. >”Yeah…but, if he does…you don’t mind…?”
  402. >She trails off before she can get out what she wants to say, but the question was pretty clear.
  403. >You audibly gulp, you had a nagging feeling this was going to get you up shit creek without a paddle.
  404. “No…no I don’t.”
  405. >You have a few seconds to read her emotions before she rockets across the room and throws her forelegs around you in a hug.
  406. >You smile. Well isn’t she full of surprises today.
  407. >Her voice comes from behind your ear.
  408. >”Thanks dude. You’re the only friend I have that would do this for me…it means a lot.”
  409. >You reciprocate by wrapping your arms around her.
  410. “I’m really the only guy friend you’ve got, so unless you wanted to come across as…”
  411. >”Just shutup.”
  412. “Yep.”
  413. >She continues to bear hug your torso for longer than usual.
  414. >The fur of her cheek was incredibly soft against your neck and her whole body felt like a heating blanket against you.
  415. >Maybe ponies have higher core temperatures? Makes sense with her insane metabolism at least. You’d have to ask Twilight about it later.
  416. >She finally relents and leans back to sit on your lap. You found the position a bit awkward the first time she did it, but since then, you’d come to accept that ponies had much looser definition of personal space than humans.
  417. >Twilight had told you…no quoted from a book, that ponies’ proximity during conversation reflected their level of familiarity.
  418. >You came to appreciate the gesture when Dash did it. It made you happy that she was comfortable around you.
  419. >The last thing you were going to do was call her out on it—even if she only did it in private.
  420. >”I don’t think I need to tell you to keep your mouth sealed about all this.”
  421. >Her breath was still warm when it hit your face.
  422. “So I should have Mayor Mare cancel the engagement announcement in the evening paper?”
  423. >You’re met with a judgmental stare that would give your dad’s a run for its money.
  424. “Yeah, uh, that was a joke…”
  425. >”I’m serious dude!”
  426. “Okay! Okay! I won’t tell anyone, but it may be hard to keep the word from spreading if we keep pulling stunts like that in public.”
  427. >”Oh I didn’t think about that…”
  428. >She looks down disappointingly.
  429. “Hey cheer up. We’ll just take it one step at a time ok? We can’t solve every problem at once.”
  430. >”Y-yeah I guess you’re right.”
  431. “Of course I am. Now there’s only one other thing that bothers me about all this.”
  432. >She looks at you, worried.
  433. >”What is it?”
  434. “If this Zeph guy is as stubborn as you say he is, and as creepy as I think he is. We need to be on guard 24/7.”
  435. >”Whaddaya mean by that?”
  436. “If he stops by unannounced at some point and sees that we’re just making this all up, all this work we’ve done would’ve been for nothing and we’d be back at square one.”
  437. >”Ohh…”
  438. >Her brow furrows as she troubleshoots the problem.
  439. >”So…we’d have to keep up appearances…”
  440. >Her muzzle flushes red again, her eyes widen, and her wings ruffle suspiciously.
  441. >”…all the time.”
  442. >You nod in silent agreement.
  443. “It would be good for the sake of continuity, and we won’t ever get mixed up. It will also help uhh…desensitize us to the…mushiness. I think. That way I won’t nearly freak out when you lick me again, and vice versa.”
  444. >”Yeah…couples aren’t supposed to freak out about that.”
  445. “It wouldn’t be all the time. Like right now we’re inside so we’re not at risk.”
  446. >”Okay.”
  447. “Okay?”
  448. >”Okay yeah it’s a good idea.”
  449. “…Okay.”
  450. >You stare into her eyes from less than a foot away.
  451. >The fact she wasn’t even hesitant to put her trust in you stood as testament to the strength of your friendship.
  452. >How did you ever get so lucky to befriend a pony like her?
  453. >You reach out and hold her narrow shoulders.
  454. “But if you ever get too uncomfortable, at any time, just tell me and I’ll stop.”
  455. >She nods rapidly.
  456. “Okay then sounds like a plan.”
  457. >You see an ear to ear grin appear on her face. She pokes your chest with a hoof.
  458. >”But you’d better bet you’re going to quit before I am.”
  459. >Of course she would find a way to to make it into a competition.
  460. >You learned early on that you couldn’t show any weakness in this cutthroat relationship, so you grin right back at her.
  461. “Is that a challenge?”
  462. >”Nope. There’s nothing challenging about it.”
  463. >Hello ego.
  464. “We’ll see about that.” You reply with mock skepticism.
  465. >With how she reacted today, you weren’t too confident she could live up to her claims. She did take the initiative though, that counted for something.
  466. >You drop your hands from her shoulders and lean back in the couch. She just sits there, perched on your legs like a large dog.
  467. >She wasn’t heavy—much lighter than a dog of comparable size. Pegasi had hollow bones and leaner builds which minimized the weight their wings had to bear.
  468. >But because they were pretty much the same size as every other pony, they, and especially Rainbow, had an insane strength-to-weight ratio.
  469. >It made them seem almost unnaturally strong, and it always caught you off guard when you interacted with her.
  470. >You bring your mind back to the present and struggle to think of something else to occupy your time.
  471. >Dash came over quite often even though it was a small apartment. Normally you two would throw on a movie or go to the gym, or have a wrestling match or something. Sometimes you would just sit and talk.
  472. >But none of those options jumped out at you as a good idea.
  473. >Even though you’d come to an agreement with Dash about your current situation, your brain was still racing a mile a minute. You really needed some time to digest it all.
  474. >After all, it was only a few hours ago that you’d gone to the park to help her with a trick, completely unaware of what you were walking into.
  475. >You should really ask her to let you get some rest. An afternoon nap would do you good.
  476. >”If you’re just going to sit there and be boring then I’m going to get something to eat.”
  477. >You barely snap out of your trance and register her extremely sincere tone before she hops off your lap and trots over into your kitchen.
  478. >”Do you mind if I crash here for a bit? I’m too tired to do stuff in town or practice my…where the hay did you put the granola bars?”
  479. >She’s flying around, opening every cabinet looking for your hard-earned food.
  480. >That was another thing that just seemed unnatural—pegasi flying in confined spaces. It must take quite a bit of skill to hover around like that in a kitchen.
  481. “On top of the fridge Dash.”
  482. >You lazily point in the general direction.
  483. >”Got em!…So is that cool?”
  484. >What? Oh her question.
  485. >You’d really prefer to be alone, it wasn’t like you had a separate bedroom you could go into and close the door. You just needed some peace and quiet.
  486. “Well…I kinda wanted to take a nap.”
  487. >She makes her way back to the couch and hops on.
  488. >”So take a nap then, I’m not stopping you.”
  489. >She noisily tears open the plastic wrapper.
  490. “It’s just hard for me to fall asleep when…”
  491. *crunch
  492. “…when it’s not completely quiet.”
  493. >She stares at you blankly and finishes audibly chewing before responding.
  494. >”So just stop being so sensitive."
  495. “…I…uh.”
  496. >“HAHAHAHA! Dude I’m messing with you! I’ll probably take a nap too so don’t worry about me.”
  497. >That might work.
  498. >Dash studies your face for a moment and realizes you need some more convincing.
  499. >”I just…uhh…last night I heard something and I think Zephyr was at my house.”
  500. >This was concerning. Why didn’t she tell you earlier?
  501. >You sit up and look at her with a furrowed brow.
  502. “Did you see him?”
  503. >”Well…not exactly. But I’m sure it was him because no pony else would be weird enough to hang out around there at night!”
  504. “Isn’t it like public airspace or something though? I mean, you do live in the sky.”
  505. >”Yeah but he was like…um…knocking on my door…and stuff.”
  506. >She looks like she’s having a hard time remembering.
  507. “Late at night?”
  508. >”Yeah.”
  509. “But you didn’t see him so you don’t know for sure?”
  510. >”No, but…*sigh, no I didn’t.”
  511. >She looks disappointed now. She must’ve really wanted to avoid her house.
  512. >”I just…wanted to hang out I guess.”
  513. >Or she just really wanted to hang out.
  514. >Who knew you’d ever end up being such a popular guy.
  515. >She’s not giving you puppy dog eyes but the disheartened tone of her voice strikes the same soft spot in your heart.
  516. “Okay fine, but don’t take too long to eat that granola bar.”
  517. >”Hah! You’re talking to the fastest pegasus ever!”
  518. “I wouldn’t have known…”
  519. >She digs into the granola bar, throwing crumbs all over your couch.
  520. >Whatever you’ll clean it up later.
  521. >She notices you looking at her.
  522. >”Oh sorry! Want some of my bar?”
  523. >She holds out the half-eaten bar towards you with a grin. A mischievous grin.
  524. “You mean my bar?”
  525. >Her ear splay back and she looks at you like you have a ‘kick me’ sticker on your forehead.
  526. >”Heh, yeah that one.”
  527. >Well you didn’t really finish your donut.
  528. >You go to reach for it.
  529. “Yeah I guess I’ll…”
  530. >She yanks it away right before you reach it and licks the whole thing.
  531. “Oh come on!”
  532. >”HAHAHAHAHA! Still want it now?”
  533. >She dangles it in front of you.
  534. >Damn she was having too much fun with this.
  535. >You, on the other hand, wanted to take a nap.
  536. “What do you think!”
  537. >You cross your arms and lean back against the couch.
  538. >”I think I remember you saying you wouldn’t chicken out before I did.”
  539. >So she’s playing that way is she?
  540. >You can’t bitch out now, she has too much dirt on you already.
  541. “Fine just give me the, the t-thing!”
  542. >She holds her sly smirk as you take it from her.
  543. >You examine your poison.
  544. >Luckily she didn’t slobber on it.
  545. >You angle it back and forth until a slight sheen down the center of the bar reflects your kitchen light.
  546. >Your biggest concern was that your multi-grain, fiber-rich, honey flavored obelisk of granola would now have a slight tinge of hay…and skittles.
  547. >The multicolored pegasus-flavored skittles.
  548. >You knew you didn’t have a choice.
  549. >Your heart rate speeds up as the inevitable approaches.
  550. *crunch
  551. >You take a bite out and hand her back the rest of the bar.
  552. >She takes it, laughing not too quietly to herself.
  553. >Luckily the honey flavor trumped everything else.
  554. >You finish chewing it with no notable incident.
  555. “What is it with you and licking things?”
  556. >She stops laughing for a moment to comprehend your question.
  557. >”Whaddaya mean?”
  558. “I mean you and licking things, what is with it?”
  559. >That didn’t make sense dude.
  560. >Her expression mirrors your subconscious.
  561. “Scratch that. Is licking like some common thing to do amongst couples or something? I’m asking because I need to know what to expect.”
  562. >You hope you’re not upsetting her with your apparent frustration. It’s more due to your tiredness than any action on her part.
  563. >Luckily she’s too busy turning red at the implications.
  564. >”Uhh…it’s normal, but I’ve never heard of griffins or minotaurs doing it or anything.”
  565. “Because that is not common with humans.”
  566. >All of her playfulness earlier was replaced with concern.
  567. >”Oh…do you want me to stop or something?”
  568. “No…just, I’m just getting used to it is all.”
  569. >She still looks a bit upset.
  570. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have been like that. I’m just tired and…have a lot on my mind.”
  571. >”No it’s my fault dude I shouldn’t have been so pushy.”
  572. >You reach out and pat her shoulder.
  573. “Why don’t we get some sleep huh?”
  574. >”Yeah just...let me finish this.”
  575. >You lean back and close your eyes, trying to get comfortable on your couch.
  576. >In the background you can hear her finish chewing and toss the wrapper on your coffee table.
  577. >You hear some more shuffling and feel the couch move before she finally plops down right next to you and leans against your shoulder.
  578. >You were used to her doing this. It wasn’t the first time she’d taken a nap on you.
  579. >You open your eyes and look down to see her splayed out on her back, legs spread open, much the same way you were. It was a horrible position for your posture, you could only imagine how uncomfortable it was for her.
  580. >As if to prove your point she goes no more than five seconds before twisting around. Hooves smack your thigh and rib cage and a wing slaps you across the face before she settles again.
  581. >This time like a dog curled up against your leg.
  582. >Whatever.
  583. >The front and back windows to your apartment were open, and it allowed for a warm summer breeze carrying the background noise of the street vendors to waft through the room. Nothing put you to sleep faster than a warm breeze.
  584. >She starts shuffling again.
  585. “Dash!”
  586. >”What!”
  587. “Stop moving!”
  588. >”I can’t get comfortable because you’re a weird shape!”
  589. >That…could mean many different things.
  590. >Your shoot your eyes open and gaze over to the other three quarters of unused couch space.
  591. >You leave her comment to fend for itself in the gutters of your mind and shift your position.
  592. >”What’re you doing!”
  593. “Well if you refuse to use the whole couch, I’m going to.”
  594. >You grab her up in your arms and plop over so you’re laying down.
  595. >”Ooph…Wow dude dontcha think were taking this a bit fast?”
  596. >You weren’t in the mood for this.
  597. “Dash just go to sleep.”
  598. >You find a comfortable spot on your back with your legs draped over the arm rest.
  599. >Dash rolls off your chest into the gap made between your torso and the couch. She tucks her forelegs to her chest and sticks her hind legs out next to yours.
  600. >She rolls towards you just enough to tuck her muzzle underneath your chin and get her right wing free to stretch.
  601. >After she gets comfortable she pops her head up.
  602. >”I know I said this before, but thanks for helping me out dude. I...feel a lot better knowing I have some pony, uhh…someone like you to be there for me.”
  603. >Awww, now if that didn’t tug at the heartstrings you’d be an official psychopath.
  604. >But you’re not.
  605. >You peek an eye open and look up at her.
  606. >You reach up with your free arm and give her a scratch behind her ear, earning a soft smile from her as well as yourself.
  607. “No problem Dash.”
  608. >You close your eyes again but shoot them back open when she pecks your nose.
  609. >You'd shared cheek kisses before...it was extremely common among friends and even tough-gal Dash saw nothing embarrassing about it.
  610. >But you weren’t sure weather it was the kiss or your own skipping heartbeat that surprised you more.
  611. >It was unexpected. It was different. It was…genuine.
  612. >And it felt really nice.
  613. >You weren’t sure you’d be able to say the right thing, so you don’t.
  614. >She doesn’t pull away from you much, leaving your options very open.
  615. >She’s looking at you with half-lidded eyes, her ears pinned back, a gentle smile and blush adorning her face.
  616. >You have to admit she looks really cute.
  617. >Like, really really cute.
  618. >Cute enough that you just want to snuggle her up and kiss her.
  619. >Whoah! Where did that come from?
  620. >You’re not sure. But you weren’t going to leave her hanging.
  621. >You crane your neck up and kiss the tip of her furry nose.
  622. >A brief giggle escapes her before she clears her throat.
  623. >No more words were said.
  624. >She goes back to tucking her muzzle into your neck.
  625. >That thing you thought about the warm breeze being the best thing to help you sleep wasn’t exactly true.
  626. >Dash’s warmth and soft breathing was by far the most relaxing.
  627. >And her smell.
  628. >Much like her taste, it was…unique. It was a spicy-sweet smell, but it got spicier the longer she went without a shower.
  629. >It was far from what you expected of body odor, it was actually pleasant. Strangely enough she’d said the same about you before.
  630. >You were beginning to wonder if it was some weird trend. Maybe she farted butterflies or something…
  631. >As you begin to drift off into the depths of slumber, you feel her large wing extend across your chest and cover your bare arms.
  632. >How…thoughtful of her…
  633. >Your mind focuses down on her relaxed breathing and warm presence.
  634. >Today was full of a lot of surprises, and you weren’t sure what to expect when you woke up.
  635. >But were sure of one thing. You were going to be there for Dash and she was going to be there for you.
  636. >And nothing was going to come between that.
  637.  
  638. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
  639.  
  640. >You awoke to the sound of Rainbow Dash softly breathing on your chest.
  641. >It was dark now, and the warm breeze that wove through your apartment earlier was replaced with a cooler one.
  642. >But feathers were a good insulator and her wing was like an electric blanket.
  643. >She was actually warm blooded so that may have had something to do with it.
  644. >You would feel bad hogging all the warmth, but it wasn’t like she wasn’t stealing a good amount of your own, she did have the better spot between you and the couch.
  645. >You’re surprised she wasn’t snoring. It must have something to do with her posture.
  646. >You’re so comfortable right now you just want to go back to sleep.
  647. >And you probably would, except your feet are cold.
  648. >You let out a disappointed sigh, it was probably all for the best anyways.
  649. >You reach out from under her wing and gently scratch her belly.
  650. “Dash, you need to wake up now.”
  651. >She mumbles a bit before scooting farther into you and nudging your jaw with the top of her muzzle.
  652. >That almost gave you a heart attack.
  653. >You weigh the possibility of dying via cardiovascular arrest before doing it again.
  654. >This time you pat her stomach lightly.
  655. “Dash, get up.”
  656. >She doesn’t move.
  657. >Damn she must be really out of it.
  658. “Dash.”
  659. >She jolts awake and takes a second to register where she’s at.
  660. “You slept well.”
  661. >She looks at you but avoids eye contact.
  662. “Heh, yeah…you make a good pillow.”
  663. >Was that a compliment or was she calling you fat?
  664. >Its almost too dark, but you’re close enough to just make out her face.
  665. “You should probably get home…”
  666. >You tried not to sound pushy, but it was pretty late.
  667. >”Uhh, yeah.”
  668. >She pushes off of you and gets off the couch somewhat awkwardly, taking her warmth with her.
  669. >She takes her time to arch her back and spread her wings in a stretch before she slowly walks over to your front door and opens it
  670. >With a groan, you follow her.
  671. “If you ever need anything just let me know.”
  672. >”Yeah…”
  673. >She makes no effort to move further.
  674. “And if Zephyr knocks on your door again let me know.”
  675. >She’s looking down, scratching the ground with her hoof.
  676. “Cuz I’ll kick his ass.”
  677. >”Heheh, uh…you don’t think he’s watching now do you?”
  678. >You stick your head out your door and look up and down the empty street, then you look up at the dark sky.
  679. No ponies.
  680. “I don’t see him.”
  681. >She doesn’t seem to share your confidence.
  682. >”…you sure?”
  683. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure I don’t see him.”
  684. >She still doesn’t move.
  685. >”I…I don’t know he’s kinda sneaky.”
  686. >She usually wasn’t this wishy washy.
  687. “Dash what’s wrong?”
  688. >More nervous shuffling.
  689. >”I just…was uh…thinking about what you said earlier.”
  690. “What do you mean?”
  691. >”About needing to…maintain appearances all the time.”
  692. >Oh you know where this is going.
  693. >”And since we’re in public…I thought…aw do you have to make me say it!”
  694. >She finishes with a hoof stomp.
  695. “Well what did you have in mind?”
  696. >That caught her off guard.
  697. >”Uhh…I don’t know, what do couples normally do when they say goodnight?”
  698. >You drop down to one knee in front of her.
  699. “You tell me, I’m a bit new to this whole pony culture thing.”
  700. >You’ve never seen her this nervous before. Maybe it was a bit too cruel to put the decision back on her.
  701. >”Well, uhh…”
  702. “Listen, I already committed to this thing, we talked about it and you know I’m okay with it.”
  703. >She takes a deep breath before speaking up.
  704. >”Well then I guess a hug and a…k-kiss… would be ni…necessary.”
  705. >That’s honestly exactly what you expected.
  706. “Ok, that’s easy.”
  707. >You say that only to cover up your own nervousness.
  708. >No need to be nervous, she’s your best friend. You know her.
  709. >You’ve practically done this before anyways.
  710. >You can't see her face well in the dark, but you could bet she was just as red as you were.
  711. >You pull her into a hug before things have time to get more awkward.
  712. >Her fur fills in between your fingers and her spicy smell fills your nose.
  713. >Of all the things you’ve ever hugged, she was the most huggable. She wasn’t exactly a plushie because she had a skeleton and an athletic build, but she was very soft and pliable where it counted.
  714. >And she could hug back.
  715. >She finally brings one of her forelegs under your arm and pulls herself more into you.
  716. >She even hooks her muzzle behind your neck to lock herself in the embrace. It’s actually kinda pointy.
  717. >You do your best to avoid her wings and upper back, that was a whole other ball park that neither of you were ready to play in.
  718. >She stays in the hug for a while, almost as if building up courage for what was coming next.
  719. >But the inevitable happened and you eventually broke the embrace.
  720. >You pull back and look into her eyes.
  721. >You’re both close enough now to see each other well in the dark.
  722. >Her features display a myriad of emotions.
  723. >Her lips are parted so she could breath through her mouth.
  724. >Her ears are flat against the back of her head, she’s biting her lip nervously.
  725. >Her prismatic mane was a bit messy from the nap.
  726. >Nostrils flared with every other breath, telling you she smelled you too.
  727. >But the part that stood out most was her eyes.
  728. >Her pupils were stretched wide and her eyes seemed to glow with a light of their own.
  729. >For all of her normal rash confidence, she could still get nervous.
  730. >You'd bet you were just as nervous too.
  731. >You never considered it before, but she was beautiful.
  732. >It was surprising how you’d never seen it. She was always just a cute pony who you got along great with, but now you could see her obvious beauty as well.
  733. >The more you waited, the more nervous you felt.
  734. >Time to take the initiative.
  735. >You lean forward and press your puckered lips to her muzzle.
  736. >You miss at first and your upper lip hits her nose.
  737. >She readjusts around you and meets her lips to yours, pressing lightly.
  738. >Her pointed muzzle presses into you, making it feel more intense than she intended it to.
  739. >The shock of what you were doing hits you again, as does the whole body flush.
  740. >Despite your best efforts, you find yourself getting lost in the sensations.
  741. >The soft fur of her muzzle tickles your lips and sends your head spinning.
  742. >Neither of you have the courage to intensify it. Even if part of you wanted to.
  743. >Dash breathes through her nose and you remember to breathe as well.
  744. >From this close it was like you were plugged into her. You could feel the emotions going through her head.
  745. >Finally you break the kiss with an embarrassing smack.
  746. >But before you get a chance to catch your breath you feel the familiar sensation of her tongue your lips again.
  747. >This time you were in more of a state to take in the sensations.
  748. >Your own mouth was already parted from the earlier kiss, it allowed the edge of her tongue to wrap around the moist inside of your lips.
  749. >It wasn’t like before, her licks were shorter and thus, sloppier.
  750. >Her tongue wiped across you a total of three times, coating your lips in a generous amount of Dash-slobber.
  751. >That was really the best way to describe the poorly coordinated assault.
  752. >She pulls back and leaves you to reel in shock.
  753. >”I…sorry…t-that’s…n-normal for…”
  754. >It was like she surprised herself.
  755. >Either way it’s about time you stopped half-assing this thing.
  756. >You cut her off by reaching out to gently hold her face; you stick your tongue out and mirror her actions.
  757. >Your shorter, wider tongue meets her lips and flattens them a bit with pressure.
  758. >Her body goes rigid with surprise, but you work with it.
  759. >Her muzzle made it a bit weird, but you didn’t see it that way, just interesting.
  760. >Her taste was much more potent now.
  761. >All remnants of what she’d eaten earlier had long since passed, only the skittles flavor that hovered somewhere between citrus and milk remained.
  762. >You really ought to call it something else, it definitely wasn't skittles.
  763. >You mimicked her three lick technique before stopping and looking at what you’d done.
  764. >If you thought her eyes were wide before, they definitely were now. Her lips glistened with your presence in the little moonlight there was.
  765. >At some point her wings had unfurled to stick out and up at a slight angle, you could see that they were pulsing with what you assumed to be her heartbeat.
  766. >In retrospect you had no idea why you did it.
  767. >All you know is that being that close with your ‘best friend’ was making you feel happier than you’d ever been before.
  768. >You just weren’t sure what that meant or how to go about telling her.
  769. “Y-you said it was normal right?”
  770. >It was a start at least.
  771. >She just nods slightly, not bothering to blink.
  772. >”Yeah…”
  773. >That should’ve thrown any eavesdroppers. You wink at her, hoping she caught the gist.
  774. >In response, her wings only stiffen further.
  775. >You weren’t sure what that meant but you also weren’t in a questioning mood.
  776. >Your hands drop from cupping her cheeks and you stand up.
  777. >Her still unblinking eyes follow yours. It was a bit unnerving actually.
  778. “Like I said, if you need anything, at anytime, don’t hesitate to ask.”
  779. >She nods obediently like a toddler getting sent to their first day at school.
  780. >You can’t drag this out any further, you weren’t sure what would happen next.
  781. “G’night Dash.”
  782. >And with that you turn and go back inside.
  783. >She’s already trotting down the street, her wings still at attention, by the time you close the door.
  784. >Once inside you finally let your breath out.
  785. >You were grateful the dark hid your features, you could almost feel the heat coming off your face, neck, and ears.
  786. >You weren’t sure what to make of your friendship with Dash anymore.
  787. >It was still there of course, but after today it was going to be different.
  788. >Of course she wasn’t you mare friend or anything. You were just…how did you put it earlier?
  789. >Comfortable with her.
  790. >And comfortable made you capable.
  791. >And capable was what she needed to get out of her jam.
  792. >You wanted to help her get out of her jam.
  793. >That’s why you just made out with your friend.
  794. >Yeah…makes sense.
  795. >Damn, awake for five minutes and you’re already tired again.
  796. >It’s good too because that nap would’ve upset your rhythm.
  797. >You meander over to the couch and lay down on it, not bothering to make it any farther to your bedroll in the corner of the room.
  798. >The lights were already off so you focus on snuffing the thoughts racing through your mind.
  799. >Then you notice something. Well, your nose does.
  800. >A unique spicy smell still lingered in the fabric of the couch.
  801. >There was no mistaking what it was.
  802. >The scent warmed you and calmed your mind.
  803. >It was really weird but you didn’t care at this point. You weren’t sure what was normal anymore.
  804. >You roll over until your face rests next to the cushions of interest and you close your eyes.
  805. >The familiar scent lures you to sleep.
  806.  
  807. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
  808.  
  809. >You awake fairly early the next morning.
  810. >The first thing you notice is that Dash’s scent had aired out of the cushions.
  811. >The second thing you notice is you back hurts like hell.
  812. >You get up and stretch, popping your spine several times in the process.
  813. >Damn what a night.
  814. >Mares are crazy.
  815. >So are you, willingly mixing yourself up in this.
  816. >Crazy or not, everyone needs breakfast.
  817. >After completing your morning routine you set out to run your daily errands, feeling rested and refreshed.
  818. >You didn’t have a job yet, but you had one lined up in the Equestrian Royal Research and Development branch.
  819. >It was a government job, but only in the loosest sense.
  820. >Apparently Celestia thought you were some alien scientist.
  821. >You argued that a few classes worth of college level physics and chemistry didn’t exactly make you a genius, but she didn’t care.
  822. >Introducing the concept of an electric toaster was impressive enough to cover your shortcomings.
  823. >It was going to pay well once she did whatever paperwork she needed to hire you, but until then you lived off the land, and a small government subsidy.
  824. >Yeah…welfare.
  825. >You made your way around town picking up odds and ends you needed to fill holes in your life.
  826. >Your last stop was the grocery store to pick up more granola bars among other things.
  827. >Dash ate your last one.
  828. >Actually she ate like six out of the eight that were in the box.
  829. >On your way out you bump into Twilight.
  830. >”Oh, hey Anon, fancy seeing you here!”
  831. “Yeah. I was just replacing some of the food Dash ate. Speaking of which, I have a question I was going to ask you.”
  832. >You have her full attention now. You weren’t a stranger to books but this horse was a total egghead.
  833. >”Sure ask away!”
  834. >You shift your grocery bags to your other hand.
  835. “What does it mean when a pegasus sticks her wings out?”
  836. >Her eyes dart around with surprise.
  837. >”Uhh haha her? Uh…are you talking about when they’re flying?”
  838. >Weird pony.
  839. “No, like when they’re just standing there.”
  840. >She actually looks really intrigued now.
  841. >”Oh…well um, can I ask who you saw this happen to?”
  842. “Yeah, Dash was over last night and right before she left we were…talking and I just saw her wings out like that.”
  843. >Twilight gets a mischievous smile and scoots closer to you in the isle.
  844. >”Aaannd…”
  845. “And what? She just left after that.”
  846. >”Well obviously something happened.”
  847. >Her smile doesn’t waver in the slightest. Something must be up.
  848. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
  849. >Well you weren’t telling her the whole truth, but you promised Dash you wouldn’t. Not like it would help her answer your question anyways.
  850. >Either way, your experienced poker face convinces her she wasn’t getting anywhere by prying.
  851. >”Well…and assuming you don’t already know…it means that they like you.”
  852. “That’s it? Kinda seems like a lot of work just to tell me that.”
  853. >She looks a bit unsure of herself.
  854. >”…Oh, you see, it’s uh…not quite like that.”
  855. “How is it then?”
  856. >She looks nervous now.
  857. >”You should probably ask her that.”
  858. >Okay she was just playing games now.
  859. “Okay then, thanks…I guess.”
  860. >”How is Rainbow doing by the way? I haven’t seen her in a while.”
  861. >You told Dash you wouldn’t mention your awkward solution to her problem to anyone, but if any pony would be able to help, she would.
  862. “She’s…got a lot on her mind lately.”
  863. >”You mean with Zephyr?”
  864. >She already knew? She is Dash’s friend too you guess.
  865. ”Yeah actually. She tell you about it?”
  866. >”Not at first, she seemed a bit embarrassed about the whole thing. But once we asked her why he was always following her around she opened up about it.”
  867. >Sounds familiar.
  868. “So did you end up doing anything about it?”
  869. >”Well I looked into it a bit and it was bad enough that I recommended she get a restraining order.”
  870. >Damn
  871. “Did she?”
  872. >”No, she said it would would make her look less awesome.”
  873. >Seriously?
  874. “So you just hoped it would blow over?”
  875. >Twilight seems to get a bit defensive.
  876. >”She said she’d take care of it!”
  877. “I was just asking.”
  878. >She seems to catch herself a bit.
  879. >”Oh, well she’s a very competent mare, I’m sure she can handle a lonely creeper.”
  880. “Yeah, sure. And what does Fluttershy have to say about this? I mean, he is her brother.”
  881. >”Fluttershy’s…doing her best, but she’s just not used to putting the hoof down.
  882. >So they all just leave Dash to fend for herself. You were thoroughly upset now.
  883. >”He’s not still bothering her is he?”
  884. >You didn’t like her attitude at all. Why would she just blow this off like it was nothing?
  885. “You’ll have to ask Dash.”
  886. >You’re curt tone ends the conversation and you grab a box of granola bars off the shelf.
  887. >”Oh…okay then. I guess I’ll see you around, probably at your new job I’m guessing!”
  888. >You turn to leave.
  889. “Yeah.”
  890. >”…and make sure to tell me how it goes!”
  891. >How what goes? Asking Dash the question? Was it that big of a deal?
  892. >You pay for your groceries and head back to your apartment.
  893. >On your way back you contemplate going to check up on Dash, you hoped she was okay after the roller coaster of emotions last night.
  894. >Speaking of which, you hadn’t seen her all day. You usually saw her flying around or something.
  895. >You drop your groceries off and head back out to jog around the park.
  896. >You figured if Dash wanted to see you she’d stop by.
  897. >Jogging was a good activity to clear your mind. It kept you in shape and relieved stress.
  898. >And after learning how Dash’s friends were treating her, you sure needed to relieve some…something.
  899. >You couldn’t pinpoint it, but you were starting to see her in a different light.
  900. >And not just that she was…attractive.
  901. >You felt a new sense of responsibility, a type of obligation to her.
  902. >Your thoughts fall in sync with your shoes hitting the dirt trail as they battle it out in your head.
  903. >You pass ponies on your way into the park and render a wave to all of them.
  904. >After you cover a good amount of distance, you decide to stop and take a breather next to a tree.
  905. >It was almost dusk now and there weren’t many ponies left in the park.
  906. >An elderly couple sitting on a park bench, two younger foals playing catch in a field, a green pegasus flying from treetop to treetop.
  907. >Wait what.
  908. >You look again at the suspicious activity.
  909. >Either you were seeing things, or you just had really bad luck with running into this dude.
  910. >Shouldn’t he have skipped town already?
  911. >You sigh and push yourself to your feet.
  912. >Time to make sure he wasn’t up to no good.
  913. >”Oh there you are!”
  914. >You spin around to see Rainbow Dash hovering behind you.
  915. >You do a double take.
  916. >He can’t be up to no good if he was over there and Dash was behind you.
  917. >Well he can, just not related to stalking.
  918. >She notices your surprise.
  919. >”Heh, I know I sound too awesome to be real, but I’m not!”
  920. “N-no, I just thought I saw Zephyr over there and was going to make sure he wasn’t still stalking you.”
  921. >She flies closer to you and hovers a few feet away before feigning flattery.
  922. >”Aww how sweet, my personal guardian.”
  923. >You’re face heats up in response.
  924. “Come on Dash, you’re the one that came to me about this whole thing…”
  925. >In a second she closes the distance and kisses you on the lips.
  926. >It wasn’t a lingering one, but her lips were wet and it left the essence of mint on you.
  927. >Despite yourself you find your heart is racing.
  928. >”D-don’t look so surprised, you said you saw him in the park doofus.”
  929. >Oh of course.
  930. “Oh, yeah I did say that.”
  931. >”And for the record I didn’t exactly come to you, you kinda walked into it.”
  932. >That was also true.
  933. “I think it’s more like I gave an inch and you took a mile.”
  934. >She just rolls her eyes.
  935. >”What’re you doing out here anyways?”
  936. “I was just going for a run and stopped for a breather when you found me.”
  937. >She stops flying for a moment and sits on her haunches.
  938. >”You said you saw Zephyr here too?”
  939. “Yeah over near the trees, he was looking kinda suspicious so I thought he might be up to something.”
  940. >She keels over laughing.
  941. >”HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Dude he’s helping Fluttershy!”
  942. “Helping her? With what?”
  943. >”She needed to collect all the baby birds that got abandoned or something. So They’ve been going from tree to tree looking for them. I was helping her until Zephyr showed up. That’s when I went looking for you.”
  944. >That was surprising, maybe creeps have lives too.
  945. >You scratch the back of your head in astonishment.
  946. “Oh, I didn’t even think…”
  947. >She reaches over and punches you in the thigh.
  948. “Ow!”
  949. >She just gives you a sly grin before pushing a strand of hair out of her face.
  950. >”Thanks anyways dude. I’m glad you’re looking out for me.”
  951. “Yeah. Sure.”
  952. >”Hey, c’mere I wanna show you something.”
  953. >She doesn’t wait for your response before spinning around and trotting off down a trail.
  954. >You take off obediently behind her, following her prismatic tail in the waning sunlight.
  955. “Where we going?”
  956. >She doesn’t bother looking back but replies in a chipper tone.
  957. >”Just chill dude it’s a surprise.”
  958. “Okay, do I need a blindfold or something?”
  959. >”Hah! Do you expect me to hold your hand until we get there!”
  960. >You dodge a root that almost catches your foot in the shadows.
  961. “Yeah I think I would enjoy that.”
  962. >She finally looks back at you to see if you were kidding or not.
  963. >”Seriously? In your dreams!"
  964. “How much farther?”
  965. >”Quit whining it’s just over this hill.”
  966. >You snap out of your trance and appraise your surroundings.
  967. >You were in a new part of the park now and the sun was almost touching the horizon.
  968. >The warm summer air was beginning to cool and it wicked away your perspiration.
  969. >Trees parted and gave way to a small clearing with a perfectly still pond in the middle.
  970. >The sky was exploding with red and orange hues which reflected off the mirror-like surface of the water.
  971. >It was so mesmerizing that you didn’t see Dash approaching you.
  972. >She puts her hooves on your shoulders and gives you a shove.
  973. >She was pretty strong and it made you fall on your butt…onto surprisingly soft grass.
  974. >”Now watch this!”
  975. >And with that she launches herself into the air, propelling higher and higher with powerful wing strokes.
  976. >You’re caught speechless as you trace her through the evening sky.
  977. >You pull your legs up to a more comfortable sitting position just as she reaches the apex of her climb.
  978. >From there she noses into a short dive, just enough to gain speed for two consecutive, lazy loops.
  979. >Her final loop levels into a sharp-looking knife edge turn before she goes into another short spinning dive.
  980. >She pulls out of that into a shallow climb while simultaneously flipping onto her back.
  981. >Her mane is blowing across her face, but you spot her wave a hoof and smile at you from her lounged position. She looked relaxed like someone floating on an inflatable pool chair on a hot day.
  982. >You wave back.
  983. >She takes that as her queue to move on to the next trick.
  984. >You stare on in amazement for the next few minutes as she swims through the air above the water.
  985. >It was different from most of her practices, she looked much more relaxed, sticking with tricks that didn’t require a lot of effort to pull off.
  986. >That didn’t mean she wasn’t trying. Every movement was executed flawlessly as far as you could tell.
  987. >It looked like she was trying to show off something besides her speed.
  988. >As you begin to contemplate what that thing is, you notice her start gaining speed.
  989. >She was flying level away from you and was going faster than she had all night.
  990. >Just as you think she’s making a run for the border, she pulls up vertically and leaves her wings outstretched.
  991. >You immediately recognized it as the wingtip turn you’d been helping her with before the whole Zephyr incident happened.
  992. >You swallow some nervousness; she’d never been able to get it right before.
  993. >But up she climbed, propelled only by her momentum.
  994. >You held your breath as she got closer to stalling out.
  995. >Right before she ran out of speed, she tucked one wing to her body and angled the other.
  996. >Her timing was perfect and it looked like she pivoted in place around the pinfeather of her outstretched wing.
  997. >As she nosed over from her vertical turn her other wing shot out at just the right time to stabilize her dive.
  998. >She did it! She did a perfect wingtip turn!
  999. >You’re up on your feet in a flash.
  1000. “WHOOHOO! WAY TO GO DASH!"
  1001. >She couldn’t hear you but it didn’t matter.
  1002. >She gained incredible speed, rocketing straight for the water before pulling up at the last moment.
  1003. >She tucks her legs to her body, allowing her to get a few feet off the surface without danger.
  1004. >As she approaches the shore she dangles a fore hoof low enough to skim the water, leaving a trail of mist behind her.
  1005. >She finally comes to a stop ten feet in front of you with a flare and a violent whoosh of air.
  1006. >Luckily there was no sand to get sandblasted with.
  1007. >Realizing you’ve flinched, you lower your guard to see a beaming pegasus.
  1008. >She’s looking right at you with toothy grin, her nostrils flare with every breath but she wasn’t breathing hard.
  1009. >Her mane had a whipped back appearance from her final dive.
  1010. “You pulled it off!”
  1011. >You couldn’t resist. You close the distance and throw your arms around her neck in a hug.
  1012. >She doesn’t hesitate returning the gesture briefly before pulling away.
  1013. >”I couldn’t have done it without your help dude."
  1014. “Sure, but even when I was helping you you never got it down that well.”
  1015. >She shifts her gaze and drags her hoof through the moist grass.
  1016. >”Well I might have found some time this morning a-and last night to practice.”
  1017. “Last night? You mean after you left my place?”
  1018. >She glances at you before going back to drawing imaginary circles.
  1019. >”Yeah…I was m-motivated to learn it.”
  1020. >She winces at her own stutter but you barely noticed.
  1021. >”I…remembered how you said you felt bad about ruining my practice…even though you didn’t. S-so I wanted to show you so maybe you wouldn’t feel as bad.”
  1022. >Your heart practically melted at her confession.
  1023. >She stayed up last night and probably got up early this morning just to practice for this one private show.
  1024. >It was ironic how she could flip 180 from her egotism and pull off things like this.
  1025. >But you didn’t question it in the slightest. That’s what you loved about her.
  1026. “Dash…I’m…”
  1027. >You don’t know what to say.
  1028. >But you needed to say something, she was looking at you expectantly.
  1029. >You reach out and cup her cheek.
  1030. >Her face lights up with emotion and blood flow as you plant a kiss on the crown of her head before grabbing her in another hug.
  1031. >She shuffles a bit but you only use the opportunity to press your bodies closer together.
  1032. >She stops struggling and relaxes into your chest with a sigh, trusting you to bear her weight.
  1033. >”Heheh! Y-you’re a bit clingy tonight dude.”
  1034. “Just happy is all.”
  1035. >”Yeah! I can tell!”
  1036. >Her spicy scent hit you like a freight train. She’d definitely been working all day.
  1037. >Even though it was far more pungent than normal, it still wasn’t unpleasant. It brought back drowsy memories of falling asleep the night before.
  1038. >You couldn’t help but get absorbed in the embrace.
  1039. >There had been a few tender moments between you both before, and you weren’t surprised that she never talked about them. After the moment passed, the casual observer wouldn’t be able to tell it ever happened. But the both of you knew, and that was all that mattered.
  1040. >You weren’t ashamed to admit the precious mare you were holding in your arms meant the world to you. Sure you had a home, friends, and were thinking about getting a dog; but Dash was where it all started.
  1041. >She was the first to take genuine interest in you, and she helped you get over missing your old home. When you came to Equestria you lost everything except the clothes on your back. Your friends and family were gone.
  1042. >She willingly filled the gap they left in your life. And after the initial pain was over, your friendship only strengthened more.
  1043. >At times you felt like close siblings, minus any serious altercations.
  1044. >At other times you felt more like friends, but never got tired of each other.
  1045. >You longed for that same feeling of closeness like you had the night before, if only to show her how you felt.
  1046. >Just in case your first kiss didn’t get the message across.
  1047. >Of course, it wasn’t normal to kiss a friend like you wanted to, even in the tactile realm of Equestrian culture.
  1048. >You’ve definitely crossed that line before, but never out of emotion, only when your hand was forced by circumstances.
  1049. >But you did have the mother of all excuses to back you up.
  1050. >Besides, something told you she probably wouldn’t want to complain about it anyways.
  1051. >What better way to express your gratitude?
  1052. >You slowly pull her off you until she brings her wavering gaze up to meet yours.
  1053. >She’d completely abandoned her normal brash confidence in order to soak up the moment.
  1054. >You felt your heart twinge a bit at that thought.
  1055. >You were the only one that ever saw her soft side.
  1056. >Somehow, at some point, you’d managed to earn her absolute trust. She knew for a fact that you would never hurt her, and you would do everything you could to keep that unspoken promise.
  1057. >She displayed that trust by not even flinching as you leaned over and closed the distance between your faces.
  1058. >Whatever was happening, she was okay with.
  1059. >Surprisingly enough, right before you make contact she closes her eyes and puckers her lips.
  1060. >Your own pucker meets her fuzzy muzzle and adjust to match hers.
  1061. >The minty smell of her moist lips returned, but along with it came the cool sensation you normally attribute to mint.
  1062. >Her lips trembled slightly at your touch.
  1063. >Making sure you stayed sealed, you run the tip of your tongue across the gap made between her top and bottom lip.
  1064. >It was a slightly wetter, warmer area than the rest of her mouth, and gives you a tasty hint of what it contained.
  1065. >Dash misunderstood it as an advance and opens her mouth enthusiastically.
  1066. >You pause for a second, trying to take stock of the situation with your eyes still closed.
  1067. >Dash begins trembling again, and in an instant you can tell that she was nervous she’d made a mistake.
  1068. >Your tongue accepts her generous invitation, quelling her fears.
  1069. >She lets out a sigh and a shudder as she lets you freely explore new grounds.
  1070. >Her taste was amazing. It was a milky-sweet tang that you could only explain as a flavor native to Dash’s natural salivation. It was actually quite tasty. It was also much more potent than her pecks and licks before. Then again, you were at the source so it couldn’t get any stronger than this.
  1071. >Her own tongue remains surprisingly still as you run yours first across her front teeth, then her molars, touching the inside of her cheek in the process.
  1072. >Hooves massage your neck and head, telling you to ’make yourself at home’.
  1073. >As if rewarding herself for her abstinence so far, her tongue finally shoots out to find yours.
  1074. >Her entry-level experience matched yours as you tangle in a playful struggle.
  1075. >At first, she takes to using her longer tongue to her advantage, licking up and down the length of your shorter, wider one.
  1076. >Your well-lubricated taste muscles slick past each other over and over, never tiring of sampling the other.
  1077. >Your strategy is to curl your tongue in an O-shape to try and encapsulate hers.
  1078. >She was more than willing to get caught too; but like a kid with ADD, there was too much that you both wanted to do, so no one task was followed to completion.
  1079. >It was a good thing you still had your lips sealed against one another, otherwise spit would literally be flying.
  1080. >Eventually you both resign to resting the flats of your tongues against the other while you try to catch your breaths through your noses.
  1081. >Dash’s hooves were no longer moving, and instead she’d locked your head in a death grip. She was too busy concentrating to massage you.
  1082. >Once you remembered you had hands, you move one up to scratch behind her ear.
  1083. >She grunts comfortably into your mouth in response, giving you a few licks of appreciation.
  1084. >The feeling of her taste buds sitting directly against yours was amazing.
  1085. >You couldn’t imagine a way to get any closer to her than this…within reason of course.
  1086. >You feel like a kid in a candy shop…except it’s harder to breathe.
  1087. >As much as you wanted to stay like this forever, you knew your time was running out.
  1088. >You figured you’d run out of air first anyways, Pegasi had a very large lung capacity that enabled them to function at high altitude.
  1089. >Before you surface for air you pause one last moment to take everything in…after all, if things got resolved with Zephyr, this would likely be the last time you could get away with something like this.
  1090. >You open your eyes for the first time in a while and immediately cross them in an attempt to focus on your partner.
  1091. >In the absence of your initiative, Dash takes over.
  1092. >Her tongue invades your mouth for the first time and she quickly fondles your teeth, trying to hit all the exhibits before the museum closes.
  1093. >From your distance you see that her eyelids are closed and her ears are folded in submission.
  1094. >Your index finger was still scratching the warm, sweaty fur behind one of them. She still tried to fold it over your finger as best she could, flickering it occasionally in sequence with a grunt when you hit particular nerves.
  1095. >You can spot one of her nostrils flaring frequently but feel no accompanying breath.
  1096. >Putting two and two together you realize she’s smelling you.
  1097. >Her fore hooves are pulling on the back of your neck, keeping you locked into the wet embrace.
  1098. >One of her hind legs twitches and kicks as she lets loose some kind of uncontrollable reflex.
  1099. >Her whole face is red beyond belief.
  1100. >You realize that maybe she felt just as close to you as you did to her.
  1101. >You could literally feel your heart lurching at the thought.
  1102. >Either that or lack of oxygen. You closed your eyes again.
  1103. >You hated your inferior lungs for it, but your time was up.
  1104. >Dash’s tongue gets interrupted in the middle of a cuddle session with yours as you break the seal with a loud smack, and pull away.
  1105. >Your eyes open just in time to see hers open half-way.
  1106. >An inhale brings much needed air into your tortured lungs.
  1107. >She exhales, filling your senses with her warm breath.
  1108. >There was no way to downplay to yourself how much you enjoyed that. You considered yourself so lucky that this situation, and pony culture to an extent, allowed you to share close moments with your favorite mare without having it be considered romantic.
  1109. >Not that you didn’t consider it romantic…in a way.
  1110. >You gazed deep into her half-lidded magenta orbs, still keeping tabs on her heartbeat and breathing.
  1111. >She wasn’t like a mare friend or anything…just a really good friend.
  1112. >Who you felt really comfortable with and had really warm, fuzzy feelings towards.
  1113. >Like any good friend right?
  1114. >You two were just more comfortable with each other than normal friends.
  1115. >You realize that she’s still leaning against you and you shift to allow her to find her hooves.
  1116. >Her eyes drift off you to your chest as she shuffles.
  1117. >You become aware of a force pressing against your crossed leg. It had been there the whole time, you just now realized what it was.
  1118. >It was her wing…trying to extend itself.
  1119. >The other had already extended itself quietly during your embrace.
  1120. >You shift your leg out of the way as she finds her feet, albeit a bit shakily.
  1121. >Her restrained wing launches out to mirror her other one.
  1122. *pompf
  1123. >She drops her head in embarrassment and tries to shuffle away.
  1124. >Luckily you still had your hands on her shoulders and keep her from moving any farther.
  1125. >She's incredibly flushed and it looks like she’s trying to shrink from your presence.
  1126. >You knew from Twilight that she was just telling you she liked you.
  1127. >You have no idea why she would feel the need to do that right after your kiss.
  1128. >It was obvious she liked you, wasn’t it?
  1129. “There’s no reason to feel embarrassed.” You whisper.
  1130. >She looks up questioningly.
  1131. >After all she did for you, she doesn’t deserve to feel like this.
  1132. >You coax her a bit closer and she complies, moving to sit uncomfortably on her haunches in front of you.
  1133. >She doesn’t have enough room for both her fore hooves so she tentatively places one on your shin.
  1134. >Her eyes dart around uncomfortably.
  1135. >”I-I-I’m not s-sure…”
  1136. >You reach up and tuck a lock of hair behind her ear.
  1137. “Listen, the k-kiss was…uhh…y-you’re the best friend I’ve ever had…and…that’s how I feel about you.”
  1138. >She’s unsure of how to take that, so you continue.
  1139. >Your gaze moves to her throbbing wings and her whole face and ears light up bright red.
  1140. “…and…I know what the wing thing means…even though it seems a bit redundant now.”
  1141. >She looks surprised.
  1142. >”W-wait, you k-know?”
  1143. >You nod slowly.
  1144. >She shuffles a bit more, now she’s really uncomfortable.
  1145. >You still hold her steady.
  1146. “And considering what we just uhh…learned about each other, I don’t know why you’re embarrassed over a little body language.”
  1147. >“A-a what?”
  1148. “Your body language…you’re saying you like me.”
  1149. >”Oh…well…”
  1150. “Geez Dash, after what we just did you’re embarrassed about a little confession? I mean it was kinda apparent you liked me already, we are best friends after all.”
  1151. >”Well y-yeah but…”
  1152. >She stutters, but her wings stiffen.
  1153. “I’m just saying you don’t have to be self-conscious around me.”
  1154. >You give her shoulder a gentle squeeze of reassurance.
  1155. >She finally regains her sense enough to tell you what’s on her mind.
  1156. >”Uhh…you see, it’s not exactly like that.”
  1157. “Whadda you mean?”
  1158. >”It’s…they’re kinda s-sensitive.”
  1159. >Surely she couldn’t mean like sexually sensitive. You knew her upper back was, you found that out rather accidentally before.
  1160. >Unlike her back, you came in contact with her wings quite often.
  1161. >She used them when wrestling and they could withstand a sonic rainboom. They couldn’t possibly be sensitive, could they?
  1162. >”…a-and I, I think I tweaked something…”
  1163. >Oh so it was the painful kinda sensitive.
  1164. “I can rub it out for you if you want.”
  1165. >Her eyes shoot wide and her wings somehow become stiffer than they already are.
  1166. >They looked almost painfully stiff.
  1167. >You feel bad for her.
  1168. “I hate to see you suffer from a cramp, especially if it’s there because of my private airshow.”
  1169. >She still looks like a million volts of electricity are running through her.
  1170. “All I’m saying is that I bet my hands are pretty good for massages.”
  1171. >You pull your hand form her shoulder and wiggle your digits in front of her face for emphasis.
  1172. >“Yes!”
  1173. >Wow, that seemed like the selling point.
  1174. >”I-I mean, as long as you don’t tell any pony.”
  1175. >Figures. If the word got out there’d be no telling how many ponies would be lined up for a massage.
  1176. >She just wants all the attention.
  1177. >You motion for her to come closer.
  1178. >She hesitates at first.
  1179. >”Like…really don’t telly any pony.”
  1180. >Ok you didn’t plan on it anyways.
  1181. “My lips are sealed.”
  1182. >She slowly turns around so her back is facing you. From your new position you can see her toned muscles stuck in a contraction that kept her wings extended.
  1183. >You scoot closer, careful to move her tail out of the way lest you sit on it.
  1184. >She looks back over her shoulder and bites her lip. You catch her eye and spot a hint of nervousness.
  1185. >Your hand moves to her neck and you brush it slightly to reassure her.
  1186. >She’s trembling.
  1187. “Hey, Dash. It’s me okay? You have nothing to worry about.”
  1188. >She takes a deep breath before nodding.
  1189. >”Just…go gentle…at first.”
  1190. “Absolutely.”
  1191. >You reassure her by stroking the back of her mane a few times.
  1192. >Your gaze moves to her impressive, and in you opinion, rather beautiful wings.
  1193. >She didn’t give you any guidance, and you felt like asking would undermine your claim to be a good masseuse.
  1194. >Your eyes trail along the throbbing appendages in front of you. The leading edges were covered in fine feathers, the farther down her wing, the larger the feathers.
  1195. >The trailing feathers were the longest and you could see them separate slightly every time her heart beat.
  1196. >Between all the times you’d hung out before, you’d never gotten to examine her wings up close.
  1197. >You waste no more time keeping her waiting.
  1198. >Starting with her left wing root, you reach out and grab the leading edge gently.
  1199. >Her ears snap flat, and she lets out a surprisingly sensual coo as your fingers wrap around the powerful muscle.
  1200. >Slowly, you begin kneading the wing root. You start off with very little pressure and slowly work deeper and deeper until you feel yourself pinching bone.
  1201. >Working your way out, you squeeze the muscle around her leading wing bone until you reach her first joint, then stop.
  1202. >Your hands separate now, one dedicated to her root, the other to the freshly blazed trail.
  1203. >You gently work your fingers in between tendon and muscle to apply pressure directly to her deep tissue.
  1204. >You knew that the objective was to work out the lactic acid buildup that caused muscle cramps. You were just a bit inexperienced as to how.
  1205. >All you knew was stay away from the upper back and don’t brush against the feathers.
  1206. >One was painful and the other was…the opposite.
  1207. >You lean over and check her expression to see how you were doing.
  1208. >She’s got her eyes cinched shut and she’s biting her bottom lip.
  1209. >You’re immediately flushed with concern, and stop your massaging.
  1210. “I’m sorry Dash! Am I hurting you?”
  1211. >”No!…Just, ahh!…keep going!”
  1212. >Well okay then, looked like she wanted to tough through the pain.
  1213. >You hated to be the one inflicting it upon her but it was for the best.
  1214. >Your hands return to their warm spots.
  1215. >She leans back into your touch, giving you an the impression of a dog leaning into a backstretch.
  1216. >One hand finds her first joint and you knead it carefully, exploring it’s structure in the process.
  1217. >Your hand acts like a scanner that makes a 3D image of her joint in your head. You imagined it would be similar to a human elbow joint.
  1218. >”Ahhhh!”
  1219. >This time you don’t stop, only slow down a bit.
  1220. “You sure you’re good Dash?”
  1221. >”Yes!”
  1222. >Well, she is in pain so you guess she can yell.
  1223. “You know if it hurts too much there’s other ways…”
  1224. >”Stop teasing and do it already!”
  1225. >Teasing?
  1226. >She seems to catch herself and peeks back at you sheepishly.
  1227. >”I-I…I mean, if Zeph is still w-watching…it would be pretty c-convincing.”
  1228. >…convincing?
  1229. >If this was still part of the…convincing, then it was far from the innocent gesture you thought it to be.
  1230. >You quickly realize her excuse seemed a bit after the fact.
  1231. >The fact being: her wings were the other kind of sensitive…”
  1232. >…the kind that gave you butterflies to think about.
  1233. >Overburdened with thoughts, you begin to triage them like a battlefield surgeon.
  1234. >First thing’s first, keep Mr. Stalker convinced.
  1235. >He may not be watching, but you knew he was in the area, the risk associated with that chance had to be mitigated.
  1236. >Falling through on your charade now would be irrecoverable.
  1237. >Your hands emotionlessly resume their function and her blood flow surges again under your touch with a gasp.
  1238. >You do your best to shove her…signals…from your mind as you tackle the next problem.
  1239. >What you were doing with your hands.
  1240. >You savored the closeness of your mutual kiss, but this was another level entirely…or was it?
  1241. >It was possible that ponies handled the birds and bees differently; you’d never cared to look into it much, but you probably should.
  1242. >Not like it would help you now.
  1243. >Without google in your pocket, you’re forced to rely on your meagre prior knowledge and critical thought.
  1244. >Like a car on idle, your thumbs rub in circular motions across the exact same spots repeatedly.
  1245. >The two circles of fur at her wing roots were starting to look irritated and red underneath the pads of your digits.
  1246. >You didn’t notice, but luckily she didn’t find it painful.
  1247. >Racing thoughts succeed only in revealing one truth.
  1248. >Rainbow Dash had never led you astray.
  1249. >Of course she’d pranked and teased you before, but not when it counted, not when there was something serious on the line.
  1250. >So assuming this wasn’t a joke to her—and it wasn’t based off her reactions, the best course of action would be to…follow her lead.
  1251. >You allow yourself to relax in the mild catharsis that resulted from justifying your actions.
  1252. >But not for long.
  1253. >A final, nagging problem that had been growing for some time in the back of your mind demanded resolution.
  1254. >Your throat starts to constrict at the implications it could have.
  1255. >Dash didn’t really seem to be acting anymore.
  1256. >The whole Zephyr thing from the start felt a bit funny, in ways other than the obvious.
  1257. >Her actions last night had really planted the seed of doubt, her private airshow had only watered it.
  1258. >But the emotions that were still drying on your lips, fertilized the shit out of that seed.
  1259. >There was no way part of her didn’t want this.
  1260. >Which meant…she at least liked you. Like, like—liked you.
  1261. >You couldn’t determine the depth of her feelings yet, but considering your circumstances, you were fumbling around somewhere between first base and home plate.
  1262. >You’d never given much thought to taking on a mare-friend, but now that the thought’s forced upon you…you find the idea a bit appealing.
  1263. >It’d be nice maybe…some pony to care for you and share your feelings with, some pony to feed and care for in return.
  1264. >…some pony to keep you warm while you slept.
  1265. >Wait.
  1266. >That job slot was already filled.
  1267. >You stop mouth-breathing in a trance like a retard and snap your attention back to the mare in front of you.
  1268. >You study the back of her head and let the sound of her elated breathing clear your mind.
  1269. >Her ears quiver and her tail twitches, you can see the corner of her muzzle pressed into a nervous squiggle.
  1270. >A wave of heat hits your whole body and you take a moment to appreciate the fact that she was facing away from you.
  1271. >Maybe…your appetite for her presence, and desire to feel closer to her was the same driving force behind the development of her feelings for you.
  1272. >Or maybe…her feelings subconsciously translated themselves into your psyche and were interpreted as intrinsic by your ego, falsely manifesting in overt displays of kissing and cuddling for naps.
  1273. >Ok that might be overthinking it, but you would figure it out one way or another…with logic.
  1274. >But what if you didn’t?
  1275. >What was there to figure out?
  1276. >Regardless of the nature of your relationship, you like her, and she likes you.
  1277. >What if you did something that would make both of you happy?
  1278. >What if you just…stop teasing and do it already?
  1279. >You smile at the sudden clarity of it all. You don’t exactly know what ‘it’ is, but you felt good about it.
  1280. >Really good actually.
  1281. >Dash’s twitching slowed as her nerves numbed under the repetitive motion of your thumbs. Her wings were still outstretched, but you could tell she was a bit unsure of what was happening.
  1282. >Luckily for her, catharsis demanded action.
  1283. >You shift until you’re sitting directly behind her haunches.
  1284. >Her head turns to watch you curiously, but she makes no effort to distance herself.
  1285. >Your spread your legs on either side of her rump. Your new position makes it look like your trying to ride her like a horse, except you’re both sitting down.
  1286. >The purpose of the new position was to get closer to her back…
  1287. >Her head snaps back straight forward when she sees your hands move to touch her again.
  1288. >…and it let you reach both of her wings.
  1289. >”Aaaaaaahhhhhh!
  1290. >Your hands start caressing both wing roots at once and she arches her back, letting out a surprisingly sensual cry.
  1291. >You congratulate yourself on your good decision, both with regards to the motivation and orientation behind your action.
  1292. >You work the thick muscle all the way out to her joint, there you spend a bit of extra time feeling around it with your nimble fingers.
  1293. >Her breathing steadily gets heavier and heavier and she tries to push her wings up into your grasp with each slow rub.
  1294. >Getting the gist of what she was trying to do, you reach out a bit farther and pull down lightly on her wings, as if you were folding them for her.
  1295. >They don’t bend very far under her muscle tension, but she definitely felt it.
  1296. >She dropped her snout and pulled a hoof up to her chest.
  1297. >”Ooooh! Anon!”
  1298. >Hearing your name like that stirred something inside you that you hadn’t felt in…ever.
  1299. >Her voice unlocked a floodgate of warm feelings that washed away any remaining inhibition about your actions.
  1300. >A normal sized side effect was the tension starting to build in your pants. It was all a bit distracting.
  1301. >But you don’t let up. You pull back on them a few more times before picking up where you left off.
  1302. >You run your index fingers along the full leading edges of her wings in long strokes. Her muscles contracted in rhythm with your touch making her feathers ripple and shimmer in the waning sunlight.
  1303. >It was a gorgeous sight.
  1304. >You move your attention down to her larger, trailing secondary feathers.
  1305. >Open hands slide across the slick feathers on the top of her wing until they reach the items of interest.
  1306. >You start with one feather at a time, you gently isolate the closest one to her torso and pinch it’s base with timid fingers.
  1307. >Then you pull back gently on it, as if you were trying to pluck it.
  1308. >One small slip up would mean you’d prematurely pull the feather out, which was very painful.
  1309. >But you guessed that if you pulled with just the right amount of force, it just…might…
  1310. >”Ah…Aaaahg!
  1311. >Yep. You guessed right.
  1312. >The same action gets repeated with all of her secondaries on both wings. There weren’t too terribly many…not that you minded how long it took anyways.
  1313. >She obviously didn’t either.
  1314. >If this was a horror movie, her moaning would be like a constant beacon for the killer to find you.
  1315. >Luckily this part of the world didn’t have many problems with that.
  1316. >Not wanting to waste any more time on what appeared to be a less-sensitive part of her, you rake across the bases of her primaries with spread fingers before returning to the leading edges.
  1317. *gasp
  1318. >Yep, that was her favorite place.
  1319. >You felt like you were getting a feel for how she worked. It helped that she wasn’t holding back any expressions.
  1320. >You almost wondered if she was exaggerating on purpose, to put on a show for any eavesdroppers.
  1321. >But the thought didn’t survive long, you could feel that every last gasp and cry was genuine.
  1322. >Better ask her just to be sure.
  1323. “Heh, enjoying this Dash?”
  1324. >She looks back at you with a half lidded eye in response. Her mouth is open and she’s openly panting now, a drop of drool falls from her bottom lip to the grass below.
  1325. >If there was any question in your mind before, there wasn’t now.
  1326. >Rainbow Dash was hot.
  1327. >This was the first time you actually found a mare’s body to be a turn-on.
  1328. >You went from being almost completely indifferent to her body, to being one hundred percent sure she was hotter than any human girl you’ve seen.
  1329. >Maybe it was your reasoning, her behavior, or some combination of celestial alignment, but the idea of having her as a mare friend was starting to occupy the forefront of your mind.
  1330. >She’s still looking at you but hasn’t replied, just more heavy breathing…and drooling.
  1331. >You reach up and scratch behind her ear and her open mouth morphs into a smile.
  1332. >”I-its reall-aaaaaah!”
  1333. >She gets cut off by an unexpected jolt of pleasure.
  1334. >Poor thing. Can’t even speak properly.
  1335. >This was just inhumane, you needed to finish her off.
  1336. >But before you resume full force, she shifts position a bit.
  1337. >Her forelegs push off the ground and tip her onto her haunches where she balances with your help.
  1338. >Then she splays her hind legs out and leans back into your chest.
  1339. >You accept her willingly.
  1340. >Her sitting height is about the same as yours so her head rests next to yours on your shoulder.
  1341. >Your siting position makes her arch her back uncomfortably outward in order to not slouch into an even more uncomfortable position.
  1342. >You remedy that by laying down on your back with her on top of you…right after you waistband your normal or slightly above normal sized distraction.
  1343. >Your hands find their positions on her now semi-familiar wings and start massaging again.
  1344. >”Awwww yeaaahhh…”
  1345. >The new position with her balanced on your chest leaves her rear legs up in the air and free to move.
  1346. >You sift through the minute chords of tendon and muscle running underneath her skin and down feathers until you find one that makes her kick.
  1347. >”Nnnyaah!”
  1348. >Then you pinched it lightly, and follow it until it runs into another major muscle group and you can’t hang onto it anymore.
  1349. >The sensation made her look like she was trying to doggy paddle with her hind hooves, occasionally a fore hoof would twitch, but her hind legs did most of the work.
  1350. >The sight makes you grin like an idiot; it was like controlling a puppet.
  1351. >You fish your nimble fingers around some more and find another. This time you roll the taunt cable slowly between your fingers.
  1352. >She kicked again.
  1353. >”Oah!”
  1354. >You repeat.
  1355. >”Gaah!”
  1356. >Again…slower.
  1357. >”Hhhhng!
  1358. >As your hands explore her natural wiring, you feel her powerful glutes contract and ripple slightly with each kick.
  1359. >Her tail swishes across your knees and shins happily. It was stuck straight out, giving anyone in front of you a clear line of sight to her excited rear.
  1360. >You can’t see anything from your position, but you were starting to wish she had thigh cramps too.
  1361. >No…you don’t wish that on her, you just wished you could…
  1362. >No, focus.
  1363. >Dash managed to turn her head until you could see deep into her magenta iris’s. A small, open smile stood testament to her elation.
  1364. >Now you could see her full expression.
  1365. >You experimentally hit a known kicking spot on her wing.
  1366. >She winces a bit and her eyes briefly shut. Her mouth opens up a bit more to exhale a cry on hot breath.
  1367. >Her ears remained folded.
  1368. >Any semblance of her rough and tumble attitude was replaced with a more deep-rooted biological desire to interact with you.
  1369. >Once she recovered, she breathed openly onto your face as her plastered smile returned.
  1370. >You smile back.
  1371. >You keep you eyes locked on each other as your rubbing intensifies.
  1372. >You abandon your specific approach and return to stroking and squeezing major muscle groups.
  1373. >The sudden influx of stimulation quickly begins to overburden her already strained system, and she starts flexing both her wings in sync.
  1374. >You imagine your hands as little shuttles, aiding the circulation to the edges of her wings in accordance to her heartbeats.
  1375. >That may not have been what you were doing, but she seemed to enjoy it.
  1376. >Her tongue explodes out of her mouth and lathers your cheek and jaw before she tucks her muzzle underneath your chin, inhaling through her nose in deep breaths.
  1377. >That was cute.
  1378. >You can feel her getting close now.
  1379. >Your surroundings fade away as you focus solely on the mare you were latched onto.
  1380. >Your hands run the length of her wings until you feel the meat of her wings stop at the very tips.
  1381. >Her wingspan was almost exactly your arm span, but you stretch…for her.
  1382. >Experimentally you pull out gently on her pinfeathers and get an overwhelming response.
  1383. >Her back arches off your chest and her legs stick straight up in tension.
  1384. >”Ooooooaaaaahhhhg!”
  1385. >You almost think she finished until she immediately started coming down off her high.
  1386. >Well if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing twice.
  1387. >”Goooooaaaaaahhh!”
  1388. >Her muzzle was still under your chin so it was extremely loud. But it still sounded like music to your ears.
  1389. >Her savage panting and the puddle of drool you feel running down the side of your neck tell you she’s extremely close.
  1390. >You had to get her off with the next event.
  1391. >For her sake as well as your own.
  1392. >You weren’t sure your pants could withstand the steadily increasing force they contained.
  1393. >Luckily, you’d taken notes, and now you have a pretty good idea on how to ace the final.
  1394. >The brief lull in handling her told the trembling mare on top of you, you were up to something.
  1395. >Nevertheless, she held steady, mentally preparing herself to experience some serious emotional bonding.
  1396. >You didn’t want to give her too much time to wind down from your previous stunt.
  1397. >Leaning side to side, you spit generously on your hands and rub them together. Dry hands would make the planned event less comfortable for her.
  1398. >Your hands move to the base of her wings and you clamp them between your four fingers and thumb.
  1399. >You apply just enough pressure to depress her feathers and earn a muffled moan from her.
  1400. >Keeping the light pressure on them, you slide your hands down the leading edge of her wing, circling your thumbs gently as you went to hit every nerve along the way.
  1401. >Your spit provided the key lubrication to keep from pulling any feathers accidentally from friction.
  1402. >”Oooooooo…”
  1403. >When you get to her mid-joint you start pulling back and down on them against her muscle tension.
  1404. >”Uuuuuuh!”
  1405. >She can’t decide whether to pull her legs to her torso, or extend them.
  1406. >You keep going.
  1407. >You work the pressure on her leading edges farther down, as well as continue to pull back on her wings.
  1408. >You’re get about three quarters of the way down before she pushes her back against your chest in an effort to stimulate it’s sensitive muscles as well.
  1409. >You feel the powerful back muscles that control her wings twitching against you, and you only regret you didn’t have a third hand to help her.
  1410. >She starts taking rapid breaths as you near the tips of her wings.
  1411. >The end is in sight.
  1412. >Your fingers slip over her wing tips and you pinch the base of her pinfeathers.
  1413. >You slowly twist them in place and you move your head to bite down on her ear…
  1414. >”Ohhhh aaa!”
  1415. >…just as you reach the apex of your backwards pull…
  1416. >”Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah! Ano-…”
  1417. >Then it hits her.
  1418. >Heavy, rhythmic shudders overtake her body. Her individual feathers separate and stick out as every muscle in her wing contracts with electricity.
  1419. >She pulls her head out from under her chin to arch her back, her mouth open in a silent scream of pleasure.
  1420. >Fore legs clench to her chest and hind legs stick straight back, pointing her hoof tips at the horizon.
  1421. >She takes in a deep breath and holds it as her brain forces every muscle she has to wince in pleasure.
  1422. >You look down over her shoulder and see her undulating tummy and two small, jiggling mounds that you recognize as her teats. Beyond the eye candy was her tail, splayed out to show all it’s beautiful spectrum.
  1423. >Your legs sat to either side of it.
  1424. >You strained to hold her close to you.
  1425. >Eventually the clutches of pleasure release her and she sinks back down into you with a happy sigh and closed eyes.
  1426. >She drops her head back and turns to rest the tip of her muzzle on your cheek, breathing rapidly against you to replace her lost oxygen.
  1427. >It feels like she’s exhausted.
  1428. >You imagined it was like getting hit by a taser…having your whole body contract like that.
  1429. >Except it felt good instead.
  1430. >Your hands abandon her erogenous zone and move to slowly stroke her chest and belly as her wings slowly deflate.
  1431. >Her breathing stabilizes, as does her heart rate. A small grin teases her muzzle as she spreads her fore hooves a bit, giving you permission to reach more of her chest.
  1432. >She prods her muzzle farther up your face, bumping into your nose with some force.
  1433. >You could tell she was still out of it, dopamine release had compromised her motor function.
  1434. >But it didn’t keep her from trying to express her gratitude.
  1435. >A quick readjustment allows her to go nose-to-nose with you.
  1436. >You see her glazed over, half-lidded eyes looking longingly into yours. You could tell from her look that she loved it.
  1437. >She loved you.
  1438. >And you loved her.
  1439. >You didn’t have to say it. You just knew.
  1440. >Her smile doesn’t leave her face as she pushed her muzzle against your lips in a lazy kiss.
  1441. >She doesn’t bother to pucker or move them, she just wanted to make contact with you.
  1442. >You lick her mouth in appreciation before she pulls away again. Then you kiss the tip of her nose.
  1443. >Her warm giggle makes your heart well up in your throat.
  1444. >She made you so happy, you just couldn’t imagine how you managed before she came into your life.
  1445. >Your gaze shifts to the darkening sky across the pond. The sun was already below the horizon, but the residual light was just enough to navigate by if you left now.
  1446. >You signify the conclusion of her belly rubbing with a few pats.
  1447. “I think it’s time to go Dash.”
  1448. >She searches you a bit with her dilated eyes before nuzzling the top of her soft snout against your jawline.
  1449. >She says nothing but her body complies.
  1450. >Her wings had returned to her sides, making it possible to roll off your chest onto her hooves.
  1451. >Suddenly realizing you’re bulge is exposed, you sit up quickly to conceal it.
  1452. >You climb to your feet as blood rushes back to your slightly tingly extremities, pulling your long shirt down below your waist.
  1453. >Dash finally stands next to you on shaky hooves.
  1454. >You move next to her, allowing her to lean the side of her face into your dangling hand for support. Then you start walking back to your apartment.
  1455. >She follows next to you for a few paces before one of her hind legs bucks and her butt slumps to the ground.
  1456. >You look down with concern and she looks back with a slight blush.
  1457. >”Heheh, uhh…it might take me a bit to find my hooves.”
  1458. >She looked like she’d just run a marathon, but you let her give it another shot.
  1459. >She hops to her hooves again and keeps walking.
  1460. >It looked funny, she was sort of hopping each leg as if she was walking on hot concrete.
  1461. >That was officially the first time you’ve seen her uncoordinated like that.
  1462. >She hop-steps another three paces before her hind legs give out again.
  1463. >You decided that was enough torture.
  1464. >You walk up to her and crouch down, scooping her legs out from under her.
  1465. >She flips into your chest and immediately finds a place for her fore legs around your neck.
  1466. >”H-Hey! What’s the big idea?”
  1467. >You snicker a bit at her hypocrisy, she was protesting while already holding onto you.
  1468. >You stand up and readjust her in your grasp. You were holding her bridal style with her hind legs and tail draping over your arm.
  1469. “Just taking care of my Dash.” You reply.
  1470. >You crane your neck down and peck her lips which she sheepishly tries to return.
  1471. >She makes no rebuttal, but instead tucks her blushing face farther into your chest.
  1472. >Taking that as a ‘thank you,’ you start your short walk back to the apartment.
  1473. >But when you make it to the forest’s edge, your spidey sense begins tingling.
  1474. >Whipping your head around, you spot an all-too familiar lime green pegasus staring at you from behind a cluster of bushes.
  1475. >And from the look on his face, he’d been there for some time.
  1476. >His hooves covered his nether regions, and a shocked blush covered his face.
  1477. >His wide eyes were locked onto yours.
  1478. >Holy mother of fuck.
  1479. >Your blood begins to boil as full realization of what happened hits you.
  1480. “What the fuck is this!”
  1481. >Dash’s eyes shoot open and she looks over at the silent voyeur.
  1482. >”Zephyr! What’re you doing out here!”
  1483. >Her tail swishes up and across her belly again as she pulls all her hooves to her torso in an effort to cover up.
  1484. >One of your arms moves subconsciously across her soft underbelly in a protective gesture.
  1485. >He knows he’s in deep crap now.
  1486. >”I…uh…um…”
  1487. >He’s shuffling backwards, trying to make it to a clearing so he can use his wings.
  1488. >He’s gonna learn today.
  1489. >You gently place your precious cargo down on the soft grass before launching yourself at him in a full sprint.
  1490. >His fight or flight kicks in and he chooses to flee from the alien predator.
  1491. >As all little bitches should.
  1492. >He looks back mid-scramble, his face locked in terror.
  1493. >You grab a handful of tail hair and pull.
  1494. >He doesn’t stop, even when you yank it out.
  1495. >But he did slow down a bit.
  1496. >You time a kick and deliver it to the side of his rear leg. The force from the kick pushes his rump into the path of a quickly approaching pine.
  1497. >It happened too quick for him to do anything about it, and he hits the side of the tree.
  1498. >Pine leaves gently rustle as a gentle thud is heard and the energy from his body travels throughout the wood fixture.
  1499. >You approach the wheezing creature as he bucks his legs at you in defense.
  1500. >You swipe the first blow away, but catch a second hoof to the gut.
  1501. >It hurt…bad. But you did your sit-ups. And you were betting he did not.
  1502. >The next frantic kick is caught by ready hands and you throw his legs to one side, falling and pinning them to the ground with a knee.
  1503. >You wind up and deliver a heavy blow past his defensive fore hooves, straight into his exposed underbelly.
  1504. >A satisfying thud echoes through the forest and he clutches his gut in agony. He couldn’t cry for help because he was still out of breath from his first impact.
  1505. >You had felt anger like this before, but never really had an excuse to act upon it. The fact that he violated Dash’s privacy made you incredibly mad. Not to mention how many times he watched her in the shower or whatever without her knowing it.
  1506. >Everyone is going to know this dude is a pervert by the time you’re finished.
  1507. >You wrap a hand around his muzzle, squeezing his jaws together with painful force, before punching him straight on the nose with an audible pop.
  1508. >You reel your hand back, shaking it painfully.
  1509. >Bone on bone contact was never painless, especially for the one getting punched in the face.
  1510. >His nose, presumably broken, immediately gushed blood.
  1511. >He manages to find some air left in his lungs to let out a yelp.
  1512. >”AAH!”
  1513. >His fore hooves immediately shoot to his face to cover his nose, and you weren’t punching through those.
  1514. >You reel back and bring an elbow across his cowered form. It drove his own hooves into his face with tremendous force, exacerbating the bleeding.
  1515. >Finally realizing he couldn’t mitigate any of his pain defensively, he switches tactics and begins flailing and swinging his hooves in a panic.
  1516. >Pegasi were very strong for their size, but Zephyr hadn’t been working out with the most athletic mare in Equestria.
  1517. >And Zephyr wasn’t a predator.
  1518. >You may have been breed into civilization over thousands of years, but you still had the innate appetite for provoked violence that ponies lacked.
  1519. >You catch his fore hooves and pin them to his own chest before landing blow after blow to his face.
  1520. >You avoided knockout points. You wanted him to feel everything.
  1521. >Finally coming to his senses and regaining his breath, he reaches up and bites down on your hand holding his hooves.
  1522. >That was easily solved by pushing his broken nose back with an open palm.
  1523. >”GAAAAAH!”
  1524. >You’re about to shift your attention back to his soft stomach when he throws his fore legs up.
  1525. >”OK! STOP STOP!”
  1526. >You relent your assault when he surrenders, but you still keep his hind legs pinned.
  1527. >His hooves move to hold his nose, and he chokes on a bit of blood before spitting it out.
  1528. >He catches your enraged eyes before looking away.
  1529. >”I’m sorry ok! I won’t do it again!”
  1530. >That’s it?
  1531. >Your hand is instantly around his throat in a vice grip.
  1532. >He scrapes pointlessly at them, without fingers it was difficult to get under your hold.
  1533. >You can hear a strained inhale before you correct your mistake, cutting off what was left of his esophageal passage.
  1534. >His eyes are open wide in pure shock, he’d never experienced another creature interfering with his crucial life processes before.
  1535. >You lean closer to him until you lock eyes.
  1536. “If I see you anywhere within her line of sight ever again, I will tear your throat right out of your neck. Do you understand me.”
  1537. >Realizing his life might very well depend on a timely answer. He nods his head.
  1538. >Your iron grasp releases and he sucks in a big breath before wheezing it out.
  1539. >Figuring you got your point across. You pick yourself up and return to the shocked mare sitting ten yards behind you.
  1540. >Part of you felt good doing that. But another part hated yourself for doing that in front of her.
  1541. >You weren’t sure how she’d take it, you’d talked to her about hunting and other human endeavors before, but she’d never really seen you be violent.
  1542. >Above all, you feared she would feel afraid of you, or think you were some predatory monster.
  1543. >To your surprise she takes off in a wobbly sprint.
  1544. >You look down at your hands and see that they’re a bit bloody. You didn’t want her to have to see that.
  1545. >You make an effort to roll them into your shirt…which also had a few specks of blood on it.
  1546. >It wasn’t quite a murder scene, but the closer she got the more guilty you felt.
  1547. >Then, she surprised you.
  1548. >She steps past you and flares her wings, symbolically shielding you from any further injury.
  1549. >Your injuries were minor given the context, but the gesture worms it’s way through your adrenaline filled veins and pokes your heart.
  1550. >She falls into an aggressive athletic stance and growls.
  1551. >”Get lost already! Can’t you see we’ve had enough!”
  1552. >We. She said we.
  1553. >That simple word hit you like a pile of bricks.
  1554. >In that moment, it seemed to embody your favorite part of her as a pony.
  1555. >Her loyalty.
  1556. >Even after the really weird and awkward past few days, even in the surprise revelation about her stalker and subsequent beatdown, even though you were a lone creature from another world who had very little to offer her overall…she never once considered leaving your side.
  1557. >Her angry gaze holds until he shamefully limps into a clearing a short distance away and takes off.
  1558. >She follows him until his form is lost behind the trees before turning to you.
  1559. >Her expression goes from angry to fearful in a second.
  1560. >”Dude you okay?”
  1561. >Her wings switch from the deterrence role to a caressing one.
  1562. “I’m fine…”
  1563. >You reply in a thoughtful daze as you pull your hands from your shirt.
  1564. >She spots the damage immediately.
  1565. >”Anon you’re hurt!”
  1566. >She stands up on her rear legs and gently takes your hands in her hooves. Her wings wrap around your back protectively.
  1567. >She inspects the minor cuts and abrasions before visually checking the rest of your body for injuries.
  1568. >Her face was stricken with pain…almost like her puppy just died.
  1569. >Her eyes return to your hands. She holds them against the soft fur of her chest before swiveling her head to your surroundings.
  1570. >The fine fuzz and warmth of her chest adds a level of comfort to your stinging appendages, but it didn’t fix it.
  1571. >You knew she was looking for something to wrap them with.
  1572. “Dash…”
  1573. >She stops her panicked searching and looks up at you.
  1574. “…I’m fine, let’s just get back to the apartment.”
  1575. >Your comment seems to make her concern worse.
  1576. >”But you’re in pain.”
  1577. >She sniffles a bit and her eyes well up.
  1578. >Damn she was actually crying…over you.
  1579. >Just as you think you’re heart is going to stop, she spots something out of the corner of her eye.
  1580. >”W-wait here big guy I’ll be back in a snap.”
  1581. >She gently releases your hands and with a whoosh of air, takes off flying into the distance.
  1582. >A moment later she returns with a leafy branch in her teeth. How she spotted it in the evening light, you have no idea.
  1583. >She drops it into her hoof. She looks much better now, whatever her plan was, she knew it was going to work.
  1584. “Ok I need you to wipe the dirt off with your shirt and hold them out.”
  1585. >You resist the urge to say ‘yes ma’am,’ you didn’t think whatever she was doing was going to help much, but you also didn’t want to be patronizing.
  1586. >She was trying to help you and the last thing you wanted to do was embarrass her for it. It was actually kinda nice to see her this concerned.
  1587. “Ok.”
  1588. >You do as she asks.
  1589. >Then you watch with growing interest as she does something unexpected.
  1590. >She eats the leaves off one side of the branch.
  1591. >They’re small, like fern leaves, so she can fit a lot in her mouth.
  1592. >She chews them thoroughly but doesn’t swallow anything.
  1593. >She walks up to you and stands on her hind legs again to reach your outstretched hands.
  1594. >Her eyes inspect the cuts, trying to find all of the sources of pain.
  1595. >After a few more chews, she leans over and spits out a glob of the green mush onto your skin and rubs it around slowly with the tip of her hoof.
  1596. >It stings at first and makes you draw your breath.
  1597. >She makes sure to rub the slob into each cut and over every abrasion, spitting out more where necessary.
  1598. >You almost question the sanitation aspect of it all, but you figure she knows what she’s doing.
  1599. >You realize she does know what she’s doing when the pain starts to decline. Then it disappears completely.
  1600. >You inspect your hand and see that even the redness and swelling around the cuts has all but disappeared as well.
  1601. >Only small, paper cut like lines were left as indications that you’d been bitten.
  1602. >It was like magic.
  1603. >The same process gets repeated with your other hand, and when she’s satisfied, she spits out the remainder into the grass next to you.
  1604. >”Bleh! That stuff’s bitter!”
  1605. ”Uhm, Dash. What just happened?”
  1606. >She looks up at you like she’s surprised you asked that question.
  1607. >”Oh, I made a salve with that…uh…plant. It numbs the pain and cleans the cuts!”
  1608. >She looks so proud of herself.
  1609. “Well, they definitely feel better…”
  1610. >She just beams at you.
  1611. >You decide not to ask her if she’s sure it’s the right plant. That would ruin her pride.
  1612. >Either way there was some serious voodoo at work here.
  1613. “Wow…I never thought you could do that, it feels amazing!”
  1614. >She blushes lightly, happy for the opportunity to take care of you.
  1615. >”We should probably head back now.”
  1616. >You look at the almost dark skies.
  1617. “Yeah…”
  1618. >Then to your salved-up hands.
  1619. “…you can ride on my back if you want.”
  1620. >Remembering her…handicap, her blush deepens.
  1621. >”I should be fine now, I just got a bit warmed up.”
  1622. >You smile.
  1623. “Ok Dash.”
  1624. >You start the walk back to the apartment and she explains to you how Fluttershy taught her about the salve.
  1625. >By the time you reach your front door, it’s already dark and she still hasn’t manage to walk normally for more than a few steps at a time.
  1626. >Dash opens the door for you and flips the lights on before closing it behind you.
  1627. >You head over to the kitchen and go for the medical kit to get some bandaging for your hands, but she intercepts you.
  1628. >”I’ll get it stud.”
  1629. >Third time she’s used that…that was definitely a new nickname.
  1630. “Thanks, it’s…”
  1631. >”Gow ih!” She says through a mouthful of fabric.
  1632. >You forgot she knew her way around the house so well.
  1633. >She tosses the red bag on the counter and unzips it before sifting it for what you needed.
  1634. >Finding the white wrap, she bites one end and lets it unfurl.
  1635. >She goes to wrap your hands but stops when you speak up.
  1636. “Dash, I’d like to shower first, can we do this after?”
  1637. >Her eyes shoot to yours and she puts the gauze back on the counter.
  1638. >”Why? You smell fine?”
  1639. “Dash, I haven’t showered since this morning and I’ve been running around all day.”
  1640. >She looks a bit disappointed.
  1641. >”Oh, well if you want to I guess. Could’ve mentioned it a bit earlier though.”
  1642. >You let out a chuckle at her feistiness. You don’t want to touch her with your smothered hands, so you bump her rump with your knee.
  1643. >She looks at you questioningly before smiling and returning the bump.
  1644. >God she was cute.
  1645. >You go to move past her and head to the shower, then you feel a hoof on your leg.
  1646. >”Wait a sec lemme get it.”
  1647. >She blows past you and disappears into the bathroom.
  1648. >Dang she really overestimated your injuries. It wasn’t even that much of a fight, just a one sided beating.
  1649. >Although you are glad she’s not showing concern for the true victim.
  1650. >You stop by your dresser on the way to the bathroom and pick out a change of clothes.
  1651. >The sound of running water draws you to the shower.
  1652. >You enter the room and drop your clothes on the ground.
  1653. >Dash is leaning into the tub with one fore hoof in the water.
  1654. >Her rear end is sticking up and her tail is swishing side to side…almost enough to catch a glimpse of what it covered.
  1655. >Don’t think about it man.
  1656. >The water soon reaches a temperature to her liking and she pulls the valve to turn on the shower head.
  1657. >She spins around with a whoosh and dries her damp hoof on a towel before laying it out on the ground.
  1658. >”I still don’t think you smell ya know.”
  1659. “Yeah, but I got blood on me so…”
  1660. >”Not enough in my opinion.” She mumbles.
  1661. “What?”
  1662. >She looks up with a smile motions towards the tub.
  1663. >”Well there go hotshot! Uhh…it might be a bit to warm for your sensitive skin so be careful.”
  1664. >You catch onto her jibe but disregard it. She was probably right.
  1665. >You weren’t exactly sure what you did to deserve it, but she was taking really good care of you.
  1666. >Actually you have a few ideas, but it still seemed a bit out of character for her.
  1667. “Good to know thanks.”
  1668. >She trots past you and bumps your leg with her rump before closing the door behind you.
  1669. >You take the moment of privacy to look at yourself in the mirror and catch your breath.
  1670. >You honestly looked a bit mangey after the scuffle.
  1671. >Hair was a mess and your eyes were still a bit dilated from adrenaline.
  1672. >But the fight didn’t concern you in the slightest, in fact, the only part of you that actively remembers the brawl was your aching gut.
  1673. >You mind was occupied with far more important matters.
  1674. >Like the prismatic pegasus who was undoubtedly raiding your pantry right now.
  1675. >There was no doubt in your mind as to what you’d done to her with your ‘massage.’
  1676. >You knew Dash’s motivations for the evening’s activities were not entirely forced.
  1677. >She wanted it to happen, maybe even anticipated it.
  1678. >You also knew Dash well enough to know that she didn’t take intimacy lightly.
  1679. >You can’t help but feel privileged that she picked you.
  1680. >It was official now, well…unofficial since you haven’t really admitted it.
  1681. >But then again, you’d learned in law class that speech can be symbolic as well as verbal.
  1682. >So you’d symbolically admitted it then.
  1683. >The point was you both knew the gig was up.
  1684. >Well not really, not until Zephyr disappeared for good…it just wasn’t a gig any more.
  1685. >It was the real deal.
  1686. >And you couldn’t be happier.
  1687. >Time to clean up for your mare.
  1688. >A few minutes later, you were thoroughly cleaned and dried.
  1689. >The water was a bit warm, but it didn’t bother you enough to change it.
  1690. >What did bother you was that the soothing salve on your hands got washed off and the stinging began to return.
  1691. >You head back to the kitchen for the first aid kit and immediately spot Dash.
  1692. >She looked the same, minus a few crumbs around the fur of her muzzle, but the air felt different. It felt warmer and somehow better.
  1693. >”Enjoy the shower?”
  1694. “Yeah… thanks, you really outdid yourself.”
  1695. >”Pffft! A mare of my caliber outdid herself by setting a shower?”
  1696. “Well when you put it that way…”
  1697. >”I’m just kidding dude! Whaddaya need the aid kit for?”
  1698. “The stuff you put on my hands washed off, I was just going to wrap them up before I hit the sack.”
  1699. >Concern returns to her face.
  1700. >”They still sting?”
  1701. “…well, a little.”
  1702. >She grabs the first aid kit and pushes you towards your couch with the top of her head.
  1703. >At this point you weren’t even thinking of arguing, just enjoying the ride.
  1704. >You sit down and she sits next to you.
  1705. >She takes your hands in her hooves and immediately begins licking them.
  1706. “Uhh…Dash what are you doing?”
  1707. >She pauses her ministrations for a moment.
  1708. >”What? Humans don’t lick their wounds?”
  1709. “Not really, and I wouldn’t go as far as to call these bloody knuckles wounds.”
  1710. >”Sure they are…just stop overthinking things and let me do it. I’ve lived here longer than you ya know.”
  1711. >That was true.
  1712. >Wait what did that have to do with anything?
  1713. >She gets another lick in before seeing you were unconvinced. With a huff she adds.
  1714. >”It helps clean them so they don’t get infected smart one.”
  1715. >She obviously knew it all so you stop arguing and lean back into the couch.
  1716. “I’m all yours doc.”
  1717. >You focus on the feeling of her felt-like tongue debriding your damaged skin.
  1718. >Her nimble, warm muscle seems to caress each aching knuckle, form-fitting around the hills and valleys. It was surprisingly soothing, you could easily fall asleep to this.
  1719. >But you don’t, that would be rude.
  1720. >She works steadily and for a few minutes, the only sound that fills the room is the one made by her smacking, wet tongue.
  1721. >Whether it was psychological or medicinal, her spit worked its magic and the stinging subsided.
  1722. >It barely surprised you anymore. Everything else about this mare was at some level therapeutic, why wouldn’t her saliva numb pain?
  1723. >She finishes by placing eight wet, puckered kisses on your knuckles.
  1724. >Yeah, she’s definitely not acting anymore.
  1725. >You wake yourself from your daze and look down to see her preparing the gauze.
  1726. >She wraps it around your hands like a boxer before tying it off in an impressive display of dexterity.
  1727. >”They comfortable?”
  1728. “Not too loose, not too tight.”
  1729. >You wiggle your fingers to emphasize her professional job.
  1730. “You missed your calling, should’ve been a doctor.”
  1731. >”Hah! Not likely! I just have a lot of experience because I getta lot a injuries during training.”
  1732. >You sit back and look at her with a smile.
  1733. >She returns your expression and you both hold it.
  1734. >Until it gets awkward.
  1735. >”Sooo…”
  1736. “I’m pretty tired.”
  1737. >”Me too.”
  1738. “I have a lot of spare room…you know, for an apartment.”
  1739. >”And my wings are a bit…tired, thanks to you.”
  1740. >She blushes, but manages to keep eye contact.
  1741. “So…if you can’t fly, you’re free to spend the night here.”
  1742. >She notices your nervousness and decides to poke some fun.
  1743. >”There you go stud. That wasn’t so hard was it?”
  1744. “Heheh…yeah I guess.”
  1745. >She scoots a bit closer to you.
  1746. >You scratch the back of your head in embarrassment and your heart races with anticipation.
  1747. “So…what happened back there was…I guess you do like me then?”
  1748. >That was horrible just shut up before you ruin your progress.
  1749. >She snorts a bit amidst her blush.
  1750. “Sorry I guess I’m just not used to this stuff…”
  1751. >She moves to put her nose against yours, looking deep into your eyes.
  1752. >”I’m not either.”
  1753. >You pull her into your chest and she willingly complies keeping the tip of her nose against yours the whole time.
  1754. >She snorts and giggles blowing hot air against your face.
  1755. >Her hind legs wrap around your midsection and her tail hangs straight down as you stand up.
  1756. >If she was spending the night she was going to spend it with you.
  1757. >You carry her over to the bed in the corner and gently lay her backwards on the sheets.
  1758. >She looks completely exhausted, but stares over at you with curious eyes as you take your socks and shirt off.
  1759. >You smile and place a hand on her hoof for reference before turning off the lamp and climbing in bed next to her.
  1760. >Your world goes dark and immediately after you hit the mattress you feel her snuggle up to your chest.
  1761. >She still hadn’t showered so her unique odor was fairly pungent.
  1762. >Her hair tickled your face as she turns to face you.
  1763. >Your hand finds the soft fur behind her ear and you begin scratching.
  1764. “Dash, I’ve been wondering…I’ve never seen you with a stallion before. Have you have any prior relationships?”
  1765. >She grunts and leans into your comforting scratching.
  1766. >”A few *mgh…but, none like this. I’ve never *ngh…gotten this far before.”
  1767. >Her scratchy voice cracks and you move a bit closer.
  1768. >”H-how about you?”
  1769. ”Same here. To be honest with you I’m flying blind right now.”
  1770. >”Hehee then we can fly together.”
  1771. >She moves to kiss the tip of your nose.
  1772. “You know, before today I never thought you could be this sappy.”
  1773. >”I-I’m just…I’ve liked you for a while, and I thought…well I don’t know, I guess it just kinda happened.”
  1774. “I’m glad it did Dash.”
  1775. >You scratch her jawline with your thumb.
  1776. >”It did kinda surprise me when you went straight for the wing job though.”
  1777. >Wing job? Was that what it was called?
  1778. “You mean when I rubbed your wings, and you…”
  1779. >”Y-Yeah…you didn’t know about those?”
  1780. >Your face heats up.
  1781. “N-No I-i thought that they weren’t that kind of sensitive.”
  1782. >”HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”
  1783. >Damn that was loud.
  1784. >She pokes your chest with a fore hoof.
  1785. >”Wait…hahah…wait, so you’re telling me you thought you were working out a cramp or something!”
  1786. “Yeah…I don’t know. I just didn’t think you’d come onto me like that I guess.”
  1787. >”Me? Come on to you? Dude! You straight up tongue twisted with me and got me all turned on with your uhh…yeah. Then you offered to rub one out for me! That’s exactly what you said!”
  1788. >Come to think of it that was true.
  1789. “I never thought of it that way. I mean I figured it out about half way through, but…sorry.”
  1790. >”Don’t apologize! I’m not complaining about it.”
  1791. >She almost sounds angry that you said sorry.
  1792. >”If it was any pony else though they would’ve lost a leg.”
  1793. “Heheh…so I guess I’m special huh?”
  1794. >You can feel her blush a bit at the question.
  1795. >”Y-Yeah…and your hand things are nice too…”
  1796. “I’ll say! You were in your own world for a minute there.”
  1797. >”W-well don’t blame me! I’ve never had a g-guy d-do that before!”
  1798. >Her stuttering made her anger even cuter.
  1799. “Any girls then?”
  1800. >You add a brow wiggle she can’t see.
  1801. >She smacks your chest.
  1802. >”Shut up you know what I mean!”
  1803. “Just messing with you.”
  1804. >You feel her relax a bit and settle down next to you.
  1805. >Your arms move to encompass her and you pull up the bedsheets across your bodies.
  1806. >Cloth rustles together as you fidget to find a comfortable position where your arm won’t fall asleep.
  1807. >”Wait.”
  1808. “Wha…mmpf!”
  1809. >She pushes her muzzle into your mouth before you can get your word out.
  1810. >Reaching behind her head you pull her mouth against yours and hold the kiss.
  1811. >Neither of you make efforts to intensify it; you were content with your simple contact.
  1812. >Hot breath fills your faces as you both smack back and forth on moist lips, taking turns initiating and savoring the mutual sensations.
  1813. >You carry on for a while until Dash yawns—blowing hot oat-breath across your face.
  1814. >You snort a bit and she giggles.
  1815. >She finds your mouth one more time and locks you in a final good night smooch.
  1816. >Her fore hoof rests on your bare collar bone and you hear her tail swishing happily under the covers.
  1817. >She finally releases you and tucks her muzzle into the crook of your neck.
  1818. >That was one of the the most pleasant things you’d ever experienced before.
  1819. >You can’t remember the last time anything left you feeling this content and happy.
  1820. >Fingers massage the back of her neck and you hear a similar content sigh.
  1821. >Her ears flicker across your jaw and her hooves gently knead your belly and arms as her system slowly winds down.
  1822. >Your hands find real estate on her lower back and shoulder to hold her warm furry body against you.
  1823. >Nostrils take in the soothing scents of their partners and you are coaxed to sleep.
  1824. >Suddenly Dash’s belly gurgles lightly and she lets out a short burp.
  1825. >A smile crosses your face and you just hug her tighter.
  1826. >You’re going to remember this day for the rest of your life.
  1827.  
  1828. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
  1829.  
  1830. *thump
  1831. >The muffled sound wakes you from your slumber and you open your eyes to see your dimly lit ceiling.
  1832. >The first thing you notice is that the soothing smell that coaxed you to sleep was still there snuggled up on your chest.
  1833. >Her rhythmic breathing told you she was still in deep sleep.
  1834. *thump
  1835. >Her rear leg kicks lightly across the mattress traveling through a rut she’d made in the sheets with the previous few kicks.
  1836. >You smile; she must be having a dream.
  1837. >It takes you a moment to realize your covers are down at your feet.
  1838. >The warmth surrounding you was all thanks to your bed mate.
  1839. >At some point in the night she’d shifted and ended up laying across your chest with her wings spread over your body and thighs.
  1840. >One of her hind legs stuck out and hooked over yours
  1841. >You look down and steal a peak at the blue mass attached to you.
  1842. >Her eyelids fluttered in REM; her tail occasionally twitched and brushed across the matted sheets.
  1843. >Each exhale hot-blasted a small piece of sheet against the mattress it popped back towards her nose upon inhale then repeated.
  1844. >You never thought it would be this interesting to watch a pony sleep.
  1845. >You look over at the clock and notice it reads close to 9 AM. You slept a lot longer than you normally did and had a good idea why.
  1846. >Luckily Dash had the weekend off and you didn’t have to wake her.
  1847. >Your hand slowly emerges from the sea of multicolored hair splayed out across your side.
  1848. >Careful not to wake her you gently stroke the side of her exposed neck.
  1849. >She was facing away from you so you it made it a bit easier to go undetected.
  1850. >The pads of your fingers trace across her short fur, contouring along the skin underneath.
  1851. >You make your way from the base of her ear to the top of her shoulder, then repeat, careful to never stroke against the grain of her fur.
  1852. >You stroke a slightly different line each time, as if you’re plowing a field.
  1853. >The mare shuffled a bit and twitched her ear, subconsciously pleased by your touch.
  1854. >After a dozen or so strokes you feel something: a small bump under her hair.
  1855. >You graze over it again to narrow down the spot in her perfectly hued sea of fur.
  1856. >It was really small, and if it wasn’t your sensitive fingertips brushing her, you would’ve easily missed it.
  1857. >Isolating the spot, you carefully spread her fur apart.
  1858. >Naked white skin stared back at you.
  1859. >It was a bit unusual seeing that color on her. Pegasi only shed hair or feathers when molting, and you hadn’t known Dash long enough to experience that.
  1860. >Her blue fuzz so evenly covered her, you almost forgot it was fur at times.
  1861. >But there it was, white skin at your fingertips, plain as day.
  1862. >Your attention shifts to the slightly slick hair spanned between your index finger and thumb.
  1863. >Her hair was much a much deeper blue near the ends, and as it got closer to the follicle it got lighter and lighter in hue until it turned completely white a few millimeters from her skin.
  1864. >You do some math and figure the overlay of the two produced the azure color you came to love.
  1865. >Despite these interesting revelations, you didn’t find the one thing you were looking for.
  1866. >You make a dead reckoning and move up a bit on her neck, parting her fur again, this time revealing a small freckle.
  1867. >It was the diameter of a small pea and was slightly darker than the rest of her skin. Four wayward hairs sparsely populated the perfect blemish.
  1868. “Didn’t know you ponies had these.” You whisper to your unconscious companion.
  1869. >Upon closer inspection the hairs were in fact darker than their counterparts, they were just so thinly spaced you couldn’t see them in her smooth surface of fur.
  1870. >Your index finger snakes down and pokes it gently; the area turns whiter than its surroundings, then red from your pressure.
  1871. >It felt just like one of yours.
  1872. >The way you made connections in this alien world still boggled you.
  1873. >Withdrawing your finger, you smooth down her hair again and comb through it a few times with your fingernails to straighten it out.
  1874. >With all trace of your intrusion gone, you make a mental note of it’s location on her geography before leaning back into your pillow.
  1875. >Had to save some exploring for later.
  1876. >You bring your hand to your face and rub your fingers together, gliding them across an invisible sheen of Dash’s skin oil.
  1877. >It had been at least thirty-six hours since Dash had showered, so her fur wasn’t as fluffy as it normally was. Oil had greased it down a little, making it stick together in small clumps.
  1878. >It wasn’t enough to notice just by looking at it, but it sure felt different.
  1879. >Twilight told you that all pegasi produced a lot of body oil to keep their hair aerodynamic and feathers waterproof.
  1880. >Dash had told you the only pegasi who did that were the ‘wierdo-nature ponies’ that ‘smell like the backside of a manticore.’
  1881. >She told you she washed it sometimes twice a day like most pegasi so others wouldn’t turn a foul nose to her odor.
  1882. >The only time she didn’t was when she was preparing for a competition and she needed the extra streamlining.
  1883. >You bring your fingers to your nose and detect her spicy scent.
  1884. >Ponies were weird, you don’t really see why she needs to shower if that’s what’s concerning her.
  1885. >Your fingers continue to gently stroke her until her heartbeat and breathing begin to lull you back to sleep.
  1886. >They finally come to rest on her frame, and you whisper a parting promise to your snoozing mare before you drift off again.
  1887. “I’m going to find every one of those freckles…”
  1888.  
  1889. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
  1890.  
  1891. >You were running for your life.
  1892. >The forest path ahead was dark, but defined.
  1893. >Your legs sprinted over roots and rocks.
  1894. >One hand was up by your head to block wayward branches from putting out an eye.
  1895. >The other clutched a handgun.
  1896. >Your head was on a swivel, vigilant of the wolves that stalked you not far behind.
  1897. >The path straightened out and you relax your guard for a moment.
  1898. >A silent flash of glistening teeth launching out of the bushes to your right jolts you back to the moment as you fire the pistol at the attacker.
  1899. >He’s down in two shots, but you lose your balance and trip head over heels.
  1900. >Another wolf appears down the trail you came from, you level at him and fire.
  1901. >Nothing happens, your pistol stove piped after the last shot.
  1902. >You clear the jam quickly and put a bullet through the top of it’s head.
  1903. >Now, more wolves approached from all angles.
  1904. >You turned and fired at every one of them until only one remained.
  1905. >But the pistol was locked back on an empty chamber and you had no more ammo left.
  1906. >Your heart races as you see hunger flash through the creatures eyes. It lunges at you with a growl and you throw your arms up in defense.
  1907. >But instead of a crushing bite you feel a gentle nip.
  1908. >You lower your guard and it nuzzles your fingertips.
  1909. >What.
  1910. >In an instant you’re awake. You jerk your head up in a panic and catch Rainbow in the middle of…playing with your hands?
  1911. >She jumps at your sudden movement, but quickly freezes.
  1912. >She’s now laying on her back across your stomach.
  1913. >One of your hands had been placed on her belly and she was holding the other in her hooves above her face, her muzzle was buried in your palm.
  1914. >Your eyes move up to meet hers and notice a blush form on her face.
  1915. “Dash. What’re you doing?” You say groggily.
  1916. >She’s obviously been caught with her hoof in the cookie jar, but she still doesn’t release your appendage.
  1917. >”I…woke up a while ago and then your fingers started twitching…so, I…wanted to see how they worked.”
  1918. >You suddenly remember what happened in your dream and you become concerned.
  1919. “I didn’t flail around and hurt you did I?”
  1920. >She furrows her brow.
  1921. >”No…why would you?”
  1922. >Whew, that’s a relief.
  1923. “Weird dream is all.”
  1924. >She drops your hand to her chest and grins.
  1925. >”I’ll say dude! These little guys were trying to run a marathon or something!”
  1926. “And, you thought you could get free belly rubs from it?”
  1927. >She looks guilty.
  1928. >”Ahh…well if you were awake I would’ve asked, but I was sure you wouldn’t mind…”
  1929. “C’mere!”
  1930. >You launch up and wrap an arm around her rump and neck, pulling her head farther up your chest.
  1931. >Your blank look morphs into a twisted grin.
  1932. “You’re gonna have to pay for those belly rubs Miss Dash!”
  1933. >She finally gets the gist of what you’re doing but it’s too late to escape.
  1934. >You bring your head into her belly and buzz your lips into the sensitive flesh.
  1935. >”BAWHAHAHAHAHA! STAAAP! STA-HAHAHAP!”
  1936. >Your head wiggles side to side, soaking her flexing abdominals with vibrations.
  1937. >She kicks wildly, but your’e too far past her defenses for her to leverage any strength.
  1938. >”HAHAHAHAHA! ANON! ANOOOOON! HAHA! STAAAAAAAP!”
  1939. >You pause for a second and look up at her.
  1940. >She’s trying to catch her breath and has the biggest playful smile you’ve ever seen.
  1941. >”Ano ha…Anon…stop! I’s not fair!”
  1942. >She moves her fore legs to the side of your head in an attempt to push you off.
  1943. >Your twisted grin just gets bigger.
  1944. “On the contrary my Dash…”
  1945. >”No no no no no no wait wait…”
  1946. “…I charge five seconds of tickling to rub a mares belly…”
  1947. >Her pleading falls on deaf ears.
  1948. >”…Anon Anon listen, hold on…”
  1949. “…five more seconds if the mare has wings…”
  1950. >”…please just…haha! Don’t! I’m not ready!…”
  1951. “…ten more seconds if she’s got beautiful eyes…”
  1952. >”…Anooooon! hahaha! I won’t do it again!…”
  1953. “…twenty more seconds if she’s got an adorable snout…”
  1954. >”…hahaha! I’m not..ahah! I’m not adorable! haha!…”
  1955. “…and an extra full minute if her name is Rainbow Dash…”
  1956. >…noooo! Anon! You can’t…hah! You can’t do that! Hahaha!”
  1957. >You wait for her to settle down and accept her fate.
  1958. >Her laughter had weakened her.
  1959. >She writhes and bucks, but your strategic position kept you firmly locked in place.
  1960. >She makes one final push and grunt but doesn’t succeed in budging your head.
  1961. >Her hooves drop to her chest in defeat and her smiling eyes stare at you expectantly.
  1962. >Looks like she’s ready to pay up now.
  1963. “Because I like you I won’t charge interest.”
  1964. >For a split second she forgets where she’s at and stares at you blankly.
  1965. >Well, almost blankly. You can practically read her mind by looking into her eyes.
  1966. >The fuzzy moment doesn’t last long though, you still had a debt to collect.
  1967. >You resume your belly tickling and struggle to contain the little fireball in your arms.
  1968. >”HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
  1969. >You lay her on her back and free your hands to attack other areas.
  1970. >They snake towards the pits of her forelegs, digging into the hot, sweaty fur underneath them.
  1971. >”NOOO! HAHA! NOT THERE! HAHAHA!”
  1972. >She wiggles her fore legs to try and throw you but has no luck.
  1973. >She resorts to clenching her pits shut in the hopes of immobilizing your hands.
  1974. >All it did was trap your wiggling fingers closer to her body.
  1975. >”HAHAHAHAHAHA ANON IT’S TOO MUCH!”
  1976. “About a minute to go.”
  1977. >You pull your hands from her heated pits and move them underneath her wings.
  1978. >”NNOOOOHOHOHO!”
  1979. >Your fingers start wiggling across the seldom-touched fur of her wing pits.
  1980. >She manages to trap one arm between her hind legs and pulls it from the battle.
  1981. >You put your mouth back on her belly to compensate.
  1982. >She explodes with laughter again and tries to roll out from under the torrent of tickles.
  1983. >You can’t contain her this time.
  1984. >She struggles to her feet before you can wrestle her back down.
  1985. >But you catch a single fore leg and halt her retreat.
  1986. >”Anon-ha! Lemme go!”
  1987. “No!”
  1988. >”I’m gonna get you back then!”
  1989. >She tackles your torso to the mattress and begins digging her muzzle into your neck, looking for her favorite ticklish spot.
  1990. >You feel her pinfeathers rake up your sides, attempting to infiltrate your armpits.
  1991. >Friction creates heat and sheets fly as you writhe around, neither allowing the other to gain the advantage.
  1992. >You finally manage to pin her back to the mattress and her forelegs above her head, coming to an impasse of strength as you put your nose on hers.
  1993. >You exchange hot breath at close range, you both could benefit from brushing your teeth.
  1994. “Stop struggling! You still owe me ten seconds!
  1995. >”Come and take ‘em hotshot!”
  1996. >Her more nimble form manages to get her hind legs on your hips and she pushes you off.
  1997. >She springs to her hooves in a flurry of white sheets with a confident grin.
  1998. >”Not so tough now are ya!”
  1999. >She starts walking towards you, now wise to all your tricks.
  2000. >Well…not all of them.
  2001. >In a risky gamble you dive for her foreleg and capture it.
  2002. >She springs her trap and digs her muzzle into your now exposed armpit, aligning her torso with yours.
  2003. >She purrs her lips and laughter racks your body.
  2004. “HAHAHAHAHAHA!”
  2005. >Attempting to move, you find that her hind legs are latched around with the force of a hungry alligator. One of her forelegs was wrapped over your shoulder, pulling herself in to chow down on your sensitive flesh.
  2006. >This was a critical situation, there wasn’t much you could do about it.
  2007. >Except that she seemed to forget about her other fore hoof.
  2008. >You shift control of her appendage to your unaffected hand and move the other to try and combat her wet muzzle.
  2009. “DAAAASH! HAHAHAHAHA!”
  2010. >You muster all your resolve and set your sights on your only chance of rescue.
  2011. >Fighting the laughter, you pull her hoof to your mouth and nibble on her soft under hoof.
  2012. >Her ministrations stop in an instant.
  2013. >You seize the moment and roll her over, clenching her fore hoof between your arms.
  2014. >”NOOOOO!”
  2015. >You start back nibbling and tickling on her frog. It was surprisingly clean for the pony equivalent of a foot.
  2016. >You succeed in immobilizing her before she can mount a counter attack.
  2017. >”HAHAHAHAHHAHAHA!”
  2018. >She gasps for air in-between bouts of laughter.
  2019. >Her mistake. Shouldn’t have left a vulnerability exposed.
  2020. >She was out of commission now, just laying on her back, completely numbed by the sensation.
  2021. >It allowed your to climb out of your strategic position and lay next to her—as long as you kept constant pressure with your lips.
  2022. >”HAHAHAHA! ANON YOU SAID TEN HAHAHAHA! TEN SECONDS!”
  2023. >She’s right, but you’re going out with a finale.
  2024. >You snatch her bucking hind leg out of the air and shift to nibble on it, transferring control of her fore hoof to your fingers.
  2025. >”NOO-HAHAHA! IT HURTS! HAHAHAHA!”
  2026. >She stops bucking that leg out of fear of hitting you in the face.
  2027. >The courtesy isn’t lost on you and you buzz your lips in appreciation.
  2028. >A final massive wave of laughter racks her body, leaving her breathless.
  2029. >You relent, still keeping control of her two hooves.
  2030. >She looks over to you with a heavy-breathing grin and wild eyes.
  2031. >You smile smugly at her.
  2032. “Your bill has been paid in full Ma’am.”
  2033. >”*huff…You promise?”
  2034. >Her eyes were wide, her body tense with anticipation.
  2035. “I promise.”
  2036. >She lets her guard down and rests her head on the mattress.
  2037. >She didn’t care that you still had two of her weak points under your control, you promised you wouldn’t tickle her any more and she believed you.
  2038. >You take the time to compare her hooves.
  2039. >Her rear hoof was slightly bigger with a deeper set frog, her fore hoof was narrow and had a puffy frog—probably for holding things.
  2040. >You let go of her hooves and they drop dead to the mattress.
  2041. >She lays on her back, staring at you while she catches her breath.
  2042. >”I’m hungry.”
  2043. “Me too.”
  2044. >”You have some cereal or something?”
  2045. “Nope, all out.”
  2046. >”Nothing? No food at all?”
  2047. “I got some more granola bars and a few packets of tuna and stuff.”
  2048. >”What the hay! You invite me over and don’t even have anything to eat!”
  2049. “I said we have granola bars and tuna.”
  2050. >”Bleh! Tuna! And those granola bars are getting old, especially since you always get the same honey flavored ones.”
  2051. “That’s all I can afford right now so you’re gonna have to deal with it.”
  2052. >You give her a condescending mom look to complement your playful rebuttal.
  2053. >She thinks for a moment before moving over to you pressing her body against your side.
  2054. >She rests her muzzle on your shoulder and exhales across your chest and face.
  2055. >Her eyes trace the contours of your face as her smile gradually grows wider.
  2056. >”Well, then just…make more money or something.”
  2057. >You poke her nose with your finger.
  2058. *boop
  2059. >She scrunches it and and squints her eyes. Her mouth opens up reflexively.
  2060. *ACHOOOOO!
  2061. >She sneezes…right on your face.
  2062. >You wince and close your eyes as the aerosol blasts you. You blindly bring your hand up to wipe your eyes.
  2063. >”Heh sorry dude.”
  2064. >You open them to see a sheepish looking Dash with an apologetic smile.
  2065. “Now I know what that button does.” You return her smile.
  2066. >She wipes her nose with a hoof and shoots you a wry smirk.
  2067. >”Now you owe me a few minutes of tickling and a sneeze!”
  2068. >Whoa hold on that didn’t add up at all.
  2069. >”Let’s go out, I’m buying.”
  2070. >You can wait to do your math though, hunger calls.
  2071. “I hate to say it but there’s not much choice there.”
  2072. >”Be grateful I’m not leaving your butt here to starve.”
  2073. “Oh believe me I am.”
  2074. >You honestly felt pretty bad about not being able to afford stuff for her, but that would all be remedied soon once you took your job.
  2075. >She squints at you, surprised at your seemingly sincere tone.
  2076. “So is this a date Dash?”
  2077. >She snaps out of her stare and blushes a bit, flicking her tail at your knees.
  2078. >”A date?”
  2079. “Yeah. I mean we are kinda together now.”
  2080. >Her ears flop back and her eyes meet yours.
  2081. >”Y-yeah…we are.”
  2082. “So…you want to get off me now so I can get cleaned up?”
  2083. >Her blush deepens and she licks her lips.
  2084. >”You’re not going anywhere til’ ya kiss me.”
  2085. >Your playful smile returns.
  2086. “Make me.”
  2087.  
  2088. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
  2089.  
  2090. >Half an hour later you had both showered and cleaned up.
  2091. >Luckily you had a spare toothbrush on hand for her to use.
  2092. >It took you two thorough brushings to get the smell of yours and Dash’s morning breath out of your mouth.
  2093. >You set a mental reminder to pick up more toothpaste when you get to town.
  2094. >The weather outside was nice as usual, and Dash trotted along in front of you, leading the way to the establishment of her choice.
  2095. >The bustle of the city went unnoticed as your eyes followed Rainbow’s tail through the crowd.
  2096. >Despite the world being filled with colors, hers stood out the brightest.
  2097. >You walk into a building behind her and the waiter sits you two down at a family sized booth in the corner.
  2098. >You had recently been made aware of another luxury that had never occurred to you before.
  2099. >The realization hit you that mares could have attractive lines too.
  2100. >Of course, initially you had your kid in a candy shop moment; you couldn’t blame yourself, none of these mares wore any clothes.
  2101. >But as enthralled as you were, you lost the appetite for it quickly.
  2102. >It may have been due to your bias, but no mare seemed to be able to stack up to Dash.
  2103. >That wasn’t to say she had the biggest plot, because it was definitely on the leaner side.
  2104. >You just…had more of an appetite for her.
  2105. >”Whatcha gettin?
  2106. “Oh…uh…”
  2107. >You look at the menu in front of you and don’t immediately notice anything you like.
  2108. “…where are we at?”
  2109. >She looks at you like you’re stupid.
  2110. >”You mean you didn’t see ‘Haypatty Paradise’ in big red letters when we walked in?”
  2111. >You weren’t stupid, you just had a one track mind.
  2112. “I was…preoccupied.”
  2113. >With her butt.
  2114. >”Well you don’t need to know the name of a place to eat it’s food.”
  2115. “No you don’t, I guess I’ll…”
  2116. >”Hello Rainbow, Anon! Fancy seeing you two here!”
  2117. >You spin around and see Applejack and Rarity walking up behind you.
  2118. >”O-oh! Hey guys! haha, didn’t think you’d be here! Heh!”
  2119. >Dash was obviously less than thrilled to see them.
  2120. >”Oh of course darling! Today is the tenth anniversary of our weekly spa day and we thought it a marvelous idea to celebrate by stopping to dine here!”
  2121. >”You got that right Rarity! Ah never thought I’d take a likin’ to them pretty-fyin places, but ah just feel so refreshed after the spa, ah can’t wait for it errey week!”
  2122. >Dash makes no effort to contribute to the conversation, so you take up the slack for her.
  2123. “That’s great you two! It’s good that you found something you both enjoy.”
  2124. >”I see you and Rainbow seem to take that maxim to heart.”
  2125. >The last you heard, Dash wanted to keep your relationship under wraps, she was sensitive about that kinda stuff.
  2126. “Yeah, we always enjoy hanging out.”
  2127. >”Oh how nice! We rarely see Rainbow with company, especially when the weather is great for flying like it is today…Right Rainbow?”
  2128. >”O-oh y-yeah! You know me haha! I just looove practicing. Especially cuz I’m a Wonderbolt now! It’s just practice practice practice! Haha!”
  2129. >Applejack catches onto her nervous behavior.
  2130. >”Riaght…soo…whatcha doin’ here anon? Ah mean, no offense or nothin’ but you ain’t exactly the hayburger eating’ type.”
  2131. “No I don’t like those, but…”
  2132. >”Hey! Just cuz he’s an ahmivore doesn’t mean he’s a an animal!”
  2133. >You resist the urge to correct her pronunciation.
  2134. >Dash was practically on the edge of her seat, she actually looked pretty angry.
  2135. >”Slow down there partner! Ah never said he was. Ah’m just sayin’ I didn’t think he’d like this place is all.”
  2136. >”Well he does! It has peanut butter and cranberry jam sandwiches which are his favorite!”
  2137. >It does? Nice!
  2138. >Applejack takes a step back with a confused look on her face, at a total loss for words.
  2139. >”Well Rainbow! There’s no need to get upset, dear Applejack is merely asking a question.”
  2140. >Dash finally catches herself.
  2141. >”Sorry AJ, I just…uh…”
  2142. “…she’s been under a lot of stress since joining the Wonderbolts. She’s just too prideful to let anyone know, isn’t that right Dash…”
  2143. >You make eye contact and she picks up the story.
  2144. >”Oh dear, Rainbow why haven’t you told us? You know we’ll do anything to help.”
  2145. >”Shucks ah’m sorry. I didn’t know you were avin’ that hard uva time.”
  2146. >”Hehe, it’s ok guys, just part of being a Wonderbolt. I’ll get used to it.”
  2147. >That was kinda weird, she sounded really…defensive.
  2148. >She didn’t exactly look apologetic, but at least she wasn’t yelling anymore.
  2149. >”I’m sure you will darling. You two won’t mind if we join you…seeing as you have the whole corner to yourselves?”
  2150. >Dash shuffles a bit.
  2151. >”Well, it was just the two…”
  2152. >”Yeehaw the day’s gettin’ better by tha minute! It’s been forever since we got to hang out!”
  2153. >”Umm…about that…”
  2154. >Dash looks at you pensively, you can tell she’s asking for your approval before she invites her friends.
  2155. >You wink at her inconspicuously and see her relax a bit.
  2156. >”…yeah, we’ve got room for two more.”
  2157. >Dash scoots over to sit next to you and bumps her rump against you behind the table.
  2158. >You glance over but she doesn’t make eye contact.
  2159. >What was intended to be a glance turned into a lingering stare as your eyes traced her facial features from the side.
  2160. >”…told ya about Zephyr yet?”
  2161. >Wait what.
  2162. >You snap out of your trance as Dash anxiously answers her.
  2163. >”N-no, what happened?”
  2164. >Your adrenaline was beginning to flow a bit at the fear of repercussions for your actions. Of course, you hadn’t thought about it at the time, but there were still laws that prevented assault and battery…even if they deserved every last bit of it.
  2165. >If Green creep chose to contact the police, your story would likely be insufficient to justify your actions.
  2166. >”He was flyin around the park helpin’ Fluttershy with some errands and he flew right inta the side of a tree! The crazy feller broke his nose!”
  2167. >Rarity shakes her head slowly while looking out the window.
  2168. >Dash lets out a snort before pausing and laughing out loud, more out of relief than amusement.
  2169. >Relief washed over you as well and you let a smile creep to your face.
  2170. >Applejack joined in with Dash and Rarity’s normal composed facade cracked a smirk before she dabbed her napkin to her mascara laden cheeks in an attempt to hide it.
  2171. >A few heads turned as the rambunctious two continued to laugh, Rarity made eye contact with you and her smirk only intensified as she lost the battle against keeping her composure.
  2172. >”A tree? Really?” Dash chokes, disbelievingly.
  2173. >”That’s what he told Fluttershy apparently.”
  2174. >Your relief masked any amusement at the situation. Hopefully this meant he finally got the message and just wanted to put everything behind him and move on.
  2175. >Rarity finally chimes in after a spell of silence.
  2176. >”I must say it doesn’t surprise me, he was always an odd one.”
  2177. >Dash chuckles and looks over to you, her eyes relay more in an instant than words could.
  2178. >She pieced it together too, her predicament was over.
  2179. >”Speaking of which, Rainbow darling you do remember the time he tried courting you?”
  2180. >Like it was yesterday you respond in your head.
  2181. >Dash turns back to her, her grin never leaving her face.
  2182. >”Heh, yeah, I almost felt bad for him.”
  2183. >”Ahn why’s that?” Applejack asks curiously.
  2184. >Dash’s smirk explodes into a toothy grin.
  2185. >”Cuz he didn’t know I’m only into stallions.”
  2186. >This time the whole table cracks up laughing, yourself included.
  2187. >The two mares sitting across from you didn’t understand that her comment makes you feel like you grew a foot taller.
  2188. >Even if it was more of a statement than a compliment, you couldn’t help but feel more attached to her because of it.
  2189. >Normally she was the one constantly getting her ego boosted by others, it was a rare occasion when she did the same for someone else.
  2190. >Her hoof intentionally bumps your leg under the table as the laughter dies down.
  2191. >You channel your reaction into reaching down and straightening out your silverware.
  2192. >Your tedious habit doesn’t go unnoticed.
  2193. >”Ya been awfully quiet oer there Anon.”
  2194. >Applejacks southern drawl forces you to look up at two inquisitive pairs of eyes.
  2195. “Sorry, just been doing a lot of thinking is all.”
  2196. >”What about?”
  2197. >Since you can't draw a picture of Rainbow's plot you're forced to think of another response.
  2198. “The toaster I have to build for the government.”
  2199. >”Toaster? I assume this is a device that makes toast?”
  2200. >Rarity’s tone sounded more amused than inquisitive.
  2201. >”Ah always just toss ‘em on hot pan with some butter.”
  2202. “Yeah, but the device they want me to make can cook like four pieces of toast in thirty seconds.”
  2203. >No pony at the table looks too terribly impressed, and you don’t blame them.
  2204. >”How does this work exactly?”
  2205. “It’s just runs electricity through a circuit that modulates it’s voltage and amperage, then the electricity travels through thin strips of resistant metal—heating them up and cooking your toast.”
  2206. >The mares sitting across from you raise their brows at your explanation.
  2207. >”That sure ain’t somethin ah woulda ever thought of.”
  2208. “Me neither, I’m just recreating some one elses invention.”
  2209. >”Either way I would say you’re very well educated.” Rarity offers.
  2210. >Dash speaks up next to you.
  2211. >”Yeah like that time you were talking to Twi about the pet that can read minds.”
  2212. >What the hell?
  2213. “Oh, you mean the PET scan that monitors brain activity.”
  2214. >”Uhh…yeah that one. What is it again?”
  2215. >Rarity and Applejack both lean in over the table, clearly interested in your tale of otherworldly technology.
  2216. “It stands for Positron Emission Tomography, it basically creates anti particles called positrons and shoots them through your head where they interact with a chemical indicator in your blood stream, giving you a picture of what areas of the brain are active at any given time.”
  2217. >”Ahn anti what now?”
  2218. >”It sounds a bit perilous, shooting ponies heads with particles?”
  2219. >The conversation continues for the next few minutes as you ended up giving a brief overview of classical physics to the best of your knowledge.
  2220. >A smallish unicorn mare finally swings by to take your drinks, halting the conversation.
  2221. >”Good afternoon, what will you have to drink today?”
  2222. >You notice something off about her when she stares coldly at you with pursed lips.
  2223. >Much to your bemusement, she holds the stare awkwardly as she takes everyone’s order.
  2224. >Unbeknownst to you, your blue companion was onto her behavior as well.
  2225. >When it gets to your turn, she skips you and goes to Applejack.
  2226. >“Hey there, ah think ya skipped Anon over here.”
  2227. >”Oh…what does it want to…oopf!”
  2228. >Before she can finish her slur a fork launches across the table and bounces off her forehead—the silver streak of tumbling metal surprising everyone with it’s velocity.
  2229. >Like a coiled snake Dash sprung up with her fore hooves on the table, her wings are threateningly half-flared.
  2230. >Her herbivorous teeth were bared in a snarl and it looked like she was trying to set the waitress on fire with her glare.
  2231. >Applejack is the first to react.
  2232. >”Rainbow! What’re ya doin!”
  2233. >You reach over and grab her shoulders in an attempt to keep her from advancing any farther.
  2234. >”He’s got a name you know!” She growls.
  2235. >Rarity uses her magic to hold her back by the tail. It doesn’t fare well against her strength.
  2236. >”Rainbow, darling stop! Calm down!”
  2237. >Dash points a hoof menacingly at the cowering form of the waiter.
  2238. >”APOLOGIZE TO HIM!”
  2239. >Everyone in the restaurant is looking at your table now.
  2240. “Dash!”
  2241. >She snaps her head to you in an instant, the death glare in her eyes replaced with a concerned gaze.
  2242. “It’s okay, calm down.” You say in a calm voice.
  2243. >It looked like someone was twisting her insides with a red-hot poker.
  2244. >”No it’s not. You deserve better than this.”
  2245. “I know but she got the message.”
  2246. >She looks into your eyes to see if you had any reservations, a very real, but subdued anger present in her own eyes.
  2247. >At that moment you knew that if you’d given the word, she would’ve probably tore the waitresses head off.
  2248. >But the last thing you want is your favorite pony getting charged with murder.
  2249. “I’m not upset, it’s over.”
  2250. >You feel her tense withers relax under your touch as she slumps back down into her seat, reluctantly accepting your decision.
  2251. >You’re too concerned about Dash to notice her friends are staring at you with shocked expressions, you’d just tamed a wild lion as far as they were concerned.
  2252. >The waitress scrambles to her hooves and grabs her notepad and pen, mumbling and apology before turning tail.
  2253. >A blue aura surrounds her and holds her in place.
  2254. >”Waitress dear, I forget your name, if you do us the favor of sending another to attend to us we WON’T speak with your manager about your uncouth behavior.”
  2255. >She nods furiously, eyes still full of fear before Rarity releases her and she skitters off around the corner.
  2256. >The other customers, disappointed that it didn’t devolve into a full blown hoof fight, return to their usual banter and background noise returns.
  2257. >Dash turns to Rarity.
  2258. >”You’re just going to let her, that…arrrgh!…just let her off like that!”
  2259. “Dash if Rarity didn’t cut the deal she did, there’s a chance we could get in trouble.”
  2260. >The last thing you wanted was to come between her and her friends. You’d apologize, but that would only exacerbate the situation.
  2261. >”He’s right ya know.” Applejack adds.
  2262. >You could tell Rarity was a bit miffed.
  2263. >She tucks a lock of hair away.
  2264. >”Rainbow, I understand your frustration, and I think it’s noble of you to defend Anon, but that type of behavior is entirely uncalled for!”
  2265. >”Have you seen how some of the ponies in this town treat him! And you call that uncalled for!”
  2266. >She did have a point, some ponies did discriminate against you, but only the more old fashioned ones.
  2267. >Luckily there weren’t many of those around.
  2268. >That being said, Rarity also had a point, Dash had an image to maintain and you’d be dammed if you were the reason she ruined it…whether she wanted to or not.
  2269. >”All Rarity’s tryin ta say is you’re goin about it the wrong way.”
  2270. >The atmosphere was full of tension, and you were in the eye of the storm.
  2271. >You hated taking sides, but you had to. For her sake.
  2272. “Dash listen…”
  2273. >Again, her fiery attitude changes and she drops her head a bit, knowing exactly what you were going to say.
  2274. “…I appreciate what you did for me, I really do. But…you’re a Wonderbolt now, you have a reputation, a standard of behavior to uphold. Whether you agree or not, I’m don’t want to be the reason you get suspended or expelled from your dream job. Quite frankly I’m not worth it…”
  2275. >She looks at you with concern and compassion in her eyes, disagreement on the tip of her tongue.
  2276. “…It’s happened before and it’ll happen again, it’s just something I have to live with.”
  2277. >Her eyes drop from yours and she audibly gulps, swallowing any arguments she still had.
  2278. >”Yeah I guess…”
  2279. >She nudges your shoulder.
  2280. >”…but don’t expect me to let them get away with it.”
  2281. >Her compassionate eyes lock on yours and she smiles weakly.
  2282. >You hated seeing her like this, but you couldn’t exactly tell her everything you wanted to without giving away your mutual secret.
  2283. >The look Rarity was giving you already told you she caught on to more than you’d intended.
  2284. >Applejack was just staring at Dash like a disappointed sibling.
  2285. >Hoof steps sound beside you.
  2286. >You look over to spot a chipper young earth stallion with a prepubescent mustache.
  2287. >”I’m sorry for the inconvenience, what would every pony like to drink today!”
  2288. >Eventually conversation returned to normal and the rest of the meal went smoothly.
  2289. >Dash stayed mostly quiet and you did your best to pull her into conversation, you also cracked a few jokes that got a laugh out of her.
  2290. >You figured it was the best case scenario considering the circumstances.
  2291. >Upon departure, Dash remembered her promise and signed the check for both of you, Applejack and Rarity payed separately.
  2292. >You said your farewells and went your separate ways.
  2293. >Dash had a few days until her next Wonderbolt performance, she’d mastered her wingtip turn, but she still had to practice her timing with the rest of the team.
  2294. >That meant that pretty soon she would no longer be able to crash at your place like she had for the past few days.
  2295. >But she should still be free tonight. That meant more nap time with your friend…your mare friend.
  2296. >Her mind was on the same track because she led the way to your apartment a few paces ahead of you.
  2297. >She opens your door and you shut it behind you, kicking your shoes into the corner.
  2298. >You turn around just in time for Dash’s fore hooves to land on your shoulders.
  2299. >Suddenly you found yourself eye to eye with the pegasus as she stands up on her hind legs…well, she was still a bit shorter than you.
  2300. “Uhh…hello?”
  2301. >Her intense magenta gaze locks on your face and carries an authority that tells you not to look away.
  2302. >Fuzzy ears act like a second pair of eyes and plain breath leaves her nose in succinct bursts, slapping your face and keeping your attention.
  2303. >She doesn’t respond for a few seconds and you begin to suspect something’s wrong.
  2304. >”I don’t ever wanna hear that again…”
  2305. >The seriousness of her tone strikes a chord in you, but you’re still at a loss.
  2306. “Hear what again?”
  2307. >”That you’re not worth it.”
  2308. “Oh, Dash I’m just looking out…”
  2309. >”Because you are.”
  2310. >She cuts you off mid sentence; clearly she had something to say and was intent on saying it.
  2311. >So you let her finish.
  2312. >Her confidence wavers a bit as she blinks a few times and moves her fore hooves down your shoulders, her soft frogs resting above your joints.
  2313. >”And I’m not gonna let any pony hurt you just so I can fly around in some dumb air shows.”
  2314. >She finishes with a tone of finality, her eyes on yours, she meant every word of what she’d said.
  2315. >You suddenly find it difficult to breathe as your throat chokes up.
  2316. >The things she was saying, and the way she said them conjured up feelings that you’d never known before.
  2317. >Deep feelings, good feelings.
  2318. >You swallow and nod, giving her the satisfaction of knowing she got her point across.
  2319. >Her remaining confidence leaves her and floods to her cheeks in the form of a blush.
  2320. >Her slender pink tongue darts out to lick her lips, warning you of her intentions.
  2321. >Humid air wets your face as her parted maw draws closer to yours.
  2322. >You lean forward a bit and bring your hands to her shoulders, ready to receive her affection.
  2323. >The sight of her leaning in for the kiss starts your heart racing and you struggle to control an impulse to cut to the chase.
  2324. >Seconds feel like minutes as you visualize her nearing muzzle behind closed eyes.
  2325. >Eventually, short, wet fur finds your upper lip and she adjusts to massage it.
  2326. >She sucks in slightly to pull your lip comfortably between hers where the additional saliva made the massage a much smoother process.
  2327. >Eager to reciprocate, you mirror her actions with her bottom lip and pull her more into you.
  2328. >The connection you shared was worth a thousand words, and not just words. Things you can’t describe with words.
  2329. >Emotions.
  2330. >The caressing quickly synced your intentions and communicated that the feelings she had about any pony hurting you were mutual.
  2331. >The light fur on her was the second most alien thing about her next to the narrow muzzle.
  2332. >You find that the soft, short fibers tickle the inside of your lip, making you you laugh silently against her.
  2333. >You didn’t even know you could be ticklish there.
  2334. >She snorts lightly in response to your laughter, a smile forming against your mouth.
  2335. >Her muzzle pulls off you with a pop, leaving a semicircle all the way to the base of your nose a bit red and glistening.
  2336. >She hides her blush by nuzzling your jawline, the smile still evident in the form of her tense muscles.
  2337. >She pulls back until your noses are touching.
  2338. >You hold the position for a while, minds on each others taste and smell, your arms keeping her stable on her hind legs while you share air.
  2339. >Tendrils of lethargy tug on your eyelids and numb your senses, realizing this was no place to fall asleep, you force your eyes back open.
  2340. >Something about the combination of her taste and smell and touch just knocked you out like a pound of sleeping pills.
  2341. >But you’d have time for that soon enough.
  2342. >Finally realizing her blushing wasn’t going to recede you give her another peck, refreshing her grin.
  2343. “Just be careful alright. Between my park brawl and your restaurant fight we just might become the next Bonnie and Clyde.”
  2344. >She quirks an eyebrow and you catch your mistake.
  2345. >”The next what?”
  2346. “Uh, sorry…they were an outlaw couple from where I came from.”
  2347. >”Heh, that might be fun.”
  2348. “No Dash, no it would not.”
  2349. >She only grins wider.
  2350. “But for the record that was a pretty good throw, I never saw it coming and I was sitting right next to you.”
  2351. >She giggles, warming your face with her hot breath.
  2352. >”What can I say…I’m…”
  2353. “…awesome.” You finish for her.
  2354. >She cranes her neck and stretches on one hind leg to bring her muzzle to your mouth, the other leg pawing fruitlessly at the air while you tended to her.
  2355. >You break the kiss and reluctantly leave each other’s embrace, aware that you couldn’t stand in front of your door all day.
  2356. >She drops down to all fours and ruffles her mane.
  2357. “Want to finish that one Daring Doo book you stopped reading like…two weeks ago?”
  2358. >She looks up at you with a bit of confusion, her dopamine high still present in the form of dilated pupils.
  2359. >”You have it here?”
  2360. “Yeah, remember. You made me read the whole damn thing aloud.”
  2361. >She brings a fore hoof to her mouth and chuckles lightly at your annoyance.
  2362. >”Heh, oh yeah, I remember now. You weren’t very good at it either.”
  2363. >Her ears splayed back in a humorous display while her body racks with quiet laughter.
  2364. >You move to the kitchen to grab a bag of chocolates to snack on.
  2365. “Well of course I’m going to stutter when you keep poking me in the side with your feathers.”
  2366. >”I only poked you after you stuttered! It was supposed to train you not to do it again.”
  2367. >You pick up the humor in her voice but play along anyways.
  2368. “Oh of course! Because everyone reads better when they know they’re one mistake away from being tickled.”
  2369. >”Hahaha! Come on! You can’t say that wasn’t fun!”
  2370. >You make your way over and plop down on the couch next to her, her book already in her hooves.
  2371. “Fun for you maybe. I’m not gonna let you get away with it a second time you know.”
  2372. >She smirks and slides over next to you, passing off the book.
  2373. >”Like you’re gonna stop me!”
  2374. “More like I’m just going to stop reading.”
  2375. >”Aww…party pooper. Fine then no feather jabbing.”
  2376. “I’m taking your word for it.”
  2377. >You open up to the bookmark and quickly find where you stopped reading last.
  2378. >Dash lays across the couch, resting her head on your leg, her fore hooves tucked and her muzzle pointed straight up.
  2379. >Before you start reading you grab a chocolate out of the mixed bag and plop it in your mouth.
  2380. >Magenta eyes follow your movements as you gulp it down.
  2381. >You rest the book on your knees and hold it with one hand, the other reaches over to scratch at a tuft of blue chest fluff.
  2382. >You just couldn’t keep you hands off of your mare.
  2383. >Her multicolored hair pours across your lap, spilling between your legs like a trippy waterfall.
  2384. >Eyes study the words on the page and you begin reading, a bit self conscious of any stuttering.
  2385. >As you pick up a rhythm you’re hit with a wave of nostalgia, one of the first things you did together when you and Dash were new friends was read a Daring Doo book.
  2386. >Back then there were only six books on the market…now you were working on the tenth.
  2387. >And back then your couch sat under the window. A few sunburns from afternoon naps caused you to move it to it’s present position.
  2388. >You reach down and grab another chocolate at random.
  2389. >It’s funny how times change, the last time you opened this book you would’ve laughed at the thought of giving your best friend a wing job.
  2390. >Now…well…suffice to say that’s no longer the case.
  2391. >Speaking of which, you were just waiting for her to make a single mention of a sore muscle. You weren’t going to let up another opportunity to…help her out.
  2392. >But for now you were content with a good book and and her warm head resting on your lap.
  2393. >You flip the page and reach for another chocolate.
  2394. >The second it clears the bag Dash comes to life next to you.
  2395. >”Wait! Those are my favorite!”
  2396. >You glance at the chocolate then look down at her wide eyes with passive interest.
  2397. “Your point?”
  2398. >”My point is you need to give it to me!”
  2399. >You smile inwardly, time to teach her some manners.
  2400. “So you’re saying that because this…”
  2401. >You glance at the chocolate again and so does she.
  2402. “…Milk…”
  2403. >”…Chocolate Bite…” She finishes impatiently.
  2404. “…is your favorite…”
  2405. >She nods enthusiastically.
  2406. “…that means I should give it to you?”
  2407. >”Yeah. And all the other ones left in the bag.”
  2408. >Wow she’s not kidding, she must really like these.
  2409. >She hungrily eyes the chocolate that’s slowly starting to melt against your fingers.
  2410. “Well too bad cuz they’re my favorite too.”
  2411. >You plop it in your mouth and exaggerate the pleasure of it’s flavor with a few moans.
  2412. >The smile on her face comedically morphs into a frown in a matter of seconds.
  2413. >Dash is in a state of shock, unable to believe that you’d come between her and her favorite flavor.
  2414. “Mmmm, this is really good, I see why you like them so much.”
  2415. >She scrambles to her hooves, her features alert.
  2416. >You hide your grin by licking your fingers and patting your belly for emphasis.
  2417. >”Y-you…that was mine!”
  2418. >You look over into her fiery eyes, luckily you saw nothing like what you saw at lunch, just mild annoyance.
  2419. >”You hear me? You ate MY chocolate!”
  2420. >Okay maybe severe annoyance.
  2421. “I don’t see what makes it yours? I bought the whole bag you know.”
  2422. >”You ate two already! It was my turn!”
  2423. >You struggled to keep from snuggling her lest you get a hoof to the jaw.
  2424. >She was just so damn cute when she was angry.
  2425. “Well considering you eat everything else I have, I think it’s only fair I get a whole bag of chocolates to myself.”
  2426. >She’s too flustered to pick up on the fact that you’re joking.
  2427. >”Nice try but you have to share! It’s a…rule.”
  2428. “When I read through Ponyville city code I never came across anything that said I have to share.”
  2429. >”Its a federal rule doofus!”
  2430. >Ok that was unexpected, a really good comeback, but unexpected.
  2431. “Uhh…”
  2432. >You struggle to come up with a defense. The scary thing was, considering they have princesses of love and friendship, a rule about sharing was entirely possible.
  2433. “…I don’t know anything about any rules, but if you want one…you’re going to have to come and get it.”
  2434. >You look into the chocolate bag, there’s one sitting right on top.
  2435. >You look back at your nemesis. Her eyes narrow on you and she crouches, letting out a threatening puff of air from her nose.
  2436. >Gone was the desire to snuggle her and rub her belly.
  2437. >You could just hand over the bag and this would be over in an instant.
  2438. >But then you wouldn’t have any battle scars to tell your grandchildren about.
  2439. >What the hell.
  2440. >You shoot your hand in the bag, clutching the milk chocolate bite.
  2441. >Dash springs onto your arm, her hooves intercepting your hand as it clears the bag.
  2442. >Despite your best efforts, your find her somehow prying your fingers open with the edges of her hooves.
  2443. >You hastily set the book on the coffee table and bring your other hand into the fight.
  2444. >She rotates around your hand until her back is against your chest and her hind leg is pressing on the arm wrest.
  2445. >It was a pretty smart move, her new position allowed her to push your arm away from your torso with a lot of force.
  2446. >Your other hand holds your fingers closed as you struggle to bring them to your mouth.
  2447. >”Stop. Struggling!”
  2448. >Her wing shoots out and presses against your face, blinding you.
  2449. >It doesn’t matter. You were born in the dark. Molded by it.
  2450. >You feel a tongue lash out at a small gap in between your fingers.
  2451. “No!”
  2452. >Suddenly you switch directions, pushing out and leaning forward in the direction of her force.
  2453. >The move throws her off balance and she falls forward onto her chest, face wincing as her chin impacts the cushion.
  2454. >You fall on top of her slender figure, your nose painfully bouncing off her shoulder.
  2455. >With your chest across her back, her wings now flutter pointlessly at her sides.
  2456. >Azure legs kick, but your greater weight allowed you to pin her to the couch while you brought the chocolate to your face and plopped it in your mouth.
  2457. >You sit up and take your weight off of her, she spins around in a multicolored flurry, her messy mane complementing her surprised look.
  2458. >You’re leaned back against the arm rest, balancing the melting chocolate on your outstretched tongue.
  2459. >It makes its way safely back into your mouth and you tuck it to your cheek.
  2460. “And the winner of round one is…oopf!”
  2461. >You’d underestimated her resolve, the battle was far from over.
  2462. >She rockets into your chest and throws her hooves around your head.
  2463. >Your arms struggle to push her back as she positions herself on top of you, looking straight down at your face.
  2464. >Half-extended wings arch across you for balance as hind hoofs come close to stepping on your balls.
  2465. >Her mane hangs down and tickles your forehead between huffs of Dash breath. Her playful eyes and mischievous smile contradict the blush on her muzzle.
  2466. >This was no prank.
  2467. *mmmpf!
  2468. >In an instant her mouth is on yours, spreading your lips with her own.
  2469. >Her tongue darts down between your clenched teeth and your cheek as she fishes for the milk chocolate bite.
  2470. >The tip of her nose mashes against your upper lip, occupying you nostrils with the scent of her muzzle.
  2471. >She breathes openly and hastily through her mouth and you quickly begin to heat up.
  2472. >A soft, furry torso lays against yours and her hind legs spread out to either side of you for balance.
  2473. >Her tongue slaps around against the inside of your cheek until she eventually finds the chocolate mass.
  2474. >Her nimble appendage hooks around it and begins to pull it towards her maw.
  2475. >Instinctively, your tongue darts out to intercept her. The process caused the chocolate to fall against the back of your tongue.
  2476. >You catch it before you have a chance to choke.
  2477. >Dash takes a quick breath and holds it before pushing your head farther into the cushion with her hooves.
  2478. >She tilts her head slightly and buries her muzzle in your open mouth, surprising you with the depth she gained.
  2479. >Her tongue easily reaches the back of yours and begins fishing for the chocolate lump.
  2480. >A tail whisks giddily across your legs.
  2481. >Taking the greatest caution not to bite the furry muzzle between your teeth, you focus your attention on the battle for the chocolate.
  2482. >You find yourself feeling a bit disappointed when her natural milky flavor gets replaced by a chocolate one as the sweet melts between your slick, thrashing muscles.
  2483. >Your hands no longer fight her, instead they hold her, gently scratching her neck and the side of her face.
  2484. >This wasn’t a battle anymore.
  2485. >She moans affectionately into your mouth, the distraction enough to get you to stop fencing for a moment.
  2486. >Considering she was doing it all on a breath hold, it was a risky move.
  2487. >But it payed off, in your distracted state her tongue loops under the slobbery mess of chocolate and she pulls it into her mouth.
  2488. >Her muzzle leaves your mouth and she takes a deep breath, both of your eyes open to meet each other and you realize her hooves hadn’t been pressing on you for the last half of the battle.
  2489. >One rests against the side of your head, the other on your shoulder.
  2490. >Four cheeks flash red as she sheepishly chews the sad remnants of her milk chocolate bite.
  2491. >She swallows audibly and cracks a shy victory grin, shyness accentuated by folded ears.
  2492. >You throw your hands up in submission.
  2493. “You win.”
  2494. >She just giggles and plants a chocolatey kiss on the tip of your nose.
  2495. >You return the favor by smacking her grinning gooey lips.
  2496. >Both of you hold the position for a moment, catching your breaths after the make out and savoring the intimacy.
  2497. >She finally plops down with her rump right above your belly button, fore hooves rest on your chest.
  2498. >Her wings sat at an unintentional half mast and were slowly shrinking back to her sides.
  2499. >You keep from staring at them lest you embarrass her or make them go the opposite way.
  2500. >Your hand reaches out to tuck a bit of stray mane from her eyes.
  2501. >A ring of chocolate surrounds her muzzle and her lips are caked in a messy mixture of melted sweet.
  2502. >”T-that w-was…fun.” She whispers while barely keeping eye contact.
  2503. >She flinches at her own flustered stutter but you just smile.
  2504. “Yeah. I never knew sharing could be fun.”
  2505. >She taps your shoulder and chuckles at your cheesy remark.
  2506. >Your eyes drift over to the mess of assorted chocolates spilled across the cushion next to you.
  2507. >Dash’s eyes follow and come to rest on the item that’s holding your attention.
  2508. >A lone milk chocolate bite sat in the center of the cushion…the last in the bag.
  2509. >Your eyes meet again, the same thought occupying both your minds.
  2510. “Do you want to share it?”
  2511. >Dash licks her lips as her smile grows.
  2512. >”Not a chance.”
  2513.  
  2514. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
  2515.  
  2516. >A few hours later you’re laying on your bed with a big stupid grin on your face, staring up at nothing in particular.
  2517. >Your cheeks still heated, and lips still tingled when you thought about what had happened on your couch earlier.
  2518. >You swear you’ll never get tired of her.
  2519. >Tomorrow you need to make sure you clean up any chocolates that fell in between the cushions.
  2520. >The soft sound of your shower travels down the dark hallway and reaches your ears.
  2521. >Your mind drifts to the mare it contained.
  2522. >You had to admit, things had progressed pretty quickly between you two.
  2523. >But it brought no cause for concern.
  2524. >First and foremost you’d known almost everything about each other for nearly a year so you got to skip that whole part of relationship building.
  2525. >Seldom did a day go by where you didn’t at least grab lunch with her, or watch her practice.
  2526. >For some reason she always seemed to enjoy hanging out with you. Even though you hated sports.
  2527. >You didn’t hate the idea of sports, you just weren’t any good at them.
  2528. >Early on you’d wondered why she kept stopping by to drag you to the park every afternoon.
  2529. >Not that you didn’t enjoy it, on the contrary you thought it was awesome that you got to interact with a supersonic flying pony.
  2530. >The best explanation you could come up with was that you were an alien and she thought it was cool.
  2531. >But time passed and your novelty never seemed to wear off, you eventually put your pointless questions behind you and started enjoying her for who she was.
  2532. >It took some effort to see past her brazen first impression, it wasn’t uncommon for her to tease you and borrow your stuff without permission.
  2533. >You just had to read the fine print, it was in the way she never teased you in front of other ponies, the way she’d return your coffee mug cleaner than she got it.
  2534. >She never let on of course, and you never mentioned it. But in the back of your minds you both knew how much you valued each other’s friendship.
  2535. >In retrospect, you were surprised it took as long as it did for you two to pair up.
  2536. >And to think…all because Zephyr was bugging her.
  2537. >Well, you would’ve figured it out eventually…eventually.
  2538. >You hate to say it but you kinda owe him one.
  2539. >Honestly you don’t blame him for his obsession, after all, you’re guilty of the same charge when it came to the rainbow pegasus.
  2540. >She was a mare worth obsessing over.
  2541. >The way he dealt with it is what you had a problem with.
  2542. >You pause your thought train when a particularly cool breeze travels through your open window and chills your legs.
  2543. >The shower turned off and you heard a hoof smack your porcelain tub, undoubtedly a coordination error.
  2544. >It was a good thing hooves were tougher than toes.
  2545. >In the absence of the droning shower head, sounds of the night greeted you from the empty street outside your window.
  2546. >You hoped Zephyr wasn’t going to try anything else, you have no interest in continuing your little feud.
  2547. >Hopefully the information you got today was true, if so then he likely won’t be peeping on Dash again.
  2548. >The bathroom door opens and a soaking wet Rainbow stumbles out, tripping over her hooves and bumping into the hallway wall.
  2549. >”This stupid, ahh…Anon!”
  2550. >You launch to your feet, concerned by her pained tone.
  2551. “What’s wrong Dash?”
  2552. >”I got soap in my eyes!”
  2553. >You feel a bit of relief…but only a bit, you know how painful that can sometimes get.
  2554. >Immediately you go to her side and place your hands on her wet, furry withers—guiding her back towards the sink.
  2555. >She has trouble walking as her fore hooves focus primarily on rubbing her eyes.
  2556. “I know it hurts Dash but you’re only rubbing the soap around more.”
  2557. >She lets out a frustrated grumble but complies with your logic, resorting to furious blinking.
  2558. >You make it to the sink and prop her fore hooves on the counter for her.
  2559. “It’s going to feel a bit weird, but try to keep your eyes open, I’m going to flush them out.”
  2560. >”Yeah just hurry!”
  2561. >Unable to resist, she buries her face in her fore legs, rubbing her eyes against them.
  2562. >It must suck not to have hands.
  2563. >But she was luckier than most, your hands were entirely at her disposal.
  2564. >You take up position behind her with her back against your chest, pressing her slightly against the counter.
  2565. >The faucet comes on full blast with a mix of hot and cold water. One hand cups the refreshing liquid while the other gently coaxes her head away from her legs and over the sink.
  2566. >You bring the water to one eye and flush it out.
  2567. >The process gets repeated several times with each of her eyes, she does her best to fight her reflexes to blink.
  2568. >Finally you pause to check your progress.
  2569. “Still burn?”
  2570. >She blinks a few times.
  2571. >Her hooves return to her eyes now and resume their circling with vigor.
  2572. >”They’re better…just…itchy.”
  2573. “That can’t be comfortable Dash.”
  2574. >”What, the…uhg rubbing? Nah it’s…wha?…”
  2575. >Your hands shoot underneath her hard hooves, padding her sensitive eyelids with your fingers.
  2576. >You take over for her and begin rubbing her eyes back and forth.
  2577. >”…aaaaaah…hands are the best.”
  2578. >Her hooves linger in front of her face for a moment, unsure of what to do.
  2579. >They soon brace against the counter, allowing her to push into your pleasing touch with a content smile.
  2580. >You delicately massage her eyelids with the soft pads of your fingers, her quiet grunts the only noise in the small room.
  2581. >Her scent was interesting, a bit of her old spiciness remained, a sharp tang from her pure sport shampoo, and something else much more prominent…
  2582. >…petrichor.
  2583. >You don’t remember where you learned the colorful word, but it described her smell perfectly. The smell of a warm rain on dry ground.
  2584. >Funny how she smells different when she’s wet…must be something with her fur.
  2585. >After a minute you stop.
  2586. >She opens her eyes and blinks a few times to clear them. Content that the itching was gone she pushes back into your chest, looking up at you with a smile.
  2587. >The damp fur of her back wets your chest and her wings readjust as she awkwardly tilts her head back to nuzzle the side of your face.
  2588. “Heh, Dash, you’re still a bit wet.”
  2589. >A bit was an understatement.
  2590. >She withdraws her muzzle and grins at you in the mirror while you wipe water off your face.
  2591. >Her ears fold back and she looks overly happy about what she has to say.
  2592. >”Sorry, I uhh…I kinda forgot to dry off.
  2593. “Let’s get you dry then, can’t sleep if you’re all wet.”
  2594. >She turns around a looks at you with half-lidded eyes, ears fold back as a darker tint begins to fill in under her cyan cheeks.
  2595. >A lock of wet orange and yellow mane droops down between her eyes and sticks to her muzzle.
  2596. >”No…I can’t.”
  2597. >Her breath seems to put you in a trance the moment you inhale it.
  2598. >Holy…that was the first time you’ve seen that look.
  2599. >Even during her wing job she didn’t to that…thing, with her eyes.
  2600. >And her voice too, it sounded different.
  2601. >Your heart lurches a little bit and you become aware that you have her undivided attention.
  2602. >In the back of your mind you knew what it was, but nervousness overcomes you and you look for an avenue to escape her sultry gaze.
  2603. “Uhh…heheh, let’s uhh…get you d-dry.”
  2604. >You move to let her stand on her hooves and you snatch the towel off the rack.
  2605. >She turns to face you as you kneel down in front of her, your knee sitting in a small puddle, a very evident blush adoring your face.
  2606. >Slightly higher than her, she leans into you and bumps her nose into your neck.
  2607. >Looking over the top of her matted hair, you can see her shoulder muscles flex.
  2608. >”Whatta ya waiting for…Anon.”
  2609. >Her voice and your name were a dangerous combination. The proper tuning of one or the other could easily make your heart stop beating.
  2610. >Unsure of how to handle this yet unseen side of her, you opt to start drying her off as she hovers her muzzle around your neck.
  2611. >You toss the towel around her neck first and gently rub it down. Invisible droplets of water sprinkle your face and arms, the only thing to distract you from her hot breath.
  2612. >The droplets freed from her fur create a cloud of petrichor into the air, adding a sense of immersion to the whole experience.
  2613. >Moving farther back you dry off her withers, then the cradle of her wings.
  2614. >Her head moves underneath your chin and you gulp as she brings her nose to your collarbone—nuzzling it softly.
  2615. >Unfortunately for your blush, boxer briefs did little to hide the growing member they contained.
  2616. >No longer focusing on your job, you push the towel down her back and pull it towards you again, mindlessly scrubbing the water from her fur.
  2617. >Her tail flicks when you pull it back against the grain of her short fur, causing it to stick up in sporadic tufts.
  2618. >You feel her nibble on your collarbone, moving out to your shoulder.
  2619. “Um…D-Dash?”
  2620. >Her only response is to place a hoof on your chest. The added force pushes you off balance and you fall back on your butt from your kneeling position.
  2621. >Now she’s at eye level, the same heaviness pulling her eyelids down. Her eyes study your face and her smile grows.
  2622. >Actually, with how you sat she was slightly taller than you.
  2623. >A wet nose affectionately bumps yours and she returns to her nuzzling—this time at your cheekbones.
  2624. >You really hoped she didn’t see your blush…or your boner. But in reality both of those things were very difficult to make disappear.
  2625. >Especially if she continued whatever it is she was doing.
  2626. >Suddenly remembering she still needed to dry off, you pluck her fore hoof from your chest and rub her leg down.
  2627. >You move to the other leg, then her chest.
  2628. >Her enticing scent was even more potent around her spectrum mane.
  2629. >A hot breath skips across your ear as she moves farther around to the back of your jaw.
  2630. “Dash th-that’s a b-bit distracting.”
  2631. >Her tongue shoots out and dabs the outside of your ear canal, giving you a very loud sample of a licking sound and leaving a supremely distracting wet spot in you ear.
  2632. >”Heh…is it?”
  2633. >That was obviously a rhetorical question…unnecessary.
  2634. >Just like it was unnecessary to rub her chest down for half a minute.
  2635. >Realizing you can’t multitask, you do your best to work around the distractions.
  2636. >You switch to a new part of the towel and reach between her forelegs to get her underbelly.
  2637. >You detect a faint change in her breathing when you rub down her soft belly, she must find it soothing.
  2638. >Her nosy muzzle moves down your jawline as you finish getting the dampness out of her fur.
  2639. >You finish up just as she reaches the tip of your chin.
  2640. >She suddenly snorts and shakes her head to clear a ticklish hair in her nose—showering you with more invisible water droplets.
  2641. >Her bedroom eyes briefly turn a bit apologetic as she flashes a shy smile.
  2642. >”Sorry about that.”
  2643. >Your wide eyes betrayed what you intended to be a cool response.
  2644. “N-n-no worries!”
  2645. >That wasn’t calm either, and she notices.
  2646. >”You uhh…sound a little enthusiastic…”
  2647. “I’m just…e-excited to see your pretty face.”
  2648. >That was a pretty good recovery.
  2649. >Her nostrils flare and she and blushes harder in response. Her eyes remain locked on yours.
  2650. >”I can see that.”
  2651. >She puts a hoof on your thigh without looking down…right next to your bulge.
  2652. >There was no way she didn’t know it was there.
  2653. >You feel like you’re on fire.
  2654. >She responds only by leaning in, homing in on your breath.
  2655. >…until a drop of water falls from a stray strand of hair into her eye.
  2656. >She flinches, saving you from your aneurism and giving you another cowards way out.
  2657. “Here let me get that for you.”
  2658. >The towel covers her flushed face and head and your rub a bit more vigorously than you should’ve.
  2659. >You finally muster the courage to withdraw the towel. She opens her eyes and stares right into yours.
  2660. >The same smile, the same flush, the same sultry look…if anything you only wound her up more.
  2661. “A-all done!”
  2662. >But you don’t move to get up, you can’t while she still has you in her paralyzing gaze.
  2663. >”You forgot my back end.”
  2664. >Forget wasn’t the right term, more like…you knew that if you had to tend to her rump you’d have a stroke so you just pretended it didn’t exist to the point that you actually believed Dash ended at her wings.
  2665. >It was a primal response, a memory lapse for the purpose of self preservation.
  2666. >But what would you be if you were a slave to you inner uncertainties?
  2667. >You certainly wouldn’t have discovered your affection for her.
  2668. >Her eyes flash their own brand of uncertainty as she fears she’s said something wrong.
  2669. >Time to nip that at the bud.
  2670. “Turn around then.”
  2671. >You sounded more confident than you were, but she complies.
  2672. >Presented with her broadside, a new thought comes to mind.
  2673. “Dash…what about under your wings?
  2674. >She looks over her shoulder at you, now she’s looking nervous.
  2675. >”No, it keeps the feathers healthier if they’re a bit damp.”
  2676. >You learn something new every day.
  2677. “Oh…”
  2678. >You wonder what her wing pits smell like.
  2679. >It’s probably a mixture of thunderstorm and fresh, zesty…dammit don’t be weird!
  2680. >You clear your head with a brief shake before laying the towel down across the small of her back.
  2681. >Her back and sides get dried, you try not to stare at her cutie marks, but you find your eyes consistently drift back as if a magnet was attracting them.
  2682. >She either doesn’t notice or doesn’t mind, because you get no response from her…though you’re too afraid to look at her face.
  2683. >The thoroughly damp towel travels down her hind leg, covering the outside and inside.
  2684. >Awkwardly you reach underneath her belly and pat down her other leg, your nose inches from her white cloud.
  2685. >Finally finished, you lean back with a deep breath, signifying the end of your work.
  2686. >”Y-you missed a-a spot.”
  2687. >Your eyes meet hers briefly and she nods back towards her rear.
  2688. >She picks up one hind leg and holds it out…opening up a bit so you could reach underneath.
  2689. >This behavior was not helping your problem go away.
  2690. >You weren’t sure if you wanted it to go away…maybe she didn’t want it do go away either.
  2691. *gulp
  2692. >She obviously wanted you to dry her teats.
  2693. >Strangely enough, ponies didn’t consider that area private.
  2694. >But you…mostly…kept your eyes away from them out of respect, and because they were just around the corner from an area that was very much private.
  2695. >So really the only thing weird about this was you making it weird.
  2696. >You really ought to stop being such a pussy and start enjoying this…she was your mare friend after all.
  2697. >Not that you weren’t enjoying it before.
  2698. >You take a deep breath and your toweled hand disappears under her abdomen.
  2699. >Initially you aim too high and hit her belly button nub…earning a giggle from her.
  2700. >You move down, and down, and down…holy crap how far did you have to go?
  2701. >Eventually your hand gets pushed out by a fatty mass.
  2702. >Cupping it you find that it’s much smaller than you anticipated: about the size of half a tennis ball.
  2703. >Her tail flicks a few times in quick succession.
  2704. >They had to fit between her hind legs so you guess it made sense that they were small.
  2705. >Either way disappointment never crossed your mind, as far as you were concerned they were the best pair of tits…teats in the world.
  2706. >Suddenly remembering your primary mission of drying her off, you move to the other mound and rub it down, unable to resist giving it a few squeezes in the process.
  2707. >She looks back inquisitively but opts not to question when she sees that you’re practically sweating blood.
  2708. >You run the towel between her fleshy mounds and powerful thighs before finally withdrawing it.
  2709. >You toss the towel aside for finality sake and she turns to face you.
  2710. >Without giving you a chance to speak she closes the distance and puts her nose on yours.
  2711. >The heat coming off both of your faces could boil an egg.
  2712. >Her eyes drift down then back up, you can tell she’s mustering courage to do something.
  2713. >”I’m still wet.”
  2714. >The words roll off her tongue as a whisper, tickling your parted lips.
  2715. >At this point you were little more than a flustered mess…with a very apparent tent in your shorts.
  2716. “D-do y-you need the towel aga-again?”
  2717. >The sound of your heartbeat filling your ears made you ignorant to your own sad, poorly coordinated question.
  2718. >An awkward pause fills the room as she holds her nose to yours, stealing your breaths as you let them out.
  2719. >Half lidded eyes study your face and her ears twitch in their backwards folded position.
  2720. >You could tell she was beginning to catch some of your nervousness.
  2721. >“Because this is my l-last night here…f-for the air show and all. I…I want to remember it…”
  2722. >She leans in and nuzzles your cheek hard, hoof resting softly on your thigh as her muzzle travels up to your ear.
  2723. >”And I want you to remember it too.”
  2724. >The whisper sends shivers down your spine and gives you goosebumps.
  2725. “You’re only g-gonna be gone for…a few d-days.”
  2726. >”That’s a long time…”
  2727. >There was no question about it, there never was really.
  2728. >Dash wanted to go all the way…tonight…right now.
  2729. >With you.
  2730. >You swallow a lump in your throat.
  2731. >You love Rainbow Dash.
  2732. >You never gave it much thought the past few days because it didn’t require much thought. You just knew it.
  2733. >No…you felt it.
  2734. >It was like a gut feeling, a deep rooted intuition, a voice in the back of your head that told you ‘she’s the one.’
  2735. >You enjoyed absolutely everything about her and your greatest joy would be in knowing that she feels the same way about you.
  2736. >Considering her nature as the element of Loyalty and her self-admitted inexperience with what she was asking of you know…there was a good chance your dreams had come true.
  2737. >It’s not something she’d take lightly, this was a one of a kind thing for her.
  2738. >Looking into her eyes you detect a bit of nervousness and embarrassment, but there was also a deep sense of familiarity, and from that, confidence.
  2739. >She wasn’t asking some stallion she’d been with for only a few days, she was asking you…a friend, someone she knew.
  2740. >And you were all to eager to not let her down.
  2741. >The fact that she was a talking pony with six appendages, well…seven if you count her tail…didn’t make you hesitate in the slightest.
  2742. >It only made the prospect of intimacy more exciting. It was just more of her to love.
  2743. >Despite your strong feelings for her, you can’t help but be a bit nervous.
  2744. >A hundred thoughts as to what could go wrong play out in your head. What if you’re not ‘adequate’? What if ponies look down on her because of you? Would she give you a second chance if something went wrong?
  2745. >Your breathing picks up a bit…you really don’t want to mess this up, maybe you should hold off until…
  2746. *smooch
  2747. >Her lips touch yours and you suddenly lose your train of thought.
  2748. >An impossibly soft mouth massages away all traces of fear and doubt in your head, replacing them with desire.
  2749. >She breaks away with a cliche kissing sound and you open your eyes.
  2750. >Smiling eyes beam with happiness, she was trusting that you were ready for this.
  2751. >Her tail swishes enthusiastically, stuck somewhere between excited and turned on.
  2752. >She hadn’t lost her confidence yet, which you were thankful for. You hated seeing her disheartened.
  2753. >”So is that a yes?”
  2754. >Only a sliver of sultriness remained, she’d lost track of her mesmerizing tone in her excitement.
  2755. >But in the end it was her characteristic scratchy voice that helped you overcome the last of your doubts.
  2756. >She was still Rainbow Dash, your loyal companion.
  2757. >Because of that simple fact, you knew things were going to be alright between you despite whatever obstacles you may encounter.
  2758. “Absolutely.”
  2759. >Her nervous smile blossoms into a genuine toothy grin, eyes portray unimaginable happiness.
  2760. >Unimaginable to all except you that is…you were the luckiest guy alive.
  2761. >Before you know what’s happening, Dash is behind you, pushing you onto your feet with her fore head.
  2762. >Her hard skull punishes your lower back for your slow transition.
  2763. >Once you’re on your feet, she nuzzles into your hand which instinctively moves to reciprocate.
  2764. >But she catches your fingers in her mouth and clamps down on them, her teeth gently and painlessly claim your hand as her own.
  2765. >She looks up at you and blushes as her eyes dilate, fingers remain immobile between her teeth.
  2766. >A grin forms on both your faces as your blood rushes from excitement.
  2767. >Both of you were going to go somewhere that neither of you had gone before, and you were going to go there together.
  2768. >Mutually shared knowledge that neither of you had any experience added a hint of adventure to the atmosphere.
  2769. >You took comfort in knowing that neither were expected to know what they were doing.
  2770. >It was a forgiving environment, a learning environment.
  2771. >That didn't mean you didn't feel any pressure...or feel the heat coming off your face.
  2772. >Deciding she likes what she sees she tugs on your hand.
  2773. >She begins excitedly trotting out of the bathroom in front of a swishing tail, dragging you along with a giggle and a perk in her step.
  2774. >You manage to flip the light off as you leave, Dash leads the way through the moonlit hallway.
  2775. >Her ears perk up when she looks ahead, but the moment she looks back at you they lay back and you feel her lips grin around your fingers. They were just another feature of hers that made her extremely expressive.
  2776. >Those ears were actually quite useful, you’re able to tell at a glance if something’s troubling her.
  2777. >You make it to the main room and she redoubles her efforts, no longer leading you…pulling you.
  2778. >The closer you get to your bed in the corner, the more the intimacy of the situation seemed to soak in.
  2779. >This was happening.
  2780. >She doesn’t slow her pace until she’s on top of your mattress.
  2781. >Gentle teeth pull you onto the bed and she pounces on you, pinning you against the sheets with fore hooves.
  2782. >Mouths seek each other out in the dim moonlight and eagerly reunite in a flurry of teeth and tongue.
  2783. >Her hind legs prop up her rear end over your belly and she lowers herself to lean on the elbows of her forelegs, locking your head between them.
  2784. >You tilt a bit to allow unrestricted access and a fresh, wet scent overcomes you, tangy milk flowing freely from her mouth to yours.
  2785. *mmmf
  2786. >Your tongue shamelessly explores her, relishing her alien feel and taste.
  2787. >Taste buds run along the sharp edges of her incisors as you count them outwards from the center, detecting their separations with the tip of your tongue.
  2788. >She calms herself, her movements becoming slower and more predictable to keep from accidentally biting you, her own muscle acting as a shield by laying across the top of yours.
  2789. >Your hand finds the crevice of her ear and you begin scratching the the damp fur underneath out of appreciation.
  2790. >A cool draft invades the room through your open window but even your exposed legs are kept warm by the thought of her presence.
  2791. >You can hear her wings move, but can’t see them.
  2792. >Your short tongue glides across her first, then second, then third incisor.
  2793. >No wonder she beat you at that apple bobbing contest, she’s got one more pair than you do…better recount just to be sure.
  2794. >Blistering air escapes her nose in increasingly frequent intervals as she gives herself wholeheartedly to the slobbery embrace.
  2795. >Luckily you’d both gotten some experience as of late, namely, you’d learned how to breathe around each other through your noses—allowing you to prolong the kiss for as long as you’d like.
  2796. >Sensing that she hasn’t nearly had enough, you keep on counting past her incisors.
  2797. >One molar…two molars…three molars…
  2798. >Tuned to her natural flavor, your buds fire off when they detect something else.
  2799. >A remnant vein of chocolate in the crevice of her tooth. Placed there this afternoon and overlooked by her soft bristle toothbrush.
  2800. >You can’t help but linger for a moment until your conforming tongue routes the foreign flavor from her tooth’s crevice, spreading it’s essence thinly through the rest of your loving environment.
  2801. >Her fourth molar was just on the edge of your influence, two of her four spires tease your short reach.
  2802. >You angle a bit and push farther into her. Your tongue stretches, but you only manage to reach the other corner of the same tooth.
  2803. >She giggles at your antics.
  2804. >Ow, you might’ve just strained your tongue…and you still don’t know if she’s got a fifth one hiding back there or not.
  2805. >Finally sensing a respite, Dash’s organ snakes around your tired one and into your mouth.
  2806. >You resign licking her length as she counts your teeth in much the same fashion you did.
  2807. >She reaches your canine and physically slows…her whole body slows, hooves, breathing and all.
  2808. >*mmmmm…
  2809. >Her tongue roughly scrapes across your carnivorous enamel.
  2810. >Surprisingly a shudder runs through her body and she seems to melt further into you as her muscles completely relax.
  2811. >Her muzzle precariously balances on your mouth and if you let go of her head, she might just tip right off.
  2812. >This was weird, it was like everything but her mouth was paralyzed.
  2813. >You start to mentally trouble shoot your pony.
  2814. >Fed, check.
  2815. >Watered, check.
  2816. >De-watered, uhh…you heard to toilet flush before the shower started so check.
  2817. >What else…
  2818. >The taboo of the situation finally sinks in for you and sheds some light on her behavior.
  2819. >Ponies were historically and genetically herd creatures. In fact, some still practiced herding.
  2820. >There was only one reason for a species to form a herd…for protection.
  2821. >Of course she’d known about your omnivorous tendencies, she’d probably even glanced across your canine before…or at least seen them.
  2822. >But now she was up close and personal with reality.
  2823. >You were still a predator to her…
  2824. >Instinct told her one thing and her brain told her another.
  2825. >You peek an eye open in hopes of gathering more clues.
  2826. >Her eyes are closed and she looks very calm, ears back, wings drooped…wings.
  2827. >Dang you heard something about this…no seen it…in a bar fight.
  2828. >The pegasus that lost had droopy wings and a tucked tail.
  2829. >It was a submissive posture.
  2830. >A sense of relief washes over you as you realize she wasn’t afraid of you in the slightest.
  2831. >If her instinct had it’s way it would send her into fight or flight, but she was comfortable enough with you to know you’d never hurt her.
  2832. >So she compromised, in this case, it meant submitting to you and letting you take the lead…like, completely.
  2833. >Suddenly feeling empowered by your new responsibility, you resume your sloppy kiss and squeeze her ears to warm them up.
  2834. >She follows suit and begins gently caressing your tongue with hers, hooves resume your hair treatment.
  2835. >Eager to get her back into it, your hands start from behind her ears and crawl towards the cradle of her wings.
  2836. >Four fingers and a thumb sprawl through her warm fur and coax a happy coo straight from her throat to yours.
  2837. >Hands glide past her toned shoulder muscles as they tense and move underneath her fur from her caressing.
  2838. >Dash’s kissing gets heavier and heavier as you get closer and closer to escalating your encounter.
  2839. >Your fingers begin to detect an electricity in her back—tense muscles belonging to her wings.
  2840. >Wasting no time, you invade her erogenous zone and begin exploring.
  2841. >”Mmgh!”
  2842. >She jumps a bit and starts salivating more. A hoof drifts down your neck.
  2843. >Unlike her wings, this was a completely new area for you. You take time feeling out every muscle, adding to your mental ‘Dash anatomy’ map.
  2844. >As you piece together how she works she begins to take initiative as she arches her back and rubs her chest fluff against your sternum.
  2845. >You weren’t sure what that was, but you were glad she wasn’t still doing her play dead prey thing.
  2846. >Not that you wouldn’t still like her if she did, you just preferred an…active Dash.
  2847. >Intent on keeping her that way, you start digging your fingers into her sinewy back, doing your best to follow and massage single muscles from end to end.
  2848. >You take a moment to appreciate her reverse anatomy. Opposite that of a human girl that is.
  2849. >Her chest and belly had been fair game from the start of your friendship. She’d asked for belly scratches before…usually before a nap and only when alone of course.
  2850. >There was absolutely nothing erotic about running your hands all over her underside, she’d even asked you to scratch an itch in between her teats before…that was an awkward conversation.
  2851. >But her back had been completely off limits until a few days ago.
  2852. >Well…she trusted you to massage her shoulders a few times, but no farther than that.
  2853. >Needless to say you were enjoying the new real estate.
  2854. >You mostly finish with her cradle and move a hand to the root of her wing, the other hand remaining to deal with any residual twitching.
  2855. >Her tongue had long since grown tired and resigned itself to bathing in your flavor by snuggling up to yours. The two muscles held each other as their owners continued their ministrations elsewhere.
  2856. >She still wasn’t showing signs of breaking the kiss, she must really like the feeling or something. You know you do.
  2857. >Your nose was serving your needs just fine, but hers was having trouble.
  2858. >Hands had been stimulating her for some time now and she’d yet to hit any of your hot spots with her hoof.
  2859. >You felt bad for her, you knew she wanted nothing more than to return the favor you were doing her.
  2860. >Since she didn’t have any sex jokes to take hints from, she was forced to methodically touch every part of you until she found something.
  2861. >But as far as you were concerned you felt good when she felt good.
  2862. >And she was feeling pretty damn good.
  2863. >She lets out a cry into your mouth as you pinch a tendon in her wing and knead along it’s length, her glute twitches as it fruitlessly tries to get her rear leg to buck.
  2864. >Another draft comes in through your window, but this time you feel a cold spot on your stomach, right below your belly button and extending down your side.
  2865. >You peek over as her messy lips readjust on yours, allowing her to bury her tongue underneath yours.
  2866. >What you see heats your cheeks so much you feel it reflect off her face and back onto you a second time.
  2867. >Her hind legs propped her rear up in the air over your prostrate form—each leg grazing your hips with longer ankle fur.
  2868. >Her tail is held up and away from her rump in excitement.
  2869. >In between her hind legs dangled a long, quivering string of sex fluid, crystalline and glistening in the reflected light of a full moon.
  2870. >Your lone dilated eye traces it from the small pool on your abdomen to where it visibly disappears between the silhouettes of her quivering teats.
  2871. >The fervent musk of your partner reaches your nose despite her rapid breathing, completing circuits in your brain only she could.
  2872. >You pull down on her wings and massage the leading edges in small circles.
  2873. >”Mmmooh.”
  2874. >Her belly undulates and the string snaps, a new small drop begins to form between the crevice of her teats—clear and sparkling.
  2875. >Your member twitches in response to both her moan and her show as hormones flood your blood stream.
  2876. >Your eyes remained wide open even as you tear your gaze away, the erotic image burned into your cornea.
  2877. >You turn your efforts back to your nearly expired kiss in hopes that you wouldn’t finish before you got started.
  2878. >Nimble fingers weave around her wing joint forcing her to finally break the kiss for air.
  2879. >She pulls off you with a loud smack—arching her back and trailing a string of saliva from your mouth to hers.
  2880. >Her urgent inhale is quickly followed by a loud exhale.
  2881. >”Aah!”
  2882. >Hands move farther down her wings simultaneously. She wasn’t rubbing her chest against you anymore, she just held it there as her head dropped to fall in place next to yours.
  2883. >Digits move with an objective, separating and tending to the plethora of small tendons and muscles that made her complex wings possible.
  2884. >Heat radiating from her furry, feverish body pooling around your face began to cause tiny drops of sweat to form on your nose.
  2885. >Her wings flex under your touch and you return to spots that needed more attention
  2886. >Her muzzle, damp with spit and sweat, finds the top of your ear. Lips nibble on the cartilaginous structure until she reaches your softer earlobe.
  2887. >She bites down on it and pulls, relenting just before it started to get painful.
  2888. “Oh!”
  2889. >Excited that she final found one of your hot spots, she goes to town nibbling with sharp teeth and tracing the intricate orifice with the tip of her tongue.
  2890. >Fingers start delicately digging between feathers in search of naked skin underneath to stimulate.
  2891. >Hind hooves tread quietly on the bed, causing your hips to rock side to side from their impressions. Her lower body finally lowers itself onto yours.
  2892. >Fuzzy teats mash against your belly and two colder nipples press into your abdominals right below your belly button. The added warmth and positioning forces to you hold back an instinctive thrust of your pelvis.
  2893. >Your hungry mare did some mapping of her own as she followed the nerve centers down from your ear to your jawbone. Sealed lips provided the suction needed for teeth to bite shallowly at your skin.
  2894. >Instead of breaking the connection every time she wanted to move somewhere else, she simply nibbled her way down your jaw, keeping constant suction and leaving an unbroken red line of moist skin in her wake.
  2895. >Pads of your fingers made lazy intrusions between her mid-wing feathers, temporarily disappearing in the sea of blue to rake the clammy, naked skin underneath.
  2896. >The room filled with the sound of rapid breathing and moans as you found your predicament getting increasingly heated.
  2897. >Her hips began to slowly gyrate on their own accord—tail still held away from the action. Any sex fluid that escaped went undetected between your flushed crotch’s.
  2898. >Her mouth made it to your chin where she stopped to plant a few kisses leading up to your bottom lip.
  2899. >You were slightly disappointed when she stopped her advance before you got to kiss her back, but she made it up to you by sprawling her tongue out in wide arcs across your lips, moistening them with her intoxicating flavor.
  2900. >She readjusted her hooves and resumed your treatment up the opposite side of your jaw, leaving you with the numbing scent of her cooling saliva across your mouth.
  2901. >Your fingers withdraw and you lay your hands on the root of her wings again but she suddenly twitches them, stiffly flapping out of your grasp.
  2902. >Suspecting it was a response from something, you chase them down and grab hold again, quickly moving to separate tendons.
  2903. >”Ngh!”
  2904. >You get two quick kicks out of her before her wings tear away from your grasp a second time.
  2905. >Fearing you were doing something wrong, your hands hover over her back as you struggle to figure out what it is.
  2906. >Dash senses your fear and pulls away from her nibbling after finally reaching your opposite ear lobe.
  2907. >She turns her wet muzzle sideways and lays it underneath your nose, pressing the front of her cheek to your lips as she nuzzles affectionately against them.
  2908. >The smell of her spit and spice hits you as you realize just how heated your mare is getting.
  2909. >Slightly bolstered by the results of your efforts so far, you manage to voice your concerns when she moves to plant a kiss on the side of your nose.
  2910. “D-D-Dash…”
  2911. >Her giggle tickles the small hairs inside your airway.
  2912. >Holy crap get it together.
  2913. “…i-is everything alright?”
  2914. >Your marginal improvement is nullified by her lips pressing against your nose, closing off one of your airways and giving your words a nasal pitch.
  2915. >She giggles again, vaguely aware that her teats are now circling your belly on a layer of her own lubricant.
  2916. >Her muzzle withdraws an inch to respond.
  2917. >”I-I…don’t w-want to uhh…fini-finish until you do…Anon.”
  2918. >Despite herself and her sultry tone, she couldn’t help but stutter just like you did.
  2919. >But you barely heard her stutter, you were more focused on her intentions.
  2920. >She was getting close but she didn’t want to go over the edge until you could join her.
  2921. >Just when you thought she couldn’t get any fuzzier and sexier and more perfect, she does something like this that sets a new standard for how amazing she is.
  2922. >You love this mare so damn much.
  2923. >Honestly you didn’t really care if she did anything for you or not, simply seeing her body rock with pleasure…pleasure that you were giving her, was all the stimulation you required.
  2924. >But Rainbow Dash would have none of that.
  2925. >In an instant she rolls off of you, your stomach glistens with her wetness and she moves to put her muzzle near your crotch.
  2926. >Your shaft bobs under it’s thin covering and the pre-soaked wet spot at your tip grows a bit.
  2927. >Her muzzle drifts closer and closer and your heart rate goes through the roof.
  2928. >Breath permeates the fabric and wafts over your tortured member as she bumps the tip of her nose right on the wet spot.
  2929. >She draws sharp breaths as she sniffs your musk.
  2930. >Even if you could say anything about it you wouldn’t.
  2931. >It was just one more instinctive ritual that was new to you in this alien world.
  2932. >It’s sort of cute…embarrassing but cute.
  2933. >You pass whatever test she had and she bites down on your waistband.
  2934. >The short-wet fur of her lower jaw tickles your sensitive abdomen and forces you to flex you abs as you hold a deep breath.
  2935. >Apparently she was ready to move on.
  2936. >Before you can lift a hand to help her she yanks them free and exposes your diamond hard appendage.
  2937. >It bobs and twitches above a pair of heated dangling balls in the cool air and you fight the urge to cover up in front of her.
  2938. >She wastes no time gawking however. Hooves dig into the sheets as she struggles to pull your boxers free from your legs.
  2939. >Hot breath blows across your sensitive skin as she pulls on them like a dog in a game of tug-o-war.
  2940. >Dang she’s pretty strong.
  2941. “H-here, let me…”
  2942. *RIIIIP
  2943. >And just like that you’re down one pair of special order underwear.
  2944. “That…cost ten bits…” You say, more shocked at her sudden aggressiveness than your loss of clothing.
  2945. >The torn fabric falls from her teeth as she giggles.
  2946. >Her eyes linger on yours for a bit before they drift down to your throbbing member.
  2947. >You shift your legs uncomfortably beneath her gaze as you come to the realization that you’re completely bare in front of her.
  2948. >She slowly moves to sit by your side, eyes stare at you unabashedly as a drop of pre forms at the tip and runs down the underside of your head.
  2949. >She gulps audibly.
  2950. >”L-looks like you’re…ready.”
  2951. >No shit.
  2952. “Y-yeah, I’ve uhh…been ready.”
  2953. >”Oh…”
  2954. >Her eyes finally look to your flushed face and you can see she feels just as nervous as you do.
  2955. >But you’re both far too excited to slow down now.
  2956. >Without another word she gathers her courage and moves to her hooves, simultaneously flashing you a confident grin.
  2957. >Her ears fold back and she rolls her shoulders, flexing and stretching her wings at full span.
  2958. >Slowly, she walks across you, her hooves delicately landing around your legs and brushing your balls as she crosses in front of you.
  2959. >Her tail flicks and she flexes her wings and she parades in a small circle, showing off her lean figure.
  2960. >It suddenly occurs to you exactly how lucky you are.
  2961. >You always knew, but now you could quantify it.
  2962. >Before you stood no normal mare.
  2963. >Dash had been training as an athlete her whole adult life and most of her childhood, and she had the body and the records to prove it.
  2964. >Toned legs met her slender torso, trained muscle spanned her joints and supported her large, powerful wings, giving her just the right proportions everywhere.
  2965. >A mare didn’t get this body overnight, nor could she be born with it. Dash’s physique was the result of years of dedication and hard work…and she was willing to share all of that with you.
  2966. >Once she’s on your other side she turns around, presenting her rear.
  2967. >She lays on her forelegs to arch her back as her wings point straight up. She looks back at your with hungry eyes and an embarrassed blush as she reveals herself to you.
  2968. >She holds her prismatic tail to the side and you suddenly lose the ability to breathe.
  2969. >Every detail of her sex was immediately apparent.
  2970. >Her two furry globes taper off naked pink flesh in the center. A large dark patch of wet fur extends outwards from the source.
  2971. >Engorged folds of sensitive skin glisten with sexual excitement, her plothole a small donut spectating just above.
  2972. >She flexes something that pops out a small nub from the bottom of her smooth slit.
  2973. >It sobered you how something this amazing was practically right in front of you the whole time you were friends and you never concerned yourself with it.
  2974. >You were going to concern yourself now.
  2975. >But the moment you move she does to. She spins around, interrupting your view of her nethers.
  2976. >She puts a hoof on your leg to stop you.
  2977. >”It’s y-your turn…remember.”
  2978. >Oh yeah…she wanted to pay you back for the massage.
  2979. >Her smile grows as your eyes widen.
  2980. >She positions herself with her belly over your midsection, tail in your face and fore hooves next to your knees—facing away from you.
  2981. >Eagerly she plops her rear down on your member, you feel her teats sandwich your shaft as she begins to rock back and forth.
  2982. >The soft fur and natural sex lube that coated them practically turned her warm, fatty masses into clouds.
  2983. >You reach out and grab onto her hind hooves—eager to find someway to touch more of her.
  2984. >Thumbs circle her frogs and make her moan a bit.
  2985. >She lifts her tail out of the way for you in time to watch her curve her back—rolling her wet slit onto your erection.
  2986. “Aaaaagh!”
  2987. >You can’t help but cry out as the sensations overtake you like nothing else before.
  2988. >Musk floods your nose and you watch as her her swollen lips part around your member, the incredibly soft and smooth flesh of her sex complimented by her natural lubrication.
  2989. >Her engorged fold feels like a hot, wet kiss on the underside of your shaft.
  2990. >She slides her rear up and down your full length, from the tip of your head to where your shaft sunk into your balls.
  2991. >As she moves towards your balls you feel her taunt plothole rock down and kiss your member.
  2992. >Your whole body flushes like you’re standing in front of an open oven and you’re almost tempted to place a hand on your heart to keep it from running away.
  2993. >The wet slicking sounds that fill the room get interrupted by her vocalized pleasure.
  2994. >*Ahh-Ngaaaaah!
  2995. >Her head is bowed and her wings are so rigid they look like they’re made of steel.
  2996. >You reach out to grab their trailing edges but she senses your movement.
  2997. >”N-no, not-ngh! now.”
  2998. >She was steadfast in her resolve not to be overstimulated.
  2999. >You do your best with her hooves as she continues to familiarize you with her most private of areas.
  3000. >She moves back until the top of her crevice just overhands your tip, but on her way back down she miscalculates her angle and you find your head pressing into the top of her wet hole—perpendicular to her wall.
  3001. >Luckily she was taking it pretty slow, because it brought her to a complete halt as it physically stops her.
  3002. “Ahg!”
  3003. >”Gaah!”
  3004. >And pleasures her apparently.
  3005. >She arches her back a bit and shallows out her approach, allowing her to continue lubricating you without interruption.
  3006. >The heat on your crotch is incredible and it’s enough to make you start sweating.
  3007. >Her pace picks up a bit as she affectionately rubs her genitals against yours.
  3008. >She finally gets her fill and pushes forward to lay across your legs, leaving your warmed member free to pop up again.
  3009. >It bobs back to its slightly protruded angle—connected to your belly by a generous amount of her juices.
  3010. “Dash…”
  3011. >She looks back with her mouth open, huffing hard.
  3012. “I…think I’m p-pretty close now too.”
  3013. >You try to flash her a smile and she takes that as a mission accomplished.
  3014. >Her eyes portray only heated excitement before she nuzzles into your calf…urging you to part your legs.
  3015. >Once you make enough room for her she assumes the same head down, butt up orientation she had before.
  3016. >She looks back with nervous eyes.
  3017. >”Y-you can g-go ahead now…” She offers.
  3018. >You contain a chuckle at her nervousness, she made it sound like it was an assembly line or something.
  3019. >But her sudden timidness tempers the fire inside you.
  3020. >You move to your knees and take up position behind her, ensuring every movement was gentle and deliberate.
  3021. >The last thing she needs is a surprise.
  3022. >Hands gingerly cup her rear and you notice small drops of sweat beginning to form under the fur of her globes.
  3023. >You give them a gentle squeeze as you inch forward on your knees and she leans back.
  3024. >Hot pheromones drift up to your nose and harden you even more for your mare.
  3025. >Your throbbing organ hovers inches away from your excited mate as you mentally prepare yourself to use it as nature intended for the first time.
  3026. >Despite yourself, you didn’t feel nervous anymore.
  3027. >Or at least…you couldn’t name a feeling amongst the turmoil in your chest that belonged particularly to nervousness.
  3028. >You bring your head to touch her, thrusting slowly up and down between the crack of her ass.
  3029. >Sensitive skin of your underside floats between her meaty lips and your tip bobs off her puckered butt hole.
  3030. >This was the exact same motion you were both making before, except this time you were the one in control.
  3031. >As you slide up you press flat against her, mashing the base of your shaft and testicles against her opening in small circles.
  3032. >It felt so good, so right…but it wasn’t enough.
  3033. >You move to insert yourself into your pegasus, but she turns her head back and grabs your attention.
  3034. >”A-Anon…please g-go easy on me…”
  3035. >Your primal urges get swept away by an equally lustful love as you look into her trusting but nervous eyes.
  3036. >You weren’t going to fuck a mare, you were going to have sex with best friend and the love of your life.
  3037. >This was her first time too.
  3038. >You were going to make sure she loved every second of it.
  3039. “I promise Dash…”
  3040. >You muster the most comforting tone you could and give her a gentle smile.
  3041. >One hand pulls her tail to drape over your shoulder.
  3042. >Testosterone flows through your veins as your spread fingers graze through the fur of her narrow rump.
  3043. >You take a deep breath and she does too.
  3044. >You push your hips forward and slowly enter her.
  3045. >”Aaaaaaagh!”
  3046. >Your smooth, lubricated head parts her sweltering crevice and tracks into her canal towards the top.
  3047. >Nerves fire off like they never have before causing you to see flashes of white amidst the dark room.
  3048. >”Ooh…Dash!”
  3049. >Thicker shaft follows behind your head and her labia begin to stretch—forming a circle of warmth around you.
  3050. >Her tail twitches and she hops her hind hooves in an attempt to deal with the new sensations.
  3051. >Her passage begins to narrow—though you wouldn’t describe her as ‘tight.’
  3052. >You had nothing to compare her to besides your hand so you’re not one to judge.
  3053. >Either way it wasn’t a complaint, merely an observation, as far as you were concerned her hole was heaven.
  3054. >Sensing a bit of nervous resistance a quarter of the way in, you stop and pull out a bit until you’re back at her entrance.
  3055. >You struggle to gain your composure as both of you twitch madly against each other—heavy breathing fills your ears.
  3056. >A sharp line of lubrication part way down your shaft showed you how far into her you got.
  3057. >Her winking nub teases the underside of your head as you hold position and massage her cheeks, comforting her as best you can.
  3058. “Shhh…Shhh…it’s okay…I’m not going to hurt you…” You repeat in a soothing tone.
  3059. >She relaxes at the sound of your voice and you feel her release her clench.
  3060. >”S-sorry I-I’m…it’s just so b-big…”
  3061. >Big? Really?
  3062. >It didn’t seem like she was stretching?
  3063. >You’re a bit skeptical, but one thing’s for sure…she really knows how to boost your confidence.
  3064. “There’s nothing to be sorry about Dash, just take it easy.”
  3065. >Wow, now that you’re actually doing it you stopped stuttering.
  3066. >Weird.
  3067. >Her hind legs readjust and she begins leaning back into you, signaling she was ready to try again.
  3068. >Again you press into her relaxed canal. You reach the quarter-way point and again feel her come to a halt on your member as she takes the thickest part of your girth.
  3069. >”Gah!”
  3070. >She clenches on you again and her wings try to stiffly flap.
  3071. >You go to pull out a second time but she stops you.
  3072. >”Wait! Just…t-talk to me. P-please?
  3073. >Talk to her?
  3074. >You can’t explain exactly why or how but that really tugged at the heartstrings.
  3075. >You give her a smile she can’t see as the warm implications of her words fill you with a childish giddiness.
  3076. >You lean forward until your chest lays across her back, your arms reach over her erect wings to lay next to her fore hooves.
  3077. >Her eyes are closed—to embarrassed to meet yours. Her ears are folded back but your wiggle your nose in behind one and nibble on her fur.
  3078. >The amazing natural rain scent in her mane forces your eyes closed as you do your best to comfort her.
  3079. >You feel her body tremble underneath you as she tries to rectify the conflict of input.
  3080. >The smooth member twitching inside of her canal excited her, but the small kisses behind her ears and your encompassing warmth draped across her back soothed her.
  3081. >You pause your kissing for a second leaving her one ear sticking straight up—hoping for more attention.
  3082. >It stays perked as you breathe loving words to her softly…quieter than a whisper.
  3083. “Shhhh shhhh shhhh…it’s okay, it’s fine…I’m here.”
  3084. >Fingers curl against the fur near the bottom of her fore hooves as you pause to plant a few more kisses behind her ear.
  3085. >Her blush deepens and her eyes remain closed, but you feel her take a deep breath as her body starts to relax.
  3086. “I’m not going to ask you to do anything you’re uncomfortable with, but I promise it will feel good once we get going.”
  3087. >Another pause, another kiss.
  3088. “We’ll take it slow…I’m not going to hurt you, I’d never hurt you…because I love you.”
  3089. >You finish your efforts with a final kiss and nuzzle into her ear as she coos lovingly back at you.
  3090. >Her posture remained the same, but all the nervous jitters and tension had left her body—replaced by consistent, deep breaths.
  3091. >Only her wings and her winking nub told you she was still turned on.
  3092. >Fingers move to squeeze her fore hooves—communicating that she needn’t respond to your confession right now.
  3093. >By the time you realize your member has free range of motion, she begins pushing back against you.
  3094. “Mmmmm…”
  3095. >Unwilling to leave her side just yet, you arch your back allowing her to take more of you.
  3096. >You resist the powerful urge to hump into her, you wanted her to be able to determine a depth suitable to her comfort.
  3097. >She keeps pressing.
  3098. >Loose skin of your shaft rolls up on itself just outside of her opening as her constricted passage creates friction despite the fact that she’s the pony equivalent of a leaky faucet.
  3099. >You can feel the skin behind your head stretching as if you were pulling back on your erect shaft with your hand.
  3100. >The sensation made you feel very exposed inside of her and you grit your teeth as your engorged tip flares against her walls.
  3101. >You feel so…naked inside of her.
  3102. >She endured her penetration in silence and eventually took your full length.
  3103. >Your thighs come to rest against the fluffy fur on the back of hers and her cheeks cushion against your hip bones.
  3104. >Testes press into her sweating butt crack and her tail twitches violently against your hips as she takes deep breaths.
  3105. >You plant one last kiss behind her ear, then on her mane, and push off the bed with a squeak to return to your upright position behind her.
  3106. >You can’t help but lean back a bit and bury yourself just a half inch deeper.
  3107. >She lets out a few grunts and squints with gritted teeth as uncontrollable clenches try desperately to collapse her canal around you.
  3108. >Her nub peeks out to tickle your dangling sack.
  3109. >Hands stroke her tail against your shoulder and massage her lower back as she adjusts.
  3110. >The incredible feeling of being balls deep in your pegasus was heightened when you finally hear a moan of pleasure accompany one of her clenches.
  3111. >She was starting to enjoy it.
  3112. >Her insides were incredibly heated, she probably has a higher core temperature than you do.
  3113. >You hold out a moment longer before you begin gyrating your hips in tiny circles, ensuring you stayed completely buried.
  3114. >Her head quickly pops up, throwing her mane across her shoulders.
  3115. >”Aaah!”
  3116. >Your hands move to grip the front of her thighs right where they meet her torso.
  3117. >You thumb small circles in her sweaty fur as your new position allows you to hold her against you.
  3118. >Your circles get a bit wider as you rub your shaft against every corner of her walls, fluid leaking through the gap created when you push completely to one side.
  3119. >”Ooooh…”
  3120. >Her scratchy voice made her incredibly cute when she moaned…probably cuter than when she was angry.
  3121. >You’d begin to feel a tingling in your groin as your member starts getting more and more sensitive.
  3122. >Dammit this soon?
  3123. >You stop moving altogether and try to fill your mind with something that will keep you from busting in her right there.
  3124. >Old people…no, public restrooms…you never had any bad enough experiences, there’s got to be something…
  3125. >Without warning she pulls off you about an inch before slamming back and slapping your hips.
  3126. “Whoa…Dash…you gotta warn me when…”
  3127. >She does it again but pulls out farther this time.
  3128. “…Agh!”
  3129. >You feel her spread her legs more and thus lower her rear.
  3130. >She looks back at your expression with a dazed grin and lustful eyes, all traces of discomfort finally gone from her face.
  3131. >”Rut me.”
  3132. >And just like that you found your motivation…in something much more pleasant too.
  3133. >It was simple, you couldn’t finish now because you had to rut your mare.
  3134. >You begin slowly thrusting as you give way to your instinct.
  3135. >She stays stationary for a bit before finally starting a rhythm of her own, rocking back to slam her butt against you with each thrust.
  3136. >The fur on her rear served to muffle the impact, turning a slap into a softer thud.
  3137. >Her eyes are closed and her brow is furrowed in concentration as she bites her bottom lip.
  3138. >You lean over until your abs press her dock against her lower back, you reach farther between her legs and struggle to catch a teat as she thrusts back and forth against you.
  3139. >You’re unable to catch one and eventually decide to save it for another day.
  3140. >Leaning back, you return to your upright position allowing her to take your full length.
  3141. >Sensitive membranes lubricate and stimulate each other as your bonding experience goes into cruise mode.
  3142. >”Naagh!…An-Anon!”
  3143. >Each time you bottom out in her you add a bit of an upward flare and pull on the top of her slathered crevice.
  3144. >The sensation makes her pucker her other hole and wink simultaneously.
  3145. >”Ahagh!…Anon!”
  3146. >As her glands continuously seep more lubricant into her canal, the excess fluid gets trapped in the ridge behind your head and ushered to her entrance.
  3147. >The result was a semi-constant dribbling of juices that followed her crotch’s profile and seeped down to permeate the longer fur of her muff.
  3148. >Each time you pull back out, your dangling testes draw a string or two from that muff, each time you thrust, they swing back and slap her as her fur re-applies it’s coating.
  3149. >”ANON!”
  3150. >Oh, she might actually be trying to get your attention.
  3151. >You pause your movements to let her speak and find that in the absence of a rhythm, her body is trembling.
  3152. >She realizes you’d slowed so she could speak.
  3153. >”I-I’m close!”
  3154. >Oh that’s why.
  3155. >As much as you loved this ‘pony-style’ position that she found so natural, you didn’t want to finish your first encounter without looking into her eyes.
  3156. >You were’t a romantic or anything…you just really liked Dash.
  3157. >You really loved Dash.
  3158. >Ok that might make you a romantic.
  3159. >You take a gamble and pull out completely.
  3160. >Once free of her embrace, your member sways side to side, dangling a string of her juice in the moonlight.
  3161. >She looks over her erect wing in confusion.
  3162. >”Wha…put it back!”
  3163. “Lay on your back first.”
  3164. >Slightly irked by her interrupted pleasure, she huffs and hurriedly rolls to her back, before adjusting and uncomfortably angled wing.
  3165. >Her beautiful face, full of uncertainly, stared up at you.
  3166. >You slide over and position yourself near her parts.
  3167. >You place your hand on the inside of her leg and she spreads them for you, her smile finally returning to her face as the geometry of your new position dawns on her.
  3168. >”Is this how humans do it?”
  3169. >You look at her with smiling eyes and nod.
  3170. >She looks so cute when she’s nervous.
  3171. >Screw it, she looks cute all the time.
  3172. >Her beautiful nether lips lay exposed and pale in the moonlight.
  3173. >The short fur surrounding her opening was clumped and matted with a sticky fluid, the lips themselves engorged and enflamed from their first encounter.
  3174. >Her muff looked similar and a stream of matted hair ran all the way to one of her nipples.
  3175. >Damn she was pent up.
  3176. >”H-hurry up!”
  3177. >She spreads her legs a bit wider for you, parting her folds a bit and popping a few capillaries in your brain.
  3178. >You spread your legs to get closer to her and angle your almost painfully throbbing shaft with your hand.
  3179. >Her lubricant had already dried a bit on you and was beginning to get a little tacky.
  3180. >She raises her neck to look down at the action with folded ears.
  3181. >Your blushes deepen as the new position allows you to see every nitty gritty detail of each other.
  3182. >You pass her tail between your legs and press your tip into her, leaning forward with hands beside her shoulders.
  3183. >Her fore legs come up to grab your midsection and you wait for her to look into your eyes.
  3184. >She actually takes a few seconds to soak up the sight of your throbbing shaft against her as she rocks her hips to get you just a bit deeper; her shy intrigue makes your smile grow wider.
  3185. >Dash finally looks up at you and blushes madly realizing that you saw her curiosity at work.
  3186. >You just smile and press the rest of the way until you hilt against her with an obnoxious squelch.
  3187. >She averts her eyes out of embarrassment but you bring a hand over to rub her heated cheek, eventually coaxing her to look up again and meet your sheepish smile.
  3188. >Her eyes stayed locked on yours as you resume thrusting into her.
  3189. >You both begin to fully appreciate the new position, bringing your noses together to share breaths and exchange greedy kisses.
  3190. >You lock your lips to hers and experimentally hilt hard against her.
  3191. >You feel her hind legs buck, and she lets out a little grunt into your mouth.
  3192. >Her muzzle fur was matted her with spit from her earlier attempts at kissing, the smell of it drying right under your nose fueled your lust for her.
  3193. >Your tongues reunite and you pick up your pace as she finds a way to rock against each thrust.
  3194. >One hand snakes to her wing and you spread your fingers out on the underside of it before tracing them to her leading edge.
  3195. >Hind legs buck out of unison as you stimulate her from two different directions.
  3196. >”Ano-uuugh! Anon!”
  3197. >Seeing her show off her body for you was great, having sex with her was amazing, but hearing her cry your name as you plundered her slobbering hole was the icing on the cake.
  3198. >Speaking of icing…you’re not going to last much longer.
  3199. >You angle your thrusts to maximize friction on her walls, you were going to make her cum first.
  3200. >The downward angle rubbed the top of your shaft against her violent winking nub, your tip dug into the back of her canal.
  3201. >Feathers rippled across her wings and her hind legs began to seize and shake. You could feel her heartbeat accelerate in your buried shaft.
  3202. >Her body was trying to tell you something.
  3203. >”Gaaah! I’m…aaaagh!”
  3204. >You got the message.
  3205. >Your thrusting picks up speed, copious amounts of ever present lubrication makes it sound like you’re stirring butter into a bowl of recently microwaved mashed potatoes.
  3206. >That’s exactly what it sounds like.
  3207. >She couldn’t cry out anymore, just bite her lip as she held onto you for dear life.
  3208. >You move to lay your torso down across her torso, careful to not place any real weight on her.
  3209. >Your bare chest picks up traces of sweat as her rapidly undulating chest fur brushes against you.
  3210. >You bring your nose to hers and leave one hand on her wing root, the other cups the side of her face.
  3211. >She opens her eyes to look into yours and locks one foreleg around your arm, the other pulls on your neck.
  3212. >In a surprising display of cognizance, she pulls her muzzle up to your ear.
  3213. >”Finish in m-me.”
  3214. >Her words take a second to soak into your hormone flooded brain.
  3215. >Once they do, you give her a short kiss to let her know you got the message.
  3216. >Neither of you could get enough oxygen by breathing in each other’s hot breaths, but you didn’t care.
  3217. >She opens her mouth and you do the same, still silent as you thrust wildly into her fatty folds of nerves.
  3218. >She didn’t even try to kiss you, her tongue shot out and lapped passionately at your open mouth.
  3219. >Knowing you weren’t going to fool her, you avoid any formalities and lick back for the sole purpose of ingesting as much of her raw taste as you could.
  3220. >You feel a familiar rush in your loins as each thrust makes you more and more sensitive to her every internal detail.
  3221. >Then it hit her.
  3222. >Her tongue freezes and her jaw locks open, she arches her head back into your waiting hand in a silent scream.
  3223. >Her whole body shakes as jolts of pleasure contract her musculature.
  3224. >Fuzzy azure legs spread even wider as she does her best to wiggle the last bit of your length between her sticky folds.
  3225. >Her eager movements combined with the knowledge that your member made her cum, pushed you over the edge.
  3226. >You lose track of her lips and frantically search for another part of her to taste in your blistering haze.
  3227. >Your mouth finds a jawline and teeth gently anchor you to her as your eyes get forced shut from the orgasm.
  3228. >You weren’t you anymore, your body was following ancient instructions as your autopilot quickly calculated the most effective way to inject your partner with your DNA.
  3229. >Hips angle as you throw a leg over hers to push into her just a bit deeper, your crotch mashing her folds between you as you hilt.
  3230. >Your testes twitch and contractions launch hot sperm into her writhing oreface.
  3231. >Tethered to your body only by strings of pleasure, your mind floats among the white flashes you see behind closed eyes.
  3232. >Dash’s body communicates pure bliss to you as more of your seed erupts.
  3233. >You can almost hear it as it rushes out of your canal at high velocity, splattering her insides.
  3234. >For the remainder of your orgasm, the only thing that exists is the mare you’re holding onto.
  3235. >Eventually the rest of the world returns to you as Dash’s body slowly eases you off of your home-made high.
  3236. >You regain your senses just in time to feel a final contraction wrack her body as you hold her nimble frame close.
  3237. >The sound of heavy breathing and crickets fills the otherwise silent room as you remain numbly hilted in her.
  3238. >You hold onto your mare and she holds onto you as you let the dopamine clouding your mind to get wicked away by your rushing bloodstream.
  3239. >Eventually you unfold from your sensual embrace to look at what you’d done.
  3240. >Your sweaty, smelly, messy little blue pegasus stares back at you with tucked hooves, a dopey grin and amorous eyes.
  3241. >Her loving look told you she was incredibly grateful for all the attention you’d given her.
  3242. >It also told you she’d never leave your side…and you’d never leave hers.
  3243. >”I love you Anon.”
  3244. >You wince a bit as your chest physically hurts from emotion.
  3245. >Your faces lean into each other and nuzzle affectionately.
  3246. “I love you Rainbow Dash.”
  3247. >Her fore hooves come up to hug you to her warm furry chest and you both roll onto your sides.
  3248. >Her wings held loosely to her torso.
  3249. “And I’m gonna love you forever.”
  3250. >She nuzzles you harder and lets out an emotional whimper.
  3251. >Her muzzle finds your ear and she chokes out.
  3252. >”Me too.”
  3253. >And with that you both succumb to the aftereffects of intensive cardio and biological drugs.
  3254. >Not bothering to pull out, you stare into each other’s eyes with soft smiles until sleep forces them closed.
  3255.  
  3256. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
  3257.  
  3258. >Gentle warmth slowly nudges you back to consciousness.
  3259. >But it didn’t come in the form of sunlight or a smooth breeze.
  3260. >It came in the form of warm breath washing against your face with the rhythm and calm of waves on a beach.
  3261. >You struggle to open your eyes as memories start to come back to you.
  3262. >In your lethargy, it takes you a moment to find your arms in the entangled mess of limbs and wings that held your bodies against each other.
  3263. >Your curl your fingers and feel feathers and mane…oh there they are.
  3264. >One hand cupped around the root of her limp wing and the other snaked under her neck and wrapped around her head.
  3265. >Her hooves are similarly placed on you.
  3266. >You hadn’t even bothered getting under the sheets, you were all each other needed to keep warm.
  3267. >You’d always heard about how she was a voracious snorer, but you’d yet to see any evidence of that. The mare you were studying was as peaceful as can be.
  3268. >Dash has her muzzle a half inch from your nose resting on the other side of your pillow, eyes closed, mouth slightly agape above a rather large spot of drool.
  3269. >Her frazzled mane drapes over her eyebrows and snakes outwards across your pillow, her myriad of colors surrounded by a golden hue from the rising sun.
  3270. >Short fur surrounding her lips is matted together by dried spit from last night’s enthusiasm.
  3271. >You can’t help but smile at the sight of the beautiful mare, your chest sits warm against her breast fluff and is made warmer at the thought of the intimacy you now shared.
  3272. >All of her smells suddenly register and you try to sort them out.
  3273. >A bit of spicy body odor, pungent saliva, heavy musk, and definitely morning breath.
  3274. >You’d be lying if you said she didn’t smell, but you’d also be lying if you said she smelled bad…even her breath was soothing in its own way.
  3275. >Those smells belonged to your mare, and you were willing to bet they were completely unique to her alone…provided you got to know them well enough.
  3276. >Another breath kisses your face and you return it.
  3277. >Ears twitch occasionally, but otherwise she stays completely immobile next to you.
  3278. >Well…she’s a bit closer than just next to you.
  3279. >And you’re slowly growing a bit closer to her the more you think about it.
  3280. >You reluctantly inch your sticky hips away from her midsection. You’d fallen out of her at some point during the night.
  3281. >Probably all for the better, otherwise she’d definitely be awake by now.
  3282. >Not that you didn’t want to go for round two, you just didn’t want to wake her up like that.
  3283. >Shit.
  3284. >You head pivots in place as your eyes dart around to find the alarm clock.
  3285. >Spotting it, you reach out and turn off the alarm five seconds before it was due to go off.
  3286. >Crisis avoided.
  3287. >You’re sure she’d appreciate not being woken up by that horrible machine, there were much better ways to wake up.
  3288. >It was set for a reason though.
  3289. >Today was the big day. Your Wonder Bolt had an airshow to put on.
  3290. >But before she could do that she had to wake up.
  3291. >She’d probably sleep till noon if you let her, but that would be bad for several reasons.
  3292. >You turn back to her and take one last moment to appreciate the fact that both of you occupied the same six by two foot section of your queen sized bed.
  3293. >She’s so much more affectionate than you thought she’d be…and it’s great.
  3294. >You bring your hand to her face and tuck her mane away from her eyes.
  3295. >Fingers cut to the base of her hair and infiltrate her colors.
  3296. >Your fingertips gently trace her scalp as you run them through her hair like an oversized comb.
  3297. “Dash” You whisper.
  3298. >She stirs a bit from your combination of touch and sound, her breathing paused.
  3299. >You comb her scalp again and her breathing resumes its steady pace.
  3300. >Dangit, as much as you liked running your hands through her hair it was only putting her back to sleep.
  3301. “Dash…you need to get up.” You whisper again.
  3302. >She remains motionless in her stasis.
  3303. >Your hand moves to caress her cheek.
  3304. “Get up Ms. Wonderbolt, got to get ready for the airshow.”
  3305. >Still nothing.
  3306. >You shake her shoulder a bit.
  3307. “Dash.”
  3308. >Again.
  3309. “Dash.”
  3310. >”You’re supposed to wake me up with a kiss ya know.”
  3311. >Her scratchy voice coming from her apparently sleeping form surprised you.
  3312. “How long have you been awake?”
  3313. >”Heh, since you turned the alarm off.”
  3314. >You recover quickly and move to fill her request.
  3315. >Her muzzle grows a small smile as she feels you move, her eyes remain closed.
  3316. >Your lips meet her muzzle and press against the side of her mouth that wasn’t hidden by the pillow.
  3317. >You caress her just long enough to get a proper taste and then withdraw.
  3318. >She peeks one eye open at you, and starts to giggle.
  3319. >”Heheh, you shoulda just done that to begin with.”
  3320. >Your hand moves to her ear and you give it a rub as your head plops back down in front of hers.
  3321. “Well they don’t have manuals on this stuff.”
  3322. >She snorts and rubs her nose on yours.
  3323. >”You seem to be doing pretty good on your own.”
  3324. >She ruffles her wing and moves it to hug your shoulder.
  3325. >A blush forms on your face from both her comforting gesture and your train of thought.
  3326. >Regardless, you hold her penetrating gaze and force a blush to mirror on hers.
  3327. “I’m glad you think so.”
  3328. >You gaze into her loving eyes and scratch her ear some more.
  3329. >A painful twinge jabs your chest, you love this little blue creature so much it actually hurts a bit.
  3330. >Her scent fills your lungs and you lose yourself in her magenta eyes.
  3331. >You couldn’t possible be more comfortable than you are now.
  3332. >Judging from her lack of fidgeting, neither could she.
  3333. >But all good things must come to an end.
  3334. “You have an air show today you know.”
  3335. >”Mmmhmm…”
  3336. >She makes no effort to move and instead pushes the back of her head into your hand to give you better access to her ear.
  3337. >Dang she was really making this difficult for you.
  3338. >You’re forced to stop scratching her ear for her own good.
  3339. “Rainbow you can’t be late to…”
  3340. >Her hoof grabs hold of your hand and pulls it back behind her head, she flickers and rubs her ear against your limp digits in an attempt to get them to move on their own.
  3341. >She’d given you the choice between scratching her ear or having a heart attack.
  3342. >You hand prioritizes your life.
  3343. “…D-Dash you need to get cleaned up…”
  3344. >”Why clean up…”
  3345. >Her husky voice forces you to look into her now half-lidded eyes.
  3346. “B-because…”
  3347. >Her nose presses into your upper lip.
  3348. >”…when we’re just going to get messy again.”
  3349. >Her breath pushes past your lips before her tongue does.
  3350. >Mouths press against each other and all the familiar tastes and sensations of the previous night return.
  3351. >She presses her belly to yours. The dried sex fluid matting her crotch fur made her teats and muff a bit scratchy.
  3352. >As much as you wanted her, she really needed to get going if she didn’t want to be late.
  3353. “Mmmpf…Dafh we, mh…mmph!”
  3354. >She breaks the kiss with a smack.
  3355. >”Just shutup and put it in me.”
  3356. >Holy crap she was horny.
  3357. >So were you. But you have a duty to her, in this particular case it meant getting her to her job on time instead of rutting her until she was a puddle of fur and love.
  3358. “Dash, remember how we talked about setting the alarm as late as possible because you were ‘totally sure you could get ready in ten minutes.”
  3359. >Her frustrated features whip hastily to your alarm clock.
  3360. *6:03
  3361. >”We can do it in the shower!”
  3362. >She rolls onto your chest, her weight pinning you to the bed.
  3363. >Her tail brushed across your sensitive balls and growing shaft as she wagged it.
  3364. “Believe me I want nothing more, but you know we’d get carried away…when you get back this weekend we can spend as much time together as you want.”
  3365. >”Is that a promise?”
  3366. “Absolutely…you’re not the only one who wants to stay in bed you know.”
  3367. >She stares at you for a moment, the ticking of your alarm clock in the background becoming more and more apparent with each passing second.
  3368. >Finally accepting your promise, she leans down and lays down a long, diagonal lick from your chin to your forehead before pulling back and smiling warmly.
  3369. >”I love you Anon.”
  3370. >The sincerity of her tone and the weight of her words washed through you and wiped away everything that wasn’t pure bliss.
  3371. >You give her a quick peck to return the affection.
  3372. “I love you too Dash…now go get cleaned up.”
  3373. >She grins at you before hopping off your chest.
  3374. >As she clambers off the mattress you get an eyeful of her messy rear.
  3375. >Her mare parts were split just enough to detect pink behind her fur, her fuzzy blue nether lips themselves slightly frosty-white from remnant excitement.
  3376. >Your daydreaming moment is put on hold when you notice she’s got a little perk in her step, like how a child would hop around after they got the present they wanted.
  3377. >At least, that’s what it seems like until one of her hind hooves bucks mid-step.
  3378. >It catches her off guard but she takes it in stride and disappears into your bathroom.
  3379. >You don’t snap out of her magical hold on you until you hear the door shut behind her and the shower turn on.
  3380. >Damn…you had no idea she’d be like this when you first started your relationship.
  3381. >You had no idea it would be this…good.
  3382. >Do all mares do the licking thing or just her?
  3383. >You’ll have to read a…
  3384. >“Anon! Where the hay are the towels!”
  3385. >She was out of the shower already? She wasn’t lying about being fast.
  3386. “Under the sink!”
  3387. >”Got’em!”
  3388. >You suddenly realize you’re still laying butt naked on your bed and you reach over the edge to grab your boxers…that are torn.
  3389. >Rolling out of bed you stumble to your dresser and find something to cover yourself.
  3390. >Dash opens the door and trots out.
  3391. >Her eyes linger on you for a moment and she stumbles.
  3392. “You alright?” You ask skeptically.
  3393. >She blushes and moves into your kitchen to grab a protein bar, her wings suspiciously puffed out a bit.
  3394. >”Uhh…yeah, haha…I’m fine!”
  3395. >Okay…
  3396. “Just asking because it looks like you’ve got a twisted hoof or something.”
  3397. >She looks at you with wide eyes.
  3398. >”N-No! I-I mean I’m fine!”
  3399. “If I hurt you any please let me know so…”
  3400. >”It’s not that!”
  3401. >Her outburst stops you in your tracks.
  3402. >It also warranted an explanation and she knew it.
  3403. >She looks to her hooves and shuffles a bit.
  3404. >”I uhh…I just still f-feel it…there.”
  3405. >Oh.
  3406. >She raises her head just enough to let her eyes meet yours.
  3407. >”It’s like it’s s-still i-inside.”
  3408. >It made you feel ecstatic…but how do you respond?
  3409. “I-I…hope you get better soon.”
  3410. >What the hell was that supposed to mean?
  3411. >Regardless, your cheesy remark gets rid of some of her shyness.
  3412. >”Heh, I don’t.”
  3413. >This mare was going to be a handful but you couldn’t be any happier.
  3414. >You look at the clock.
  3415. *6:09
  3416. “Looks like you’re still on time.”
  3417. >”Yeah, but I’d better get going, the Cap’n wanted me to lead morning warm up.”
  3418. >She trots over to the door and tosses her food in her saddlebags next to her flight suit before strapping them on. You follow.
  3419. >You start to notice the way she awkwardly straddles her hind legs ever so slightly, but you don’t say anything.
  3420. “So I guess I’ll see you when your last show is over on…Sunday?”
  3421. >”Yeah…Sunday.”
  3422. >Her tone is a bit sullen.
  3423. “You’re going to do great Dash.”
  3424. >”I know, I just…”
  3425. >Her eyes leave yours as she trails off.
  3426. “Just what?”
  3427. >”I-t’s a long time…ya know?”
  3428. >You kneel down to look her in the eyes and her ears fold back.
  3429. “I’m going to be right here when you get back, and I promise we’ll spend all day in bed if you want.”
  3430. >She smiles weakly.
  3431. >”I love you dude.”
  3432. “I love you too Rainbow.”
  3433. >You cup her face and plant a kiss on her fore head.
  3434. >No matter how much you got to know each other, those three words would never cease to have the same breathtaking effect.
  3435. “Now get out there and kick some butt.”
  3436. >She hides her blush by turning around and opening your door.
  3437. >Fresh air greets you and sunlight makes you squint.
  3438. >Ponies meander the street going about their daily business.
  3439. >A few take a second glance when they see Dash’s characteristic colors.
  3440. >She awkwardly steps outside, trying her best not to feel whatever it was that effected her walking.
  3441. >It didn’t work but she put in a good effort.
  3442. >She looks at you one last time as arches her back—spreading her wings in a show-off style stretch.
  3443. >”Catch ya later Anon!”
  3444. >And with that she launches off her hooves into the air.
  3445. >Her wings carrying her higher and higher on somewhat uncoordinated flaps.
  3446. >You notice her hind legs twitching with each flap.
  3447. >That…hopefully gets resolved before her show today.
  3448. >You turn around in your doorway and look inside.
  3449. >Evidence of the wild mare’s residence in your humble abode was everywhere.
  3450. >Food wrappers on the counter, her extra saddlebags hanging from the coat rack, twice as many dishes in the sink…chocolates in your couch cushions.
  3451. >Thank Celestia you remembered those.
  3452. >You get caught up with cleaning plans and fail to notice a heavy flapping get closer and closer until it’s suddenly behind you.
  3453. >You turn around just in time to have your vision swallowed up by blue, Dash presses her face into yours and gives you a deep kiss on the lips.
  3454. >Her forelegs anchor her to you and her wings keep her rear half suspended in midair.
  3455. >Before you can bring a hand up to hold her she breaks the kiss and flies off at high speed without saying a word.
  3456. >In shock, you bring the back of your hand to wipe your mouth and in doing so, you make eye contact with a young, wide-eyed unicorn stallion across the street.
  3457. >His mouth hangs slightly agape at your attractive mare’s antics.
  3458. >You see him mouth the words “lucky bastard.”
  3459. >You smile and wave before closing the door behind you.
  3460. >Yes you are.
  3461.  
  3462. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
  3463.  
  3464. >You’re staring at your bedsheets, the last part of your apartment you had left to clean.
  3465. >A few blue hairs and smaller down feathers lay on top of the mattress, large dark stains mottled the white fabric.
  3466. >You do your best to not let you mind wander, but you only succeed in forgetting what you’re supposed to be doing.
  3467. >You knew she was really pent up, but you don’t remember her making that kind of mess.
  3468. >Then again, it was dark and you were in a world of your own for a while so it’s entirely possible that you missed a few things.
  3469. >It’s still a bit surreal to think about…the whole losing your virginity thing that is.
  3470. >To a talking rainbow pony nonetheless.
  3471. >You pluck a few small down feathers away and start to rip the sheets off the mattress, the intense musk stifling your nose.
  3472. >Damn. What would your father say?
  3473. >Who cares. All that mattered was that you made her happy, and in turn, that made you happy.
  3474. >You pause a moment and struggle to match a face to a figure.
  3475. >The image of your father was a faint one, the accompanying emotions even fainter.
  3476. >This was your life now.
  3477. >This weird land of voodoo.
  3478. >This small apartment.
  3479. >Your friends.
  3480. >Your mare.
  3481. >You hadn’t really discussed your relationship with Dash yet.
  3482. >But it was very unlikely this was a temporary fling, and you were entirely okay with that.
  3483. >The both of you still had a lot to figure out, but you’d been the closest of friends for so long you couldn’t imagine leaving each other especially now that you were so much more invested.
  3484. >She may be a bit rash, but she definitely took her time opening up to others.
  3485. >Judging by the way she opened up last night for the first time…she’d been doing a lot of thinking.
  3486. >You roll up the sheets as you walk to the end of your hallway and shove them in the machine.
  3487. >Other than running the wash, you didn’t have anything else planned for the day…except for the air show of course.
  3488. >Dash didn’t know you planned on going to her performance, she’d thought that you had to get ready for your job.
  3489. >Luckily for you, your job start date got postponed another three days.
  3490. >You’d forgotten to tell her about it, but even if she knew, it was unlikely you’d get to talk much.
  3491. >You hoped it didn’t look too clingy or something, but with how she was acting this morning, you doubt she’d mind.
  3492. >Besides, you’d never actually been to one of her official air shows.
  3493. >It wasn’t supposed to start until noon, but you didn’t pre-order any train tickets so the earlier the safer.
  3494. >Thirty minutes later you were showered, shaved, dressed and ready to go.
  3495.  
  3496. >The ride to Canterlot was uneventful.
  3497. >The same double takes from new ponies, the same short ceiling and awkward seats.
  3498. >Despite it’s pains, the steam powered machine of steel and wood provided a measure of comfort.
  3499. >It wasn’t driven by magic, just good old reliable physics.
  3500. >In a way you almost felt a connection to it, and when you finally arrived in the mountaintop city a few hours later you felt a bit uncomfortable leaving it’s cramped confines.
  3501. >You hop the steps out of the passenger car and make your way into the bustling city like a kid at the first day of school.
  3502. >The cobblestone street felt foreign beneath your feet as you take in the striking scenery.
  3503. >It wasn’t so striking in the sense that it was awe-inspiring, it was striking because it was so familiar.
  3504. >Buildings stood several stories high and were made of stone or brick, roads crossed at ninety-degree angles and there even seemed to be a standardized road sign system for buggies.
  3505. >It was much more modern than the backstreets of Ponyville you were used to.
  3506. >You catch yourself gawking and snap out of it, you’d have plenty of time to check it out when you started your job.
  3507. >Eventually you find your way to the Wonderbolts stadium through a series of event corner signs.
  3508. >You pay for a front row seat at the gate and make your way inside.
  3509. >The size of the whole thing surprised you, it was bigger than a college football stadium.
  3510. >You even found a vendor that sold those giant soft pretzels with butter and salt on them.
  3511. >No hot dogs, but you could live off these pretzels as long as your wallet let you.
  3512. >You still had about an hour before the show started and it was starting to get packed with excited pastel ponies.
  3513. >You notice quite a few manticores and griffins milling about as well, that’s probably why you weren’t getting as many strange looks as you got elsewhere.
  3514. >The new anonymity spurs you on to explore around a bit.
  3515. >You find your way into a merchandise shop and immediately notice a dozen giddy fillies and colts dragging their parents around with wild eyes and excited grins.
  3516. >You can’t help but smile as you begin to walk the isles and notice junior sized Wonderbolts outfits.
  3517. >A giggling filly weaves through your legs and her mother darts after her after giving you a tired, apologetic smile.
  3518. >That’s what you get for hanging out in the kids section.
  3519. >The other side of the store is definitely catered more toward the…adult enthusiast.
  3520. >Puzzles, coffee mugs, lanyards…
  3521. >Immediately your mare’s striking colors jump out at you, and you find your self looking at a life size Rainbow Dash Wonderbolt poster.
  3522. >Despite it being a mere picture, you can’t help but feel your heart skip a bit at her striking beauty and confident grin.
  3523. >You slow your pretzel chewing as you look out to either side.
  3524. >Her and the rest of the active members of the team take up the whole wall.
  3525. >It finally hits you that Dash is actually a celebrity of sorts.
  3526. >You never realized just how popular she was until now.
  3527. >You swallow the lump in your throat and get a bit closer.
  3528. >The backdrop was the same as all the others, but the detail was incredible.
  3529. >You’re eyes study her magenta ink ones and you follow every line—testing the photo’s accuracy.
  3530. >Not to brag, but you were probably more qualified to judge it’s authenticity than…
  3531. >“So are you a fan or just daydreaming?”
  3532. >You turn look over and notice an earth stallion store clerk looking at you with a humorous smirk.
  3533. “Uhh…I was just…checking the price.”
  3534. >His grin only gets wider.
  3535. >”Your eyes must be pretty good to see something that isn’t there.”
  3536. >You were trying not to act flustered, but you couldn’t help snapping back and searching for a price tag.
  3537. >He was right.
  3538. >”Haha, don’t worry there’s a reason we’re almost sold out of number six you know.”
  3539. “Number six?”
  3540. >”Yeah, six for the sixth in formation. She’s the newest team member so she gets the last spot until they recruit another or she proves herself.”
  3541. >The statement raises a few questions in your mind.
  3542. >Obviously you could just wait until the show was over and ask her yourself, but this was interesting.
  3543. “So how does she prove herself?”
  3544. >Your genuine interest seems to spark the clerk’s inner nerd.
  3545. >”Well for starters, every new recruit is expected to organize the pre-flights. That means they check the weather, test the flight routine in the venue, and give the morning brief.”
  3546. >You nod and take another bite of pretzel.
  3547. >”If they do all that as well as execute their show routines flawlessly, they might earn a solo event.”
  3548. “Like a wingtip turn?”
  3549. >”Exactly. And if they do good in that, they’ll get to go to a sort of promotion board to see if they’re ready to take on a flight lead role.”
  3550. “Sounds like you really know your stuff.”
  3551. >”Yeah? Well, working here has it’s perks, we get the inside scoop on all the happenings too.”
  3552. >This was too fun.
  3553. “Inside scoop?”
  3554. >He wiggles his brows in response.
  3555. >”I’ll let you in but you have to promise not to tell any pony else, my friend only told me because I’m good at keeping secrets.”
  3556. >Oh really.
  3557. “My lips are sealed.”
  3558. >He suspiciously stares straight ahead while a pony couple walks through the isle behind you.
  3559. >When they’re out of sight he leans over and whispers.
  3560. >”She’s single.”
  3561. >You try to contain your smile and play along.
  3562. “Who?”
  3563. >”The one you’ve been ogling genius.”
  3564. >His eyes nod to the life size poster of Rainbow.
  3565. “How do you know that?”
  3566. >”I’ve got a friend who’s a locker room janitor, he overheard the conversation about a week ago.”
  3567. >A lot has changed in a week.
  3568. “Oh really…so you’re saying I have a chance?”
  3569. >He chuckles at your joke.
  3570. >”I don’t know maybe, she doesn’t seem to go for any of the world class stallions she hangs around all day, exotic might be her thing.”
  3571. >You’d never considered yourself exotic before, in fact, you were the least exotic thing in the whole country as far as you were concerned.
  3572. >You do your best to shrug it off.
  3573. >”So, you want to buy one or what?”
  3574. >It’s not exactly a pin-up, but it does feel a bit awkward.
  3575. “Uhh…”
  3576. >You don’t have any photos of Dash yet, considering how scarce cameras were around here this might be your last shot at getting one for a while.
  3577. >You take in the size of the whole thing one last time as a bit of indecisiveness hits you.
  3578. “…it might be a bit…big. Do you have anything smaller?”
  3579. >”You sure? It might be another month before we get more of hers in stock.”
  3580. “That popular?”
  3581. >”Her uh…male fanbase is already bigger than Spitfires.”
  3582. >You’re beginning to realize just how lucky you are to have snagged her when you did.
  3583. “Yeah I really don’t have the room.”
  3584. >”Suit yourself.”
  3585. >The stallion leads you over to another isle decorated with calendars and team member photos with copied signatures on them.
  3586. >You immediately spot a scaled down version of the life sized one and pick it up.
  3587. >”So is that going with the rest of your team memorabilia, or on your dresser?”
  3588. >Dang this dude was onto you. Was it that apparent?
  3589. “It’s a gift.”
  3590. >He gives you a flat stare.
  3591. >”That’s the fourth time I’ve heard that today.”
  3592. >You sigh.
  3593. “It’s…yeah, it’s probably going on my dresser.”
  3594. >He nods with a touch of smugness.
  3595. >”Just make sure you put it away if you have a mare over or something…my last mare friend almost broke up with me over my Spitfire poster.
  3596. >You doubt you’ll have the same problem.
  3597. >You check out and bid farewell to the interesting clerk; the throughways are jam packed by the time you leave the store.
  3598. >As you wade through the waist deep sea of pastel fur, pegasi fly past your head, buffeting you with wind.
  3599. >At this rate you won’t have time to get another soft pretzel before the show starts.
  3600. >You make eye contact with a disgruntled looking minotaur in the same predicament you were.
  3601. >You both exchange a brief nod of mutual understanding.
  3602. >It takes some time to get to the front row, but you eventually make it.
  3603. >A sea of colors flows into the stadium accompanied by the dull roar of a couple thousand conversations.
  3604. >You’d never seen this many ponies in one spot before, these events must be more popular than hoof ball.
  3605. >You adjust to get more comfortable in your weathered wooden seat as the announcer grabs everyone’s attention.
  3606. >”MARES AND GENTLECOLTS PLEASE FIND YOUR SEATS, THE SHOW IS ABOUT TO BEGIN!”
  3607. >You jump a bit as a unicorn accidentally smacks her knee into the back of your head.
  3608. >More little furry creatures fill in to your left and right. Good thing you used the bathroom before you left the apartment.
  3609. >Soon enough, a kind of electric guitar riff begins playing over the megaphones and the announcer begins his intro.
  3610. >This was actually more exciting than you thought it would be.
  3611. >The crowd roars as Spitfire leads the six-pony wedge formation into view of the stadium at high speed.
  3612. >Dash’s color scheme was quite obvious and it didn’t take long to find her.
  3613. >She was pretty far away, but you were relieved that you didn’t see any of the wobbling that you saw this morning when she left.
  3614. >They simultaneously nose over into a dive and kick on some kind of smoke maker that left contrails in their wake.
  3615. >You end up losing her in the mess of maneuvers as they break out into their routine.
  3616. >The show consisted mainly of formation flying and high speed turns, a few of the ponies had solo parts where they demonstrated a maneuver they perfected.
  3617. >It lacked the ear-splitting turbofans and streaking metal that you normally attributed to airshows.
  3618. >But it was still impressive in its robot-like precision and physics defying stunts.
  3619. >”TURN YOUR ATTENTION TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE FIELD WHERE THE NEWEST MEMBER RAINBOW DASH WILL PERFORM A SKILLFUL WINGTIP TURN.”
  3620. >Looking over you spot Dash circling in a wide loop.
  3621. >The announcers voice reaches her and she goes into a steep dive, somehow picking up more speed than gravity could accelerate her.
  3622. >You move to the edge of you seat and watch intensely.
  3623. >She practiced countless times before, but you couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious.
  3624. >She levels out briefly before going into a climb—wings outstretched.
  3625. >Oh no.
  3626. >Whether it was fatigue or strain, her wings weren’t cooperating.
  3627. >Her vertical inertia climb was more of a wobbly line.
  3628. >She senses she can’t hold it straight and throws in a few showy rolls to cover up.
  3629. >The crowd doesn’t know any different, but you’re grinding your teeth.
  3630. >She reaches the apex of her climb and tucks a wing to roll over.
  3631. >Another miscalculation makes her late on the draw.
  3632. >Instead of extending her wing into a vertical dive, she overshoots and goes past vertical.
  3633. >Again she covers up expertly by turning it into a spiral dive.
  3634. >It wasn’t what she’d practiced, but it definitely looked cool.
  3635. >You almost forget you’re not the only spectator until the crowd begins cheering.
  3636. >You smile and join in.
  3637. >Twenty minutes later the show’s over and they announce a half-hour break until the Royal Guard Air Wing demonstration.
  3638. >Confused, you fish the ticket out of your pocket and read the itinerary.
  3639. *WONDERBOLTS 12:30, RGAW 1:00, Obstacle course competition 1:30
  3640. >The Wonderbolts was a few fonts bigger and in bold, makes sense since you’ve never even heard of the other groups.
  3641. >Most of the ponies were filtering around you to go back into the concession stands, but a few were going the opposite way.
  3642. >It caught your eye and you followed them to the edge of the arena where some team members were writing signatures.
  3643. >That gives you an idea.
  3644. >You look down into your bag and check to make sure your photo was still there.
  3645. >Children and adults alike flood to edge in increasing numbers, your mind races to plot the fastest route.
  3646. >Luckily you’re already in the front row.
  3647. >Despite your advantages, the line had doubled in size by the time you got there.
  3648. >You were a good fifty ponies back or so, the hardest part was trying to pick the right line.
  3649. >Your tall frame was obscured by a few griffins right in front of you.
  3650. >Eventually you get within line of sight of Dash.
  3651. >You can’t keep a smile off you face as you watch her gleefully soaking up all the glory from her fans.
  3652. >She was definitely in her element.
  3653. >She had a marker in her mouth and was signing various things. Mostly hats and patches of her cutie mark.
  3654. >You patiently inch closer and closer until only the group of griffins stand between you and her.
  3655. >She looks up at them and you avert your gaze so she wouldn’t see you.
  3656. >Her familiar scratchy voice cuts through your thoughts.
  3657. >”What’s up guys?”
  3658. >”Hi uhh, Ms. Dash…”
  3659. >The flustered griffin’s friend cuts in.
  3660. >”It’s his birthday and he was hoping you could write him a note or something!”
  3661. >”Hah! Sure thing.”
  3662. >Your gaze is still averted and you coincidentally make eye contact with another member of the team.
  3663. >She’s a teal color above her flight suit with silvery white hair.
  3664. >She briefly makes eye contact before glancing at Dash then back to you.
  3665. >A wide grin splits her face and she goes back to signing autographs.
  3666. >What was that all about?
  3667. >”…wait wait wait can you kiss it too?”
  3668. >”Hey shutup! Sorry Ms. Dash my friends aren’t the most polite.”
  3669. >”Haha! Go ask Fleetfoot if you want something like that.”
  3670. >”O-okay, uhh…thanks.”
  3671. >The silver haired pegasus to your left turns in response to her name and Dash offers a parting ‘happy birthday’ to the excited Griffins.
  3672. >Finally your turn, you walk up to the surprised Wonderbolt with a big grin.
  3673. “So it’s not my birthday or anything, but I am your biggest fan so if you could write me a note too that’d be great.”
  3674. >Unable to think of a response she just stares at you and struggles to suppress a blush as she takes the picture from your hand.
  3675. >She fails horribly once she sees her own portrait.
  3676. >The mare you’d figured was named Fleetfoot broke out laughing mid-writing.
  3677. >She hands the cap back to the young filly who was ecstatic despite the abrupt squiggle in the middle of the signature.
  3678. >”What’s the matter Dash? He’s your biggest fan.”
  3679. >Your mare shoots an annoyed look at the smug pegasus before regaining her composure.
  3680. >Does she know something you don’t?
  3681. >Dash turns back to you with a confident smirk.
  3682. >”So…biggest fan huh? You know some ponies come all the way from Las Pegasus to watch the Canterlot show?
  3683. >Her eyes hold yours and you pick up the hidden mirth in her flippant tone.
  3684. >You lean over the railing and lower your voice a bit.
  3685. “Well I came from a lot farther than that just to see you…”
  3686. >You hold your stare as you slowly infect her with your grin.
  3687. >”Okay fine, just don’t frame it and put it on your dresser or something.”
  3688. >What was with ponies reading your mind today?
  3689. >Her brow furrows as she takes a moment to contemplate her message.
  3690. >It was at this moment you become distinctly aware that you’re standing in the front of a very long line.
  3691. >You turn back to avoid eye contact with angry ponies and see Dash furiously writing something in the bottom corner of the picture.
  3692. >She finally finishes and hoofs it back to you.
  3693. >You don’t take the time to read the note yet, you’ll save it for later.
  3694. “So are you going to kiss it, or should I ask Fleetfoot?”
  3695. >You nod over to the grinning pegasus who was still very much in tune with your conversation.
  3696. >That definitely put her on the spot.
  3697. >You’d feel bad if she didn’t have such a massive ego.
  3698. >”Arrgh!”
  3699. >She takes the picture back with suppressed rage and kisses the backside of it, leaving a light blue lipstick mark.
  3700. >She couldn’t avoid her blush now.
  3701. >You lean in close to her fiery eyes and take it from her.
  3702. “Don’t worry, I’ll make you a zap apple sandwich to make up for it.” You whisper.
  3703. >”You’re gonna do a lot more than that.” She replies under her breath.
  3704. >Damn, way to turn the tables.
  3705. >Despite your tense moment she gives you a very genuine grin.
  3706. “I guess there’s a line so…”
  3707. >She flashes a smile of gratitude, the fact that you came all the way up here just to watch her perform wasn’t lost on her.
  3708. >Unfortunately the setting limited her dialogue.
  3709. >”Later Anon uh…”
  3710. >She realizes she wasn’t supposed to know your name and shuffles while awkwardly looking away.
  3711. >Fleetfoot giggles and Dash shoots her another venomous look.
  3712. >This silvery mare must know more than most.
  3713. >You knew the last thing Dash would want is to make a scene, so you keep it brief.
  3714. “Thanks Ms. Dash.”
  3715. >Your eyes linger on each other until you turn around and head up the steps to the top of the stadium.
  3716. >You carefully place the picture back in its envelope and wrap it up in your bag.
  3717. >As you make your way up, you can’t help but glance back a few times at the object of your love.
  3718. >You caught her glancing back up at you just as you make it to the top, her smile returning full force.
  3719. >Leaving the venue was much more difficult than getting in.
  3720. >Not only did you have to deal with a few thousand ponies getting food and drinks, the exits were also clogged from ponies who only came for the Wonderbolts show.
  3721. >You retrace your steps to the train station and order your ticket back to Ponyville.
  3722. >Finding an empty waiting bench, you take a seat and enjoy the scenery looking off the mountaintop city.
  3723. >The sun was well on its way towards the horizon and it cast short shadows over the crystal clear countryside.
  3724. >An athletic looking pegasus stallion trots over and takes a seat at the opposite end of the bench.
  3725. >That was strange, normally ponies didn’t choose to sit next to the bipedal alien but you weren’t complaining.
  3726. >”You must be Anon.”
  3727. >You turn to the silvery stallion who somehow knew your name.
  3728. “Y-yeah…I’m sorry have we met before?”
  3729. >He relaxes a bit once his guess is confirmed.
  3730. >”No no I’ve just heard a lot about you.”
  3731. >Was he working in the research department that you were going to?
  3732. “Really? From who?”
  3733. >”Crash, uhh, Rainbow talks a lot about you.”
  3734. >He must be another Wonderbolt.
  3735. >You quickly glance down at his cutie mark.
  3736. >You did’t have them memorized, but you figured just about every Wonderbolt you saw had some kind of lightning something or other.
  3737. >You still weren’t sure how socially acceptable it was to look at another ponies butt…especially since he was a guy.
  3738. >Either way he takes no offense and fills in the blank for you.
  3739. >“Sorry, I’m Soarin by the way.”
  3740. >Oh.
  3741. >He extends a hoof which you go to shake, at the last moment you catch yourself and do the formal fist bump instead.
  3742. “Nice to meet you, I’m Anon, but I guess you already know that?”
  3743. >”Yeah, sorry if it’s a bit weird, but the way she described you, I figured you had to be him.”
  3744. >You weren’t sure if Dash told her team about your relationship so you figured you’d play it safe.
  3745. “Hopefully they’re all good stories.”
  3746. >”Haha, the way she talks, all there are are good stories.”
  3747. >You can’t help but smile.
  3748. ”I’m glad to hear that. Say, why aren’t you back with the team?”
  3749. >”Oh, I sprained my rotator cuff and can’t use my left wing for a few weeks.”
  3750. “That sucks.”
  3751. >”Yeah, but I was still down with the team earlier today to run their ground coordination. Cap’n gave me the rest of the weekend off to go visit family so that’s where I’m headed now.”
  3752. “You have family in Ponyville?”
  3753. >”No, Appleoosa, about an hour past there.”
  3754. “Ok…”
  3755. >”How about you? I take it you’re not from around here.”
  3756. “No I’m from another universe.”
  3757. >”Uhh…what?”
  3758. >Dash and Twilight were the only other ponies you’d dropped that on before, and it was accurate to the best of your knowledge.
  3759. “Yep, as far as I can tell, that pretty much sums it up.”
  3760. >Surprisingly, it seems like he believes you.
  3761. >”So…what does it look like from where you come from? Uh, if you don’t mind me asking?”
  3762. “Not at all. It’s mostly the same, but with more smog and no magic.”
  3763. >”What’s smog?”
  3764. >You figured he’d ask about the magic first.
  3765. “Its kinda like smoke but from burning petroleum. Makes everything look brown and hazy.”
  3766. >”Huh, sounds…interesting.”
  3767. “I don’t miss it.”
  3768. >”So I take it you like it here?”
  3769. “Yeah, I actually like it a lot, I got an apartment set up in Ponyville.”
  3770. >”With Rainbow?”
  3771. >That catches you off guard, but you quickly figure Dash must’ve told her team about your relationship.
  3772. >At least it would help explain Fleetfoot’s behavior.
  3773. “Well…kind of.”
  3774. >He grins and wiggles his brows at you.
  3775. >The train finally arrives and you carry your conversation on board.
  3776. >Topics range from mares to ale and finally to your mutually shared skepticism that Celestia actually moves the sun.
  3777. >You voiced your fears that you’d be burned at the stake for saying such things, but he just laughed it off.
  3778. >He turned out to be a pretty cool guy altogether, if Dash ever dragged you to one of her team parties you’d definitely seek him out again.
  3779. >The train comes to a halt in front of Ponyville station.
  3780. >”Hey listen, I uhh…as a friend, of Dash’s that is. Take good care of her.”
  3781. >The request catches you off guard.
  3782. >”She’s had some bad experiences in the past, and she deserves a good stallion.”
  3783. >The weight of his words sober you up.
  3784. “That I can promise.”
  3785. >He nods before stopping you again.
  3786. >”Oh, and remember to go easy when she’s got a show the next day. It was a mess trying to make up the time she lost during her solo.”
  3787. >Go easy?
  3788. >Oh, that.
  3789. >That’s why she messed up…and he knew.
  3790. >Your guilt is covered up by a light blush as he chuckles and waves you off.
  3791. >You step off the train and make your way through the dirt streets back to your humble apartment.
  3792. >The sun was just beginning to set so you turn your lights on to make some dinner.
  3793. >An hour later you were curled up on your fresh sheets, reading through “Introductory Electrical Engineering.”
  3794. >It was a bit simplistic, but it gave you a few ideas on how you were going to build your toaster.
  3795. >The whole idea was pretty stupid to begin with.
  3796. >Of all the things you were qualified for, you got a job pulling a toaster out of your ass.
  3797. >But money is money.
  3798. >You set the book down and go to turn off the lights, then you realize you still hadn’t read Dash’s note.
  3799. >You fish for the bag and remove the picture.
  3800. >Your Wonderbolt’s bright smile stares back at you.
  3801. >You love her so much.
  3802. >Even this picture of her got you feeling all fuzzy inside.
  3803. >The note in the corner read, “I’m really bad with mushy writing but I promise I’ll make it up to you when I get home. ~Love Dash”
  3804. >Your own laughter surprises you as it echoes through the empty room.
  3805. >You briefly wonder if she was referring to your apartment as 'home.'
  3806. >The picture turns over in your hands and you study the blue puckered lip marks on the back.
  3807. >You’d never seen her wear any sort of makeup before, must be something they do for shows.
  3808. >You avoid your urge to touch it out of fear of it smearing.
  3809. >The bed feels empty and the blankets feel cold; it suddenly hits you that you won’t see her again until Sunday.
  3810. >Call it needy or clingy or whatever, but you really missed her.
  3811. >You take a deep breath and lean the picture against your lamp, her confident eyes looking at you.
  3812. >Soarin’s parting words echo through your thoughts.
  3813. “I promise I’ll be good to you.”
  3814. >It sounded a bit silly talking to a picture, so you didn’t listen to yourself.
  3815. >You flip the lights off and struggle to fall asleep without Dash’s comforting warmth and scent.
  3816. >Eventually you doze off as you mentally plan your next few days alone.
  3817.  
  3818. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
  3819.  
  3820. >The following day was largely swallowed up by your ‘homework.’
  3821. >Toasters are harder to make than you imagined, especially since you couldn’t take simple things like nickel wire for granted.
  3822. >And pencils.
  3823. >It was a pain in the ass having to dip a quill in ink every ten seconds.
  3824. >But as predicted your diligence pays off and by dinnertime you have a full size set of schematics.
  3825. >In the end it cost you three broken quills, two vials of ink and the better part of your temper.
  3826. >But you figured job security was a suitable reward.
  3827. >You neatly align the papers on their end and place them in a stack at the corner of your coffee table.
  3828. >Joints pop as you arch your back for the first time in hours.
  3829. >You took a break earlier this morning to restock your pantry, but you were too lazy to make anything other than a few pieces of buttered bread and some sliced apples.
  3830. >Numb feet shuttle you around to the necessary food and utensil dispensaries until you’ve created a pitiful dinner.
  3831. >You plop down on the kitchen stool with a creak and bite into your food.
  3832. >The calendar on your fridge draws your eyes as you chew your welfare sandwich.
  3833. >You can’t help but chuckle inside at the crude blue drawings Dash did of herself ‘performing radical tricks’ on the calendar.
  3834. >She said it was to help you remember where she was.
  3835. >Today was Saturday.
  3836. >Two more days…counting today.
  3837. >Two more days and then Dash gets back.
  3838. >Then you get a whole day with her before you start your job.
  3839. >Right now the team’s somewhere in Manehatten, tomorrow morning they’ll be in Baltimare.
  3840. >You still can’t get over how similar these names are to US cities.
  3841. >It was like one giant cosmic joke delicately interwoven into this world just so you could find some temporary humor in it.
  3842. >Or maybe you weren’t the first human?
  3843. >If you weren’t, no one’s ever mentioned anything of it.
  3844. >And of course it could all just be a dream…
  3845. >But dreams don’t usually have the long boring parts where you sit by yourself in a dimply lit apartment and chew your bread to the sound of a ticking clock.
  3846. >Before you take another bite you go to pinch yourself, then pause.
  3847. >You’d done it before, you knew what the outcome would be.
  3848. >But deep down there was still that nagging fear…’what if I woke up this time?’
  3849. >A few weeks ago it wouldn’t have bothered you, but now…
  3850. >You look at the crudely scribbled azure pegasus underneath ’Sunday.’
  3851. >There was far too much for you here to go back to what was.
  3852. >You found something, someone else to live for. And that came with responsibilities.
  3853. >Like not pinching yourself.
  3854. >It was probably just your lethargy and paranoia talking, but either way you go back to eating your dinner.
  3855. >You finish up rather quickly and rather than bum around inside, you decide to take a walk in the cool evening air.
  3856. >A few ponies are still out and about, mostly the younger types heading out to socialize on a Saturday night.
  3857. >Despite the fact that the pegasi weather teams actually did physically change the seasons practically overnight, there was a bit of a general climate shift throughout the year.
  3858. >The change was much more noticeable to your bare skin, and over the past few weeks, the evenings had been getting a bit nippier.
  3859. >Winter is coming.
  3860. >Of course, there wouldn’t be any morning frost or snowfall until it got ‘scheduled,’ but shorts and a t-shirt was still a bad choice of attire.
  3861. >You break into a light jog to warm up.
  3862. >A few minutes later you find yourself on the path to the same grassy knoll you were on when Dash dragged you to her private airshow.
  3863. >When you get to the base of the hill you notice some pony silhouetted against the skyline at the top.
  3864. >Whoever it was was sitting on their haunches watching the golden aftershocks of the recently set sun.
  3865. >Couldn’t hurt to make new friends right?
  3866. >Worst case scenario they’d freak out and run away.
  3867. >That happened once before.
  3868. >You walk up the side of the hill making sure to step heavy enough that they would hear you coming.
  3869. >But whoever it was didn’t turn around.
  3870. >As you got closer you could distinguish the frame of a skinnier stallion and he was…crying?
  3871. >You were never very good at calming people down, but it was too late to turn back now.
  3872. >Besides, you felt kinda bad for him…crying to himself all alone in the park.
  3873. >What could be so bad as to…oh shit.
  3874. >It was Zephyr.
  3875. >Unfortunately you didn’t recognize his color scheme and hair style until you were standing right next to him.
  3876. >His watery eyes meet yours before widening. He shoots to his hooves and takes a step back.
  3877. “Whoa! Calm down, I’m just here for the scenery.”
  3878. >You put out your hands in a universal disarming fashion.
  3879. >You weren’t sure how you were going to handle this, but you didn’t want to bring up any bad blood between you again.
  3880. >He watches you warily, a hint of suppressed anger behind his watery eyes.
  3881. >”I was just about to leave anyways.” He mutters venomously before sniffling.
  3882. >He turns around to go.
  3883. “Wait.”
  3884. >Oh shit man, what are you doing.
  3885. >He stops and looks back at you with an annoyed expression.
  3886. >Dammit why’re you trying to be nice?
  3887. >Maybe because the last time you met you broke his nose?
  3888. >Yeah, that’ll do it.
  3889. “I uhh…I’m sorry.”
  3890. >His expression doesn’t change, but nevertheless he doesn’t immediately blow up on you.
  3891. >It’s extremely awkward, but you were too far to stop.
  3892. “I’m sorry about your nose.”
  3893. >You leave it at that and wait for a response.
  3894. >He glances at his own snout before looking back to you.
  3895. >”You think ‘sorry’ makes up for what you did?”
  3896. >Oh shit there it is.
  3897. >”You think everything’s just gonna go away because you said sorry!”
  3898. >He takes a step towards you and his eyes burn with anger.
  3899. >”YOU RUINED MY LIFE YOU BIG…H-HAIRLESS APE!”
  3900. >He struggled with that last part.
  3901. >You resist the urge to escalate the situation, it was your sympathy that got you into this after all.
  3902. “You done?” You ask monotonously.
  3903. >He just sits there breathing heavily through flared nostrils.
  3904. >”And you took her from me!”
  3905. “Look, I don’t want to be your enemy.”
  3906. >”But you are!”
  3907. “No, I’m not.”
  3908. >”I loved her and you stole that away!”
  3909. >All this yelling was beginning to get on your nerves.
  3910. “I didn’t steal anything because she wasn’t yours to begin with. She wasn’t anyb-ponies. She’s an individual with individual feelings, and she gets to decide what she wants to do with them.”
  3911. >Whether it was your comeback or the fact that you were still trying to make peace with him, he looked a bit surprised.
  3912. “And guess what? I love her too, more than anything else, and my only concern is making her happy.”
  3913. >He’s visibly calmer now, but still on edge. His voice comes out a bit quieter this time.
  3914. >”She just made me so happy, I loved talking to her and…and…”
  3915. >He starts to choke up a bit.
  3916. >Damn, you actually feel his pain.
  3917. >The thought of losing Dash to someone else made you nauseous.
  3918. >It was that mutually shared sobering idea that allowed you to sympathize.
  3919. >You suddenly feel a bit awkward looking down at him, so you sit facing the horizon.
  3920. “I uh…I know these words mean nothing coming from my position…and I understand your anger, but you can’t look at this thing in terms of absolutes.”
  3921. >More sniffling.
  3922. >”W-what?”
  3923. “I mean, you can’t just say ‘I’m right, he’s wrong,’ I don’t think it’s as simple as that.”
  3924. >”So you’re saying I shouldn’t think what you did was wrong?”
  3925. >A hint of anger was working it’s way back.
  3926. ”I was wrong.”
  3927. >He gives you an intrigued stare.
  3928. “I was wrong to try and shun you off when we first met, I was wrong to punch you…and kick you…and pull on your tail…”
  3929. >”So what are you saying?”
  3930. “I’m saying we both have to look at our actions first before we blame each other. Did you ever think that Dash deserves some privacy and respect? You were so focused on how she made you feel, you didn’t stop to think how you made her feel.”
  3931. >Damn, where did all that come from.
  3932. >You ought to be a relationship counselor or something.
  3933. >Your words hit him like a freight train and you can see all of his anger and frustration melt away as realization dawns on him.
  3934. “I’m in no position to judge whether one love is more valid than another, but it’s not hard to see what the results of our actions are.”
  3935. >He sits down in shock and a moment of silence passes between you as the sky gets darker and darker.
  3936. >You cross your arms to keep them warm.
  3937. >”You’re right.”
  3938. >His hoarse voice breaks beside you.
  3939. >You look over at his crestfallen features, surprised at his confession.
  3940. >”All I could think about was how mad I was at you for what you did, it didn’t occur to me whether she was happy or not.”
  3941. >You almost felt a bit guilty.
  3942. >Another long silence passes as you digest what he said.
  3943. “For the record I’d be just as pissed if I were you.”
  3944. >He manages to crack a small smile underneath watery eyes.
  3945. >”Heh, yeah…”
  3946. “And if you think your nose was bad, my gut still aches every time I sit down.”
  3947. >He chuckles lightly at your joke before going back to staring at the horizon.
  3948. >”Hey…thanks for apologizing. I still feel like crap, but uh…it’s nice to not want to murder you anymore.”
  3949. >Geez. You weren’t sure how to take that.
  3950. “Yeah…”
  3951. >Another awkward silence.
  3952. >”Soo…I’ll uh, be on my way.”
  3953. >You turn back and nod to him as he slowly walks away, leaving you to contemplate what just happened.
  3954. >That was…interesting, but it did feel good.
  3955. >You were always bad at holding grudges.
  3956. >You can’t be friends with everyone, but at the very least you can keep this thing from getting any worse.
  3957. >It’s also nice to know he didn’t want to murder you anymore.
  3958. >You wait until he’s long gone before heading back towards the town lights.
  3959. >You almost forgot how much ponies liked to party on Saturdays until you walked through town.
  3960. >It was like a holiday or something.
  3961. >Luckily you’re apartment was fairly secluded, it’s closed door provided a high level of sound mitigation.
  3962. >For the first time in a long time you exercise some self-discipline and get to sleep early.
  3963. >Tomorrow was going to be a busy day.
  3964.  
  3965. >The following morning goes by quickly.
  3966. >You stopped at the general store to get some food and supplies, running into Fluttershy along the way.
  3967. >If she was aware of your reconciliation with her brother she made no mention of it.
  3968. >Made sense, since he told her he broke his nose by running into a tree to begin with.
  3969. >Luckily she didn’t pay too much attention to the items in your cart.
  3970. >You spent the better half of the afternoon placing those items around the small apartment and cooking.
  3971. >A new formal dining set complete with crystal cups.
  3972. >Somehow those were cheaper than glass.
  3973. >A few candles on some spartan, but quality candleholders.
  3974. >A set of high thread count sheets to replace your cheap ones.
  3975. >And finally…a bouquet of flowers.
  3976. >You knew she probably wasn’t the romantic dinner type, but you did it anyways to she’d at least see that you put in the effort.
  3977. >Two baked potatoes were already in the oven, and you planned on making some of her favorite ravioli. Dessert would be a handful of milk chocolate bites.
  3978. >The work kept you busy well into the evening.
  3979. >You’d finished the food and left it to heat on the oven, the only thing left to do was light the candles.
  3980. >You doze on the couch for an hour or so before an interesting sound jolts you awake.
  3981. >The doorknob turns and you hear a loud thud as someone's
  3982. >”Hey! You locked me out!”
  3983. >You had a tendency to lock the deadbolt out of habit.
  3984. “Coming!”
  3985. >A lump blocks your throat and your heart stumbles at the sound of the familiar voice; you shoot to your feet and unlock the door.
  3986. >Dash’s nimble frame is still cloaked in her Wonderbolt’s uniform—her mane whipped back from hours of hard flying.
  3987. >She’s rubbing her nose with a fore hoof but stops when she sees you.
  3988. >She wastes no time with formal greetings and instead makes a beeline for you, literally.
  3989. >Wings negate the height advantage you had and she’s on you so quickly it’s surprising.
  3990. >Her mouth crashes to yours and your lock her in an embrace.
  3991. >A deep, relaxed breath through your nose picks up the strong essence of ozone from high altitude flying.
  3992. >You can tell she’s all to eager to share her pent up affection as she wraps her wings around you.
  3993. >A few quiet whimpers escape her throat as she consummates her oral reunion.
  3994. >You loved this.
  3995. >It was like a switch she had. In public she was still the egomaniacal, brash pegasus everyone knew, but behind closed doors she’s like a soft, gooey, marshmallow of affection.
  3996. >You felt incredibly privileged knowing you were the only one that got to see the extent of her soft side.
  3997. >It also boosted the level of trust you both shared. It was like a giant secret that she trusted you to keep.
  3998. >Eventually you break away an inch and nuzzle her nose; her muzzle was still a bit chilled from her late evening flight.
  3999. >You rake your fingers through her equally cold scalp and mane as you get lost in her smiling magenta orbs.
  4000. >You’d already communicated all you needed to, but there was nothing wrong with redundancy.
  4001. “I…”
  4002. >”I love…”
  4003. >You crack a smile at your jinx as Dash blushes and chuckles.
  4004. “You first.”
  4005. >She drops her nose and glances up at you with folded ears, her hooves hold her comfortably against your broader chest.
  4006. >The added attention made her a bit more timid.
  4007. >”I-I was just saying that, I…kinda love ya.”
  4008. >She looks up at you expectantly. You weren’t sure why she was still so shy about her feelings, but it made her that much cuter.
  4009. >You move a hand to gently lift up her chin and you kiss the tip of her cold nose.
  4010. >Her blush deepens as she’s forced to look into your eyes.
  4011. “Well I guess I kinda love you too.”
  4012. >You wiggle a finger behind her folded hear and scratch it as she beams with happiness.
  4013. >”So uh…d-does that mean we can kinda h-have s-sex now?”
  4014. >You can’t help but get a bit flustered at the sight of your mare requesting intimacy.
  4015. “N-no, it means we can definitely have sex.”
  4016. >She quirks an eyebrow at you despite her apparent excitement.
  4017. “Get it…because two kinda’s make a definitely.”
  4018. >She stares blankly at your explanation.
  4019. “Like how two wrongs make a right, but with…you know what I mean.”
  4020. >She’s just looking at you like you’re stupid.
  4021. >Way to ruin the moment dumbass.
  4022. >”Dude you really should think less.”
  4023. “I know that was horrible.”
  4024. >She cocks a grin at you and moves to tap your shoulder.
  4025. >”But that’s why I like ya.”
  4026. >Really? Of all your traits she likes your tendency to overthink things?
  4027. “That’s a weird thing to li…mmmpf!”
  4028. >Her muzzle shoots to your mouth and steals your remaining breath.
  4029. >She pulls off you with a pop and throws her hooves back around you in a bear hug.
  4030. >”I missed you dude.”
  4031. “I wouldn’t have been able to tell.”
  4032. >Dash lifts her head off your shoulder and sniffs the air.
  4033. >”Is that…*sniff…feta-marinara?”
  4034. “You can smell that?”
  4035. >She has her forelegs on top of your shoulders and she’s using you as a kind of perch to crane her detective’s nose farther out.
  4036. >”Yeah…you can’t?”
  4037. “I smell tomato sauce but nothing that specific.”
  4038. >”Probly cuz your nose is so short dude.”
  4039. “So I take it you want to wait until after dinner?”
  4040. >”To do what…oh…heheh I think it would be better on a full stomach.”
  4041. “Agreed.”
  4042. >You smile and ruffle her hair before she reaches around to drop her saddlebags.
  4043. “For a moment there I thought I wasn’t going to even make it to the couch.”
  4044. >She trots along next to you as you head into the kitchen.
  4045. >”You weren’t, but your cooking saved you.”
  4046. >You look back and see a cocksure grin on her muzzle.
  4047. >She slows and then stops altogether as she sees the ornately laid out dining setup.
  4048. >Her jaw hangs slightly loose as she watches you go around and quickly light the candles on your small dinner table.
  4049. >You prep the plates with the baked potatoes and ravioli—placing them in their appropriate places.
  4050. >To top everything off you add a small bowl of milk chocolate bites and some Zap-Apple cider for the crystal glasses.
  4051. >The whole time your self-consciousness grows as she silently watches you out of the corner of your eye.
  4052. >You were beginning to second guess the whole setup.
  4053. >Finally finished, you move over to pull her seat out for her.
  4054. >She just stares at you with a ‘deer in the headlights’ look.
  4055. “Uhh…I know you don’t really like fancy stuff, but I…wanted to make things nice for a change.”
  4056. >She swallows a lump in her throat and trots over to her chair.
  4057. >She hops on and holds the edge with her fore hooves as you push it in too close to the table.
  4058. >Ponies’ heads were centered over their forelegs when they sat not their hips.
  4059. >You correct your misjudgment and pull her out until it looks more comfortable for her but feels more awkward for you.
  4060. >Hastily taking your seat at the other end of the table you watch anxiously as her eyes dart from her plate to her glass to the vase of flowers.
  4061. >You weren’t sure what she thought of it.
  4062. “Don’t worry about using the silverware if you don’t want to I just put it there to make it look nice.”
  4063. >Her eyes go down to the silverware in question and she nudges her fork with her fore hoof.
  4064. >The silence was painful.
  4065. >”You…did all this?”
  4066. “Yeah…I just thought it’d be nice, you know?”
  4067. >For the first time in a long time you can’t tell what emotions are flashing behind her eyes.
  4068. >And it makes you nervous.
  4069. “If you don’t like it we can just go out and…”
  4070. >”No! I mean…this is nice. Really nice. I just…wasn’t expecting it is all.”
  4071. >You weren’t sure if she was just being courteous or not, but you suck it up and keep going.
  4072. >The whole meal Dash acts timidly around your setup, delicately drinking her cider and actually attempting to use the silverware.
  4073. >Despite you urging her to dig in she kept her composure, and as a result her eating pace matched yours for once.
  4074. >She really liked the ravioli, that much you could tell, but otherwise she was unreadable.
  4075. >Your conversation was equally sparse. The most you got out of her was about her solo mishap.
  4076. >Apparently it was due to ‘aftershocks’ of the previous night’s activities like Soarin predicted.
  4077. >This fact wasn’t lost on the captain, so she let Dash reattempt in the following shows with successful results.
  4078. >You’d figured that most of the team knew about your relationship, and your theory was confirmed when Dash sheepishly admitted to bragging about her escapades in the locker room.
  4079. >From the feedback she got apparently your performance was pretty good.
  4080. >You had to admit that you were pretty surprised you were able to do what you did given your inexperience.
  4081. >She might exaggerated a bit, but she strayed away from any details of the conversation so you’re left to you’re imagination.
  4082. >Soon enough the table is clear and the sink is full.
  4083. >Dash pours herself another glass of cider and viciously gulps the whole thing.
  4084. >”Where’d you get this stuff dude? It’s the best!”
  4085. “Got it from Applejack a few months back for fixing her gopher problem.”
  4086. >She wipes her muzzle and looks at you with skepticism.
  4087. >”And you never told me?”
  4088. >You shrug.
  4089. “I wanted to save it for a special occasion.”
  4090. >Her smile grows.
  4091. >”Every occasion’s a special occasion.”
  4092. >She gets up and puts her glass in the sink next to everything else.
  4093. “If that’s true then what would make a special occasion special?”
  4094. >Her slender frame approaches you and she props her fore legs on your thigh; her myriad of colors dance in the soft candlelight.
  4095. >”It’s special cuz of your special some pony, doofus.”
  4096. >She pokes your gut and waits for her inevitable ear rub.
  4097. >You smile as she leans into your hand.
  4098. “I learn something new every day,” You respond with aloof sarcasm.
  4099. >Her hard hoof moves to the inside of your opposite thigh and she leans in to rub her muzzle on your neck.
  4100. >Your hand follows her ear and she shows her appreciation by gently nipping at your skin.
  4101. >Well obviously someone was done with dinner…
  4102. “D-Dash, do you want any dessert?”
  4103. >She breaks away from your neck and follows your finger to the bowl milk chocolate bites.
  4104. >She turns back to you with half lidded eyes and a sultry smile.
  4105. >You gulp as she trails her muzzle up your jawline to your ear.
  4106. >”Not that kinda dessert.”
  4107. >As much as you thought you were ready you quickly found yourself getting flustered at her overt suggestions.
  4108. “Oh.”
  4109. >That’s about all you could get out before she bites down on your collar and tugs you out of your seat.
  4110. >Her dominant behavior leaves no room for questions.
  4111. >She gets you on your feet before letting go and hopping on the bed enthusiastically.
  4112. >You could tell she’d been waiting for this all weekend.
  4113. >So were you.
  4114. >She flashes you an excited grin before she rolls on her side and tugs the zipper with her muzzle.
  4115. >You watch in fascination as the Wonderbolt violently tries to disrobe.
  4116. >Dash impatiently pulls on the stubborn zipper underneath her chin, unknowingly displaying her attractive contours.
  4117. >As far as you were concerned, she was model materiel on a bad day after crashing in a mud puddle—and you’d seen that.
  4118. >But this was on a whole other level.
  4119. >Her suit fit like a glove and squeezed her fur against her body highlighting her defined lines.
  4120. >She stretched in frustration and two small mounds bulged obscenely outwards; the stark contours of her mammaries complete with pinpricks for her nipples.
  4121. >No wonder she was the hottest-selling poster girl for the Wonderbolts.
  4122. >She struggles on, indifferent to her power over you.
  4123. >Your eyes trail farther south to the dark spot between her thighs…
  4124. >”A-Anon?”
  4125. >You metaphorically yank your hand from the cookie jar and see her looking at you with a sheepish blush.
  4126. >”M-maybe I should s-shower first. I’ve been flying all day.”
  4127. “I don’t care.”
  4128. >That sounded a bit more hasty than you intended, but you hoped she got the message.
  4129. >You wanted her regardless of how desirable she felt.
  4130. >She spreads her forelegs in response.
  4131. >”Then h-help me outta this t-thing…please.”
  4132. >Her uniform was thin and gelatinous almost like a wetsuit. It was supposed to keep her warm at high altitude and cool on hot, humid days.
  4133. >What is wasn’t supposed to do was keep you from touching her.
  4134. >The zipper soon gives way to your imposing willpower and you pull it down—careful not to tangle her fur in the metal teeth.
  4135. >Her suit splits open under tension to reveal swirled, matted fur of her chest.
  4136. >Almost immediately you realize what her more sensitive nose did a moment ago and the smell of spicy Dash-sweat hit you hard.
  4137. >You never mentioned to her how much you liked her smell out of fear of creeping her out, even though she openly admitted her appetite for yours.
  4138. >If anything it was one anecdote of how opposites attract.
  4139. >As promised you don’t draw attention to her odor, and instead focus on the self-conscious mare causing it.
  4140. >You start nuzzling her snout while your free hand moves to her exposed belly.
  4141. >Digits swim through the sweaty fur and quickly find her teats.
  4142. >Your heart rate increases as you curl your fingers to scratch at the base of her fatty mound.
  4143. >After hearing a snort you stop your nuzzling to see some humor in her eyes.
  4144. >”I don’t know why you like those so much dude.”
  4145. “I-I’m it’s j-just…”
  4146. >”Hahaha! Calm down I’m just messin with you!”
  4147. >You recompose yourself enough to appreciate her humor.
  4148. >”You can do whatever you want with them.”
  4149. >Resurgent blood flow floods your cheeks and Dash’s confidence starts to fade again.
  4150. >Ears splay back and she tries to suppress her smile.
  4151. >”Just… do whatever feels good.”
  4152. >That you know how to do.
  4153. >”But hurry up about it.”
  4154. >The hunger in her eyes was very real and you decided not to starve her any further.
  4155. >You move to lay next to her so you can nibble on her nape…a distraction for your migrating hand.
  4156. >She lets out a shaky breath and instinctively turns her head the other way to let you reach more of her sensitive neck.
  4157. >Your hand is well past her teats now, following a more restricted and sweatier pathway to her nether bits.
  4158. >You made contact with the short blue fur a few inches below her mane in an open mouth kiss.
  4159. >Sealing the area with your lips, you swirl your tongue around in a small circle.
  4160. >A hint of saltiness occupies your tongue…evidence of a light coat of sweat from low altitude flying.
  4161. >”Mmmmmmh…”
  4162. >She rolls her head back to stretch her neck muscles under your kiss—letting out a soft moan.
  4163. >You finish her swirly and repeat farther up.
  4164. >You can feel your hand’s path getting narrower as you home in on the intersection of her legs and tail.
  4165. >You spread your fingers across her muff. She grunts and curls into your touch; abdominals flex and her hind legs press against the bed to push her crotch into your hand.
  4166. >”R-right there! It’s…i-itchy.”
  4167. >It seemed like the area was prone to itches especially in her restrictive environment.
  4168. >You could only imagine how itchy your balls would get if you spent a day in a wetsuit.
  4169. >Your fingers dig into the damp fur and you scratch around giving her the consideration demanded by your empathy.
  4170. >You temporarily abandon her nape and pull back to watch with a smile as her eyes squint shut in satisfaction.
  4171. >Your fingers snake to the crevices of her hind legs and you make sure to fire off every coiled nerve in the sweaty channels.
  4172. >Returning the center of her muff, you dig past her fur above her pubic bone and roughly stimulate the skin underneath.
  4173. >She lets off a few more little grunts as you finish relieving her itch.
  4174. >Finally satiated, she lowers her midsection back down and regains her composure.
  4175. “You alright Dash?”
  4176. >She peeks an eye over at you and races to come up with a response.
  4177. >”W-what? I’ve been itching at it all day but my hoof doesn’t work through the outside of the…”
  4178. “Dash…”
  4179. >She stops and looks at you wide eyed.
  4180. “…you don’t have to make up excuses to ask a favor.”
  4181. >She smiles, “I’ll keep that in mi-aah!”
  4182. >Her fore hooves tuck and hind legs shoot straight out.
  4183. >Whether she was really sensitive, or simply wasn’t expecting it, your middle finger in the corner of her sex makes her arch her back and let out a sharp cry.
  4184. >You almost surprise yourself at the shock of suddenly fingering your mare.
  4185. >You’d never felt her with your fingers before.
  4186. >You weren’t really into surprises, but you have to admit it was a bit fun to watch her go from cosy to screaming in pleasure in a heartbeat.
  4187. >Besides, it’s about time to get the show on the road.
  4188. >You roll the pad of your finger around in a small circle at the top of her opening.
  4189. >The movement works past the smooth lips and into the naked, slimy flesh between.
  4190. >Her hind legs kick away, halfheartedly trying to escape the sudden overload of stimulation.
  4191. >”Goooohoho Anon!”
  4192. >You move back to her neck as you feel her wing harden underneath you.
  4193. “You’re really sensitive you know.”
  4194. >Her eyes stay shut.
  4195. >”I-I am not-aaa!”
  4196. >You slide your other arm under her neck and pull her opposite shoulder into you—kissing her flushed cheek.
  4197. >You dig for gold in the corner of her crevice, but instead you find her muscular nub buried underneath protective folds.
  4198. “Heh, didn’t catch that.”
  4199. >Your adorable pegasus abandons her ego and shamelessly tries to rub her pleasure button against your finger
  4200. >”Keep it right-agh!”
  4201. >This was fun.
  4202. “Do you say here…”
  4203. >You add some pressure on her clitoris and it slips past your pad in a wink, legs buck in unison.
  4204. >Your finger slides farther down her folds until her walls of hot wet flesh taper off into a pit.
  4205. >She stretches against her uniform to spread her legs even further, the added tension sandwiches you finger a bit deeper into her.
  4206. “…or here?”
  4207. >You curl your finger inside her canal for emphasis and you feel her entire body tremble.
  4208. >”Gaaah!”
  4209. >You kiss her brow as she struggles to decide between the greater of two pleasures.
  4210. >She knows she can say both, right?
  4211. >“No!”
  4212. >No?
  4213. >She turns to look at you, forcing you to break away from her neck. Her face is flushed with fresh beads of sweat.
  4214. >”I-I want *huff…y-you.”
  4215. >As much as you wanted to finish her now you had to do appreciate her consideration.
  4216. “O-okay.”
  4217. >You do your best to swallow your nervousness and pull your finger out of her hole.
  4218. >Suddenly remembering your abandoned mission you resume helping her escape her suit.
  4219. >After a few frustrated grunts and painful wing slaps your mare finally stands naked in front of you.
  4220. >The suit gets tossed aside and she pounces on you.
  4221. >”Your turn.”
  4222. >She moves into you to reach the buttons and your hand snakes its way back to her slobbering lips.
  4223. >Teeth quickly unbutton the top of your polo, but the second one gives her trouble.
  4224. >A quiet schlicking noise emanates from between her legs as your gyrating fingers coax more lubricant from her.
  4225. >”Ghh!”
  4226. >Dash’s muzzle yanks down and she presses the side of her face into your belly in an attempt to handle the stimulation.
  4227. >The button that was between her teeth…was still between her teeth.
  4228. >You look down to see a few snapped threads trailing from your shirt.
  4229. >What was with this mare and tearing your clothes?
  4230. >Not that you minded, but…
  4231. *thwp
  4232. >Dash spits out the button and it gets lost somewhere across the room.
  4233. >“Dude!”
  4234. >You focus on her face to see her frustrated features.
  4235. >”Take it easy! I wanna get you off too ya know!”
  4236. >As if on cue, another shudder racks her body, courtesy of your hand.
  4237. >You can’t tell whether it made her mood better or worse.
  4238. >What you do know is that as good as it felt for her it was keeping her from doing what she wanted.
  4239. >Reluctantly, you decide to play it safe and withdraw your digits from her slippery region.
  4240. >Your mare’s evaporating wetness and the relative arctic environment of the room made your appendage feel cold, but you distract yourself by unbuttoning your shirt for her.
  4241. >”Stop!”
  4242. “Huh?”
  4243. >”Let me.”
  4244. >Okay…
  4245. >She leans in again and starts at the remaining buttons with her teeth.
  4246. >Apparently she wanted the satisfaction of disrobing you herself.
  4247. >Crazy mare probably thought of it as a challenge or something.
  4248. >Without your distraction she finishes quickly and all remaining buttons remain sewn.
  4249. >You slide your arms out from your shirt and barely have time to toss it aside before her muzzle goes to your crotch.
  4250. “I…you got it…”
  4251. >Your words fall on deaf ears as she works her furry muzzle in to clasp your zipper.
  4252. >You pop the button and she yanks the zipper down.
  4253. >Dash pulls on your pant legs. You shimmy out of all your trousers in one awkward motion, emerging completely naked at the end of the process.
  4254. >You did this before but you still can’t get over the feeling of being naked and turned on in front of someone else.
  4255. >She takes position beside you and lays a fore hoof across your abdomen; her muzzle points towards your midsection and you can feel her breathing deepen.
  4256. >But she turns back to you with an inquisitive look.
  4257. >”Did you shave your hair or something?”
  4258. “Y-yeah.”
  4259. >You’d trimmed up earlier this morning in anticipation of what you were doing now.
  4260. >”I…I like it.”
  4261. >Awesome.
  4262. >You feel embarrassing heat rush to your face as she brings a hoof to gingerly hold your bobbing shaft.
  4263. >She takes special care to let only her soft frog contact your delicate skin.
  4264. >She’d never actually gotten a chance to really see you before, the last time you two had fun it was pretty dark and she likely missed all the details she was soaking up now.
  4265. >Your self-consciousness doesn’t get a break as she goes to sniffing around your crotch.
  4266. >She moves your member side to side as she works her muzzle around you; you twitch a bit when she pokes her nose under your balls.
  4267. >Obviously this was something that was unique to her species or culture or maybe just her, so you make no effort to distract her.
  4268. >She withdraws and angles your member right at her lips, sniffing at the droplet of pre-cum at your tip.
  4269. “Whoah!”
  4270. >Dash has her hooves around the base of your member and her tongue is splayed out across the smooth skin of your tip in a slow lick.
  4271. >Her tongue retreats—leaving a glistening coat of her saliva on your pink head.
  4272. >She quietly smacks her lips as she evaluates your taste.
  4273. >From behind you can see the corners of her mouth tug up in a smile.
  4274. >She eagerly leans back in and starts at the base of your shaft.
  4275. >Unable to tear your eyes away from your treatment, you prop yourself up and stare on as Dash goes to work.
  4276. >Her tongue slips between her hooves and promptly escalates to your tip.
  4277. >She rapidly repeats the motion—thirstily lapping at your shaft like it was her favorite popsicle on a hot day.
  4278. “Ohh Rainbow!”
  4279. >Out of the corner of your eye you see her tail swish happily in response to her first name.
  4280. >She works her way around the nearest side before pinning the top of your head to your belly with her hoof.
  4281. >Her actions leave your underside completely exposed to her and she starts licking along the spongy tissue all the way down to your balls.
  4282. >She quickly finds out the bottom is far more sensitive than the top as you uncontrollably twitch and moan.
  4283. >A surprisingly girly giggle surprises you and she makes no effort to conceal it.
  4284. >Your positive feedback makes her shift position again. Both her hooves move to opposite ends of your member and spread it out across your abdomen.
  4285. >She wasn’t exactly sure how to make you feel any better, but that wasn’t going to keep her from trying.
  4286. >She rights herself completely to give her muzzle the best angle and leans in with a grin.
  4287. >A few perpendicular licks near your base collaterally wet the edge of her hoof.
  4288. >Then she chomps down on it with soft lips as if she were eating a hot dog the wrong way and swirls her tongue around in circles.
  4289. “Ngah!”
  4290. >Your toes curl and eyes shut as her hot, wet, sucking kiss fires off every nerve it covered.
  4291. >You see her prismatic tail swim across the sheets—happy that she was making you feel good.
  4292. >Her seal finally breaks and she separates with a loud pop, a red circle of flushed skin glistens under a liberal amount of her spit.
  4293. >She moves farther up and repeats the process, all the while paying close attention to every bit of physical and verbal feedback you were providing.
  4294. >Her technique was interesting but surprisingly stimulating.
  4295. >Whether it’s due to her inexperience or a different set of cultural practices you don’t know.
  4296. >You avoid dwelling on it and lay your head back to enjoy your Dash-style blowjob.
  4297. >It only seemed hot when she was the one grunting in pleasure, so you try your best to keep quiet.
  4298. >But your best only goes so far when your opponent’s an energetic, young, horny pegasus mare.
  4299. >Hooves and a warm mouth shelter you under her caring embrace as she lathers you up in an expression of her love.
  4300. >Her long, pink tongue trails a few more affectionate licks above the three red circles on your under-shaft, subduing the inflammation with a million stippled tastebuds.
  4301. >You were starting to feel pressure building behind your shaft but you bite the bullet and fight it off.
  4302. >The assault of hot breath, spit and dextrous lips continues for the better part of the next minute until you begin to fear an early finish to your romantic evening.
  4303. “Dash…”
  4304. >She gives your head a final lingering lick before turning her flushed cheeks and dilated eyes to face you.
  4305. >A long string of saliva stretches between her chin and your spoiled member, and she breathes deliberately—hungry eyes locked unwaveringly on yours.
  4306. “…your turn.”
  4307. >She has mixed feelings about leaving a job half finished, but her excitement gets the better of her.
  4308. >She comes crashing into your outstretched arms and you fight to get in front of her pointed muzzle.
  4309. >Her body snuggles against yours before she allows you to land the kiss.
  4310. >Any hint of dinner and had long since been washed away by copious salivation; only natural flavor of your mare remained.
  4311. >Sloppy eating habits from her earlier crotch buffet had left her muzzle slick with the smell and feel of cold spit.
  4312. >She breaks the kiss, “You know I don’t mind finishing you.”
  4313. >Her sultry look is a secondary cause of the flush returning to your face.
  4314. >How do you tell her you want to finish inside her?
  4315. “I was kinda hoping to…uh—”
  4316. >”—like last time?”
  4317. “…yeah.”
  4318. >”Heheh! I was kinda hoping you’d say that.”
  4319. >Now that got your blood moving.
  4320. >You pull her lips back into yours and lose yourself in the sheer intensity of her encompassing presence
  4321. >This time you were going to make sure to multitask better.
  4322. >You reach across her back drag your fingers against the grain of her fur.
  4323. >Her sweat had dried into a thin sheen of oily residue that kept her hairs in the position you left them in.
  4324. >You focus your hands on the terse muscles in the cradle of her wings.
  4325. >You’d learned with her wings that isolation was the key. Not only did it feel better to focus deeper attacks on one particular tendon, but it also doubled as a massage.
  4326. >She unwillingly arches her back away from you in response to the sensations.
  4327. >Her muscles were much thicker and they overlapped—making it difficult to pursue your isolation tactics.
  4328. >But she seems to appreciate your attempts well enough.
  4329. >You start to feel her shudder and giggle.
  4330. >You don’t get what’s funny, but you keep working her out.
  4331. >”Hmhmmm-hmhmhm!” She chuckles into your mouth.
  4332. “Whath’s uh?” You manage with her tongue half way between your teeth.
  4333. >Her chipper grin fills your vision.
  4334. >”It’s just…heheh this is fun!”
  4335. “Well…ready to make it more fun?”
  4336. >”Buck yeah!”
  4337. >She gets up and spins around—planting her forelegs on the bed and sticking her rump in the air.
  4338. “Oh…that’s not what I—“
  4339. >”Hurry up and put it in!”
  4340. >On second thought this angle should work too.
  4341. >You scoot closer to her and sit back on your knees.
  4342. >She’s got her smiling muzzle buried in the sheets with some fabric clenched between her teeth; her eyes are squinted shut in anticipation.
  4343. >The sight of her like this almost makes your heart stop, but you don’t want to keep her waiting.
  4344. >You lift her tail out of the way to reveal her gorgeous mare parts in all their wet splendor.
  4345. >The multiple colors of her tail converge right above a smooth donut of skin.
  4346. >Millimeter cyan fuzz spans the short distance to the next crevice in her geography.
  4347. >Her flushed innards were barely visible behind puffy pink lips.
  4348. >”S-Stop staring at it!”
  4349. >Right.
  4350. >You spread her legs and lean in to place a slow lick across her folds.
  4351. >She was expecting to feel your member, so needless to say your tongue took her by surprise.
  4352. >”Woah!”
  4353. >Suddenly embarrassed that your face was on her privates she tries to cover up with her tail.
  4354. >But your firm hold on her thighs kept you cemented between her furry cheeks.
  4355. >”Anon! An-aah!”
  4356. >The smooth, bare skin of her genitals spasmed underneath your tongue as she furiously winked into your mouth.
  4357. >Her taste was tangy with a hint of salt, but it had a smooth characteristic to it that coated your teeth in a fuzzy stickiness.
  4358. >Whatever it is you want more.
  4359. >”Anon!”
  4360. >You raise your head from her nethers and look up to see her flustered face looking back at you.
  4361. >”A-anon…isn’t it a b-bit…uh, d-dirty?”
  4362. “What?”
  4363. >Your chest flutters as you look down between her legs and pull one fold aside with a thumb.
  4364. >She winces as her sensitive canal get’s exposed to the cool evening air.
  4365. >Azure fur, luscious pink walls, and an active little nub—just what you’d expect.
  4366. >Nothing but natural products of a young, healthy, horny pegasus mare.
  4367. >Sure her parts stank of sweat and musk, but that didn’t make her any less deserving of your attention.
  4368. “N-No.”
  4369. >”I-its just…s-stallions don’t usually d-do that sorta th-thing.”
  4370. >That just didn’t make any sense what are they all gay or something?
  4371. >Dash squirms nervously in your hold and shamefully keeps her eyes from meeting yours.
  4372. “That’s ridiculous.”
  4373. >You may not understand each other’s little quirks, or why she was turned on by one thing and not the other, but you did understand one thing very clearly.
  4374. >You loved each other.
  4375. >And as such, every action was orchestrated solely for the benefit of the other
  4376. >Your confident statement seems to make her relinquish some of her modesty and her tail stops fighting you.
  4377. >You resume your game with her clit.
  4378. >”Aaghaaaaah…”
  4379. >The little pocket you’d been digging in was ripe with sweat and the natural metallic tang of flesh that had never seen the light of day.
  4380. >Her clit itself was just sharp, but the closer you got to her canal the smoother she got.
  4381. >She soon grows accustomed to the exposed feeling and leans her rump back into your maw.
  4382. >You give her nub a break and move farther down to tongue her canal.
  4383. >”Whah! Right there!”
  4384. >You’d need a longer tool to reach anything of value since she lacked the nerve density she had elsewhere, but she seemed to get enough pleasure from the knowledge of the intimate act in itself.
  4385. >You lose track of time as your cunilingus continues through countless bouts of quivering and moaning.
  4386. >But eventually she starts to lose it.
  4387. >”Goaaa!”
  4388. >A few more prods send her over the edge and her walls block you off as every muscle in her crotch flexes.
  4389. >You circle the tense hole a bit, no longer able to push your tongue past her resistance.
  4390. >You braced for more vocals, but they never came.
  4391. >Instead a prismatic fluttering catches your attention.
  4392. >Her dock was having some sort of seizure; the colors of her tail blending in a blur of movement.
  4393. >The affects of her orgasm were too distracting and you’re suddenly overwhelmed with wetness and a clit that demanded attention.
  4394. >You struggle to contain her juices while prolonging her pleasure, but it was too much to handle.
  4395. >Several streams of musky Dash-cum blaze a trail to your chin as you prioritize her happiness over your cleanliness.
  4396. >After a few seconds of fireworks she takes a deep breath.
  4397. >Her rigid spine finally relaxes and you feel her soft belly breathe out a relieved coo.
  4398. >With her immediate tension relieved you pull back and look at what you’ve done.
  4399. >Her butt was covered in your spit—it’s hair a matted and lumpy mess.
  4400. >She looks back at you with an open-mouth smile and rosy cheeks, nostrils flared with each breath and her submissively folded ears complemented loving, thankful eyes.
  4401. >Nothing you could possibly do would make you deserving of her.
  4402. >But that didn’t mean you couldn’t try.
  4403. >You abandon her drying parts to the cold air and guide her to lay on her back.
  4404. >Hot Dash breath warms your face as you lean in towards her smiling, amorous eyes.
  4405. >As soon as you get close enough she steals a soft kiss from your lips—indifferent to where they’d been a moment ago.
  4406. >It wasn’t anything like her slobbery assaults from earlier, it was much more sensual.
  4407. >You wrap her up in your arms snuggle closer to her warmth as you match her kiss straight on.
  4408. >Your noses rest against each other and share each other’s air in an intimate display of mutual comfort.
  4409. >You break the kiss and caress her cheek, you other hand reaches back to hook around the crevice of her knee
  4410. >Her leg automatically spread in anticipation of the next event.
  4411. >She seemed to enjoy this position last time. Nothing beat seeing her pretty face when you pleasured her.
  4412. >She moans softly into your mouth as you position your hips over hers—your tortured member suddenly aching with desire.
  4413. >You pull off her with a pop and peck the tip of her sweaty nose.
  4414. >Dilated magenta eyes pry open your emotional floodgates as her scratchy giggle goes straight to your heart.
  4415. >You take a deep breath and lower your member into her sea of wet fur.
  4416. >She gasps but maintains eye contact as you grind the base of your member against her hot folds to refresh its layer of lubrication.
  4417. >You let out a satisfying grunt of your own as you realize how pent up you’d been in her absence.
  4418. >You ensure there’s enough lubrication to keep her comfortable, then adjust to lay your tip against her glistening sex.
  4419. >Hearts race and you swallow a final lump in your throat.
  4420. >Dash wasn’t half as nervous as she was last time, but you could see her cocky eagerness taper off a bit at the prospect of imminent penetration.
  4421. >Remembering how you calmed her before, you lean forward and pull away from her hips.
  4422. >Mouths hover next to each other with enough of an overlap to pass breaths freely.
  4423. >Her eyes bore questions into yours as she inhales your whisper of comfort.
  4424. “I love you more than anything in the world Rainbow Dash…”
  4425. >She chokes on a lump in her throat when she realizes your intentions.
  4426. >A yearning whimper escapes your pegasus as she struggles to get closer to you.
  4427. “Shhhhh…shhhhh…don’t strain yourself…I’ll do all the work for you…”
  4428. >Simple words seem to possess a magic of their own as the puddle of pegasus in your arms rocks with indescribably powerful emotions and attachment to her human.
  4429. >You hold her close as she finds renewed vigor.
  4430. >Tendrils of her deep rooted drive to mate snake up around the corners of her mind and begin to pull her down into a deep pit of lust.
  4431. >You patiently wait as you experience her whimpers turn into nuzzles and her nuzzles turn into licks.
  4432. >Soon enough she’s rubbing up against you—ready to take you in.
  4433. >You withdraw from your hug just enough to nuzzle your nose against hers and look into her eyes.
  4434. >Coming to terms with your fluttering chest, you slowly push your hips forward and Dash’s eyes struggle to stay open.
  4435. >Dash stays relaxed as the diamond-hard member between your legs lances her engorged labia and your head flares just underneath her lips.
  4436. >”Nnnnnng…”
  4437. >Her chin tucks to her chest and her ears fold from their half-forward state as she moans in pleasure.
  4438. >Inch by inch you disappear into her feverish body; the counterinstinctive slow penetration was worth every second.
  4439. >Not only was Dash more comfortable with it, but you also had the opportunity to accurately map her inner sensitivity.
  4440. “Agh!”
  4441. >Your teeth grind together as the tightness of her canal pulls back on the skin of your shaft and exposes the rim of your slick glans.
  4442. >”Goaaaaaaaaoh…”
  4443. >More of your weight leans onto her as you finally bottom out. The audible indication of a penetrated sex squelching against your crotch goes unnoticed to the near-unconscious mare.
  4444. >”Ooooooh…Anooon.”
  4445. >You give the top of her snout a kiss before leaning back a bit.
  4446. >She flexes her abs sporadically in response to the foreign object inside her.
  4447. >The action pulls on the natural angle of your erection and you fight a shudder.
  4448. >Folds slobber on you as you begin to pick up speed—stimulating the deep tissue of her innards.
  4449. >”Ooagh!”
  4450. >Her tail flicks against your butt in sync with your slow thrusts.
  4451. >The cheap mattress begins to squeak in rhythm at your repetitive motions.
  4452. >”Anoon!”
  4453. >You take advantage of your tempered member and chisel away at different parts of her inner wall.
  4454. >After a few thrusts you find a patch of wrinkles that bulge out from top of her canal.
  4455. >”Yes! Keep it-aah!…there!”
  4456. >You angle to rub harder against her little speed bump—forcing her legs to buck every time you hit it.
  4457. >Her whole body begins to shudder and the onset of her second climax surprises you.
  4458. >Dang, you need to get better at pre-empting those.
  4459. >You continue thrusting to get her as high as you can before she drops off the cliff.
  4460. >”Uuugh!”
  4461. >Her hot, pure liquid spurts half way down your half buried shaft as she cums on your penis.
  4462. >You can’t help but grin in accomplishment as her body tries to evacuate the remaining contents of sex glands onto your hilted shaft.
  4463. >You had no idea where it all came from, but if you didn’t know any better you’d say she peed on you.
  4464. >Before she’s fully recovered you lean over her trembling form and pull her down by the root of her wing.
  4465. >You resume thrusting and plant a few kisses along her forehead and crown.
  4466. >Her lubricant production tapers off to a comfortable mean but your member slides into her like glass on ice.
  4467. >Her body didn’t know what to do. Commands coming from her crotch and wing conflicted with the scattered ones coming from her brain.
  4468. >The result was a twitching, drooling mess of a pegasus that could do little more than breathe and process pleasure.
  4469. >Laying your belly on hers you manage to match up the angle of your throbbing erection with the angle of her canal.
  4470. >The result was frictionless penetration…which is normally less than desirable…
  4471. >”Eeep!”
  4472. >…except when it gets you the extra half inch of depth needed to barely graze her cervix.
  4473. >You avoid slamming into it out of fear of how sensitive her unfamiliar part was.
  4474. >You’d never considered yourself big by any means, but her biology was optimized for normal equine mating which included a longer penis, but also a less efficient mounting position.
  4475. >In the end your flexibility won the day and allowed you to give your mare the experience of her life.
  4476. >You hilt again before gently nudging deeper into her.
  4477. >”Gaooohohohoh!”
  4478. >You could just…
  4479. >”Ngh!”
  4480. >…barely…
  4481. >”Mph!”
  4482. >…reach….
  4483. >”Gaaah!”
  4484. >Your slippery head taps against her inner donut before you run out of length.
  4485. >Dash grabs hold of your torso and lets out airy squeals of pleasure from the deep stimulation.
  4486. >You continue your short bobs into her depths until your breathing gets shakier and your supporting arms begin to tremble.
  4487. >A familiar pressure begins to rapidly build behind your shaft.
  4488. >Your hand barely continues to stimulate her wing as your other gives out and you collapse on top of her tucked form.
  4489. >You bury your nose in her mane and nudge into her a few more times as you struggle to hold the dam of fluid in your groin.
  4490. >The precipice quickly approaches and you rush to line up her clenched cervical opening with your urethra.
  4491. “Ah Rainbow!”
  4492. >Your long-awaited orgasm finally hits you.
  4493. >The darkness behind closed eyelids sparks and flashes as your brain lights up with activity.
  4494. >The dam collapses and hot fluid rushes down your tube.
  4495. >Your shaft and head swell as high pressure stream of semen spurts into her deepest of parts.
  4496. >The second contraction is just as powerful as the first and more of your virile fluid paints Dash’s uterus.
  4497. >She revels in the unparalleled satisfaction of being inseminated as the feeling of your erupting cum psychologically trips her third climax.
  4498. >You float with your mare on a cloud made of happiness as your testes finish making a mess in her.
  4499. >Finally, a sweeping calm washes through you to gently extinguish the burning lust that had carried you to this point.
  4500. >The frantic motion of your hips devolves into a gentle rock and the post-orgasmic sensitivity keeps you from doing anything drastic.
  4501. >You snap out of your high to find yourself staring down at Dash’s glassy eyes.
  4502. >She struggles to hold your gaze and you realize she still in the midst of her orgasm.
  4503. >You plant gentle kisses on her quaking muzzle until she’s done.
  4504. >Her body finally relaxes underneath you and you feel her coo softly into your ear.
  4505. >The knowledge that you were able to make her happy gave you a satisfaction that rivaled the more physical one you just experienced.
  4506. >Dash gives you a final goodbye wink as you withdraw your member from her comforting clutches.
  4507. >You crane your head up and balance with your noses touching—sharing breath.
  4508. >”Hmhmhmhmhmm…” Her dopey giggle made her sex high very apparent.
  4509. >Her features portray a unique cross between happiness, playfulness, and exhaustion.
  4510. “What now…” You prod breathlessly.
  4511. >”N-Nothing…Hmhmhmm!”
  4512. “No tell me.”
  4513. >”No it’s stupid!…Heheh!”
  4514. >Her case of the giggles was becoming contagious.
  4515. “Dash tell me!”
  4516. >You cup her face to give the semblance of interrogation.
  4517. >”Hmmhmm…haha—”
  4518. >You kiss her in an attempt to stifle her laughing.
  4519. >”—ha-mpf!”
  4520. >She keeps on regardless, but eventually concedes when your fingers threaten to tickle her.
  4521. >”—mmkah maky I’ll tell!”
  4522. >You break the seal to allow her to speak.
  4523. >”I was just uhh, thinking of a stupid joke I heard a while back, it’s not very—“
  4524. “—Just spit it out.”
  4525. >”…Heh! Okay, it’s like-hahahaha—”
  4526. >You haplessly let her ride her bout of laughter.
  4527. >”—Is that melted ice cream or are you just happy to see me-hehe-hahahaha!”
  4528. >She’s totally out of it.
  4529. “Yeah the store was all sold out of human jizz so I figured ice cream would work just as good.”
  4530. >”Hahahahahahaha!”
  4531. “Heh, maybe I’ll just stick a popsicle inside you and put you in the freezer. Make myself a homemade vanilla ice pop.”
  4532. >”Hah-*gasp hahahahahahaha!”
  4533. >The ridiculous amount of endorphins that you’d flooded her system with seem to compromise her sanity as she laughs relentlessly against you.
  4534. >You finally lose to the sight of her and join in.
  4535. >Your recovery takes longer than it should have, but you both eventually return to sanity.
  4536. “Truthfully, yes, I’m very glad to see you.”
  4537. >Happiness replaces most of her humor and she locks onto your eyes with a loving gaze.
  4538. “I’ve been thinking about you all weekend.”
  4539. >”Me too I…”
  4540. >Her cheeks flush red and she pauses.
  4541. “Don’t worry, you’ve already let out some pretty sappy stuff.”
  4542. >She blushes harder at your little innuendo, but she does smile.
  4543. >”I kept looking to see if you were in the stands…”
  4544. >You suddenly feel emotional and bury your face in her mane to hide it.
  4545. “Well here I am.”
  4546. >You hug each other tighter roll onto your sides before scooting away from a wet spot on the mattress.
  4547. >Brand new sheets too.
  4548. >You idly stroke the oily fur of her shoulder and neck—her powerful post-workout smells blending into a soothing haze.
  4549. >Hooves gently circle your back and you both silently agree to call it quits for the day.
  4550. >Awkwardly leaning over her you flip the lamp off. Now only the candle light remained.
  4551. >You find your spot again and Dash makes herself at home on you.
  4552. >Her muzzle finds the crook of your neck and her belly presses up to yours. One loving wing moves to shelter your shoulders and back and she nuzzles against the base of your jaw.
  4553. >No matter how tangled up you got in each other it never seemed to be enough.
  4554. >You felt so attached to this mare it actually hurt a bit.
  4555. >She moves to plant a few passionate goodnight licks on your mouth.
  4556. >As quirky as it was you could never get enough of that either.
  4557. “I love you Rainbow Dash.”
  4558. >You can just see her smile in the flickering firelight.
  4559. >”I know.”
  4560.  
  4561. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
  4562.  
  4563. >You wake up in the same position you fell asleep in—minus one Rainbow pegasus.
  4564. >The blankets had been pulled up in her wake but your arms held nothing but warm air.
  4565. >You pat the area around you, lazily searching for fur or feathers in your groggy state.
  4566. >Nothing.
  4567. >Unreasonable fear begins to well up in the pit of your stomach, and you glance at the clock in hope of gleaning more information.
  4568. *8:12
  4569. >It’s way too early for her to be up on an off day where could she be?
  4570. >She was an adult and all, but it was unlike her to just disappear without warning.
  4571. >You sit up rather quickly to take a look around.
  4572. >Fear turns to relief when you see her prismatic mane bobbing just above the kitchen countertops.
  4573. >At the same time your nose picks up the smell of toast and fried eggs.
  4574. >Dash was making breakfast.
  4575. >Red hair of her mane disappears briefly before she hops up on the counter—wings and tail outstretched to maintain awkward balance.
  4576. >You watch with amusement as she opens a cabinet to get peanut butter and a few spices.
  4577. >She places the items on the counter and gingerly closes the doors before hopping back onto the floor like a cat.
  4578. >She must be afraid of waking you.
  4579. >You could tell her not to bother, but you weren’t going to pass up the opportunity to observe her behavior.
  4580. >Between your history as friends and your relationship you felt like you knew her pretty well.
  4581. >Even so, there were obviously some things you still had to learn.
  4582. >Like the fact that she hummed when she buttered toast.
  4583. >The familiar tune was punctuated by focused periods of silence while she carefully angled her knife between clenched teeth.
  4584. >Soon enough she finished and her little song ends half way through.
  4585. >A moment later she comes around the corner with a tray full of breakfast balanced delicately in the cradle of her wings.
  4586. >She keeps an eye on the cup of orange juice and takes deliberate steps to minimize certain lingering sensations.
  4587. >As a result she doesn’t notice you’re awake until she’s at your bedside.
  4588. >She meets your smile with a surprised look, but that quickly passes.
  4589. >”Don’t just sit there and gawk help me move this thing!”
  4590. >You chuckle and comply by reaching over to lift the tray off her back.
  4591. >Finally unburdened she hops onto the mattress and moves to sit next to you; her faux frustration gives way to an uncontrollable smile.
  4592. >A warm furry body leans against yours and she nuzzles your neck affectionately before kissing your cheek.
  4593. >She plops onto her back next to your outstretched legs and meets your eyes.
  4594. >You do your best to avoid staring at the aftermath of last night’s climax that was still very visible on her rear.
  4595. >”How long’ve you been awake?”
  4596. >The tray comes to rest on your lap and you give her hind leg a squeeze.
  4597. “Long enough to know how much effort you put into this delicious looking breakfast.”
  4598. >”Heh, better hold that thought until you’ve tasted the eggs.”
  4599. >You look down at the two fried eggs complete with salt and a dash of pepper.
  4600. “What do you mean? They look great.”
  4601. >”I’ve never made them before so I kinda just cooked them until they looked edible…by your standards.”
  4602. >You quirk an eyebrow at her.
  4603. “Are you implying my tastes in cuisine are sub-par?”
  4604. >She cracks a playful smile.
  4605. >”Yeah.”
  4606. >You can’t say you’re surprised; she’s defiantly the kind of mare to tell it like it is.
  4607. >”What! You don’t even like hayburgers!”
  4608. “That’s because I don’t have the enzymes that allow me to digest beta-glucose Dash.”
  4609. >Her brow furrows in frustration.
  4610. >”Then just…I don’t know! Quit speaking nerd!”
  4611. >You move your free hand to rub her belly—turning her frown into a smile as she playfully fights your hand.
  4612. >She quickly abandons her resistance and meets your eyes with a dopey smile, her wings limp in relaxation.
  4613. “I don’t think you realize how much fun it is to annoy you.”
  4614. >The comment forces her smile a bit wider and she pokes at the tray on your lap.
  4615. >”Better eat up before it gets cold.”
  4616. “You didn’t make anything for yourself?”
  4617. >Her eyes divert and she fights a blush.
  4618. >”I’m n-not hungry…yet.”
  4619. “If you say so.”
  4620. >You give her a few concluding belly pats before digging in.
  4621. >After a few bites of everything, two things become apparent.
  4622. >Dash got salt on the peanut butter toast, and the eggs were amazing.
  4623. >You meet her expectant eyes and finish chewing.
  4624. >”This is really good, and I’m not just saying that because I love you.”
  4625. >Her blush escapes this time and she tucks her ears.
  4626. >”R-really?”
  4627. >You nod in assurance before selecting the toast for further consumption.
  4628. >Before you can stuff your face two blue hooves intercept your arm and Dash pulls it down to take a bite.
  4629. >You take the detour in stride and conclude your mission of stuffing your face.
  4630. >Both of you keep awkward eye contact as the sound of crunching toast echoes through the room.
  4631. >You finish first.
  4632. “Hungry now I take it?”
  4633. >”Heh, uh…I was just testing it to make sure it was…”
  4634. >She trails off as you bring the half-eaten toast back down in front of her muzzle.
  4635. >She looks questioningly at you and you poke her nose with it.
  4636. *crunch
  4637. >You chuckle to yourself as Dash graciously accepts your offering with greedy hooves.
  4638. >In less than a minute your plate is clean and Dash is nibbling at bread crumbs in her chest fur.
  4639. >You help her pick the last few out and down half of the juice before offering her the rest.
  4640. >She takes it without hesitation and sits up to keep from choking.
  4641. >Finally finished, you take the empty glass from her and the tray and set them on the floor next to your bed.
  4642. >You lean back using your arms as a headrest.
  4643. >Dash wiggles her way under the covers and lays her head across your bare chest, her chin resting on your sternum, peanut butter breath blowing across your face.
  4644. >You look into her eyes and share a smile.
  4645. >Neither of you spoke, but that didn’t make it awkward. The affection that hung thick in the air between you said enough.
  4646. >Of course, you couldn’t stay that way for long.
  4647. >You lean forward to kiss her and she springs up to reciprocate as if she’d been waiting for this moment all morning.
  4648. >Your lips meet and dance around like well acquainted partners, reveling in the simple joy of intimate touch.
  4649. >The kiss lasts for longer than you’d anticipated, but that wasn’t a bad thing.
  4650. >Rainbow finally gets her fill and breaks the embrace, returning to reality with flushed features and heavy breath.
  4651. >You spot a speck of peanut butter on her nose from earlier and flick it away with the tip of your tongue.
  4652. >She wipes her nose with a fore leg and cocks a grin at you.
  4653. >Whether she knew your intent or not she doesn’t hesitate to reciprocate and her tongue flicks out in a similar fashion.
  4654. >No matter what you did you just couldn’t one-up her with affection.
  4655. “I guess now would be a good time to thank you for the best breakfast I’ve ever had in my entire life.”
  4656. >Your flattering exaggeration carried enough truth to make her feel proud.
  4657. >”It’s just…I wanted to repay you for last night, you know, the dinner and…o-other stuff.”
  4658. >You bring a hand to cup her face and she looks down sheepishly at your chest.
  4659. “Dash, you don’t owe me anything, I did it because I wanted to.”
  4660. >”I know but you put so much effort into it and I didn’t even say thank you!”
  4661. “But you did thank me remember?”
  4662. >”Wha-what?”
  4663. “You thanked me when you smiled at me, when you kissed me…when you made love to me. You don’t have to say anything to thank someone.”
  4664. >You weren’t sure what spurred this somber turn of events, but you weren’t going to let it fly.
  4665. >Arms wrap her in a bear hug before she has a chance to argue her case.
  4666. >”Y-yeah…I guess—”
  4667. “—Shhhh.”
  4668. >”But I—“
  4669. “—Shhhhh!”
  4670. >”Okay geez.”
  4671. >She submits and lays against you for some early morning cuddles.
  4672. >Now’s a good time to start making good on your promise to find the rest of her freckles.
  4673. >Golden rays of morning sun pierce the gaps in your curtains and warm the end of your bed.
  4674. >Your eyes follow dust particles ducking in and out of the celestial light on unseen air currents.
  4675. >Fingers tickle a touchy spot on her back and her hind leg bucks under the covers.
  4676. >The resulting dust cloud momentarily passes through the beam before settling.
  4677. >Her breathing becomes more rhythmic as you keep playing around in her fur.
  4678. >Her beating chest starts to mirror yours and her tail occasionally swishes across your legs under the covers.
  4679. “Hey, if you want something more than half eaten toast we can go out and get you something.”
  4680. >She pokes her head up from under your chin and tries to focus on you.
  4681. >”Huh? Oh…no that’s fine.”
  4682. >She yawns as you go to scratch her ear.
  4683. “What do you want to eat then?”
  4684. >She grins and nudges your chin with her nose.
  4685. >”I was k-kinda hoping you uhh…had some more of that ice cream left over.”
  4686. >The sudden change in her demeanor surprises you and you stop your scratching.
  4687. >She flashes you a cocky grin.
  4688. >”Want me to check the freezer?”
  4689. “Uhh…n-no that…that won’t be necessary.”
  4690. >She hoofs your chest, ”Hahahaha! You’re such an idiot!”
  4691. >Before you have time to quip a response she lays a wet kiss on you and pushes off.
  4692. >She spins around and tucks under the sheets plopping back down on top of you once she’s done a one eighty.
  4693. “Dash what are you…whoa!”
  4694. >Her wet muzzle finally displays her motivations.
  4695. “Gah! Dash I freaking love you!”
  4696. >Her giggle sends a shudder through your body as much as hers.
  4697. >Unable to rest with her butt that close to your face you let your own appetite get the better of you.
  4698. >You lift her prismatic tail out of the way to reveal your half-dried painting.
  4699. “Dash, I’ve got to-ahhh!…a-ask you something?”
  4700. >You feel her ministrations stop though you can’t see her face behind the sheet.
  4701. “How much do you plan on walking today?”
  4702. >You feel her snort against you and her tail twitches in your grasp.
  4703. >”Not one bit.”
  4704.  
  4705. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
  4706.  
  4707. ”I thought you said you didn’t have to do any walking today!”
  4708. >You yell down the hallway as you search the dresser for your favorite shirt.
  4709. >Her scratchy voice echoes back.
  4710. >”I’m not walking I’m flying!”
  4711. “You’ll have to walk when we get there!”
  4712. >”Well…it’ll be busy no pony’ll notice!”
  4713. >Her lingering sensitivity was incredibly cute to watch, but it would definitely draw some questions in public.
  4714. >Hopefully she’d be over it by then, or the party would be so busy no one would notice.
  4715. >Speaking of which, apparently birthday parties for alligators were a thing here.
  4716. >You weren’t keen on going to begin with, primarily because you’d planned to spend your last off-day alone with your pegasus.
  4717. >The other reason was because the eccentric pony that was hosting tended to get on your nerves after a while.
  4718. >But Rainbow wanted to go and she wanted you to come with her; you weren’t about to turn her down.
  4719. >Besides, it would be good to get out for a change and work on your sociability. It’s not like you wouldn’t be with her anyways.
  4720. >You hear the bathroom sink finally turn off.
  4721. “What if someone does notice though? I mean, you can’t exactly pass it off as sore legs.”
  4722. >You’re met with unusual silence as you move on to another drawer in search of your shirt.
  4723. >Hooves land on your shoulders and her muzzle pokes your ear—her stealthy approach taking you by surprise.
  4724. >”Then we’ll have to tell them every little detail.”
  4725. >Her ticklish breath forces a grin from you and you grab hold of her hooves.
  4726. “So you want me to tell them how you screamed like a little filly when I—”
  4727. >”—You can leave that part out.”
  4728. “Hahaha, if it comes to that I’ll just let you do all the talking. Sound good?”
  4729. >”Heheh, yeah you’d better.”
  4730. >She nips playfully at your ear before lowering herself and heading into the kitchen intent on depriving you of more food.
  4731. >You return to your own agenda.
  4732. “Dash have you seen my white and black striped button up?”
  4733. >The rustling in the kitchen pauses while she thinks.
  4734. >”Uhh…I don’t know what you’re talking about!”
  4735. “You know, the one I wear almost every day…the one you tore the button off of.”
  4736. >She laughs nervously at the sincerity of your comment.
  4737. >”Oh haha! Yeah that one.”
  4738. >Your movements become more frustrated as your searching reveals nothing.
  4739. “I remember throwing it in the hamper the day before your show, but it wasn’t in the wash when I did laundry.”
  4740. >”Yeah, um…we’re kinda running late already so just pick out another one, I’ll help you look when we get back.”
  4741. >You let out a defeated sigh and humbly comply.
  4742. >A few minutes later you’re walking down Ponyville Main st. in a child’s medium manticore t-shirt.
  4743. >Even with the age difference the neck size on manticores was huge compared to yours.
  4744. >Luckily most ponies didn’t know what it was supposed to look like or didn’t care, and you walked through the streets largely unnoticed.
  4745. >“Hurry up, we’re already late!”
  4746. >Powerful gusts of air flattens your hair and kicks up dirt as the exasperated Wonderbolt orbits around your head.
  4747. “It’s not my fault you waited until midmorning to remember the party.”
  4748. >”Well…you made me forget it!”
  4749. >You smile up at her.
  4750. “Can’t you just enjoy a nice leisurely stroll on a sunny day?”
  4751. >”You don’t understand Anon we’re gonna be last!”
  4752. “We might to be late, but I doubt we’ll be last.”
  4753. >”They why are you still walking?”
  4754. “Because if I ran then I’d be giving into peer pressure.”
  4755. >”Arrrrgh!”
  4756. “But…”
  4757. >Her ears perk up and she hovers in place.
  4758. “…If someone were to treat me to a chocolate chip cookie later that might convince me to pick up my pace.”
  4759. >She squints at you with crossed forelegs.
  4760. >”One cookie.”
  4761. “Mhm,” you nod.
  4762. >”And not any super expensive imported Zebraland flavors.”
  4763. “I didn’t know they had such a thing, but chocolate chip will suffice.”
  4764. >She seems to mull it over for a moment, and if you looked hard enough you could read the slightest hint of a smirk that gave away her nearly impeccable act.
  4765. >”Fine…but you’d better run.”
  4766. “Deal.”
  4767. >You hold out a fist and she bumps it to seal the deal.
  4768. >You take a deep breath before taking off down the street, Dash’s powerful flapping following close behind.
  4769. >You’d thought your relationship would’ve put an end to your old antics, but she was still your best friend.
  4770. >The little bet was completely irrelevant of course.
  4771. >There was absolutely no need to reimburse each other for favors, but the obvious underlying trust that came along with the playful banter seemed to make it more fun.
  4772. >You round the corner to Pinkie’s place and Dash shoots past you.
  4773. >She finishes the one-sided race about twenty seconds ahead, and comes to a stop in front of the door.
  4774. >Fulfilling your end of the deal, you sprint all the way to the mock finish line before coming to a stop.
  4775. >”Eh, that was kinda slow…don’t know if I’d consider it running.”
  4776. “Don’t try an weasel *huff…your way out of it, you owe me.”
  4777. >”Yeah…you’re right. You were only about a minute behind me that time.”
  4778. “A minute! That was like ten seconds! You can’t…”
  4779. >”All I hear are excuses Anon.”
  4780. >You scowl down at her and she returns the look until some pony approaching breaks your trance.
  4781. >The colorful mare was second guessing herself as she looked at Wonderbolt and an alien standing between her and the door.
  4782. >”Oh I’m sorry, but do you know where the birthday party’s being held? I think I got the wrong address,” She asks timidly.
  4783. >”No the party’s right through here,” Dash points towards the door that contained muffled laughter, “Don’t mind us we’re just arguing over how much I won by.”
  4784. >Her sly comment refreshes your scowl.
  4785. >The mare giggles nervously and you move to open the door for her.
  4786. >The moment you do sounds of the ruckus inside increases tenfold.
  4787. >Its like the walls were soundproofed; almost as if she held a party every other day of the week.
  4788. “After you Ma’am.”
  4789. >You complete your charade with a short bow, and the tri-colored earth pony giggles at your antics.
  4790. >”My, such a gentle colt…hehe”
  4791. >She flashes you a flirty smile as she trots past.
  4792. >You keep it open and look to your azure companion.
  4793. “Ms. Dash.”
  4794. >She struts by purposefully exaggerating her hip sway and stretching her neck to show off.
  4795. >She pauses in front of you to twirl her hair with a hoof and batt her eyelashes in mock flirtation.
  4796. >”My, such a gentle colt…hehehe!”
  4797. >Her voice was artificially raised to mimic your tan admirer.
  4798. >You hold your stoic look as any true gentleman would…until she flicks your chin with her tail.
  4799. *smack
  4800. >A stout spank to her furry blue globe sends her skittering through the door.
  4801. >You follow her inside just as she whirls around furiously—her tail tucked between her legs.
  4802. >If looks could kill you might regret your actions. But they couldn’t, and her indignant rage was cute.
  4803. >Liking her when she was mad was probably right up there with liking cigarettes when it came to your health.
  4804. >But your grandpa smoked a pack a day and lived to be ninety-six so you figure luck runs in your blood.
  4805. “Dang Dash that had some jiggle, I think you’ve been putting on some weight.”
  4806. >Everyone inside was far to involved in their own conversations and games to pay any mind to either of you, but Dash kept her voice checked anyways.
  4807. >”Anon I swear…”
  4808. >Her magenta eyes portrayed a surprising mix of emotions.
  4809. >Something told you that if you weren’t in public, her reaction might’ve been different.
  4810. “Please don’t there might be children around.”
  4811. >Her eyes narrow further and she takes a deep breath to give you a piece of her mind.
  4812. >”Rainbow Dash!”
  4813. >The shrill voice of a pink sugar-strung pony saves you before Dash can make you regret your actions.
  4814. >More surprised than you were, Dash turns around just in time to get tackled by her friend.
  4815. >”Haha, how ya doing Pinkie?”
  4816. >”I’m doing great of course! But you really should be asking Gummy because its his birthday and I just bought all the party stuff for him since he can’t make transactions with legal tender—or illegal tender for that matter, Anon!”
  4817. >What.
  4818. >You look to Dash only to see she’s just as lost as you are.
  4819. “What?”
  4820. >”I haven’t seen you in forever have you been hiding in your alien spaceship or something?”
  4821. “I-I…”
  4822. >”Just kidding of course you don’t have one otherwise you would’ve conquered the world already.”
  4823. “Heh, yeah.”
  4824. >”Oh! Why don’t you come over and drop off your presents for Gummy then you can get some snacks!”
  4825. >”Umm well…”
  4826. >Dash looks up at you for answers, she obviously forgot the whole present thing. Luckily for her you weren’t as absent-minded.
  4827. >You just grin and wink at her, effectively telling her you got it covered.
  4828. >”…yeah, sure.”
  4829. >Pinkie leads the way through the crowd to a corner of the room where the little green lizard creature was sprawled across his offerings, gnawing on a still wrapped gift.
  4830. >”Gummy! Look, uncle Anon and aunt Rainbow are here!”
  4831. >You reach in your pocket and withdraw a small rubber band ball you grabbed off your work desk before you left. You crouch down to hold it out to the reptile.
  4832. >He remains motionless for a moment while you watch the reflection of your hand wave in front of his lidless eyes.
  4833. >Before you can recoil he snatches the rubber ball from between your fingers and begins thrashing around with it.
  4834. >”Omigosh he loves it!”
  4835. “I’m glad, we both chipped in on that one,” You nudge your feathery friend with and elbow and smile.
  4836. >Dash finally swallows her pride from earlier and returns a grateful smirk.
  4837. >”Wow, if you two make presents this good then you’d make great babies!”
  4838. >And on that note Pinkie leaves you two to check up on one of her countless other social circles.
  4839. >A madly blushing Dash turns to you and lifts up a wing to shield her conversation.
  4840. >”T-That’s not p-possible is it? I-I mean I’m not actually going to get pregnant right?” She urgently whispers.
  4841. >Your own flushed features told her you were also grateful for the privacy of her wing.
  4842. “She’s just joking, I’m pretty sure it’s impossible.”
  4843. >You’d laugh at her unfounded fear, but you were busy trying to suppress some very vivid and recent memories.
  4844. >Her minty breath assaults you again.
  4845. >”How sure’s pretty sure?’”
  4846. >”Well well well if it isn’t Ms. Crash herself and her number one fan!”
  4847. >Oh shit you recognize that voice.
  4848. >Dash freezes and her ears perk up in a panic, eyes stare wide at yours.
  4849. >”What kinda steamy secrets you think they’re sharing under there Soarin?”
  4850. >”I don’t know but I doubt they’re gonna stay for the whole party if you know what I mean.”
  4851. >How the hell did two Wonderbolts get invited to a gecko’s birthday party?
  4852. >Obviously her team knew about your relationship, but her other friends definitely didn’t…except maybe Rarity, and now apparently Pinkie.
  4853. >You weren’t particularly opposed to making your relationship public, but Dash was a bit self-conscious with that kind of stuff.
  4854. >Of course you both knew it would get out eventually, you just wanted to be able to choose when and where.
  4855. >Now you might not have that option.
  4856. >Dash’s wide eyes told you she really wasn’t ready for this.
  4857. >But Fleetfoot’s teasing voice reminded you that life isn’t fair.
  4858. >”Hmm, you think they’re busy making out or just ignoring us?”
  4859. >”Maybe…what are the kids doing nowadays? Prench something or other…”
  4860. >Dash snaps her wing back to her side and clears her throat to talk.
  4861. >”Fleetfoot, Soarin! I didn’t know you two were going to be here haha!”
  4862. >Fleetfoot nudges her grey companion.
  4863. >”Looks like they finally came up for air.”
  4864. >Oh this was going to be rough.
  4865. >”It’s not what it looked like!”
  4866. >”Perception is reality; that’s the first rule of airshows. Come on crash don’t tell me you slept through every lesson.”
  4867. >Soarin smiles provokingly at the both of you as Dash stutters to come up with a rebuttal.
  4868. “But all judgement is subjective to the individual who’s world views are shaped by past experiences.”
  4869. >You knew that philosophy class would pay off eventually.
  4870. >”Yeah what he said!” Dash quips.
  4871. >You contain your smile as you watch Soarin struggle for a valid comeback.
  4872. >Fleetfoot turns to the weak link, “So you guys don’t make out in public then?”
  4873. >”No of course not, what kind of mare do you think…”
  4874. >Dash catches herself before she can finish her confession, but the message was already out.
  4875. >A powerful blush quickly begins to contrast her blue fur, and Fleetfoot only grins wider.
  4876. >It was as if the teal pegasus sucked the last remaining confidence from your blue one.
  4877. >Fleetfoot hoofs her shoulder, ”Hahaha! Chill a bit Dash, you two are cute together! Look at em’ Soarin aren’t they cute?”
  4878. >”Like two peas in a pod. They’ll be getting married in no time.”
  4879. >And you thought he was going to be a bro.
  4880. >You shoot him a ‘really’ look, but he just laughs it off.
  4881. >”Almost as cute as in the Hotel when…”
  4882. >”Shush!”
  4883. >Dash explodes to cover Fleetfoot’s muzzle with a hoof and half the room falls silent to look your direction.
  4884. >”Oh you-mm muh not’ve-mmpf tolhd em,” the pegasus manages as Dash follows her muzzle around with a panicked hoof.
  4885. “Told me what?”
  4886. >Soarin looks on in similar bewilderment.
  4887. >”Whatever it is, it’s news to me.”
  4888. >Most of the ponies return to their conversations, but Dash was still actively suppressing Fleetfoot’s freedom of speech.
  4889. >You’d step in, but it was far to entertaining.
  4890. >Fleetfoot finally pins Dash’s fore hooves to the ground and spills the beans.
  4891. >”She wrapped your shirt around the pillow to give it your smell, then she fell asleep hugging it!”
  4892. >So that’s where your button up disappeared to.
  4893. >Dash was too mortified to keep resisting and went back to her full time job of being embarrassed.
  4894. >”She was all mumbling and cooing in her sleep. I’ve never seen a pony that lovesick.”
  4895. >You manage to catch Dash’s sheepish eyes sitting atop furry seas of crimson red.
  4896. >You couldn’t be mad about the shirt. Dash probably appreciated it more than you did anyways.
  4897. >Unfortunately your smile is unable to affect her frozen figure.
  4898. >Fleetfoot sees what you see and takes some pity on the tortured mare.
  4899. >”Aww come on Dash it’s not that bad, lets go get you something to drink and loosen up a bit. Come on.”
  4900. >She nudges your mare to follow alongside her and Dash doesn’t bother to fight it.
  4901. >Soarin lets out a deep breath next to you—reminding you he was still there.
  4902. >”Well, never seen that before.”
  4903. “Yeah, that was…surprising to say the least.”
  4904. >”What do you say we hit the snack bar, give em’ some space to sort things out.”
  4905. “Fine by me.”
  4906. >Soaring leads the way to the nearest table covered in sweets, and you numbly follow.
  4907. >You grab a few candies, but you’re primarily focused on digesting your most recent revelation.
  4908. >Who would’ve thought a crocodile’s birthday party could be this crazy.
  4909. “So how’d you know Dash and I were going to be here?”
  4910. >Soarin doesn’t bother looking at you as he leans across the snack trays to inspect a row of pastries.
  4911. >”We didn’t.”
  4912. “So I take it you know gluey then?”
  4913. >”Yeah sure I know Gummy.”
  4914. >Gummy, right.
  4915. “I’m sorry, I just have a hard time picturing how two Wonderbolts ended up at a chameleon’s—
  4916. >”—Crocodile’s.”
  4917. “…crocodile’s birthday party.”
  4918. >He finally chooses his victim and turns to meet your eyes.
  4919. >”Not any less likely than an a alien and a wonderbolt.”
  4920. >He did have a point.
  4921. >”We uhh, the train stopped here on the way Back from Appaloosa and I noticed a massive banner advertising free party pastries.”
  4922. ”Pinkie solicited her pet’s birthday party on public transportation routes?”
  4923. >”I guess that’s one way to put it, either way we couldn’t turn it down.”
  4924. “Yeah…”
  4925. >Soarin digs into his cherry croissant and you turn to survey the crowd.
  4926. ”So Fleefoot is—“
  4927. >”—Putting her law degree to work and helping me clear up some family matters, wills and such.”
  4928. >You would’ve never pinned the blithe mare as a lawyer.
  4929. “Oh, so you’re not together?”
  4930. >”Well…not officially, the ‘Bolts don’t really tolerate teamcest, uhh…mixing personal lives with work. It’s complicates things when ponies start playing favorites.”
  4931. “That makes sense I guess.”
  4932. >You pause to stuff your mouth with some licorice.
  4933. >A myriad of colorful ponies are engaged in various conversations and several glance over to briefly catch your eye.
  4934. >You’d grown accustomed to your relative height advantage, but you never felt natural—especially in crowds.
  4935. >Luckily most ponies who weren’t already used to you were cordial enough not to stare.
  4936. >The little equines were on the smaller end of all the fantastical species you’d seen; the average stallion was a smidgen taller than you on his hind legs, and the average mare, a few inches shorter.
  4937. >Ironically, you’d be in an even more awkward predicament if you were in a Griffin home.
  4938. >They were much taller on all fours, but their architecture seemed to prefer the sheltered feel of a low roof.
  4939. >Most of the diverse places like Ponyville sported high ceilings and windows in order to accommodate pegasi.
  4940. >The clearance wasn’t for flying though, it aimed instead to ease the instinctive discomfort the winged creatures had for enclosures.
  4941. >You finally look to a particular set of colors that had never left the corner of your eye since they’d parted your presence.
  4942. >Dash was standing next to the bar with Fleetfoot and Fluttershy…Applejack was on her way to join in.
  4943. >She’s got her back to you but you don’t need to see her expression to know her company isn’t letting her catch a break.
  4944. >Her tail sways nervously and her wings are held tensely to her torso.
  4945. >Ears twitch and turn to whomever happens to be talking to her.
  4946. >You never would’ve noticed these intimations a few months ago, but your friendship with Rainbow had forced some learning.
  4947. >Living with hear had forced some more.
  4948. >You tell yourself not to stare, but you can’t help it.
  4949. >”So is it everything you ever hoped for?”
  4950. >Soarin finishes wiping some cherry filling from the corner of his smirking mouth.
  4951. “Is what?”
  4952. >He wags his eyebrows towards Dash and his smirk widens.
  4953. “Y-yeah. She’s a lot of fun,” You respond with a blush hoping he’d accept your cop-out.
  4954. >”Aww come on you’re totally shaggin!”
  4955. >You choke on a bit of spit and look down to kick some dirt off your shoes.
  4956. >He wasn’t going to drop it.
  4957. *cough-“Yeah it’s amazing,” You reply under your breath.
  4958. >”Hahaha! I knew it!”
  4959. >You look around nervously as he entertains himself.
  4960. “Why don’t you tell the whole world while you’re at it.”
  4961. >”Oh it’s not me you gotta look out for…”
  4962. >He nods back towards the familiar group of mares, in particular, Fleetfoot.
  4963. >”Before the party’s over everyone at that bar’s gonna know about you two.”
  4964. >You nervously scratch the back of your head. Your initial feelings towards going public were starting to give way to self-consciousness.
  4965. >No doubt everyone would be thinking the same thing you were.
  4966. >She’s way out of your league.
  4967. >”You know I’d thought up a few tips for you for the next time we met, but from what I heard, you don’t need ‘em.”
  4968. “Tips for what…oh, I’d like to hear them.”
  4969. >Part of you wanted to sprint to the end of the awkward conversation, but another part was curious as to what you might be missing out on.
  4970. >”Nah trust me, it’s more fun to figure it out for yourself.”
  4971. “You’re speaking from experience?”
  4972. >He quirks an eyebrow at you before returning his gaze to the rambunctious crowd.
  4973. >”Parents really sheltered me; I didn’t figure it out until I watched my academy roommate’s get frisky.”
  4974. >You quirk a brow at him.
  4975. >Uhh…coed dorms,” He replies to your unspoken question.
  4976. “I guarantee you’re still light-years ahead of me.”
  4977. >”Light Years?”
  4978. “It means like…way ahead.”
  4979. >The mild confusion leaves his features.
  4980. >”Yeah well, perks of not being born yesterday.”
  4981. >You snort, “I’m sure things get pretty crazy turing training.”
  4982. >”Yeah but we’re not talking about me here.”
  4983. >Dammit so close.
  4984. >”Dang…so she finished first? Even with her stamina?”
  4985. >You avoid eye contact.
  4986. What kind of rumors were going around up there?
  4987. “Um…yeah I guess.”
  4988. >That got his attention.
  4989. >”Heh, if you can keep pace with her then you might be one of the few guys I know who can handle a herd.”
  4990. “A herd?”
  4991. >”Yep, a herd.”
  4992. “Like…multiple mares?”
  4993. >He nods.
  4994. >”You’ll find most mares are willing as long as you can give ‘em their share of attention. But you gotta be a pretty big family colt to pull it off, you know with all the late hours and stuff.”
  4995. “Interesting.”
  4996. >”I was thinking about starting one up when I retired, but I’m already getting my flank kicked by the briefing room staircase.”
  4997. >You can’t imagine Dash to be the type that would go for that—you know you wouldn’t.
  4998. >The male-female ratio was a bit biased towards the fairer sex, but the herding tradition was a holdover from much earlier times when fillies had a higher survival rate than colts.
  4999. >At least that’s what Twilight told you.
  5000. >But more importantly, the thought of giving Dash any less than all your affection was…revolting.
  5001. “I don’t think I’m the type.”
  5002. >”Really? Well I guess you do have your hooves full.”
  5003. “It’s not easy.”
  5004. >That was a lie, loving her was the easiest thing you’ve ever done.
  5005. >”Well they say the hotter they are the rougher they get…”
  5006. >He leaves the statement open ended.
  5007. >You almost told him your observations thus far were the exact opposite, but that was between you and Dash.
  5008. “It’s a one-of-a-kind experience.”
  5009. >”I mean I’ve been with my share of mares but each one’s different.”
  5010. >You just nod and awkwardly turn to browse the snack table you’d been leaning against.
  5011. >”The only mare I ever knew that I could manage that with was as loose as a manticore…”
  5012. >Did he just imply that—
  5013. >”…but that sure ain’t the case with Crash. That girl’s as green as they come.”
  5014. >Good, you feared you might have to confront him over his implications.
  5015. >His tone returns more somber as he stares blankly at his second pastry.
  5016. >”Poor thing…she ever tell you about her past relationships?”
  5017. >Now this piqued your interest.
  5018. “Just that she didn’t get very far.”
  5019. >”Hah! That’s an understatement. I doubt she got so much as a kiss out of a stallion before they were out the door.”
  5020. >Conflicting emotions welled up inside you.
  5021. >On one hand you were happy to be her only intimate experience.
  5022. >But on the other she must’ve suffered through a lot of loneliness.
  5023. “Why?”
  5024. >He pauses.
  5025. >”I don’t know, but whatever it is I’m glad you don’t see it. She’s an honest girl and she deserves a good stallion.”
  5026. “Heh, I’m no stallion but I’ll definitely be good to her.”
  5027. >”Good ‘because I’ll lump you up if you break her heart,” His serious tone grabs your attention.
  5028. >It’s just like you imagined her father would sound.
  5029. “You won’t have to worry about that.”
  5030. >He nods and takes a bite.
  5031. >Dash had since migrated into a larger group that contained the rest of her friends.
  5032. >You could only pick out snippets of her tail and mane…and an eye?
  5033. >She cranes her neck a bit to look at you with perked ears and you wink at her.
  5034. >She just blushes and disappears again amidst a circle of giggles.
  5035. >Crazy mares.
  5036. >”Ahem…excuse me…Anun?”
  5037. >That voice sounded familiar.
  5038. >You look over to see the multicolored mare from earlier standing uncomfortably close even by pony standards.
  5039. “Yes?”
  5040. >”That is how you pronounce it right?”
  5041. “Close enough.”
  5042. >She shuffles nervously but her gamey smirk never leaves her muzzle.
  5043. >”My name is Fire Grass, I just wanted to say thanks for getting the door earlier.”
  5044. >Your supreme situational awareness makes you glimpse a few unfamiliar mares at the edge of the crowd giggling and watching your exchange.
  5045. >This was trouble.
  5046. “It was a common courtesy,” You bluntly offer.
  5047. >She giggles and looks up at you with dilated eyes.
  5048. >You had to admit she was a bit cute, but so was every other tiny pony in this room.
  5049. >”Maybe for you it is, but we don’t get many gentle colt’s around here.”
  5050. >”I wonder why…” Soarin mumbles behind you, but she doesn’t notice.
  5051. “Well I’m sorry to hear that, look I’m—“
  5052. >”—I know the bartender and I can get us a good deal on some ale…if you want.”
  5053. >You know where this is going and you rush to think of a way to decline her offer.
  5054. >Not only was Equestrian alcohol the nastiest thing you’d ever tasted, but you would bet that walking in Dash’s direction with her at your side would lead to a bloodbath.
  5055. >But all things considered you wanted to avoid hurting her feelings, after all, she didn’t know you were here with someone else.
  5056. >Soarin wasn’t going to be any help, he wanted to see how you handled it.
  5057. >You take a deep breath.
  5058. >You can’t make everyone happy.
  5059. “Sorry but I’m with—“
  5060. >”—What’s up?” Dash interjects sarcastically.
  5061. >Blue legs deliberately plod through the parting crowd.
  5062. >You flinch upon hearing her snappy voice.
  5063. >But only feel temporary relief when you realize it’s not directed at you.
  5064. >”Uhh I-I-I’m just m-making conversation!”
  5065. >The mare flinches when she see’s Dash’s fiery magenta eyes.
  5066. >She had put two and two together. Your marefreind was the Rainbow Dash.
  5067. >The rest of Dash’s companions break through the crowd ready to back up their friend, but stop once they take stock of the situation.
  5068. >This wasn’t something they wanted in on lest they end up as collateral.
  5069. >”About the weather or about gettin laid.”
  5070. >Geez she was harsh.
  5071. >You can’t help but notice your guardian pegasus had maneuvered to angle herself in front of you.
  5072. >If she’d ever been embarrassed about public displays of affection, she’d gotten over it.
  5073. >That, or she knew no one would dare tease her about it now.
  5074. >”Do you think you can just do whatever and no pony would care!”
  5075. >”I-I-I’m sorry I-I didn’t kn-know.”
  5076. >That just made your blue fireball madder.
  5077. >The poor earth pony was actually losing ground to Dash’s stare—like a dog cowering from a vacuum cleaner.
  5078. >You’d never seen her this possessive before, not even when she chucked that fork.
  5079. >But she didn’t stoop to the level of compromising her posture. She had total dominance over her opponent just by voice and reputation alone.
  5080. >If there was one thing your mare knew how to do it was steal the show.
  5081. >”I didn’t k-know he was w-with you!”
  5082. >The dynamics of the cat fight were too numerous for your alien mind to count, but you manage to pick out a very prominent one.
  5083. >You hated to judge ponies by it, but it didn’t take a native to know that your mare friend easily had the advantage in the looks category.
  5084. >”So you would’ve done the same to any other mare? Is that what you’re saying?”
  5085. >”N-no I asked about you I-I just—“
  5086. >”—Anon…”
  5087. >Rainbow’s interjects your name with only a hint of zest.
  5088. >”…Did she ask about me at all?”
  5089. >You hesitate to respond despite the obvious answer.
  5090. >You had no idea what they were talking about, how this other mare could possibly know about Dash, or what bearing it had on the situation.
  5091. >But it was obvious that your response could decide the fate of the quaking earth pony staring up at you.
  5092. >”She asked if I wanted to head over to the bar where you were at.”
  5093. >Hopefully your careful wording would mitigate some of the violence, but it was out of your hands now.
  5094. >Dash turns back and takes a moment to scrutinize the other mare.
  5095. >”Keep. Your flank. Away from him,” She finishes sternly.
  5096. >The other mare turns tail and skitters for the door, her speechless friends hot on her heels.
  5097. >Her eyes shift to the quiet onlookers staring at you, they hastily return to their conversations.
  5098. >Dash turns to check you over—the softness in her eyes tempered with concern.
  5099. >Her quick appraisal concludes and she trots up to hug your waist.
  5100. >Her friends start to head your way, but Rarity says something that holds them back.
  5101. >You shun a few onlookers and crouch down to properly return the hug, but Dash pulls back.
  5102. >Her face was a mixture of lingering concern and relief.
  5103. >”Don’t hold doors open anymore.”
  5104. >She actually sounded pretty shaken up.
  5105. So you try not to smile, “I promise, not even for you.”
  5106. >She barely smirks at your joke.
  5107. >”I’m serious Anon, that mare was a total slut.”
  5108. “Hahaha! Okay Dash but don’t you think that’s a bit much?”
  5109. >She quirks her brow at you clearly not understanding.
  5110. “I mean she couldn’t have known about us.”
  5111. >Her eyes briefly squint before widening.
  5112. >”Oh haha! This is great!”
  5113. >You shoot Soarin an annoyed look.
  5114. >”You might need some of those tips after all!”
  5115. >”Aw Clipper leave us alone!”
  5116. ”Tips about what?” Something was clearly going over your head here.
  5117. >”Uhh…Anon?”
  5118. >Your mare steals your undivided attention.
  5119. “Yeah?”
  5120. >”You know all those times when uhh…”
  5121. >She looks to the floor and blushes a bit; her voice returns in a directed whisper.
  5122. >”…when we uhh…h-hugg and n-nuzzle a-and stuff?”
  5123. “…Yeah?”
  5124. >”…You ever notice how…h-how I always d-do that when you like, g-get outta the shower?”
  5125. “Yeah what about it?”
  5126. >She looks like she’s about to confess to murder.
  5127. >”I-I was um…we’re…we m-marked each other.”
  5128. >You get the feeling that is the part where a light bulb is supposed to come on and you suddenly get overcome with a new outlook on life.
  5129. >But you still don’t get it.
  5130. “What’s that mean?”
  5131. >”Heheheh!”
  5132. >Your darting glare silences Soarin who was munching on some cookies like he was in the theater.
  5133. >But the true victim is the one who had to break her facade to explain the nuances of your own relationship to you.
  5134. >”S-so pretty much y-you carry my scent a-and…other ponies k-know that you…y-you’re with some pony.”
  5135. >Things were slowly falling into place.
  5136. “So you’re saying that that mare did know about you?”
  5137. >Dash nods.
  5138. >”Well she didn’t know it was me, but she knew it was some pony.”
  5139. “And she hit on me anyways?”
  5140. >She nods again.
  5141. >So that was the poor mare’s great sin.
  5142. >”And she smelled like other stallions…m-more than one.”
  5143. >Wow, you suddenly get overcome with a new outlook on life.
  5144. >It was like you’d grown up reading braille and just realized that books meant things too.
  5145. “I guess I just can’t pick that up…” You say to no one in particular.
  5146. >”Probably cuz you’re nose is so small dude.”
  5147. >You look at Soarin who just shrugs at his own comment.
  5148. >Dash’s friends were still keeping their distance but obviously eavesdropping.
  5149. >You lower your voice when you turn back to your flustered pegasus.
  5150. “Wait so what was the whole thing about her asking about you?”
  5151. >She looks at you like you’re dumb.
  5152. >”What don’t tell me humans have never heard of manners before either?”
  5153. >”He’s probably never heard of herds before Rainbow.”
  5154. >She looks at Soarin, and he answers his own proposition.
  5155. >”Typically any mare would want to talk with the mares already in the relationship before they approach the stallion.”
  5156. >Oh. Like some kind of seniority thing.
  5157. “Ok, I think I get it now. Sorry to stir things up.”
  5158. >”Ask him if he wants to make it up to you in the hotel across the street.”
  5159. >”Fleetfoot! It’s bad enough I have to room with you on trips, the least you could do is leave me alone for ten bucking seconds!”
  5160. >”She sounds a bit worked up Fleet.”
  5161. >”Should be working out if you know what I’m saying. Really helps with the stress.”
  5162. >The vicious circle of verbal fencing continues between the Wonderbolts and you take the opportunity to excuse yourself from the spotlight.
  5163. >You retreat to the opposite end of the snack bar to recover.
  5164. >By now it’s almost barren and most of the party had consolidated to small social circles.
  5165. >This whole thing just an excuse for a get-together.
  5166. >That crocodile was probably a hundred by now.
  5167. >A soft voice comes from your side.
  5168. >”Umm…Anun…excuse me.”
  5169. >Not again.
  5170. >You look over to see Rainbow’s timid yellow friend next to you.
  5171. >Your relief was evident in your voice.
  5172. “Hey Fluttershy, what’s up?”
  5173. >You strain to hear her quiet reply over the din of the room.
  5174. >”I don’t mean to bother you, but I wanted to speak with you if you have a minute.”
  5175. “Of course take two if you need to.”
  5176. >”I was…well, I’ve known Rainbow ever since we were fillies, and I’ve never seen her like this before.”
  5177. “I haven’t either, that’s the second time she’s gone off on someone.”
  5178. >”That’s not what I meant…” She swipes her hair across her muzzle, “…she’s never been this um…interested in some pony before.”
  5179. >Your receptiveness prompts her further.
  5180. >”She’s always been a loyal friend, and I think she’s been waiting until she found some pony who was just as devoted as she was.”
  5181. “She is pretty passionate about her interests.”
  5182. >”She’s invested a lot into you, for a lot longer than you think, and…I just wanted to make sure you know that now before you have to make any important decisions.”
  5183. >You muster as much sincerity as you can and look her in the eye.
  5184. “Thank you Fluttershy, I appreciate it.”
  5185. >A smile surfaces on her sober exterior and she trots away.
  5186. >Well this sure turned out to be a busy party.
  5187. >And to think you almost went back to sleep instead.
  5188. >Fluttershy apparently knew about Dash’s feelings for you even long before you did.
  5189. >Maybe your relationship wasn’t a secret after all.
  5190. >Maybe Dash just wasn’t comfortable in public like that.
  5191. >You let your thoughts carry you until they bore.
  5192. >You return to the rambunctious group and finish the night on a lighter note—laughing and joking until nearly everyone else had left.
  5193. >Eventually the core group starts to break up and leave for home and in no time at all you’re waving goodbye as you exit the door behind Dash.
  5194. >You start your long walk home and Dash falls in line with you.
  5195. >You look down at her and she looks up—stumbling as she does.
  5196. “Dash I think you’re a bit drunk.”
  5197. >”I am not!” She snorts.
  5198. “Then do a wing flip right now.”
  5199. >You were well acquainted with her abilities when she was drunk, and the short airborne loop wasn’t on her inebriated repertoire.
  5200. >”No.”
  5201. “I’ll spot you if you’re worried.”
  5202. >”M’not worried, just don’t want to.”
  5203. “I bet you’re completely numb right now.”
  5204. >”No. I’m not.”
  5205. >You continue walking in silence and enjoying the cool night sky as Dash drifts closer and closer to your stabilizing hip.
  5206. >You learned to avoid calling her a lightweight a long time ago, but that’s what she was.
  5207. >You reach out to lay a bracing palm on her withers, but she dodges away—intent on proving she was fine.
  5208. >After a dozen yards she begins to narrow her steps, swaying her hips and tail as she moseys along beside you.
  5209. >”Heheh, I don’t feel the tingling from this morning anymore.”
  5210. “Hmmm…maybe because you’re drunk?”
  5211. >She crashes back into your hip and leans into you more than was necessary for stability.
  5212. >”Or maayyybe, that means it’s time for round two-no, three…wait what are we on now?”
  5213. “Four,” You ruffle her mane.
  5214. >”Heh…round four.”
  5215. “I don’t know I’m pretty wore out and I’ve got work tomorrow,” You grind down at her.
  5216. >”Oh yeah…that’s too bad.”
  5217. >You soak up the sight of her sarcastic, pretty little face
  5218. >You finished the short walk back to your apartment with your mind on what the morning might bring.
  5219. >One hand was in your pocket, the other rested on your azure companion.
  5220. >You draw in a deep breath of the crisp night air.
  5221. >Tomorrow was a pretty big day. You’re about to start a job appointed to you by the princess herself, and the expectations of you were pretty high.
  5222. >Apparently being an alien meant you knew things no one else did.
  5223. >In any other situation you’d find a way to stress yourself out about it, but right now you can’t bring yourself to worry.
  5224. >You look down at your blue partner.
  5225. >She’s got her eyes closed and her side is brushing against your swinging leg for balance; your hand on her nape helps guide her hooves.
  5226. >A short smile graces her muzzle.
  5227. >She looked more tired now than when you left the party, and your fine tuning could tell that she probably wasn’t serious about her earlier jabs.
  5228. >She always wanted to present herself to you when she was at her best.
  5229. >And despite her cocksure attitude about everything, she had a pretty good idea of when she was on top of her game.
  5230. >She knew by now that you didn’t care about any of that, but she was much more of a romantic than she let on and inebriated copulation was not something she’d consider ideal.
  5231. >Your legs get out of sync and her lighter one stumbles around your heavier one—forcing her to fall into you.
  5232. >Her eyes jolt open and a wing half-extends for balance.
  5233. >She looks up with a snort and a guilty smirk, “Watch where you’re walking.”
  5234. “You’ve got twice the legs I think it’s your responsibility to look out.”
  5235. >She bumps into your thigh again.
  5236. >”No that means I’ve got the right-a-way doofus.”
  5237. “I’m pretty sure the rules always favor the more handicapped individual…doofus.”
  5238. >You continue on in silence another few yards and you start to realize how dumb that sounded coming out of your mouth.
  5239. >Dash could pull it off fine, but it fell off your tongue like a bad taste.
  5240. >”Anon do us both a favor and never say that again.”
  5241. “Hahahaha! But I want to be cool like you!”
  5242. >She adds a quirked eyebrow to her amused grin before murmuring something that gets lost amidst the gravel crunching under your feet.
  5243. “What’s that?”
  5244. >”I said you’re cool already!” She practically yells while looking straight ahead.
  5245. “I don’t think the entire town cares about that particular—“
  5246. >”—Then listen up better…geez, you’re ears r’so small.”
  5247. >She thought that her frustrated appearance would act as a distraction from her fuzzy confession, but it only displayed her weakness.
  5248. >You reach down and wrap your arms around her torso.
  5249. >”Hey!” Her wings shoot out in surprise as you pick her up off her hooves.
  5250. >It wasn’t easy to do, but you manage to shoulder the flailing pegasus.
  5251. >”Anon what are you doing!”
  5252. “I’m carrying you the rest of the way back.”
  5253. >”Why!”
  5254. “Because I love you and I want to.”
  5255. >”B-but we’re outside! What if some p-pony sees us they’ll—“
  5256. “—They’ll think about how cute you look all asleep in my arms.”
  5257. >Her voice returns as a rushed whisper this time and she feebly tries to push off your chest.
  5258. >”B-but what about…what if they take a picture or something and-and—“
  5259. “Dash, no one’s ever out at this hour and if any one shows up then I can just set you down.”
  5260. >”But—“
  5261. “—And I doubt the contemporary photography capabilities can resolve low lux settings.”
  5262. >She finally stops struggling.
  5263. >”P-promise?”
  5264. >You give her a reassuring shoulder scratch.
  5265. “I promise.”
  5266. >She hovers in indecisiveness for a moment before wrapping her furry fore hooves around your neck.
  5267. >”Mkay but I’m not going to sleep.”
  5268. >The mare clutches her hind hooves around your waist which takes most of her weight, your hands below her wings lock her in place against you.
  5269. >She murmurs something incomprehensible as she tucks her muzzle into your neck.
  5270. >You can’t help but smile as her familiar scent and flicking ear tickles your face.
  5271. >She can’t deny that she absolutely loved it when you did this.
  5272. >Even when you were just friends she had a weird affinity for piggy back rides once she realized how high up it got her.
  5273. >You found some humor in the irony so you were all too happy to oblige.
  5274. >It kept her wings rested and it kept you in shape.
  5275. >Of course it always occurred in moderation and never in a public venue, but breaking the mold was fun sometimes.
  5276. >She was honestly a bit too big to hold like this, but it wasn’t far to your apartment so you figured you’d make it.
  5277. >You get no more complaints from your passenger as you navigate the darker ally’s to your home.
  5278. >By the time you find your door, her form is limp against you and you could feel a bit of drool on your back from where her muzzle hung.
  5279. >She might not be completely asleep, but her hind legs weren’t supporting her weight anymore.
  5280. >You unlock the door quickly and flip on the light as you stumble inside.
  5281. >The disturbance jostles your partner, and you let her down to her hooves.
  5282. >She avoids eye contact and immediately trots down the hall to get cleaned up—probably to avoid admitting the obvious.
  5283. >You change into your nightclothes, set your alarm, and pack your bag for the morning.
  5284. >When you finish, you trade places with Dash and find your toothbrush in the drawer next to hers.
  5285. >You begin your routine and take a moment to soak up your surroundings.
  5286. >Rainbow was a very low maintenance pony.
  5287. >The only things she’d added to your bathroom clutter was a multipurpose body/mane wash, feather conditioner, deodorant, and hoof file…and her toothbrush.
  5288. >She shared her toothpaste, mouthwash and comb with you.
  5289. >You finish up and rinse off your brush before putting it back in the drawer next to hers.
  5290. >To the best of your knowledge she’d never picked anything up from her house, all of this was stuff she’d stowed here months ago when she realized how much time she spent with you.
  5291. >Wait, when was the last time she went to her house?
  5292. >You walk out to find her curled up in a ball on the bed, her nose buried in your pillow.
  5293. >She jerks her head up the moment she sees you and tries to cover up by pretending to adjust the pillow with her muzzle.
  5294. >You keep the little nugget to yourself and pretend not to notice.
  5295. “Dash I was just thinking, don’t you need to anchor your house down or something?”
  5296. >She turns to you with a slight blush, ”A-anchor it?”
  5297. “Yeah a while ago you told me about how the winds would pick up and you’d lose clouds.”
  5298. >”Heh that usually only happens over the Everfree where all the chaos is and stuff.”
  5299. >Oh of course.
  5300. >She pulls up the blankets for you and scoots over.
  5301. >She’d laid on your side to warm it up for you, how thoughtful.
  5302. >Before you have a chance to get comfortable she moves to intrude on your personal space.
  5303. >You still find it amusing how the very thing she avoided in public was the exact thing she craved in private.
  5304. >You finagle for a bit and realize that Dash was going for something different this time.
  5305. >Intrigued by her intentions, you silently let her have her way.
  5306. >She gets higher up on you so she can hook her muzzle over the top of your head, her fore hooves hold your neck and her hind leg lays across your hip. Almost reverse of what you usually did with her.
  5307. >Interesting.
  5308. >You reach out and flick the lamp off before getting comfortable with the new dynamic.
  5309. >You still had full access to pretty much anywhere she needed a scratch, but for the first time, she was actually able to return the favor.
  5310. >The hard edge of her fore hoof gently traces your neck and back smoothing out any tension you had there.
  5311. >You press the side of your face into her breast fluff and your arms hook under her wings; she extends one to lay across your bare side.
  5312. >A new realization slowly dawned on you, as does a stupid grin.
  5313. >This was ridiculously cozy.
  5314. >You were surrounded by a cushion of Dash.
  5315. >Her heartbeat was as obvious as her breathing and you could feel hot air from her nostrils part your hair.
  5316. “This is nice.”
  5317. >She giggles a bit.
  5318. >”Good cuz I’m not moving.”
  5319. >You’ve got no quarrel with that.
  5320. >You reach up and gently run your fingers through her oily feathers.
  5321. >You moved slowly and deliberately so as not to arouse her, she’d commented before on how soothing it was and you hoped you could return some of her comfort.
  5322. “So I guess you’re uh…living here now?”
  5323. >She pauses her back rubs.
  5324. >”Well you can’t walk on clouds so…yeah.”
  5325. >She never even considered living separately from you.
  5326. >You’d always heard how clingy partners were annoying, but it was exactly the opposite.
  5327. “I should be able to get a better place once I start getting a steady paycheck.”
  5328. >”Why?”
  5329. “Why?”
  5330. >”Yeah, this is pretty coz-uhh…nice dontcha think?”
  5331. >You weren’t sure what she was getting at.
  5332. “It’s cozy sure, but I can’t have my Wonderbolt come home to a hole in the wall on a back street now can I?”
  5333. >She stays silent for a moment while you work your fingers past her feathers down to the bare skin of her wings.
  5334. >”I don’t care as long as you keep buying those chocolate chip granola bars,” She replies earnestly.
  5335. >She pulls her head back a bit to bury her muzzle in your hair.
  5336. “Heh, well I do…and it’s not like I’m going to save up for a Corvette or anything. Might as well spend my money on something we can both benefit from.”
  5337. >You can feel her nose twitch as she takes in your scent.
  5338. “Dash.”
  5339. >She stops what she’s doing and lets out a short snort to clear her head.
  5340. >”S-Sorry!”
  5341. >Dating an alien had drawn undue attention to her little quirk.
  5342. >And that’s just it, it wasn’t a quirk at all, not to her at least.
  5343. >You’d made her uncomfortable about her own instinctive habits and it was about time to make it up to her.
  5344. “You know I would’ve given you my shirt if you’d asked for it.”
  5345. >You swear you can feel her neck start to sweat when she realizes you weren’t ribbing on her for playing with your hair.
  5346. >She audibly swallows and tries to forget about it, but the new topic didn’t give much respite.
  5347. >”Uhh…I’m, I was going to give it back, it’s sitting in my saddlebags right now and—“
  5348. “—Dash it’s fine. It’s just that humans don’t use our noses like you do.”
  5349. >”Heh, y-yeah I kinda figured.”
  5350. “But for the record I think you smell nice too.”
  5351. >You could hear her heart murmur a bit and her voice returns with vigor.
  5352. >”R-really?”
  5353. “Yeah it’s a little spicy. Pretty unique if you ask me.”
  5354. >She just lays there and soaks up your comment.
  5355. >If you’d told her outright you were okay with her little addiction then she’d still be hesitant, but you hoped to ease some of her self-consciousness by relating to her.
  5356. >And you definitely could relate.
  5357. >You make a point of comically wiggling your nose into her exposed leg pit.
  5358. >”Heheh-ahahaha! Sta-hahap!”
  5359. >It wasn’t so much the scent itself that was comforting, but rather the knowledge of the mare it belonged to.
  5360. >The best way to describe it is that it just made you feel closer to her.
  5361. >You stop tickling and her laughter subsides.
  5362. >You know your mission is accomplished when she finally buries her muzzle in your hair again.
  5363. >“Anon…” She sighs.
  5364. >You could practically hear the smile on her face.
  5365. “Hmm?”
  5366. >”I like you a lot.”
  5367. >She still sounded embarrassed to admit it.
  5368. “I say the same thing to myself in the mirror every morning.”
  5369. >Hot chuckling sends your hair sprawling across the pillow, and her belly racks with humor.
  5370. “But yeah I think I’ll keep you too.”
  5371. >”Heheh, you better.”
  5372. >Whatever tomorrow may bring, you can rest easy knowing it can’t bring you down.
  5373.  
  5374. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
  5375.  
  5376. >You get jostled out of your dream as one side of your cushion moves.
  5377. >A short reality check reminds you that you set your alarm for work and until you hear it, you don’t have to move an inch.
  5378. >Something rustles in the background before your warm blanket returns to hold you.
  5379. >Luckily whatever interrupted was short lived, getting a full night’s sleep was crucial to—
  5380. *lick
  5381. >Something warm and wet drags across your forehead.
  5382. *lick
  5383. >It happens again, but slower this time. Whatever it was intended to wake you up.
  5384. >A boost of unwelcome consciousness allows you to remember your bedmate and you put two and two together.
  5385. “…Huh?”
  5386. *lick
  5387. >The assaulting tongue slicked up a tuft of hair.
  5388. >You reach up to confront your wake up call but your arm is trapped under a blue wing.
  5389. >It wasn’t heavy, but you quickly decide that it wasn’t worth disturbing its deliberate placement just to satisfy your curiosity.
  5390. >Dash licks you again, this time across your temple.
  5391. “Rainbow?” You croak.
  5392. >”Hmmm?”
  5393. >Her response is more passive than receptive.
  5394. >Your cracked eyelids can’t make out much besides the longer hair of her chest tuft a few inches off your nose.
  5395. >Unfortunately you could also make out that it was dawn—meaning your alarm was closer to sounding than you’d hoped.
  5396. >The grogginess in your head is taking much longer to clear than you’re used to.
  5397. >Must’ve woken up in the middle of a REM cycle.
  5398. “What time is it?”
  5399. >”We’ve got a few more minutes…” She whispers, her mind focused on the present.
  5400. >You take a deep breath and relax back into your mare’s furry embrace.
  5401. >”I turned the alarm off early…I thought I’d wake you up instead.”
  5402. >She woke up before the alarm went off?
  5403. “I like this alarm better.”
  5404. >“Heheh…”
  5405. >You spread your fingers through the hot fur under her wings and her tail swishes in response.
  5406. >Her tongue grazes the corner of your eye and forces you to close it.
  5407. >You weren’t going to inquire about the purpose of her new hobby lest you make her self-conscious again.
  5408. >But you really ought to pick up a romance novel or something that would shed some insight into these things she did.
  5409. >Your fingers trace the faint outline of her ribs and her progress continues unfazed.
  5410. >She gets to the tip of your nose and you nuzzle back into her fuzzy lips.
  5411. >She pulls back at the disturbance and you tilt your head to look her in the eye.
  5412. “Good morning love.”
  5413. >You look past your own reflection in her dilated pupils and wait for a blush to blossom on her cheeks.
  5414. >It doesn’t take long.
  5415. >A very faint grin appears and her ears splay back.
  5416. “I didn’t say you had to stop…”
  5417. >You feel her heartbeat speed up as your intentions sync.
  5418. >She leans in a bit but hesitates; you cover the distance and peck her lips.
  5419. >The opener returns her confidence and her slender tongue rolls out to tenderly meet your mouth.
  5420. >You remind her that she’s always welcome by returning the favor—wetting the fine hairs of her maw.
  5421. >Your noses press against each other and you share your air as you alternate your affectionate gestures.
  5422. >There’s no sense of urgency, the knowledge that either one of you could intensify it if they desired made you content to savor the gentle pace.
  5423. >Your morning breaths go unnoticed as you focus on the tastes and textures you’d come to know so well.
  5424. >A dozen rounds made your lips tingly and her acute attention begins to tickle.
  5425. >Like two different turn signals at a red light—you slowly shift out of your alternating sequence and find yourselves swiping your tongues against each other.
  5426. >Something about kissing, particularly Dash’s style of kissing, just felt incredibly intimate.
  5427. >It was a different kind of intimate that wasn’t inherently sexual.
  5428. >A middle ground between the two ends of emotional expression.
  5429. >The blatantly direct approach of sampling each other, and the unspoken comfort level it revealed were very gratifying.
  5430. >The second hand on your wall clock could be heard faintly amidst the sounds of wet embrace as your hazy minds got their fill.
  5431. >You continue for a solid minute, the incredible sensations never waning.
  5432. >But duty calls and unfortunately no one ever conquered the world by making out.
  5433. >You stop meeting Dash’s tongue with yours and she concludes with a more conventional kiss.
  5434. >You open your eyes and study your partner.
  5435. >The telltale matted fur around her muzzle was evidence of the action that her eyes craved more of.
  5436. >You’d love to lay here all day with her, but that was something you needed to earn.
  5437. “I’ve got to get up now.”
  5438. >She shows no intention of moving, and with how tangled up you were you needed a little cooperation.
  5439. >”You could just find another job you know.”
  5440. >She sounds so serious that you have to hold her gaze for a few seconds to tell she’s kidding.
  5441. “Heh, it took a while to find this one so I think I’d better show up.”
  5442. >You glance at the clock and notice that you were still one minute ahead of schedule.
  5443. >You start to slide away from her but her wing and fore hoof tighten their grip.
  5444. >”What if I don’t want you to?”
  5445. >You smile at your captor.
  5446. “You know you’ve got somewhere to be too right?”
  5447. >”You know I can get there in in about two minutes right?” She rebuts.
  5448. “Yeah but I can’t,” You grab her hoof from your shoulder and hold it in front of you “that’s why I set the alarm.”
  5449. >Her cocky smirk grows and she blows some of her messy mane off of her muzzle.
  5450. >”I could just fly you there—“
  5451. “Dash.”
  5452. >”That’d give us like…another thirty minutes.”
  5453. “I don’t think that’s realistic.”
  5454. >Her train of thought comes to a halt and she narrows her eyes at you.
  5455. “I-I mean I’m not doubting your abilities, but I’m like twice your weight and…”
  5456. >Her nose leans in until it bumps against yours, her menacing look told you to choose your words carefully.
  5457. ”…and besides, I already bought train tickets.”
  5458. >Her look doesn’t abate.
  5459. >You try to think of something else to say, but nothing comes to mind.
  5460. >Why work smarter when you can work harder?
  5461. >A quick peck on her nose momentarily stuns her so your tickling hands can take her by surprise.
  5462. >”Ahahahaha! That’s no-ot fair you can-hahaha!”
  5463. >She tries to push away from you but her forelegs aren’t doing what she wants them to.
  5464. >These ponies had no effective counter for hands, it took an experienced unicorn to even come close to replicating your dexterity and efficiency.
  5465. >You were going to make sure Dash knew exactly where she sat on the food chain…metaphorically of course.
  5466. >”Haha A-Anon! Ahahahahaha!”
  5467. >Your wiggling fingers stop their torture and your palms come to rest in her damp leg pits effectively pinning her to the bed.
  5468. >She stops her flailing in turn and grins playfully back—a spark of retribution in her eye.
  5469. “You going to let me go now?”
  5470. >She no longer had any leverage on you, but you were willing to humor her.
  5471. >It was the least you could do after your pleasant wake up call.
  5472. >She ponders the question for a moment.
  5473. >”Only if you let me take you to dinner tonight.”
  5474. >She powers through the sappy comment with pure confidence; her inevitable blush a mere afterthought.
  5475. “Deal.”
  5476. >A mare of her word, she lets you go.
  5477. >You slide out from under her appendages and she rocks to her hooves.
  5478. >You look at the clock: one minute behind schedule, you can manage that.
  5479. >Your morning routine passes quickly—your mind on more pertinent matters.
  5480. >”Anon where’s my flight suit?” A scratchy voice interrupts your Windsor knot.
  5481. “Should be hanging next to the washer.”
  5482. >She never asked you to wash it, but you liked to help out.
  5483. >You finish up and check your breath before heading out to grab your things.
  5484. >All of your items pile into one backpack.
  5485. >It didn’t really match the suit you were wearing, but it was all you had.
  5486. >”Whoa! Dude where’d ya get that?”
  5487. >You look over to see Dash trotting your way with her uniform draped over her back.
  5488. “Rarity made it for me on credit a while back once I found out I got a job.”
  5489. >She tosses her clothing in her saddlebags while her eyes unabashedly look you over.
  5490. >”It’s uhh…you look good…”
  5491. “My eyes are up here Dash.”
  5492. >Her eyes snap up to meet yours before she looks away.
  5493. >”Don’t g-get ahead of yourself you don’t look that good.”
  5494. “Really? I must be if I managed to snag you.”
  5495. >She’s a bit taken aback at the unexpected compliment and her ears finally give in and fold.
  5496. >You ruffle her mane and shoulder your backpack.
  5497. “I better get going now, but I’ll be looking forward to dinner tonight.”
  5498. >She finally finds her voice.
  5499. >”Y-Yeah, h-how about seven?”
  5500. >You do some quick mental math.
  5501. “Seven should work for me, do I need to bring a date?”
  5502. >She hits your leg and tries to glare.
  5503. >”Get outta here before I buck you out dummy!”
  5504. “Alright, alright, no dates then. We’ll just awkwardly stare at each other while—“
  5505. >”—Anon!”
  5506. “Yep leaving now.”
  5507. >You open your front door and adjust your tie in the doorway.
  5508. >Dash watches you with mock annoyance.
  5509. “I’m headed out.”
  5510. >She just stands there, waiting.
  5511. >You make direct eye contact and take another half step.
  5512. “I’m leaving, like for the whole day.”
  5513. >”Yeah.”
  5514. >You rest your hand on the doorknob.
  5515. >She closes some of the distance, anticipating your departure amidst the awkwardness.
  5516. >You stare at her.
  5517. “I think I might be missing something.”
  5518. >”What is it?” She frustratedly looks around the floor to see if you’ve dropped something.
  5519. “Oh there it is.”
  5520. >You lean down and reach over her back.
  5521. >She looks back to where your hand was reaching and sees nothing.
  5522. >She twists around in confusion and her momentum completes your calculation.
  5523. *smooch
  5524. >Her lips mash against yours in a surprise kiss and she takes it in stride.
  5525. >You pull off each other with a satisfying pop.
  5526. >Magenta eyes cross to focus on your smile, her confusion still evident.
  5527. “Found it.”
  5528. >”Aw for cryin out loud! You shoulda just said that to begin with!”
  5529. >You make your escape through the door as Dash’s yelling transitions to laughter.
  5530. >You start your short walk to the train station, the tingling on your lips topped off the well of happiness in your chest.
  5531. >You were going to go invent a damn toaster.
  5532.  
  5533. >The train ride went by quickly.
  5534. >You reviewed your ‘homework’ and practiced a dozen conversations in you head.
  5535. >You had no idea what to expect, so you tried not to dwell on it.
  5536. >Canterlot was pretty busy. The commuters getting off the train added to the multitude of ponies filling the streets and skies.
  5537. >Everyone was moving with a purpose and you were able to slip through the crowd without turning as many heads as you’d expected.
  5538. >Ten minutes and a few unplanned detours later you found yourself at the castle gates.
  5539. >The guards weren’t exactly cordial, but they had your name on their manifest so they sent word and after a few short minutes a small unicorn stallion met you at the gate.
  5540. >”Mr. Anonymous, pleasure to meet you.”
  5541. >He extends a hoof and you lean down to bump it.
  5542. ”You as well Mr…”
  5543. >”I’m Gold Ray.”
  5544. ”…Mr. Ray.”
  5545. >His eyes are wide as he stares up at you, or at least his glasses make them look that way.
  5546. >It made it difficult to tell if he was nervous.
  5547. >”You can call me Gold Ray, I’m just an intern.”
  5548. >He motions for you to follow him.
  5549. “Fair enough. Are you going to be working with me then?”
  5550. >”Yea, well…in a way. Same branch different shop.”
  5551. >You nod in agreement even though you have no idea what he’s talking about.
  5552. >”Dr. Waveguide is the division head, you’ll meet with him first.”
  5553. >You make your way through the more sparsely populated streets.
  5554. >You’d only been to the castle once before, and you hadn’t had the time to appreciate your surroundings.
  5555. >The cobblestone road was a lattice of asymmetrical pieces cut and placed to fit against each other almost seamlessly.
  5556. >Impeccable architecture stretched up several stories on either side of you.
  5557. >Either the construction was brand new or they had some concrete formula that didn’t wear…or they controlled the weather.
  5558. >Your eyes wander and you briefly spot a Wonderbolt’s poster farther down the street.
  5559. >Immense pride wells up in your chest when you see the pegasus you share a bed with is emblazoned on the front with her characteristic cocky grin.
  5560. >They sure were getting their marketing’s worth out of her.
  5561. >You take a turn before you have a chance to trip over yourself, but the well-timed morale boost bolstered you confidence.
  5562. “This city’s amazing,” You try to spark a conversation with the quiet unicorn.
  5563. >Everything from the stained glass windows, to the buildings, to the tasteful placement of vegetation at street corners had the telltale mark of magic.
  5564. >That perfect, smooth, uncanny look that couldn’t be replicated with tools.
  5565. >Your comment sparks his inner geek.
  5566. >”You think so too? They say it took the ancient mages a day and night to make this place.”
  5567. “That’s all?”
  5568. >”It’s just a story, but no written records have survived since then so it’s all we have to go off of.”
  5569. “Wow…it looks like it was made yesterday.”
  5570. >You trace your hand on a building wall as you round the corner.
  5571. >”Yeah, well that’s magic for you. It’s too bad we lost track of the ancient spells.”
  5572. “You mean no one can do this anymore?”
  5573. >He looks up at you like you were dumb.
  5574. >”If we could, we’d do it a lot more often.”
  5575. >Makes sense.
  5576. “I assume you don’t have magic like that in your world?”
  5577. >So he knows you’re an alien.
  5578. >That saves you a painful and boring explanation.
  5579. “No actually we don’t have magic at all.”
  5580. >That gets his attention.
  5581. >”You mean you’re race doesn’t practice it?”
  5582. “No…magic doesn’t exist, I’ve never seen it before I got here.”
  5583. >His mind races to come up with some sort of explanation as he trudges on with his mouth a bit agape.
  5584. >”So…you can’t use magic…”
  5585. >He sounds like he’s talking to himself but you respond anyways.
  5586. “Not one bit. Pretty useful with my hands though.”
  5587. >He snaps out of his trance and looks to the wiggling fingers.
  5588. >”Huh…”
  5589. >You sense this was going to be an uphill battle to prove your usefulness.
  5590. >The two of you take a few more turns before you come to an inconspicuous building separate from all the rest.
  5591. >A thick oak door stands in your way. Surprisingly it looked tall enough that you wouldn’t have to stoop.
  5592. >Gold Ray knocks on the door and a peephole opens up.
  5593. >You can’t see who’s looking at you, but whoever it is approves.
  5594. >The door unlatches and opens without a creak.
  5595. >”This way.”
  5596. >You follow him into a dark hallway and the door closes behind you.
  5597. >”Hold up!” A gruff voice calls out.
  5598. >You freeze and look back—more startled by his urgency than his coarseness.
  5599. >A burly unicorn stallion lurking in the shadows hoofs you a light blue glowing crystal and you take it.
  5600. >”Can’t get in without that.”
  5601. “Thanks.”
  5602. >He nods and returns to his spot behind the door to write something down on a list.
  5603. >”Sorry I forgot that you needed a pass.”
  5604. >You look at the jagged crystal in your hand.
  5605. “Is it like a visitors pass or something?”
  5606. >”No it’s a nullifier.”
  5607. >You don’t respond and he catches himself.
  5608. >”Sorry, uhh…this hallway is filled with a resin field…you can’t see it, but if you didn’t have that it’d feel like you were swimming through glue.”
  5609. >You wave your hand pointlessly and feel nothing but thin air.
  5610. >Neat.
  5611. >”Just don’t drop it, you won’t be able to bend over and pick it up.”
  5612. >His comment had a certain matter-of-fact tone that only extensive knowledge could give.
  5613. >Scarier implications start to sink in and you clutch the gem tightly in your hand until you make it to the end of the long hallway.
  5614. >Another door, same size, less security.
  5615. >The other side of this one was much brighter and you squint at first as your eyes painfully adjust.
  5616. >Immediately your senses register the smells and sounds of a busy but organized workshop.
  5617. >Your eyes focus and you realize that you’re standing on a catwalk that’s suspended about ten feet over the working floor.
  5618. >Everything is bathed in a familiar orange tint unique to incandescent bulbs; this place had electricity.
  5619. >You did’t even have to look up to recognize the technology you’d taken for granted until you got here.
  5620. >Below you unicorns, a few zebras, and minotaur are all busy at their workstations or walking purposefully.
  5621. >Needless to say a few stopped to stare at the newcomer.
  5622. >You just look on in amazement as Golden Ray start’s heading down the catwalk.
  5623. >The hanger-sized room was divided into segregated clusters of cubicles and had larger swathes of floor space cleared for unfamiliar machinery.
  5624. >Towards the back, more hallways and rooms could be seen leading off into yet unknown areas under Canterlot Castle.
  5625. >The catwalk had staircases leading off to the work floor and led to a large office that had oversight of the workshop.
  5626. >”On the left is the magic workshop, it’s pretty much ERD’s main focus, they get most of the funding.”
  5627. >You look over and see a bunch of unicorns staring back at you, the ones who weren’t had their horns lit up as they marked papers and chalkboards.
  5628. “ERD?”
  5629. >”…Equestrian Research and Development. Did you not get an orientation packet?”
  5630. “No, Celestia just told me—“
  5631. >”—You spoke with Princess Celestia!”
  5632. “Yeah…she gave me the job.”
  5633. >”Well you can’t use magic and you got appointed by a princess…you’re one interesting character that’s for sure.”
  5634. “Thanks. I guess.”
  5635. >”Uh…on the right is the physics, electrical, and chemistry workshops. They’re all part of the secondary branch and the magicians make up the primary branch.”
  5636. >You’re eyes follow his words towards the more interesting looking side of things.
  5637. “And which do you work in?”
  5638. >”Secondary branch, physics. I’m an intern with Dr. Steelhammer—he’s the minotaur towards the back there.”
  5639. >You make eye contact with the burly blue creature staring you down and he waves.
  5640. >You wave back.
  5641. >”This is just the working floor, most of the action takes place in the north and east wings.”
  5642. >The sheer scale of the facility was astounding—at least for these ponies it was.
  5643. >In reality it was probably no bigger than a supermarket back home, but the apparent sophistication was surprising.
  5644. >The hint of ozone and the familiar din of electrical machinery was surprisingly nostalgicc.
  5645. >The catwalk quickly terminates at a door that reads “Dr. Waveguide.”
  5646. >Golden Ray knocks.
  5647. >You’d be nervous if you weren’t thrown off by how surreal it all was.
  5648. >A muffled ‘come in’ was heard amongst the din of the room.
  5649. >Your pony escort opens the door for you and you take the initiative and walk in.
  5650. >He closes it behind you without a word—stranding you in silent, foreign territory.
  5651. >An older unicorn stallion in a suit peers at you above half-moon glasses. The desk in front of him was clear with the exception of a few trinkets, a notepad, and a bowl of almonds.
  5652. >”Ah you must be Mr. Anonymous.”
  5653. “Yes Sir I am. It’s a pleasure to meet you Dr. Waveguide.”
  5654. >He hoof bumps you.
  5655. >You mentally congratulate yourself at the solid first impression.
  5656. >”Have a seat, have a seat, lets not get caught up in formalities, besides, you’ve done quite a bit of walking to get here.”
  5657. >His deep and weathered voice is soothing on your ears. He sounded like he’d be a good narrator.
  5658. “That’s alright Sir I stay pretty active.”
  5659. >You have your quadrupedal friend to thank for that.
  5660. >You pull up the chair and sit down at his bidding.
  5661. >”Well it’s good to hear that. So many colts and fillies these days don’t value a healthy lifestyle like they should. But then again…you may have had a different upbringing I take it?”
  5662. >A sage smile portrays a genuine interest that came uniquely from elderly charisma.
  5663. ”We have a similar issue where I’m from, but I managed to avoid the pitfall.”
  5664. >”Yes well, you may have to run if we accidentally conjure up another ancient monster.”
  5665. “…Okay.”
  5666. >The uncertainty in your voice was apparent and the unicorn’s worn features crack into a laugh.
  5667. >”Ha ha ha ha! Don’t fear it’s a mere jest! I play the same joke on all the new comers.”
  5668. >You like this guy already.
  5669. “Well you had me scared for a minute.”
  5670. >He adjusts his glasses and scrutinizes you for a good ten seconds, mumbling to himself like a doctor during a check up.
  5671. >”Mr. Anonymous you’re the first alien I have ever met.”
  5672. “I hope you’re not disappointed.”
  5673. >”Not at all, in fact I’m surprised that you’re so decipherable.”
  5674. “You are?”
  5675. >He leans down to pull out a file as he starts his lecture.
  5676. >”If I didn’t know otherwise I’d say you were merely a strange looking foreigner. You’re clearly bipedal, but you have the same bone structure for the most part and…the cephalization of a predator.”
  5677. >He says the last part without the slightest hint of concern.
  5678. “You’re accurate as far as I know Sir. But I don’t eat ponies in case you were wondering.”
  5679. >He plops the folder on the sturdy desk with a loud smack.
  5680. >”Ha ha yes…the powers that be wouldn’t have allowed our meeting if you were. Omnivore?”
  5681. “Correct again.”
  5682. >He nods, “You must not be looking forward to working with all these unicorns then?”
  5683. >What did that have to do with anything? Was he being racist?
  5684. >He himself was a unicorn so you juggle the question lightly before answering.
  5685. “I…get along with them.”
  5686. >It was true, but you definitely did prefer the company of pegasi and ‘standard ponies’ as you liked to put it.
  5687. >Unicorns just seemed a bit more temperamental.
  5688. >Kind of like your neighbor’s spoiled poodle that barked all the time.
  5689. >Except worse because they talked…
  5690. >That didn’t make you racist…
  5691. >”Nonsense! You prefer the company of a pegasus over a fish fillet meal in the back corner of the quiet restaurant.”
  5692. >He says it matter-of-factly and doesn’t bother to look up as he starts flipping through the folder.
  5693. >He was right.
  5694. >Was this some kind of unicorn kung-fu that you’d never heard of?
  5695. “You’d make a good detective Sir.”
  5696. >”Yes well that’s an overgeneralization of course—an educated guess based off your anatomy and temperament. I like to think of it as my curse for spending my college years studying biology.”
  5697. “You’re a biologist by trade?”
  5698. >”And a physicist.”
  5699. >Wow, he’s one of those really smart ponies.
  5700. >He flips another page.
  5701. >”And dabbled a bit in magic studies…” He adds as an afterthought.
  5702. >Makes sense.
  5703. >Your thumbs twiddle and your eyes wander to the bookshelf that engulfed the wall behind him.
  5704. >You could make out a few titles, from magic to more familiar topics.
  5705. >”Don’t worry though we’re all professionals here so you will be working with ponies, not their emotions.”
  5706. >That’s good to hear, emotions were never your forte…made you wonder how you got lucky with Dash.
  5707. >He flips another page.
  5708. >”Now let’s get down to business shall we. It says here that you’re species has made advances in the fields of physics and electricity, and you do not conduct magic. Is this true?”
  5709. >You didn’t know how they were keeping a file on you, but you don’t question it.
  5710. >After all you’d pretty much walked into the Equestrian equivalent of DARPA.
  5711. “We’ve made advances everywhere, but yes, magic doesn’t exist on Earth.”
  5712. >He looks up at your before scribbling something down.
  5713. >”You’re referring to your ‘earth’ I assume.”
  5714. “Yes sir.”
  5715. >”Interesting…I don’t mean to pressure you at the moment, however as you can imagine I have more than a few questions to pose you.”
  5716. “It’s no trouble sir I’d be happy to talk about what I can, unfortunately I’m not really an expert in much.”
  5717. >”What is your level of education?”
  5718. >This was more like the interview you were expecting.
  5719. “High school and a bit of college.”
  5720. >”Only a bit?”
  5721. “My…unexpected transplant interrupted it.”
  5722. >”Ah I see. We’ll discuss that in depth later; can you expound on your knowledge?”
  5723. >That was a broad question.
  5724. >He shifts in his seat and tosses a few nuts into his mouth—crunching loudly.
  5725. “Well, every school has pretty much touches on biology, chemistry, math, physics, and history…and usually some kind of foreign language.”
  5726. >He’s leaning in on his fore hooves.
  5727. >”Very interesting.”
  5728. >If his interest wasn’t genuine before, it was now. The Equestrian equivalents of high schools had their own focuses much like college degrees.
  5729. >And the global standard for college was only two years instead of the typical four.
  5730. ”I focused in engineering in college, but I didn’t have time to specialize; I was only in it for a year due to circumstances.”
  5731. >He ponders his options for a moment.
  5732. >”Well Mr. Anonymous, I’m not sure how apply you to Equestria’s defense; but since you’re familiar with such a broad range of topics, how about we take a little tour to help find the best fit for you.”
  5733. >Defense? As in national defense?
  5734. “This is a military installation?”
  5735. >”Not exactly, but we’re the only establishment with the necessary resources and our recent focus has been on countering foreign developments…I take it you didn’t receive the orientation packet.”
  5736. >This wasn’t part of your plan.
  5737. “No Celestia just told me to draw out my toaster idea and show up.”
  5738. >He raises he brows and fights a smirk.
  5739. >”Oh well I’m sure your toaster will be quite valuable to large families with many young ones. But here we tackle the bigger problems.”
  5740. >You were fairly familiar with how guns and bombs worked, you just weren’t sure about introducing this benevolent land to your ideas.
  5741. >Assuming you could come up with a working plan that is.
  5742. “I uh, I’m just not sure how I feel about building things that kill ponies…or gryphons or whatever.”
  5743. >”That’s a bit shortsighted don’t you think?”
  5744. >He was probably the smartest pony you know, but something about being lectured to by someone half your size irked you.
  5745. “How so?”
  5746. >You were trying your best to keep your formal tone.
  5747. >”How can a military force navigate if they can’t see the sun?”
  5748. >You weren’t sure what he’s getting at.
  5749. >”How can they communicate if they can’t use magic, or eat if their food if it’s rotten? How can we tell an attack is coming before we can see it? These are the questions we tackle here Mr. Anonymous.”
  5750. >You’d never thought of that.
  5751. “So you don’t build weapons here?”
  5752. >”We do. Most of them revolve around magic, but there are some projects going on in other areas.”
  5753. >That doesn’t do much to ease your conscience.
  5754. >Dr. Waveguide seems to read your unease.
  5755. >”Do me a favor and think about it while we take a look around, you just might change your mind.”
  5756. >A few minutes later you were on the work floor introducing yourself to ponies and seeing all of the little projects that were going on.
  5757. >You weren’t the smartest person and a lot flew right over your head, however you did recognize some more familiar ideas.
  5758. >Telegraphs, more efficient coal for steam engines, plastics, a pulley system for what looked like a compound bow.
  5759. >You get led around for the better part of two hours, and while it was definitely interesting, your lingering reservations grew.
  5760. >Dr. Waveguide pulls you aside.
  5761. >“So Mr. Anonymous, what do you think?”
  5762. ”It’s really interesting sir, but I’m just not sure it’s my place to intervene.”
  5763. >”Intervene in what?”
  5764. >You were going to say something about the prime directive, but the more you think about it the stupider it sounds.
  5765. “I don’t know it just…doesn’t seem right being an outsider and all.
  5766. >You don’t want to sound condescending, but you’re still uncomfortable with the idea of using your brain as a weapon.
  5767. >”Preposterous, you’re an Equestrian are you not?”
  5768. >You naturalization papers say you are.
  5769. “Well technically yes…”
  5770. >The weathered pony decides you need some more convincing.
  5771. >”Follow me if you will, I have one more thing to show you.”
  5772. >You follow his lackluster black tail as it weaves through a few cubicles—headed toward the corner of the working floor.
  5773. >You pass ponies you’d been introduced to, but you can’t remember their names.
  5774. >Each of these ponies apparently had the same mindset Dr. Waveguide did, and you had to admit he did make a good point.
  5775. >You weren’t entirely opposed to violence, especially if it was used to save yourself or someone else.
  5776. >But building weapons for someone else to use as they see fit, for good or for evil, just didn’t sit well with you.
  5777. >Granted you could probably avoid specific projects if you asked…
  5778. >Dr. Waveguide presses through a door in the corner of the room.
  5779. >You follow.
  5780. >The busy sounds of the work floor fall completely silent as the door closes behind you, more uncanny magic.
  5781. >You’re eyes take a moment to adjust to the darker hallway.
  5782. >Rustic oil lamps light the walls and illuminate the artwork adorning it—a stark leap from the rough utility of the rest of the facility.
  5783. “What is this place?”
  5784. >He responds without looking back.
  5785. >”This is our history room; part of the tour I saved for last.”
  5786. >You study the paintings as you walk by.
  5787. >A unicorn with a beard and some chemistry flasks, a young pegasus with a measuring equipment on his back, a group photo with Princess Celestia in the center.
  5788. >The doctor didn’t slow so you don’t stop to read the captions.
  5789. >The hallway makes a turn and opens up into a mid-sized room.
  5790. >The atmosphere held the tinge of old paper and ink.
  5791. >Carpet squished under your shoes a you’re immediately struck with an air of luxury.
  5792. >Every wall of the room was covered in memorabilia and displays.
  5793. >There’s so much to take in you don’t notice the familiar item Dr. Waveguide b-lines for.
  5794. >”My late wife and I had three fillies.”
  5795. >The somber tone of his voice catches your attention.
  5796. >”Being a father was a challenge and a reward and before I knew it, they were all grown up.”
  5797. >You absently stare at some kind of telescope in a wall cabinet—you wanted to give him space to tell his apparently important story.
  5798. >”Well they all went their separate ways and I was left to my work. I thought that all my worrying was over, they’d become capable mares that could take care of themselves.”
  5799. >He sounded like he was starting to choke up.
  5800. >”Morning Star was my youngest, she was working as an event planner for a wedding when those…bugs attacked the castle.”
  5801. >You swallow a lump in your throat and hear him sniffle a bit behind you.
  5802. >”She got separated during evacuation and…they found her b-body in an alley outside of the castle.”
  5803. >He didn’t need to tell you to know what had happened to her.
  5804. >Twilight had told you that if they can’t trick someone, changelings can feed off their own positive emotions to a lesser extent.
  5805. >No doubt they’d used her to do just that.
  5806. >The room loses its warm tone and the gadgets lose their intrigue.
  5807. >You wanted to comfort him, but you get the feeling that he needed his space.
  5808. >You stare down at the floor for a few long minutes while he composes himself.
  5809. >”There has never been a doubt in my mind that what we do is for the greater good.”
  5810. >He seemed much better now an you turn to look at him still staring at a display case.
  5811. >”And every time I sign something into production that can kill or maim…I have the same doubts. But I always think back to those I love and I find the courage to do what needs to be done.”
  5812. >You finally look at what he’s staring at.
  5813. >Inside the display case is a series of pegasus outfits, all the same type, but apparently different generations.
  5814. >The one on the far right has the familiar yellow and blue pattern of the Wonderbolts.
  5815. >Reality hits you like a truck.
  5816. >Rainbow Dash was in the military too.
  5817. >You’d never thought of it that way but technically the Wonderbolts were an auxiliary unit of the Equestrian guard.
  5818. >Dr. Waveguide turns to you, all remnants of emotion gone from his face.
  5819. >”I hope that you never have to face what I did years ago, but if you do…think of this as an opportunity to be proactive.”
  5820. >He nods to the uniform.
  5821. >He knew?
  5822. “Wait, you know about—“
  5823. >”—Your significant other, yes. Your companionship has been noted in your file.”
  5824. >You weren’t sure which emotions to tackle first.
  5825. “You’ve been watching me!”
  5826. >”Not us, no some pony else. I merely got your file when you were appointed to work here.”
  5827. >Your anger was quickly diffused, but it left you unfulfilled. There was no one nearby to blame.
  5828. >”Before you get upset please realize that whatever they did was completely necessary. If you’d made contact with other nations we’d definitely have cause for concern.”
  5829. >You can’t blame them for that. But you’re still mad.
  5830. >”Think about the offer and…think about her,” you follow his eyes back to the uncomfortable dilemma, “You know the way out and I’ll be in my office when you need me.”
  5831. >And with that the stallion walks out of the room leaving you to your thoughts.
  5832. >Who would’ve thought an unassuming unicorn like him could turn your life upside down in less than a minute.
  5833. >Honestly you expected as much when you first got here at least, but you still felt like your’s and Dash’s privacy’s had been violated.
  5834. >Either way there’s nothing you can do about it now.
  5835. >What mattered was the decision that stood before you.
  5836. >It had never occurred to you that you could have any affect on what she did.
  5837. >Flying, the Wonderbolts, those were always just something that you took for granted.
  5838. >Of course you were always a bit nervous when you watched her pull off daring stunts, but you were confident in her abilities to handle herself.
  5839. >But if she ever got called into action…handling herself might not be enough.
  5840. >As much as you hated the thought of it, she wouldn’t be one to back down from a fight.
  5841. >You close the distance and read the placard on the display.
  5842. >’Breeze Gen 4 Flightsuit: Developed by the ERD team to help our flyers fight the frigid temperatures and demanding stress of aerial combatives. Incorporates a magic lattice that prevents sharp object penetration and stiffens upon impact.’
  5843. >Wow.
  5844. >You never knew that smelly suit that always ended up on your couch had that much thought put into it.
  5845. >You’re definitely going to take better care the next time you wash it.
  5846. >You suddenly feel overwhelmingly incompetent.
  5847. >Someone, somewhere in here made something that made your mare safer.
  5848. >These strangers were doing more for her than you were…
  5849. >Your obsession with her made you think she was invincible, that everything was rainbows and butterflies.
  5850. >It was an irresponsible and selfish way to look at things.
  5851. >Up until now you'd had your head in the clouds and that kept you ignorant of reality and all its unpleasantries.
  5852. >The fact is she was flesh and blood like anyone else.
  5853. >Her livelihood is potentially more dangerous to her than her own thrill-seeking stunts.
  5854. >And you had a responsibility to accept her choices and support her any way you could.
  5855. >Your heart stutters at the thought of her getting injured…or worse.
  5856. >Granted Equestria hasn’t gone to war in forever, but still.
  5857. >If they ever did, you want to know that you’d done something to help her in some way.
  5858. >You’re not exactly sure how you can affect that directly, but you sure as hell weren’t doing anything by turning down the job.
  5859. >That was something you didn’t have to think twice about.
  5860. >In an instant you make your decision and head out the door with a purpose.
  5861. >You’d do whatever they asked of you as long as you could justify it by Dash.
  5862. >You weren’t sure if it was Dr. Waveguide’s intention to manipulate you like that, but you don’t care.
  5863. >It worked.
  5864. >You climb the stairs and knock on his door.
  5865. >You had a lot to discuss if you were going to take this job.
  5866.  
  5867.  
  5868. >Ponies scurry out of your way as you bolt to the train station.
  5869. >You were about to miss the 6:25 to Ponyville, and in turn, your dinner date.
  5870. >You blame your lack of watch for your miscalculation, but in all honesty you just got carried away.
  5871. >You’d had your conversations with Twilight before, but you never thought you could nerd out that hard.
  5872. >You round the corner out of breath and out of hope.
  5873. >The train was already half a mile away and gaining.
  5874. >You let out a sigh and sink into an empty bench nearby loosening your constricting collar in the process.
  5875. >Well this sucks.
  5876. >You just stood up your favorite mare.
  5877. >Your only mare.
  5878. >You mentally kick yourself for your stupidity.
  5879. >The sign in front of the ticket office informed you that the next train wouldn’t arrive for another hour and a half.
  5880. >Well, you could choose to brood or be productive.
  5881. >The sun is almost touching the horizon and you decide to thumb through the orientation packet in the light you had left.
  5882. >It had some neat pictures, but it was mostly generic garbage about helping other ponies and furthering your education.
  5883. >Nothing you hadn’t already covered in your hours of conversation.
  5884. >You stuff it back in you pack; back to brooding.
  5885. >Time ticks by and you feel every second as your self-loathing deepened.
  5886. >Dash never liked the formal approach to things, especially when it came to your relationship.
  5887. >She’d really gone out of her comfort zone to ask you on a dinner date.
  5888. >And you’d completely thrown that away.
  5889. >By the time the next train arrives you’ve plateaued at the limit of sobriety.
  5890. >You half-expected Dash to suddenly land next to you in a cloud of dust and wind—ribbing on you for how slow you were.
  5891. >But that never happened.
  5892. >You board with the few other late commuters and try not to doze off as the rhythmic sound of the tracks serenades you.
  5893. >Ponyville wasn’t completely shut down, but most of the restaurants had already closed.
  5894. >A few drunk stallions laughed loudly to themselves as you passed them on your way back to the apartment.
  5895. >You honestly didn’t know what to expect from Dash, you’d never really let her down before.
  5896. >You have to think of someway to make it up to her.
  5897. >Before you know it you’re at your door. The apartment light is on so you know she’s in there.
  5898. >That or she left them on to run up your electricity bill to spite you.
  5899. >You swallow a lump in your throat before you head in.
  5900. >You’re greeted by the familiar smells of your shared flat…but no pegasus.
  5901. >Damn, she probably left.
  5902. >You’d leave you too if you were her.
  5903. >The fact that you’d savored your date all day only made the situation that much more difficult to swallow.
  5904. >You drop your backpack on the couch with a sigh.
  5905. >As you start unloading it your door flies open so violently you jump.
  5906. >”Sorry I’m late! Spitfire made me teach a class and I had to clean up a-and I got here as soon as I…”
  5907. >She trails off at the surprised look on your face. Her eyes glance to your bag, then back to you.
  5908. >”Did you just get back too?”
  5909. >You nod to the sweaty, slightly out of breath pegasus—still in shock at your luck.
  5910. >She stares at you for a moment before she cracks a grin.
  5911. >”Geez dude how come you’re always so slow?”
  5912. >You smilie at her intentional lack of logic and close the distance.
  5913. >She hops her forelegs onto your shoulders as you drop to a knee.
  5914. >Her tongue lashes out at your face in sloppy pony kisses.
  5915. >You smile and surrender to the onslaught; she soon starts focusing her licks on your mouth and you take the opportunity to lock her lips in a kiss.
  5916. >The post-flight ozone smell overpowered her cool sweat and your nose worked in conjunction with your tongue to embolden the taste of her mouth.
  5917. >She whimpers and pulls harder on your neck.
  5918. >A hand moves to caress her nape, mirroring her action.
  5919. >Her tongue begs for entry and you allow it…but the appendage immediately shoots to the back of your throat—gagging you.
  5920. *Gack
  5921. “…What the heck!” You fall back on your butt and wipe your mouth.
  5922. >Her toothy grin looks more mischievous now that she’s at eye level with you.
  5923. >”That’s for being late.”
  5924. “But you were late-er…m-more late!”
  5925. >She moves towards you—using her nose to push yours back.
  5926. >Her legs straddle your body and you can’t help but yield to her advantageous position.
  5927. >”I have to fly all the way back from the academy in the cold and dark and all you have to do is get to your train on time.”
  5928. >Her sultry eyes made your face flush as much as her hot breath.
  5929. >She had a point.
  5930. >She also had the high ground.
  5931. >Her nose now pinned your head to the floor and she took the moment to share your breath.
  5932. >Your chest flutters, “I don’t have a watch…”
  5933. >She responds by pressing her lips hard to yours.
  5934. >”Ohohoo duude! Check out that acshun!”
  5935. >Both of you are so lost in your reunion ritual that you forgot to close the door.
  5936. >Several drunk ponies just caught a glimpse into your lifestyle.
  5937. >Without breaking the kiss Dash brings up her hind leg and blindly kicks at the door.
  5938. >It bounces off the toe of your shoe and drifts back open.
  5939. >That kinda hurt.
  5940. >”No way that’s Rainbow Da—“
  5941. *wham
  5942. >Your foot wasn’t in the way the second time.
  5943. >Now there was nothing to interrupt the smacking sounds of your embrace.
  5944. >She’s pushing against you pretty hard and the only thing keeping the back of your head from bruising is the dirty apartment carpet.
  5945. >Both your arms constrict around her neck and withers, and your strength and weight force her to lay down on you.
  5946. >Her powerful lips nibble yours, her fore hooves reposition, her breathing becomes erratic as she starts to get carried away.
  5947. >You’d been looking forward to this from the moment you woke up this morning.
  5948. >A slender tongue infiltrates your mouth and introduces a hint of oats and barley.
  5949. >You stay away from her wings and back, but eagerly entertain her kiss.
  5950. >She breaks your typical twirling dance and gingerly moves the smooth tip of her tongue farther back on yours.
  5951. >For a moment you fear another playful gag, but her mood told you that was unfounded.
  5952. >Fingers spread through her damp neck fur and you remain motionless—trusting your partner to navigate you carefully.
  5953. >To your surprise, she leaps across the chasm to the roof of your mouth.
  5954. >The tip of her nimble tongue starts to tickle at your soft palette.
  5955. “Hmhmhmhmm…” You giggle into your partner.
  5956. >”Heheheh…”
  5957. >She giggles a bit in response before curling her muscle up the roof of your mouth until it rested behind your front teeth.
  5958. >That actually felt really good; it had never occurred to you to pay attention to anything besides her tongue and enamel.
  5959. >She finally pulls away, but you bite her tongue between your lips and tug on it.
  5960. >Her eyes dart open and look into yours.
  5961. >”Aun leh eeh gho”
  5962. “Hmm-um.”
  5963. >Her tongue quickly starts to dry—making it easier to hold on.
  5964. >You playfully pull on it some more like you were stealing a spaghetti noodle from her.
  5965. >She’s beginning to look annoyed.
  5966. >You loosen your grip and the muscle escapes your grasp.
  5967. >She lifts her head and smacks her lips trying to re-wet her uncomfortably dry tongue.
  5968. >”What the heck dude?”
  5969. “That’s for being late.”
  5970. >Her eyes narrow but her smirk betrays her respect for your clever retaliatory jab.
  5971. >instead of letting you up, she makes herself comfortable on your chest.
  5972. >”So I guess that was like a, uhh…kiss and makeup?”
  5973. “Yeah, I forgive you.”
  5974. >She hoofs your shoulder.
  5975. “Ow!”
  5976. >”I’m not mad that you’re late so you can’t be mad I’m late.”
  5977. “Fair enough.”
  5978. >Her folded ears betray her tough attitude.
  5979. >You can’t tell if she doesn’t know that her body language is so readable, or if she just doesn’t care.
  5980. >Out of nowhere she kisses you again.
  5981. >Just a quick peck, but you didn’t see it coming.
  5982. >For some reason she seems extra affectionate tonight.
  5983. >At least compared to normal…or what you’d seen of normal.
  5984. >In all honesty you don’t really know, but it sure seems like something’s gotten into her.
  5985. >Speaking of which she’s staring at you.
  5986. >The strange look in her eyes demands all of your attention.
  5987. >It was a look you’d never seen before…
  5988. >Not nervousness, you’d seen that plenty of times.
  5989. >This was something deeper; a product of a thought in her churning mind.
  5990. >She pre-empts you before you have a chance to ask her what it is.
  5991. >”Let’s go out.”
  5992. >Her words carried a hint of finality as if they were rehearsed.
  5993. >You wanted to appease her, but you’d missed your window of opportunity.
  5994. “I’d like to but all the restaurants are closed.”
  5995. >”Not to eat, just…somewhere else besides here.”
  5996. >You weren’t too keen on late night drinking, especially after a long day, but she sounded hopeful and you weren’t going to snuff that out.
  5997. “Sure.”
  5998. >She visibly brightens though still retaining a sober overtone.
  5999. >She rises to her hooves—standing over you.
  6000. >A lingering kiss lands below your eye.
  6001. >”Gimme ten minutes.”
  6002. >She hops over you, wafting you with her powerful musk and giving you a quick flash of her tantalizing teat bulge through her suit.
  6003. >The bathroom door closes down the hallway and you just lay there trying to figure out what’s going on.
  6004. >This must be what people mean when they say it’s hard to understand women.
  6005. >You roll to your hands and knees, then to your feet.
  6006. >You’ll have time to contemplate it later, right now you need to freshen your breath and change.
  6007. >Twenty minutes later Dash walks into the living room to see you minus one suit and tie and plus one sweater and jeans.
  6008. >A relatively easy transition for you.
  6009. >But you couldn’t say the same for her.
  6010. >Her bangs flowed in a glossy cascade down one side of her face and the back was tied in a sort of pony tail.
  6011. >Her tail had undergone a similar transformation—loosing its fuzzy air-whipped appearance.
  6012. >Primary feathers glistened with a coat of conditioning oil and her cyan fur was brushed free of any sweaty clumps.
  6013. >She looked…gorgeous.
  6014. >Not that she didn’t always, but especially now.
  6015. >You weren’t sure how she made such a transformation in this short of a time, but it was amazing.
  6016. >Unfortunately she didn’t tell you she was ‘dressing’ up, and now you feel inadequate without your suit.
  6017. >You must’ve stared for too long because she looses her nerve and breaks eye contact.
  6018. >”I-I’m ready to g-go, s-sorry I took so long.”
  6019. “Rainbow you look beautiful.”
  6020. >Her tail sways at the compliment, but other than that she just stands there apparently uncomfortable with the attention.
  6021. >You walk over to her and she keeps her eyes locked on the half of the room you weren’t in.
  6022. >Fingers run through her glossy colors confirming the silky texture they portrayed.
  6023. “I like your hair this way.”
  6024. >She finally looks at you, “Really?”
  6025. You nod, “Really.”
  6026. >You wanted to tell her it was the cutest thing you’d ever seen but you didn’t want to smother her.
  6027. >You lean in and plant a kiss in front of her ear; heh, her fur smells fruity.
  6028. >The action reminds her who you are and she gains some confidence, turning and looking you in the eye.
  6029. >”Y-you look good too.”
  6030. >Obviously you didn’t, but you don’t want to torture the mare’s fragile nerves.
  6031. “So where are we headed miss Dash?”
  6032. >She blushes further at the charade, but answers.
  6033. >”Th-The park…?”
  6034. >The statement was partially a question; she was waiting for your approval to proceed.
  6035. “The park it is then.”
  6036. >You lead her to the door and open it.
  6037. >A bit of relief washes over you.
  6038. >Dash wasn’t much of a drinker, and the park was a nicer place anyways.
  6039. >You head out the front door and make a left.
  6040. >The night air had gotten a bit cooler in your absence, and Dash stuck by your side.
  6041. >She couldn’t lean into you because your height difference would cause her to trip, but she sauntered in a way that made the nature of your relationship apparent.
  6042. >You had to resist the urge to ruffle her hair or play with her ears, you didn’t want to ruin all the work she’d put into herself.
  6043. >As you walk farther out of town the absence of lantern light reveals a multitude of celestial objects in the vast sky above you.
  6044. >You make it to the entrance of the vacant park and Dash takes the lead.
  6045. >Apparently she had a specific place in mind—though for what still remains a mystery.
  6046. >It was possible that she wanted to spend a romantic evening stargazing…it just didn’t seem her style.
  6047. >The moon is waning, but the starlight is more than enough to see comfortably by.
  6048. >It glints off her tail as you follow her impeccable form down familiar paths and bends.
  6049. >Even if you’d worn your suit you’d still feel underdressed in the presence of the naked pegasus.
  6050. >The path disappears into a small cluster of trees and you struggle to keep the mare in sight.
  6051. >In all your time here you’d never been in the forest at night.
  6052. >To your surprise, plants all around you start to glow at the slightest disturbance.
  6053. >Mushrooms, flowers, and ferns cast their soft blue-green glow onto the beaten path.
  6054. >The bioluminescence mesmerizes you; there was nothing like this back home why hadn’t anyone told you about it?
  6055. >Twilight would know about the glowing plants, probably something to do with magic.
  6056. >Soon you pass the last mushroom clinging to the shadows and find yourself in a very familiar clearing.
  6057. >Calm water gently ripples and distorts the sky above.
  6058. >Ankle-high grass sparkles with the occasional firefly and sways gently in the silent breeze.
  6059. >This was where Dash gave you your private airshow.
  6060. >The spot where you’d first been intimate with her, and it clearly held some meaning for both of you.
  6061. >You look to your hiking partner but she’s already making a beeline for the water.
  6062. >You chase after her—leaving an angry trail of fireflies in your wake.
  6063. >She stops a few feet from the waters edge and sits down, you sit next to her.
  6064. >She doesn’t say anything so you don’t either.
  6065. >Silence seems fitting.
  6066. >You look out of the corner of your eye, admiring her sleek contours as her attention remains diverted.
  6067. >Your luck quickly runs out and she catches you and looks away.
  6068. >Why was she being so shy?
  6069. >Was it still because of her prettied up hair?
  6070. >You throw an arm around your companion and look at he celestial reflections in the water.
  6071. >That was much easier on your neck.
  6072. >You need an ice breaker.
  6073. “So how long do we have before the Timberwolves trace our tracks?”
  6074. >You feel her turn in your arms to look at you.
  6075. >A delayed chuckle blasts your cheek.
  6076. >”Heheh, we’re not in the Everfree dummy, we’re fine here.”
  6077. “So I don’t need to go piss on a tree to mark our territory?”
  6078. >”Hahahaha!”
  6079. >You join in and ride the laughter together.
  6080. >She loosens up a bit and you find yourself staring into her eyes.
  6081. >She bites her bottom lip and breaks eye contact.
  6082. >”F-for the record, I’m kinda glad I don’t have to go to some fancy restaurant with silverware and stuff.”
  6083. “Yeah me too.”
  6084. >She perks up and her tail swishes once.
  6085. >”Reallly? I thought you liked fancy stuff after that dinner and all the candles and things.”
  6086. “Well I was just doing it for you, I thought you might like that kind of thing.”
  6087. >”I did! I mean…I know how much work you put into it, but you don’t have to do that for a mare like me.”
  6088. >You don’t like her tone.
  6089. “What do you mean ‘mare like me?’”
  6090. >Her eyes divert again and you bring a hand up to scratch her ear.
  6091. >The action seems to put her at ease.
  6092. >”It’s just that I’m not like Rarity or anything and I’m bad at looking pretty and being fancy—“
  6093. >Your finger on her lips takes her by surprise and silences her.
  6094. >She crosses her eyes on it before blinking and looking up at you.
  6095. “That is the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard. You’re great at looking pretty Rainbow Dash, you just don’t realize it because you never have to try.”
  6096. >Even in the dark you can see her cheeks dim.
  6097. >Your finger was still awkwardly shushing her.
  6098. “Rarity is good at the fancy stuff because that’s who she is; you don’t like it because that’s who you are, and I kind of like who you are.”
  6099. >”A-all of it?”
  6100. “Huh?”
  6101. >”D-do you l-like all of who I am?” She asks nervously.
  6102. >What kind of question is that?
  6103. >You almost chastise her for not knowing the answer.
  6104. “Every. Last. Bit,” You punctuate each word with a tap on her nose.
  6105. >She soaks up her emotions for a moment before turning away.
  6106. >”S-sorry, I shouldn’t question you like that…it’s just…”
  6107. “Just what?”
  6108. >”Other stallions, when I tried to date them…they didn’t like all of me.”
  6109. “I doubt they’d date you if they didn’t like you Dash,” You try to bolster her esteem.
  6110. >”No, not like that…they liked what they saw, being an athlete and awesome and all that. But that’s all they wanted.”
  6111. >She’s trying to piece together words and you patiently stroke her shoulder while she does.
  6112. >”They didn’t like that I wasn’t like that all the time…I didn’t want to settle with some pony who wanted me to change, and I didn’t want to be with some pony I wasn’t going to settle with…”
  6113. “So you cut your relationships short because of that?” She looks over as you complete her thought.
  6114. >She nods.
  6115. >You had a pretty good idea of what she meant, and you intended to specifically nullify that fear.
  6116. “Dash, you don’t have to worry about that anymore. I love you especially when you’re all soft and mushy, you don’t have to try and be number one all the time for me to still love you.”
  6117. >Those words force a smile of pure joy to her face.
  6118. >She scoots closer before turning back to the sky to pointlessly hide her blush.
  6119. >But she can’t hid her uncontrollable grin.
  6120. >You look up too so she doesn’t feel self-conscious.
  6121. >Arms wrap around your furry mare and she drapes her wing over your shoulder in response.
  6122. >The sky was clear enough to trace the outline of the galaxy.
  6123. >You lean back and stare up at it, futilely trying to find a familiar constellation.
  6124. >You had to admit you were skeptical about the whole going out thing, but this was worth it.
  6125. >Both for the scenery and for the company.
  6126. >”So you’re from out there, somewhere?”
  6127. >You never would’ve pegged her for a romantic stargazer, but you weren’t going to ruin the moment.
  6128. “Somewhere…probably.”
  6129. >She stays silent for a moment staring up.
  6130. >You’d looked at astronomer charts, but none it looked recognizable. Even if you knew what to look for their optics weren’t good enough to see far enough to matter.
  6131. >”Do you want to go back?”
  6132. >She’d never asked that question before, and honestly it’d been a while since you’d thought about it.
  6133. >”Like, if you could, would you?”
  6134. “No.”
  6135. >She turns, surprised by your quick response.
  6136. >”Why not? Don’t you miss your family and friends?”
  6137. “Sure I do. But I’ve got friends here that I’d miss more if I went back,” You squeeze her shoulder for emphasis.
  6138. >She audibly gulps and shuffles a bit.
  6139. >Despite your experience together the silence is painfully awkward.
  6140. >You can’t help but think Dash has something she wants to get off her chest.
  6141. >You lean over and kiss the side of her muzzle.
  6142. >”An…umm…”
  6143. >Looks like it worked.
  6144. >Her ears flicker and her wings ruffle as if she’s agitated.
  6145. >”Anon, you can have f-family h-here too…i-if y-you want…”
  6146. “What do you mean?”
  6147. >Something prompts her to her hooves and she steps out of your reach.
  6148. >A shiver runs down her spine and she takes a deep breath.
  6149. >She ducks her head over her wing and maneuvers around it with her nimble muzzle.
  6150. >She stops, checks over it with critical eyes, then dives back in to fix something.
  6151. >Must have a twisted feather, she told you how painful those could get.
  6152. >She surfaces, finally satisfied with how things were.
  6153. >Her unreadable eyes meet yours and she takes a shaky breath.
  6154. >Before you can react she walks deliberately to your side and…bows?
  6155. >One of her fore legs buckles and she drops the right side of her body.
  6156. >Ears fold to her nape and she turns her head to the side.
  6157. >Her wing slowly unfurls in front of you until it’s sticking straight out.
  6158. >She reveals the purpose of her actions before you can ask.
  6159. >”Anon…w-will you be my mate?”
  6160. >Time comes to a standstill and your senses distinctly heighten as your furiously beating heart floods your body with adrenaline.
  6161. >Fireflies blink in the background and for a moment you could swear the stars looked like they were spinning around the both of you.
  6162. >Dash’s muzzle was buried in her fore hoof, one eye watched you intently—as if her life depended on your next move.
  6163. >There was no doubt in your mind as to what she meant.
  6164. >And there was no doubt as to what your answer would be.
  6165. >She made you happy, and more importantly, for whatever reason you mad her happy too.
  6166. >Your eyes gaze over her shaky wing.
  6167. >A lone feather was out of place, deliberately bent to collide with the natural symmetry of her primaries.
  6168. >It didn’t take a genius to know what to do.
  6169. >You reach out and gingerly grasp the feather.
  6170. >It comes free without the slightest effort.
  6171. >She’d plucked it herself and put it there for you to find.
  6172. >Once it’s free she folds her wing and stands up again-pulling a fore hoof to her breast nervously.
  6173. >The six-inch feather seemed to encapsulate her natural beauty in the moonlight—glinting from pale to deep blue at it’s tip.
  6174. >You look over to the mare next to you who’s obviously still waiting for your answer.
  6175. >So you give her the only answer you could the only way you know how.
  6176. >You tackle her with a hug.
  6177. >Your bodies roll around in the grass desperately clinging onto each other with every limb you had at your disposal.
  6178. >Her tongue lathers your cheek and face and you laugh at the sensations of her slobbery embrace, careful to hold onto her feather.
  6179. >Somehow across an innumerable distance, against all odds, you’d found your other half.
  6180. >You were made for each other.
  6181. >And nothing would make you happier than dedicating the rest of your life to that.
  6182. >Your tongue meets hers in a kiss before she has a chance to beg for one.
  6183. >Your feelings were so strong for her that when you weren’t expressing them like you were now…your chest actually hurt a bit.
  6184. >Expressions of her own convince you to lose track of time and when you come to, you’re staring down at her sparkling eyes, her slobbery muzzle as out of breath as yours.
  6185. “I would be honored to be your mate Rainbow Dash.”
  6186. >Her smile is matched only by your own.
  6187. >All the nervousness in her body was replaced with excited shuddering.
  6188. >You pull her to your chest and squeeze her tight to try and stop it.
  6189. >You had no idea it was possible to feel this happy.
  6190. >You look at the blue feather in all its beauty.
  6191. >It was one of her primary flight feathers.
  6192. >Marriage was a legal status, but it was traditionally a simple agreement.
  6193. >In less civilized times, the loss of the feather would make her more vulnerable until it grew back.
  6194. >Symbolically, it meant she now depended on you.
  6195. >You can’t say you expected this so soon from her.
  6196. >But that didn’t mean you weren’t ready.
  6197. >There was nothing to think about, nothing to debate.
  6198. >Because there was nothing to convince you otherwise.
  6199. >You pull her back to look at her one more time.
  6200. >Her teary magenta eyes, her pretty face.
  6201. >You’d always heard of people talk about the ‘honeymoon phase’ of the relationship—the time when you thought your partner was perfect in every way.
  6202. >The feelings you had toward her sure seemed to match up, but you were hesitant to call it a phase.
  6203. >You weren’t fooling yourself, you knew that the novelty of her body and her fame would wear off with familiarity.
  6204. >But her cocky smile, her sarcastic sense of humor, her soft scratchy voice whispering lovingly into your ear while she keeps you warm with her wings.
  6205. >Those were the reasons you fell in love with her.
  6206. >You didn’t need to make any excuses for your actions.
  6207. >Because those things would never get old.

Beach Trip

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Casual Friday (NSFW)

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Excuses (NSFW)

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Excuses 1.5 (unfinished/draft) (NSFW)

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Friends With Benefits (NSFW)

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