Y’know, under normal circumstances, this would, most likely, be where you would get to know me a little better. You might get a small glimpse into my personal life. You might even get to meet a few friends that probably won’t show up again. And, maybe, you might get an understanding of the driving forces that motivate me, as a person. All good shit—important shit.

Unfortunately, that is all going to have to be put on hold. Y’see, not more than a few minutes ago, I was unfortunately put into a bit of a pickle. An uncomfortable situation, if I am to put it lightly. In blunt terms: I was hit by a fucking bus. Not even the bus I was waiting for, either. I can’t even get that bit of dramatic irony going to spice my death up. Nope. All I get to have is the extreme shame of my up and coming Darwin Award for tripping over, and falling, into the street at the wrong time… which is why I find myself here with a heavy ache in my ribs or, at least, where they used to be. I say, ‘where they used to be,’ not because they were totally obliterated by the incompetent fuckwad who was driving the bus way over the city speed limit (which they certainly the fuck were), but because I can no longer really see them... or any part of my body anymore.

Come to think of it, I cannot really feel where I end and the dark expanse around me begins. Is this being dead? Because, if so, this kinda sucks.

I wish there was some way for me to reach out and touch things without arms.

Request: 1. Acknowledged, six remaining. Metaphysical interaction granted for upcoming reincarnation.

Alright, what the fuck was that? Or, rather, what is that in front of me? It appears to be some sort of checklist—the thing that the voice mentioned scrawled down for me to see. So, if I am dead, and not hallucinating from whatever good shit I’d presumably be getting on my ambulance ride, it looks like I am about to be reincarnated. I think I get seven requests, since the disembodied voice says I have six remaining. I suppose I get some leeway with what happens from here. Nice. Let's see what I can get away with. If this is how all of this works, I would like to reincarnate in my twenties—fuck all that ‘being a kid’ again shi. I would also like to keep all of my knowledge of my past life, to be honest.

Request: 2. Acknowledged, Post-Birth Reincarnation granted.

Five Remaining

Request: 3. Acknowledged, Past-Life Retention granted.

Four Remaining

Y’know, the robotic tone I’m getting here is really giving me some of that paranoia fodder for my nagging sensation that life is a simulation. But, that can wait. Preferably, for a long time. Now, I think I would like to live somewhere relatively calm... but, also somewhere where the opportunity to really become someone better than what I am… that I was... is available to me. I think I would enjoy it if I could ride that ol’ Chinese curse and live in interesting times.

Request: 4. Acknowledged. Searching for location with requested conditions. Setting arrival date and location for Equestria, fourth Iteration. Year: 998, Anno Autem Lunam In Mare. Average Danger Rating: Class Three—threats infrequent, but considerable.

Three Remaining.

Request: 5. Acknowledged. [Details redacted, specificity detrimental]. Warning, request brings conditions of reincarnation to Danger Rating Class Four. Threats occur with mild frequency.

Safety not guaranteed.

Two Remaining.

Ohhhhhh, well... fuck. Sometimes, I have to wonder how I manage to keep myself out of trouble. Honestly, it’s a miracle I haven’t gone and gotten myself hit by a… well, shit. Touche, reality… touche. Also, what the fuck is an Equestria? I may be an American, but I do not think that is a place that exists.

In any case, it seems like I am going to have a very interesting life ahead of me. Okay, then, maybe I should just try to go for something relatively harmless, so I don’t put my other foot in my mouth. I suppose it would be nice to not be a man-let this time around. Being tall would be nice—well above average, preferably. And please, for the love of whatever is running this show, don’t let me be ugly. I rather like being at least a solid seven, thank you very much.

Request: 6. Acknowledged. Setting height to fifty percent above average of target species population.

One remaining.

Request: 7. Acknowledged. Setting physical attractiveness for target species to upper thirty percent of the curve.

Wait… target species? Am I not going to be a human? I really hope that’s not what that means

Fuck, that’s totally what it means, isn’t it? And it looks like I am done here, if that slowly growing light encroaching on my vision is any indication. Oh, well, fuck. Here we go, I guess? This is happening.

Let me start by saying: if you are reading this, I very much hope that you are doing so either with my full consent, or else you are doing so in the event of my untimely death or disappearance. Otherwise, if I find out you have been poking around in my things, I am going to be very upset.

With that out of the way, this is meant to serve as a record of my time here... in the event of my untimely demise. And I certainly hope whoever is reading this in the future appreciates the effort that is going into scribbling this out with my mouth.

I think I am getting ahead of myself, here. I should probably back it up a bit. Long story short: I died in an unfortunate traffic accident and got yeeted, deadass, into what seems to be a reality entirely separate, and distinct, from the one I knew before. I know that is an awful lot to swallow in one statement—you are probably thinking that I should seek psychiatric assistance. And, while you might be right, it certainly is not for the reason you are probably thinking it is. All of this is quite true.

Please, allow me to elaborate.

The more believable part of my story begins with me being no longer unconscious... in the middle of a grassy area, by the feel of it. I say, ‘by the feel of it’, because I was, for a good few moments, very much not having an easy time adjusting from the advanced darkness that surrounded me, to the currently much brighter setting.

However, once my eyes did manage to come back into focus, things were still not very pleasant for me. My field of view was dramatically wider than I was used to, and the effect was extremely disorienting. I felt incredibly woozy as I closed my eyes again and took a few deep breaths, trying to get my bearings. I tried to open my eyes a few more times, softly retching with each attempt. Finally managing to steel my stomach a little, I decided it might be easier to try to open one eye at a time and see if that helped. It seemed to make things a bit easier to stomach, and once I was able to peek around without losing my nonexistent lunch, I discovered that I seemed to be in a rather large grove of apple trees. I hazarded a guess that I was in an orchard, if the orderly manner in which the trees were planted was any indication. Judging by the fact that apples were in said trees, it was probably sometime around fall—harvest season.

After taking a few moments to soak it all in, I slowly opened my other eye, little by little, to allow myself time to adjust to whatever was wrong with me. I was still splayed on the ground, not having bothered to move from the relatively comfortable patch of warm grass I found myself sprawled onto. I tilted my head and got a better picture of where I was. There were fences, long and reasonably straight, and what seemed to be a path leading down one way. It was a fairly well-kept path—a dirt road. It honestly reminded me of back home. We had lots of those back down South. ‘Down south where’, you might be asking yourself? Good question!

Moving on.

I groaned softly and ran my tongue along the inside of my mouth—the feeling of dryness getting to me as I tried to moisten things out. As I did, it felt… wrong, to put it bluntly. My tongue felt quite large in my mouth; swollen almost, in comparison to how it usually felt, and my teeth felt strange. Usually, I could feel nice flat ones in front, with molars in back and canines to the middle. Most of my teeth felt much too flat, as if I had a mouth full of oddly textured molars... save for two slightly protruding teeth where my canines would usually be.

This caught my attention, and I decided maybe I should sit up and see what else was going on. Time for a status check, I determined. I tried to sit up and immediately fell back over, my arms flailing in front of me wildly. Or, at least, they should have been my arms. What I saw instead was extremely disturbing: my forward extremities were covered in fur. Not like, “Haha, my arms are so hairy!” kind of way. I mean full fucking pink fur all the way to the end. And, to make matters worse, at the ends of them were… hooves.

Hooves?

Needless to say, I was a bit freaked out. I would very much like to tell you I managed to keep my composure. Sadly, that would not be a productive use of the effort it is taking to write this. I feel with how difficult it is for me to pen this orally, I should at least be honest and accurate. So, it would be most accurate to say that I screamed like a little bitch baby at the top of my lungs.

Once that very necessary use of my time was completed, I proceeded to take a few borderline hyperventilating breaths and tried to calm myself down. I slowly, carefully, sat back up on my…
haunches. It still feels very odd to write that, admittedly. It was a bit difficult to properly balance my weight in a way that was appropriate for my new proportions. After a little bit of fumbling, I managed it. The bottoms of my front hooves were surprisingly sensitive—I was even able to get a good idea of the feel of the rest of my body, with the help of my oddly flexible front legs. It seemed that, if what I was feeling and seeing was anything to go by, I had become some sort of equine.

It was about that point that I felt the horn, my eyes widened again. Not just an equine, but a unicorn. After calming down a bit more, I took a moment to think about the absurdity of it all. I was a unicorn; a pretty pink, fucking unicorn, plopped in the middle of a scenic fall apple field. It was certainly more than enough to get a somewhat worrying amount of chuckles out of me in my then-current state.

With a bit of a laugh at my own expense, I was feeling a bit better. I figured it was time for me to get a move on. First order of business, some good ol’ locomotion. It looked like I was going to be quadrupedal. I was hoping with all of my might that, wherever I was, I was not going to be stuck in a harness and bit like a low fantasy farm animal.

I slowly moved to get my hind legs under me, planting my front legs firmly to the ground. Keeping them straight and stiff, planted wide, I slowly brought my wobbling hindquarters into the air until I managed to very awkwardly get my footing underneath me. I stood there that way for what seemed like an agonizing eternity as I struggled to maintain my balance, shifting this way and that until I finally found my center of gravity and managed to gain steady footing.

I gently. and softly, spoke to myself as I looked down at the ground, feeling still just a bit disoriented from my new widened field of vision.

“A-alright now, big guy—you can do this. The stallions on at the barn did it fine all the time, just one hoof in front of the other...”

And, so I went. First, one front hoof, then a back hoof, then the other front hoof, then the other back hoof. One… Two… Three… Four… Slow, steady rhythm. So easy, even a foal can do it.

Soon enough, I had managed to start walking forwards, making my way through the trees and onto the path. I looked up into the sky and squinted a bit at the brightness. It seemed to be about midday, erring closer to the afternoon than the morning. After a bit of looking around here and there, I saw what seemed to be a sign and smiled, hobbling over awkwardly to get a look-see.

Perhaps, it might be able to help!

Y’can, of course, imagine my displeasure when I discovered that the sign was in a mix of what at first glance to be a worrying blend of pictographs and strange, unknown written characters. In almost immediate retrospect, I felt quite dumb for just assuming the sign would be in English, or any language I could even recognize. I had never felt more American than I had at that moment. God bless the U.S-fuckin’-A.

Fortunately, however, what the sign did have was an arrow, pointing down one direction of the path. With no other leads, I blindly did what the sign seemed to be suggesting and wandered my way down in that general direction down the dirt road.

This panned out reasonably well for me, all things considered. About half an hour of shuffling along, I was starting to get the hang of this whole walking business. Turns out four is almost as easy as two. My gait was still somewhat clumsy, but with how long my legs were it was probably a bit of that as well.

After a while, I came across a rather nice looking rustic building. Something akin to a cross between a barn and a farmhouse. Absolutely massive, as well—it looked like you could house at least thirty ponies or more in it! On the porch there was a rather shriveled, old-looking green horse. A mare, by the looks of it. At least, as far as I could tell from the hairdo. She was small in comparison to me—frail-looking. I actually felt sort of bad for her, sitting there all on her own. What else is a nice young man to do but say, ‘Hello?’ At the very least, her being here alleviated my worries about being subjugated by some sort of mysterious master race... somewhat.

I approached slowly, looking her up and down nervously. She appeared to see me approaching. Once I was a few yards away, she sat up with a small start.

“Oh, gee. I wasn’t expectin’ anyone this time a day.” The old mare squinted. “I ain’t seen you 'round these parts b’fore.” She adjusted herself in her old rocker, her joints almost audibly creaking. “Big un’, ain’t ya? Not nearly enough meat on your bones, though. You here about the job?”

I blinked slowly and looked her up and down.

“The… job?” I began, slowly. “I think I might be, yes. What sort of work was it again?”

I tilted my head slightly and looked down at her with a small, concerned hum. I might be getting myself into a bit of trouble. But, a Job means pay—pay, means I get to eat. At least, I hope that’s what it means. If I got plopped into some sort of pastel pony, communist dystopia I’m going to neck myself as soon as I find a long enough rope... and a high enough rafter. Might be time to try to go two for two.

“Harvest, sonny!” she said excitedly, getting a bit more pep in her lack of step. She slid out of the chair and started hobbling, observing me from different angles. “Ain’t sure how much use you’re gonna be, wit’ the lack of real muscle and such, but it’s gon’ be another week till the rest of the apple family starts showin’ up. In the meantime, we need to get a jump start on all the harvest work. We gotta set up baskets, chase off the fruit bats, and start buckin’ a few of the riper trees so they ain’t just sittin’ on the branches. We gotta take care of the critters on top of all that,” she rattled off, gesturing now and again with one hoof, stopping to do so. “Let's start easy, then—what’s ya name? Mine’s Granny Smith, and this here is Sweet Apple Acres, home o’ the finest apples this side of Equestria, the pride o’ Ponyville!”

Ponyville.

Granny Smith.

Sweet Apple Acres.

Names seemed to be really on the nose around here. I was missing home, already. This was a pretty big adjustment, though. Maybe I was just wearing rose-tinted glasses… Fuck it, I thought to myself. I’m pink enough to pull that off.

“Rose Tint is the name, Miss.” I gave a small smile and offered her my hoof, stumbling a bit. “Pleased to meet ya.”

I tried to be as polite as possible, with a kind soft smile. She took my [hoof] with a small smile of her own and slowly shook it—a surprising firmness for a gal her age.

“My, my, aren't cha polite. You talk like a city boy, but that accent doesn’t fit it at all. Where’re ya’ from?”

I froze up internally and pretty much immediately gave an honest answer: “Louisiana, Ma’am.”

She seemed to be just a tad hard of hearing and I said that a bit too quietly for her to catch proper.

“Louwhinnyana? My, aren’t you far from home. I got family down there—farm persimmons they do.” It was at this point I was convinced that some cosmic entity was flagrantly fucking with me, that was by far one of the worst puns I had ever heard. “I'm guessing y’er one of those Aneighdian-Prench fellers. Those, er… Neighjuns?”

Just like that, it got worse. It was taking all I had not to scream more than internally at this less than stellar Equestrian wordplay.

“Uh... yes, Ma’am, ya got it dead on to rights,” I replied, a twinge of my cajun drawl coming out as I got a bit nervous. “I’m sure they’re good folks. Persimmons are good eatin, too!”

Gosh, this was getting more awkward by the moment. I needed to get down to brass tacks. It had been a long time since I had done farmhand work. But, a job is a job, and sure as shit if I didn’t feel right at home at the idea of it.

“Ma’am, If I may be totally honest? I have no idea where I am. I ended up lost out in the middle of your orchard and followed the arrow on the sign here. I can’ even read. But, if’n you are offering honest work for honest pay—I’d be a fool to say no. What do you have for me?”

She stopped circling and looked at me with a cocked headed expression of her own—an eyebrow slowly raising with another soft audible creak.

“Can’t read, ya say?” I shake my head. “And you ain’t even got a cutie mark? How old even are ya? Can’t imagine you’re too young as big as y’are. I bet you could look right down your nose at Big Mac without even takin’ your chin off your neck,” she said with a small amused cackle. “An’ you were lost, ya say? Well, don’t you worry none—if’n you are willin’ to do some honest work, we are more’n happy to give ya an honest days pay. If you want room ‘n board, it’ll cut down on what ya make a lil’ but I bet its a sight better than sleepin' on the ground come sundown. Fall ain’t anytime to be sleepin’ outside at night, you’ll catch a cold n’ what use’ll ya be to us then hm?” She asked cracking a small toothless grin.

“That suits me just fine, Ma’am.” I smiled a bit wider and gave a quick nod. “When can I start?”

At this, she smiled a bit wider as she gestured at the farmhouse. “Harvest starts tomorrow. Upstairs, third room to the left’ll do ya fine. I'll let the others know we’ve got company, so expect to do some meet’n and greet’n once ya come back downstairs.” The mare then went back to her chair and slipped comfortably back into her previous position with a little groan. “Now, get outta ol’ Granny Smith’s mane, will ya?”

So, with that said, here I am. I requested a pen and paper. After questioning why I wanted it, when I can't read, they gave it to me, figuring I wanted to doodle or some such. And, here I am, sitting in this cozy little room in a farmhouse, getting ready for my first day working on Sweet Apple Acres. I’ll admit, I'm fairly nervous, and I will be spending a few hours tonight practicing moving about properly, so I do not make too much of a fool of myself doing hard labor. And it is on that note, I am going to finish this entry. I am not sure what tomorrow brings, but I am sure whatever it is will leave me quite sore, with heavier pockets and a lighter heart.

Entry 2- Day 2

Well, as expected, my speculation about how sore I was going to be today was very accurate. However, I am very pleased to announce that while my pay was apparently reduced, it was lucrative enough for me to make several very interesting and possibly critical purchases.

Starting from where I left off yesterday before I went to bed, I took advantage of my accommodations. The room was small but comfortable, with a small vanity, a dresser, a stool, and a cot for me to sleep on. After I finished writing my last entry, I took a minute to just sit down and relax a little bit. I slowly, awkwardly managed to figure out how to properly seat myself on the stool my tail hanging comfortably over the end. I am not really sure how I look as far as ponies go, but I like to think I'm passable. I mean hell, I asked to be at least as nice looking as I used to be so I better be fucking passable, I was a solid 7/10 thank you very much. I certainly would not be happy to be reincarnated with a horse face. I mean, aside from the inevitable literal sense.

I ran a hoof over my jawline with a raised brow, slowly reaching up to touch my horn. as my soft hoof makes contact, I give a small whimper, surprised at how sensitive the firm appendage was, I was further surprised when a few wayward sparks came off of it, giving a tiny (okay fairly loud) squeal as I almost fall off of the stool. I managed to wave out my forelegs to steady myself before planting them on the top of the vanity, muttering to myself. "Hm, that was uh...something..." I said softly to myself as I relaxed a bit and looked up at the horn, inspecting it visually this time to avoid any more incidents. as I did so I found myself stooping a bit so see myself properly in the mirror. I could not help but notice that I was actually a bit large in comparison to the furniture. I guess I got my wish about being tall. My eyes were a very smoky, almost blue shade of purple, and my coat was a very soft, mellow pink. It was a pleasant contrast to the vibrant colors that seemed to surround me. My hair, or erm....mane I suppose, was a lighter shade of that same pink, with small streaks that were a bit darker throughout, forming a pleasant highlight. My mane was ponytailed (hah) neatly and hung to one side, though my tail was a bit wilder and fairly fluffy, with those same streaks. I also noticed that I had a distinct lack of whatever sort of marking that the older woman or er...mare had on her a...flank. This is going to take some getting used to, please bear with me. My hooves seemed to lack the soft short fur on most of my body and were a considerably darker shade of again, pink. All in all, I do not know much about beauty standards here, but I was fairly certain that I might be mistaken for a mare if looked at in the wrong light. That would prove to be unfortunate if it were to happen, I thought to myself before disregarding it.

All in all, I seemed to be about as physically fit as I was previously, not really a very strong guy, but built to last, and pretty lean. as I continued my physical inspection, I took a moment to chuckle at the fact that I now had a fat horse wiener. it was of course, nice and sheathed away. And while I do not know terribly much about the genitalia of the average equine (aside from casual viewing as a work hazard) I was fairly confident in the assessment that I was not sorely disappointed by what I saw.

Sadly though, my brief moment of levity was interrupted as I heard a very rapid and light knocking on my door. I gave a small sigh and got to my hooves once more and walked towards the door, issuing a soft statement of "Yes, Yes, I am coming. Please hold your...nevermind, I am coming." I say somewhat lamely as I freeze and wonder how I'm going to open this door. It was sort of ajar when I came in and I closed it out of habit without considering how I would get it open again.

After a moment of debate, I awkwardly tilted my head one way and opened my mouth to grasp the handle, slowly pulling it open enough to let go and slide my hoof into the crack to wedge and push it open, and I was greeted by the sight of a fairly small and admittedly adorable foal. At least, I would have to assume she is a foal, with that oversized bow on her head and those rather wide, excited eyes. She was a soft shade of yellow with a pair of warm, striking pumpkin orange eyes. I smiled softly down at her, doing my best to be polite, figuring she must be related to the elder pony, perhaps a granddaughter or niece. I gave her a small nod and looked down at her and said "Oh! I was not expecting to meet any of you until tomorrow. You must be one of the ponies that Granny Smith was talking about. I did not expect to be working with such young farmhands." I half-joked, lifting a hoof and waving it slightly with a flourish out of habit, the way I used to often do when I talked with hands. this put me off balance for a moment and I stumbled but quickly recovered.

She did not seem put off by this fortunately and quickly let herself into my room, staring at my flank in a way that made me a bit uncomfortable. "Oh wow, Granny Smith wasn't Lyin'! I ain't ever seen a pony as old as you with no cutie mark! My name is Applebloom, whats yours?" Cutie what? I pause for a moment and answer her question "Erm, Rose, Tint, Nice to meet you." She continues right on without missing a beat. "You sure are tall too Mister Tint. They sure grow em big in Louwhinnyana, huh?" Ah yes, a child, definitely a child. I gave a small longstanding sigh and smiled down at her again "yes, I suppose they sure do, huh? But what is a uh, Cutie Mark, I think you called it?" I asked softly as I went to lay down on my bed while she wandered around my room, observing me curiously from time to time. When I finished my inquiry she took the liberty of hopping up on the bed, coming face to face with me as she gave a shocked gasp, her eyes getting somehow wider. "You don't know what a Cutie Mark is?" She asked me incredulously, to which all I could do was meekly shrug. "I erm... I was not raised around other ponies actually. I do not know a lot of things. I left home to try to learn more about my heritage." I say, trying to come up with something relatively believable

She gave me a rather adorably sympathetic look, her eyes watering up a bit "Awwwe, that's so sad! Don't worry, I'll teach you everything you need to know about bein' a pony once you join the Cutie Mark Crusaderrrrrs!" She says, rearing up on the bed to spread her front legs into the air dramatically before toppling over onto the floor with a soft thunk, followed by a soft quick "ah'm okay!" as she popped back up with a sheepish smile of her own. "Anyway, The Cutie Mark Crusaders are dedicated to helping all ponies with blank flanks find what their special talent is so they can get a cutie mark!" Interesting. It seems the marks on the flanks of the ponies correlate to whatever they are most naturally inclined to excel at, and manifest in response to discovering it. I wonder how that happens, my current theory has to do with a release of endorphins and other positive reinforcement mechanisms triggering in response to performing the task but that is going to require further research. Nevertheless, I give her a small appreciative nod as I sit up a little straighter on my bed. "that is very kind of you to offer. I will have to strongly consider joining. Are there other members?"

She nods and smiles wide once again "Mhm! My friends Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo!" She says seeming quite excited at the prospect of another member. As I considered the possible negative ramifications of being associated with hanging around a gaggle of presumably underage fillies I shiver and am briefly assailed by mental images of a ponified Chris Hansen before responding evenly "I would love to participate, though I might be more comfortable if someone my age was there. Do you have a big brother or sister that could attend?"

Fortunately, it seemed by the initial nonverbal response that she did, her tail perking a bit, almost wagging as she beamed at me. "Uh huh! Big Macintosh And AppleJack will be really busy with the harvest though. Cousin Braeburn and a few others are gonna be here, but they're gonna be helpin' with harvest b'cause the trees in Appleloosa aren't quite there yet...OOH! Maybe Sweetie Belle can bring her big sis. Oh! or maybe Scootaloo could bring Rainbow Dash!!" she says, getting progressively more excited about the idea until she stopped suddenly, looking like she was thinking. "Wait, is that why you were openin' the door with your teeth? No one ever taught you how to use your hooves?"

I scream internally at hearing she saw me doing that and tensed up for a moment before nodding slowly "That's right. I've been using my mouth to open things for as long as I can remember."

Applebloom laughed softly at that and reached up to put her hoof on my face in what I am assuming was meant to be a comforting gesture. "Awww, Don't worry! You know what, lemme go get Applejack. I'm sure she can help! Oh, you should just come with me! I can show you around the farm while we walk!" She says, quickly making her way out of the room as if it was decided that I would participate. I gave another soft sigh and got off of the bed, following behind before she got too far ahead, where I found her already talking as if I had been following the entire time. When she looked back to see me doing so I smiled softly and nodded as if I had been listening.

A short walk later and a great deal of adorable childish explanation about the runnings of an apple farm later, I was brought before a rather toned, athletic-looking pony with a ponytail that could rival my own. She had a blonde mane, an orange coat, and a rather dashing looking cowboy hat. She also sported a rather fetching pair of green eyes, not too unlike my own before the change. you may possibly find yourself concerned that I called anything about a pony fetching, But what can I say, game recognize game.

What was much more interesting than her physical appearance was the amazing feat of athleticism that she was displaying, repeatedly at that. She seemed to be rearing back and slamming her back hooves into the trunks of the apple trees as hard as she could, knocking them out of the trees and into baskets placed underneath them. I whistled softly at this, one eyebrow raised "That sure does look tough." I say as I walk up with Applebloom leading the way.

The mare, (I assumed Applejack if those apples on her flank and her current task were any indication) Looked over at me with a smug proud grin and leaned against one of the trees "It ain't all that hard once you know how to put your back into it. You're pretty big, I'm sure you could get it down in no time." She says as she lifts a forehoof to adjust her brim over her eyes, tipping her hat before pulling it back up to look at me. "What can I do for ya, pardner?"

I, sadly, did not have a hat of my own to tip in return, so I simply smiled at her until Applebloom came forward to speak on my behalf. "Mister Rose Tint here is gonna be helpin' with the Harvest, But he Doesn't know how to use his hooves, or nothin' about bein' a pony!" she says sounding a bit distressed as she walks up closer to her sister to whisper a little too loudly "He ain't ever been around other ponies before so he don't know how to read or do nothin'! He don't even have a cutie mark..." She sounded unreasonably more pleased at that last part but I let it slide considering her...apparent fascination with the subject.

Fortunately, as I came to discover later, that was all true enough, and the fact that I was visibly embarrassed to be spoken about as if I was an invalid by a child made me pathetic enough to pass her momentary scrutiny as she squinted and looked me up and down. "Uh....huh....well shoot pardner, that sounds mighty rough. Don't you worry, I can point you to where you need to go to get the basics. There's a library in to...oh yeah, can't read can ya? Don't worry! We've got a school, too. You're a lil' old but I'm sure Miss Cheerilee will be happy to teach ya everythin' you need to know." She says as she walks over and extends her hoof with a smile. "Name is AppleJack, by the way, I'm sure Applebloom already told ya that. though. Pleased to meet ya!"

I smiled softly and extended a hoof in return, allowing her to grasp and shake it quite fervently. Once my teeth stopped rattling in my skull, I gave her a thankful nod "Thank you kindly. My name is Rose Tint, like Applebloom said." I said softly as I pawed at the ground lightly.

"Well then, Rose Tint, If we are gonna have you workin' tomorrow, I think it's worth both of our times to at least show you a few things while I've got your attention. She said as she held up her hoof. "Now, look here, your hoof is soft on the bottom, and you should be able to flex it like this." she says, demonstrating how the underside of her hoof shifted and contracted and expanded slightly at several points in a way that did in fact, seem quite useful for manipulating objects. "Although I don't know why you'd have issues, bein' a unicorn and all. I'm sure you've got some of that fancy magic to pick stuff up if you really need to right?"

I was about to inquire what she meant by magic when Applebloom butted in again "sis, I don't think he knows how to do that either. When I knocked on his door he had to open it with his teeth." she says, looking back at me with a pitying expression. Having once again been exposed by a filly, I look away with a small embarrassed red tinge to my already very pink cheeks, crossing one foreleg over the other sheepishly. "She is being quite honest with you, I have never used magic a day in my life. I was not even aware I could do such a thing until today."

AppleJack gave me a strange look, as if she couldn't tell if she should be impressed, concerned or amused. "Well, shoot, no need to be embarrassed. The earth Pony way of doin' things is plenty fine for lots of folks." She says in a reassuring way, obviously trying not to make me feel worse. She probably thought I was disabled at this point and to be honest I was not sure if I could correct her accurately. I did my best to get us back to the subject matter at...hoof, and lifted said extremity, looking down at the soft middle of the appendage and concentrating. I felt the required muscles slowly twitch to life. they were not atrophied, and they seemed to correspond fine enough to where my fingers used to be, so it was not hard once I realized what I was supposed to be doing. I reached over to one of the baskets and grabbed an apple from the pile within, practically beaming as if I had discovered the greatest secrets of life as I brought it to my mouth and took a bit. I never thought an apple could be so delicious, but I suppose anything pairs well with the taste of sweet victory. I chewed slowly and savored the flavor. It was admittedly also a rather excellent specimen of an apple. I swallow and smiled wide, looking down at Applejack proudly. She was...amused, if the look on her face was anything to go by, and she seemed happy enough for me "good for you, big fella. Now..." she pulled me a bit closer and gestured towards the path I came in on "if you keep headed down that way past the gate there's gonna be a little bridge over a creek, that's where you wanna go. You'll get into town a few minutes after you cross. The place is called Ponyville, and you are gonna want to find the school. Ask for Cheerilee, shes the schoolmarm around these parts." She explains before pulling away and going back to her work.

That seemed to be that. However, Applebloom seemed to want to tag along with me a little longer "I'll show em the way, big sis!" She says with a tinge of pride at the idea, trotting off once more without a moment to debate. I gave another small sigh, one of many I was sure the sweet little filly would drag out of me. and followed close behind.

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About ten minutes and a peppering of young, innocent questions later, We made out way into town. Thankfully I did not draw too many eyes. I seemed to blend in well enough despite my size and lack of what appeared to be an important signifier of maturity in pony society. I did get a few stares, but whether that was because I was an adult stranger with a presumably well enough known local filly or because I looked strange, I was not sure. Applebloom walked me right to the school. It was a rather charming little building, with a bell tower on the top. It almost looked like a little church aside from all of the heart motifs. "This is it! She should be right inside. School is over for the day, so shes probably gradin papers or somethin'. Want me to come in and introduce you?" Well, at least she asked that time. I shook my head, politely declining "I am sorry Applebloom, I would prefer to do this on my own, I am sure I can explain my illiteracy adequately on my own."

She nodded and turned to start walking home "Alright, good luck. You know you talk awfully fancy for someone who doesn't know how to read," she quips harmlessly, giggling as she trots off.

After getting roasted for the third or fourth time today by a small filly, I flexed my hoof and reached forward to pull open the door, still feeling very pleased with my newfound ability to perform simple everyday tasks without advanced oral manipulation. I peek inside to see a rather chipper looking purple mare with a well kept striped pink mane., and a "Cutie Mark" of flowers on her flanks. That was presumably the mare I was looking for, so I entered and coughed softly to clear my throat before getting her attention. "Excuse me, Ma'am, are you Miss Cheerilee?" I asked, trying to be as respectful as I could. "I am awful sorry to bother you, I am sure you are busy. But Miss AppleJack informed me that you might be able to help me with a...problem I have."

She looked up from her task, setting a stack of papers to one side as she got up and started to walk towards me in the middle of the building "Oh! Well that depends on what it is but I can certainly try, what did you need?" she asks, offering me a soft, winning smile.

"This is...admittedly very embarrassing to speak about but. I was not raised around other ponies, and I never really learned how to read erm...the written language you use here." I say, trying to bullshit my way through not knowing what the language was called. "I was just hoping you might be able to assist me in solving that issue." I was admittedly still fairly embarrassed about the issue, but I was determined not to let my pride get in the way of learning things I needed to know!

"You can't read Equine?" She asks, seeming a bit incredulous "With being as well-spoken as you are I find that hard to believe. Where are you from that you were never around other ponies?" She trots around, inspecting me, seeming...unsettlingly pleased with what she saw. I disregarded the retinal molestation for the time being and continued to speak "I am from Louwhinnyana, actually." That name was still fucking stupid, but I was glad the place it referred to existed nonetheless. "there just. I were not a lot of erm...p-ponies in my area is all, and erm, learning to read Equine never really came up as a useful skill for my day to day life..." All true enough once again.

"Well, that just won't do! I don't think you would appreciate having to sit in with the foals but if you would like, I could drop by wherever you are staying in town to give you some...private lessons after school." Why did she have to pause? that pause made me more than a little concerned. Wait, since I have a new body, am I a virgin again? Because if so I was very concerned about protecting my virginity for a moment there. Was I looking into this too much? perhaps I was, it is still too early to tell, And I will admit i do not have the most experience with women, let alone mares. Needless to say, I do not have the best frame of reference when it comes to flirting. "I would be delighted. I am staying at that nice apple orchard up the way." I said as I turned around to face her again, shifting my weight between my two front hooves a bit nervously.

"Well, that is that then, I will be by this evening if you are not too busy?" She asks with a small smile, tilting her head a bit and... I am hoping unintentionally fluttering her eyelashes at me. Until I have reason to believe otherwise I am going to assume she simply had something in both of her eyes. Do not get me wrong, I am not some prude who thinks having a relationship (or relations) with a sentient being of sexual maturity is degenerate behavior. I am just sort of...not in a place to entertain that sort of thing at the moment. This seems like a point in my life where being goal-oriented and sidelining romantic pursuits seems the optimal choice.

Nevertheless, it seemed my best choice for that path at the moment was to allow her to at the very least, teach me how to read. And I would not want to seem rude. "That sounds fine by me, though I cannot vouch for how awake I will be after a long day's work."

And so we went our separate ways, and I headed back into town. I went back up to my room and prepared for a long days work on the coming day. What a day it was as well, quite...embarrassing in some aspects, enlightening in others. However I am feeling quite sore, So I will head downstairs to soak in the tub and will be back to complete this entry later tonight. Until then, you will just have to wait. Or well, I suppose that from the perspective of a person reading my logs from beginning to end you will not. My mistake.

Entry 3 - Day 2

After taking a breather, I have returned, and I am delighted to announce that I have started to get the hang of actually using my hoof for the task of writing, which means that I will have a much easier time documenting all of the extraordinarily important events that surround my life, such as harvesting apples, and being roasted by small children. I am sure this excites you as much as it did me when I wrote it.

Anyway, continuing on, after making my way back from the schoolhouse, I went back to the orchard. I later discovered it was called Sweet Apple Acres, which is admittedly a rather nice name for such a warm and welcoming seeming place. I went over to Granny Smith, who was still relaxing out on the porch, and decided it might be a good idea to ask where I should go to freshen up. When I inquired as to where in the house the bathroom was, after a few minutes of inquiring in a progressively louder voice, she was finally able to point me in the right direction to the guest bathroom. I walked in and was delighted to see that it did in fact, have plumbing. A sink and (oh dear lord thank you goodness) a flushing toilet were readily available, as well as a shower! It was a little cramped, but it would be big enough to accommodate me and that was what was important. I slipped my way in past the shower curtain, making sure I was secure before I lifted one hoof and started up the water, letting it cascade down on me and giving a soft, pleased sigh, leaning my head forward, being careful not to scrape my horn across the wall in front of me. After a long stressful day like nothing I had experienced before, the feeling of the hot water relaxing my muscles was borderline orgasmic. I am ashamed to say I did let out a moan at the feeling.

I took some of the available apple-scented (of course) shampoo and sat on the floor of the shower, using my hooves to awkwardly position the bottle above my head and squirt before setting it back down, closing my eyes and lathering with a soft hum. As I sat and leaned my head back the warm water was able to cascade down my belly, and over my er....genital region. As the hot water drove me to relax more, of course, the natural reaction began to happen, and by the time I was washing the shampoo out of my hair, I was face to face with an erm...rather large problem. The problem is of course, for the uninitiated, a polite alternative reference to my newfound throbbing erect horse pecker.

I am not sure how large I am in terms of conventional units of measurement here, but if these are all ponies, I would say I am about the size of a proper horse. I am about a head and a half taller than them generally so far. Not a draft horse, but definitely on the larger side, though I am sure there are bigger ones. I am not so sure the same held true for the thick slab of equine flesh that was poking up to just underneath where my sternum would be on a human body.

I just sort of sat there for a minute, staring down at it absent-mindedly as it bobbed up and down as if it was mocking me. This was....oddly existential in retrospect. I silently tried to will it to go down, but I was sadly having no such luck, I suppose I would simply have to wait and hope it went away on its own. I grabbed the bar of soap with my hoof and began to lather the rest of my body as best as I could reach, deciding to distract myself from the situation with a song from one of my favorite games. I could swear as I belted it out I heard the music play along softly, but I am almost sure I was simply very much in the groove as I cleaned myself up, as I often am in the shower.

Ah yes, the good stuff. I have cataloged the lyrics here for any curious.

as I finished singing and the music that I am hoping was in the back of my own head faded, I heard a soft, warm chuckle and froze. I pulled back the curtain enough to peek my head out and seeing that I had very, unfortunately, left the bathroom door open, and Applejack was looking in and was clearly amused by my little tune. "Well, ain't that a pretty tune ya got there." She says with another chuckle as she tilts her head "you almost done in there? I gotta get freshed up for bed and Big Mac won't get outta the shower upstairs."

Putting aside my extreme embarrassment, I rubbed one of my flushing cheeks and nodded quickly "Y-yes Ma'am. I am just having a bit of difficulty. It is- a-aaAAHH!" standing then taking one of my legs off of the floor of the tub was a big mistake, I came tumbling out, thankfully not pulling down the curtain. Or perhaps not so thankfully considering that I landed on my side and was exposed quite explicitly. Applejack went from jovial and impatient to shocked and...I am going to have to assume that it was horrified for my own mental health. I heard a soft mutter of "Buck, you are a big one." and before I could quip back with a cheeky "for you", she quickly backed out and away "I-I see you're almost done so I'll leave ya to it!" she said a bit too loudly. before quickly trotting off. I gave a soft groan and slowly pulled myself off of the floor, closed the door, and cleaned up. I dried myself off and made my way out of the bathroom, shivering a bit at the sheer level of cringe that had just been inflicted on myself and that poor mare.

After putting the awkward moment behind me for now and heading back to my room, I sat and waited for Cheerilee to arrive. I expected her to perhaps come to the front door and ask to meet me downstairs, but it seems she was let right on in because I heard a knock on my door and came face to face with her upon opening it. "Ah, Miss Cheerilee! I was not expecting you to come up to my room. Please, come on in." I said with a small smile as I backed away and gestured for her to enter.

She smiled graciously and walked right inside, closing the door behind her. She reached into what seemed like a pair of saddlebags on her haunches, humming as she pulled out a few books that seemed suitable for children but I suppose it is best to start somewhere. She spoke after laying them out "I thought I would bring you a few things to read through once we got you used to the actual reading. I was not sure about your level of education so I played it safe and brought some simple things."

I was not as offended by her choice in reading material as I could have been since in all fairness, I could not read. You know, maybe that was a bit vague, and not entirely true, I thought to myself, I decided to try to explain to her "Thank you Miss Cheerilee, but if I am being frank, I think I was not specific enough about the nature of the issue. You see, I can read and write, just not in Equine." I tried to elaborate, gesturing with a hoof as I did so. "I was taught a different sort of written language. Once I am, erm, familiar with the basics of how to read it out, I should be more or less able to carry myself from there." I said carefully, not wanting to sound ungrateful.

She looked at me thoughtfully for a moment and nodded "That makes enough sense I suppose. I can do my best to explain." she says as she takes one of the books and opens it with her hoof, gesturing at some of the characters and symbols laid out in what seemed to be an infographic on the page "all of the consonants have an individual line stroke, b through Z, written slightly differently to accommodate different sounds they make. All of the vowels have symbols that work in much the same way, and syllables are rendered as combinations of the letters and symbols in different configurations, which then form words phonetically..."

She then went on to teach me which combinations and symbols and strokes equated to which letters and sounds, and I took notes studiously in English. Once she finished her explanation and I had a handy cheat sheet, she took a look and cocked her head slightly. "Hm, that is an interesting sort of script. I am a little rusty, but that actually sort of reminds me of Old Equine. Perhaps an offshoot of one of the Romance languages?" Fuck, she sure was a sharp cookie. It made me wonder why she was teaching fillies, but I didn't share that as I felt it would be rude. Besides, I am sure she loved her job, and teaching children is important as is. I gave a surprised nod and smiled softly "I have no idea what to make of that, but it sounds like you have an interesting theory there." I say with a chuckle as I look over the books, referencing my cheat sheet to parse the titles, there was a handful as follows:

A Brief History Of Equestria
A Pony Guide to Growing Up: A Reference for Developing Teens and their Bodies.
Fantastic Beasts of Equestria
Your Horn and You: A Magic Student’s Primer
Simple Spellcasting: A Practical Guide to Beginner Level Magical Spells
Notable Places and Famous Faces, 998th Edition
Equestrian Mythology, Vol. 1

It all seemed like quite useful reading material. I smiled wider and looked over at her appreciatively "Thank you so much for your assistance, Miss Cheerilee. If there is anything I could do to repay you, please feel free to ask." I said kindly as I ran a hoof through my mane.

She seemed a bit quick to respond "Actually, once you are comfortable with reading Equine, I do have a bit of a favor to ask, though I think it would benefit you as much as it would me." She said as she gave a small coy smile. I swallowed dryly, giving her a slightly concerned look before she said "There is a library in town that the Mayor has put me in charge of for some years now, but I just do not have the time. If you would like to work there as my assistant, I would be able to authorize you for a salary in the position. No offense to the Apples but I do not think you are suited to the sort of work they would have for you." She says, smiling a bit wider as she bats her eyelids with me.

At this point, I am unsure if she is trying to curry favor with a cushy job or exploit me for labor. Maybe both? Either way, I recognize, especially after the hard labor, I did today, that working hard days in the apple orchard is not for me, as nice as everyone is. I nodded and smiled softly "That sounds absolutely wonderful. Give me a day to speak with the Apples and help them out. They allowed me to stay here, so it is only fair that I at least render some amount of help in return for the kindness they have offered me, even if I will not be very good at it." I said softly as I rubbed at the back of my neck a bit sheepishly "I would feel like a mooch if I did not do the work I promised and used their water and ate their apples and slept in their bed, you know?"

"That attitude only makes me feel more sure about this." She says with a slightly wider smile than before, seeming quite pleased with the long and short of my answer, turning to leave, flicking her tail just slightly. "Just bring the books with you back to the library when you are ready." She says on the way out "Goodbye for now, Mister Tint."

"Have a good evening, Miss Cheerilee." I say with a small chuckle as she closes the door. She certainly did seem rather friendly. Perhaps I was a bit too quick to assume some untoward things. Time will tell.

Finally, with some time to myself without having to run errands, I started to read. It was slow going, but I could already tell I was getting the hang of it, only having to look at my cheat sheet every few words instead of every syllable after about half an hour. The first book I picked up, of course, was Your Horn and You: A Magic Student’s Primer. From what I had been able to garner from the few snippets I had been given by Applejack, the use of magic was very commonplace for unicorns here. and it would allow me to move things with my....ahhh, metaphysical manipulation. Another one of the things the reincarnation had granted me. It seems whatever it was had gone out of its way to grant me my wishes as unobtrusively and naturally as possible. Rather than setting me in a place where what I had asked for would be out of place, it had plopped me into a place that suited the conditions I set out and gave me an appropriate form to use the traits I asked for. That would also explain why I was in a place where I was able to make a living if I wished, but I also started illiterate and alone without any idea how to do much of anything, and also started in a place where I could alleviate those by simple but extensive management of my time and resources. I did say I wanted things to be interesting. I just hope now that things do not get too interesting. If things get much more interesting than they started it might get a bit bothersome. I remembered that voice saying “Warning, request brings conditions of reincarnation to Danger Rating Class Four. Threats occur with mild frequency.

Safety not guaranteed.”

I couldn’t help but wonder “How high do the ratings go? ‘Four out of 100’ is a LOT different than ‘four out of five’ “. Well, there’s no help for it. I will simply have to hope for the best and expect the worst, and prepare for even worse than that.

Anyway, magic! The book was very enlightening. I will not copy it word for word, as you could simply read the book yourself at the library for that. However, to summarize, it described magic, in more childish and simple terms, as an ambient sort of energy that resided in all things in various concentrations.

It especially was concentrated in living things and especially more so in intelligent ones, and very much especially more so in unicorns. This was because the horn of a unicorn acted as a sort of focal point. While most races had innate magic but could not naturally make much use of it, unicorns were able to hold an above-average amount of the energy inside of themselves, and they were able to manipulate it using the horn as a way to focus and direct the magic with mental commands. The horn acted as a focal point and conduit that allowed magic inside of and surrounding the caster to be drawn in and expelled much more easily. As a general rule, larger and thicker horns allow for greater magical output, which means you can cast more complex magic and spells unaided. The most basic form of magic is simply willing something to happen, and your horn will attempt to pour as much energy into the task as it takes to complete it. This is extremely inefficient, draining a large portion of your magical energy, especially on the first few tries, and it requires a lot of concentration.

This sort of magic is utilized by pegasi instinctually when flying, and earth ponies also use it in the form of enhanced physical strength. The more you did it, the easier it would become and the more efficient, though the book alluded that it would still be vastly more efficient in most cases to actually use spells.

Which brings us to spells! The preparation of a spell comes down to essentially willing your aura into a certain configuration, oftentimes consisting of two or more small adjustments in the magical flow around your horn to make the magic flow just so to complete a task in a specific way. For example, as the book informed me: instead of willing a fire to start and letting your instincts pour enough magic into the entire object to cause it to spontaneously combust, you would create a small weave of energy around your horn that would cause a smaller spot on the object to be heated individually at a higher rate, using much less energy in a greater concentration to set it smoldering, then have another weave around your horn to feed air into the small spot, then possibly a third small weave to keep a wayward breeze from blowing out any small flames that start until it is large enough to stop. This was all described as if meant for a child, with colorful illustrations and diagrams and what I can only call chibi unicorn art of cute little foals trying all these things. Everything was described in very basic terms, with a child's level of vocabulary, possibly a nine or ten-year-old to be exact.

So, since I was not going to be doing anything important for the rest of the day anyway, of course I did exactly what you probably think I did. The book did not give any exact examples of the flows to use in spells, but it did give you a general overview of how to concentrate and feel out your magic when using it the first couple of times. After a bit of practice the book said it should start to feel more natural and automatic.

First, you take a breath, maybe a few, and concentrate. The book said closing your eyes can help so I did. Then you concentrate on your body, especially on your horn, and try to feel for it. You have to stay like that until you start to visualize a ball of energy right behind your horn, as clearly as you can. When you have done it right what you are waiting for is to hear a sort of soft, chiming sound, like chimes blowing in the wind softly while a soft warm sensation envelopes your horn. That part was not in the book. I am assuming that it is simply expected for you to understand it as natural since it was my own personal experience.

I did so, and once I felt the sensations described I opened my horn, and I was greeted by the sight of a rather pleasant looking hot pink aura surrounding my rather long horn. I then proceeded to look down at the book I was reading before and started to focus, both on the ball of energy engulfing my horn and the book. I shaped the ball into a more refined, tighter cone. The closer you can get it the better, as less magic is being leaked into the area around you and being wasted as you prepare. Although, when larger amounts of energy or more complex spells are being used, it gets harder to maintain a cohesive thin cone as you have to use more concentration on holding the actual spell together.

The process of using raw will power is very faith-based. If you do not think you can pick the book up the task becomes immeasurably harder and more taxing. Having lived in a place where the most magical thing I had ever seen was a man making a statue's foot disappear with smoke and mirrors, I was, of course, having a difficult time convincing myself that I could make this book float with my mind.

Intellectually, I knew that it should be possible according to the reading material and the testimony of folks who had no reason to lie to me. I had even seen my own horn shoot sparks! But it was just a sort of personal belief barrier. I had admittedly always been a bit of a skeptic, but I was going to have to put my fedora tipping m'lady ways behind me for the time being and take my first steps into the metaphysical, the supernatural. I gritted my teeth firmly and growled a bit in frustration as I concentrated as hard as I possibly could. I slowly worked out a thought pattern in my mind, slowly working myself into believing in it. The book could be moved. Magic existed. Magic could move the book. The book could be moved with magic. I could do magic. I am doing magic right now, my horn is glowing. I could use magic to move the book. I am going to use magic to move the book. The book is. Going.To...Move!!!

And just like that it clicked. For a split second the book shot into the fucking air, slightly denting one of the wooden beams above my head with a loud crack as the spine smacked into it at the corner, then fluttered back down. Accompanying this,my horn flared to life with a loud sound that was best described as a high pitched whine accompanied by loud chimes before just as quickly fading to nothing

As my head blossomed into a world of hurt, the ball of energy expanded rapidly and dissipated suddenly with a loud crack like a balloon popping as I let off a significant if small wave of magical energy that sent me reeling, covering my eyes with my hooves as the bridge of my nose stung and my head just behind my horn throbbed. I fell back onto the bed and not on the floor thankfully, and all I could say was.

"Ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh"
as I curled up and held my head, repeatedly trying to gain enough coherence to curse until I heard a knock on the door. This was followed by a slightly muffled call of "Are you alright, pardner?!" Followed by AppleJack and Applebloom barging right into my room together, all six of them as my vision swam a bit after I took my hooves off of my face and slowly sat back up, squinting as I tried to focus, which made me wince. Focusing was not good for the headache "Y-yeah I am fine, thank you for asking..." I said a bit unconvincingly as I rubbed my head a bit more near the temple with one hoof. "M-miss Cheerilee came in with some books and one of them was on basic magic. I just tried to, er, levitate something. And I did, so uh...Yaaaaay..." I said less than cheerfully as my head fell back on the bed "I just feel very tired now, and I have a killer headache." I said as reassuringly as I could, waving one hoof in front of me as I tried to shoo them off.

"Well shoot, I never knew that magic was that hard startin' out for unicorns." Applejack said, rubbing the back of her mane, looking like she was...maybe re-evaluating something in the background of her thoughts as she looked me over.

"It is! Sweetie Belle still can't do it at all, but her sister says that's just 'cause she's a late bloomer." Applebloom piped up as she looked at me then back at her sister. "I heard that hit the roof up there, you must have did it really hard to get that tired, Mister." she said with a little giggle. I gave her a weak smile, trying not to be too upset with how loud she was right now, She's just a filly after all.

"H-heheh, yeah, pretty...pretty hard." I said, finally managing to sit up and look around clearly again. "here us, lemme just..." Now that I had proven to myself I could do it at least once, I tried again. The actual concentration was significantly harder as my headache got much worse when I tried to focus my magic again, but I did what you really aren't supposed to do with a sore muscle and kept right on like the self disliking masochist I tend to be. I was able to much more gently make it float up and fold closed again before setting it back on the vanity table. I gave a very relieved sigh when I stopped and the pain lessened quite a bit. Applebloom seemed pleased and clopped her hooves against the floor in a way that I can only assume was meant to be analogous to applause. As much as I appreciated that, I was now extremely tired. I smiled weakly and curled up on my bed. "if you -yawn- wonderful ladies will be so kind, I am afraid I am very sleepy now." I said softly, and before Applejack could respond I was out like a fucking light.

I woke up the next morning, in the same spot, covered by the blanket on the cot. I smiled softly again and curled into it a bit before getting out of bed. It was still about Dawn, it seemed I awoke from the sun hitting my eyes from the window, luckily enough. I decided to give it another shot, concentrating softly as I willed the door to open, summoning up that ball of energy, shaping it into the cone and concentrating on the handle, slowly tugging it open. I yawned softly after doing so, feeling a bit drained again, but I was sure that after a bit of walking around I would perk up fine enough. The only way to get better would be to do it as much as possible. It seemed that the initial severe pain and fatigue had been caused by my magic building to such an intensity for such a simple task. It was no wonder believing was such a key component. If I just let the energy build and didn’t dissipate it responsibly I could really hurt myself or others!

With this in mind, I made my way downstairs, deciding to try to use the magic for small things. Opening doors, lifting objects, as much as I could until I was able to do it without thinking. of course, this meant I had to stop and think anytime I wanted to try, and it was....taxing. Every time I felt a little more tired, but I resolved that I was not going to quit, I had only been at it for about twenty minutes! It was more a mental fatigue than a physical one. I would have to guess that rather than draining a lot of my magic and leaving me drained again, it was like flexing a muscle in my mind I never knew about. Being a fully grown and developed stallion and not a developing foal, I probably already had all of the physical components needed to sustain the use I wanted to try to carry out. It was just a strain on my will, like using a Green Lantern ring.

After getting freshened up using only magic to brush my teeth and comb my hair, I sauntered out of the bathroom after about half an hour. The sun was now properly peeking over the horizon and I walked out to the fields, where I heard a distinct smacking of hoof against tree. Instead of Applejack, I encountered a rather large pony, a little shorter than myself but, and please excuse my rough language, built like a brick shit fucking house. He was a very thicc boy indeed, buff as all shit. I walked over to him, head tilted slightly as I looked him over "Good Morning, Sir!" I am guessing you are er..BIg Macintosh?"

He looked at me long and hard, eyes even and calm as he surveyed me carefully before letting out a long, slow "eyyyyyyup." before bucking another tree with one leg, knocking every fucking apple out of that sucker into the baskets below.

I give a small awkward smile as I look around, unsure of what to do "I, erm, I am supposed to report to Applejack, would you be able to point me in her general direction?"

He nodded slowly and pointed over in the direction I walked in from when I first arrived, I nodded in return and was on my way, quickly coming across her.

I will not bother you with the day to day workings of an apple farm, as I was only there for one day. We worked together, made small talk. It was nice really, just discussing life, the Apple family, her plans for the future as well. I informed her of my plans, and she seemed appreciative that I still planned to stay for at least the day. And boy did they work me! I must have carried dozens and dozens of baskets of apples to the barn for them. I did not even attempt to buck the tree, as I did not want to damage the tree (or myself if I am being honest.) or slow them down.

At the end of the day, I collected my things, as well as my pay! I was given about thirty gold coins, and they were kind enough to throw in a saddlebag for me to put my coins and books and things into.

Granny Smith Insisted on seeing me off. "You take care now, if you need another honest day's work, you come right on down and we will find somethin' for ya to do. You did a good job out there today for your first time," she says in that way kindly old women do as she patted my back and slipped back into her rocker on the porch.

Big Mac, of course, seemed quite stoic and uninvested.

Applebloom seemed quite sad to see me go, she tugged softly at my leg and gave me big pouting wide eyes "You are still gonna come to the Crusaders’ meetin', right?" She asks softly as her eyes water a bit. I had to say yes to that. "Of course, Applebloom. I promise I will come as soon as I am settled into my new job at the library." I said as I gently ruffled her hair.

Applejack was there as well. She was being a very good sport considering her unfortunate meeting with my PP this morning. She even had a few words of her own "You seem a nice enough fella. You were respectful to our family and our way of doin' things and you did your best. I can't really ask more of ya. I kinda wish you'd stay a little longer. I bet in a month or two we could have ya up in shape like a proper workin' pony." she says with a grin, gently nudging my shoulder with her hoof. "What's the matter pretty boy? Farm life tougher than it is down in Louwhinnyana?" She teases in a good-natured way to which I respond with a genuine, soft smile. I was admittedly a bit fond of Applejack. "You know what, I think I might actually take you up on coming back. I could use all the money I can get. I could come and help out in the mornings before the library opens. I mean with Cheerilee running it, it's usually not open until after school anyway." I say with a small sheepish smile. The three ladies of the house seemed to be pleased with my answer to varying degrees. Big Mac seemed genuinely surprised, and I thought for a moment there I could see a passing expression of respect flit across his face.

Honestly, I felt a bit bad about running out on them for easier money. It didn't sit right with me. I knew I wasn't really cut out for it. But they sheltered and fed me and helped me when I was vulnerable. I had to do what was right and give them the help they hired me for. I am loyal like that, I suppose.

After we had all of that sorted out, I made my way to the library. The key was under the mat, where it was supposed to be, and I made my way inside, setting my things down on the table. and turning on the lights. I am not sure where the electricity is coming from, but it was certainly quite nice. After getting myself used to my new bearings I made my way upstairs, got cleaned up and finished writing up all of this! I Have to say, things are really coming together. I am going to go grocery shopping tomorrow. Maybe I could also go to that sweets shop I saw on the way to the school. Until then!

Entry 4 - Day 2

Shortly after I settled in, Cheerilee seemed to decide she wished to come and check up on me. I looked outside through a window and saw her walking towards the door, smiling softly. I also saw the sun was on the decline. It did look like school should be over. That would explain why Applebloom was home when I left. I decided I would try to impress her with my swift progress in not sucking at being a pony by walking to the front door and using my magic to open it while I was still a few feet away. This of course in practice meant that I was standing at the door for about two or three extra minutes while she knocked and called for me.

I smiled wider as I finally managed to get the door open, the focus still quite visible on my face until I released it and let my magic gently fade again. I relax and lean against my door frame, looking at her with a wide smile "Well, I was not expecting guests so soon," I said as I looked her up and down before meeting her eyes again. "Coming to check up on little old me?"

She chuckled softly and gave me a small nod. "I just wanted to make sure you found your way alright. I am sure not being able to read makes it hard for you to get around."

I chuckle softly to myself in response and shrub my shoulders "I manage just fine, but you will be delighted to hear that illiterate is no longer an accurate way to describe me." I said as I took a hoof up from the floor and held it to my chest with a flourish. "At this time, partially literate would be a much more accurate descriptor, and I have already managed to cast my first spell. All I have to do is get table manners down and toilet training down and I will be the envy of every young foal on the block."

This managed to elicit a proper laugh from her before she walked past me, seeing her way inside. "So, have you settled in nicely?" She asked as she swayed her flanks lightly with the motion of her walking, looking back at me with a small kind smile. "I try to keep this place clean, and that means I expect you to do the same, so please try not to get too comfortable. Anyway, I take it this means you read 'Your Horn and You' then?" She asked as she took a seat on one of the couches in the main chamber the entrance lead into.

I decided to join her there, settling in carefully on the other end of the couch and giving her a small polite smile. For some reason, Cheerilee looked slightly disappointed for a moment but hid it quickly. I cleared my throat softly and responded. "That is correct. I had a bit of an...incident on the first attempt, but I have managed not to have such a thing happen again." I said a little more sheepishly as I rubbed at the back of my neck with one hoof, leaning back into the couch cushions behind me. "I am fairly sure I simply managed to somehow pour too much energy into the effort of lifting an object before I actually managed to do it, then I er...did not use all of the energy and lost concentration, and the energy exploded against my horn."

She winced visibly at that, scooting a bit closer to take a look at my horn "I don't have a horn, but that sounds like Spell Backlash. That can be very painful! Are you alright? Here, let me take a look and see, you might need to go get it checked..." She said as she scooted a bit closer, putting a hoof on my cheek and making me tilt my head downward. to inspect my horn before I could raise my objections.

I sat there, feeling fairly embarrassed as she looked me over like a mother inspecting a child for cuts and bruises. "You need to be more careful. Spell Backlash can be very dangerous and do long term or permanent damage. I have a couple of colts in my class who tried to use magic to give another colt a hot hoof and...ugh...they ended up laughing so hard they lost focus and it was so bad they can still barely do more than making light with their horns."

Of course, being the patient fellow I am, and being a bit worried now I allowed her to inspect my horn until she was satisfied. When she grazed my horn with her hoof I yelped loudly and backed away quickly, eyes snapping wide "H-hey! Don't touch me there, that's one of my No No Squares!" I say before I can stop myself from doing so. Saying memes in real life was bad enough when people at least knew what they were, I really do need to cut out that habit. Almost Baneposting when Applejack saw my cock yesterday was...a wake-up call, but these things take time.

She blinked and withdrew, looking abashed at her wondering hoof "My apologies, Mister Rose Tint. I was just trying to check to make sure there were not any cracks or chips. I should have asked for permission first. I'm just so used to tending to foals..." She explains as she looks down and away, her cheeks softly aflush.

I calm down a little bit, trying to ignore that she is still sitting fairly close to me as I try to comfort her. "Hey, hey! It's fine Miss Cheerilee, I understand." I said with a small reassuring smile as I gently lifted a hoof and patted her shoulder. I got up from the couch and stretched my legs a bit. "Here, how about you accompany me to that sweets shop shaped like the cupcake, and we can call it even," I said as I stretched my back a bit before returning to a normal (four-legged) standing position.

She seemed pacified by this, and perhaps even a little flattered, recovering her composure quickly as she got up as well. "Oh, you mean Sugarcube Corner. That sounds wonderful actually. The Cakes are wonderful ponies. I am sure you will love their treats, everyone does." She said as she made towards the door, with me following suit.

I smiled a bit wider and gestured for her to pass me and see her way out, turning off the lights before joining her outside. "By all means, Lead the way, Miss Cheerilee."

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A few minutes later we had made our way out of the library and towards Sugarcube Corner. A small bell chimed as we walked inside and I was almost immediately assaulted by the smell of delicious, delicious baked goods. Everything was much like myself, a fairly pleasant shade of pink. a bit more pastel and a bit bright for my liking, but it was a nice looking place. We walked inside and let the door close behind us. One of the ponies, a rather plump looking older unicorn mare with a pink striped mane and a blue coat, smiled at us and waved with a hoof. "Hello! Welcome to Sugarcube Cor- Oh! Hello Cheerilee! Who is your friend there?" she asked as she used her magic to levitate a tray of cookies over to one of the tables in the main area of the restaurant.

I was actually sort of jealous of how easy she made it look, but I knew I would get there one day, with practice. Cheerilee responded to the pony behind the counter. "Mrs. Cake, this is Rose Tint, my new Assistant Librarian. He is treating the two of us to something sweet to celebrate the new job."

Mrs. Cake smiled at me kindly and nodded "Well then, I certainly hope you enjoy your treats. Our own assistant made most of them herself today!" She says as she looks into the kitchen, over at a poofy maned pink pony with large blue eyes who seemed to be busily stirring a bowl. "She's really coming along well since she came on board a few years ago."

"I am sure everything will be wonderful, Ma'am," I say in response with a small warm smile of my own, tilting my head just so cheerfully. "If you would, I would just adore some brownies, if you have them."

"I will have a vanilla cupcake, one of the ones with that nice pink frosting, you know the one," Cheerilee said as she looked at all of the display pastries with a slightly giddy look on her face. To be honest, I can't blame her, it did all look pretty good.

A quick exchange of about three bits later we were given a bag of goodies! I took out my brownie with a hoof from the bag, biting into it. My eyes lit up with delight at the taste of this delicious pastry. I quickly wolfed the entire thing down, thankful I had five others to go. "Ma'am, these are absolutely delightful. Would I be able to meet the chef? I simply must give them my thanks!" I said with a greatly enthused tone, smiling wide as my eyes presumably practically sparkled.

Miss Cake was gracious enough to nod and go to the back, talking to the pink pony she had spoken of earlier. They pony gasped and smiled wide as she hopped her way up to the counter "Hello, how can I -GASSSSP- She leaped into the air, getting some impressive hang time as she drew air loudly, her eyes going wide before she suddenly zipped off out the front door to goodness knows where.

As I look to Cheerilee and Miss Cake in confusion, they both give me a very amused, knowing smile. "Alright, someone is going to need to fill me in here." I said with a small sigh as I rub at the back of my neck.

They shook their heads and simply continued to smile, Mrs.Cake speaking up. "She's just happy to see someone new in town, she gets like this every time somebody she hasn't seen before comes around." She says before turning to continue working "I'm sure she will be back later." The fact that she isn't even remotely concerned by the way her employee just left in the middle of work is...strange to me, but perhaps again, things are different here than home.

We talked on and off about this and that for a solid hour or two until it started to get a bit late in the day, with the sun starting to set. We finally managed to finish up and part ways from the sweets shop and start heading home. The Cakes were indeed quite nice people. Or er, ponies at the case may be. I look forward to talking to them more in the future.

After a quick walk back to the library I opened the door, inviting her back inside, she accepted wordlessly and walked right in with a small giggle. I shrugged at this and walked in after her "Hm, it seems a bit dark in here, even for the sun setting..." I said as I fiddle at the light switch with a hoof clumsily. When the lights come on, I am inundated by a wave of colorful pastel ponies of all shapes and sizes, all localized entirely within my living room. All smiling wide as they yelled "SUPRIIIIIIISE" as loud as I had ever heard it. I jumped into the air and somehow managed to land on my surprise stiffened legs and stumble a bit before recovering, a blush on my face as I realized what was happening and resisted the urge to...do something I suppose. I am not sure what I would do if I was in a similar but less pleasant situation. I certainly felt an urge to do something.

I smiled sheepishly and walked forward, looking around until I noticed that very pink pony from before hopping her way up to me, smiling like a maniac. "Hello there! Welcome to Ponyville. My name is Pinkie Pie! I had never seen you before and I figured you must be new in town, so I figured you must have just gotten here and probably didn't have a lot of friends and that made me sort of sad, so I decided to throw you this big old party so you could have lots of friends!"

She was...spectacularly and strangely animated throughout that entire spiel, and I was more than a little concerned about the speed and delivery. But I slowly nodded and smiled, genuinely touched by the sentiment. It was not an exaggeration to say that this was the nicest thing someone had ever done for me with nothing to gain from it. The Apples and Cheerilee both got labor from assisting me and while I do appreciate it this was still..well, a frankly very selfless gesture. So, of course, I did my best to overlook the strange way she acted and decided to move right in and give her a hug! "Thank you, this is very nice of you, I am very happy to see so many peo- er....ponies wanted to come," I said before pulling away. "Everyone in this town seems very nice, I look forward to getting to know you all!" This awkward little speech was met by a good-natured cheer all around as the music began to play.

Once that was all done with, I decided to talk to that pink one a bit more. Pinkie Pie, if I remember her name correctly. I smile softly as I approach her again "So erm, you did all of this for the new guy huh?" I ask softly as I paw at the ground a bit. "This seems like a lot of effort, and you do this every time someone shows up?"

"Uh huh!" She says with a quick nod, bouncing up and down in place a little bit. "and on birthdays too! I have everyone in town memorized!"

That's a bit scary in retrospect, but alright, nice enough I suppose. I smiled a bit wider "Well, Pinkie Pie, you certainly are a stand-up pony in my book, I think we could be very good friends. Feel free to come by the library anytime you like. I do not think I am a terribly exciting pony, but I am happy to give you my company." I said with a small smile.

She nodded again quickly, her brain practically audibly rattling as she did so "Oki Doki, Loki!" she said before hopping off to who knows where. Presumably to enjoy her party..

After that, I more or less kept to myself. I made a bit of small talk here and there and tried to learn some names, but if I am being honest I am not the best at parties. I mostly just enjoyed the food and the punch and danced a bit to the music, trying to loosen up. My dancing drew some attention, though whether it was the desirable sort or just amusement at me trying to dance with four legs, I am still not sure.

After a bit of making a fool of myself on the dance floor, Cheerilee was nice enough to come and join me. "Having a good time?" she asked as she started a little graceful shimmy to the beat of the catchy music being played.

I am not familiar with the genre, but it was sort of rockish, and very upbeat. I nodded and smiled a bit wider at having her company and responded "Trying my best! Everyone has been so welcoming, it is hard to believe really. I think the library might be getting more visitors after this."

"Sounds to me like you are going to be earning those bits then." Cheerily says before we both have a little chuckle.

"It looks that way. I won't have quite as much time on my hooves as I thought. It’s too bad, I am really enjoying learning about magic. Even though I only know the very basics, it is so fascinating to me. It is not really commonplace where I am from, most folks cannot do it." By most, I meant all, but I did not want to sound too strange.

"Well, if you want to learn a bit more, we actually have night classes for adults at the school. We do not get a lot of takers, but I am sure you would learn better with a little help." She says smiling a bit wider as she makes the offer. Holy shit, Cheerilee really has her hand-er...hooves full. Grading papers, giving classes twice a day, and before this, she was running the library. I hope she was taking care of herself before I showed up.

Putting that aside, I was, as ever, pleased by her continuing willingness to help a stranger. I nodded, accepting without hesitation. "That sounds delightful. When would these classes be?"

"The magic class is about once a week. We get a volunteer instructor to come in from the Canterlot High Academy of Magic whenever we have anyone who wishes to participate. I am sure that will be exciting for you." she says with a slightly teasing voice. But in all fairness yes, that did sound exciting even if I did not know what the fuck a Canterlot was. She gave me the details of the schedule and let me know she would take care of the paperwork due to my...lack of sufficient literacy.

With that, we danced the night away into the wee hours, people started to file out for the night, and Pinkie Pie was nice enough to stick around to clean up what little mess there was. Ponies, surprisingly, seemed to be capable of not turning a house into a total war zone with a party. Though I did not see any alcohol so that might have been a factor. Do ponies even have recreational alcohol? It would be very strange if they had not discovered fermentation yet, as well as distillation, but it's possible they just do not or cannot drink it. This will require further exploration.

But that will have to wait until tomorrow, as I am about to head to bed for the evening. Cheerilee and Pinkie Pie have both just left after finishing up with the last of the cleaning with me. It seems I am starting to fall into a rhythm with things, and it seems to be a pretty good rhythm at that. I can only hope that it continues to go so smoothly. Though with my...as of yet unresolved conditions from my reincarnation…. I am not holding my breath. But for now, smooth sailing and I will certainly take full advantage. The natives are kind and respectful if a bit strange, and the world seems rife with opportunities for someone willing to take them and work. This world seems to be my apple for now, and I will be taking big bites, as many as I can in fact. Until then though, good evening and I shall write more another day.

The next morning after the party, I dragged myself out of bed early and got freshened up just a bit. Brushing my teeth and combing my hair. No need to be particularly clean aside from the basics, since I was just about to go to Sweet Apple Acres and get dirty all over again. I did say I would help them for the rest of the week for harvest, and that is exactly what I planned to do. It is very important for a man or erm..stallion to keep his word after all.

I made my way down the way, and I was actually greeted by several smiling faces who seemed to recognize me from the party last night. Mostly female. Actually, come to think of it, the pony population seems to be mostly female, at least in this town. I do not really have a large enough sampling of the population to make sweeping assumptions about the percentage and distribution of male versus female within the entire pony population. Oh gosh I am getting a bit off track. Back to the subject matter at hand. Me. Apple Orchard.

I made my way to the entrance and I was greeted by the familiar sight of the barn and the farmhouse near the front. I smiled softly as I moseyed my way past the front gate. As much as I am not cut out for it in this new body, I do love spending time on farms. It reminds me very much of my childhood, being surrounded by animals, old rustic tools, and the smell of hay. I felt a distinct pang of homesickness and hung my head for a moment before I was greeted by little Applebloom running up, clearly excited to see me "Rose Tint, you came back!" She said giddily, sounding quite audibly pleased.

I gave her a kind, soft smile and nodded "Well, of course I came back. What kind of low down varmint would I be if I said I was going to do something this important and then just stopped showing up? New cushy desk job or not, I said I was going to do this for you all and by gosh that's what I am going to do!"

My somewhat louder than preferable declaration was met with a bit of chortling from behind Applebloom. Granny Smith, Applejack, Big Macintosh and a fourth pony with a pale tannish coat, corn colored hair, a vest and an impressive hat of his own seemed to have filed out of the house behind the little filly in front of me while we were talking. Applejack spoke up first "Well, in that case, I'm sure you won't mind if we work you extra hard today, big fella." she said as she walked up, gesturing for the new pony to come with her.

Upon close inspection he had an apple as a cutie mark. This must be the family that Applebloom told me was coming to help with the harvest. "Braeburn, this here is Rose Tint, he's gonna be carryin' baskets while we buck the apples. Rose Tint, this here is Braeburn, my cousin from Appleloosa. They are havin' a bit of a spat with the buffalo livin' there right now, so they ain't able to do much with some of the trees, so they got done early and he came down to help with this bumper crop we've been worryin' about." She said gesturing from one of us to the other with a hoof.

"He's your cousin?"

"That's a stallion?"

I am sure you can guess who asked what there. I was, of course, a little caught off guard. I was not very informed about the gender dimorphic features of the ponies here yet. The only two stallions I had gotten a good look at to compare myself to so far were Big Macintosh and Mister Cake. I admit I did seem to have a softer face compared to the latter and a more slender body compared to the former but...do I really look like a mare? "Erm, yes, yes I am," I said softly, blushing in embarrassment and looking down, pawing at the ground.

"Huh, alright. Figured you looked tall for a mare. You wouldn't happen to be one of them Saddle Arabian ponies would ya? You’ve got the long horn and the body like one." Alright, at this point I was not sure how offended to be. That sounded almost sort of racist but once again I was not really sure how things worked here. "Ain't often we get to see big handsome fellers like you runnin' around." Wait. What?

"I beg your pardo-"

I was cut off by a clearly embarrassed Applejack pushing at her cousin to back away a bit "Hahahah! That's really funny, Braeburn, you sure are a kidder." She said a bit more loudly than might be appropriate before getting him far enough away to whisper something harshly at him without me being able to quite make out what it was.

After a few minutes, they came back, Braeburn looking quite a bit more sheepish "Sorry about that, pardner, that was a little rude of me. Nice to meet you." he said, sounding a bit more formal about it as he sticks out his hoof, which I quickly shake, still blushing a bit after getting called handsome.

If I was being honest with myself, I had a bit of a thing for the cowboy look myself. "Oh er. No it is quite alright, I am just not used to that sort of talk is all." I said softly before releasing his hoof. Applejack seemed a bit surprised by my reaction, but slightly relieved, but also perhaps a bit... disappointed? "But erm, no. As far as I am aware I am just your normal, run of the mill pony. I mean, as run of the mill as you will find down in Louwhinnyana."

His ears perk a bit when I say that "Oh! We got family down there-"

"Who farm persimmons?"

"Who farm persimmons!"

He blinks a bit, seeming surprised as I say the phrase at the same time as him before I explain "Granny Smith told me about them when I first showed up looking for work."

Granny Smith smiles as I said this, looking pleased from her spot on the porch, having settled in while we spoke. "Well well, nice to know that some ponies still know how to sit down and listen when an old mare talks." she said with a small cackle, rocking slowly. "I like this one, Applejack, you need to get him around more often."

Applejack seemed mildly embarrassed by this and pulled her hat down. I was fairly confused by this, It was a fairly innocuous statement, was there some subtext I was missing? "Well, Miss Smith, I am always happy to come down and help if you want me around, As long as I am not busy with other things of course. I am more than happy to come down to the farm whenever Applejack needs me." This got another cackle from the older mare and a small groan from Applejack, and another slightly concerned look at both from me. Big Mac was watching all of this silently, looking unamused. More so than usual. Braeburn seemed to be getting a kick out of it but was keeping a straight face.

Applejack coughed a bit and stomped her hoof softly "Well, enough of all of that, we've got work to do everypony!"

And work is what we did, they bucked the apples, I carried the baskets and Applebloom and Granny Smith sorted the apples into stockpiles for different purposes. It was hard work, but soothing, relaxing in its simplicity. I had plenty of time to just go ahead and be alone with my thoughts.

We stopped for a breather around the early afternoon, when it was getting a bit warmer out. There was a nice cold pitcher of apple juice and some apple muffins out on the porch. I partook of the refreshments and made small talk with the others, and tried to get to know Braeburn a little better. He was a very friendly guy. He told me all sorts of things about his home back in Appleloosa. or as he called it: "AAAAAAAAPPLELOOOSAAA" They were, as was mentioned earlier, having a bit of trouble co-existing with the indigenous buffalo in the region. From what I was seeing and hearing this all sounded...uncomfortably familiar, and I was not sure I liked where it was going. But I did not have the power to do anything about it, so the best I could tell him was to try to see things from the other side, which seemed to go over fine enough.

After I finished eating and stretched out a bit, I had to head out. Applebloom was a bit sad that I had to go but I told her she was free to visit me at the library anytime and that seemed to perk her up a bit.

With that out of the way, I headed home. I went upstairs, took a shower, then came back down once I was properly clean to open up shop!

Unfortunately, it seemed that there were not an awful lot of ponies who wanted to check out books. That is to say, none at all. I found myself doing a lot of cleaning up. And once that was done I had nothing to do but simply kill time.

So that's what I did! I cracked open that copy of "Simple Spellcasting: A Practical Guide to Beginner Level Magical Spells" to get ready for that class Cheerilee was on about. It is quite a fascinating read for the uninitiated. I decided to start very simply. There was a spell that allowed a pony to produce a point of light at the tip of their horn. Here is an excerpt from the book.

"The spell of Light, or Illumination, is one of the most simple spells known to Ponykind. Its essential weave is also the fundamental basis of most spells which revolve around the manipulation of energy. Everything from creating fire to summoning lightning begins with being able to use this spell."

Needless to say, this was more than enough to pique my interest. I closed all of the blinds and turned off every light in the house, lighting one small candle I found in the cupboard and sitting in the middle of the library, far and away from any books aside from the one I was reading. The way to establish a weave is surprisingly very simple.

• First, you focus your aura like you would for a simple use of raw magic.
• Then, instead of keeping the energy purely focused on your horn and the object, you visualize shaping some of the energy into a thin strand inside of you.
• You pull that energy away from the ball of power beneath your horn and slowly bend and shape it into the correct form, keeping in mind its intended function.
• You let the string manifest, slowly worming around your horn, weaving it into shape before tying it off and letting it sit there.

As long as you keep your focus, the magic should flow and the spell should be performed for as long as you maintain that flow, and once you stop, the weave will naturally dissipate. This is the most basic form of proper spellcasting. I blew out the candle and I followed the weave from the book as carefully as I could. I closed my eyes and slowly, deliberately, I pulled the thread of magic from my core and willed it into shape up and out of and around my horn.

Once the weave was finished I allowed the two ends of the strand to connect to each other, forming something I would consider akin to a Celtic knot sitting around the base of my horn. The familiar chime of magic became slowly louder, and a soft breeze picked up around me. I started pumping more magic into it once it was complete but it did not seem to be working. I concentrated harder, and the base of my horn began to throb as the knot of energy got warmer, and I saw a bit of dim light

However, it was at that point I realized that I still had my eyes closed. I cracked one eye open slowly and was assailed by light that was far too bright to tolerate. I cried out softly in pain and quickly shut my eye again, seeing spots as I slowly ramped down the spell. The softly whistling wind slowly died down and the chimes subsided to a dull tinkle before I opened them again. The room was bathed in a soft, hot pink, almost red light emitted from my horn.

I sighed softly and rubbed a hoof at my poor eye, trying to work out the spots swimming in my vision. I could see how this might be a bit dangerous. Perhaps I should get some sort of wide-brimmed hat so I can avoid another incident with something from my horn harming my eyes. I could only imagine how unpleasant it could be to botch casting lightning or fire and end up catching your hair on fire.

I winced softly at the thought as I slowly eased off until there was very little energy in the spell and I could safely disparate it, the strand of energy around my horn disintegrating harmlessly. As I turned all of the other lights back on, I thought about it a bit more. Perhaps a pair of thick glasses or goggles might also be in order, a nice thick cloak might also be a good investment to protect my coat. I wondered how much all of this would cost as I continued to shut and open my eyes firmly trying to make the dots go away.

Once I was able to see properly again, I decided I should try to see about getting some clothes. I had heard during the party from one of the mares I chatted with that there was actually a seamstress in town.

She lived in that rather festive looking building that reminded me of the circus for some reason. I made my way out with my bag of bits in my mouth, about fifty-five of them after buying those treats yesterday. I closed the library temporarily before making my way out of the door. A few people were standing around outside, looking a bit concerned. I was not sure what their issue was and shrugged softly, continuing to trot down the way, looking around until I found the building in question.

The place I was looking for turned out to be the Carousel Boutique. No wonder it reminded me of such festivity considering its theme. I walked inside, looking around and taking a moment to knock on the door with a hoof before trotting in, taking my bag into my magic and levitating it so that I could speak "Erm, hello? Is anyone here? I am looking to purchase some clothing?" I said softly as I walked slowly further inside.

I started to hear some humming from the back and walked up to the counter, where the sound of the pleasant tune got more defined and clear. I saw a small bell on the counter and pushed my hoof down on it, setting my bag of bits on the counter as I heard a call of "I'm comiiiiing~"

After a few moments, a rather posh looking unicorn with a white coat and a purple, curled mane and tail trotted out of the back, a pair of red magnifying glasses perched on her snout as she gave me a wide smile. "Ah! Oh my goodness if you aren't just absolutely fabulous, darling!" she says, squealing softly as she comes around the counter to look me up and down, already taking measurements with her eyes from the way she was giving me the old once and twice over. "Where did you come from? I am almost positive I would have noticed if such an excellent specimen had been living in town. You are so tall, oh and that coat is just to die for." she asks with a small spark in her eye as she comes back around to stand in front of me.

I was not sure how to respond to all of that. But I was nonetheless glad she seemed to find me good looking. I smiled back at her and gave a little nod "I appreciate the compliments, Ma'am. MY name is Rose Tint. I came into town a few days ago, and I am the new Assistant Librarian at Golden Oaks. I am taking an interest in learning magic and I was just hoping to acquire some things to wear as safety equipment." I went on to describe what I wanted as best I could to her, and as she took notes she seemed to be a little disappointed by how simple it was, and certainly had no qualms about letting me know.

"Well darling, you certainly came to the right place. No one is quite as good at stitching something together on short notice as Rarity" she finishes with her name and a small dramatic pose, one hoof gesturing in front of her like something out of a mediocre rendition of Shakespeare in the Park. I smiled softly as I watched her continue "But I must say such simple drab attire is a waste of both my talents and your potential! You simply must allow me to whip you together something a bit more dashing! I will even cut the price by fifty, no, seventy-five percent of my usual rate! I will even throw in the things you asked for at no cost, Shall we say, Twenty bits?" She asked as she smiled at me with a slightly pleading expression. "It has been ages since I had work that showcased my talents properly, and I have just the look in mind for a strapping aspiring Arcanist like yourself." She batted her lashes at me softly. She was obviously quite hyped about this so I sighed softly and nodded. It was very hard to refuse such an enthused pitch. "Very well, but only on the condition that if I am unsatisfied with your work you cut an additional ten bits from the price."

For a moment, she seemed taken aback, almost offended that I would ever think that she would not be able to satisfy me. but she recovered and gave a small smirk. "Deal. I assure you that you will be very pleased with my work once all is said and done. After all, anyone can put together an ensemble, but quality is a Rarity." That pun was painful on a spiritual level, but I did not wish to be rude and bore the brunt of the cringe on the chin like a champion.

Measurements were taken and payment was made. She actually managed to finish the simpler things I had requested quite quickly, and I waited there for her to finish them in the course of about two and a half hours, practicing reading with a trashy fashion magazine she had lying around the foyer. She already had a few sets of flight goggles on hand, which she modified with thicker, somewhat darker pink tinted lenses. The hat was wide-brimmed and pointed at the top and a light shade of purple, with some simple embroidering made to look like pink roses with darker purple thorny stems twisting together along the middle. A small hole was made for my horn. The cloak was of the same sort of design, with a small ruby clasp made to look like a rose, set into silver. She even gave me an adorable little pink bow tie!

I donned them as she looked on with satisfaction at her work, walking in front of a mirror and lifting one hoof, drawing it to my chest to strike a dignified pose while she used a bit of magic to make my cloak flutter in the wind. It was after a moment of looking at myself in such a getup that I realized that I was looking awfully, well...wizard-like. You know, it was not unintentional, but I suppose there really was a good reason a wizard would dress up in this sort of clothing. I mean, if I worked with something that could catch me on fire or worse on a regular basis, I would want to be able to wear something light, easy to move in and something where I could get it off of me as quickly as I needed to at a moment's notice. Sort of the same principle as a lab coat, I would say.

I pulled the goggles up and let them hang above my horn on my hat, smiling softly in amusement, then in satisfaction as I turned to Rarity and held out my hoof "Well, I am quite satisfied with this portion at least, I look forward to seeing what you can come up with for the rest of this look of yours."

She gives me a slightly smug victorious but gracious smile as she shakes my hoof. "It should be finished by tomorrow evening. Things have been regrettably a bit slow as of late, but that just means I will be able to give this the best effort I can give it!" She says happily, pushing me towards the door and shooing me off. "Now off with you! Shoo, shoo! Rarity needs her quiet tiiiime!" She said as she ushered me out the door in my new ensemble and closed and locked the door behind her, the sounds of her muffled, excited muttering getting quieter as she retreated back to her workshop.

A quick walk home, and a few more hours of practicing that spell at the front desk while waiting for someone to come in, the day was about over, and I got to work writing it all down. I have taken to trying to use my horn for this task, using magic to guide a quill. So please do forgive me if things are a bit messier than usual. I am attempting to develop a finer level of control over my levitation and this seems an excellent way to start, even if it is fairly strenuous and lengthy. It is actually getting fairly late as I write this out, and I am finding myself quite tired, so after I finish penning this out I will be turning in immediately.

I awoke the next morning feeling refreshed and happy. I did my morning hygiene routine and made my way down to the apple farm once more. Not particularly much of import happened that day. I performed my labor for my pay, made small talk, had a snack and left to come back to open the library. Really, things seemed to have finally started to fall into a pattern. It's quite nice to have a sense of normalcy if I am being honest. For the last few days everything had been quite strange and a bit hectic. Knowing what to expect, what I can look forward to lends a feeling of stability that I have not felt since my untimely flattening. One that I welcomed all too readily, in all honesty. I made my way into the kitchen after finishing participating in my obligation to the Apples and cleaning myself up, digging around to see what we had. There was a considerable number of what seemed to be electrical appliances. but none of them seemed to be plugged in. This was strange to me, so I took the liberty of inspecting one of them carefully. I decided to choose what seemed to be a coffee maker. I lifted it with my magic and brought it closer to my face, inspecting it carefully. Sadly, without taking it apart, there was not much I could glean from the outside.

With my curiosity far from sated, I set it down and actually made myself some coffee. Honestly, this was quite fascinating. It seemed to be a relatively clean and available source of power derived from a renewable source. It makes me a bit sad to know my own people did not have access to this technology, or else we might not have been having such difficulty with alternative energy sources. I was pleased to discover the kitchen was already stocked, probably from Cheerilee's occupancy before. I put some coffee in the maker and set it to brewing. I gave a soft sigh of satisfaction at the scent of the brew percolating wafting through the air in the kitchen, relaxing a bit as I remembered going to my local coffee shop as a younger boy, relaxing and shooting the shit with the cool hipster guy that worked the counter.

After a moment I snapped out of my little nostalgia trip and went into the actual library to grab the book I was reading yesterday, the one with the Light spell. I went back to the counter and set it down there, then grabbed the pot of coffee from the kitchen and brought it over as well, pouring some of it into a mug before sitting down and getting my nose into that there book. If I am being honest, I found it all fascinating. The process, the mechanics, the theory. This must be what math nerds feel like when they are talking about when they say this stuff. I tugged softly at my bowtie adjusting it as I read. I adored the little accessory and found it rather dapper, and had decided to wear it daily. I also had decided to start wearing the goggles on my forehead just in case I needed them. And also, admittedly because I thought they were very stylish. What can I say, I am a bit of a goober. I was not as sold on the hat as an everyday accessory, but I had it and the cloak and goggles in a small box under the counter in case I needed them.

About an hour later, I was alerted to the sound of..children? A lot of children, coming closer. The doors opened and Cheerilee came waltzing in, with a massive gaggle of what I assumed to be her students trailing in behind her. I was very pleased to see her and more pleased to have so many young minds entering my library, but at the same time, I would be lying if I did not say I was nervous. This was the first time someone had actually come in here for a reason that was not to use the bathroom, and there were so many of them! I did my best to look professional, straightening my bowtie a bit more and looking down at them all with a kind smile and a straight back. "Hello! Welcome to Golden Oaks Library!" I said happily as I waved a hoof, setting down my book. I got up from my spot behind the counter and walked over to speak with the mare "I have to say, this was a surprise. Not an unwelcome one though."

She smiled back at me and nodded "We come in every week to check out new books and bring back the ones from last week. I thought I would let it be a surprise." She said as she looked me over with a small smirk "I see Rarity got to you. The bowtie is a nice touch, not sure about the goggles though."

"The goggles are for safety. I had an incident last night where I almost blinded myself casting a spell." I said somewhat sheepishly as iI pawed at the floor a bit. "Better safe than sorry, you know?"

She tilted her head, looking a bit concerned. "That bright light was you?" she asked, sounding surprised.

I nodded in response and smiled a little wider, still sheepish but sounding a bit proud "Heh, yeah it was..."

"...Rose, that is very impressive. Most unicorns only have a small level of magical proficiency outside of their talents, enough to levitate a few objects and light a room up to a normal level." She said as she rubbed her hoof with her chin "When that Unicorn from the Academy comes tomorrow, you should consider getting an evaluation. You might be cut out for a career in Magical Studies."

I was a bit taken aback by hearing this, but nodded, taking her advice to heart. "Perhaps. Or perhaps my talent is simply being a living flashlight. I will certainly see about that, Miss Cheerilee."

"Oh, please, just call me Cheerilee." She says, waving her hoof and placing it on my shoulder, gently running it along my coat and giving me a soft, unfamiliar look. "So how is learning to read going? I trust it isn't giving you too much trouble?"

I cleared my throat softly and responded with another nod "I am getting much more used to the writing system here. Once I got the hang of it it got much easier. I have even made some progress in writing it." I say putting a hoof to my chest in a small accomplished pose. This seems to amuse her a tad further as she continues to rub gently "Well, if you ever need any assistance, I would be more than happy to come over and help you after the library closes with some one on one lessons." She says kindly as she stops her rubbing and her tail flicks softly.

"That sounds absolutely wonderful. You are more than welcome to visit anytime you want." I replied quickly and kindly, which elicited a much wider smile from her.

"Excellent, you do not mind if I come over this evening then?" she asks as she leans in a bit closer.

I leaned back a bit, my eyes pressing down onto my head a bit on their own as I looked down at her with a slightly more concerned smile "O-oh erm, sure, that sounds fine, I did not have much planned for the eveni-"

Thankfully the awkward moment was interrupted as Applebloom came scurrying over with two other little fillies in tow, a tiny soft-looking unicorn and an athletic pegasus with tiny wings. "Mister Rose Tint!" She says happily as she trots over and leans against my leg, smiling wide and beaming up at me, looking back over at her cohorts. "These are my friends, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. They are the other Cutie Mark Crusaders." she said, looking back at him and pointing at my haunch with a hoof "See, I told you! He doesn't have one neither!" She says bouncing a bit as the other two girls seem to get excited as well.

The little pink-haired pegasus with the orange coat approached first. Her eyes were a strikingly similar color to my own, a smoky soft purple sort of shade. "Hah! Don't worry, Mister. This is just what the Crusaders are for! We are having a meeting tomorrow if you wanna swing by in the afternoon!"

I smiled softly and scratched my chin with my hoof "Well, I may have to move some things around, but I think I can find time in my schedule to stop by and see what it's all about." I say with a small grin.

This is met by excited expressions from all three of them as the little marshmallow white unicorn with the pastel curled mane pipes up softly "Thank you for saying you'll come. It's nice of you, you didn't have to..." She seems a bit more reserved than the other two, but some kids are just like that around strangers, I suppose.

"I assure you, it is my pleasure," I say gently, smiling down at her as reassuringly as I can, getting a smile back from her.

Satisfied with this interaction, they go on their way, Applebloom calling back "See ya then!"

Cheerilee seems pleased with my interaction with the fillies as well, looking me over with an approving expression "Thank you for humoring them. The poor dears are so self-conscious about not having their cutie mark yet, I am sure being around a positive role model who doesn't have one like you will do them a lot of good."

"What can I say? I have a soft spot for foals like that. It reminds me of myself at that age. It can be hard to say ‘no’ to an excited filly." I say as I paw softly at the floorboards with one hoof, looking down at the floor, admittedly a bit embarrassed. By no means do I particularly care for children. But I do admittedly have a very hard time being outright mean to them, like any decent person. And when I see a kid having a hard time figuring themselves out, well, it vibes with me. I give a small sigh as I think about all of the things I have on my plate for the week.

"Well, I am sure that they appreciate it." She says, leaning in a bit closer. "I mean, I know that I appreciate it. I always did like a stallion who was good with foals." She said with a smirk, pulling back "Anyway, let me go check on my students and get them ready for checkout." she says, trotting off without another word, a notable sway in her hips as she bounced away. I may have looked for, just a moment longer than was appropriate before averting my eyes in embarrassment for checking her out like that. I was starting to suspect that she might fancy me. Okay, sarcasm aside, it was a bit more than obvious after that last little discussion. She was clearly flirting with me. The question is, how would I go about dealing with it? I will admit, I am very fond of kind, intelligent women. I am not sure how attractive she is in terms of other equines, but personally I think she looks nice enough. I decided that it certainly would not hurt to make sure that I was not barking up the wrong tree, and resolved to confront her in regards to her intentions this evening.

But that would have to wait! For the time being, I had to get all of these little colts and fillies sorted out. I checked in all of their books and allowed them to check out new ones, taking careful note of which books were in and out with the system of logs and cards the library used, not too dissimilar from what we used back home, though without a Dewey decimal system organization was going to be a pain. Hm...perhaps I should bring that up actually. Would I bring that up to the mayor or to Cheerilee though? Oh, look at me getting sidetracked again. Anyway, after they were all sorted out, Cheerilee and her students filed out, all saying goodbye to me at her request before Leaving the library a little emptier and messier than before.

After a bit of tidying up, I snagged that copy of "A Pony Guide to Growing Up: A Reference for Developing Teens and their Bodies" Cheerilee gave me and decided to read up, just in case. While there was nothing in regards to actual dating habits, there certainly was some enlightening anatomical information. Most of which I will keep to myself. Though the book did make it clear that ponies were a predominantly female species, with an average 80/20 split of females and males. Therefore most ponies would typically engage in polygamous relationships centering around a singular male. Reproduction was generally only possible during a period of estrus in the early summer, but erm...sexual intercourse was common as a recreational activity between members of a relationship. I assure you this is just as embarrassing for me to write as it is for you to read. I also learned a lot of important things, such as the basic details of hoof and horn grooming, standardized dietary recommendations for a healthy young adult pony, and basic hygiene advice.

After about half an hour of browsing about this and that, I finally closed the book and set it aside to absorb the information I had just learned. I sat back in the comfortable desk chair at the library's checkout counter and put my head on my hooves with a small sigh. This was all...fairly confusing and new. At first, I was simply going with the flow, but it felt like the initial shock of being suddenly uprooted was starting to fade and I could get a feel for just how...alone was not the right word for what I felt. Isolated maybe? Not ostracized, everyone was so nice and welcoming. Perhaps self-imposed ostracization. I did not feel like I truly belonged here, not yet at least. And I was fairly homesick on top of it. But at the very least, I did have prospects, and I was making new friends, even if I wasn't quite ready to actually let them in. I have a mare who is quite clearly taking some level of interest in me which was admittedly a novel experience. I am not used to being the one perused, so being courted in a world where males are the ones desired and females must seek them out may prove pleasant.

In any case, as I pondered I realized the sun was dipping, I had been sitting there wallowing in self-pity for far too long. Perhaps it might be healthy to diversify my hobbies a bit, I thought to myself. Magic is utterly fascinating but I had no desire to be a one-trick pony....the pun was not intended but the ink has already dried. Perhaps it might be a good idea for me to pick up my previous hobby of playing an instrument. That actually did sound quite an excellent idea, and before I knew it I was throwing on my cloak and heading out the door.

After a bit of asking around, the answer to my plea was clear. The place to go for anything musical was none other than the residence of one Octavia Melody and Vinyl Scratch. Between the two of them, they would certainly have something they would be willing to hock for a reasonable price. I made my way to the rather nice looking decorative abode the two allegedly shared. I knocked a hoof on the door and a few moments later, I was greeted by the sight of a rather plain but elegant mare, about my age by the looks of her. Brown mane, grey coat and soothing purple eyes that looked me up and down with a slight glint of curiosity before she spoke softly "Is there something I can do for you?" She said simply but not harshly, simply being businesslike in her demeanor.

I cleared my throat softly and nodded "Yes, I was told you and your roommate were musical performers who also happen to sell musical instruments. I was hoping you might be able to assist me in acquiring a bass guitar?"

Her eyes lit up a bit at the question and she turned around and began to walk into her home, stopping to look back at me. "Well, come in!" She says before whipping her head back around, clearly expecting me to follow.

And so I did! I walked with her past what looked to be the kitchen, down a hallway into what seemed to be a mid-sized studio sort of area, split down the middle, on one side was an array of rather lovely classical offerings. On the other was a large quantity of nicely displayed electronic equipment, or at least, I am assuming things here are powered by electricity. Still not entirely sure. "My compatriot is currently away in Manehattan for a concert, but in the meantime, I can certainly get you a nice acoustic bass guitar."

Eh, good enough for me I supposed. I agreed and she showed me what she had in stock. I eventually settled on something that really caught my eye. a sexy red little number that I just had to have. It was a hefty seventy bits, leaving me with not much dosh left, but it was more than worth the cost. Something about it just drew me in. I smiled softly as I paid my cost and floated the instrument over to myself, muttering the name I had picked out for it to myself softly "King Crimson..." A bit pretentious maybe, But a good fucking band and a good fucking name.

The name seemed to catch the mare's attention, her ears perking as she gave me a wordless curious glance. I smiled sheepishly as I realized I said it out loud, and did my best to recover "O-oh erm, nothing sorry, just a name from a song I enjoy."

She smiled and nodded softly, the tilt in her glance correcting itself "Oh, I do not think I have heard it. I am always happy to try to hear some new music, do you know how to play it?" I did know how to play bass yes, but er...not well enough to be confident as a public player, especially not with hooves. I was, however, a fairly confident vocalist. A bit too confident maybe. I have an unfortunate habit of breaking into song while working or walking.

"Well, it is meant to be played on a normal guitar, but I could certainly sing some of it for you," I said as I pulled up a stool from near one of the displays and sat down, gently cradling my new bass in its case. She nodded softly and I set the instrument aside and started to sing. As I did so the music seemed to softly swell around me once again with that familiar sensation -the one I felt in the shower.

As I finished singing the softly playing music ceased as well. She seemed to rather be taken with the song. I could not blame her, it is fairly moving lyrically. After a few silent moments, she claps her hoofs against the ground softly, this seeming to correlate to applause. "That is a very beautiful song. Very Strange as well. It reminds me of some of the Old Equestrian ballads from the Pre-Everfree period." She said as I stood up and slung the case over my back, securing it with a strap.

"I am not sure what that means, but it does sound interesting, Perhaps I could look into it sometime, I do have a lot of free time and a lot of books, after all, working at the library and all." She did not know I worked there, I am not sure why I felt the need to bring it up. Sometimes I wonder how I manage to function. She did not seem too off-put by my out of left field comment on my profession. "There are several excellent books I might recommend on the subject. Perhaps when I next visit Golden Oaks I might have to point out a few of them for you." She offered kindly, which did a good deal to reassure me that I had not made too large of a snafu.

I smiled a bit wider and nodded in agreement "That sounds wonderful actually, I look forward to it."

We chatted for a bit and eventually I made my way out with my purchase, heading home to tune him and make sure he sounded as nicely in the acoustics of my home as he did in that little studio. He sounded just as wonderful as before much to my delight. I discovered after a bit of faffing about that I could, in fact, use my hooves to play much the way I did with my fingers, using the soft flexible gripping points on the bottom of my hooves to finger and the hard bit of my hoof on the other leg to strum. I also then just as quickly realized that I might simply be able to use magic, which worked spectacularly, and was a bit of a workout mentally.

And now, I have to stop writing for the time being. Cheerilee is coming over this evening and I need to make sure my home is presentable. I will update my journal after she has made her visit, it is nearly time now!

I am pleased to report that my meeting with Miss Cheerilee went better than expected.

After freshening myself up, I took off my goggles. I sat down on one of the couches closer to the front door and set my eyewear on a nearby table, pressing my hooves together somewhat anxiously. It was going to be quite awkward, talking to her about this. I slowly went over what I wanted to say to her, things I wanted to address being slowly categorized as I formulated a series of questions. As I was just about finishing up with that task, I finally heard a knock at the door.

"Coming! I said quickly, maybe a bit more quickly than I would have liked as I sat up and got off of the sofa, trotting over, my horn glowing softly as I opened the door to see Cheerilee standing there, that ever-present warm welcoming smile still across her face even with how tired she looked after a long day of work. "Hello, Rose Tint." She said, stifling a small yawn before continuing. "May I come in?"

I nodded and stood to one side, gesturing with a hoof and waiting for her to enter my abode, which she did readily even before I finished speaking. "Of course you may, Cheerilee. Please, come in. Would you like some coffee? You seem awfully tired. We can always reschedule if you would like?" I asked, a soft tinge of concern painting my voice as I closed the door behind her.

"I am fine, thank you, but some coffee would be a delight right about now." She says, a thankful tone in her voice as she sat down on the couch I had just gotten up from, relaxing and giving a soft, long sigh of relief from getting off of her hooves. "I tell you, those foals can be a real handful. Thank you so much for taking up this position for me, by the way. With someone watching the library in the afternoons, I actually have time to go home and relax a bit after grading papers. I might actually catch up on my backlog of errands for the first time in five years!" She sounds almost euphoric at the thought, which brings an amused little grin to my face as I walk by her towards the kitchen.

"Well, I am glad to be such a help. Now you go ahead and relax for a bit while I go and get us something to drink to perk you up."I say reassuringly as I head into the kitchen area and start up a pot of coffee. it strikes me that this might be a great time to get a quick answer to my question about this device from earlier. "Say, Cheerilee. What sort of power source do these appliances operate off of?" I ask as I watch the coffee quickly percolate and drip into the pitcher below.

Her response sounds notably confused. "You don't know? Well, I suppose you might not, since magic is a new concept to you. To answer your question, the power is drawn from natural rivers of magical energy called ley lines. There are specially licensed ponies that are tasked with redirecting that energy towards towns, and further towards individual households. There should be a gem inside each item that has been enchanted to draw and hold energy. You could probably charge it with your horn in a pinch if you didn't have power from a leyline, as a matter of fact." She, as always, sounds more than happy to educate, even if she does sound tired.

In any case, needless to say, I was fascinated by this concept, and I squirreled that little tidbit away for later study. There is already so much that I want to learn about here, it's almost overwhelming! Oh but let me get back to the matter at hand.

I poured us each a mug and hovered them back over with me into the library proper, setting my cup of coffee down on the table next to my goggles and offering her a mug, which she took in her hooves with a thankful nod. "You are getting quite good at that." She said with a tinge of pride in her voice before sipping at the hot liquid. Like myself, she seemed quite content to take it black.

I brought my own mug to my lips with my telekinetic magic and sipped at it softly, holding it there. "I would hope so! I have been doing every task I can feasibly do with magic for a few days now." I say with a small chuckle as I set the mug back down. "I read that the more you use it, the easier it becomes to perform, so I am trying to develop my arcane muscles, much like a baby bird or er, a pegasus foal building wing strength."

She nods and rubs her chin with her hoof. "Even so, your progress is notable. As a fully developed adult, you do not have the physical limitations of a still-developing horn to impede your spell-casting, but even so, most adult unicorns have difficulty learning spells outside of their natural inclination. Even learning a basic spell like Light takes a lot of ponies at least a few weeks, how long were you practicing before you managed to get the spell to hold form?"

I blinked, surprised as I fell into my habit of a quick and honest answer. "About an hour? That was when I managed to cast it and almost blinded myself"

Cheerilee seemed in turn, surprised as well, her eyes going wide as she leaned in a bit, planting her hoof between us on the couch. "Are you telling me that you not only managed to grasp the basic form of a spell in an hour, but managed to cast it with that much power?"

I leaned back a bit, my ears pressing to my skull again without me trying to. I need to figure out how to control those things a bit better "Well, erm, I suppose so. You know what they say about beginners' luck, heheh..." I said softly, looking down at my front hooves as I gently clapped them together in a sort of finger tapping-esque motion.

She stared at me and leaned in a bit closer, looking a bit more serious now. "Rose Tint, when the teacher from the Academy comes, I would like you to have a serious conversation with him about getting some preparatory coursework materials for Arcane Studies." She says with the tone of a teacher being firm with a student. "I think you would benefit from it greatly even if you decide you do not want to try to enroll."

I am not sure why she was being so firm, but of course, I took her advice to heart, nodding quickly. "Cheerilee, if you really think that it is a good idea, I trust you enough to take you at your word." She seems quite mollified when I say that I trust her, relaxing and leaning back a bit, smiling again, her ear flicking a bit as she runs a hoof through her mane.

"Well alright then, thank you, Rose Tint." she says before clearing her throat. "Now, I promised to give you some private tutoring. Is there anything you have questions about in terms of the basic subject matter?" She asked as she seemingly Got back into teacher mode.

Since she seemed to be focused on the matter at hand, I decided to hold off at first on my more personal questions and started asking her about the way things worked here. She seemed a bit disappointed that I had not cracked those books on history or current events that she had given me, but was gracious enough to explain things to me. I should note that for some reason some of this is considered to be mythology while other parts are regarded as fact even though it all creates one coherent narrative?

Apparently, Equestria is a Monarchy Or more accurately perhaps, a Diarchy. The land is ruled by two Princesses, Alicorns, or ponies with both horns and wings. They embody the traits of all three major pony races, the Unicorns, the Pegasi, and the Earth Ponies. Honestly, I am not sure why I am writing this down, you should all be familiar with basic Equestrian history. Then again I am sort of just assuming it will be ponies that find this, which I guess is a little presumptuous of me. Anyway, carrying on!

They apparently became the rulers of the Nation sometime after an event called the Unification. The pony races originally all lived separately from one another in a different unnamed country. They all lived together in a fragile peace, exchanging goods and services. Relations were tense and eventually broke down between the races when a blizzard caused a food shortage, attributed to ice elemental creatures called windigos that fed off of the strife between the races created the storm, presumably to create more strife to feed off of.

They all migrated to Equestria for one reason or another at about the same time. The land was ruled over by a powerful being who was, by my reckoning, best described as the living embodiment of chaos itself. However, he was a very fickle fellow with a short attention span. Which made sense thinking about it. In any case, he left them alone for the most part aside from the occasional massive magical prank and set of hi-jinks. They continued to bicker and argue upon arrival and almost were wiped out by the windigos until an event called the Hearths’ Warming. They used a powerful form of primal magic based in...Friendship apparently, called the Fire of Friendship.

This brings up an interesting question for me to ponder. Every time I have sung something, I have heard music from nowhere, and it seems as if others can hear it too. And with this additional information, I believe there may be a correlation between magic and the expression of emotion. This gives me several interesting theories that I am not confident enough to put to paper yet, but I will still probably test later. Anyway, again, back to the subject at hand! They used this Fire of Friendship to dispel the windigos and their terrible blizzard, and from that day on the three races strove to live together in harmony, integrating into one collective society.

Apparently, the major contribution of unicorns at the time was that all of their most powerful spellcasters would band together to cast a very powerful spell to change the positions of the sun and moon. Was Equestria in a geocentric model system? Is there even Outer Space here? There is a lot here that I am not comfortable taking for granted considering how I got here and what I have seen. It would be very counterproductive for me to assume that physical laws and the like are exactly the same here as they are where I was previously, so I kept an open mind as I listened. Eventually, the princesses came along and essentially took over the job from the Unicorns because their special talent happened to be doing exactly those things by some bizarre coincidence. The ponies were apparently so stoked about this and so in awe of this display of magical might that the two were crowned as the Princesses of Equestria, creating a castle in the middle of what is now known as the Everfree Forest.

Sometime after this coronation, Discord started acting the fucking mickey and being a colossal asshole, so the princesses performed a powerful ritual to create a physical manifestation of the virtues of friendship called the Elements of Harmony. This again piqued my interest. The physical manifestation of concepts like Friendship and Chaos was a fascinating concept in and of itself.

Anyway, the princesses used the magic friendship stones to btfo the big bad chaotic guy. They turned him into a stone statue and put him in their yard like some sort of eldritch garden gnome.

A few years after that, the moon princess Luna started to get salty that ponies had to sleep at night and were afraid of the night. You know, the time when all the spooky shit comes out. Anyway, she got so pissy about the fact that she thought her sister had it easy and got all of the adoration (not going to lie, the reason people probably didn't adore her is because she was probably kind of entitled) that she straight up pulled a fucking Perterabo and betrayed her sister before turned into a fucking demon-like something out of a Japanese folk tale and tried to make it night forever.

Which, can i say is retarded. Even if you manage to keep the moon above your part of the world, the other half of the world is still in sunlight unless you are holding some sort of eclipse constantly, which still isn't really night. The lack of forethought in this plan honestly makes me want to go on a bender of roasting this mare, but that will have to wait for later.

Anyway, her sister Celestia, the Sun Princess, used the elements to banish her to the fucking moon for a thousand years, where she still is to this day apparently. I am sure that when she comes back she is going to be totally cool with that and will have learned her lesson about being jealous after her sister upended her from the throne and took over her entire fucking job for a thousand years. But hey, maybe ponies are more forgiving.

After this lengthy primer, I expressed several of my opinions on the matter to her, and she seemed shocked to say the least. Almost as if some of what I was saying was borderline blasphemous. She did not seem sure if she wanted to laugh or lay me out and eventually she settled on an awkward chuckle or two as she tried to reassure me that I just was not understanding history in an Equestrian Context. I decided not to argue the point with her right now. We had other things to talk about.

I cleared my throat and ran a hoof through my mane slowly, giving her a sheepish look "So erm, Cheerilee. I have something a bit more personal I feel the need to ask you about." I said softly as I looked down at the floor then at her, then at the table, then back to her as maintaining eye contact suddenly became difficult.

She smiled softly and her ears perked up a bit. She leaned forward again, one hoof raised against her chest as she anticipated what I would say. "Oh? What would that be, Rose Tint?" She asked with a tinge of eagerness in her voice. She was trying to play it cool as far as I could tell but was not doing a much better job than I was.

"Well. I could not help but notice that you have been erm...flirting with me to be blunt. At least as far as I can tell. I was just wondering if that was what you were doing. I hope my asking is not too awkward. I do not have the most experience with mares, so I thought it would be best to come right out and ask."

As I let my question stumble out, her smile grew steadily wider, looking both pleased and fairly amused as she spoke again. "Well, yes as a matter of fact, I have been flirting with you, Rose Tint. I was actually starting to get worried that you might not be getting it." She said as she slowly leaned in a bit more, placing a hoof against the armrest of the couch behind me as she leaned in a bit closer.

I was not sure if I was sweating or not, with the fur and all, but I did feel rather warm suddenly, I was almost positive I was red as could be in the face. "O-oh erm, well thank you for clarifying that. That brings me to my next point. We are both rational, healthy adults. What do you want to do about this? I, erm, I will admit that I am not sure if I am in a place to commit to a relationship at the moment. I mean, I just got into town, and everything is so busy, I am not sure if I would have time to get to know you and-"

Cheerilee grins softly as she places her other hoof to my lips, gently shushing me. "I understand totally. I am not asking you for anything that serious just yet. But that being said, you do seem to be enjoying my attention. We are as you said, both healthy adults. Adults with Needs." I do not know how i felt that capital N but damn if i couldn't hear it in her voice. "I think you are a very attractive stallion. I am free to spend my evening how I please for the first time in months if not years. And I owe that to you. We are both fairly stressed, so I was thinking perhaps I could catch two butterflies with one net and show you how thankful I am in a way that helps us both...."

Her hoof slowly trailed down my lips to my chest, and slowly further south. "I want to show you a nice time, help us both blow off some steam and get more comfortable with each other and I want a stallion who I feel is going to treat me the way I want to be treated. More specifically for the moment, in the bedroom." She says as her eyes slowly half lid and her hoof stops at the bottom of my stomach, just shy of my private area as she leans in and whispers into my ear. "I am sure you understand what I am proposing now, yes?"

(fucc times incoming, ctrl-f to the phrase "8675309" to skip)

I swallowed dryly and nodded as I watched her hoof stop drifting just shy of my sheathe, while was at the moment, sprouting quite a respectable erection. She looked down and her eyes widened slightly as she watched it quickly grow to full mast. She took the hoof from my stomach and used it to cover her mouth as she looked it over like I had just presented her with a diamond. Tthat has to be at least 16 inches... I’m not sure I can take it all, but I’m going to love trying." she says softly, refraining from touching it for the moment. Presumably, because I had not given her explicit consent to engage.

That was very much appreciated and her restraint was enough to convince me that she was at least able to be trusted enough to hold to some simple conditions. I refrained from thinking about the fact that they used inches here to speak. "If this is just a more casual coupling, and we can sort out the details later, I suppose there is noth-HMPhg!"

I was interrupted by her muzzle meeting mine, her lips pressing to my own as she firmly, but tenderly, pressed a kiss to them. I tensed at first but slowly relaxed, my eyes falling closed as I opened my mouth to allow her tongue entrance. She tasted and smelled wonderful, like blackberries. I slowly melted against her insistent embrace, my hooves sliding around so my forelegs could embrace her as she took a seat in my lap. My thick, pulsating member was pressed between us firmly and I moaned into her mouth at the light stimulation.

We stayed like that for what seemed like an eternity, gently rubbing our hooves along one another's bodies. We sweetly, slowly explored one another without ever separating or opening our eyes, enjoying the feel of another warm soft body pressed against ourselves as she squirmed and rolled her hips in my lap. At last it seemed she could take it no longer and pulled herself from the kiss to pant softly before catching her breath and speaking. "Rose Tint, I want you to take me upstairs and rut me right this minute." Oh and there was that stern teacher tone again, though laced with a heavy dose of sensuality.

Being the good student I am, I, of course, obliged my teacher. I pushed her off of me gently and beckoned her to follow me up to the bedroom where I had been sleeping for the past couple of nights. She trotted up after me quickly, the both of us eager to continue.

When we entered the bedroom, we were on each other again in a heartbeat. No sooner did I finish closing the door than she was embracing me again, forcing me to rear to my hind legs to embrace her as we fell onto the bed together in a tangle of damp fur and soft moans of needy arousal. She pulled away after a few more minutes of this to smile softly up at me "N-no need for too much foreplay tonight, Rose. I have to get home and finish grading some papers, so go ahead and just take me." she says quickly, peppering kisses along my neck to encourage me as she spread her legs.

Being as in the moment as I was, I did not require any further encouragement to give her what she wanted. I slid down her body for a moment to give her swollen marehood a look. It was...very much the same as I would expect a horse's genitals to look, puffy, pulsing and winking softly at me, folds of pink waiting inside for me to part them. I gave her a slow, hot lick, taking in her taste and shivering as I felt a tingle go up my spine. In retrospect, I am sure some manner of pheromones were at play, and in the moment they were making me want to well...do exactly what I was about to do!

She gave an appreciative moan at my lick, and I leaned back to position my thick, flared head against her member, the throbbing, vein-riddled pink and purple splotched shaft quickly opening her up, the tip vanishing into her with minimal effort. We both let out a soft, sweet moan, and she arched her back in delight as I made my first entrance. "P-please, just put it in!" She practically pleads with me, her hind legs trying to wrap around my back and pull me in closer with a fairly high degree of success. I found myself being quickly pulled into her as my hips moved in tandem with her legs to quickly get me almost all the way in, only a few inches unable to make it inside as a small bulge formed in her stomach from my length.

As I quickly made my way practically to the hilt, my eyes rolled back as I fought the urge to climax then and there. I had to hold out, to please her properly. This was her first time in a long time. And if I am being honest it was mine as well. She was a good friend to me, possibly more than a friend soon. I wanted to make sure that this was good, for the both of us. I stayed still inside of her for a few moments as she mewled under me, shuddering and muttering about the size of it inside of her. I let myself adjust to the feeling of her squeezing tunnel trying to milk me and started to slowly pull out, eliciting a whine from her as her front hooves scrambled in vain to find purchase on my back and draw me closer before I just as slowly pushed back in.

The simple act of thrusting seemed to drive her further up whatever wonderful tree she was in and to be honest, that made me a bit proud. It also made me want to draw more of those wonderful pleasing sounds from her open panting mouth. I started to slowly piston my hips. A slow, gentle rhythm. In and out, nothing fancy as I kept eye contact with her and pinned one of her forelegs to the bed so I could hold her hoof in mine, leaning in close to kiss at her neck and meet her lips with mine occasionally.

She softly asked me to go faster and I obliged eagerly, slowly and steadily increasing the pace. Steadily getting faster, thrusting harder, a little more roughly as those last few inches disappeared inside of her as I worked her open, my flared tip now softly pressing to the entrance to her womb softly and drawing a slightly pained but ecstatic moan from her each time they connected. Those moans slowly got louder as I increased the speed and force of my lovemaking, panting in her ear softly, licking along it sensually and giving a nibble, knowing they were probably sensitive.

As it turns out, they very much were, this simple act in combination with my current pace sends her back into an arch as her hind legs squeeze tight around my waist, burying me inside of her as she has an orgasm suddenly. I try to hold out, to keep thrusting through it but it is no use. Her marehood squeezes down on me like a silken, velvety vice and demands my seed, so I give it to her. I threw my head back and let out a loud, pleased moan of her name, a war cry, a declaration as I pumped her womb full of my thick equine seed.

The sudden insemination seems to send her into a second, somewhat smaller orgasm as she cries my name in kind, clinging to me with all four legs as I do the same to her, our lips locking, our moans muffled as our tongues tangle in a final, intense and passionate embrace before finally, our climaxes draw to a close. We pull our mouths away from one another and I lay my head on her chest, staying deep inside of her as I allow my cock to soften slowly and withdraw from her naturally. I feel my seed leaking from her onto the sheets. as We laid there like that for at least half an hour, occasionally petting one another or gently kissing until I finally roll off of her and stand at the edge of the bed on wobbling legs as she does the same, wincing slightly before giving a satisfied smirk.

(8675309)

"Well, it might be awkward if one of the colts asks me why I am walking funny tomorrow, but that was more than what I needed. Thank you, Rose." she says appreciatively, kissing my cheek. I smile and kiss her back, feeling quite satisfied with myself. I certainly felt something there, There was definitely some chemistry between us to be developed. "You know, I think a date seems like a wonderful idea. Do keep me in the loop for when your schedule is open again."

She chuckles and nods "Of course. And I am a mare of my word, we can just see where this goes. Do you mind if I use your shower?" she asks, gesturing to the door to my bathroom.

I shake my head and gesture towards it with a grin "By all means, go ahead, I think I will actually need to take a rest after that, so you can see yourself out when you are finished."

She agreed and headed off to the shower, and I am taking the time to write all of this down while she is getting clean. I have to say, today certainly was a long, interesting day. I cannot wait to see what tomorrow brings!

The following morning after my evening of passion with Cheerilee, I awoke to find myself alone once more in my room. I seem to have fallen asleep on the floor next to my bed, rather than on top of it. This resulted in a bit of stiffness in my back, but nothing the power of youth cannot overcome to attack the day. This had also apparently left Cheerilee able to put my sheets to wash. I found a note with her name across the front on my bare stripped bed. It read:

"Rose Tint

I took the liberty of putting your things to wash. You will have to hang them out to dry yourself when you wake up, but I am sure you can manage that on your own.

Also, I have left a short letter of recommendation. It will probably not amount to much, but as a professional teacher, I am a member of the Equestria Education Association. With the backing of a member, you may be able to get some educational materials that would otherwise be restricted to students who are preparing for the Entrance Exam to the Canterlot School for Gifted Unicorns, or another licensed place of magical study. Consider it a bit of advanced repayment for the date I expect you to take me on later this week.

Warmest Regards, Cheerilee<3

I was needless to say pleased by her offering. The letter, after reading over it, seemed to be fairly well worded and spoke...perhaps a bit too glowingly about my abilities. I appreciated the thought, but the way she was hyping me up when I only knew a single spell was a bit embarrassing, if sweet. But if she felt this was a good letter for me to give to the teacher, I certainly would do so.

I did as she suggested, hanging my things out to dry on low hanging branches outside, smiling softly and humming to myself as I enjoyed the cool morning breeze. I got a few strange looks from passerby but I paid them no mind. After i finished with that, I set off to Sweet Apple Acres. There were only a few days left until harvest, at least in theory. But with the extra help from Braeburn and me around to free them all up for bucking instead of carrying apples, they were already nearly done.

Granny Smith had been kind enough yesterday to assure me that they would have more work for me once they started the process of breaking the product down into cider, sauces and pastries. They would need help selling them after all, and I was more than happy to take some time out of my day to learn the art of the apple with those fine country folks. Honestly, the way they made tending the earth seem so fun made me want to start a garden of my own in the back of the library. So that is something I will probably be seeing to in the near future. I wonder if there are any spells that could assist me in growing plants.

But In any case, I was again, given several strange glances, some ponies even seemed embarrassed, or mildly distasteful as I walked past them and gave my usual kind greetings. I wondered what all of the fuss was about as I walked up to the gates. I approached the farmhouse, Granny Smith was out on the porch, as usual, savoring the tail end of her life in style. I smiled as I approached. "Morning, Granny! How are the apples hanging today?" I asked as I walked up.

She smiled back at me but suddenly stopped and stared into the air before her old cheeks dusted by a very light shade of blush "Sonny, you might want to get in the guest shower before someone catches ye like that. I can smell the mare on you from clean across the front yard." She said with a small cackle.

I was, of course, very embarrassed by the realization. Of course, everyone could smell it, they all probably thought I was showing off the fact that a mare had chosen me. I rushed inside with my head hanging low. A quick shower later, I did, in fact, notice that there was a distinct lack of a blackberry scent on my person. I suppose sometimes you do not notice something is there until it is gone.

After getting freshened up, I headed out to the yard and did my usual work and received my bits. However, today, opening the library would have to wait. I had an obligation to fill.

I walked over to Applejack a bit sheepishly and gently poked her shoulder with a hoof to get her attention. She turned to me from her current task of inspecting a bushel of apples for flaws and spoke "Oh! Well howdy, Rose Tint. Is there somethin' I can help you with?"

I give a small sigh as I explain my request "your sister wanted me to attend one of her Cutie Mark Crusader meetings. You might recall her talking about it, she has been quite excited. I was just hoping you might be willing to attend with me, just so I am not the only adult in the room?" I smile up at her hopefully but not holding my breath.

Applejack chuckled softly and shook her head "Sugarcube, don't you worry none. I trust you with Applebloom just fine. And If ya need anything, their lil' clubhouse is just up the way there in a tree, I'll be right down the road." She says reassuringly as I breathed a small sigh of relief. It was certainly better than nothing, to be sure. "it's honestly very heartwarming to know that you trust me Applejack."

"Well, of course, Rose Tint. You ain't been nothing but kind and hardworkin' around me and my kin. Any pony willin' to act that respectable is as good as an Apple in my book." She leans in with a conspiratorial amused expression and whispers in my ear "Ye know, Granny practically considers ya family already. She don't get a lotta folks willin' to sit around and listen to her ramble on the way ya do sometimes."

"Well why wouldn't I? Old people are the greatest! They are filled with wisdom and experience!" I say as I look over at Granny Smith some ways away, who had fallen asleep on the porch and was in the process of falling out of her chair. Not the best moment to prove my point. Applejack looked worried and started trotting over quickly to help.

Concerned, I immediately moved to light my horn and adjust her. "I've got it!" I call out as I move to envelop Granny In my aura from about fifty yards away.

This was of course, not a great idea. I felt an immediate heavy strain and grunted audibly as I felt a tremendous pressure in the back of my horn. I had only lifted small objects from up close, or opened doors at the most. I had figured that heavier objects would require more energy, What I had not factored in was interaction from a distance being more difficult. I bit my lip and strained my neck visibly. One of my eyes felt like it was going to pop out of my skull as I finished moving her back into position.

Once I let the energy dissipate, I almost collapse, my eyes rolling back for a moment as I stumble, feeling a bit nauseated. My vision swayed and danced in front of me as I sucked in a few deep gasping breaths. Once I became cognizant of the world around me once more, I felt a soft throbbing in my horn and saw Applejack giving me a very concerned look.

"Shoot pardner, you alright?" She asked, leaning in a bit to help steady me with a hoof as I finished recovering from the seeming whiplash of suddenly expending a great deal more magic in a short time than I am used to.

I shook my head to clear it a bit and then looked to her with a reassuring smile "Yeah, I am fine, thank you." I said, eliciting a relieved expression from her. "Just not used to acting on things larger than a heavy book, especially from that far away. I should be fine."

Applejack took me back into the house, where she insisted I have some apple juice and sit for a bit before being on my way. I made sure to thank her before I did so of course. Applejack is a wonderful mare honesty. She's very dependable, And I am happy to consider her my friend. The teacher Cheerilee had been going on about for a few days now should be getting ready for his lesson while the foals are getting ready to leave school, which means I can swing by there for the lesson and to give him that note Cheerilee gave me and then go by the clubhouse to see the girls.

I made my way back to Golden Oaks, getting my things together. Cheerilee had been kind enough to allow me to borrow an old saddlebag of hers, so I put the note and some empty notebooks, ink, and quills into it and grabbed my googles, placing them on my head resting underneath my horn and above my eyes. With everything I felt I would need for the lesson, I made my way towards the schoolhouse.

When I arrived, there was a...mildly irate looking Stallion There behind the desk with a greyish coat and a dark blonde mane. He had a rather dour set of pale teal eyes that seemed to be affixed in a fairly consistent grimace, and His cutie mark was of a single coal chunk on fire. I give him a small smile as I enter, closing the door behind me. "H-hello, Is this the er, Adults Remedial Arcane Studies course?" I ask as I approach.

"Yes, it is." he says in a somewhat gruff, stern voice. "My name is Professor Smoldering Coal. I will be your instructor for the afternoon. _{About time someone actually showed up to one of these...}" He muttered the last bit to himself, but i picked up on it and gave him a small apologetic smile.

"Well sir erm...I am actually fairly new to magic in general. I have been studying as well as I can independently but there is only so much I can glean without a proper tutor. Miss Cheerilee sent me here with a letter of recommendation to acquire some erm, study materials?" I finish as I set my saddlebags down on one of the foals desks, exposing my very notably blank flank.

This drew a surprised expression from the older stallion, His eyes widened slightly, which was not very much at all considering his normal facial expression "Huh...at your age?" he asks, gesturing at my flank. I sigh softly and nod "I am er...not from around here, I was raised outside of Equestria. Louwhinnyana, actually."

This draws a derisive snort and a return to his default expression. "Heh, a colonist huh? Life in the swamps too rough for ya, Bayou Boy?"

I roll my eyes internally but try my best to be polite as I hand him off the letter. "No sir, Just needed a change of pace. I wanted to learn more about what it means to be a unicorn, so I moved to Ponyville. As always, close enough to the truth.

He looks over the letter, snorting softly at first, but seeming a bit more...receptive as he reads her accounts of my activities. "It says here you went from magically illiterate to casting your first spell in under a week? I don't believe it. None of the boys back in Canterlot are gonna believe it either." He says derisively, setting the letter down. "I don't think a backwoods bumpkin like you could even light up the confines of a paper bag. How about a demonstration, show me."

I give him a flat, even-tempered stare as I slowly use my magic to slide my goggles down over my eyes. This is why I always hated academia back home, everyone is an elitist, being outside of the accepted window of proper behavior and beliefs or even looking wrong o being from the wrong place always had people riding your ass. It is why I didn't go to college when I had the chance. That was an opportunity squandered, but I was not going to let a second chance slip through my hooves. I am not going to let some pompous gatekeeping ass separate me from what I want to accomplish. I Said four simple words as my goggles slipped snugly into place "turn off the lights."

He chuckles and does so, the lights all dimming, even closing the blinds for me. "By all means, Wow me. Hopefully your lights will be at least as dazzling as that gaudy rag you call a coat."

Needless to say, at this point, I was getting Pissed. I had always hated being called stupid back home, but then he pushes yet another button of mine and mocks my appearance. As I grabbed ahold of the energy inside of me and shaped it, I felt...considerably stronger than I had earlier. Perhaps my musing about the correlation between emotion and magical output was correct. I decided that now was as good a time as any to test it.

I embraced the feelings of disdain for the man before me as I embraced my magic. The strands of energy flowed and shaped freely, carefully as I fashioned not one, but two, then three identical patterns to create light, letting them sit around my horn as I started to pour power into them.

At first, with my tinted goggles, the room seemed pitch black. But as I poured more power into the spells on my horns, the room slowly started to light up. His face went from smug when it emerged from the shadows to surprise, his eyes slowly widening at the shadows in the room slowly pulled back under the brunt of my hot pink light.

Okay, I get it, very impressive, now tone it back." He says a bit condescendingly, sounding somewhat mollified by the demonstration. But I could still hear it in his voice, the disdain, the Incredulity that I could cast even the simplest of magic.

It pissed me right the fuck off.

I squinted and pretended not to hear him over the chimes coming from my horn, pouring more power into the spells. The room got bright, as bright as day even through my shaded goggles and he started to look worried as the wind brushed against my mane and tail, moving them slightly. "H-hey, I said you could stop!"

I could, but I was not done. He wanted to see what I could do? it might not be much, but I was damn sure going to make the one spell I knew as impressive as possible! I poured more power still into the spell, and I could feel the rings pulsating dangerously around my horn as the room got bright enough that I felt the need to squint a bit even behind my shades.

It seemed that there was a limit to how much energy one spell should be made to hold. So I went right on ahead and added a fourth node, much to his dismay. "H-hey! what the buck are you doing, kid!" He shouted as he slipped behind his desk, presumably shielding his eyes. My vision began to swim, and i felt lightheaded, And I felt a strange tingle on my sides near my flanks as a second light came from them. The light from my horn seemed to shift to a deeper hue, a rich, striking red. I paid it little mind in the moment considering my focus. but I gave a snarl and pushed on, my anger fueling me to push past it. It felt...really fucking good, to be honest, but also a bit terrifying. I felt like a conduit for power, and it made me in turn, feel powerful.

But I also felt as if I might lose control of what I was doing at any moment using magic while I was angry felt different. rather than flowing naturally, it felt as if I was wrestling with it for control. It almost felt as if the spell did not want to be used this way, there was a distinct but subtle feeling of wrongness to the whole thing.

I had this realization as I brought all four nodes to full power, feeling...ashamed. Deeply ashamed of myself for letting my emotions get the better of me. As I calmed down quickly, I felt myself sway a bit and finally decided to scale back. I shuddered as I let the energy in the spells dissipate, the last of the light fading before the spells around my horn disintegrated back into the ether.

As I took a few deep breaths, I swayed a bit more and steadied myself, pulling my goggles back up and off of my face. "I-i am sorry sir. You just sort of said some very hurtful thi-"

I was surprised and slightly awed as I looked around. in about a five-foot radius around me there was a softly scorched circle. Not tarred totally black, but the intensity of my light seemed to have had a definite effect on the area around me, it was more than a little warmer than when I began for certain, and a bit of smoke rose from the slight scorch marks.

Fuck, I am probably going to have to pay for that tomorrow when Cheerilee sees it, Oh well, a lesson hard-learned, I suppose.

Smoldering Coal peeked up from behind the desk, collecting himself and couching softly. "Merciful Celestia, Kid, what the hay was all of that!?" He asked, sounding a lot more incredulous but also much less condescending. He sounded even a bit impressed, and a little afraid. I won't lie, seeing him a little twitchy coming up felt good, but I knew I should be ashamed, and I was.

My ears laid back on my head as I pawed at the floor, scraping away some of the ring of burn mark relatively easily, revealing the otherwise intact floorboards beneath me. "I- I am very sorry sir, I was just upset about the things you were saying is all, I did not mean any harm."

He laughed as he stood up from behind the desk, glad I was no longer angry. "Kid, if that's what you can do with a light spell when you're angry, I'd hate to see what it looks like when you learn how to make fire." he says, sitting back down behind the desk as my head lowers a bit more He was a dick, but he certainly was not wrong. I lacked something that a unicorn who had been born with magic would have in spades by my age, the self-control to use magic responsibly.

However, the next thing he said was a bit more than surprising. "Look, I can't give you a straight out recommendation. The Fellas back at Canterlot would laugh me out of the School if I came in giving them your credentials," he says with a small huffing sigh as he goes over to his own saddlebags. He pulls out a book, a copy of "Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns Intermediate Spellcasting"

"But what I can do is say I lost this on the way here and need a new copy."

I Give them a small smarmy grimace as I look at the book, the look in my eyes was no doubt hungry, but I was needless to say, suspicious at that sudden change in tune. "And can I ask what brought about this sudden change in attitude?"

He looks at me like I grew a second head "Are you kidding me? You just executed a quadruple casting at your maximum power." Huh, so perhaps the spell's actual power is more limited by my ability to cast it. "Hick or not, we could use more of that. These days the School is full of fops and blowhards with momma's money who can barely string a spell together. I thought you were just going to be another disappointment."

He sighs and shakes his head a bit "But here is some advice. If you sign up to join the guard, you train for about six months and afterwards you can ask for a plot of land wherever you want within reason and, if you are magically inclined, you can even get a military scholarship to the School." He says as he starts rummaging through his bags again, pulling out a small stack of papers. it seemed to be a sort of selective service sign up.

"There is a que, a lot of colts and fillies with big dreams they have to wash out to get the best. But once your turn comes around they will come and get you and haul you off to Canterlot for training at the Royal Palace grounds. You go for six months and then they send you home until they need you for active service."

I sigh softly and sign up without thinking too hard about it, It wouldn't be the first time I went through basic. It was shit once and it'll probably be shit again, but I have my future to think about. My job at the library is wonderful but I can't see myself doing it forever.

"And why do you have this in your saddlebag?" I ask as I squint at him, and he gives me a small sheepish grin "I may or may not get a commission for each signup."

Did I get Jebaited by an army recruiter? Yes, yes I fucking did. Goddammit Cheerilee what the fuck.

"Hey, look on the bright side," he says with a chuckle as he looks down at my flanks. "The Guard builds character, and it Isn't like I didn't give you something for your troubles."

I look down at my flank "what are you on abou-...." I pause as I see that I seem to now have a cutie mark. It is a tall black spire, with green vines dotted with little ruby roses crawling up the sides. on the tower was two six-pointed stars overlaid on each other, the one in the back was a deep pink, and the one in the front was a striking crimson. My eyes widened and I smiled just as wide as that.
I looked at him, then back at my flank then back at him, beaming like an idiot. I was very pleased, more so than I really felt I should have been. I mean, there was not much a cultural significance to it for me, Perhaps when you gain your cutie mark you are hit with a rush of positive reinforcement chemicals to associate your talent with happiness?

In any case, I was over the fucking moon about it. I did not quite understand my cutie mark, but after checking out what the symbol on my tower represents and remembering the meaning of the tower in tarot, I was amused and find it appropriate enough.

I was in fact so excited that I had to leave early, I gave the poor stallion a very unwelcome hug and bolted home to write all of this out, I am sure the Crusaders will be delighted for me, and I am actually about to go show them now! I will return to write about how it went later.

I am delighted to report that my first cutie mark crusaders meeting went surprisingly well.

As I approached the adorable treehouse, I was assailed by a trio of excited fillies. Applebloom took the lead and ran over, throwing her forelegs around mine trying to hug me. I smiled softly and simply patted her head with a hoof a few times and let her get it out of her system. "Hello girls, I am here but erm, I think I might not fit in quite as well as I had hoped," I said as I turned a bit and showed off my the new marking on my flank.

The girls were surprised to say the least, all giving me rather shocked expressions. Scootalloo was the first to speak up "Woah, that's a pretty cool cutie mark! Not as cool as Rainbow dash though, Shes the coolest!"

I look down at the little pegasus and smile wider, appreciating the comment. But my appreciation turned to slight confusion at the second part. "Rainbow who?" I asked shortly, tilting my head. I heard some soft muttering and grumbling not too far from where we were as some bushes moved when I said this. I squinted softly at them, my ears perking up and twitching a bit before I returned my attention to the girls. "But yes, It looks like I am meant to be good at magic!" I beamed as I wiggled my flank a bit, chuckling before stopping.

Sweetie Belle Piped up at this point "How did you get it? Can you tell us?" She asked sweetly as she looked up at me with those big hopeful eyes that foals seemed to possess in abundance.

I gave a small nod and started walking towards the treehouse "I will be more than happy to tell you all about it!" I said as they started to follow close in tow.

And so I did! I regaled them with the story of the rather rude teacher, of my little hissy fit, and the resulting scorch marks in the schoolhouse. They all seemed very impressed, the rustling grunting tree branches outside of the window of the treehouse seemed less so.

"Which brings me to the bad news. He mayyyy have tricked me into signing up to join the guard." I said sheepishly, rubbing one leg against the other and looking down at the floor.

Applebloom looked a bit worried. Sweetie Belle Seemed surprised. Scootalloo seemed to be excited. But they all said the same thing in appropriate tones, the branch even chimed in incredulously.

"The Guard?!"

Okay, that's enough of that. I lit my horn and with some effort, extracted the source of the noise from its hiding place, dragging it into the tree. I could not help but notice that it was a bit easier to do so. Maybe having a cutie mark makes doing what you are meant to do easier? I was also beginning to notice that making light was much less energy-consuming than moving things around telekinetically. that made sense considering that combating gravity is probably more effort than simply being gloriously incandescent. I am going to have to work on my stamina and output if I'm going to be running with the big boys.

Anyway, I managed to extract a light blue pegasus pony with a rather flamboyantly colorful mane from the branches outside of the treehouse window.

Scootalloo seems to recognize her immediately, walking over to inspect her "Rainbow Dash! What are you doing hiding in the tree!?"

The pegasus mare, Rainbow Dash, stood up and dusted herself off as I silently thank the heavens for a fellow adult, Even if it was one that was acting admittedly strange.

"I was just in the neighborhood, so I thought I'd drop in and watch you have your little meeting and keep an eye on you squirt." she says as she ruffles the little filly's hair "I know you three get into a lot of trouble sometimes. Who's the big guy?" She asks as she turns to look up at me squinting at me suspiciously. "Haven't I seen you in town? You work for the Apples, right?"

I smile down at her sheepishly and nod "Sort of. They gave me a job so I could get on my feet and I decided to stay working part-time after I found something a bit more my speed because I did not want to make them deal with that big harvest all by themselves. I would never leave the apple family hanging."

This seems to appease her somewhat. But she still seems a bit suspicious of me as she slowly walks around me, inspecting me "And what exactly are you doing here?"

"well er, I did not have a cutie mark until earlier today, So i had been invited for a crusaders meeting. Applebloom is a very sweet filly, and I did not want to disappoint her or her friends so i decided to show up for at least one."

Applebloom pouts visibly at this "Does that mean you aren't gonna come back?" She asks giving me another set of those devastating wide eyes as I shuffle a bit in place under her gaze.

"W-well, I Guess I could but erm, I already have a cutie mark..." I say a but awkwardly stumbling through it.

"That's okay! You can be like, a mascot or something!" Scootalloo chimes in, trying to help her friend.

Sweetie Belle catches on to this and chimes in as well. "yeah, you took a really long time to get your cutie mark." Oh sweet summer child. "You could be our inspiration to keep trying! Maybe It'll just take a while for us to get ours."

"well, when you put it like that it is very difficult to refuse, But I am not sure how l will be available. I might be sent up to Canterlot for training at any time, The gentleman who conned me into signing up was not super clear about the details. I am expecting a letter when it is time, though." I said as he looked down at the three of them, who seemed disappointed but mollified.

Rainbow Dash, however, Did not seem to be totally sold "Hmmm, well alright, Applejack knows you are here, right?"

"Of course! I asked her to accompany because I am er...not sure I am the best with foals." I said as sat on the floor, feeling a bit self-conscious as the lingered a bit too long in the back for my liking as she circled around. My ears pressed flat to my head as I looked down at her from my seat. "Is um...everything alright?"

"...Yeah, everything is fine, big guy," she says as she seems satisfied and stops her inspection.

Applebloom gave me an apologetic look "Sorry, Rose Tint. Rainbow Dash is just protective of Scootaloo."

"She's like my big sister!" Scootaloo beams happily as she looks up at the cyan mare, who smiles back down at her and nods "Darn right I am!"

After a moment of silence, Scootaloo seems to get an idea.

"Hey! Rainbow Dash, you are like, the best athlete in town! You should help Rose Tint get in shape for when he leaves!"

That sounded like an awful idea. Rainbow Dash looked at me, getting a rather worrying smirk on her face "that sounds like a rad idea Scootaloo! He does look a bit skinny to be in the guard. How about it Big guy, you want to get fit? I Have a regiment that will get you right into shape in a month, tops."

I can practically feel the menacing aura exuding off of this terrifying pastel rainbow mare, But Scootaloo looks so proud of herself, I can't make her feel bad "that sounds...like a wonderful idea, thank you, Miss Rainbow Dash." I say as i stand up and give a nervous smile, my ears betraying me, still laid back.

She of course only smiled wider. "Awesome! We can start today, Meet me out in the park in an hour, I'll have everything set up!"

"But I have a j-" of course before I could finish she had already flown off "Job..."

"Don't worry Rose Tint! we can take care of the library for you." I heard Applebloom say reassuringly as she patted my side. I was...less than reassured. But hey, no one came into the library ever all they had to do was be there, how bad could they fuck it up?

"Fine, but please be careful," I said, smiling down at Applebloom, who happily trotted over to her friends for a three-way high...hoof? "CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS, LIBRARIANS! YAY!"

That was incredibly adorable and I felt a bit better about my choices as I bid them a good day and went home to put all of my things away. I relaxed a bit and drank plenty of water, bringing a refillable bottle full with me when I went out to the park an hour later to meet up with Rainbow Dash.

She was on a large patch of grass, wearing leg warmers and a sweatband, looking to be stretching and warming up. She noticed me and waved me over "Rose Tint, get over here! It's time to get started." She says commandingly as she gets up and stops stretching.

Being reasonably terrified of her, I, of course, start trotting right over as quick as can be. "Faster!" she demands, making me break out into a light gallop."

When I get over, I am already panting a bit. She smirks and gently punches me in the shoulder with her hoof "your form is Bucking terrible, dude." She says as she grabs a hold of one of my front legs. "You don't have any definition, look at these noodles. The guard is going to eat you for breakfast if you go in there looking like this."

I grimaced slightly as she poked and prods at my noodle leg with her hoof "Are you a member?" I asked as she finished her inspection of my leg, her hoof now running over my chest area.

"Oh no, not my style. But i am trying to get into the Wonderbolts! Only the best of the best flyers are allowed in." she says as if I should know who the Wonderbolts are. I do not feel like partaking in exposition so I simply smile softly and nod along. "Well I am sure with that can-do attitude you can do it.....can you please stop rubbing my chest?"

She rolls her eyes and stops, clearly a little embarrassed but trying to play it off "I was just checking to see if you had anything going for you there. How are you this out of shape, I thought you worked for the apples?"

I sigh softly and rub my face with my hoof softly "I have only been there for less than a week and all I do is carry baskets so they can focus on harvesting." I say patiently as she walked behind me.

The following molestation of my flanks caused me to squeal like a little filly and almost kick her. She snickered at this. "Oh, don't be a baby!" she says, finishing her inspection by giving it a swat, much to my humiliation. "You at least have something going for you there, lower back and flanks look like they at least get some work."

"I need an adult," I say as I look back at her slowly circling back around. She is clearly enjoying my suffering.

"I am adult," she assures me with an amused smirk. She took her whistle in her hoof and shouted ad me suddenly "now, drop and give me fifty!" She blows the whistle loudly in my face, my sensitive new pony ears not liking that at all as I did as she asked. With my flexible front legs, I was able to drop into something approaching the appropriate human push up position, which seemed to be what she was going for as she dropped down right in front of me doing much the same, starting to crank them out in front of me easily as i quickly began to struggle after the first ten or so. This was going to be a very long evening.

"Come on, faster! My grandma can move faster than that."

"I'm trying, but I'm not used to this, give me a minute!"

"Buck a minute, get it into gear! I want you to really get in there, dig deep big guy!"

A few minutes of this meaningful exchange later, I had finally managed to push out the fifty push up she asked me for. I got off of the ground on wobbly front hooves, only to have her whistle in my face again, gesturing at some medicine balls on the ground next to her. "Carry these with your horn and give me ten laps!" she says, pointing to a tree about fifty yards away and back to where we were standing.

The laps were bad enough, but when I had three ten-pound balls constantly in the grip of my magic, it was torture. My head was already on fire after only three laps and I was incredibly winded, the physical exertion made keeping up the spell that much more difficult. but every time I would flag behind, rainbow dash, who was following close would smack my flank and tell me to get it into gear, berating me until I kept running.

And then came the situps, oh god, the situps. I do not even want to remember the fire in my abdominal muscles. She guided me to a softer patch of grass and held my back hooves so I could curl properly, keeping me in place as she demanded at least a hundred from me.

A very long evening of push up, situps, running, and being made to lift heavy things with my horn later, the sun was finally starting to set. I was collapsed on the ground in front of her, panting softly and utterly spent. every part of my body felt as if it had been turned into pure suck. It had been extremely difficult, but I had persisted. Rainbow Dash seemed satisfied enough as she drank from her own water bottle, looking at the sun to gauge the time. "That's enough of that for today, big guy. Get on home and take a shower, be back here tomorrow for more, if you think you can handle it," she said as she flew off with a small chuckle.

After dragging myself home, I was greeted by the sight of three very apologetic looking fillies and a massive mess of fallen bookshelves. They had apparently tried to stack atop each other to get a book off of a high shelf and had an accident. They were nice enough to stay and help me collect and organize the books with careful supervision and instruction, But I was on my own with the shelves. My body screamed at me as I put them back into place. Magic was blatantly out of the question with how heavy they were, especially right now, I ended up having to haul them up into place physically, which took almost two hours for all of them.

After sending the foals off telling them not to worry and have a nice, long rest, I spent the rest of the evening studying the book I had been given by the gentleman who had been so kind as to introduce me to the military. Needless to say, gong from a children's book to a textbook for adults on intermediate magic was very jarring, but with some browsing of the appendix and glossary to find out what some terms meant I was persisting well enough in at least grasping the basics of how these spells were meant to be performed. I was of course, far to exhausted that evening to cast any of the, but i marked down some spells I thought would come in handy to get a grip onr.

As I read I noted that It was actually a bit..quiet in here by myself, a bit depressingly so. I debated internally for a while and decided that tomorrow, I would go out and seek a bit of animal companionship. Perhaps there was a pet shop in town?

A bit before I was ready to head off to bed for the night, I actually got a surprise visit from Cheerilee. She was beaming at me happily as I opened the door. "Oh! Rose Tint, good to see you are still awake. Sorry, I just wanted to see how your first day learning from another unicorn went."

I gave her a flat even stare and simply said "He called me a hick, I got a cutie mark, and he got me to sign up for the guard to get into school." I was a bit tired and not in the vest place for my normal verbosity, and if I am being honest, I was also a bit miffed at her for getting me into it.

She was surprised, to say the least, "You got your cutie...and joined...oh wow, that is quite a full day! I am glad to hear that you got your mark, but I am very sorry they did that to you! I should have warned you that the might try to do that." she said a bit sheepishly as she gave me an apologetic smile. Her ears suddenly perked as she gave a small sniff, looking around, then looking back at me, biting her lip softly.

I raised an eyebrow but continued to speak. "Yeah, After I went to show the crusaders, Rainbow Dash showed up and Scootaloo got her to put me on a workout plan to get me ready for it. She's going to get me...fit." I say as I wince a bit from standing on my sore, weary legs. "She kept feeling me up and telling me I was not very developed and smacked my flank a lot. Not sure how I feel about that."

A look of realization came across her face for a moment, then one of mild jealousy. "She better keep her hooves to herself!" she says a bit more firmly than I expected from her. I stepped back a bit and gave her a concerned look "I am sure she did not mean anything by it, it was just typical locker room fare as far as I can tell." I say, trying to reassure her.

She does not seem terribly reassured and starts inviting herself right into my house. She mutters something about "that applebucking hussy" and turned to look at me firmly, her tail flicking behind her. "It sounds like you had a long day. How about I take you upstairs and help you relax a bit?" she asks with a small, sly grin on her face.

As much as I wanted to say yes, I was not sure I was comfortable with her doing so while obviously upset. She seemed to be under the impression that applejack of all people had a thing for me. Hah! That would be the day, I'm just the hired help. And she seemed to be displeased with Rainbow Dash's conduct as well. Her doing something like that just because she felt jealous did not seem healthy. But at the same time, she was very upset it seemed. And I did not want to make her feel unwanted.

I thought about it for a moment and sighed to myself, smiling to her and nodding "I think I would like that." I said as I started walking up the stairs "just let me get a shower in before we-"

"no need." she cut me off, walking up the stairs past me quickly. "Any mare worth her salt enjoys the scent of a hardworking stallion." Wait...did...did me being all sweaty get her horny? That is very strange. Not sure how i feel about that thinking about it.

(sex stuff happening, ctrl-f 8675309 to skip.)

I followed her upstairs and as soon as I was past the threshold she pulled me close to her, closing the door behind us as she brought me in for a kiss.

My lips met her own eagerly, and I quickly started to forget all about my worries as we embraced and the comforting scent and taste of her blackberry fragrance washed over me. She was not terribly upset it seems, Just worried that I might seek other mares and leave her behind. While polygamy is the norm here, I can understand why she might have been worried for a moment considering what happened as a result of her recommendation. But I would never be so shallow as to stop talking to her over the results of my own bad choices.

And I did my best to show it as I deepened the kiss, a hoof running along her neck as we reared up on our hind legs and embraced each other fully, leaning on one another for support until I suddenly turned and pushed her against the wall, taking her off of her hooves. It was extremely painful with the burn in my muscles, but the adorable squeal and the feeling of her back hooves wrapping around my waist as I began to unsheathe and harden was well worth it in my books.

Our lips parted only for us both to draw breath and for her to mutter a soft "I'm so sorry..." before we met again. I pulled from the wall and we both toppled onto the bed as I slowly rolled my hips.

"It's okay, I forgive you," I mutter into her neck as I pulled away again, nuzzling her and reaching down to give her flanks a squeeze. "How do you want to do it this time?" I asked softly as I looked down at her happily, eagerly.

She responded by squirming underneath me until she wass on her stomach, legs resting over the edge of the bed leaving me effectively already mounting her. She looked back at me with a demure, welcoming expression as her tail slid away to one side, leaving herself exposed. She did not have to say a word to explain what she wanted.

I nodded and took my now fully erect member and placed It against her mare-hood. We both gasped softly at the feeling of the heat, the warmth as I started to push forward, She seemed to be able to accommodate me to the hilt more easily from this position, my tip only gently bumping the entrance to her womb as I penetrated to the very hilt.

Our lovemaking was slow, sensual. We moved together, breathed together. Out hearts might as well and may very well possibly have been beating as one as we gently coupled. My breath was hot in her ear, desperate for more as she gave light, airy, appreciative moans at both my attentions and the feeling of my powerful length invading her to her very core.

it was not terribly long until we both came to a powerful, sensuous climax. We cried each other's names and I gripped her firmly around the waist as I emptied a thick, hot dose of my virile seed into her.

We lay like that, collecting ourselves for sometime before I managed to extricate my heavy, sore body from atop her and pull us both onto the bed proper, cuddling against her. She smiled and simply pulled me close, nuzzling in "I can stay the night tonight, it is the weekend." She says as if reading what my next thoughts would have been.

I smiled softly and nodded, simply allowing her to bury her face into my neck as we drifted off to sleep together.
(8675309)

It is the next morning now that I am writing this. Every single part of my body feels aflame, my horn included. The sex probably did not help, but I will not say that seeing Cheerilee so happy and cheerful in the morning waking up next to me was not satisfying. I am still not entirely sure about perusing a relationship with her. Her being the jealous type is potentially worrying. But I certainly did have a good time with her last night. Today, I am going to do what I told myself I would do and go out and find an animal companion. Cheerilee actually told me she knows just the mare for the job, and insisted on accompanying me, which I all to graciously have accepted. I will return to write today's events later. Until then.

After putting away his journal, he gives a small sigh and smiles, looking towards his bathroom, where Cheerilee is currently getting clean after their night of excitement. A moment later, a knock comes at the door. His ears perk as he hears the noise from downstairs.

He stretches his still fairly sore legs and back and leaves Cheerilee to her time in the shower to slip downstairs, humming softly. He is not looking forward to resuming his workout this afternoon with Rainbow Dash. Not only because of how sore he is, but also because of the very uncomfortable talk about personal space he feels is going to be important going forward if she continues to assist him with his physical fitness.

"I'm coming!" he says cheerfully as he approaches the door, his horn coming alight in its new red hue, matching the roses on his cutie mark. he uses his magic to open the door with a small wince at the effort.

He is greeted by the sigh of a rather odd-looking grey mare with a blonde mane. None of that was odd, What was odd was her strange wall eyes expression.

She gave him a kind smile as he did his best not to stare, smiling back at her in turn. As he realized he had not yet showered, he stepped back from the door slightly to try to spare her of the scent of his lovemaking. "Erm, how can I help you? If you are here to check out a book, I do not open the library until later this afternoon..."

She shakes her head quickly, and he can almost swear he hears something rattling in her head as she does so. She reaches into her blue saddlebag pulls out a small package, wrapped in plain brown paper and tied with triple twisted twine as well as an envelope with a gold wax seal in the shape of the sun.

He notices her saddlebag has an envelope on it and realization flickers into the forefront. Of course, she is the mail mare. He nods and takes the parcels into his aura from a respectable distance. "Thank you, Ma'am. Have a nice day." he says before quickly closing the door. As much as he would like to chat with her he is...not keen on being caught out like last time.

He walked over to his kitchen table and sat down, starting with the envelope. It is exactly what he feared it to be. A letter explaining the details of his intake into the Guard. He was to report in at the start of winter and would be home In time for something called the Summer Sun Celebration.

The actual dates were, of course, listed. He would be made to report to the Royal Palace via train at the appointed time or else a warrant would be issued for his imprisonment.

Arrangements would be made with the nearest railway station to facilitate transport. All he would need to do is state his name and present this letter to the ticket master to be admitted on board.

He gave a soft, slightly anxious sigh as he floated the letter off to the side. He was fairly nervous about the whole proposition. Sure, he had served before, but that was much different than what he was envisioning for this particular situation. he definitely was not sure about how he felt to be serving under a nondemocratic governing body, but that was a whole other can of worms, one he did not have the equipment to open safely.

After digesting the contents of the letter for a few minutes. he gave a soft hum as he took the package in his hooves and opened it.

Inside was another letter, this one a rolled parchment paper with a small red ribbon around the middle, and an apple. A very...pleasant-looking apple. it was a very deep, rich shade of red more akin to a pomegranate than a red delicious. The scent from the fruit was almost spellbindingly fragrant, bordering on intoxicating as he gave it a slow sniff. Se reluctantly set it aside to read the letter.

He unrolled the parchment and all it said was a simple message with no signature.

He blinked slowly as he took this in and then looked at the apple, a rather adorably heavy blush settling across his cheeks as he set the letter down on the table. Whoever had sent this, it was very flattering, if he was being honest. it seemed he had a secret admirer.

"Well, it would certainly be rude of me not to at least have a little bit..." he said softly to himself as he lit his horn to open a drawer in the kitchen within eyeshot to pull out a knife and hover it towards him. He gave a small groan as his horn gave a small throb in protest, the knife felt much heavier than it should, as did the door earlier. He silently hoped that all of the pain that strange skittle-maned mare wanted to put him through would give him results.

He cut the apple into a few slices, humming softly as he did so before letting the knife settle on the table, picking one of the slices up with his hooves to examine the fruit. The fragrance was even more sweet and prominent after cutting it into slices. he took a moment to pry the seeds from it, wanting to see if perhaps he could grow a tree from them later. The seeds were black. not a natural one, the seeds were not glossy or matte, but more a black that seemed to be the absence of light being reflected.

After putting the seeds away in a small bit of paper towel to dry on the table he levitated a slice of apple to his lips.

And then he took a bite.

For a moment time seemed to stand still, the taste was incredible. Not the best thing he had ever eaten, but certainly the most unique, and not unpleasant at all. it felt beyond reasonable description. The best comparison might be to one of those exotic Asian candies with the flavors that change as you savor them more. every time he chewed it seemed there was a slight or major change to the taste and the texture in his mouth. A fleeting moment of sour, a hint of spice, then a slap upside the head with an aluminum baseball bat of sweet followed by a tinge of bitter.

He swallowed after a few long reluctant moments, and as the morsel slid down his throat he was overtaken by a new feeling. A strange feeling of foreboding, as if he had just done something that no pony should ever do.

This existential fear was short-lived, but became far more intense as he was suddenly assailed by a torrent of feelings and thoughts. Things beyond his comprehension. Things he chose to ignore out of fear of trying, and things he wished he had been smart enough to ignore all tumbled about in his head.

He gave a choked cry and clasped his head in his hooves, his head falling onto the table as he was struck with a sudden incredible pain as something seared against his consciousness. A soft, triumphant cackle could be heard echoing through the back of his mind before he lost himself to blackness, the only sound accompanying his descent into nothingness being a soft thunk of head on wood.

Cheerilee was delighted to be feeling nice and clean after her shower as she headed down the stairs. Not as delighted as she had been to spend the evening with a stallion again, but close. She had a very good feeling about this one. He seemed fairly even-tempered, and good with children. Fairly bright as well!

If she wanted to be properly honest with herself, the fact that he was very nice looking did not hurt either. She had always had a thing for big tall stallions. She had caught herself staring down the stallion of the apple household in town more than once.

Speaking of apples, it looked like her partner had fallen asleep making them breakfast. He was face down, snoring softly next to a small platter of sliced apple. He even left her a note! She read it and smiled softly, looking back over at him and planting a small kiss on his head before sitting down to have herself some breakfast.....

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~~return to journal pov~~

Well, today was an odd day to be sure, but it all seemed to work out fine enough in the end. I am delighted to report that my search for a pet went more than swimmingly.

After heading downstairs, the next thing I remember is me sitting face down and lifting my head from the kitchen table with a slight headache. I had no idea how I had gotten there, or how I had even made it down the stairs. Cheerilee was washing a plate in the kitchen and humming quite happily to herself, so I walked over and gave her a small kiss on the cheek "Have a good shower?" I asked as I started to make my way towards the stairs to take one of my own.

She nodded and smiled softly at me as I walked off "Of course, enjoy yours!" she responded before i walked out of sight up the stairs.

As I turned on the water and let it warm back up, I gave a soft sigh of satisfaction at the steam filling the room. I looked into the mirror in my bathroom and smiled softly at myself. It was not the face I was most familiar with, but I knew that with time, it would be the face I came to appreciate having the most.

Because after everything, it's still me.

As I had these rather cozy thoughts, I blinked and was greeted by a rather strange sight, which I have done my best to sketch here.

After a few moments of staring, I rubbed my eyes. The reflection did the same. I blinked a few more times, but still, there it remained with that smug little grin. I slowly brought a hoof to the mirror and it extended a clawed paw and mirrored me.

Then suddenly, it smiled much wider as the hand slid through the glass as if it were water and grabbed me, simply saying. "Boo!"

The humiliation I felt when emitting the little girl tier scream that followed is something that I may never live down, and neither is the small bolt of energy that shot from my horn and shattered the mirror into a spiderweb of cracks as i closed my eyes.

When I opened them again, the hand was gone and my reflection was the same, aside from having a few dozen of me staring back instead of just one now. Cheerilee was standing at the doorway, having bolted up to see what was the matter. "Rose! Are you alright?" she asked as she quickly peeked into the bathroom and looked over at me with concern in her eyes.

Having sufficiently recovered from my bitch baby moment, I looked over at her with a weak, apologetic smile "Yeah. I am fine, thank you. I think I might just be studying too hard." I certainly hoped so. Stress-induced hallucinations were preferable to that experience having been real.

...why do I hear laughter? Hm. moving on.

She gave me a relieved look and rolled her eyes. "Don't scare me like that, Rose." she said as she walked in to give me another soft kiss on the cheek before sauntering back out to leave me to my shower.

Honestly, even though she seems to be treating us like an item despite us not even having gone on a proper date yet, I cannot lie and say i do not enjoy her affection. it feels nice, having someone that cares about me that way here, even if it feels a bit premature. Perhaps in a world with such a big gender imbalance societal expectations make a mare feel the need to move a bit faster before other mares get in first. Something I will have to look into later. If that is the case, I would feel sort of bad about pegging her as the jealous type. Perhaps that is simply normal mare behavior.

But that would have to wait, shower time! I got myself nice and clean, humming to myself happily in the shower.

After getting nice and cleaned up, I slipped on my bowtie and my goggles. I had decided that wearing them should be a regular part of my outfit just in case I required them, letting them rest comfortably above my eyes and below my horn.

As I considered this, my face dropped. I had forgotten to go back to the boutique to pick up my things! I hurried downstairs and nearly tripped for my trouble, panting softly after the little run "Cheerilee, we are going to need to take a detour if that is alright, I have some things I need to pick up from Carousel Boutique."

She seemed a bit surprised, but understanding enough as she gave a small nod "Alright, sounds fine to me. Are you ready to go?"

I smiled and nodded, and after putting on my saddlebags, we were on our way. We stopped off at the boutique, where Rarity seemed to be having some off time, reading a magazine while a fluffy white cat slept beside her at the counter. She looked over the top of her reading material as we walked in, smiling wide "Oh, it's !You" She says with a flair to her voice as she trots out to greet us. "and you brought Miss Cheerilee with you. I trust you are here for your order?" She asks as she gives me a once over.

Cheerilee gives her a mildly annoyed glance as the other unicorn eyeballed me, and I smiled softly. "That would be correct. Sorry about being late, I have had a fairly busy last couple of days."

"well you simply must tell me all about it when you get the chance, we can have a bit of tea and you can spill yours for me." she says with a small chuckle as she trots back off to grab my things.

While she was in the back, Cheerilee turned to look at me with a small grin. "She certainly does seem excited." She says with a tinge of bemused irritation to her tone, I smile back sheepishly and rub at the back of my neck "What can i say, I suppose she simply loves her job."

"Mhmmm..." Cheerilee says softly as she turns and smiles again as Rarity emerges with a rather fabulous set of attire.

"I hope that everything here is satisfactory." She says with a small smirk as she sets the clothing down folded neatly in front of me. "how about you go and try it on, hm? I am sure your friend here would love to see it on you, as would I!"

"I am his marefriend actually." She said a bit sternly as she gave rarity a small look, who in turn smiled a bit wider "Oh, apologies, Cheerilee." She says politely as she gives a small bow of her head. "I always took you as a mare more dedicated to her work than-"

"I will be right back!" I said quickly, wanting no part of whatever was going on here as I quickly trotted off to start changing into the given attire. All the while as I squirmed my way awkwardly and carefully into the clothing behind a changing shade, I heard the two of them making slightly passive-aggressive jabs at each other.

After a few minutes, I had everything in order on my person and made my way out, deciding to lighten the mood with a little joke. "nothing suits me like a suit~" I called out melodically in my best Barney Stinson.

Of course, since they had no idea who that was the joke did not land. A real pro gamer move on my part. But when they saw me walk out in my fancy new duds, the conversation did stop thankfully.

A soft blush crept across Cheerilee's face as rarity only seemed to smile quite wide, giving a delighted squeal at my appearance in her clothing "Yesyesyes! Oh darling you look fabulous!" she exclaimed as she started circling around me.

I smiled softly and struck a little pose in my new duds, allowing her to inspect me. After all, it was her work, she deserved to get a good look at how it turned out on its intended recipient. "You did a wonderful job, Miss Rarity. I can assure you I will be back for further purchases." I do not know how i heard her smile get wider, but I swear I did.

"Oh, how wonderful! I certainly look forward to working with you agai-"

She was cut off by Cheerilee coming to her senses and gently pushing me towards the door "That is very nice Rarity but I am afraid we have a very busy day ahead of us so we have to go!" I think about objecting but then close my mouth, thinking better of it.

Rarity stops in her tracks and blinks before recovering, "Very well, come again soon Ro-" the door was closed before she could finish her sentence and Cheerilee was pushing me a bit down the road. I gave her a concerned look and started to walk on my own next to her before she started to scuff my new shoes. "Cheerilee, is everythi-"

"everything is fine, Rose. I am just excited about us spending the day together!" She says cutting me off with a small kind smile, beaming at me as we walk down the way. "Now come on, the pony I was referring to yesterday lives on the edge of town, It's a bit of a walk, but she has the cutest little home near the Whitetail Woods..."

Sometime later, we made it to the little cottage in question. I smiled softly as I enjoyed the simple, natural architecture of the home we were approaching. It reminded me strongly of something. "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit..." I muttered softly to myself. It was above ground, but with the way the sod and plants were integrated it might as well simply be a hill with a house in it.

Cheerilee looked over at me and cocked her head slightly "Did you say something?" she asked as we came to the door.

I shook my head and simply chuckled softly "Nothing terribly important." I said before gently knocking on the door.

We were greeted a bit after that by a rather slender, demure yellow pegasus with pink hair peeping through a crack in the door. I smiled down at her softly and waited for her to decide whether or not she wanted to open the door fully.

Cheerilee smiled at her and spoke gently "Fluttershy It's me, Cheerilee. My coltfriend here, Rose Tint, was wanting to find an animal to keep him company in the library. Do you think you could help us with that?"

As soon as she said that, it was as if the magic words had been spoken. Fluttershy opened the door, smiling softly up at us both "O-oh...well...I suppose I can try to find you a friend. Keeping an animal is a big responsibility though..."

I nodded and smiled softly "I am well aware, I have owned several pets in my day. It is just very empty in the library most days, Someone or something to keep me company would be so nice." I said as I inspected her curiously. She certainly had quite nice hair, and seemed quite demure.

She smiled a little more fully and gestured for us to follow as she made her way around her home to the back "Alright then, come along.

A short jaunt later we were in a clearing filled with roomy pens and nesting areas and dens of all sorts. I smiled softly as I looked around at the many animals walking around. It very much reminded me of home and I relaxed quite a bit. I was in my element here.

Cheerilee saw my relaxation and smiled softly nudging me. "Well, go and look around, silly." She said with a small chuckle, I nodded sheepishly and slowly walked forward, not wanting to startle any of the little animal friends as I looked around. I was not looking long before something caught my attention.

As I started to make my way towards a pen full of chickens, I heard something. A soft, sad little peeping just next to my hoof. I stopped and looked down, and it seemed I had narrowly avoided stepping on a very small, young black bird.

I looked up and then back down at it with a small sad smile. it seemed the poor thing has fallen out of its nest. I very delicately picked it up in my magic and softly set it on my back, where it settled contentedly, the peeping stopping. "Fluttershy, do you know where I should put this little darling? he seems to be unattended."

Fluttershy walked over slowly and saw the little thing nestled into the fur on my back and smiled softly "I think that little baby crow might be fine right where he is, if you don't mind him being there." She says softly as she gestures to him with a little giggle. I catch her drift and smile softly, nodding. Honestly, the contrast of someone as flamboyant colored as myself having such a dark-colored animal as a companion is deeply amusing to me. I nod slowly then look back at him, smiling softly myself. honestly, that was much easier than I was expecting.

Fluttershy made sure to instruct me on proper care and feeding. He was old enough to be fed pellets or small insects by hand, but not old enough to be left unattended for too long. it would still be a bit before he could get off the ground on his own. I took careful note of all of this and after we got everything we would need to care for him for the next few months purchased and packed into our saddlebags, we were on our way back to the library.

When we arrived at the door, I smiled softly at Cheerilee, pecking her cheek softly before we parted ways, She had things to do to prepare for school again the day after tomorrow, and well, I needed to go and get my little friend settled in. I had decided that Walter would be a good name for him. I am not sure why, it just felt right.

he seemed quite content to stay seated on my back, so I made a concerted and careful effort to make perching there as easy as I could, being careful with my movements as I grabbed a book from the shelf. It was a title I had been meaning to take a look at for a few days now, "Mating Habits of the Common Equestrian Pony" by Scripclaw Griffon. I supposed that it made sense. a non-pony would be able to make more objective notes of mating behavior.

What I found was...quite enlightening. In Pony Society, Not only are males the minority, at an 80/20 ratio in favor of females, but females tend to be the aggressors in romantic situations. It is typically expected for an average male to have anywhere between one to five females vying for his attention due to the lack of potential partners available, if not more. The female will typically try to gauge the male's interest by offering them gifts, or attempting to spend time with them, much like my own species did back home.

Males are typically expected to attempt to form polygamous cells of females referred to as "herds", in a vein similar to the way that horses do on earth in the wild. The difference, of course, being that instead of the stallion being the one gathering this herd, the females seek him out and compete with each other for the role of being his Alpha Mare.

Mares are known to oftentimes collaborate with their rivals to an extent towards the mutual goal of securing a male as a potential mate. The acceptance of a female as a mate by a male is generally signaled by a gesture such as a song, or a work of art or craft done specifically for the mare, and the deal is usually sealed by a night of er...passion.

Reproductive season is usually limited to the summer. The summer sun celebration apparently originally doubled as a fertility festival to mark the beginning of the yearly set of estrus cycles for mares across Equestria. A mare will typically go through several cycles during one season if not impregnated, over the course of about a week each, with every cycle having about three days of optimum viable reproductive capability in which the male is most likely to be able to impregnate them.

The gender roles are by and large reversed to a fair extent. Males are considered to be less disposable and more valuable, and are therefore generally discouraged from taking on jobs that are considered dangerous. This correlated to some research I had done about the guard earlier this week. It seemed the guard was mostly female, with most of the males being stationed in the Royal Palace and guarding the nobility of the surrounding area, mostly as status symbols. of course, this swap of roles means that mares are generally expected to be breadwinners while stallions in loving relationships are more meant to stay at home with the foals.

And it would seem this is panned out by the distinct minimal amount of male role models I have found in my brief perusal of history books. Aside from a few like Rock hoof, Star swirl the bearded, and a few others, the influential members of society throughout history seem to have been for the most part female, including the more villainous types.

Indeed, it seemed this was a regular mares world. I cannot say I am un-amused by this reversal, but it does worry me slightly. Will Cheerilee, or really, any other mare I attempt to bond with be as overprotective? I certainly do appreciate the affection and the careful attention, but I am a man who does enjoy a great degree of independence and I might end of feeling a bit stifled with too many mares trying to decide what is best for me, especially in a situation where such a thing is more socially acceptable and expected.

It will certainly most likely make getting anyone to take me seriously in the guard considerably more difficult. Even if I manage to capitalize on my potential and train as hard as I can until winder here and then work my hardest in basic training, I will likely at best be stationed somewhere in the royal palace to look pretty for the visiting nobility. Not even mentioning what I might be faced with when I enter into formal education, if I can even get in. I know that the recruiter said a guard can typically get at least a few semesters wherever they might wish to go, but will they really seriously consider me?

I felt, and feel, like spending too much time dwelling on this might not be a productive use of my time. I closed the book and set it aside on my bed, closing my eyes with a soft sigh.

Goodness, it seems I really have gone and screwed the pooch, haven't I?

I certainly would say so.

...

it seems after several unsuccessful attempts to dislodge this anomalous red script from my book, I am unable to do anything to remove or obscure it. It seems to simply burn away any ink that covers it and denies any attempt to remove it.

Are you documenting this while you try to pretend you aren't having an episode?. That is actually sort of funny. I would be laughing if I was not communicating with you via text. Oh, what the hell, ahahahahahah!

Alright, it appears that whatever this is wishes to communicate with me. I suppose I have very little choice but to play ball for the moment.

Oh, you silly stallion. Of course you have a choice. there is always a choice.

...though I can admittedly be very persuasive. if you want to simply close the book you can, my scribblings will be gone and you can act like this never happened.

...fair enough, but I am not sure if that is a good idea. If you are able to manipulate the content of my notes, I must perform my due diligence and document you if only through observation. God what a hassle, now I have to go through all of my notes again to make sure they are the same.

Whatever you need to make you feel in control, handsome. Far be it from me to deny you that small comfort. I can relate to feeling a bit confined you know, a bit trapped in my situation. You have my sympathy. It can't be easy being who you are in the place you are.

Buttering me up will get you nowhere.

I disagree. if I wanted you buttered up, you would already be soaked and slippery for me~

nono, what i want to do is to help you.

...by assailing me with invasions of my privacy and sexual innuendo?

Has the mare in you life been much better.

aight touche, you've got me.

Damn right I do, does that mean you are willing to listen?

You would say I have a choice, but I feel like my practical options are limited. So, what do you know? Everything in my journals?

Oh, my delicious tall drink of strawberry milkshake, I know far more than that. more than you could learn in a lifetime, or several reincarnations worth

Eons of history

Worlds worth of lore

Tomes and libraries with of Magic.

That last one is quite relevant to you, I believe. You seem interested in magic, infatuated even.

I will admit I do have a fascination with the arcane. it is unfamiliar to me outside of a novel fictional concept. being able to do it is...invigorating, exciting.

I am sure it is. You feel as if you have been given a truly special gift. You feel a lot of things, I can feel most of them while I am rooting around in that noggin of yours.

are you saying that you know my thoughts?

The vast majority of them, yes. I have left a few things untouched, the deepest and darkest of them. I was able to tell that going that far, would leave you...less than open to what I might wish to ask of you with a cursory perusal.

I did enjoy the stories from your world. The tales of fantasy that come from a world without magic are truly adorably novel. And the technology was...absolutely wonderful, a bit too orderly for my tastes but quite impressive.

Are you going to stop sucking off humanity and get to the point?

Oh, so assertive. Uncommon in stallions here. I can see why you are popular with the mares here. So few stallions know how to assert themselves these days, at least from what I have been able to gather.

First of all, what are you on about? the only mare in town I am aware of that has feelings for me is Cheerilee. There are others that might find me appealing by virtue of being a young and healthy stallion, but noone that, you know...likes me tha- wait what am I doing, I am letting you derail the conversation. you are quickly beginning to wear on my nerves, you know. are you going to get to the point?

I get that a lot actually~ And yes, I will. I would like to propose a simple arrangement, a deal if you will. I will give you three tests, and if you manage to pass them, I will, in turn, give you three prizes I will decide for you, and three requests to ask of me. Anything within my power, I will give you, once each time you pass a test. I will not tell you what they are ahead of time, or when they will happen. when they are given you will have to perform them without hesitation or else you will fail.

And if I refuse?

I know everything that I would need to know to be able to out you. And I do have a way to do it. An ace in the hole as it were. Don't worry, ill show you later~

I suppose I have very little choice at all then. Very well, I will accept.

Excellent, all I will need is a drop of your blood on the page to seal the deal.

Ugh, what is it with menacing metaphysical entities and blood sacrifice, fine, there.

It's not really required, I just wanted to see if I could get you to do it.

...this displeases me.

I am sure it does. Anyway, on to your first test, I want you to cast a spell for me, I have transcribed the pattern you will need to weave into that textbook of yours. Cast that spell and you will have passed the first test.

And do not worry about anyone seeing this. Noone who would be able to do anything about any of this will see it, I have woven a memetic charm into my script to make them glance past our conversation as if it was one of your boring diatribes on magic or pony mating habits or some such...

Hey! I work very hard on those notes...

And it is absolutely adorable the way you think of the arcane as something to be distinctly categorized and studied. Unicorns are already bad enough, insisting on shaping magic and weaving it into spells instead of harnessing the pure unordered power inherent in it like any decent arcane entity. You, my lad, are on an entirely different level.

But enough bickering, go on, go and cast the spell for me like a good little colt.

I am fast finding myself growing more aggravated with your tone.

My apologies. I cannot help it if i think you are cute when you are mad.

...I am going to go and cast that spell now.

Hah! you are blushing, aren't you? Oh, who am I kidding, know you are!

...............How do I undo this?

Why, my dear hunk of pretty and pink pony, whatever do you mean?

HOW DO I CHANGE BACK INTO A PONY.

I mean, normally I would not be complaining but I am going to have a very hard time explaining this if someone comes in

Consider that a part of the test. As a matter of fact, I would recommend taking a stroll around town. See how accepting the pony folk are when you are a little more...au naturale so to speak. Don't worry, I left your ability to do magic intact. If you haven't been driven out of town by sundown, I will give you the counterspell.

Toodles~.

What

Wait

Come back!

I DEMAND YOU CHANGE ME BACK THIS IS UNNACCEPTABLLLLLE!!!!

I suppose that they are not coming back. It seems I am indeed going to be stuck like this for the time being. This is...unfortunate. and worse I will have to parade around like this. I took a look at myself in the mirror and well, At least I still have my looks. There is not much to be done aside from entertaining my torturer.

I very much hope that the ponies are not too frightened by a large pink biped wandering around town in a suit.

Today was an especially....odd day. To say the very least.

I have taken the time to transcribe the conversation which took place a second time and placed it in a folder, to be added to the record later, after all of this is sorted out. Suffice it to say, I found myself in a more familiar form.

Not the form I was born in. No, I could not be that fortunate. It was close, a similar jawline, the nose, same slim build. I was about seven feet tall by my reckoning. It seemed I remained as tall and...pleasant looking as my pony form, if my look int my shattered bathroom mirror was anything to go by. I need to see about getting that fixed later actually.

But that is the least of my concerns for the moment, right now, to make a long story short, I am being assailed by an intangible magical being who wishes to put me through some sort of test. Three tests actually. The first being to go out into town looking like this and see how the ponies react.

I took a few minutes in the bedroom to gather myself. I had allowed Walter to Perch on my shoulder for the time being. He had seemed a bit apprehensive for a moment, but after a bit of gentle coddling, he seemed content enough. he was busily nibbling at my earlobe, nestled into my shoulder as I looked myself over.

My skin and hair were the same colors as the fur and mane I had before, and my eyes were much the same as well. my eyes were still a bit wider than normal humans by a good degree. I run a hand through my ponytail and hummed, thumbing my clothing. Thankfully my suit seemed to have transformed along with me, along with my goggles. I nodded after finishing my inspection and moved to turn when I noticed a glimpse of something out of the corner of my eye.

Something fluffy.

My eye twitched as I reached behind me and felt that I still had a long, fluffy pink tail to match my mane.

After screaming for a moment and making sure that everything else was in order I stopped and thought. Who could I go to? Who would be the most likely to be able to accept what was happening right now?

Applejack, no contest. I was very confident that if I explained to her what was happening, she would be willing to vouch for me in town. The only problem was that she lived clear across town.

I steeled myself as I considered what I would have to do, huffing and giving my face a few firm pats before heading back downstairs. I slipped on my hat and my cloak, pulling them close and pulling the brim of the hat over my face as well as I could. I knew it would not make me stand out less, but I at least felt like I was hiding myself. I made sure that Walter was settled in somewhere comfortable, putting him on my pillow and making sure he was fed and happy before heading back downstairs.

I pulled my goggles over my eyes and slowly opened the door. Of course, it let out the loudest and most unpleasant creak as it swung open on its hinges. I looked around and cringed slightly. It seemed, for now, there was not anyone out and about. I gave a small sigh of relief and started to walk, quickly, but not too quickly, not wanting to look suspicious.

Sadly, my good luck could not last very long at all. In no time at all I found myself in the marketplace, with a number of ponies in their stalls giving me odd looks, some of them seemed utterly fascinated, with excited whispers traveling quickly, while others among them closing up shop as I passed by. I should have expected this in all fairness, I had not seen any non ponies since I had arrived, of course, any other species would be an oddity. I pulled my hat down lower, trying to make sure my face was obscured.

I managed to make it through without too much trouble, continuing on to Sweet Apple Acres. As I approached the Farmhouse, I saw Granny Smith relaxing on her porch as usual. As she saw me approaching her eyes went wide, then squinted as she tried to get a better look at me. "Huh, well that ain't somethin' you see everyday..." she said as she scratched at her chin slowly. "Can I help you, big feller?"

That was...a much less intense reaction than I was expecting. I suppose the apples are just particularly kindly folk. I smiled softly and nodded "Yes Ma'am. I Am looking for a pony with an orange coat and a hat? Accent like yours, green eyes?"

She nodded and coughed, clearing her throat before calling out surprisingly loudly "APPLEJACK, YOU GOT A TWO LEGGED CRITTER IN FANCY CLOTHES HERE TO SEE YA!!"

A few minutes later, there was a trotting sound and from behind the house and out of the trees came Applejack. I could not help but smile softly in relief as I saw her, tipping my hat.

She gave me a strange, wary look, then looked over at Granny Smith, then back to me. "Beggin your pardon, Pardner. I ain't seen you or your ken 'round here before. What can I do ya for?"

I Pulled my hat out from over my face and pull my goggles up, Smiling a bit wider. "I don't blame you for not recognizing me. I look a little different than the last time I was here. I had a bit of a...magical accident." I said sheepishly. "I am not sure how much good for helping around the farm I am going to be in this condition."

As she heard me speak she seemed to recognize my voice, my manner of speaking "Rose Tint!? What in the hay happened to you!?" She asked as she trotted over and looked me up and down, trotting around me, inspecting me.

I gave a slightly embarrassed shrug as she eyeballed my new bipedal form. "Well, as I said, there was a mishap, and I was transformed into er....this."

"well, Ain't that somethin. You look kinda like a Gnome, But Bigger..." She says softly. My eyes go wide as she mentions this, but I try to play it cool "A gnome? I am not sure I am familiar with that actually."

"Ah, its just somethin from an ol' ponies tale. Don't you live in a library now? You should be able to find it if you look around, right?"

To be honest, she's right, I felt slightly chastised at the realization, and made a mental note to look up more about it when I got home.

"well erm...quite...I came here as soon as it happened because I was worried about how the other ponies might reac. A lot of them gave me strange looks on the way here, But well..." I rubbed at the back of my neck "if I am being honest, I probably trust you more than any other pony around here, Applejack.

She gives me a surprised look at that, a soft blush peppering her cheeks as I continued to speak "I mean, you and your family were so welcoming to me as a total stranger, and you are always so friendly and helpful, and dependable, and level headed. I figured if anyone would be able to understand it would be you."

"...Well shucks, sugarcube, ain't that sweet of yah to say..." she says, pulling her hat down over her eyes, seeming embarrassed by my praise. "Well, don't you worry none. Just because you look different don't mean ah'ma gonna treat you any different. You're Still mah friend." She said reassuringly smiling up at me.

Well, while we are being honest this seems as good a time as ever. "Applejack. I actually did have something else I needed to ask you about, in private?"

She seems a bit taken by surprise at this and stutters a bit "A-ah mean um uh...Sure thing big fella, come on, right this way." she says gesturing into the farmhouse, trotting up to the door and opening it for me. I walked inside and she followed close behind, looking up at me with a questioning glance as she closes the door and we head into her room.

I sit on her bed with a soft sigh and she takes a seat next to me. "Applejack, I have a few things I would like to ask you, and erm, tell you."

She smiles softly and nods, putting a hoof on my knee reassuringly "well, go right on ahead, big fella. I ain't gonna bite."

"Well, let's start with a hypothetical"

"a hypo-what now?"

"A situation where we imagine if something was the case and I ask you a question about it." I say with a small smile, ruffling her hair without thinking about it with my newly restored hands. My eyes widen as I realize what I have done "O-oh! sorry, I erm..."

"no-no, it's fine, Actually felt sorta nice, here..." she says softly, taking off her hat "go right ahead."

I chuckle softly and nod, slipping my hand back into her golden locks, gently scratching at her scalp behind her ears and humming while she gives me a very pleased expression "Now, let us say, hypothetically, that I had just shown up looking like this, and acted the same way? What would you have thought of me?"

She gives me a confused look after I ask this "Well, what difference does that make? I mean, if you were as kind as you were and worked hard the way you did for us that shouldn't have made no difference, right? I mean sure you look kinda odd, but uh...odd ain't bad in my books..." she says softly as she looks away while I continued petting her, the both of us relaxing steadily.

I smiled a little wider, rather reassured by this. "And erm...what would you say if I were to tell you that this is what I normally looked like, and that I was not always a pony?"

She stiffened under me for a moment but relaxed again as she considered "Well, I suppose id have to ask you if this is really one of those hypo-whoosy whatsits you were talkin about."

I sigh softly and shake my head. I start to tell her. About what happened to me, about my accident, I leave out the finer details of my reincarnation but explain that I definitely not from around here. I also explained about my untimely signup for the guard. I left out the part with the strange magical being though. I did not want to worry her too much about things she could not help.

"...and that is how I ended up in this situation." I finished, still gently petting her, she had her head resting in my lap at this point as she listened. I had to say, it was quite liberating to actually tell someone about my situation. Whoever that voice was, they have considerably less ability to cause me trouble if all of the people I care about already know what the situation is. Perhaps it would be a good idea for me to tell them all. Not everyone, just the people I interact with enough to warrant an explanation.

She looked up at me, seeming a bit confused by the whole thing, but she seemed to believe me. "Well, I don't think you are lyin about any of that, but it all does sound mighty strange, sugarcube..." she says, leaning into my petting a bit more before sitting up and stretching her back a bit "It's really nice that you feel like you can trust me enough to tell me all of this. As a matter of fact, I think I should be honest with you too."

I raised my eyebrow slightly and my head tilted a bit. "Oh? honest about wha-"

I was cut off by the feeling of a soft orange muzzle pressing against my mouth. I squeaked softly and stiffened, but quickly relaxed, my hand slowly moving to caress her cheek before she pulled away a few moments later, putting on her hat. "If i am bein honest with ya, I think you are a mighty fine fella. You might not be strong, or tough. But you've got a mighty big heart and you're as good on your word as any pony I've met. You ain't been nothin' but kind to me and my kin just like we did to you, and did more than you had do to thank us. If I'm bein' honest, it's nice spendin time around you and I'd like to uh...spend a little more together, outside of workin' together, ya know?" She hid her face behind her hat for a few moments, looking down and away.

Well goodness if that was not terribly sweet, if a bit unexpected. I mean, especially considering the circumstances. "So you are seriously okay with me being...this?" I asked softly as I smiled down at her, feeling a soft warmth budding in the bottom of my chest.

"Of course! After all, it's still you ain't it? You're nice lookin as a pony and all, but I wouldn't say that your looks are my favorite thing about ya." she says, looking from behind her hat, seeming reassured slightly by the fact that I had not outright rejected her. Which reminded me that I had not outright accepted either.

"Well Applejack, I suppose if you would like we could erm, give us a try? though I will be upfront and let you know that Cheerilee has already erm...staked a claim and seems fairly determined."

Applejack seemed disappointed by this, snorting softly and pawing at the ground "ah, shoulda seen that comin when she offered you that fancy library job... ah well, first come first served, all part of findin a herd, like Granny, always says." she said, smiling back at me and nudging me with her nose. "Could you uh, keep Pettin me like that? those things feel mighty nice."

"You mean my fingers?" I asked her with a grin as I resumed the gentle petting, resulting in a very pleased coo from her as she relaxed again.

She nodded and gave a satisfied sigh "Oh hey yeah, that's the stuff. Say uh, how about you and me go down to that little restaurant for lunch huh? like a date." she said with a small smile as she leaned in closer, resting her top half over my thighs.

I gave her a concerned look and tilted my head "Are you sure? I mean, we will probably get some strange looks from passerby, And i do not know how comfortable I am with being that conspicuous..." though I was not going to tell her no if that was really what she wanted. "Are you...comfortable being seen in public with a strange creature?"

She snorts softly and paws at her blanket a bit "if any of em try to give you lip, ill show em what for, don;t you worry none hun. if you'd rather them not know its you i can understand that, though, we can give you a er, fake name." she says with a small awkward smirk as she pulls herself away from my hand and out of my grip. Deception is obviously not her forte. "Just give me a little bit to go ahead and get ready, I need to go shower up."

"you do?" I asked, tilting my head slightly. Sure she smelled a little more strongly of apple cider and springwater than usual, but nothing unpleasant. "But you already smell so nice."

As I say this her face lights up a little bit and she looks away again "H-hey now, no need for all that flattery..." She seems to be able to tell I am telling the truth, but is having a hard time accepting it for some reason.

"What do you mean?" I asked as I tilted my head again, observing her unsurely.

"I uh...nothin, big guy, lemme just go uh...dust off my hat, yeah!" She stumbles out awkwardly before quickly trotting off. As she walked off, I was treated to a..sight to behold. her tail flicked to one side for a moment, and seemed to be bobbing up a bit, and I caught a glimpse of her marehood, which was glistening a bit with her fluids.

Was she...was she getting off to me petting her? I mean, if she was, at least she had the decency to ask me out on a date before she made a move She certainly was raised right, I can give her that. I sighed softly and sat back, noticing there was in fact, a small wet spot on the bed next to me where her back end had been when my hand slipped into it. Yeah, that was definitely a thing that had been happening. I gave a small sigh and wiped my hand off on my pants, humming softly to myself as I waited for her to return from whatever it is she had been doing.

A few minutes later, she reappeared, seeming more her normal, fairly confident self. I tactfully declined to mention what I had observed. A few short minutes later, we were on our way back into town. I have to say, that this was much less of an issue than I expected t to be so far. Sure, a few ponies have given me odd sideways looks or been openly less than friendly with me as a strange otherworldly creature. But at the very least most of them had been more curious than frightened or disgusted. And the pony whom I felt mattered the most in this situation was certainly fine with it, so I would call this a solid win so far, suck it, strange text creature!

I have a sneaking suspicion that I am going to regret my moment of hubris, but at the moment I am too plum pleased to care!

In any case, I am currently seated at the table waiting for applejack to come back from the mares room so we can get our food, I am getting a few odd sideways looks, so I will go on ahead and update this once we are all finished up.

after a bit longer, Applejack returned from her trip to the bathroom and took her seat across from me. "Sorry about that, I just needed to get a lil freshened up." She said as she scooted herself in on her chair.

"Oh no, it's fine, really. I am still erm, getting settled in." Unfortunately for me chairs made to suit small adorable quadrupeds were not very comfortable for over-sized bipeds. I grunted softly and wiggled around in a way that got a giggle from my date until I finally settled into a comfortable spread legged position that let me lean back slightly. "thank you again for taking me out to lunch." I said kindly as I finally sat still.

She smiled a little wider and shook her head "It ain't no problem. Mares are supposed to do that sort of thing for stallions. It's whats proper like. I am sure Cheerilee did the same thing when she started uh...courtin' ya, right?"

I shook my head, a little confused "Actually, She just sort of erm...initiated one evening after i had gotten settled in. One minute we were discussing equestrian history, the next minute i asked her how she felt about me because she had been putting down some strong body language. And the minute after that we were going upstairs to my room."

Applejack's eyes went wide at this "She already started....<sub>ruttin</sub> with ya?" she asked, saying that naughty word very quietly, clearly embarrassed.

I nodded, blushing a bit in turn "I mean, I was just sort of under the impression that that was normal. Where I come from, the males usually have to be proactive in seeking out partnership, so a nice mare throwing herself at me was erm..."

"A world where the stallions are the ones doin' most of the courtin' huh? Wouldn't that be somethin'." She said with a small chuckle, clearly finding the idea a bit ridiculous. I let it slide. After all, it was not her fault that things worked differently here.

She then returned to a more serious expression. "but seriously sugarcube, you can't let her just drag you around like that. You're a stallion, you're the one who decides if you want to let a mare into your herd or not."

I nodded slowly at her advice, scratching my chin as we continued to talk in hushed tones. "I think this would be a more constructive conversation with all three of us present, let's just focus on us right now." I said warmly as i gently reached across the table to rub behind one of her ears, making her visibly relax.

"H-hmphh...alright, fine, but I'm gonna make sure that we have that little talk," she says with a little smile as she leans into my hand.

After a bit longer, the waitress comes over and i withdraw my hand she gives me a curious, unsure expression as she hands me and my date our menus. the selection was small, as this was a smaller scale, more rural sort of dining experience more on par with Applejack's preferences.

She ordered Hay Fries. I was...a bit put off at the idea, but I suppose if you deep fry anything and add enough salt it will taste passable. I in turn, ordered some pan friend carrot chips. They were slices of carrot, fried in a saucepan to a crisp and covered in a small amount of sugar.

The waitress took down our orders and trotted off, giving me an odd look over her shoulder before finally going back to give my order to the kitchen. I admittedly felt a bit uncomfortable with the way some of the patrons were looking at me. I shrunk slightly in my seat. well, as much as a seven foot tall thing can shrink amongst four foot tall ponies.

Applejack gave me a reassuring smile and placed her hoof across the table on one of my hands. "Hey now, easy there, big feller, it'll be okay." She says gently as the soft bit under her hoof squeezed my hand comfortingly. I wrapped my hand around her hoof in return and gave a squeeze back to let her know i was doing alright.

"Applejack, I know that dishonesty is not something you are terribly fond of. I am not sure I want everyone knowing what is going on with me here. I have heard form erm..certain places that a lot of ponies are not very accepting of outside species." I said softly as I looked down at her. "And I am sort of scared to be outed as not being a proper pony. What will people think?"

Her response was what I should have expected honestly "Sugarcube, If you ain't comfortable with ponies knowin' your business that's fine I know it must be awful scary bein' so far from home, and you're entitled to a little privacy. But I think that if you are honest with every-pony, I am sure they'll understand. They might think it a little strange at first, but eventually they'll come around." She smiled kindly up at me, both hooves on my hand now, and I grasped hers gently in return.

"I really appreciate that, Applejack. I don't you are wrong at all but at the same time I...I don’t think I'm ready quite yet. Maybe once i have been here for a while and everyone knows me better." I said softly as I gently squeezed her hooves one more time and gently let them go.

She seemed a little disappointed, but gave an understanding nod as I pulled away “Yeah, I get ya. Consider it an Apple Family secret.” Fuck, I did expose myself in front of her grandma, didn’t I? She definitely at the very least knows who I am like this, if not what I am. “If you like, you can hunker down with us for a little bit until this all blows over. We can just tell everyone you're the hired help.”

I chuckled softly and shook my head “As much as I appreciate the offer, I do not think we need to go that far. Unless that was your way of trying to invite me back to your place after our date?” I asked, teasing her a little bit.

She looked up at me, a bit startled as she rubbed at the back of her neck and looked away “I-I mean, uh, maybe? I mean, if you want...I wouldn’t wanna impose or nothin'...” Oh dear, it looks like I hit that nail on the head quite firmly.

I nodded, smiling softly in acceptance of her invitation, which seemed to cause her eyes to light up with some considerable excitement. Sadly, before we could continue our conversation, the waitress arrived, bringing us our meals.

Applejack insisted on paying, and once that was out of the way, we enjoyed our respective meals. I found my carrots to be just as I had expected them. Slightly savory, but very pleasantly caramelized and sweet with the sugar coating.

We did not chat much while we were eating. It was safe to say that we were both feeling a bit shy after that exchange. While it was not a look I was used to seeing on the earth pony mare, it certainly was one that suited her just fine. “You know, you look very cute when you are nervous,” I said, not looking much better myself. She turned a soft shade of pink in the cheeks and continued to silently eat her fries before responding. “it don’t look none to bad on you either, pard.”

“So erm, if it is not too much trouble to ask, can I inquire why you suddenly felt the need to make a move today? I mean, I am not complaining, but it just seems very out of the blue is all.” I asked, a little out of the blue myself.

She gave a small sigh and dragged one of her hooves back and forth across the table a bit anxiously “well erm, truth be told, I was sorta planning to wait a while longer before I did anythin’. I knew you hadn’t been in town very long and I wasn’t sure myself if I was ready for it. But uh...havin’ me be the first mare you came to for the reason you did was mighty sweet, and when I heard you were going off to train for the Guard for half a year, I just suddenly felt like I didn’t wanna miss my chance is all. Granted, I wasn’t expectin’ Cheerilee to have already gotten her hooves on you like that. But I don’t regret it none now that the doin’ is done. Specially since you went and made it so clear that ya like me back.” She finished, looking down at her side of the table a bit bashfully.

Gosh, she is so cute, like a guy back home having his first crush on a...oh yeah, reversed gender roles.

There was a bit more like that, soft gentle exchanges back and forth of mostly meaningless but sweet small talk until we both finished our food and quickly saw ourselves out.

We made our way back to the farmhouse. Thankfully, it was a bit later in the day. Big Mac was off doing...whatever it is he does in his free time, Granny Smith was having her third nap of the day on the porch, and Applebloom, according to Applejack, was usually off with her little companions at this time of the day. We made our way inside without too much fuss, up to her room, sitting back down on her bed together.

Applejack hummed softly as she settled in next to me, curling up and laying her head in my lap as I sat with my back to her headboard. My fingers gently removed her hat and quickly found her soft blonde mane, running through it behind her ears with a little satisfied smile. “would I be correct in the assumption that a stallion in your room is not a very frequent happening?”

She nodded with a smile of her own, nuzzling in a bit closer as I started giving her that enjoyable, relaxing treatment she seemed to desire. “Eeeyup...” she says in a way that reminded me strongly of her brother. “Then again, Ain’t a lot of stallions in town that’d be too keen on an old fashioned farm pony like me, I don’t think.”

I stopped petting her for a moment and looked down at her with a confused expression. “Applejack, what are you talking about? You are by far one of the more desirable mares in town by my reckoning,” I said in a matter of fact way.

This seemed to strike a chord with her, as she turned a bright red in the sheeks and grabbed her hat to attempt to obscure her face. “Aw, come on now, you ain’t gotta butter me up like that now...” She said bashfully.

I shook my head and slowly slid my hand through her mane down to pet her coat at her neck, humming softly. “What’s to butter up? You are very dependable, strong, honest, and a hard worker. Not to mention you have a gorgeous mane and stunning green eyes. Your coat is also probably the only shade of orange that I would consider to be overtly pleasant.”

My deluge of complements only seemed to exacerbate her condition as she let out a small groan and nudged my side “C-c’mon now, stop usin’ all them pretty words on me like that, it ain’t fair!”

This elicited a full, happy laugh from me as I ran my hand up and down her back slowly, which seems to get a small shiver from her. “I am simply telling you the truth.” I said gently as I started to knead at her back with my fingers, which seemed to draw a little pleased moan from her as she melted into my fingers.

“M-maybe, but you could at least do it when you ain’t getting all hoovsy with me. Makes a mare think you want somethin...” She says, rocking a bit to nudge me with her side. And in all fairness, I did notice that the hand action was maybe a bit much.

I nodded and gently withdrew my hand from her back “of course Applejack, if you do not want me touching you like that I can stop.”

“N-now I didn’t sat that, big fella...” she said a bit more quietly as she nuzzled up against my leg, a bit closer to my manhood than might be appropriate. “I-I mean, if you do want it...”

(graphic inter-species intercourse incoming control-f to 8675309 to skip)

As she said this, I realized what she was referring to and smiled down at her sweetly. It was...admittedly a strange experience to contemplate. I had not even considered proper cross species relations before. Before, I had been in a matching body. But I suppose this was not too terribly different. After all, Harkness Test compliant is Harkness Test compliant.

I took a deep breath and slid my hand down her back, all the way down to the curve of her haunch and gave a firm squeeze, eliciting a loud gasping moan from the pony next to me. “Applejack, if that is what you want, we can. But erm...if you want to stop at any point, just met me know, alright?”

“of course, big guy, same to you.” she says a bit huskily as she presses in a bit closer, slowly clambering into my lap. “mphh..now c'mere...” she said as she leaned close and started to rub at my chest with her hooves, gently pushing me down, leading me to scoot so that I could lay flat on the bed, propped up by a few pillows as she looked up at me eagerly, biting her lip. “Hows about we just start with a little bit of kissin' hm? I ain’t just gonna jump your bone like some ponies might.”

"I appreciate that." I said softly as i slowly cupped her face with one hand, the other hand cupping her behind to pull her up and in a bit closer so i could place a gentle peck on her nose, nuzzling mine against it softly before pulling back to look into her eyes. I leaned in slowly and locked my lips to her own. It felt different, that is for sure, Her lips are larger and fuller than a humans, more soft as well. I moaned softly into her mouth as a hand slides back to tangle in her mane.

She moaned softly in return as she pressed her body firmly to mine, her hooves wrapping around my neck as her hips pressed firmly against my crotch. I shivered slightly as she started to roll her hips against me and allowed her to slowly deepen the kiss. She was taking control surprisingly quickly considering her earlier sheepishness, but again, no complaints from me.

I did my best to meet her passion with my own, groaning into her mouth as my hands slid along her flanks, squeezing those plush, muscular haunches readily. My fingers sunk into them. I did not realize how much I missed my fingers until I could use them again. Magic was wonderful, but being able to feel things with my fingers was just so nice I suppose sometimes you do not miss things until they are gone, and then you get them back and get to use them to molest a horses ass.

As my fingers kneaded her behind, she cried out into my mouth, pulling away panting for a few moments and panting against my neck "W-whatever you are doin' down there, keep doin' it, stud..." She said before our lips met again, her tongue sliding against my own now as she took the initiative quite severely much to my delight.

Being the dutiful lover I am, I did as she asked and continued to play with her fine behind, i felt her tail begin to lift, and i took a moment to run a finger along the soft underside of her dock, eliciting a moan from her against my lips.

Getting a bit bolder, I brought my fingertips instead to her velvety lips. sliding them slowly, sensually up and down. Her eyes snapped open and went wide at this, and i felt her wink against my fingertips eagerly.

She was more than receptive to this, so i pressed further, deciding to treat her to something she will likely not be able to get elsewhere. I slide my fingers slowly into her damp marehood, two digits quickly being enveloped by her puffy equine slit as she suddenly cried out loudly and pulled away from my lips with a gasp.

"O-Oh PONYFEATHERS!" She cries out as her back arches and her hooves wrap firmly around my neck, holding me close.

I smiled wider as she reacted this way and curled them inside of her, searching for just the riiight spot.

I know I had found it as soon as I did "O-oh buck yes please right there please Rose whatever that is don't buckin' stop!" She choked out into my ear as she clung to me needily, her body shuddering and tensing as I worked her over.

"Shhh, I'm not going to, don't worry." I reassured her kindly as I slid another finger inside, working that spot over quickly and bringing her to a rather violent climax, causing her cry my name again and squirt a bit, the liquid falling between my legs and onto the sheets below.

Her grip around my neck relaxed a bit and she panted softly, and she pulled me into another deep passionate kiss as she recovers from her climax. After a few moments more, she pulled away from me and gave me a rather....intense look. "Ah'ma need ya to get those pants off, sugarcube." She said as she quickly slid down my body, nuzzling at my genitals through my slacks.

I shivered a bit and at this point, was more than happy to comply. I did her one better and gently pushed her away so I could start removing my clothing as quickly as I could. There was a heavy and distinct scent of apples and cinnamon in the air as I turned to her, completely nude and fully aroused. It was not as large as when I was an equine, but definitely hovering around a solid twelve inches. A bit little bigger than I used to be for sure, not an unwelcome boon.

Applejack certainly seemed quite pleased with it, nuzzling into it as she slid back between my legs, letting it rest against her cheek as she took a slow, long inhale. Okay yeah, that was very hot, horse or not.

I grasped her mane at the scalp and shudder softly, which elicits a smirk from her as she silently opens her mouth and slowly runs her tongue up the shaft. I am ashamed to admit I squealed as her hot, wide flat tongue slid up my length, ending with a kiss at the tip as she took it between the soft undersides of her hooves.

"Mphhh...that shape is a little strange, but the taste ain't nothing I'm gonna turn my nose up at. In fact..." she quickly enveloped the tip of my member in her mouth, sliding down about five inches before it hits the back of her throat and she starts slowly bobbing up and down, never breaking eye contact.

Needless to say, I was on cloud nine right about then. my eyes fought not to roll back in their sockets as I clutched at her mane almost helpless in the face of the stimulation she was providing. It was clumsy and inexperienced, but extremely enthusiastic. "O-oh my fucking god, Applejack, please..." My member was already throbbing. I was already excited from all of the kissing and the rubbing, the scent and the sounds.

She felt me kick and throb in her mouth and went faster, her tongue running along the bottom of my pulsing shaft as she gave me a little wink and dove down as seep as she could, gagging as she goes down about eight inches, her eyes watering.

That was all of the encouragement I needed. I pushed her down to the hilt and cried out loudly, erupting into her throat and down her gullet as my back arched powerfully. My orgasm coursed over me with almost overwhelming force as I poured every drop of my thick load down her throat.

After a few moments of suckling, my grip relaxed enough for her to extract herself and take a deep breath, panting and smiling up at me, her hair looked a mass and I probably did not look much better. And I was probably not going to be looking any better considering what she asked me to do next.

"Rose, I need ya to put that thing in me right now," she said as evenly as she could manage as she slowly turned around, presenting herself face-down and bottom-up, her tail up and to the side.

I nodded slowly and moved into position. We adjusted so that I could stand at the edge of the bed behind her. I slowly slid a hand down the others flank gently, sensually, giving it a squeeze right over her cutie mark which caused her to shudder and whine. It seemed as though that area was a little more sensitive. Okay, a lot more sensitive.

I smiled wide and started massage her cutie marks without mercy, enjoying making the most of this newfound knowledge. It sent her into a fit of squirming and moaning, trying to push herself back on me, leaving me grinding between her cheeks as she moved her hips "P-please, don't make me beg..." she pleaded softly as she wiggled her behind against me firmly, shooting me a wide, pathetic pair of heart-melting needy eyes.

I smiled softly down at her and nodded, pulling back and positioning myself against her marehood. it winked firmly against my tip as I slid forward and parted her folds. The penetration pulled a satisfied moan from her as I granted her desire. "Mphh...here it comes." I said softly as I gripped her flanks firmly and continued to enter her.

"F-finally, thank you, darlin'..." she said, panting softly as I spread her wide open. She pushed back on me firmly, suddenly and her back arched triumphantly as she managed to take me right to the hilt! "O-oh buck yeah!" She cried as her marehood clamped down on me as if it was not planning on letting me go. My eyes rolled back for a moment as our hips bumped together, and I wiggled deep inside of her before pulling back, slamming firmly into her and groaning happily at the milking sensation as I started a quick, rough steady rhythm. This was not the gentle sex that I had with Cheerilee. This was rougher, more primal, and deeply intimate.

My hips slapped against her behind firmly again and again as I bred her, making her haunches ripple from the force as I put the full power of my large body behind every push. She grunted in time with her pushes back and I in time with my thrusts forwards, the two of us meeting in the middle spectacularly, again and again, the bed underneath us creaking and rocking loudly in protest at the rough frantic pace of our coupling.

She looked back at me with a wild look in her eyes, almost manic and demanding, and deeply infatuated. "C-c'mon, put a foal in me!" She demanded with a small stomp of her back hoof against the floor as she hung off of the edge of the bed. "I-i want you to fill me up!" Wait, was that even possible? I was fairly sure she would not be in estrus right now, so I shrugged it off in the moment as casual dirty talk.

I slammed myself into her harder at her request, seeking to pike myself into her very core and satisfy her as well as I could. I got a rather naughty idea in the midst of my pounding and suddenly wrapped my arms around her midsection. With a loud, heavy grunt I lifted her into the air and spun us around, sitting her in my lap and using my upper body strength to work the small, relatively light little pony that had ensnared me up and down my member like a toy.

This seemed to please her greatly, as was indicated by the way she squirted all over me crotch as soon as I slammed her down on me and wrapped a hand gently around her throat while the other held her by her waist to keep her balanced. But I thought I would ask her her opinion anyway. "Mphh...do you like that, Applejack? Does it feel nice?"

I was answered by a near-incomprehensible series of babbling syllables and enthusiastic nodding as she simply allowed me to do the work at this point, seeming to have been fucked silly.

The thought of having put her into such a state excited me greatly, and In no time at all between that and the clenching of her marehood, I pushed her down to the hilt one final time and held her there. her ears twitched and her eyes fluttered
and she let out another triumphant scream of pleasure as I filled her with my hot, thick seed, in the proper hole this time.

I gently held her there in my lap, kissing her and petting her and cooing softly as I gently run my hand up and down her stomach, telling her how beautiful she is, what a good job she had done until I finally go soft and I can comfortably pull us both into the bed and relax with her, pulling the covers over us so we can try to recover.

(8675309)

We laid there together for some time, smiling softly, dopily at one another after the blissful coupling. I kissed her gently on the nose and she giggled, snuggling right up against me as I administered the appropriate aftercare.

"Mnn, I never thought I'd see the day where I was getting dominated by a stallion like that. It was....somethin'. A real nice somethin'..." she said with a small yawn as she snuggled up against my chest. "I always thought the mare was supposed to do most of the work in the sack, but if that's the way you like to do it, I think I'm happy leavin' it to you," she says with a grin as she ran a hoof along my stomach. "Mnnn, do ya think it'll take, what with the er...differences?"

I cocked my head and looked down at her with a curious, slightly confused expression "What do you mean, Don't ponies go into heat in the spring and summertime?"

"Well, normally yeah, but uh, us Apple gals are a little special. We get a second heat in the falls after harvest time, been that way for generations." Aside from being utterly fascinating to from a scientific standpoint, that was slightly concerning, or it would have been if I could get a mare pregnant

What do you mean, if?

...you have to be shitting me.

Hmmm, nope, afraid not! You are fully able to knock up a pony right now. I mean what were you expecting, that was a shape-shifting spell, not a genetic recombination spell. You are still pink for goodness sakes.

Oh well fuck me running, applejack might be pregnant. You know what, that was my fault for assuming she wouldn't be in season, thank you for the warning.

...You aren't mad at me?

I mean, a little bit, but not about this. this was my fault to be honest, I should have been more careful. And I appreciate you warning me. That was very considerate of you.

....

What, just because you are a clearly malevolent magical presence that is enjoying my strife does not mean I am just going to not give credit where credit is due.

...I think I like the cut of your jib actually. This is going to be more interesting than I thought : 3

Did you just emoji at me?

Sure did!

Of course, you did. Anything else you wish to add before I finish up this journal entry? I think things are getting a bit off track and I am not sure I have the energy or the desire to keep scribing out pillow talk. Applejack is starting to drool on me a bit in her sleep.

Only that I am very pleased with myself, and if I have my way, this is not the only pony you will be knocking up before you leave.

Wait, what?

Good night, byyyyyye~!

Well, returning to my original form was...far more complicated than I thought it would be, but after about a week of fussing about, I am delighted to announce not only did I achieve that, but erm...applejack is in fact, possibly with child, So yeah, that is a thing now!

You're welcome.

Hush you. I am trying to get things in order, It has been a week since I last updated this thing, and I Need to get this done!

You knoooooow, if you wanted, I could always simply transcribe this for you. You do have a mare to be attending to after all.

You are shitting me, right?

Not at all! If you are going to double-check all of your Journal entries to see if I have mucked with them every night, what is the harm in letting me be your little personal magical assistant?

You know what, fine, I will trust you this once. If you do a satisfactory job I will consider letting you do it again. But I do enjoy writing these, so don't count on it!

Thank you! You have no idea how boring my life is right now outside of this little side project, This will be a wonderful distraction! Don't Worry, I will try to keep it the way you would want it. Long and needlessly dry and boring!

Thank you.

Anytime!

Ahem- anyway, lets get this show on the road!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After a splendid Evening with Applejack, Rose Tint was needless to say, feeling quite content, He quickly found himself asleep next to her.

And that is when I took the liberty of dragging his subconscious mind to a little meeting with yours truly, one that I had been meaning to have with him for quite some time, A whole two days as a matter of fact. Doubtless an eternity to you mortal folk with your limited lifespans.

The foyer I had manifested for this little meetup was comfortable enough, with a coffee table, a chair for me to curl up and sit on, and a nice, soft black leather couch for him to materialize on with a snap of my fingers.

He was confused at first, as was I for a moment when he appeared to me in his unicorn form. I was sure He would manifest as his original appearance. I suppose that he really did consider that to be his identity now, even at a subconscious level. That was an almost worrying level of adaptability. It was also something to be considered later, plotting always did give me a bit of a headache, too much order involved. For now, I just wanted to have a little chat with him.

I cleared my throat softly and got his attention before a small detonation of lights and confetti went off behind me with some victory music to accompany it. "Congratulations on passing my first test! You made it through the entire day without getting lynched by colorful horses!" I said cheerfully, clapping for him as the music faded out.

He was less than amused after his confusion wore off and I gave a small huff. He could be such a killjoy sometimes. He looked me up and down, unimpressed. "Huh, so you are the thing that grabbed me in the mirror huh? I suppose that makes sense."

He seemed to be quite calm about the whole thing. I could of course, take a peek upstairs but I had decided that too any pokes spoiled the pie, so I was playing fair for now. "That's right, you big Preppy Pepto Bismol Prince." I said with a wide grin, slowly slithering across the table to seat myself next to him on the couch. "the name is Eris Dis Harmonia, Spirit of Chaos, Bringer of Disorder, and Ugliest Statue of the Year Award winner 999 years running. The haters call me Discord. A pleasure to meet you." I continued as I extended a talon to him.

Surprisingly, he actually shook it quite readily, giving me a polite little smile. "It is nice to meet the woman who has taken the liberty of literally living in my head rent-free." He says with a good-natured chuckle. I had to admit, that was not terrible for being off the cuff. His easygoing nature about the whole affair only reinforced my sureness about my choice of Champion. He would do more than nicely.

And yes, you goober, I know you can read this, But the thing is, what can you really do about it? you do not even know what I want! I mean, you know what I told you I wanted, but did you really think that was the whole picture?

Which brings me to the meat of our meeting. He of course, while polite, was as sharp as ever and asked "May I ask what you want from me, aside from a presumably absurd amount of rutting mares?"

I cackled softly at that and slowly curled my tail around him. He was visibly uncomfortable, it was wonderful. "Well, I will make this very short and sweet. I have chosen you to be my Champion, my little thorny flower." I taunt as I run a talon under his chin, making him shiver and cringe slightly. "My own little actor in the material world. As you know, I am trapped in stone in Canterlot, and you, you are going to get me out of that predicament."

He raises a brow and pulls his head away from my talon, giving me a rather distrustful look "And praytell, exactly why would I do that?"

"Because er...well you see...you know, I actually had not thought that far ahead, if I am being totally honest," I said as I slumped a bit and scratched at my head before getting an idea and snapping my fingers. "How about this! If you let me free, I will help you with your silly little magic project!" I said as my tail wagged a bit net to him, tickling his ear with the tip, making it flick adorably. "Being as old as I am, I know where all sorts of interesting goodies are. of course, you will still have to get them on your own, or else where would I get my entertainment! But aside from that little snag, I can certainly be of use to you. Consider me your teacher, assistant, and familiar all rolled into one!"

"Hm..that is...admittedly a very tempting offer. But how do I know you will keep to it?"

I smiled wider as I quickly felt the wheels turn and grind in the depths of my mind. Its inner machinations were an enigma, even to me at times, but I knew when it was about to spit out a good idea! "Hmmm, how about this, We can write up a little contract with some rules to follow, and I will put a spell on it that turns me back to stone if I break it, sound fair?" it was very not fair, I was about to...what was that word...jebait? yeas, I was about to jebait him quite severely. I would be bound to the contract, yes, but no one ever said the terms had to be fair!

"Hmmm, alright, that sounds like a possibility. there is no reason we cannot draft something and if I do not like the terms I can simply not sign yes?" he asked with an unsure waver to his voice. It was then, my little strawberry strumpet, that I knew I had you~

"Hmm.....excellent~," I said excitedly as I snapped my fingers, in a puff of smoke we were situated with me in front of a mahogany desk with a suit and half-moon glasses, a quill and parchment in claw as he sat opposite of me in a chair, wearing his own adorable little strawberry pimp outfit. "Alright then, name your terms.

He scratched at his chin with a small huff with his hoof. "W-well erm.. let's see, a little on the spot but...First of all, I want you to give me your word that you will not attempt to overthrow the current government or try to take over Equestria or any other nation when you are freed.'

I smirked and chortled softly, That was an obvious one. "I will do you one better! When I am freed, I will always be at your beck and call so you can check to make sure I am not up to no good, you will be able to call on me at any time with a special phrase or item." I said as I scribbled the term down.

He gave me a suspicious look but slowly nodded. "The second term, I want you to promise me that you will not do direct harm to any living creature unless your life is in danger, and no lethal force in that case unless there is no other way to stop it."

Another reasonable, obvious term. "Fair enough. You have my word." I said simply since that would not pose much of an issue.

"Thirdly, I think I would like to make an effort to become more..amicably acquainted with you, If you are going to put yourself in my life like this, the least I can do is try to be your friend." Okay that one sort of got to me.

"W-what?"

He smiled softly in that damnably cute way. "Well, it does us no good to be at odds with one another, and you are obviously not going to let whatever all of this is you are doing go, So I want to at least put a good foot, or hoof forward and make the best of it by offering you something you cant take forcibly, a friend!"

"T-that's actually kind of nice, thank you..." I was legitimately a tad taken aback. In all my eons of existence, it had certainly been a very long time since anyone had offered to be my friend. Though I suppose I am not the easiest individual to get along with, despite my obvious charm and allure. "v-very Well, I will...attempt, to be your friend."

He smiled a little wider at this, looking proud of himself as he shuffled his front hooves a bit on the chair. "Finally, my last term is that you willingly share with me any magical knowledge that I ask for, unless telling me about it will cause me direct suffering or harm, psychological or otherwise."

A good call, that. I would be all too happy to tell him some rather...nasty things if he asked about them! Not out of spite of course! it is just so easy to forget how fragile the psyche and ego of a mortal can be after so long. Much like becoming desensitized to more and more degenerate pornographic material, the deepest forgotten knowledge is so played out to me that I barely twitch when the abyss gazes back.

"Alright, now, for my terms. I will only do as many as you did. First of all is of course, that you must complete my trials. I have to vet you properly after all. and if something happens to you because you fail, that is not me harming you directly." I say as he gives a slow nod. I took that as consent and jotted it down. "Secondly, I get to pick at least two members of your herd."

This got a rather strange look from him "And what if said mares do not want to be in my herd?"

I cackled softly and shrugged, "Well, that is your problem to solve, isn't it? Do not worry, I am sure they will be willing." and by that I mean I was sure I could manipulate events to put them in a willing mood. "Thirdly, I want the right to request to bear at least one child by your seed."

This got a rather spectacular reaction from him. Namely, falling out of his chair, sputtering "wulzmsahjsjdbhdhfy...WHAT!?" He asked incredulously as he scrambled back to his hooved and I laughed uncontrollably.

After we both calmed down a little bit, I smiled "I thought I was very clear. You are clearly prime stock, not a compliment dear, just facts. And I think it is about time that I start getting ready to settle down with a family. Now keep in mind that this does not mean I will, ask for one. But if I end up liking where you are going, I want the option."

he gave a small sigh and thought about it for a moment before slowly nodding. "I...suppose that is acceptable, as long as you take responsibility and assist me in raising it."

That I was not expecting, the grin fell from my face for a moment as he caught me off guard "Y-you do not want me to just do it by myself?"

"Of course not! That would be dreadfully irresponsible of me. Taking responsibility for my children is the only appropriate thing to do, even if they are strange chimera children." That was...heartwarming. I felt my heart go from absolute zero all the way up to slightly above that. "Well, if you want to be a part of its life in this hypothetical situation, I suppose I can grant you that. now, for my final request..." I smiled wide at this one. "at some point, I am entitled to one favor from you, no questions asked, that does not violate the other conditions laid out here. You have to agree to it now before I tell you what it is, and you have to do it without question when the time comes."

he thought about this last term long and hard, at least a solid hour of internal deliberation as he carefully considered the implications. I do not know whether or not I should be flattered that he took longer on this than deciding whether or not I am allowed to ride his strawberry creamsicle to the stork's office.

Finally, he answered me. "I...accept." he said simply and I smiled wider, scribbling down the final condition and making a small inkbed appear, pulling his hoof over to coat it "just stamp your hoofprint here," I said, doing much the same with my talon at the bottom of the document.

He paused for another long moment, and finally, he slowly reached over and pressed his hoof to the paper, which immediately combusted into ashes as a wave of magic coursed through both of us as the deal etched into our souls. The poor thing gave a loud scream and passed out, by which I mean, he woke up and faded out of the dream. I probably could have told him that it would be painful, but why bother!

And there you go, big guy! I knew you probably would not write this dream down on your own, But I felt like it was important enough to warrant it, what with me being so involved and all! and of course, with the memetic agent I have implanted in this particular passage, it should make it through unedited and unmolested~

In any case, I am sure he will start writing down the things about this week that he thinks are important once he returns from tending to his little herd of two. I hope he enjoys the little surprise he's going to get in about a year! I am certainly sure you all will enjoy reading about it. Either that or you will find it unbearably...what was the word he uses for it...Ah yes, Cringeworthy! I will admit this concept of Cringe very much amuses me, and I think I might try to make use of it in my future comedic efforts.

Oh, but look at me, rambling like an old mare, I think this is really all that needs to be said on the matter. I have documented the events I wanted to and sent him a little message in the process. I hope you enjoy the journal entry I have written for you, My little Crimson King. Tataaaa~

Well erm..with that out of that way, I suppose now we can get back to business. Applejack is doing fine, by the by, In case you were wondering. And yes, we did have our conversation with Cheerilee after I returned to my normal form. Goodness, I never would have thought I would be calling my pony form normal. I must really be going native.

In any case, on to the meat of the matter!

After My....meeting with Eris, I awoke and cuddled with Applejack for a bit, got clean, and asked her to come and check up on me after she finished her work for the day before I snuck out of the house before sunrise. I made my way back to the Golden Oaks Library before the sun was up, Made sure my sweet little Walter was alright and headed downstairs.

Downstairs to where you ask? Why, to the basement. I had discovered it a few days prior And had taken the liberty of setting up a more spacious and private lounging area for myself there, moving one of the couches and a table and chair there before my untimely transformation. The area was a sort of study for me, with a small pile of books off to one side on the table where I would jot notes.

Speaking of notes, what I found when I got down there and looked over mien was a note from Eris.

"Dearest Strawberry Broodstock,

Here is the spell I promised you to return you to Equine form. I have scrawled down the required energetic weave below. You do have your magic, as promised, though, I am not sure how well you will be able to use it without a horn. Ah well, not my problem, good luck!

Eris<3"

That was....not what I was hoping for admittedly. I sat down on my couch and took a deep breath, putting my head in my hands. I decided it was at least worth a shot. I did what came naturally and reached out with my hand, extending a finger. It was not a horn, but same difference, right? I concentrated and did what i would normally do, pulling the magic from deep within me, so far so good.

I then started to wrap the magic around my finger and weave it. Not so good, the magic seared into my flesh, and I smelled a tiny whiff the aroma of pork. I screamed and immediately started to dissipate the magic as quickly as I could, luckily the burns were only surface level, if fairly nasty. I winced as i flexed my hand.

Needless to say, I quickly concluded that wrapping the magic around my finger was not going to be an option. Neither was doing so around any other part of my body. I took careful notes, which I will quote here:

"It would seem as if my humanoid form, while magically potent, is not equipped with a natural conduit to conduct magic from my body and properly hold it in form. While I am more than able to channel my magic out of my body and mold it, there is no way for me to hold the form of the magic while not harming myself, letting the magic touch my skin seems to result in a very painful surface level burn to my skin. I supposed this could be possibly viable for very short periods of time in an emergency, But I was not going to be able to hold the concentration required to shift myself back to my pony form safely.

I was going to have to determine if there is a viable substitute for this option. Perhaps some sort of placeholder for my horn, an artificial focal point. Applejack was hopefully coming that afternoon, and I would be able to ask her to take some bits and gather some supplies for me. My time was limited, I only had about a week before the foals came for their weekly visit with Cheerilee, and I could not have the library closed when they did. The poor dears would have been devastated.

With that, I made a small list of several sorts of material I wished to try as conduits, iron, copper, wood, gemstones, just some sturdy, available stuff. I also included on the list some tools I would need to shape these things by hand. it would not be an easy task, but my options were limited. I went upstairs and began reading up about unicorn anatomy. It was...complex admittedly, but from what I gather, a lot of the horns' ability to conduct magic is based not in the material of the horn, but in the spiraling shape it took. something about that spiral allowed the magic to flow in a stable and relatively harmless manner. I took careful note of this, as well as the formula that correlated the curl of the spiral to the length of the horn.

Several hours later, Applejack did arrive. I made my way upstairs, my sweet little Walter perched on my shoulder.

She smiled up at me as I answered and wordlessly leaned in and nuzzled my chest a tad "Well howdy there, big fella, you holdin' out alright?" She asked As she smiled up at me sweetly.

I nodded and slowly slid my hand along her neck and back, petting her kindly. "Of course, thank you. I do need your help though. I am trying to turn myself back, but I am going to need some things in town. Could I give you some bits to go and get them for me?"

She seemed a bit confused, but agreed readily with a quick nod "of course, sugarcube!" She said kindly as I handed off some bits for her to put in her saddlebag. "don't you worry none, I'll Have it for ya in a right jiffy. I can stay here with ya till tonight if you want."

I smiled softly at this, nodding in return and kissing her forehead "I would appreciate that very much actually. Thank you."

We parted ways for a brief time while she went to grab what I needed for my experiments. She returned about a half-hour later, and I brought her with me downstairs.

She stayed there with me, making small talk while I took my new carving knife to the walking stick she had brought me. She did not seem to really understand what was happening here, but grasped the concept of me using the item as a replacement horn well enough.

After about two hours of work, I put away the tool and brandished the staff with two hands. I had carved a long groove spiraling around the top of the staff in a manner resembling the horn of a unicorn down to the base. I gripped it firmly in both hands and stood, giving a soft sigh.

Applejack saw that I seemed to be about to do something and stepped back a bit, giving me some room. I smiled over at her and nodded my silent thanks before returning my focus to the task at hand.

I concentrated again, this time focusing on the stick instead of my finger as I concentrated my energy. but the ring did seem to wish to form, I met resistance as I tried to push the magic through the wood I could visualize the beginnings of the magical string manifesting, but it refused to grow. I tried applying more power, then more. Still nothing, it was getting closer though, little by little, so I tried to apply more. It was a considerable effort at this point as I felt he energy pulsing under my palms, my hands felt quite warm as the wood tried to pass the energy. I could picture it ever so slowly traveling up to the tip to try to form the string i would need to make the spell.

"Oh, Sugarcube, is it supposed to be smokin' like that?"

I snapped my eyes open after hearing her say that to find that it was indeed, smoking quite a bit. there was a bright stripe of light crawling up the side, burning the wood in the groove as it went. I quickly pulled back and let the power dissipate, panting softly from the exertion after I narrowly avoided what I only can assume would have been a fairly bad accident. "Ah! o-oh fuck!" I exclaimed, setting it down on the desk and blowing at it, trying to make the smoke go away.

I sighed softly as I looked down at the slightly charred mess. That was clearly not going to be enough on its own. The wood seemed to not be able to channel the energy in a way that was both safe and efficient. By the time I would manage to actually draw the energy out, the thing would be in flames in my hands.

I was obviously going to need something more conductive, though, the wood could serve as a serviceable base. I looked through the things that Applejack had brought me and tried channeling magic through them. I seemed to have the very best results with copper, iron being a close second. I got curious and tried with a bit, and it seemed that gold was, well, the gold standard. Gemstones just seemed to absorb the energy, so I thought perhaps I might be able to use one as a sort of battery?

The next few days passed much the same, with me trying, tinkering,failing, almost pulling my hair out in frustration. Applejack was supportive and helped me greatly through those trying times. What little of my savings there was was quickly whittled away in the face of my ruthless experimentation.

I don't have the wherewithal to explain the in-depth of every try, and every failure, but on the fifth day, I had success.

It was a rather elegant design. a length of oak wood, charred black at the surface and seasoned, and given a healthy application of linseed oil. There was a thick stripe of pure copper wire slotted into the groove on the staff, set into the top of the staff was a rather nice looking pink gem, which I had discovered that I could, in fact, use as a sort of rudimentary battery, a second well of power to reach out and draw from by imparting energy into it.

It had taken a considerable amount of tinkering to get correct, and there was a pile of melted metal bars and wire and burnt sticks and shattered gems behind me, but here we were!

Applejack Had gone home for the night at this point, and it was late evening, the sun having set. I was sadly alone saving for my sweet little Walter perched on my shoulder watching me work. I smiled wide at him and scratched under his chin, gently taking him off of my shoulder and setting him down on the table, where he peeped at me indignantly.

"Heh, hold on now, little guy, just relax for a moment," I said as I gripped the staff in both hands and concentrated.

The spell was not very effort-intensive. Moving around mass and energy that was already there, and already steeped in my energy was easy enough from a power perspective. All of the ingredients for the spell were already provided, though it would leave me drained after the fact it would not be a great strain to actually cast.

No, what would be the difficult part was maintaining my focus for the several minutes the spell required for a beginner such as myself. if I lost focus, it could be...incredibly unpleasant.

I sighed softly as I closed my eyes and prepared the spell. it took a while to weave, much longer than the other, much simpler spells I had used before now like levitation and making lights.

As I finished the spell and tied it off around my staff, I could fee the cooper get warm underneath my hands from the magic I was channeling. I sighed softly and did my best to keep the flow at a steady pace that would not overheat the component. The gem at the top glowed softly as it siphoned off and stored whatever excess energy I was pouring into the spell, making it much easier to maintain a stable field of magic around the staff as I held the spell firmly.

Slowly, I felt myself begin to almost melt, my features shifting, smoothing and blurring gradually until, finally, after several minutes, I opened my eyes to find the staff still held in one hoof with the other on the ground, and the spell complete.

Needless to say, I was very stoked about this development. I had successfully transformed back to normal! And what is more, I had the spells to turn from one form to the other. I was not sure in which situation I might want to (unless of course applejack had another one of her "strange isn't bad" moments) but the option was there!

What is more, is that I seemed to have devised a new method by which I could cast spells. The increased size and energetic capacity of the item before me meant I would be able to, hypothetically at least, cast more powerful spells without straining my horn. I was cautious about the idea, however. The horn itself acts as a sort of limiter to my spell-casting it keeps me from casting anything that is strong enough to drain me to the point where I might incur physical consequences. From what I had read, the studies on what happened to a unicorn who tried to draw on more magic than his body could store was rare and inconclusive due to the small number of available test subjects that fit the criteria for such a thing. but none of it had turned up pretty.

And of course, there was also the possibility of overloading the staff itself to worry about. Until I could get higher quality materials, I would still need to be careful. hell, I would need to be careful regardless. This thing was still very experimental. I had seen the results of catastrophic failure of separate components when testing, I shudder to think what would happen if they failed while I was casting a powerful spell.

Perhaps I could try casting the spell with my horn and the staff at the same time, using the staff as a supplementary device? keeping it around for use as a magical battery was certainly a handy trait in a pinch.

After pondering about this and making my notes, I put the finishing touches on the thing. The next day, I brought it into town and had the shaft varnished and coated to protect the copper wire from oxidization, and had the gem properly inset. It all cost me a pretty penny, I was flat broke until I started getting paid for my job at the library, all of my apple harvest money was gone, but in my opinion, the finished product is well worth it. I carried it strapped to my back atop my saddlebags, keeping it out of the way as I trotted off.

And what's more, I still had a whole afternoon before Cheerilee and her students show back up to the library. I was fairly sure that this afternoon would be the ideal time to have our little conversation and inform her what had been going on. She is a wonderful mare, and I felt, and now still do feel, especially after having had said conversation, that she deserves nothing less than emotional availability and reliability from me.

But that was later that day. For now, I decided to head over to check up on the Apple family. The matriarch of the group was just as lively as ever, snoozing away in her chair until I began to walk up to the farmhouse, awakening wit a small start before recognizing me and coming fully awake. "Oh yeah, it's you! Welcome back, er...pinkie...no that's not it...Rose Tint, that's what it was!"

I chuckled softly and nodded. "Yes, I finally managed to fix my predicament. Applejack has been coming by to keep an eye on me, and she's been very supportive."

<sub>"Oh I'm sure she has..."</sub> the sly old mare muttered with a little cackle before returning to a normal speaking voice "Why don't you go on upstairs, She should be getting unwound after a hard mornings work. I think she will be mighty
happy to be seein' you around, big fella."

I nodded and thanked her for the permission and the direction, and made my way up to her room, knocking on the door with a hoof "Applejack, It's me, I did it, I'm back to normal!" I said with a gleeful chirp to my voice, eager to see her reaction.

She opened the door, beaming up at me as she gently pulled me inside "oh, sugarcube, that's wonderful. I have uh, some big news too." she says as she pulls me over to her bed and sits me down next to her.

"ya know how I was wonderin' if it was gonna take?" she asked, getting a nod from me as i felt the anticipation build a bit, I am not going to lie, I was very nervous, Frightened even, but at the same time quite excited to hear.

"Well, I went to the clinic today and they did some tests. we should have the results back, you might get to be a daddy, big fella!"

Needless to day, this news was more than enough to get me a bit emotional. it seems I am actually still feeling a bit emotional. I will be right back.

Okay. I think I am feeling a bit more put together now, If you see any watermarks on the last page, please do not pay them any mind.

Now that we have that out of the way, back to business.

Needless to say, I was right over the moon about the news that I had just gotten from Applejack. I was hugging the ever loving shit out of her for a good half an hour, tears flowing freely but quietly. I was honestly, extremely overwhelmed with emotion at the idea of fatherhood. Really, I was not sure where all of this was coming from. Perhaps it is another one of those pony instinct things. Whatever it was, it was certainly quite the intense happening.

Once I managed to pull myself together, much like I did before writing this, I gave a slow, soft sigh and gently kissed her on the nose, patting her back slowly. "I erm...well, this is certainly a erm...very shocking development. "I am very happy about it, and I assure you I will take responsibility fo-"

"What do you mean, you'll take responsibility? I'm the one who went and wanted you to put a foal in me. I mean, i won;t be able to do none too much Applebuckin' till after....if deliver the baby...shucks i wonder if i can get the doc to help him come a week or two early if he ain't due in time.. Anyways, That's the Mares responsibility, you just make sure to raise em up right and let Mama take care of all of that."

Oh yes, the whole reversed gender roles thing. That was...honestly almost a bit concerning. I know that Applejack meant it to come off as chivalrous but still.

I decided it was best to make it a bit more clear to her. "Applejack, darling. I do not want to alarm you. This may shock you, But where I am from, the males are actually the ones who, traditionally speaking, would go out and erm...bring home the haybacon."

The fact that that exists is a crime against humanity, luckily i was the only human here so the crime was very small. "So erm, I may not be used to doing things the way they are expected of me here and I may want to do some things for you that you might find a bit erm...unconventional?"

She smirked softly at this, as if amused by the novel concept of dominant males. "You mean like what you did the other night? I mean, in the bedroom is one thing. Nothing wrong with two willin' adults doin' what feels good and all that but..I got my pride hun. I couldn't just sit back and watch the foals while you work, specially with you goin' out to join the guard. I'm just happy you'll be back in time for the foalin'." She said with a small sweet smile as she rubbed at her stomach with a hoof.

She did not seem worried about me going out to join the military, which was...worrisome. I could only assume she was not worried because being in the military would not put me in any real danger, as a male. The creeping feeling that any active duty I saw would be as window dressing or accompaniment to some noble was growing considerably.

I gave a small sigh and leaned in, slowly petting her mane as i tried to continue to gently explain to her. "I appreciate that you are an honorable mare, darling. And If you want to take that role in our household, I am happy to let you do so, as you are a grown mare and can make your own choices about what you want to do. And do not get me wrong, I fully plan to be there for our little foal and make sure that they get all of the care and attention they require as long as they are growing up. But even so, I still feel a tad uncomfortable with the idea of being erm...socially obligated to not pursue a serious career myself, after that."

She thought about this for a moment with an unsure expression on her face. On one hand, she did seem more than a little uncomfortable with the idea of me wanting to be a career stallion. "Hun, it ain't that i don't want ya to be able to do what you wanna do its just uh...well, I suppose it's somethin' we can try to make room for if its what ya really want." She says with a small smile.

I smiled softly and hugged her a bit tighter, shaking my head "No sweetie, please, its fine, tell me how you feel. I want us to be able to communicate with each other openly and honestly. If there's something about this that actually upsets you, I need to know what is is.

She gave a small sigh and started to elaborate "well, It's just that I always thought I would have this real ideal sorta family life. Workin' the farm with my kin, goin' home to mah stallion in the evenin's, knowin' I was doin' everythin' i could to give them and my foals and my fellow herdsmares a good life. I mean, I ain't opposed to you workin'. The cakes own a bakery together, but that's proper decent stallions work."

I did my best to not be offended by that last part and focused on the important bit, nodding and smiling gently down at her, rubbing her back slowly "and you can still do that, Applejack. Just because I want to pursue a career doesn't mean that i do not think you are able to take care of me, or that I think you are less of a mare than you would like to be. This is just something that I am very passionate about is all." I explained gently as nuzzled her forehead.

She smiled a little more surely up at me and nodded, seeming reassured by the way i spoke to her "Y-ya really mean that?" she asks, drawing me in closer with her forelimbs and pressing herself to my chest.

"Of course I do Applejack. Now, I think we should go and find Cheerilee after school and have that talk with her. Does that sound good to you?"

She nods and kisses my cheek softly before finally pulling away. "Sure as sugar does, hon." She responded with a more confident smile.

After our little talk, we both got ready to meet the rest of the day. Applejack went out to the farm to start tending to her afternoon duties, and I headed back to the library to get things ready for when Cheerilee visited with her foals.

And visit they did! After getting everything organized and ready and tending to Walter and giving him back his favorite perch on my back, the little foals soon came filing in, chatting busily and lead by that wonderful purple mare of mine.

I got all of the little ones sorted out, and in about half an hour they were all quite contentedly reading, which gave me some time to speak with her.

I approached Cheerilee with a smile and she smiled wide back at me, trotting over quickly to nuzzle against me and give me a small kiss on the cheek once we were away from the foals. "I haven;t seen you all week. I saw the library was closed for a bit, is everything okay?" She asked with a fair tinge of concern.

"Oh erm, yeah, I just had a bit of an accident with a spell and had to take some time to fix it." I said, waving it away a bit nervously. I did enjoy her company, and she was a wonderful mare, but with the way she acted at times I was not sure if I was ready to go as far as sharing my secret with her. "I erm, I also would like to talk to you after you are finished with your school stuff."

"is it about Applejack?"

I blinked and gave a slightly surprised look "how did you know?"

"I could smell her all over you. Mares in Estrus leave their scent ingrained on the male after breeding for up to a month to signify their claim." She says sounding none to pleased about this development. "I'm.... I'm not mad at you, But I am a little disappointed." She didn't say she wasn't mad at Applejack though. And she certainly looked the part to be honest.

I sighed softly and smiled down at her and leaned from one side of my body to the other "I am very sorry if this upsets you at all. I probably should have talked to you about it first, right?"

She shrugs and snorts softly "I mean, It might have been nice, but ultimately It is a stallions choice who he wishes to give the gift of his seed to. I just wanted to be first. She said as she kicked at the floor a bit, her ears laid back slightly.

"Well erm...I suppose that makes sense, I am sorry if I hurt your feelings at all." I said as i gently rubbed her shoulder with one of my hooves.

She looked up at me, giving me a small smirk as her ears perked up. "Don't worry, you can make it up to me this summer. Guard or not, if they station you off somewhere I am going to come and pay you a visit."

I gave her a slightly concerned expression "Oh erm..I- I mean, i suppose?" I was not sure about that actually She was wonderful, but I was not sure If i would want to have her foal with her, not yet at least, Applejack was an accident, And I had to accept that, but this was a little different.

"C-could we wait and see how we both feel about it then? I feel like I wouldn't want to just do it with you for the sake of fairness. Having a foal is a serious thing and rushing into it is not a great idea." says the guy who literally knocked someone up a week ago. I am aware of the hypocrisy, bit that doesn't mean i ave to be doomed to repeat the same blunder.

She looked disappointed by my answer but gave an understanding nod. "Of course. I think I will actually go and see Applejack myself after school for a little mare to mare chat. A stallion shouldn't need to involve himself in the affairs of his competing lovers" She says as if it were very normal, and Well, after seeing how Applejack had acted I was going to have to take her word for it.

I gave soft sigh, resigning myself to the fact that this might be the sort of thing i will have to put up with in the company of mares. "Cheerilee, I hope you understand that I will be very displeased with you if you do something that upsets her. I care about you both." I said gently but firmly as I looked down at her.

She gave me a slightly cowed look and nodded "O-of course darling." much to my surprise. Perhaps mares around these parts are simply used to an assertive stallion? Maybe she was just not eager to upset me. Something to consider for later.

I smiled and nodded, kissing the top of her head and letting her head back to her class. They all filed out a little later, leaving me alone once again with Walter, who was giving me a rather concerned look.

I smiled softly at him and reached back to gently pet his head with my hoof, humming a bit. "Don't worry, Walter, I am sure she will approach the situation in a very level headed and rational manner."

A little later that evening, I was reading a book about the -ahem- finer points of equine anatomy, when I heard a knock at the door. I stopped what i was doing, put a mark where i was in my reading and went to open the door.

Standing there were two very familiar, and somewhat sheepish looking mares. Cheerilee and applejack looked up at me with small, nervous smiles as Cheerilee spoke up. "May we come in, Rose?" she asked gently, to which I nodded a responded and gestured them in.

They nodded their thanks and waltzed right in as i made my way out from in front of the door, making sure to close it behind them before following until we got into the living area. They a seat on one of the couple of couches and I gave a small sigh as i sat across from them in a comfy lazy chair. "Alright girls. I take it you had your discussion?"

They both gave a nod and Applejack piped up next "Cheerilee came and explained to me how she felt. She was uh, real clear about it, heh." She says as she rubs her hooves together in front of her and looks down at the floor.

I give a slightly worried look as I squint at Cheerilee. "Not too clear, I hope." I said as i crossed my forelegs in front of me.

Cheerilee had the decency to look embarrassed as she made to respond next "I er...admittedly may have gotten a little over-exuberant, but i did my best to be polite and after we talked a bit I managed to get a handle on myself. I explained to Applejack that I have er...fairly strong feelings about you, and that I want to be included in your herd. I accept that she will be your lead mare, since she was the first one to get pregnant by you, but I would like to continue to get to know you and see if I am interested in becoming a second."

I nod and listen to her, humming softly before making a measured response. That is...something I have been meaning to talk to both of you about. We all have known each other for a little less than two weeks, if I am being generous. Now, things may be different here, but where I come from, people generally take a while longer than that before getting into anything serious. I understand that in the case of Applejack, the responsibility is on me for er...accepting her advances, and some of what she was feeling might be due to hormones from her estrus," A heavy flush from Applejack made it apparent that I might not be too far off. "But It still concerns me that the both of you were ready to make a move so soon." I said as gently as i could "Perhaps things work differently here. I read a book that explained the basics, but perhaps you could explain further?"

Cheerilee took this one "Well, yes actually. Naturally, as you probably know, males in Equestria are a erm...valuable commodity." She says as if unsure how to most tastefully put it. "When a new stallion comes into town, there is generally a bit of a....scramble to see who will get first crack at him. The general accepted procedure is for a mare to attempt to...entice the stallion into paring with them romantically. With the amount of competition between mares, It is generally seen as better practice to do so and then focus on getting to know them and seeing if you want to take it further and join their herd officially. With estrus mostly," She glanced over at Applejack, who seemed a bit embarrassed "Limited to one time of year, sex is generally seen as a fairly casual affair between potential herdmates that helps to assess chemistry and compatibility.

"Hmmm, so you are saying you would have acted in a similar way had another male come into town instead of me?" I asked carefully, placing a hoof on the arm of the chair and squeezing gently.

Applejack takes a turn to speak "Well, hold on now hon, it ain't all like that! We wouldn't have bothered just goin ahead and tryin' to get in bed with any stallion. We decided to saddle up with ya because we thought you had somethin' goin' for ya. You are mighty good looking, and that helps, but you're also plenty gentle and kind, and good with the little ones, and a lot of mares really go for the er, fatherly type. And you obviously ain't afraid of a little bit of hard work, though that one might more be uh, my personal preference. I admit things went a lil fast for...anyone's tastes here, but what happened happened. Ain't your fault that you didn't know I was in season, I should have told ya." she says, rubbing at the back of her neck with her hoof.

Cheerilee chimed in as well. "Exactly! You were more than willing to step up to the plate and help out a mare in need, and you are quite intelligent If I am being honest. I mean, you learned how to read and have started casting basic spells in a little more than a week!" She says insistently as she leans forward a bit, the change in her body language showing that shes getting a bit anxious. "I mean, we might have tried to bed you once or twice even if we were not interested in anything serious, But We would not be trying to take it further if we did not think you could be a good match for us."

I nod again slowly and relax a bit, hooves drifting into my lap as i take another deep breath "Okay, so I am not crazy. We did move faster than usual, but not as fast as I was thinking. Relationships here do work differently than back home, And the way you have been acting is fairly standard for most mares. Is that about the long and short of it?"

They both nod and give a small relieved smile as i seem to understand, Applejack pipes up again. "I'm glad you get it, Sugarcube. I'm mighty sorry if we made ya feel like a glorified breedin' stud."

Honestly, that was how I was feeling to a t before this conversation. I was starting to worry that perhaps with the way males are treated here, I might be little more than a commodity to them. And honestly, the fear still lingers even now in the back of my mind. "Well, Alright, But er..I think we should try to take things a bit more slowly now. I Would like us to abstain from any sort of sex for a while? We can take it the rest of the month, and When I go off to the guard I will keep in touch with letters and make sure you girls are doing alright, and when I get back we can see how things go after Applejack has her foal?"

The girls seem satisfied with this answer, if a bit saddened by what I had said and nod in agreement. Cheerilee piped up one more time "Would you mind if we spent the night here with you? We can refrain from anything sexual if you want to, It might just be nice for us to spend some time together and get to know one another properly.

Applejack seemed keen on this idea, smiling softly "I think that sounds mighty fine, if he;s okay with it. What do you say sugarcube, wanna have a sleepover?"

I chuckled softly and nodded, relaxing fully now, feeling a fair bit better, even if i still had my doubts. "you know what girls, that sounds wonderful."

And we did, it was quite nice. I brought pillows and blankets from upstairs and we laid on the floor spending the evening just talking about our interests together, what we thought about this and that, Just very fun, casual getting to know one another chatter, And we all ended up falling asleep on the floor In a pile of blankets and pillows, cuddling each-other gently.

And of course, Being asleep meant it was time for another meeting.

I awoke once more in that...strange little place that Eris seems to have made herself cozy in while residing in my subconscious, or er, wherever she is, I suppose. I was on that same couch again, with her sitting opposite to me in a chair, curled up on it with her upper half raised to look at me with a wide smile.

"Ah! You are back, excellent! All of that boring stuff you were doing was starting to bore me." She said as she slithered out of the chair and into the air, looking down at me and rubbing her hands together. She certainly did seem pleased to see me, which was nice. After all, if we are going to try to be friends, It is in both of our best interests to enjoy one another's company.

I smiled up at her politely and responded. "Indeed I am, I take it that these erm...meetings are going to be a regular thing?"

"Well of course they are! I mean, I could speak to you in your head during the day, but you did not like it when i started interrupting your journal writing sessions, so I thought that might get on your nerves." I mean, It did not stop her from still occasionally butting in, but at least she was limiting herself a bit.

"Well, thank you I think. Now, was there any particular reason you called me back in here this evening?" I asked as I made myself a bit more comfortable on the couch.

She shakes her head and slowly slips herself onto the couch along with me. I give an involuntary shiver when her body brushes up against mine as she drapes part of herself over my back to situate her front half next to me with a small amused grin. "Oh, now why would I need a reason to do anything? I am a living embodiment of disorder and chaos. But I suppose if you need a reason, suffice it to say, it gets a bit lonely in here?" She says with a little pout, putting a talon on her chin before chortling a bit and smiling again. "Sorry, couldn't keep a straight face. but seriously, as fascinating as some of what I have been reading in here is, just sitting about all day can be quite the chore."

"Reading?" I asked softly as I tilted my head slightly off to one side, to which she responded with a much larger grin.

She snapped her fingers and suddenly, stadium-esque lighting flared from above, revealing our surroundings. Where there was a murky swirling blackness before were rows upon rose of very, very tall bookshelves as far as the eye can see. "I haven't had a proper peek around in your Dogan yet, I can't seem to get the damned thing open, but there is plenty of other stuff in here to keep me busy! Goodness, you Humans certainly are naughty little creatures, aren't you? The Crystal Revolution and the Draconic Wars pale in comparison to some of the atrocious acts of mass violence and destruction your kind get up to. I love what you've done with the place, by the way, no discernible organization, everything just seems to flow from topic to topic with no rhyme or reason. I knew there was a reason I liked you!"

"Okay so, you have been browsing my memories then?" I asked, tensing up a bit. She had already told me before she had been doing this, but hearing that it was still ongoing made me a bit upset. Okay, it made me very upset, but I was trying quite hard not to show it.

"Oh, don't be a baby! I took a browse through "Essential Likes And Dislikes" before I started, I promise I haven't touched anything personal, just accumulated knowledge, preferences, pet peeves, hobbies, fetishes, allergies-"

"wait what was that?"

"Hobbies, of course! I wanted to see what sorts of things you were into doing with your free time." she says with a wide, not so innocent smile as she clasped her talons together.

I gave a small sigh and rolled my eyes. "Well, I suppose if you stay out of my more intimate affairs you can er...browse around," I said in a resigned manner. "But what is a Dogan?"

"Well, if your memories are a library, the Dogan is like, your control room. its where all the magic happens, as it were." She explains, gesturing with a claw as she speaks.

"So you were trying to get into my contol room without asking? You did not think I would be upset about that?" I asked flatly, my expression blank.

"I just wanted to take a look around! I have never seen a Humans Dogan before. I wanted to see how everything worked, honest!" she said, sounding hurt as she crossed her claw over her heart. "You don't think I would ever do anything that would cause you harm would you?"

"Not anymore, now that we have our arrangement, But before that, yes, One hundred percent."

"Eh, fair enough." she said, dropping the act quickly "I probably would have broken something mucking about anyway. I don't blame you for being upset about that one. How about i...make it up to you." She said as she slowly coiled herself a bit closer to me, her arms wrapping slowly around my neck as she rested on top of me.

Naturally, I was a bit...caught off guard. I shuddered at the feeling of her closeness and looked up at her, feeling a soft sense of foreboding "make it up to me how, exactly?" I asked slowly as I sat there, frozen beneath her.

She pulled away and starts floating in the air in front of me. "By teaching you something of course! I did say that you would get boons for finishing my trials! This is the first of the ones I get to chose, You get your three requests after I am free when I am able to oblige you more freely." she says grinning wide down at me as she rubs her claws together.

I give a soft relieved sigh as she pulls away, giving her a small smile "Well, alright then, what will you be showing me today, teacher?" I asked with a small chuckle as I stood up off of the couch.

"Well, let us start simple then. I am going to show you how to do magic my way, little man." She says as she sets herself down on the ground standing all and looming above me by a few feet. "what do you know about magic so far?"

"Well, I know that there is a well of power inside of every pony that manifests differently in the three types. Pegasi can manipulate the weather, Earth Ponies can grow things quickly and well and move the earth, and Unicorns can express it the most directly by pulling the energy out of themselves and weaving it into circular patterns around their horns." I said explaining the long and short of the bare basics.

"Well, that's a good enough working knowledge, but do you know where magic comes from?" She asked, smiling wider as she started to rub at her chin as if she had a beard.

"No, as a matter of fact, the texts were not very clear on that at all," I said, interested, intrigued even!

"Well, that part is not important, What is important is knowing that it does have an external source and that the magic I am about to teach you has a different one! that well you feel when you reach inside of yourself, what do you feel if you reach about in the space around it?"

Around it? I had never really considered there being an around, actually. I had always figured that I was just performing a visualization exercise to assist with my concentration. "Oh erm, no I had not."

"Well, go ahead and do it now! Tell me what you see, what you feel." she says smugly, crossing her arms. "go on."

I nodded and closed my eyes and took a soft breath. the all to familiar hot pink ball of energy quickly swam into view, but I pulled back from it, humming softly to myself as I concentrated and pulled away until it looked smaller, only taking up about a third of my view, instead of almost all of it. I was not seeing anything so i "turned around" until I could no longer see it, it being behind me with me still able to feel it there.

As my eyes adjusted from the formerly very bright light, I started to see...something, an ebbing sort of visual effect, and I felt a ...warm...against my muzzle. a soft wetness.

and then a tongue.

I snapped open my eyes and saw Eris right in front of me, her muzzle pressed to mine in a deep kiss, and her tongue making its way down my fucking throat. I screamed and pulled away, hacking and coughing loudly as she cackled in uproarious laughter. "Ahahahah! Ohhh hoohooohoohoo, you should have seen the look on your face," she said, wiping tears from her eyes as she tried and failed to pull herself together, still laughing as I turned a bright red in the face both from embarrassment and humiliation.

"Please never do that again without my permission," I said flatly as I couch a few more times, trying not to lose my cool.

She cocks her head to one side as I say this and smirks "Does that mean you plan to give me permission in the future?"

I never said that." I snapped back hastily as I straightened my bowtie, giving a small huff. "So were you being serious before or was all of that a ploy to go throat spelunking?" I asked as I took a few breaths. As amused as she was, I was not. Things like that are generally not terribly funny, In my opinion.

"Oh no, I just wanted to see how you would react to that, I assure you I am being serious," she says almost a bit dismissively as she crosses her arms and smirks down at me. "Don't worry, I heard what you told your little ponies, I won't try anything serious, go ahead and try again."

I gave a small displeased huff and rolled my eyes before closing them again with an angry little grunt. I focused in the same as before until I was confronted once again by that strange rippling across the void.

"What do you see?"I heard her whisper into my ear, her voice sounding close, yet at the same time, eerily far away.

"I see...a colorless expanse, bathed very softly in the light of my magic." I say softly in return. "it's...rippling slightly."

"Get closer, look more carefully," she said softly in a gentle, airy voice, encouraging me in her way. I swallowed softly and did as she asked, bringing myself slowly closer to it. As I got closer, I heard a soft, slowly growing sound akin to an off-key musical saw, warbling gently into the void, I heard soft sounds of movement, rustling, but I paid them little mind and continued onward As she started to speak again. "in the beginning, before there was anything else, there was darkness...."

The sound was properly audible now, it set the teeth in the back of my skull to buzzing and my ears rang unpleasantly, but I could not stop listening. It was like the antithesis to the sound from my magic. Whereas the sound I was used to coming from my horn was quite pleasant and orderly, this was wild, unstructured, cacophonous even.

"And before there was darkness, there were monsters"

Suddenly a tentacle rose from the depths and presented itself to me slowly reaching until it was only a few feet away before snapping back away. I realized as I looked down at it, that I was...not simply visualizing this, I was here in a manner of speaking. I looked down and saw my body, glowing a soft hot pink like my aura as I inspected them.

"Go on, reach out the way you do when you cast a spell." She said as I contemplated my current appearance and whether this was well...real or not. Whether or not it was, I took a deep breath and reached out with my mind to the inky expanse.

I was assailed by a maelstrom of yowling voices and howling winds, the sounds from before rose to a fever pitch as I felt the energy try to wrestle itself away from me in a manner that was...disturbingly familiar, though far more intense than before. I was only able to hold on for a few brief moments before the sensations became overwhelming and I was cast away and snapped back to reality, or as close to reality as the confines of my mind could be.

I realized upon opening my eyes that I was on the floor panting softly, my fur damp with sweat as I shook slightly. I saw Eris sitting next to me on the floor, reading a newspaper and looking back up at me once she realized that I was aware of my surroundings again. "Pretty intense, isn't it?"

I collected myself again and swallowed thickly, slowly standing up on shaky legs my vision swam a bit, I felt...disturbed, to say the least, I felt an eerily familiar sensation of having done something taboo. "W-what the hell was all of that about!"

That, my faithful student, was the Prim." she said with a grin as she slowly booped my nose before pulling away to stand in front of me once more. "The magic you tap into, in the simplest terms, is the manifestation of the creative force in the universe, the energy that courses through the beings that typically inhabit reality, What I just exposed you to was the energy outside of that, the stuff that resides between the cracks of different realities. That sea of leftover, primordial energy is known as the Prim, and that, dear student, is where my magic comes from."

Well, that was needless to say, certainly quite enlightening. I would say it was well worth the tongue down my throat if I am being quite honest. "Actually, that is rather fascinating. If that is what you dip into whenever you use magic, no wonder you are so erm...special."

"You can say, it silly, I'm insane!" She says with a gesture and a small pleased cackle. "I'm battier than a cave in the forest and proud of it!" She says happily as she sits back down on the floor next to me, running a claw through my mane, It felt nice but at the same time I stiffened awkwardly, She had not asked permission, I was getting a bit more than uncomfortable with how touchy-feely she tended to be.

I shrugged it off as best i could and continued to speak with her "Fine, you are insane. That does not really detract a great deal from my point, though. Was there anything else for this lesson?"

"Hmmm, just some homework. I want you to take a little trip into the Everfree forest for me. You'll know where you are going when you get there, but there are some things I want you to see. it should only take a few days, provided you...you know, live." she says with a chuckle. "And aside from that, the Everfree is brimming with Prim. Normally, the prim recedes from a plane of reality as it gets older and more developed, but it seems that it is just as strong as it used to be in a lot of places, maybe even stronger in others! I've felt it ebb and flow while I have been trapped in stone, never really weakening....anyway, I am getting off-topic. Forest, quest, adventure, chop-chop, stud." she says, clapping her hands together, at which point I bolted into a sitting up position in my bundle of mares and blankets. My heart was racing softly as I looked around in the near darkness of my room, lit faintly by the full moon outside the library.

The girls are still asleep. I made sure to make them nice and comfortable by levitating them onto the couch before I came over to write this journal entry. I will probably go back to sleep and resume cuddling them there. It seems I have another trial on my hands. I cannot help but wonder what sort of things await me in the Everfree, but I suppose that I have very little choice but to find out, really. If I return from my trip alive, I will update this journal again once I have returned.

I am most definitely not looking forward to explaining to the girls where I am going, or what I am doing. I can only imagine what sort of reaction my newfound, and probably seemingly insane desire to take a wilderness pilgrimage will elicit.

Host: Good evening, Rose. I hope you are doing well.

RT: I am, thank you. I am admittedly a bit nervous about my upcoming trek into the Everfree, But I am making sure I am equipped with as much knowledge on the place as I can get my hooves on before proceeding. After all, There was not a time limit placed on when I had to go. If i truly wanted to I could wait until after my six months with the Guard. But I feel like this is something that would be best done now. Just a gut feeling.

Host: Well, I certainly hope that works out well for you. Anyway, we have some questions from...people who have taken an interest in your current predicament.

Rose: Ah yes that. Honestly, not the strangest thing I would expect out of a situation like this. Ask away!

Host: Very good. Question Number One From Eris: Dearest Rose Tint, What are your thought on long term house mates?

RT: Ah, Well honestly, I have had housemates before. I have never really had problems with them. We typically get along fine. If you are referring to the possibility of my moving in with or one of or both of my current herd members moving in with me, I would Not be opposed. It would make it much easier to get to know them by spending more time with them. As for you. Well, we are already sort of housemates, seeing as you are quite literally living in my head rent free. Just please continue to respect my boundaries and we should get along fine. I have to admit that even though I find some of your behavior to be a bit odd, you seem to at least be trying to be friendly, in your own way, and I appreciate that.

Host: Ah! Well that certainly does clear things up a bit. Next question is from Lazartes Tigus and reads: So, Rose Tint, given the meaning of the tower in the tarot,and your association between it and your cutie mark, do you ever worry about what your cutie mark might end up meaning?

RT: Well, I feel like the good things represented by my mark outweigh the bad. I am certainly pleased that I seem to be partial to the talents It represents. Magic is a fascinating subject, and if I am primed to change it for the better than so be it! There is certainly no sense in worrying about what might happen. Hoping for the best and acting accordingly is far more productive, I find.

Host: An...interesting take, I suppose. Next question is from Midnight Defender: How has Rarity not dragged you off to the Carousel for a whirl?

RT: I was....not aware she wanted such a thing? She certainly has not made any untoward advances. I mean, I am not surprised that a proper lady such as herself has refrained from such a thing, especially in light of the fact that i am er, "spoken for". But Really, As far as I could tell she simply appreciated that I seemed to be a good fit for showing off clothes. I certainly appreciated her complements and enjoyed what little time we have spent around one another on a business basis. Though If I am being honest, she seems a tad dramatic for my tastes. Cheerilee Is within the realms of acceptable, with consideration to cultural differences. Applejack is a tad more traditional than I would like but she means well. But A firebrand like Miss Rarity would likely spell a lot of trouble for me if i got involved with her She seems a bit er...set in her own way of doing things and we would probably clash more than we would gel. She certainly is quite refreshing in small doses though, and seems like a reliable friend.

Host: Huh...

RT: What? Just because all of you are horny doesn't mean I have to be.

Host: Alright, fair enough, moving on, Question Four from Black Soul...actually he has a few...

RT: How many of them are related to what I have between my legs or what I plan to do with it?

Host:.....Well, he still has quite a few.

RT: -sigh-...alright, give it to me.

Host: alright, here's one: How good are your cooking skills? Applejack cooking is kinda applebased,Could grow old in a year or two.

RT: Well, My skills are adequate, I would say. I Am certainly no slouch in the kitchen, especially around seafood. I have seen one or two ponies enjoying a fish here or there, And I happen to be quite good at cooking shellfish in particular. I also make a killer breakfast. So no need to worry about any of that.

Host: Alright, next question from him: What your daily/weekly plan to keep your cardio up? Rainbow Dash kinda showed how lacking it seems at the moment.

RT: Well, I plan on getting back in touch with her once I return from the forest. She seemed interested in helping me improve, But I have just not had the time what with all of the Ruckus. I should have a solid two weeks to get into better shape before I have to ship off to Canterlot, And I am sure we can make good progress. Oh gosh I hope she does not think I bailed.

Host: Hm, sounds promising. Alright, next question: What the lifespan of a pony? You just read a book about Anatomy. 100? 200 years?

RT: Well, from what I have seen, depending on the pony in question, the average lifespan seems to be anywhere from 150 to 200 Years on the high end. A bit of an odd question, but I suppose interesting enough.

Host: agreed. Question Eight: Were will you live? I guess you need to buy your own house?

RT: Well, for now, the Library is more than enough for me, Being a semi Bachelor with no-one else to support. But after I get out of training Applejack will likely be due in about six months, so I will need to start looking for a place. Though in the past the Apple Estate has hosted a very large number of ponies, they do have plenty of room on the farm, But I would hate to be any sort of burden after all they have done for me. I suppose if they invited me, I would accept, but only if they insisted.

Host: Well, that seems quite easonable. Question Nine (man this guy has a lot of them...): What magic are you planing to learn? No need to go for high end spells if you can be a jack of all trades!

RT: Well, as a matter of fact, I plan to learn as much as i can! There seems to be quite a lot that isn't documented in the library that I would like to know about, So right now, I am seeking to fill in the gaps in my limited technical knowledge, and learn a few practical spells before diving headfirst into advanced stuff. I actually almost got stuck halfway through transforming back into a pony because of a terrible itch on my nose so I have no desire to meddle with advanced magic if I do not have to for the moment, though I am learning a few defensive and offensive spells in case things in the forest get hairy.

Host: Excellent answer, and now, one final question: Did you swing both ways? AppleJacks cousin seems interested.

RT.....okay, first of all, yes, Let me say it clearly for all of the ponies in the back. I do like other guys as well as girls. And while I do have a bit of a thing for the cowboy type, I barely even talked to the guy. I mean hell if anything Id probably want to go for Big M-...

Host....really?

RT: Please don't tell Applejack. Or him for that matter.

Of course, Such an undertaking was going to be quite treacherous, and that being the case, I made sure to prepare as well as I could! I had about three weeks until i shipped out. a few days to plan, a few days to get in and then back out, and about two weeks to get ready for what was to come.

For starters, I decided I would be taking my humanoid form as soon as I entered the forest. I decided that the increased dexterity and stamina would be extremely useful in a situation such as this as opposed to the increase in strength my equine form provided. And If I needed to use magic well, I had that thing i made the other day to rely on. The spell to transform was...fairly simple, though admittedly required a great deal of concentration to cast properly. I had nearly had an incident the last time i used it, But I was going to need every advantage I could get if i was going to do this. Speaking of which, I poured as much magic as the gem could handle without shattering into it. Channeling magic was awkward while in my human form, so i wanted to make sure I had plenty in reserve for quick spellcasting, or in case I was running low on energy.

Fortunately, the day after my last journal entry, I had gotten paid. That rather adorable slow mail-mare brought me a pouch addressed from the mayor with about two hundred and forty bits, about twenty bits a day. Apparently, I had been meant to be getting weekly payments, but there was a backup because of a problem in the delivery chain. It was not quite as much as I had been making from the farm, but i suppose hard work pays off.

With this money, i carefully budgeted what i felt I was going to need. I set aside some money to purchase supplies and foodstuffs, water etc. I made plans to visit a place called Rich's Barnyard Bargains to pick up some less unique clothing to don for my transformation. The spell I used did seem to account for the clothing I was wearing at the time, thankfully. I did not need anything fancy, so Rarity's services were not needed, Just some normal off the shelf stuff would do me just fine for this outing. Since ponies did not normally wear clothing it would probably still be a little on the pricey side, but it needed to be done.

I also took the time to pull a few books off of the shelves that detailed some of the plants and animals I might encounter in the wild while roaming the Everfree. Apparently, the place was not terribly well documented. After the Royal Rumble (yes, I am going to call it that and you cant stop me) when the forest properly came into its own, There were several attempts to explore and even possibly colonize it, some of which were launched using Ponyville as a base of operations way back in the day (one of the results of which was the discovery of Sweet Apple Acres unique Zap Apples), but the ponies just sort of gave up. Even the crown doesn't formally recognize the Everfree as an official part of Equestria, and treats it more as a sort of territory by default since no-one else seems to want it aside from a few strange folks that scratch out a home here and there.

But enough geography for one paragraph. Point being, I boned up on as much about the place as I could, making sure to take careful not of anything that seemed like it would be exceptionally dangerous. Needless to say, I took a lot of notes. I also scrounged up whatever few maps of trails and paths in the forest there were and made sure to sketch out rough copies so i have some general idea of where would be the safest places to travel provided those paths were still there and not horribly overgrown.

With the research done, I headed out to Barnyard Bargains to purchase some clothing. A simple set of boots, a denim shirt and pants, and of course, what adventuring outfit is complete without a classy hat and ascot combo! I purchased a simple black wide brimmed hat to keep the sun out of my eyes, and a long, purple kerchief to tie around my neck. I also purchased a few other things such as a rope, a hatchet with a sheathe, a large metal canteen, and a small knife in case i needed them.

I headed out to the market after this to purchase about three days worth of supplies in food. I had running water at home that I could bring with me In the canteen. I made sure to stock up on dried fruits and vegetables, good, nonperishable items that would be easy to eat on the go.

After all of this, I made my way home and upon closing the door was greeted my a familiar voice sounding off in the beck of my head.

"Well, that wasn't so bad"

Eris was taking the liberty to talk to me within the confines of my mind during my waking hours now that I had made it a bit more clear to her that it was acceptable, as long as it was not in public of course, excepting emergencies.

I gave a small sigh and nodded, taking a small mirror out of my saddlebag, looking into it to take a look at her. She was not actually there of course, she was simply using what little magic she had access to to project an illusion of herself into it to make the conversation a tad less awkward to have. Much like she did when she first met, sans the grabbing my hoof. Rest assured reader, I have made note of the fact that she owes me a new bathroom mirror.

"I suppose not. But that was the easy part." I said as I walked upstairs to my bedroom to speak with her privately. "The difficult part is going to be explaining to the girls what it is that I am going to do. I cannot Imagine they are going to be too happy about a defenseless stallion wandering into their countries own personal Heart of Darkness for a jolly little stroll."

She chuckled softly in the mirror, putting a claw to her snout coquettishly as she does so. "Oh, don't be a foal! It wont be so bad." she says a bit dismissively, waving a paw at me in a carefree manner.

((I also took some time to..discuss some things with Eris. After they had informed me in our last meeting that they could , in fact, simply talk to me internally anytime i wished, I admittedly had been a bit more chatty with her. She was not so bad once you got past her rougher, less than sane exterior. She even made me chuckle a few times sincerely. And upon my asking she was all to happy to inform me that she would in fact, be more than happy to keep me company in my head during the trip, as she had finished reading all of the "interesting" material that was not off limits to her.

She was also more than happy to fill me in on the details of what was happening. We were going to head in to a specific location, stay there for a bit, then leave. She said she had something she wanted to show me.

Knowing Eris, I have my reservations, but she has assured me I will enjoy it. In any case, this will be an excellent opportunity to finally do something with those odd seeds I found drying on my counter top. I am not sure where they came from, But I do like the glossy black coating they have, and will be attempting to plant them on the outskirts of the forest on the way back from my trip to celebrate.))

And with all of that set and squared away, there was of course, the truly difficult part, telling the girls.

I started with Applejack. She would be the easiest to get a hold of. I made my way down to the farm. She was taking care of some animals, setting out water for some cows to be specific. After giving them a polite greeting, I turned my attention to Applejack.

I cleared my throat softly to get her attention, and she turned to me with a soft smile, tipping her hat. "Well, Howdy, sugarcube. What brings you around the Acres? Did you need somethin', or did you just miss lookin' at me?" she asks as she crosses one of her forelegs in front of the other as she looks up at me."

I chuckled softly and shook my head. "I always miss looking at it, silly. No erm, I just needed to let you know I am going on a quick trip out of town. I should be back in a day or two, but i did not want you to worry about me." i said, running my hoof along the back of my neck as I look down at her, humming and hawing softly. "I just have a few things I need to do before I ship off to Canterlot and I wanted to make sure you knew that I was going to be gone." I had already said that yes, But i was fumbling for the right words. I could not exactly tell her where I was actually going, who knows what she would have done! she might have tied me up till it was time for me to be shipped off for my own protection. Or worse, they might try to accompany me.

'Luckily she seemed satisfied enough with the answer I gave "Hm, alright. Just make sure to be careful, I know you don't know your way round too well. And don't go canoodlin' around any strange mares, ya hear?" she asked as she gave me a caring but firm stare. I chuckled nervously as my eyes darted this way and that "O-of course, darling. I am a two mare stallion for the time being

"Oh?"

Oh goodness, my breath hitched just a tad as I flinched and spoke internally "you know what I mean, I do not think they would much appreciate our arrangement."

"Awwwe, are you ashamed of little old me?"

"terrified, yes. ashamed, no."

"Good boy~"

i shook my head, clearing my mind a bit and focusing back on applejack before she started to question why i was staring off into the void. "Anyway er, that was all, darling, thank you." I said softly as I kissed her forehead and started to back away, leaving her blushing softly, pulling her hat over her face just a tad and waving me off. "Go on now, get! you've got things to do!" She shouted with an amused lilt to her voice as I trotted back towards town. One down, one to go. This one is the one I was more worried about...

I was not terribly keen on explaining this all to Cheerilee, but I supposed it was certainly better than not telling her and getting hurt and dealing with the consequences of that.

I arrived at the school to find her grading some papers at her desk, and trotted my way over to her and cleared my throat. She beamed at me upon seeing me approach. "Hey there, Rose. Nice outfit, what's with the sudden change of wardrobe?" she asked with a small smirk as she noted my new duds.

I smiled a bit sheepishly and began to explain "Well' you see...er...I am going out of town for a few days and-"

"Going where exactly?"

The question caught me off guard, and before I could think of a lie I said right off of the top of my head "The Everfree." before my hooves flew up to cover my mouth. This of course left me to fall onto my front without them supporting me with a dull thunk and a low "owwwww...." on my part.

Needless to say, Cheerilee was not overly pleased with my plans. "Did...did you just say you were going into the Everfree? Not by yourself, I hope?" she said, running he gambit from shocked to concerned to slightly upset to motherly and authoritative in only moments. "A stallion should not be making his way into such a dangerous place unattended!"

I righted myself and rolled my eyes slightly at her unintentional belittling of my gender in the form of concern but tried to be considerate about the way she felt on the matter. "I am more than prepared for a simple in and out, Cheerilee. Really, there is nothing to worry about."

"I disagree, I think there is Plenty to worry about with my stallion traipsing around the most dangerous woodlands in the country" Okay wow, first off, HER stallion, who did she think she was?

Yeah! You're MY stallion, I'm just lending you out to these pastel hussies.

...you know, that really isn't helping.

Isn't it? I know I feel a lot better after saying it.

Anyway, I was a tad offended, but I continued. Or rather I was about to continue when she kept right on going.

"I Am going to have to insist that Applejack and I accompany you on this little trip of yours. It will be much safer if you have someone to look after you. What would the other ponies in town think if they knew we let our Herd's stud go off into the Everfree by himself hm?" She asked, t'sking at me as my eye twitched slightly.

"Okay, and have you asked Applejack how she feels about this?" I ask her, raising a brow.

"Have you asked me about it?" I hear suddenly from behind me in a familiar twang, an edge of displeasure tinging it.

I slowly turn around and see a less than amused Applejack standing behind me, giving me "The Eye." I am sure we all know what look I am referring to. I smiled at her and chuckled nervously, rubbing at my mane with one hoof, toying with it nervously. "O-oh ahem, er...A-applejack, I er...I can explain?"

"Please, I could tell something was fishy as soon as you rolled up. That's why I followed ya here. The only thing you need to explain is how long we're fixin' to be out in those woods, sugarcube. I ain't lettin' you just gallivant off all willy nilly without anybody to make sure you ain't kicked the bucket out there," she said as she Looked up at me with a fairly intense expression.

"B-but Applejack, you might be, er...you know?" I say softly, not wanting to say it explicitly in front of Cheerilee. She knew, but I also did not want to wave it in front of her face considering how she could be. I did not want to make the situation worse., or if Applejack had done it without asking me first.

"Eh, And I might not be, what of it?" she says with a small stamp of her hoof. "Ain't the time to be worrying over it anyway, we got plenty of time for that later." she says firmly as she stamps a hoof in front of her, a slightly miffed Cheerilee nodding her head in agreement "That's right! We may not want you going in there at all, speaking for myself at least," she says moving to stand next to Applejack. "but if you are set on going for whatever reason, whatever that may be, We are going to support you and make sure you are alright."

I was a bit taken aback at all of this of course. And naturally, I did not want them risking their safety for me either. But then again, It was also selfish of me to want to go into the Forest all by my self without notifying anyone and just hoping they would be okay with it. if they wanted to protect me, I supposed that it was fine for them to come along. it wasn't like I was going to be able to stop them, anyway.

"Hmmm, well alright, But since we are giving full disclosure here, I want to make sure it is very clear that what I am going to be doing might put us all in unintentional danger," I said firmly and slowly, clearly for them. "I want to ask explicitly, are the two of you okay with us possibly risking our lives to defend one another?"

"Sure as shootin', sugarcube!" Applejack sounded out immediately. Cheerilee soon followed with a firm nod, emphasized with a statement of her own. "Rose, I think you still do not understand how valuable Stallions are here. with the ratio of males to females being what it is, most mares would consider us insane for even letting you go, let alone unattended."

Ah yes, pony gender roles again. I gave a small sigh and rubbed at my forehead with a hoof to try to compose myself once more. "You know what, fair enough. meet me at the edge of the forest where the zap apple harvest happens. I'll be there with the rest of my supplies, ready to go." I said as I smiled softly at them again. "And thank you for understanding."

a bit more huggy kissy stuff later, I was back at Golden Oaks, packing up the rest of my things, Including those odd seeds. I had...an idea of what I wanted to do with those.

And once I was finished there, I took some time to transform myself, and once more, I was on my way.

Now, I could certainly have simply abandoned the girls and went off on my own. For sure, I could have done that, yes. However, being the good noodle that I am, I decided that this time, at least, I would do the right thing and allow my partners to share in carrying my burdens.

I arrived back on the farm about an hour after we had split up, and it seemed as if the girls had also gone ahead and packed up for the trip. I did get some raised brows at my choice in form, however.

Applejack was the first to say something about it, almost immediately as I came into view and into earshot. "Huh, any particular reason for the uh...change there, sugarcube?"

I shrugged and pulled my backpack strap to settle it more comfortably against my back, looking down at the two of them "I am much more familiar with this form, So if I need to actually run away from anything, it will be a hell of a lot easier."

"Makes sense, but what is a hell?" Cheerilee interjected as the two of them trotted a bit closer and checked their own saddlebags to make sure they had everything they needed.

"I'll uh...explain later. it is a human religious concept. No need to get into it right now." I said somewhat awkwardly as I kicked at the ground softly. "Anyway, Are we all about ready to go?" I asked as I looked towards the somewhat dark, foreboding woodland before me with some apprehension.

Cheerilee, perhaps seeing my hesitation, came and rubbed gently against my hip, looking up at me with a gentle smile "You know, you do not have to do this. Whatever it is you are going to do in there, I am sure it can at least wait until you feel more ready, right?"

I shook my head and gently slapped myself on the cheek a few times, steeling my resolve as I gave her a firm, steady look "No, I think I am ready now. I have a lot on my plate coming up, so it is best I get this all out of the way sooner than later." I said as I started walking toward the forest, head held high with the girls coming in tow.

Half an Hour Later

We were making decent progress. At least, I would like to think we were. it is hard to really be sure when all you have are a few Pre-Lunar Heresy maps. I was however, reasonably sure that we were going in the right direction at least. It was about this time Applejack decided to ask the obvious question.

"So uh, what are we doing out here exactly, hun?"

"I am not sure," I replied somewhat glibly without really considering what I was saying.

"beg pardon?" She asked, seeming to not be able to believe what she had just heard. This led me to quickly rephrase.

"Well, it is more of an erm..spiritual journey, if that makes sense? like, I can feel that there is something out here that I need to do, and I will know what it is when we find it." Close enough to the trust to be honest. There was no need to talk to them about the voice in my head telling me to do dangerous things for power.

Actually, it might be fairly funny to tell them about it now that I think on it a bit

...Please do not joke like that.

And who said I was joking? it would be a riot to see the looks on their faces when they find out you are taking advice from a voice in your head.

I am sure you think so. However, I have enough drama in my life as it is.

You really are no fun, you know that? Wait, let me correct that. You are more fun than anyone else, yet you still manage to not be nearly fun enough.

What can I say, I exceed in spreading disappointment.

In any case, this was far from a reassuring answer, Cheeerilee taking a moment to chime in on the matter "Well erm, that is nice and all dear, but do you think that this is....sane?" she asks, a bit more blunt than her usual way of going about things.

"I can see how you might feel that way, but I can assure you that there is some sort of goal here, even if I am not entirely sure of what it is yet...say is it getting darker in here?"

Indeed, it seemed to be. Sundown was a ways off, but here I was with the light slowly dwindling the further I walked into the forest.

"No worries, ah brought a lantern!" Applejack said as she pulled said lantern from her saddlebags and lit it by turning the little knob at the bottom with her hoof...honestly that still freaks me out a bit even now. But in any case, the darkness was soon dispelled as a warm, pleasant light filled the area.

For about ten seconds until it suddenly sputtered out for no reason in particular. I sputtered a bit as i realized it was happening, going over to check the lantern, opening it up to see the flame was still going, but it seemed... muted somehow.

"Hm, this is not your average everyday darkness. This is...advanced darkness..." I said somewhat grimly as I took out my staff, slinging it off of my backpack from the holster it was strapped into. I gripped it with both hands and concentrated. This was most likely a magical phenomenon, so it seemed logical to use magic to counteract it. I certainly was not advanced enough in my knowledge yet to have any sort of counterspell. What I did have, however, was at least one relevant spell to try. Well, maybe two, But I was not keen to create fire in the forest.

Reaching into myself and channeling magic through the staff, I created a small orb of light. its reddish-pink rosey (cozy?) glow cast a steady light over the area. I tied off the magical weave, setting it to slowly feed off of the large energy reserve of my staff rather than directly keeping it bound to the tap from my person so to speak.

As I basked in the glow of my success, I was interrupted by that little voice in the back of my head that I had become so familiar with.

-Hmmmm, definitely a very basic solution, but a passable one.-

-Oh, hey there, was this your doing? Part of the test?-

-Part of the test, yes. My doing? No. The forest has a sort of basic sentience due to being so suffused in the energy of the prim. It is sort of a life form in and of itself and responds appropriately to invasion by outsiders proportionally to their level of magical power, how deep they are into the forest, and the amount of destruction they cause to the forest itself.-

-So the deeper I get into the forest, the more dangerous it will be, and the less of a good idea it is to simply brute force problems. Noted.-

Of course, knowing that now did nothing about what I had just done, I quickly realized. Even if it was in a small way. I had challenged the might of the forest. I had simply brushed aside it's warning without consideration for the consequences. To be honest, Eris probably only told me after the fact precisely to let me screw myself.

That is a correct assumption, Stud~

Of course it is. Anyway, I took a look around after casting my orb of light, feeling paranoid now. I noticed some...concerning movement at the periphery of my vision, the trees, the bushes, even some of the vines seemed to be moving, as if in some baleful wind, but there was not even a slight breeze.

Oh well, that was just lovely.

"Girls, get closer please," I said in a low, gentle voice as I looked around. Left to right, up and down, scanning as I continued to walk and searched for any sign of a threat. "and keep a watch on our backs. Something is definitely not right..."

This is of course, when the other shoe chose to drop. a vine suddenly lashed from one of the treetops and wrapped around my staff, quickly recoiling with an unnatural screech, singed by the magical energy coursing through my Staff.

-Of course.- I thought, trying my best to stay calm as my heart began to race, the ol' adrenaline beginning to pump as I took stock of my situation, more vines creeping out from the trees, more cautiously coming towards us, seeming apprehensive. -These vines are animated by chaotic powers of the prim, so of course they would have an aversion to the orderly energies of proper magic-

"Stay under the orb. They are deterred by magic." I tell the girls as I change the link between the light and the staff to allow a bit more energy to flow, letting it glow a bit brighter. I knew it was not a good idea to get too flashy, but I needed to buy more time to think.

I had the knife of course, but it seemed pathetically puny when considered for a tool to deal with this. "Applejack, do you have anything for cutting foliage, by any chance?"

She nodded quickly and reached with her snout into her saddlebags, pulling out a Machete. "Mhmmph!" she said with a mouthful of handle, looking more confident.

"Alright, good. I'll keep the light on them and cover you and Cheerilee. You cut us through. I said gripping my staff more tightly, pulling out the knife just in case. it was not a big knife, only about six inches, but it was sharp and better than nothing.

I drew the orb in closer to the three of us as we began to move in formation. Applejack in the front, Me in the back, Cheerilee protected in the middle of us. Applejack Swiped out expertly, severing any vines that crawled in to close quickly, gracefully even. Whenever they tried to flank us or drop in from the top, I would guide the light to shy them away and warn her so that she could react if needed.

Things were going well, and I was thinking we would be able to get out of this fairly unscathed when I suddenly heard Cheerilee scream out. I snapped my head towards her and saw her suddenly being dragged away at an alarming speed! She had been snagged by a vide wrapped firmly around her back hoof and was desperately digging in as best she could into the soil to try to slow herself down. That fight gave me enough time to run and quickly grab her hoof. I dropped to my ass and wrapped my legs around her barrel, one hand clinging to the ground, fingers clawed in as my other hand worked with the knife to hack at the vine while Applejack worked overtime to keep the vines off of us.

As I looked down at Cheerilee, I could see the unadulterated terror in her eyes as the vine gripped tighter. "R-Rose, What's happening, Rose!? I-I don't want to die.." she said softly, tears leaking down her face as I did my best to free her, It was difficult with one hand, but I was making progress, swiping carefully at the vine, trying not to injure her in the process. "You are not going to die." I say evenly. You would think I would be panicking right now, but oddly enough I always did tend to have odd priorities. I might panic over nothing, but when there is real danger, I always feel oddly calm, running through possible solutions in my head and acting them out as quickly as I can.

I manage to free her from the vine, and sling the staff onto my back, the orb hovering above me, following behind as I bolt over to applejack. I pick them both up around the barrel and start running with them, thanking whatever deity was out there that ponies were small and light enough for me to carry as we bolted down the path deeper into the forest.

A few solid minutes of jogging later I fell to my knees, panting heavily as I dropped the ponies onto the ground unceremoniously, gasping for breath. I was pretty out of shape, all things considered, farmwork or not. As the girls huffed and picked themselves off of the ground, they both gave me a fairly concerned look. The vines at least seemed to have stopped moving. And in any case, we were in a clearing, the sun still high in the sky but the light around us still quite dull and soft even in comparison tot he orb I had trailing behind us, which I decided was not worth the trouble, grabbing my staff once I could breathe and dissipating it so as to not draw further attention.

"O...-pant- okay, note to self, no magic unless absolutely required," I said softly as I leaned back and sat on my ass, running my hands through my hair, looking more than a bit frazzled.

Applejack and Cheerilee came to sit beside me, giving me a moment before they start talking.

"Rose, what exactly was all that back there, do you know?" Cheerilee asked me, still looking shaken up. She looked physically alright, save for some light abrasions on her leg where the vine had been gripping tightly to her.

"I am fairly sure that those were Vine Blights. Vines brought to life with unnatural energies. There are a few other sorts of blights as well, so we should try to avoid touching the foliage for now." I said as I gently pulled her in closer, pulling some salvage and a roll of bandages from my pack. "here, let me clean that up..." I said softly. She seemed slightly embarrassed to allow me to tend her this way, but this was far from the right time to be proper. I poured a bit of water not he wound and patted it dry, then applied a bit of salve and wrapped her up tightly,

"There. It is not a bad one, but we don't want you getting an infection." I said as I kissed her head, leaving her blushing just slightly as I removed her from my lap and stood up. "I think we should take a small breather here and relax before we go deeper. I think we can all agree that going back the way we came is not an option.

"Now sugarcube, are you saying that there might be more of those blasted things up ahead and that you wanna go deeper?" Applejack asked, seeming a bit less than enthusiastic about the proposal.

I was about to answer her when I was interrupted internally once again.

-Actually, right here works just fine.-

I closed my mouth and tilted my head before shaking it. "Hm, no. This is the spot." I say as I put down my pack and kneel, starting to dig a small hole in the ground with my fingers. Thankfully the dirt here was loose and moist. I pulled the seeds from my pocket and laced them into the hole, sweeping the dirt over them and smiling softly as I rubbed the spot.

Applejack seemed taken aback for a moment before smiling softly. I suppose she could not be too mad at me wanting to plant something, even if it was all the way out here. Cheerilee smiled softly as well as she watched me step away.

I cleared my throat and looked down at the area in the middle of the clearing where I had done the deed and smiled softly. "well, that was not too bad I suppose..."

As I spoke, the patch of earth glowed a soft red, and from the ground a small obsidian sprout quickly rose, unfurling at the top into a brilliant, ruby red rose. The three of us all watched in awe of the process it was only a rose, but it felt like...like so much more than that. it was like watching the universe be born right in front of us. Maybe it was just the endorphins from surviving our previous experience, who knows.

As we ogled the sight together, Eris chimed in as well. She seemed just as awed as the rest of us.

-It's....-

-Beautiful...-
"Beautiful..." We said at the same time, softly, entranced as the rose came into full bloom. One could hear the soft tingle of wind chimes wafting through the air here and there as we soaked in the sight before she addressed me again.

-This...this is your Rose, Rose.- she said with a soft, airy chuckle, still taken aback by the beauty of the plant as it glowed softly in the darkness of the forest. -What is it for, what does it mean?-

I cleared my throat once again and address the three of them with one statement. "I think/...I think I would like to commemorate this rose to our relationship, our bond. As our bond grows strong and healthy, so too I hope this rose will thrive, even here in the heart of darkness." A bit cheesy, but hey, sometimes you feel cheesy stuff. Hallmark makes a killing off that shit.

The two mares in front of me nodded and walked closer to me, and I feel to me knows and hugged them both gently, lovingly. As I closed my eyes, I could almost feel the ghost of Eris draping herself around me as well as we four all spend an uncounted time there, still and serene, simply enjoying being there, together in the light of this new life we had created together.

And then, we headed for home once more.

We decided to head back to Golden Oaks for a while to relax together. After that particularly harrowing bonding experience, Applejack, Cheerilee, and I were in no mood to simply resume going about our days separately.

While the two of them relaxed and presumably talked a bit in the living room, the first thing I did, of course, Was check up on Walter. I had made sure that he was fed and comfortable before I made my way out to the forest, and to my delight, he seemed to still be quite content with the accommodations my room had provided.

As soon as I entered my room, he fluttered over towards me and landed on my shoulder, giving my ear a slightly anxious nibble until I started stroking him with a finger and humming for him to calm his nerves. "Hey hey now, little fella. No need to worry, I'm here." I said gently as I allowed him to nestle up against my neck for the moment.

While he satisfied himself, I made my way back downstairs to see the two of them getting along...a bit better than I would expect given my interactions with them separately. I suppose It was rude of me to simply assume they would be catty with one another, but I suppose risking life and limb over dick together helps sort out such petty differences to a certain degree.

"Is everyone feeling a bit better after all of that? Cheerilee, please let me take a look at that scrape before I go and transform back." I said as I walked towards the couch, taking a knee in front of Cheerilee. She was kind enough to stick her hoof out and allow me to unravel her bandages as she spoke.

"You know rose. I had heard when you were telling me about your er...evening with Applejack the other day that you had the ability to transform this way but seeing it in person certainly is different than hearing. I wanted to bring it up earlier but of course right before going into the fo-ow!" she winced and her ears went down as I ran a finger gently over the slightly inflamed shallow wound.

I give her a small, apologetic smile and treat it more gingerly, giving it a small smooch. "Yeah, it looks like that thing got you pretty good. its a good thing Applejack was there or else the two of us might have been in real trouble. Who knew my marefriend was so handy with a machete."

Applejack seemed a bit embarrassed at the praise and gave me a slightly peeved, but obviously immediately mollified scowl, pulling her hat down a tad to cover her eyes as she spoke. "It weren't nothin'. I told ya you shouldn't be goin' around everywhere and the other on your own. You don't know how things work yet. Things are dangerous enough out in the wild for a mare on her feet, let alone a stallion with about as much sense as a colt."

I was about to open my mouth to retort out of reflex. After all, I was not one to tolerate being talked down to lightly. But I shut my mouth and actually thought about what she was saying past the casual gender role tripe. She was fundamentally right, I had been here all of maybe a bit more than a week, if I recall correctly, maybe a bit less. all I had really done was bum around a few jobs, read books, and run weird magical errands for the disembodied chaos spawn rummaging around in my noggin. All things considered I really was a fish out of water.

"You know what Applejack? You might be right." I said quietly as I pondered a bit more. "Perhaps I should take your and Cheerilee's opinions on things into more proper consideration in the future before making big choices. Especially ones that could affect all of us. I'm sorry."

The both of them seem genuinely surprised by this. I suppose they expected more of an argument out of me. "Well, that is...certainly very mature of you, Rose." Cheerilee said with a small cough into her free hoof as I re-wrapped the other one with fresh bandages fetched from Applejack's saddlebag.

"Yeah, usually it ain't nearly that easy to get a stallion to see some sense. I guess getting into a tight spot is enough to make most ponies see a bit now and again, though." she quickly finishes as if catching herself, giving me a sheepish smile, seeming to realize that maybe she was laying it on a bit thick. "Sorry, sugarcube. Ah know you don't like when I talk like that, force of habit n' all."

I shrug my shoulders and stand up, stretching out slightly as I look down at the two of them, smiling gently. "I think we all have things we need to work on. They won't get better overnight, but we know they are there. So we can at least start making the effort every day, right?"

The two of them nod, and I smile a bit wider kissing them each on the head. "I need to go and cast the spell to reverse the change. I will be back in about half an hour. Please try not to be too loud. I like having all of my insides on the inside." I half-joke, getting a look of mild concern from the girls as I walk my way back up the stairs.

I hum softly as I prepare myself mentally to cast the spell, putting Walter on my bed and making sure he is willing to stay put as I kneel on the floor and grasp my staff in both hands when I hear a small cough.

I look around, then see her in the reflection cast from the gem atop my staff. I hear her speak more normally, rather than in the normal telepathic manner.

"That was quite an adequate display back there. You played to your strengths and let those more capable do the heavy lifting while you played support. Cheerilee was sort of useless back there though."

I gave a small sigh and reluctantly nodded. "Yeah, she did kind of pull a Sakura there, didn't she?" I said as I sat on the floor, holding the staff. it seemed as though Eris wanted a say as well.

Indeed I did, little patriarch. But I think I can speak better for myself in the next chapter, let's move things along, shall we? I'll give your journal back in a minute when I am finished with it.

Wait wha-

And just like that, we are back on our bullshit, lovelies! it is your favorite Chaos Entity, Eris! Here once more to steal the narrative for a while from our dear, sweet Rose. I do hope that it is not too much of an inconvenience for you, dear reader. If it is, well, to be blunt that is not my problem!

Anyway, yes! We were just about to pick up where I cut in. I invited Rose for a little chat in his personal Library upstairs and made myself comfortable on a readily available couch as I waited for him to oblige.

Eventually, he did stop his grumbling and get his flank into gear. Once he settled into a proper meditative state and manifested himself within his mind, I sprang up off of the couch with a wide smile, arms outstretched. "Well well, two for two, stud! How does it feel to be on a roll?" I ask as I hover over his head, sprinkling some confetti over his head, sticking a party hat on over his horn. "By the by, glad to see you are getting better at entering your own mind. You did not even have to be asleep for this one!"

He gave a small, reluctant smirk at my antics, seeming more pleased than irritated for once. Ah yes, that lovely little smile of his. When I see it sometimes I feel like maybe my shenanigans are slightly more than a show to put a mortal at ease. Anyway, getting off track again.

He gently removed the hat, horn aglow as he sets it down on the floor and firmly steps on it, flattening it. "Well yes. Once I realized that I had a centralized more concrete manner of reviewing my memories, It was a priority to make sure I could access it more readily. " he said as he sat down on a nearby chair. "the library of course did not have any information on this sort of thing, but id did have several books on self-help, meditation and visualization techniques. I never thought the day would come where a self-help book would actually be helpful."

And there was that adorable little chuckle of his again. I joined in, admittedly slightly amused by his little jab at that incessantly irritating, futile genre of literature. One of my best jokes on the world, really.

"Well, I am certainly always pleased to see you taking the initiative. I thought it was looking a bit tidier in here." That I was significantly less pleased about. But hey, we cannot get everything we want. Not right away at least. "Anyway, I have called you to a meeting once again because you have completed another of my tasks. This, of course, entitles you to another reward of my choosing as per our contractual obligations as your mentor and familiar." I say, a pair of glasses appearing on the bridge of my nose, a piece of paper, our contract, appearing in my paw.

He nods, eyes lighting up with recognition of both my words and the paper I was holding "Ah! Yes, in all of the excitement, I had nearly forgotten. Thank you for reminding me, Eris."

"yes yes, planting the start of our own little Can'-Ka No Rey was all well and good, and very romantic by the way. Loves the little speech and Hallmark moment we had in the middle of DeathMurder Forest. very appropriate." I said as I tapped the paper a few times. "Now shall we?"

He gave a small sigh and rolled his eyes "Oh, so very witty as usual, Eris. Yes. By all means, let's proceed, what exactly have you cooked up for me this go around the bed, hm? Perhaps you are going to tell me the reward was the journey or the moments we had along the way?"

"As absolutely hilarious as that would be, no. Not my style, sadly. Nono, I simply thought that I would give you some advice, and point you in the right direction for your studies."

He squinted at me, rubbing his chin with a hoof "Advice hm? And I trust you are referring to my personal studies, not our er...other lessons about your way of doing things, yes?"

"Oh, of course! What I have to teach you is far too advanced for you just yet. You'll need a much better grasp of the fundamentals before you can handle what I have to offer you." I said, gesturing with my paw a bit more dramatically than was strictly required to drive my point home.

"Hm, very well. I suppose I can do the proper thing and accept your gift by politely hearing you out."

"How kind. Now, my advice is this: Remember that you are no longer in Kansas anymore, Rose. Things...well to be very straightforward things do not work the way you might think they do here. The what is similar enough, but I would suggest throwing any preconceived notions you have from your old world about the how clean out the window. "

He gave me a surprised, slightly unsure look. "I am...afraid I do not entirely understand what you mean. This is not some convoluted plot to start me on the path to abandoning all reason, is it?"

"Nonono, of course not!" That doesn't come until later, silly! "Here, let me explain it more in terms you might understand. Aside from Socrates himself, who would you consider to be the two most influential ancient philosophers?" And keep in mind I am asking him, you philosophy snobs out there, not you.

He thinks about it for a moment, he speaks slowly "Plato, and his student Aristotle come to mind. Two very different schools of thought, but both trying to reason out the how and why of the world. Why do you ask?

"Well, let us just say that there are places where Aristotle is closer to the truth and places where Plato is closer to home. All I am saying is that you should not discount worldviews you may have previously considered obsolete, as you may end up being surprised by what you find when you give them a once over in the context of your new surroundings." I said with a small grin, reaching down to gently stroke his mane as I spoke. he shuddered slightly at my touch, as he often did, but I was not hurt by it. He is right to be disconcerted by me in all honesty.

After a few shudders and backing away from my touch, He puts on a pensive expression on. "I mean, I suppose that is fair. This is an entirely different universe from mine, with its own starting conditions and development. It would make sense if the laws operating on it might be different than the ones I am familiar with."

"That's a good boy," I say, grasping my claw and paw together, looking quite pleased for him. "Now that we might be able to get you to stop wallowing in a fixed mindset, you might make some proper progress in understanding not just how magic, but why magic!" I said as I settled back down on the couch. "Lucky enough for you, the great philosophers of this world lived relatively recently compared to your own world in your time. You should be able to find plenty of their own works, penned by their own hand, Provided Sunbutt hasn't had them burned for presenting a threat to the Harmony, or some such tripe."

As I put on a sour face, he nodded and started to back away with a small polite bow. "Thank you, Eris, I will get on that right away!" he said with an admittedly adorable, excited expression. before he booked it out, dissipating into nothingness from his own mind. My sweet little Crimson King does love to learn it seems, even after all these eons.

I cannot wait to see how he turns out this time.

Ah, alright then. it seems as if we are back to your regularly scheduled program of hopefully not reading this without my consent. I cannot read her writings properly, as is always the case, so I will have to assume she simply spoke of our little meeting and go from there.

Anyway, after our meeting, I hung out with the girls for a bit longer before sending them home so that I could get on with the rest of my evening. As much as I love them, I still have a job to do after all! Life, thankfully, is not all adventures and drama. Sometimes you actually get to stay home and do paperwork and relax while you catch up on work for a while.

Sadly, this was not one of those times mentioned latter. I was hard at work trying to reorganize the library to something more tolerable than pure alphabetical when I suddenly heard a loud CRASH from above, followed by some screaming until a rather scuffed up rainbow maned pegasus mare sat in the lobby of my library surrounded by rubble and coated in dust.

I was needless to say quite shocked. A few girlish screams on my part later, she recovered a bit, shaking her head and clopping her hooves against her noggin a bit before standing up and shaking off her coat. She shot me an apologetic look as she stroke a small pose, one hoof lifted "Heyyyy, how's it going, champ?" She looked to me, then up to the hole in my roof, then back to me. "H-heheh, don't worry about that. It's covered by my insurance as the town's lead weatherpony. Me and the mayor have an um...understanding." she says as she tilts her head, shaking a bit more rubble out of her ear.

"That is...reassuring to hear...." I said hesitantly as I slowly sauntered towards her, one eyebrow raised. I supposed with her natural daredevil take-charge sort of attitude, accidents of this nature would be more common than not. She must be some sort of weatherpony to be able to get the mayor to sign off on something like that. "So, er, was the entry on purpose, or was this crash pure chance?"

As if I had reminded her of something, her expression changed, she gave me a small displeased scowl and approached me as well! "Now that you mention it, yeah there was something I was wanting to bring up with you! Where have you been huh? It's been like, days since you showed up to work out after the first time! Are you not taking the guard seriously, Huh, pretty boy?" She asked as she poked a hoof into my chest while I gave her an embarrassed look of my own.

"O-oh er, apologies. I had business in the Everfree Forest today and the last few days have been erm, very hectic." As I mentioned the forest she gave me an incredulous look while I continued to speak. "Applejack, Cheerilee, and I had to go into the forest for reasons that will remain private, you can confirm I was there with either of them."

She gave a still somewhat incredulous snort and rolled her eyes. "Hmphh...fine, but you aren't doing anything right now, are you?" she asked as a grin I very much did not like started to crawl across her face.

"Oh well erm, no but that does not m-hey now wait for just a mi-ahhhh!" As I spoke I was being grabbed and pulled into the sky through the hole she had previously left, flailing about slightly as she carried me off to who knows where as the sun slowly set behind us. A perfect backdrop for all of the pony folk to see my humiliation at being man-erm...marehandled that way.

A very short flight later, we were back in that field from our first outing. She set me down gently enough and allowed me to get my bearings as she started to speak, landing next to me soon after. "Huh, alright. I admit, making it in and out of that forest takes some skill and more than a little luck and guts. You might just actually cut it as something more than window dressing for some snobby noble if we get you into shape, Big Boy." She says as she points to some equipment that she seemed to have ready. This must be a usual workout spot for her.

I take a long, soft breath and sigh just as softly, giving her my most unamused expression before trotting over to the equipment in question. "And I take it any attempts to leave before you are satisfied with my level of effort will result in you simply dragging me back here?"

She gave a slightly wider, more mean spirited smirk and nodded "Correctomundo, egghead. Now DROP AND GIVE ME FIFTY!"

Needless to say, it was another hard slog. made harder by the fact that I had exerted myself considerably earlier in the day. Fortunately, at the very least she kept her bucking hooves to herself.

She was even kind enough to join me on the ground while I jogged around the lake. She landed beside me and kept pace while I went at a steady pace, slightly out of breath but hanging in. "So, you, and Applejack huh? I didn't take you for the type to go for an outdoorsy mare." She said innocently enough as We continued to jog.

"Oh. Well, what can I say. I am a sucker for a strong, independent lady who can hold her own." I say with an unsuccessful attempt at a running shrug as I looked over at her. What exactly was she getting at anyway?

"Huh, ya don't say..." she said, turning away as if thinking about something as we went ahead to trot in silence for a few long moments. "Yeah. I mean, Cheerilee I get, you are both pretty smart. I just well...it's an odd couple. A pretty cute one though, if I am being honest." Oh lord is she rambling? I think she is rambling.

"Well, opposites attract as they say, heheheh..." I say a bit awkwardly as I give her a slightly uncomfortable look that she does not seem to catch, caught up in her own thoughts before she turns to look back at me once more.

"So, you do plan on actually sticking to our workout routine now, right?" She asked, squinting at me and leaning in...a bit closer than I was comfortable with. her expression was...a bit intense, and not the sort one would expect from that statement. more like she wanted to see me more. No doubt to continue to amuse herself with torturing me.

"Look. if you think that these sessions are going to be in my best interest going forward, I am sure you know a bit better than I do. We can continue this, But I will need you to er...tone down the intensity just a tad?" I say as I slow to a stop so I can look at her properly, trying to impress this on her. "Assisting me is all well and good, But I will not be dragged out here without my consent again, si that understood?" I asked, walking closer to her, looming over her, and looking down at her with a fairly intense expression of my own.

She seemed to back down a bit, giving me a...strangely pleased expression, as if I had passed some sort of test in her mind. A small one, but still an important one it seemed. She then rallied and stretched herself up to try to match my height, failing miserably as she locked eyes with me challengingly, giving my hoof another poke. "And what if I don't, huh egghead? You gonna read at me till I fall asleep, tell me a bed-time story?"

As she poked my coat, my aura enshrouded her hoof and tugged her hoof firmly. My horn was screaming at me that I had already done too much today, but I was...a bit miffed with her. My aura taking that strange more deeply red color as I hovered her over the lake as she squealed in surprise. And while she was still trying to figure out what was going on, I dropped her in from a few feet above with a soft splash. no time to get her wings under her from that distance, she fell right in, jackpot!

I chuckled as I rubbed my head with a hoof, wincing slightly but maintaining my bravado. "Then I will deal with you myself. I will not be bullied."

She quickly extracted herself from the shallows of the lake with a bit of undignified splashing and thrashing and shouting about, dredging herself to the shores and shaking her coat dry while giving me another smirk. What was she happy about anyway? Did she like it when I stuck it to her or something? man, girls are weird here.

"Hmphhh...fine. I'll play nice for now. I'm sorry I treated you like that. How about lunch on me to make up for it, Big Guy?" She asked as she elbowed my ribs gently, playfully. "I know a place in town that serves a mean hayburger."

I smiled softly back at her and shrugged, deciding it was best not to look a gift mare in the mouth. "You know what, Dash? That sounds just fine."

The hayburgers, in all fairness, were quite good. I was reasonably placated by the mares' offerings of food as I sat at a booth across from her in a small bistro-esque restaurant on the outskirts of town. I was quite happily and heartily dining on the grilled sandwich as Rainbow Dash was...being Rainbow Dash, giving me concerning looks, having already scarfed down her food like a madmare. She leaned forward a bit, putting her chin in her hoof. "So uh, enjoying the food huh? never had a hayburger before or something?"

"No, actually," I said as I set the burger down to speak to her. "They did not have a lot of the sort of food they have here where I was from. "It was mostly seafood and the like."

She gave me a surprised look and sat up a bit straighter, seeming a bit intrigued. "Ponies eat fish where you are from? I mean, it's a lot more common in pegasus ponies, but I haven't really heard of other kinds of ponies eating any sort of meat in their diets."

I paused for a split second, realizing my error before rolling with it, shrugging. "The bounty of the Gulf of Mexicolt is great and generous. the bounty of the swamps when farmed, less so." I said as I patted at the corner of my mouth with a napkin, held in my magical grasp.

That actually reminded me, there is probably a metric fuck ton of unexploited resources I could invest in back in the colonies if what I am hearing about the approximate relative time period is correct and the parallels to my own world go that far. Certainly worth consideration even if nothing else. A note for later I suppose.

"Hm, that's fair. Apparently, from what they taught us at school in Cloudsdale, pegasi evolved to eat fish because we were uh...what's it called...oh yeah, nomads! We migrated over large bodies of water all the time. not a lot of plants there." She said as she nodded and leaned in a bit again, resuming her previous posture.

I blinked slowly and tilted my head, making a note of that. "Really, that sounds fascinating, Rainbow Dash. I will admit that I was not expecting that sort of trivia from a mare of your er...." I trailed off slowly, not sure how to call her a jock without being a prick about it, to be honest. Luckily I was saved from having to recover by her natural inclination towards self-aggrandizement.

"What, you think just because I prefer flying over being in some dusty tree library all day that I'm not smart? Just because I can't read doesn't mean I don't have a good head on my shoulders."

"Well, I suppose that is-....wait...you can't read?" I asked, my voice equal parts restrained amusement and obvious pity, trying to keep a straight face and not smile. I certainly had no desire to hurt her feelings, even if I was not too terribly fond of her.

She gave me a somewhat wary, vulnerable look, shying back a bit in a display of emotions I had not seen from her before. She seemed...exposed for a lack of a better word. "Y-yeah, so what about it!?" She asked, snapping at me a bit louder than before as she leaned forward, pounding a hoof against the table challengingly.

I did not flinch, meeting her gaze gently, putting a hoof over her own, and leaning in slowly. She blushed somewhat as I did so, seeming momentarily cowed before I started to speak, giving her a firm look now. "That is unnacceptable. Books are our gateway to knowledge and adventure unending! I am going to make sure you learn," I finished more firmly
than I started, not breaking eye contact.

Her ears fell back a bit on her head as she settled down into her seat again, not removing her hoof from under mine as she met my gaze, leaning in a bit closer. "You don't have to do that, Big Guy. it's not a big deal, really..." she said as she continued to lean in a bit closer, ever so slowly, looking at me that odd way again.

I sat back, removing my hoof and shaking my head, leaving her looking...a bit silly I would say, I am not sure why she leaned in so far. "I insist. Here, how about this. I will join you in the mornings around sunrise for your er...training sessions, where available. And in return in the evenings, you will come over at least a few nights an evening while I am not otherwise preoccupied and I will teach you how to read." Of course, I had only learned how to read recently, But I did have previous experience. The differences between English and Equuish aside from lettering were negligible once you are used to it.

She seemed to think about it. She certainly seemed more interested Once I offered to humor her. even more so for some reason when I mentioned my late night availability. "Hmmmm...you know, now that you explain it that way, I guess that sounds fair. yeah, sure thing!" she says, seeming a bit more excited about the idea as she spoke.

I smiled wider at her and gave a pleased nod "I am very happy you see things my way Rainbow Dash." I said kindly as I stood up from the booth and walked over to the counter to request a bag for my leftovers.

She followed behind momentarily, smirking in a worryingly devious way for a moment until I turned around and saw that I could see her, quickly acting more innocent as she asked, "Does that mean that you are available this evening? I mean, we did my training, so it is only fair, right?"

I shrug and think for a moment before nodding. "I was going to be doing some light reading before bed anyway, so I suppose that is fine." I said as I beckoned with my head towards the door. "off we go then!" I said with as much enthusiasm as I could muster on a full stomach after a workout.

An hour and a bit of fuss later, I was deep into teaching Rainbow Dash the basics. she already had somewhat of a grasp on the alphabet and sounding out words at least. it was easy enough to start filling in the gaps. We were sitting together on the couch, and she was leaning her head on my shoulder as I worked through a basic Equuish learning textbook I had found somewhere collecting dust.

"So you see, it's ♓︎ before ♏︎ Except after ♍︎, or when sounded as ♋︎, as in ■︎♏︎♓︎♑︎♒︎♌︎□︎❒︎ and ⬥︎♏︎♓︎♑︎♒︎," I said gently to her as if addressing a school filly, giving her a gentle smile as I pointed on the page at the appropriate passage with my hoof.

She seemed to be tolerating the way I was speaking to her, if not outright finding it pleasant. She nodded along slowly as her own hoof slowly drifted down to my thigh, slowly creeping up it as she looked up at me. "Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. Thank you teach. You sure do have a good head on your shoulders for a stallion, no offense..."

My eyes flicked down to where her hoof was crawling towards places best not mentioned in polite company. I do not, however, consider anyone reading this as such. The crazy mare was trying to fondle my boys! I gently, firmly pushed her hoof away from my stallionhood and raised an eyebrow. "I appreciate the compliment, but flattery will certainly not get you that far, Miss Dash," I said firmly, trying to impress upon her with my town that that was not something I was interested in at the moment, my blush admittedly conflicting with my intended message somewhat.

She certainly seemed to think that there was something more to my words than the words being said. "Oh come on, Rose. You don't have to play hard to get with me. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love a good chase. But don't you think you have been playing dumb for long enough?" she asks as she gently slides a hoof around my shoulder to pull me in a bit closer giving me...that look again.

Ohhhhh, so that's what that look means, I thought to myself as she pulled me in closer. I did my best to try to reason with her, placing a hoof on her chest to try to gently push her away, but goodness was it not easy. The mare was fairly strong, to be honest. I was not the slightest bit surprised by that, but I was not expecting her grip to be quite that firm! "I, I think there has been a misunderstanding. I have not b-been playing at anything, Rainbow Dash!" I insisted a bit pleadingly as I wiggled against her as our chests pressed together.

She stopped her advance, seeming to understand that I was being serious when I actually pushed back on her a bit, laxing her forelegs grip around me, pulling her other hoof away from where it had been about to start groping me again. Her ears fell a bit. "O-oh. Did I do something wrong? I mean, you let me take you to dinner, you invited me back to your place and let me snuggle up to you for an hour and you were talking to me so gently. Was it something I said? Did I move in too fast?" She sounded a bit forlorn, lightly anxious even! it was certainly a side of her I was seeing more of than I would have thought.

I sighed softly as I rubbed a hoof against my face, looking at her with a gentle expression, trying to figure this out. "I think what we have here is a failure to communicate. Rainbow Dash, I am not from around here, you know that. What does a mare do in Equestria when she wants to er...attract a stallion?"

"Oh! Well, she will usually try to spend some time around him to see if she is interested first. it will usually be after the heat season so that she has time to make a good choice. she'll scope him out for a few days, chat him up, try to see if he has qualities she likes. Then She will try to get him somewhere private to er...show her interest properly." She says, her face turning slightly pink as she swallows before continuing. "she will um...ask him if he wants to buck, or try to come onto him, and if he's into it, they will do it together. Then after that, they decide if they both want to uh, make more out of it, and if they have good compatibility, she might officially join his herd if he asks her to after a few months or years."

Actually, looking back, that does make a bit more sense. Sex here seems to be more of a casual affair since there is a defined time when pregnancy is a possibility. And with fewer males, the mares have to be more aggressive in expressing their interest to get attention and compete with other, potentially more ready and willing mares with less moral scruples about seducing some poor stallion, but the stallion does seem to have the final say on if it happens for her or not.

That being said, I did still have a somewhat vulnerable mare on my hands here, who was probably more than a little worried after being so honest with me without her usual brash persona backing it up.

Goodness, I wish I was better in these delicate social situations.

"Hmmm...okay Rainbow Dash. I suppose since you went to all the trouble of er...putting yourself out there like this, and I did somewhat unintentionally lead you on...I can give you my time this evening. However." I said quickly as I saw her perk up. "Just this once, unless I decide I wish to pursue this further, understood?" The last thing I needed was another Cheerilee situation on my hands. As much as I did enjoy the mare's company, she was much to er...possessive for how little time we had known each other.

Rainbow Dash gave me a small nod, still fairly perked up even after my caveat. "Fair 'Nuff, Big Guy," she said with a smirk as she pulled me in close again, running a hoof down my back slowly as she slid herself gently into my lap proper.

I think I am going to call it here, I need to sit down and reflect on my life choices, and decide if I want to continue assailing any potential readers with my er...exploits. I shall return to the task tomorrow.

I walked slowly up the stairs, Rainbow Dash following close behind me, not so subtlety giving my flanks plenty more than a once over as we ascended. I swallowed a bit nervously and spoke to her about it. “You know, they will still be there once we get to the top of the stairs, yes?”

She blinked, seeming to realize she was staring and tried to play it off with a shrug “Uh, yeah I guess. I was just enjoying the view is all, no big deal.”

We made it to the top of the stairs, just outside of the area that constituted my bedroom, and I turned to speak a bit more seriously. “L-look Rainbow. I just want to make sure that I am being absolutely clear that what we are doing in no way indicates a willingness for a commitment on my part at this time. This is just for your sake, to er.....tone down the sexual tension a bit so that it is not so easily cut with a knife...” I said as I opened the door with my magic, turning to walk inside. “We do this one time, for now at least, and we go about things afterwards like mature adults until something more comes of it naturally, if anything does. Am I making myself clear enough?”

The mare sighed softly and nodded, rolling her eyes a bit. “Yeah, yeah. You’re coming in loud and clear, Big Guy,” she said as she followed me inside, closing the door. “Just a quick rut to help me clear my head. No worries. I’ll have plenty of time to court you properly after this, with how much we’ll be seeing of each other.” She finishes as she gives me a sly grin, slowly sauntering towards my bed. “So uh....how do you wanna do this?” She asks me in a more sultry tone.

I cleared my throat softly as I looked down at her. She was, as most mares seemed to be, a head or two shorter than I was. Her figure was similar to Applejack, now that I am thinking about it. Powerful, and toned, ready for action. But also different. Sleeker, more slender. Built for speed and not for power, not that she probably did not have plenty of both. “Well, how about we start slowly. Let’s just see about getting comfortable in the bed for now. Maybe some cuddling and we can see how we feel from there,”

She scoffed softly at this and shrugged. “Pffft, that’s so lame. But it’s your call I guess.” She finishes quickly, changing her tone partway through and giving me a slightly sheepish expression. “H-heh, Sorry. I’m used to being the one in charge during. We can go slow if that's what you need...” She says, kicking slightly at the floorboards with her hoof.

I smiled and nodded to her appreciatively. it made sense that she would be used to taking the lead, especially with how assertive and brash she tends to be. I climbed into my bed and settled in, striking a playful pose, resting my head on a hoof with my elbow on the pillow, one leg stretched out behind me as my tail flicked slowly. "Your consideration is appreciated. Now come over here and hold me before I decide that this was a bad idea," I said with a small teasing grin on my face.

She bit her lip softly and made her way slowly to the bed, climbing in with me. I made room for her to get comfortable, and we shifted so that we had our forelegs around one another, mine around her waist and hers over my shoulders.

I ran my hooves slowly up and down her back, humming a bit as I leaned in to nuzzle against her neck and chest reassuringly, causing her to blush a bit more heavily than before. "H-heheh, really not used to all this lovey-dovey stuff, to be honest..." she said softly into my ear as she pressed in a bit closer.

She smelled faintly of several different sorts of artificial fruit flavors, and I restrained myself from making the obvious connections aloud as I slid up a bit to gently hold her to my own larger chest, petting her hair with one hoof and rubbing between her wings with the other. "Well, I hope 'not used to' does not mean 'displeased by' in this case. I for one am enjoying er...feeling a mare out for once. Foreplay is surprisingly nice." I commented back to her as my hoof brushed over a small bump at the base of her wing.

She drew a slightly shaky breath, her face reddening more as she hid herself in the fluff of my chest and let out a tiny moan.

Well, that is behavior I would expect more from Fluttershy. She must be fairly embarrassed to be allowing me to dictate our intercourse. and that was a very pleasant reaction I just got from her. I wonder... I thought as I pressed my hoof more firmly on that spot, pushing it down.

This prompted a much louder moan from her, the vibrations nuzzling muffledly against my chest until she pulled her face from it's hiding spot. her back arched and her wings flared and she gripped me significantly tighter than before as I hit what was apparently a very sensitive area on a pegasus. "A-Ahhhhh!~ Oh, buck me, Rose. Warn a girl if you are going to go for her FC cluster! I thought you wanted to take it slow." She said more softly towards the end, clearly very aroused by the stimulation I had just provided if the dampness on my thigh was anything to go by as she ground herself slowly against me.

As much as I really did not want to spoil the mood with an anatomy lesson, I wanted to make sure I knew what it was that I had done to make her feel good. "FC cluster...?" I asked softly as I slowly, much more gently rolled my hoof over the area experimentally.

She shuddered happily and leaned into my touch, slowly kissing along my neck with a small smirk, which admittedly elicited more than a few small mewls on my part.

"O-ohhh, that's good...poor stallion, you don't know?" She asked as she pulled back a bit to meet my eyes. "The Fuga Clavem cluster. it's a nerve bundle that connects the wings to the rest of the body, and it's very-AHHH!" She squealed out as I pressed down on it a bit harder again, speeding up the rolling of her hips. "S-sensitive...now stop being a nerd and-"

She gasped as my horn lit up, two small spots of light now shining from the bases of both wings as I rolled on top of her, looking down at her with a wide grin. I kneaded the sensitive, delicate areas slowly under the grip of my magic, delighting in seeing her squirming helplessly under me, reduced momentarily to a wide-eyed mewling mess. "And what, Miss Dash?" I asked in a soft but firm, authoritative tone as I kissed her nose, letting off a bit so that she could get her bearings.

After a few shuddering breaths and a moment to collect herself, she looked up at me, seeming more than a little...excited. In a way I had not seen before. She seemed a bit hesitant, but at the same time oh so eager, practically pleading to me with her eyes as she shakily said "D-do that, what you are doing right now, Big Guy." She said as she spread her legs and tilted her head to one side in a position of intentional vulnerability.

Oh how delicious! it seemed as though she was taking a great deal more pleasure In my dominance than she was anticipating! I smiled a bit wider down at her. between her alluring demeanor, her lovely scent, and my growing excitement, I felt myself begin to unsheathe, slowly allowing my length to crawl up her stomach, resting high on her belly.

She looked down, presumably to see what I was packing as the process unfolded. "Well, about time the little guy came out to p...p...penis...big." She said, slowly stuttering to a stop as her eyes fell upon my...admittedly above average endowments. One could practically see the hearts in her eyes as she looked down the barrel of my drooling length while it twitched and lightly dampened her fur.

"Yes, thank you for your astute observation, Miss Dash." I said with a soft chuckle as I leaned forward, gently pinning her hooves under my own, allowing the base of my length to rub along her winking, slick marehood as our breaths both occasionally hitched. She was squirming again now under me, more desperately this time. now, she had seen what I had to offer and she wanted it. I noted her need and continued to speak.

"However, the length and girth are not what is in question here. The real question is..." I leaned down slowly and whispered into her ear. "What am I going to do to you with it?" I finished in a low, sultry tone before nibbling on her ear, eliciting another oh so adorable squeal from her.

My teasing was starting to drive her closer to the edge it seemed, but as close as I was driving her, I wanted to be careful not to tip her quite yet. I wanted to make the poor mare work for her reward, just a little more. She whimpered softly and pleadingly sounded out for me "W-whatever you want to do is fine, J-just please let me cum, Sir!"

Hearing her use that term in reference to me, in this situation, made me twitch quite a bit down below. needless to say, this was hitting all sorts of switches I was unaware I had. An experience I am sure we were both having. I decided that enough was enough, it was time to put the poor mare out of her misery.

I got off of her and leaned back on my haunches, smiling down at her and nodding. "very well. present yourself to me Miss Dash. face down, flanks up. I am going to make sure we both have our prize."

in a matter of moments, she was on her stomach, face in the pillows, flanks in the air, tail flagged for me. She was muttering needily still into the cushion under her but I was unable to decipher it. it was unimportant in the moment. All the was important was the sight before me. her drenched, soft marehood, clenching repeatedly around nothing as her clit winked in and out underneath her aching entrance.

I leaned forward once again and bit my lip, taking a long, slow breath against her nethers, making her shiver a bit and whine as she shook her behind a little bit to try to entice me. I laughed softly and ran a hoof along her side comfortingly. "Here we go..." I said softly as I leaned forward and gave her a long, slow lick downwards, using my magic to stimulate her still gently grasped pleasure points at the same time as I took her clit into my mouth and gently swirled my tongue at the end of my lick.

That, it seemed, was more than enough for her. After the teasing I had put her through a bit of proper stimulation was all it took to have her unleash a deluge of pleasantly fragrant fluids across my snout as I worked her pulsing bulb over in my maw. She let out a loud, wavering cry as her face rose from the pillows and her back arched again, wings aimlessly flapping out of sync as I took her over the edge. "O-oh buuuuuuuuck, bucking Tartarus Rose YEEEES!" She exclaimed before her front half collapsed into the pillow again, back half barely able to support itself. her hind legs trembled helplessly as I continued to work her over through and after her climax before pulling away with a wet pop.

"Mphhh....you have a very pleasant flavor miss Dash. I will enjoy sampling it again in the future should we pursue this further." I said as I casually leaned forward, finally mounting her.

As she felt my forelegs wrap around her barrel and my weight press her into the bed, a small chant of "yesyesyesyesyesyes" terminated from the mare as she looked back at me, reaching back with her hooves to spread her flanks invitingly. She was beyond ready for me, and to be honest, I was more than ready to give her what she craved.

With a few moments to line myself up, I released her pleasure points from my grasp and pushed the head against her folds. I did not want to accidentally break her wings in the throes of pleasure. Instead, as my flared head stretched her open and entered with a wet slick sound, I did the next best thing. one hoof slid down to cup one of her teats, kneading slowly as the other went to the base of her wing.

As she felt my touch, her eyes widened a bit again before rolling back slightly in pleasure before she regained some focus, trying her best to stay with me in the moment as I slowly opened her up. "Y-you really know how to treat a mare. Most stallions just stick it in and get it over with..." she said softly, almost seeming in a trance-like state of satisfaction as she leaned into my touches, pushing back firmly against me until I was buried deeeep inside of her.

I will not lie. She was incredibly tight and hot against me. I could feel every errant twitch and contraction of her marehood as I rested balls deep inside of her. 12/10 cunt on this one, very cool. her firm flanks felt lonely to rest my hips against as well. "I-i Suppose I am just built differently than other stallions." I said with a small internal grin before I well...started giving it to her.

No, that is too polite a term for what I did. I ruined this poor mare. I beat her pussy up like I was attempting to catch domestic abuse charges. one moment everything was very still, and I was sensually caressing her from behind, the next minute, my hips slid back and I slammed forward and never looked back. my powerful loins crashed against her lovely behind again and again as I fucked her, bred her like she deserved. my breath came fast and hot against the nape of her neck as I kissed and bit and continued groping her clumsily, greedily now as we coupled fervently.

She was no slouch either! After a few moments of shocked silence and stillness as I laid into her, she started to slam back into me in equal measure, harder even as she screamed her lungs out "OH, OH BUCK ME ROSE, BUCK ME LIKE A LITTLE SLUT!" she demanded as she looked back at me, her expression having gone back to something more closely approximating the confident mare I oh so loved to be indifferent towards. And to be honest, I would not have her any other way, and I certainly would not have in that intimate moment.

We continued like this for what seemed like an eternity, but what I later found out was only about thirty minutes or so. Certainly enough to reduce the cocky, eager mare under me to a fuckdrunk mess pleading for my seed. And as my climax approached, I was all too happy to give it to her.

I slammed forth one final time, letting myself dig as deep into her as I could, pressing up snugly to her deeper entrance as I allowed my balls to clench and tighten, unloading rope after rope into her from behind.

"H-hot, so hot, so much!" she said as loudly as she could after making herself quite hoarse (hahah horse) from all of her screams of delight. She pressed back against me as firmly as she could before after a few moments, going slack. her hindquarters only still in the air from being impaled on my still ejaculating member as I filled her enough to cause it to leak out around my shaft from her stretched tight lips.

As soon as my orgasm subsided, I collapsed atop her, panting heavily, chest heaving as I pulled her in close and put us both on our sides. I kissed gently along her neck, muttering soft, sweet nothings to her as she reveled in the attention and the afterglow of our admittedly mind-blowing coupling.

"T-there, better?" I asked gently as I ran a hand along her belly as she nodded in agreement.

"Y-yeah, a lot better, thanks Big Guy." She said contentedly as we both basked in the moments afterwards.

"So uh...Sir?"

"Shut up and keep that thing in me until it goes soft."

And so we spooned the rest of the night and slept together, it was pretty ballin, to be honest.

The next morning I awoke to find that Rainbow Dash was already gone. A bit disappointing I suppose but expected. The weather does not simply take care of itself, after all. She had, however, in leu of a written note, left me a scrap of paper that read in a shaky hoof writing ‘Deer Rose’, followed by several admittedly decently drawn diagrams.

One was me with what seemed to be lines coming off of me, several vaguely female looking pony figures seeming interested, and one with a hat looking upset with an x next to it. The other had what seemed to be me in the shower with a checkmark next to it.

Ah yes, pheromones. I thought to myself as I trotted toward the bathroom. The girls would probably be upset if I wandered through the streets stinking of mare sex for every pony to ogle as if I was some open for business hussy.

I went ahead and got myself as clean as possible. A small hint of skittles remained on my person, but at least I no longer reeked of raw unadulterated fuckmusk. Once I was out of the shower, I did some stretches, tended to Walter, and Practiced my base for thirty-minute before making myself breakfast and then brushing my teeth, combing my hair, and putting on my tie and collar.

I smiled softly, pleased that I seemed to have gotten myself into a decent morning schedule. Once I had settled in up front with the library open and Walter on my desk beside me, perched on my empty coffee mug, I decided to do some long-overdue reading in the finer points of Pony Courtship and Gender Roles.

As I read, I was quite surprised by a lot of what I read, but at the same time, not very much at all In some respects. As you may already be aware. Unlike in our world, where the approximate equality of males to females for humans in terms of population percentage by default leaves women to be considered more valuable overall due to the resources required to protect and nurture a pregnant woman and her progeny, In equestrian society, the sheer gender imbalance was enough to stop the scales the opposite way, with stallions being rare enough to warrant the protection of one over any given mare from a sheerly primitive standpoint of continuing the species, as if a mare was attacked by a predator or some other unfortunate situation, it would be far easier to find another mare than the opposite.

With relatively recent developments in medical spells (relatively recent being the last few thousand years. oddly enough new spells are not created very often. a note for another time), there are potions which allow a stallion to greatly increase the likelihood of impregnating a mare with another stallion. However, they seem to still be having difficulty pushing the ratio much further towards even than ten to one or so as opposed to say, fifty to one. The likelihood of a stallion to produce male progeny does have a genetic component from what I gather, though they put it more in terms of breeding lineages and such since well...they do not seem to have cracked genetics quite yet.

In any case, with these significant but relatively recent changes in terms of biological change, the need is lessened, if still there, while the instinct remains strong for most mares. This biological expectation of the female to provide for and defend the male of course leads mares to generally, especially to be more prone to aggressiveness, risk-taking behaviors outside of periods of pregnancy, and to have generally higher muscle mass and bone density than an average male.

However, the expectation of multiple mares to a stallion also means that mares have a sort of...pack instinct, for lack of a more polite, appropriate term. mares generally have better teamwork with one another and are more prone to successful long-term cooperation than stallions, and in ancient times would often work together to secure the same male. direct one on one competition for males is rare between familiar mares. This works out better than the opposite for humans I suppose. After all, both mares can successfully get pregnant by the same male, and if the male is not the provider, there is no overt need for harsh competition outside of jealousy born from perfectly normal emotional needs.

However, A stallion can only feasibly emotionally support and -ahem- maintain effectiveness for propagation with so many mares. Therefore there is a bit of a "get it while it's hot" attitude amongst mares. After all, if you do not make a move on that stallion down the street, some other gaggle of mares will likely not be so hesitant, therefore competition between cliques of mares seeking the same stallion is more commonplace.

As for the role of stallions, by and large, they were expected to do a few things. Look nice, form a herd, care for the home and reproduce. it was much like what was expected of human females back in the day my most accounts. Stallions are, of course, expected to be somewhat choosy about selecting mates. Not as much as human females are since after all, they are not the ones that have to carry the baby. But they do generally have the final say of who gets to reproduce between the two until the mare is actually pregnant. From there it is generally expected, at least here in modernity, for the stallion to look after the mares emotional needs, and make sure she is not overexerting herself while pregnant.

Stallions generally, are encouraged to take up more...passive pursuits, according to some of the magazines I perused in the lobby. Knitting, baking, sewing, gardening, farming, guarding powerful princesses who can obliterate most ponies with a thought and do not require guarding or nobles who have very little chance of being assassinated, teaching, etc. Low-risk occupations. There are certainly more than a few well-renowned warrior stallions and the like, but those seem to be more the exception than the rule.

With this newfound information about the past of ponykind and their cultural development, I was...slightly more forgiving of Applejack's off-hand sexist remarks and behaviors and Rainbow Dash's...forwardness. it was all not too atypical behavior. Though Applejack seems to be a more traditional sort of mare in her thoughts on stallions she was at least willing to assist me when she knew it mattered to me in the forest, so that was a good sign. And if I did not actually impregnate her, then I would certainly have my options should I find myself unable to stand it.

This did however make Cheerilee's previous behavior towards other mares stand out as particularly concerning, however. She had promised to work on it, but the poor thing seemed quite er...needy for lack of a better word. She wanted a greater deal of my attention than the average mare would find tasteful. By a considerable degree even! Something to keep an eye on.

I was admittedly not terribly into the entire monogamy thing even back home. I had had my fair share of polyamorous relationships, so that did not bother me all too much, I had plenty enough love to give in my opinion. The question was, were the mares I was currently considering giving it to the right mares for me. My gut reaction was "possibly". I never was one for a strong conviction towards one answer or another on the day to day matters of the heart. I save my strong convictions for when I am ready when i know I know I believe something.

In any case, I am going to segment my diary entry here and tag it with a small note to inform anyone reading that there is not much to see here in terms of my actual day, and resume writing my actual diary momentarily.

Moving on! I was soon greeted by a pleasantly familiar sight. A gaggle of foals soon streamed into my Library, led by none other then Cheerilee herself.

She smiled softly as she approached me after getting her little flock of foals situated, smiling as she swayed her way over. her ankle was still wrapped and I saw a slight limp and somewhat of a pained expression on her face whenever she put her weight on it. "Rose! So nice to see you, dear." She said as she made her way right up to the desk. "All of the little ones were so excited to come back this week. it seems the class has taken a bit of a shining to you. Not that I can blame them." She says as she raised a hoof and gently ran it across my cheek, caressing it gently.

I blushed slightly and shook my head once the caress ended, clearing my throat. "Well, I am certainly glad to hear that. a bit less glad to see you having to walk around with that though. Sore, I take it?" I asked as I gestured to her hoof.

She gave me a small grimace and nodded "Hmmm, yes, unfortunately." she said with a small sigh. "it seems I overextended it just a tad. I had the doctor look at it this morning and he said that it would take a week or so to recover fully.

I smiled softly and leaned forward a bit, speaking softly to her so the foals could not hear "Well, how about you take a break and go sit down on that couch over there while I tell the foals some stories and play them some songs, huh?" I asked kindly as I stood up from my seat onto my hooves and walked around the desk and towards my steps. "Get the little ones together, I am going to go grab a few of my effects."

A quick nod of agreement from her later and I was up, then back down the stairs quickly, my lovely bass guitar trailing behind me in the aura of my magic. it had been quite a unique challenge learning how to play again without fingers, using my magic in tandem with my hooves instead.

However, I felt I was finally ready to perform in public. Something I had never even done when I was a human. I suppose my experiences here have rendered me a mite more confident than before. a pleasant change to note to be sure.

"Alright everypony, come on, Cheerilee has turned you all over to me for a while so she can rest her hooves," I said in a clear, friendly tone as I pulled a chair over to the area where all fo the colts were milling about. They Heard me and some of them looked towards me, seeing my instrument and getting the attention of the others who in turn seemed interested and before long, they were all gathered 'round.

Cheerilee came over to explain what was going on "I am feeling a tad under the weather today, little ones, so Mister Tint here is going to give you all a break from classwork by singing you some songs and telling you some stories from where he is from."

Applebloom, who was sitting towards the front with her little compadres, chipped in happily. "Yeah, he's from the uh...colonies In Amareica, Right?" She asked sweetly as she gave me a slightly unsure tilted head look.

I smiled kindly down at her and nodded. "That is right, Applebloom. I am from down in Louwhinnyana. Folks where I'm from have a lot of very interesting songs and stories that I think you might all enjoy." I said with a little smile as I got situated with my bass, making sure I was in a comfortable playing position when another of the little ones chimed in.

This one was a pink coated young mare, with a purple and white mane, situated next to a mother young mare, a grey one with a ponytail and glasses. "My father says that the colonists are all backward, antagonistic ruffians who only ended up in Amareica because no one else would take them." She said with the smarmiest tone I ( hope to ever hear come out of the mouth of such an otherwise perfectly cute filly as her friend chuckled in agreement.

I clicked my tongue and shook my head "Ah, mon petite ânesse, your père sounds like a real knucklehead, no intent to offend." I said, smirking softly as I started to tune my bass and she gave me a dumbstruck expression as several of her classmates chuckled at her. I absolutely cannot stand a bitch to not be put in her place, pint-sized or not. "now then, everyone simmer down. Gah, this performance would be so much better with a few more instruments, maybe a drum, and an accordion..."

Right as I was saying this, who else should appear from behind my desk than Pinkie Pie herself, sporting an impressive one-man...er...mare band array. "I go where I am needed!" she calls out, saluting me with a semi-serious expression before giving a happy wide smile as the little ones cheered for her appearance.

That was...concerning. how did she get there without me seeing, let alone with such a large ensemble? I raised an eyebrow making a note to save it for later. I never was one to look a gift horse in the mouth, and I suppose that has gone and carried over to ponies where applicable.

I gave my new apparent bandmate a warm smile, putting aside my concern for now, we had children to entertain. "Oh well er...that is right neighborly of you to offer, Pinkie. What were you doing behind my desk anyway?"

"Oh, I was just trying to get into your diary so I could find your birthday, but it wouldn't open," she says somewhat disturbingly casually.

I give what is sure to become a long-suffering sigh with the passage of time and shrug "alright, just follow my lead please."

And so we played about four or five songs for the little ones together. I was a bit rusty on the singing, but with her backing me up, somehow knowing the lyrics, it was alright. I made sure to ponify the lyrics a tad to make sure nothing was too out of place, but otherwise, things were smooth sailing!

( Rose Tin't's Performance Playlist can be found here )

The performances were met with quite reasonable enjoyment from most of the ponies, save for two. I will allow you to guess which two they were. it made sense, Ponyville was full of decent rural folks who no doubt appreciated a good accordion as much as the next pony.

But I was getting a bit tired in the forelegs from all of that bass playing, and I did not want to expend too much magic when I still needed to put books away and such later, not to mention my training session and studies. So I put the bass away. I nodded my appreciation to the pink party pony, smiling softly. "Thank you very much, Pinkie. You are welcome to come over and jam with me anytime."

"Okie Dokie Lokie! that sounds like loads of fun!" She said before hopping her way clean out of an open window and down the street again, her instruments clanging as she did so.

I gave another soft sigh and shrugged. sometimes you had to let things go.

I turned back to the foals and spoke again. "Alright, I am done playing for now, but how about a story instead? This is one my parents would tell me when I was your age!" I said as I thought of one I had memorized.

The foals scooted and leaned in a bit closer as I started to speak, seeming eager. "Epossumundus the Possum was swinging on the porch one day when a Skunk came pussyfooting by..."

-about half an hour later-

"...And since then, No Possum has ever had hair on their tail." I finished with a small smile as I looked out on the crowd of young ponies. A few of them had gotten comfortable and fallen asleep during the story it seemed, while most seemed relaxed and satisfied.

"Ah reckon that's a mighty tall tail you told there, Mister Tint." Applebloom said with a giggle as she stood up and stretched out, having been sitting still for longer than I would say is good for anypony her age.

"Hey! I wonder if Fluttershy has any possums that she could ask if the story is true?" Scootaloo said as she looked over at Applejack and Sweetie Belle.

As the three of them made afternoon plans, Cheerilee got up from her own seat, looking somewhat refreshed. "Alright kids, go find a book to check out and line up at the desk so Mister Tint Can assist you."

A few disappointed Awwwwes later, I was getting the little ones situated with some books, making recommendations based on what each foal seemed interested in after taking a few minutes to speak with them. I figured if these little foals were going to be here often I might as well take an interest in helping them to grow.

One in particular who was a bit hard was an adorable little foal called Peppermint Twist. She had a red curly man and an adorable little set of glasses on her. She reminded me of myself when I was about her age, to be honest. she seemed a bit apprehensive about speaking to her peers unless she was spoken to first but seemed happy when they did. nervous, but friendly.

She seemed to be going hither and thither, not able to settle on anything and looking a bit forlorn as she looked back at the clock. After getting her name from Cheerilee, I made my way over to her and gently tapped her shoulder with a hoof while she was looking at a... old-looking book about herbal remedies. huh.

She turned and looked up at me, smiling as she saw who it was "O-oh! Hello there Mister Tint." she says, smiling up at me pleasantly, beaming in that innocent way young children do. it seemed a bit less than genuine though. Not because she did not seem happy to see me, but because she seemed a bit less than happy in general. I supposed being the only one of her classmates who could not find a topic that interested her in a culture where your interests can end up defining you is not a cash money look.

"Hello, Peppermint Twist." I said simply, gently as I leaned down to be closer to her eye level. I see you are having some trouble finding anything good. Would you like some assistance?" I asked her, being straightforward and gentle. I always tended to be direct with kids. Kids can sense when you are trying to bullshit them after a certain age. You can only tell them you are going to tell Chase from Paw Patrol they have been misbehaving for so long before they call bullshit. I feel like it is better to just be a bit more open and honest with kids, they will often surprise you by how readily they understand things you thought they might not yet be able to comprehend properly if you explain it to them correctly.

Anyway, getting back to the situation at hoof. The little filly gave me a happy, wider more genuine smile and nodded "I_i would really appreciate that a whole lot, sir! What suggestions do you have?"

"Well, let's start with a quick question. Do you have anypony in town you think is really awesome."

"Well everyone thinks R-"

"Aside from Miss Dash." I corrected myself gently, not speaking over her but simply continuing as if i had not stopped before giving her a sheepish smile. "Sorry, I should have been more specific."

She giggled softly and nodded "Well, the cakes are really cool! I love how they work so hard making delicious stuff for everyone in Ponyville. And I have been watching Miss Bon Bon make her candies every once in a while. it looks fun!"

"Say no more, Twist." I said cheerfully as I trotted over to the appropriate section and found a book titled "Delicious Treats That Can't Be Beat: A Beginners Recipe Book for Hard Candy Confections."

I then trotted my way back over to her with the book floating behind me before stopping in front of the little filly and presenting it to her. "Maybe something like this? it might be fun to make some candy of your own, right? Maybe you could get your parents to help you!"

As I brought up the idea she steadily got more excited until I finished speaking and she let out an adorable little squeak. "Ohhhh, thank you! Mister Tint!" she says as she hopped up and hugged me before snagging the book in her teeth and trotting off to the back of the line eagerly, all the while Cheerilee looked on approvingly, giving me that look she seemed to give me when she saw me interacting with her students.

I waved and smiled back at her, looking right pleased with myself I imagine, and she chuckled before turning to go and tend to her charges.

Once everyone seemed satisfied with the book they had, I checked them all out, and after a number of sweet, sincere goodbyes from a number of the students, it was just me and Cheerilee again. She trotted over and gave me a kiss on the nose, fluttering her eyelashes at me slightly. "I do love how good you are with the foals, dear. thank you so much for the help."

I smiled wide at her and nodded "oh it was nothing, they were an absolute delight. feel free to bring them over anytime when you need a little break.

She grinned softly back at me and chuckled happily. "I might just have to take you up on that, see you later, sweetie!" She said as she turned and trotted off again. She's honestly pretty adorable when she's...normal like that, Just a normal happy mare with her students.

Once everyone was gone, Walter and I had the run of the place once more. I went through the shelves to pick up and stow away some books I felt would be good to study in my spare time in my bedroom, locked up the library for a bit, and went out to enjoy the rest of my day.

It had truly been a wonderful morning.

The town seemed fairly quiet today. The little Crusaders were still in school for now, so there was none of their usual adorable ruckus disrupting the peace. And it seemed that there was nothing out of the ordinary going on either, strangely enough. Just a genuinely normal-

"Everypony, cheese it!"

a random background pony cried out suddenly as most everyone bolted inside immediately after. doors and shutters slammed, hooves stomped and a few other ponies gave dramatic screams as I whipped around, looking about in confusion as the ruckus stopped as quickly as it began, followed by an eerie dead silence.

I hummed softly as I continued to look to and fro, ears perked for any sign of danger as I slowly continued to walk through the street until I came upon a single other pony who seemed to still be out and about.

She was a zebra by the looks of her legs, wearing a brown cloak that concealed most of her body. she was leaving bits on the counters of various carts and taking what she seemed to be paying for. I decided that I would do the neighborly thing (haha neigh) and go over to strike up a conversation.

I approached her from the front to make sure she would see me coming, trying to start off with a casual joke. "Goodness, the service at these stalls just gets worse every year, doesn't it?" I asked with a small chuckle as I looked at the goods on display. it seemed to be carrots. I put a few bits down from my saddlebags and levitated a carrot to my face, taking a bite with a soft refreshing crunch and chewing as I looked back over to her. "Food is always good though. The name is Rose Tint, by the way. Sorry to just stroll up but you were looking a bit lonesome out here by yourself."

She seems more than a little bit surprised at my approaching her so casually at first, quickly relaxing with a small, cautious chuckle as she takes off her hood to look at me properly. She had quite a stunning mohawk, and a fetching assortment of jewelry if I do say so.

She smiled and nodded to me as I chewed on my little snack and spoke "Well met good stallion, and all too true. My name is Zecora, nice to meet you."

I raised a brow slightly at her rhythmic way of speaking and shrugged before resuming my speaking with her. "Well, Zecora. Would you by any chance know why all of these pony folk have decided that today is an excellent day to spend their time inside with the blinds drawn and the lights off?" I asked as I looked around, still somewhat confused by all of the sudden strange behavior from the normally cheerful townsfolk.

Zecora clicked her tongue softly and shook her head. "It seems their fear my presence enhances. They take me for a witch who does evil dances." She said with a small sigh. It has been that way since I first came here, my merely arriving always causes great fear..."

"...Excuse me? and why would they make such brazen assumptions about you?" I asked, sounding more than a bit miffed as I stomped a hoof gently.

She seemed a little bit taken aback, but not displeased by my reaction, her eyes widening slightly "Well, ponies tend to fear what they do not know, and when seen over and over that fear will grow. A zebra like me is not a common sight. And tall tales and rumors only worsen their fright..."

Ah, so the ponies are racist/ as well. This honestly did not surprise me as much as it should have. I rolled my eyes and gave a small snort. "well, that will just not do!" I said insistently as I pawed at the ground, slightly irritated now. "As a matter of fact...how would you like to join me for a walk? I was just on my way to Sweet Apple Acres to visit one of my marefriends. I think this would be an excellent opportunity to start getting rid of some of those nasty misconceptions if you would be so kind as to join me as my guest?" I asked her more gently.

She seemed a bit hesitant, but considered for just a moment, eventually giving me a small nod. "Hm, very well then, if you insist. I suppose this opportunity should not be missed." She agreed after a few more moments, smiling softly to me and giving an assenting nod.

"Thank you very much Zecora. I will take responsibility if there is any sort of erm...complication. Please do not hesitate to let me know if something which occurs is displeasing to you." I informed her as I gestured for her to follow, starting off towards Sweet Apple Acres. "I really do hope that we are all able to get along. The Apples, in particular, are all wonderful ponies once you get to know them, even if they are a bit set in their ways."

"I am quite strongly sure what you say is true. Though if it goes well is not up to me, nor you." She says with a slightly worried tone as we walked down the road. A few ponies were poking their heads out now. Some of them saw me walking with her, and hushed whispers began to permeate the air. whispers of things like "Evil Enchantress" and "Jungle Fever".

I swear to whatever entity allowed me to find myself here, sometimes I have to wonder if peace and harmony are all they are cracked up to be if it lets things like this propagate undeterred. If I ever have the chance to meet the Princess, I will have words for her about this if not several other subjects.

And so yes, the two of us made our way towards Sweet Apple Acres. You will forgive me if I leave you in suspense for a moment. The encounter was...somewhat stressful, and I will need a moment to collect myself to properly recall it.

Until then.

The walk over was uneventful. We spent the duration having a little conversation to keep the mood light.

"So, Zecora. Where exactly do you live in town?" I asked her as we made our way out of Ponyville proper and towards Sweet Apple Acres.

She seemed somewhat unsure about what we were doing, her posture was slightly stiff was she walked beside me. Though she seemed to agree that it was in essence, a good idea, or else she would not have been doing it, I suppose. "The Everfree Forest is my home. A place where intruders will seldom roam."

"So you are a mare who appreciates some privacy. I can understand that given your current situation." I say with a soft smile. "Though perhaps your isolation might be part of the problem?"

"What you say may very well be true, but the forest holds ingredients for the potions I brew. To perfect my craft is my greatest desire, so nuts to the ponies if it draws their ire." She says, a bit more firmly, surely.

Her more confident tone at this last rhyme draws a wider smile from me. "Well, I am certainly always glad to see a pony who does not care what other ponies think about them. Too many folks are concerned with outward appearances these days.

She seems appreciative of my insight and nods in return. "Such insight is rare amongst the pony folk, so many are bound to traditions' yoke. The ways of our forebears contain well known, but sometimes we must forge new ways of our own."

"God, it is so nice to talk to a sensible creature for once." I say with a soft sigh. as we approach the entrance to the property.

"Zecora, please wait here for a moment, I want to make sure that Everyone knows that you are going to be coming. I do not want to er...subject either party to any nasty surprises." I say as I step away from her, giving her an apologetic look.

She seems to understand though, smiling kindly and gesturing with a hoof "Go right ahead and let them all know, I would like this to proceed as well as it can go."

With her blessing, I made my way in, humming a tad nervously to myself as I approached the farmhouse. I saw Granny smith, rocking in her chair, just enjoying the pleasant weather it seemed like.

She saw me coming and waved at me with a small grin "Ohhh, there ya are Rose. Applejack was just about to go out looking for ya. She said she had some sorta news about a test? Not sure what kinda test she'd be takin when she ain't even in school anymore...anyways, she's right inside!" She said before she started to trail off, muttering softly to herself.

I Nodded thankfully to the elderly mare and smiled back at her before making my way into the house. Applejack was in the kitchen, and she was just pulling a pie out of the oven. She had a wooden paddle in her mouth to remove the pie from the oven and was wearing an admittedly adorable little apron on her front.

She saw me walk in and set the pie down on the counter so she could speak "Rose! There you are sugarcube, I was just about to come looking for ya. I uh...baked ya a pie." she said sheepishly as she looked up at me. "The test results came and I'm uh, not pregnant, so I thought this might cheer ya up."

I sighed softly, somewhat relieved, but admittedly...also a little disappointed. it might have been once to have a little mini-me running around. Ah well, another time maybe.

"It's alright Applejack. perhaps we can try again another time, when we are both a bit more sure about it this time." I said comfortingly, getting another more sheepish grin from her as I nuzzled her cheek.

Well drat! Perhaps next time.

"Oh hush you." I said internally as Eris chimed in before turning my attention back to Applejack. "Anyway, I actually also wanted to introduce you to a friend I met in town today. They have been having a hard time making any friends and I was hoping that some of that good old-fashioned Apple Family hospitality would do them well." I said gently as I looked down at her, my hoof gently, soothingly rubbing her chest.

She blushed a bit harder and gave me a slightly confused but agreeable look "WS-well, alright. I gotta say that's mighty fine of you, Rose. So uh, who is this pony? Are they with you?" She asked as she walked towards the doorway where I had entered the house.

I chuckled a bit anxiously and tugged at my little collar. "Ahahahah...wellll about that. I need you, before I tell you who it is, to promise that you will not treat them differently than any other pony." I say as I look down at her, trying to look firm, serious as I told her this.

She saw this and nodded, giving a similarly serious look in return. "Alright, sugarcube. I promise." She said simply.

I walked out after this and headed back towards the entrance to the farm where Zecora was still waiting for me, albeit impatiently. "I am pleased to see you have returned. Has the trust of these ponies been somewhat earned?"

"Yeah, Zecora. They said you can come in, come on." I said gently as I beckoned with a gesture of my head for her to follow behind.

We made our way back into the house. Applejack trotted up quickly to greet us with a smile on I called out in a gentle clear tone "Applejack, this is my friend, Zecora. Zecora, this is Applejack, My erm...Marefriend?" I say softly as I look from one of them to the other.

Applejack looks...less than pleased for a moment. downright frightened even! but after a moment more she seems to remember her promise to me and smiles softly "O-oh er, well howdy partner. Nice tah meetcha..." she says as she walks forward a bit and offers her hoof to the other mare as I watch with curiosity and a bit of worry.

Zecora smiles to her kindly and steps forward as well, shaking her hoof with a small nod "it is nice to make your acquaintance as well. I hope we shall be friends, but only time will tell."

The tension was so thick you could cut it with the knife applejack had laid out on the counter for the pie, so I decided to try to ease things along with an interjection. "I met Zecora at the market today. Everyone was treating her like some sort of evil witch, so I decided to bring her to the most welcoming, kind ponies I know." I said as I gave applejack a very deliberate expression as I spoke, I was trying to silently impress on her how important this was to me. If anypony could prove me wrong on my opinion of ponies in general in this aspect, I was hoping it would be Applejack.

She saw my look and swallowed thickly, continuing to try her best to be welcoming to my new acquaintance. "W-well, if Rose here vouches for ya, I guess you can't be all too bad..." She says with a clear nervous tinge in her voice. "T-tell ya what, how about you stick around for lunch? I just made a mighty delicious apple pie for Rose here, but I think we would all enjoy it a lot more if we shared it a-among new friends."

Zecora relaxed a bit, seeming pleased and beaming at Applejack. "Your offer of pastries pleases me greatly. I admit I have not had a good pie lately. If that is how you truly feel, I would be more than delighted to share in this meal." She said as she walked over towards the table in the kitchen with the two of us following behind, Applejack taking a moment to move the still fairly hot pie from the counter to the table.

And so, we sat down together for lunch. Applejack took the liberty of going ahead and gathering the rest of the family, and after explaining what was going on and some..initial apprehension, they all were willing to give her a chance and sit down for a nice meal together. Honestly, it was all going surprisingly well.

Sadly, it did not end quite so well.

It all started off cordially enough. Applejack had gone outside and corralled the rest of her family and informed them all of the situation in a small family huddle outside of earshot from Zecora and I. Once that was over and done with, the four of them came inside. Granny Smith wore a gentle smile, though her eyes seemed wary at best., Big macintosh seemed coolheaded, carrying his usual demeanor, albeit with slightly more tension than usual. Applebloom, who had recently arrived home from school, oddly enough seemed more curious and a bit excited than anything else. I suppose that is children for you, always more full of wonder than fear.

Granny walked forward to Zecora, and doing her due duty as the matron of the homestead, extended a hoof to her. "Well, I don't think I have ever met one of yer kin before. Any friend of Rose is a friend of the farm, I reckon."

Zecora nodded graciously and met her hoof, gently shaking it. "You do me great honor with your approval. Hopefully, my behavior will not require my removal." She jokes, giving a short, rich laugh in that admittedly quite pleasant dark voice of hers.

While I joined in on the chuckle, the ponies in front of me winced slightly as she laughed, prompting me to shoot them concerned, raised eyebrow before shrugging and attempting to carry on. "In any case, Applejack gave me the news, Granny Smith." I said as I made my way over to sit down at the table. "I will admit, even if I am not quite ready for a foal, I am a bit disappointed. I suppose there will be plenty of time for erm..that sort of thing another year." I finished as I settled in with a small sigh of relief at being able to at least sit down amidst the somewhat tense situation.

Granny took her own seat at the head of the table with a small nod in my direction "A darned shame that is. I would have been plum pleased for Applejack to be the Lead of her own herd. Even if it ain't with a proper farmin' pony, I've seen and heard plenty good enough about ya to approve. Ain't that right, Big mac?"

The second largest pony in the room gave a small nod at his grandmother's comment and affirmed further with a soft "Eyyup." As he looked towards me and nodded again, slowly, as if silently affirming his own approval.

Applebloom took a moment to chime in as well. "Yeah! I was tellin Granny Smith how you sang songs and told stories for the class while Miss Cheerilee rested her hurt hoof. And now you went out of your way tah bring over somepony lonely who needed a friend. "

"O-okay, okay everyone, thank you. it's nothing really, just being a decent pony, really." I said, trying to play it off as my hoof kicked the ground under the table. I was..honestly not really used to this much straightforward praise. "But this isn't meant to be about me, It is about my er...new friend Zecora here. I was absolutely shocked to hear that some ponies were under the impression that she was some sort of evil enchantress." Somepony being most of the ponies, sadly. "Anypony who would even take a little bit of time to talk to her would see that she is nothing of the sort. She is simply charming mare out of her element."

Upon hearing me refer to her as charming, Zecora smiled a bit wider, looking away as if slightly embarrassed. I suppose I am not the only one not used to positive reinforcement. "The words you say are very kind. And some praise for you may come to mind. You did not have to extend a hoof when other ponies would act aloof."

"Again, I was only doing what any decent member of the community should be willing to do when someone is feeling left out." I said insistently, waving it away. I picked the knife that had been laid out with the pie up with my magic and used it to divide the pie into six slices, one for each of us. "So Zecora. I hope that it is alright if I ask you some questions about yourself. The point of this was for us to get to know one another better after all."

"Whatever it is I shall take it in stride. For the questions you ask, answers I will provide." She says with a small nod as I dish the pie out onto plates for each pony at the table with the appropriate utinsils.

"Excellent. Now erm...if I may. The most obvious question to ask in my view." I said, feeling a bit uncomfortable about asking, not wanting to make her feel bad about it. "The...rhyming? Why is that a thing that you do?"

She chuckles softly at this, grinning at me amused, seeming to take it in good faith. "The rhyming you hear is a mark of my station. It shows my unbroken concentration. It prevents me from speaking with excessive gall to think though what I say or say nothing at all."

So, she does it as a sort of ritual mental exercise that causes her to choose her words more carefully, to demonstrate clarity of mind and coolness of demeanor. That is quite fascinating really. I made a mental note of it for later, which is to say, now of course.

Applejack cut in next, taking a bit of her pie and swallowing before inquiring. "Station ya say? You some sorta bigshot back home?" She asks with a slight tilt to her head, showing her curiosity as she trained her gaze on the zebra mare.

"An Herbalist is what it is called in these lands. I brewed many a potion amongst the plains and the sands." She said, sounding pleased by the question.

"Oh, you brew potions for a living?" I asked her, perking up a bit myself. "that sounds fascinating. Would you be will;ling to give lessons by any chance?" I asked, sounding perhaps a bit more excited than was appropriate.

"Oh that sounds like fun!" Applebloom said, sounding almost as excited as i was "Maybe me and the girls can get our cutie marks in portion makin! Could you help us out Zecora, pretty please?"

The mare laughed out loud for a moment before lowering herself to a soft chuckle. "So eager to learn, you to ponies are. I can give you a chance, though you may not get far. What I might teach you is only the start. There is much to be learned of the ancient arts."

As Applebloom and i shared excited glances, Applejack coughed softly, nudging me slightly with a hoof under the table, "Well, that all sounds mighty kind of you Zecora." She says cordially, giving me a somewhat irritated look.

Ah yes, I probably should not have been giving her little sister ideas about potentially dangerous talent seeking opportunities.

That did not seem to be Granny Smith's objection however, who chimed in with a concerned, firm tone. "Now Now Applebloom, we're always tellin ya that your cutie mark will come when it comes. Ain't no use tryna rush it, especially not with all that dangerous mumbo jumbo.

Applebloom gives a soft pout, and Zecora seems a slightly put off, raising an eyebrow at the elderly mare. "Matron of the Apples, do not demean my brews. Potions are to me, as apples are to you."

Granny Smith seemed just a tad off put to be talked back to. I suppose that's something to expect of a woman that age. She sinks back slightly in her chair, squinting a bit. "Ah suppose...."

Applejack, the poor dear, looked as if she wanted to say something, but held her tongue. i can only assume and hope, out of respect for her elders.

I decided to try to head this off at the pass while I still could with a change of subject. "So erm...Zecora. I do not mean to sound ignorant, but where do Zebras erm...come from? I am not terribly familiar with anything outside of ponies, I'm afraid."

Zecora seemed thankful for the change of subject and happily replied "Zebras hail from Zebrica, you see. An entire continent of those like me. We wander the plains in nomadic herds, Living at one with The Plants, the Trees and the Birds. We do not seek to control our home, but simply to live, to love, to roam."

So the Zebras live in harmony with their natural surroundings rather than attempting to control every facet of them like the ponies. A very interesting contrast. I can see how that might put ponies off. The girls seemed upset at the notion of the Everfree's autonomy, and that is simply one forest. an entire continent of that sort and a race willingly living there might raise some serious eyebrows, if not more.

"Now, that sounds downright awful. i remember when Ponyville weren;t nothin but Earth Pony folk. it was months before we had anyone to get the weather under control, Livin without any way to control whats gonna happen to ya like that by choice sounds downright unnatural!" Granny Smith piped up.

I silently, internally screamed my displeasure at this misguided old woman, my eyes pleading with Applejack next to me do so something. however, she sunk into her chair and remained bashfully silent save for a soft "O-oh come on now, Granny..." while Big Mac simply looked on uncomfortably, trying to distance himself from the situation by ravaging his slice of pie.

Zecora, scowled slightly at this comment, starting to take some offense it seemed. "Your ignorance begins to show. Our ways are just different than those you know. Just because we do not seek to control, does not make our ways improper or droll. What you say is an insult to the home i love, hopefully that remark, shall it be the end of."

"N-now now, I am sure she did not mean to deride your home, Zecora." I said, tugging at my collar as I desperately tried to verbally plug the holes in this sinking ship of a conversation, knowing now I could not count on Applejack to bail us out. Coming from a southern upbringing I can understand how difficult it can be to talk back to your elders that way, but it is still...not a great look. I was gripping the underside of the table with my hoof firmly as i tried to ground myself and gently push down the slowly welling anger I was feeling out of empathy for my new friend.

"I meant what I said, t'aint right to willingly live that way. Ponyfolk are meant to hold dominion over the world. it's been like that since the Ancient times Since the Fall of Grogar, and it was reaffirmed when Celestia Shone her light on our promised lands.

Oh dear Lord, now it sounded like she was bringing religion into it. it's like thanksgiving dinner all over again. never had i so little wished to feel right at home. I mean i guess it is a little different when jesus is actually there and can talk to you, but it's still rude.

"And what you say goes against her teachings of harmony and peace. For the sake of your soon to be son, i must insist you try to cease." Zecora countered, firmly thumping a hoof against the table. "We Zebras seek our harmony through passive cohabitation. Unlike you greedy ponyfolk who seek it though forceful domination!"

And there's the iceberg, just like that we were smack dab in titanic territory. At this point Applebloom, who had been too uncomfortable to peep up for a bit now while the adults were talking, had excused herself silently to her room. Big Mac finished his slice of pie and was now evacuating from he blast zone. I had personally finished about half of mine, but had oddly enough, lost my appetite.

Zecora, I understood was mad. But I also understood that stooping to granny';s level just because she had gone there first was not the most big brain move she could have made.

I tried to restrain my displeasure and take a deepbreath, making one last attempt at making peace. gripping the table a bit harder. "I erm...I think we had best perhaps all go about our day before this gets..."

Granny Smith smacked her hoof on the table as well, raising it shaking at the younger mare "I'll be bucked by a mule six ways to Sunday before I get sassed in my own Celestia damed house by a buckin [expletive deleted]"

I bolted up from my seat so quickly the chair slammed against the wall and Smashed a hoof down on the table, Snapping at the older woman. Possible mother in law be damned, I had to say something "Whoa Whoa WHOA! I don;t even know what that is but that is WAY out of line, Granny Smith!" I said loudly and firmly, not quite yelling yet, simply aggressively, authoritatively projecting my voice, putting some bass on it. Saying it with my chest if you will.

"You two need to cool your heels! Zecora, I know what she said is hurtful, but loosing your cool just puts you on her level." I said as i went back down on four hooves, wincing a bit as I did so, I may have slammed that table a bit harder than i would have liked, and now my ankle felt a bit off.

"I appreciate your words, my new rose-colored friend. but I think my time here is at an end." She said with a somewhat sulking, sour tone as she pulled her cloak back up and made her way towards the door. Perhaps the ponies will be more accepting another time. But please, see me in the forest if you wish to again hear my rhymes." She says, giving me a small, soft somewhat sad smile before returning to her previous upset demeanor proper and walking out of the house with her head held high. Good on her for keeping most of her dignity intact after that, Honestly.

As the Zebra left the house, granny at least had the decency to look somewhat cowed. i am sure she was not used to being called out that way, much less by a stallion of all ponies, She did thankfully, look the appropriate amount of ashamed of being seen behaving that way, even if she was not ashamed of what she had said. "I...i think Ah'ma...go upstairs and ruminate for all bit. I'll talk to ya young'uns later..." She says softly as she hoobles her way towards her room, downtrodden.

So it was just Applejack and. We sat silent at the table for a while by ourselves.

"Goodness, I've had less awkward moments after-"

if you finish that Peter Griffin Cutaway Gag, i swear on whatever higher power allowed me to return to living my life here that I will ....do...something. I am not sure what it is yet but you won't like it!

"Says you ,stud~" she countered hauntingly. She was however, decent enough to let it drop after that.

I gave a small sigh and tuned to applejack, who was shrunk down in her chair, giving me a worried, deeply sorry look. I looked away, feeling...unwell in a sense. "Applejack, I think I am going to need a bit of time tomyself today, I will see you around, alright?" i said before quickly bolting out the door, limping slightly on my aching hoof.

She tried to call after me with a delayed "W-wait, Rose, I-" but by the time she got it out, the door had already closed.

A brief (or maybe not so brief) interruption from one Eris, Chaos Incarnate.

Well dear, it seems at if poor Rose has gotten himself into quite the situation with his good intentions. Well, this only could have ended so well. She was not supposed to come into contact proper with the townsfolk for another few years and at least seven episodes. Ah well, live and learn. Sometimes trying to have a major influence on the events around you (especially in an environment so sickeningly harmonious) will not work out the way you want. Fate is particularly strong here, and the Wheel of Ka turns as it pleases. noty even the mightiest of the Prim can deny it at its peak.

However, this does allow me for a unique opportunity. You see, normally, my ability to interact with the material world in any way is very slight. but the greater the amount of discord in a particular area, the greater my influence is. This allows me to see through the eyes of creatures inflicted with discordant emotional energies, and with great enough saturation, influence them.

Oh, no worries, dear readers, I am not nearly strong enough to influence the poor dear. Not applejack at least. Not yet.

But what it does mean is that while Rose collects himself again after having to relive that nasty little experience, I will be able to regale you with a little tale.

How would you all like to see how Applejack is handling all of this, hm?

Applejack sat there alone for several long moments, looking towards the door where her coltfriend had dashed away only a minute or so ago.

Honestly, she was really missing life up to a few minutes ago, before that, all happened. She knew that granny could be set in her ways, even for an Apple, but that had been shocking. Why had Granny Smith gone that far?

She collected herself and gently stomped a hoof, putting on a slightly more determined face, she was going to go have a little chat with her grandma.

She headed down the hall towards Granny's room, gently knocking on the door. "Uh...Granny? it's Applejack. I'm not mad atcha, I just wanna talk."

"-sigh-, Come on in, dearie, I s'pose it's fair that you have some words for me after all of that hullabaloo..." the elderly mare answered back from within her room.

Applejack took her permission and entered the room "Now, Now. I already said I wasn't mad atcha, Granny." Applejack said as she spied the elderly mare sitting on her bed, head drooped somewhat as she looked pensively at the floor. Applejack could not help but feel a pang of heartache for her dear old grandma as she trotted over to go sit next to her. "Ah know you can't have meant all of that nastiness you said back there, You're better than that, we all are." She said gently, careful to make sure her tone was as nonconfrontational as possible.

"I-I just don't know what came over me. One minute everything was going plum fine without my input, then all of a sudden the whole thing felt...wrong. Like I needed to say something or something right aweful was gonna come of it. And it just got worse the more I flapped mah yap." The elderly mare mused mopily as her granddaughter gently hugged her, doing some thinking of her own.

"Well yeah, that does sound might odd. I reckon I felt something similar. I was gonna tell ya something but I just...felt as if it was best I not open mah mouth..." She said softly, squinting. Maybe that Zebra mare really was-No! no, that was the problem in the first place. It was going to do nobody any good of Applejack simply wnt around making these sorts of baseless accusations without any evidence.

Hilarious, In my opinion, but not productive.

"Well Granny, I am sure once everypony has had a chance to coll their hooves a bit you can try to apologize, to Rose and to Zecora, and maybe they'll be big enough ponies to forgive ya." Applejack says reassuringly before squeezing the older mare and then letting go, hopping off of the bed. "I think I am gonna go and try to mend this a bit myself actually. I shoulda said something and I'm gonna do it now, even if it is a lil late..." She finishes with a slightly more guilty tone as she packs up a few things and heads out.

She had a Zebra to apologize to.

Applejack Arrived sometime later outside of Zecora's home. As she had started her trek into the forest, something inside of her had been screaming at her to turn back, but once she had taken those first few steps into the forest proper, the feeling had receded. Honestly, now she was feeling much more confident that this choice was the right choice. it was Her choice to come out here and do the right thing.

It was still a fairly uncomfortable trek. Luckily the way to the Zebras home was fairly clear cut. She did not live too terribly deep inside the forest.

Or at least, it would have been if she had not been interrupted on the way there by a rather...strange pony.

He seemed to come out of nowhere, even by my perception I did not notice him until he had melted out of the shadows in the background of the forest. It was all quite spooky I have added some theme music here to set the mood.

He seemed familiar to me. To Eris, for clarity, the one narrating this in case you had forgotten.

It was a stallion, an old one at that His coat was black, or at least, it used to be, it seemed somewhat faded, much like his tattered, patchwork cloak. His mane was short-cropped and thin, and a stark white. Much like Granny smith, this pony had to be ancient by pony standards to have aged this much. His eye, or rather, the one not covered in a patch, was a very concerning shade of bloody red all throughout the whites, the iris its own shade of scarlet.

But despite his somewhat withered appearance, he was much more spry than you would expect him to be. he trotted his way over, flashing an...admittedly fairly charming smile. "Well well. I certainly was not expecting to see somebody else out and about these woods, much less you, Miss Applejack," he said in a cheerful, upbeat tone, his voice sounded...remarkably unremarkable, like any old pony you might hear anywhere, but it had a bit of a...pleasant undertone to it? Like he was happy to see an old friend.

Applejack was more confused than anything at first, she withdrew a single step back and stayed in place, one hoof in the air as she looked over the old stallion approaching her "Ya don't say...." She could probably feel it too. Something was off with this stallion. I probably felt it a bit more than she did though. This pony practically reeked of the chaotic influence of the prim. "And who might you be? How in tarnation do ya know my name?"

He scoffs softly at himself and clops a hoof to his forehead, shaking his head "Oh gosh, how rude of me! I went and forgot to introduce myself, didn't I? The name is Flagg. Red Flagg at your service. I am what you might consider to be an....associate of your boyfriend. An employee even, though I personally would prefer not to set myself that low." He says as he runs a hoof through his hair with a confident pose.

Applejack's eyes widened. Ya mean you're from where Rose is from? You knew him before?" She asked, ears perking up at this, seeming a bit worried that a pony like this would be in her lovers employ.

He chuckled and shook his head "In a manner of speaking, yes. I knew a different him, from a...different iteration. I sort of lost track of him after some...thing happened, but now that he has turned up again, I am still bound to his service and serve I shall!" he says with a somewhat to wide grin that told me he would likely be serving in his way whether it was wanted or not.

This one was one to look out for. Servants of the Crimson King come in all shapes and sizes.

However, few of them are pleasant.

"Huh, so yah knew my Rose in another life huh? and yer uh...bound to serve him? Like a spell or somethin'?

He chuckled a bit more sourly at this, his eye twitching slightly "Yes, something of that sort. I am bound to the service of him and his....children, should he sire any." he seems to shiver for a moment and strain at the mention of children, as if reliving some awful memory. Maybe...

I attempted to reach into him. being so soaked in the essence of chaos, sending my will towards him was easy enough. I found myself in the outer area of his Dogan easily enough. it was a dark, foreboding place, even by my high standards. it was not like the fairly posh, nicely lit if messy library of loosely categorized information present in my King's current configuration. it was a number of doors, many locked, many simply missing knobs or boarded shut, those that were open leading to hallways with yet more twisting massages filled with more doors. I would not know where to find anything even if I wanted-

"And just where do you think you are going, My Lady. Looking for something in particular?"

My heart would have frozen and stopped in my chest were it not already as cold as ice and dead as stone. my neck snapped around to see the po- no, not pony, the man in black behind me, concealed in s shroud of darkness. he seemed at ease, as he had been standing there the whole time, expecting me.

I turned the rest of my body to face him, resting my chin on my paws as I floated, trying to play it cool, as if I had not been about to begin trying to burglarize his most personal property. "Oh! You found me! I was not expecting Occulomency from a strange pony in the woods." I said casually as I looked the other over. "interesting look you have there."

In this form, their hair was long and greasy, and somewhat messy. it was jet black, with eyes to match. he wore a denim coat and jeans with a pair of heavy, well-worn boots on his feet. he chuckled and put his hands on his hips, his own eyes meeting my own unerringly "Oh, it is just a little something I threw together with what was laying around the place. And as for the mind magic, I am full of tricks. This is just a little...precaution I've had to take after a particularly nasty incident with a little spider infestation got me in some hot water." he says with a small grimace before returning to that casual, easygoing smirk.

"Hmmm, I see. pity that." And quite impressive. it is one thing to access the inner confines of your mind, molding it to this extent and keeping it that way while remaining sane took remarkable mental fortitude. though whether he was sane was beyond even my ability to determine at the moment. "And you know me how? I mean, I know my reputation proceeds me but...."

"Oh, but I would never forget my Kings favored Gilly." he says with a cackle, my nose crinkling at the word. it essentially meant, "side chick" for those of you not hip to the ancient lingo. "It seems even in his current pathetic state, he has you wrapped around his finger. or lack thereof I suppose."

I narrowed my eyes and gave a small scowl, as I leaned in towards the man. "Bold words, Mortal." I said simply in a somewhat threatening tone. "were I not currently hobbled and bound in stone, you might regret taking such flippant tone with me. My King is simply indisposed, trapped much as I am, though in a much nicer prison. And i Shall see him freed."

"Even bolder words from one who is currently sunning themselves in the garden of Gan's Champion after a failure well earned." he counters with a grin, prompting me to reel back slightly and snarl.

"Enough of these barbs! What do you wish with my King? Speak, before I lose my temper. I will not be Trapped forever, and neither with my King!"I snapped at him, starting to become irritated with this worm.

He gave me a wide, shit-eating grin. "Oh, but I have already told you. I am simply here to serve my King, as I am forever bound to so so long as he roams these worlds. as he holds a hand up, prepared to snap "Now, begone."

I roar at him, my hackles raised as I loom over him. "YOU DO NOT-"

-snap-

I was suddenly wrenched psychically back into the closest available vessel, in this case, applejack, who would suddenly be experiencing a slight headache, wincing at the feeling. The entire conversation had taken place in a split second from her perspective. Such is the nature of the mind. Time is meaningless in the context of one's own consciousness bereft of outside stimuli after all.

The stallion smiled and nodded his head to her. "In any case, I was just curious as to what sort of women my employer was surrounding himself with these days. I have to say, I can see the appeal," he says with a charming, slightly greasy tone as he slowly trots off back into the woods as applejack gave a confused slight flush, to off-put to stop him as he vanished into the trees. "I got what I came for, tata for now!"

As Applejack processed what had just happened, I took action. My king would be most displeased if applejack were to get herself involved in such unsavory, dangerous characters. as interesting as such a thing might be to watch. I used the slight remaining chaotic energy leftover from his presence to...alter her memory a bit. I removed her memory of what had just happened, locking it away rather than proceeding with the nasty, potentially harmful task of outright erasing it. From her perspective, she had simply stopped for a moment to look around and forgot what she was doing briefly. She gave a small hum and a shrug before continuing on her way to the home of that zebra.

After a bit longer, she finally managed to make her way to a rather homey looking treehouse. Goodness, what is it with tree houses and- you know what, not the time. In any case, Applejack walked up to the door and knocked firmly, and loudly, swallowing dryly and looking too and fro nervously as she waited for an answer.

An answer, thankfully for her, eventually did come. Zecora opened her door, seeming quite surprised to see the other there. "Applejack? Well, this is quite a surprise. What had caused this visit to arise?" She asks, tilting her head slightly.

Applejack shuffled around a bit on her hooves for a moment uncomfortably, looking down at the ground before taking a deep breath and steeling herself, looking up to answer. "I-I just wanted to apologize. Not just for my Granny's behavior mind you. I was at fault too for not speaking up when it was happening, I coulda said something but I didn't and I feel right bad about it." She said as she did her best to steadily meet the Zebras eye. "E-even if you weren't a friend of Rose, nopony deserves that sort of treatment."

Zecora smiled softly at Applejack and gave a small nod. “I do not blame you for the actions of another. And if nothing else this apology does set you above her.”

“And er...well, granny is a bit too old to make a trip out here, but I figure I should let you know that she felt right plum awful about what she said right after she said it. She didn’t even know why she got so mad.” Applejack said, feeling relieved that Zecora accepted her apology.

The Zebra gave a small, curious look “We often have feelings we do not understand. Ones that spur us deeply, that action demands. Perhaps I could return at another time once we have all relaxed to grace you all with my rhyme.”

"Well, I reckon that does sound mighty fine.' Applejack says with a small smile of her own as she tries to figure out where to go from here. "Well, I suppose I had best be going now. I need to figure out how I'm gonna make this up to Rose. he looked mighty upset when he left after you did."

Zecora gave a small chuckle and nodded. "A more trusting gentlepony I would not yet know. You would indeed be a fool to let him go. make haste to him now, not a second to spare. You should make haste to him, to clear the air." She said before closing her door slowly, leaving applejack to ruminate for a moment at her step.

If she was going to do this properly, she might need a bit of help. Luckily, there were more than a few ponies in town that might be willing to help out.

Applejack made her way quickly back into town, with the look of a mare quite determined. She was not going to simply apologize directly to the stallion. Oh no, this big of an upset demanded something a bit more...hooves on, in her opinion.

Her first stop was Pinkie Pie. She was going to be arguably the most important part of this entire operation. Applejack entered Sugarcube Corner and trotted her way up to the desk. she heard some...giggling from behind the front counter. A bit unsure, she rang the bell for service, but no one came at first. She rang it again, then when that failed, a few times in succession.

That seemed to do the trick, a few surprised grunts and such were heard as up from behind the counter popped the Cakes. Carrot was blushing slightly, his hat off-kilter and his shirt buttons undone somewhat, Miss Cake's make a bit of a mess, her blush butting his to shame as she used her magic to try to put herself and her husband a bit more in order for the customer as she spoke.

"O-ohhh, well butter my scones! Applejack I wasn't expecting you in!" Well judging by her current state of undress one might think she was not expecting anyone in. "w-what can we do ya for, dearie?"

Applejack raised an eyebrow, then shrugged. they were married, she was not one to judge on such matters. "Ah was actually hoping to see Pinkie Pie if'n y'all would know where I could find her."

No sooner than her name had been uttered did the devil in pink appear. she popped up from behind the counter as well, eliciting a very distressed scream of surprise from but of the cakes as she waved at Applejack. "Hi there! You needed me?"

As the Cakes tried there best to process and cope with the implications of her appearance in that particular spot, Applejack did her best not to think about it and said. "I was hoping I could speak to you in private like, for just a moment? I have a mighty big favor to ask, but you're the only pony I think is gonna be able to do it."

"Okie Dokie, Loki!" Pinkie said in her usual, chipper tone as she turned around and started trotting towards the stairs that led to the second story of the building, beckoning with her head for Applejack to follow her.

They arrived in what seemed to be a room for the pink pony. she sat on her bed and patted the spot next to her with a smile "Now, tell old Auntie Pinkie Pie what's going on."

Applejack gave a small chuckle and gladly accepted the seat "well uh, ya see, I did something right foolish that's got my colt friend in all sorts of ways. You know Rose Tint, right?"

"Oh yeah! of course I do. I know Everyone in Ponyville!" She said, her smile getting wider "Especially a tall cutie like that! <sub>Gosh if I wasn't holding out for that hottie at the jokeshop I could climb that like...</sub>-"

"PINKIE!" Applejack cut in firmly but not angrily, giving her a bit of a look as pinkie looked back at her bashfully.

"S-sorry, yeah, not the time or place." She said apologetically. Goodness, that pony needs to get laid, and that's coming from a mare who has been locked up for a thousand years.

"Anyways.." Applejack continued "I was hoping you might be able to help me with a little plan I have to make it up to him"

Pinkie Pie thought about it, checking her day planner "Maybe...." She says, humming softly "I sort of have a pretty full up schedule, Ten birthdays this month! I have a lot to do..."

"If ya help me out, I'll tell you when his birthday is! I know you don't know." Applejack says with a small grin.

Pinkies eyes seemed to shrink somewhat and her hair deflated slightly as she suddenly pinned Applejack down on the bed and said "whatisityouneedtellmenooooow."

Oh...well that was a tad disturbing. Applejack felt somewhat fearful as she squirmed and pushed the other mare off "Geez! Alright, calm down and I'll tell yah!"

"Okie!" She says quickly returning to normal as Applejack leaned in and began to whisper the plan into her ear.

Several moments later, any pony in the vicinity of the Sugarcube corner would have heard A very shocked Pinkie yell out at an earth quaking level of volume. "We're gonna WHAT!?"

With Pinkie on board, next up was Cheerilee. She would not be important as any sort of integral part of her idea, but if she was left out, she might feel fairly cross about it and Applejack was nothing if not considerate to her fellow suitors.

She found Cheerilee where she likely often was, grading papers at her desk several hours after the end of the school day. She perked up when she saw applejack walk through the door and into the classroom, smiling somewhat tiredly. "Oh, hello Applejack. Nice of you to drop by. Was there something I could do for you?

Applejack nodded as she slowly walked towards the other mare "yeah, actually. I uh...mighta messed up with Rose a bit..."

Cheerilee gave her co-suitor a concerned look as Applejack sat down next to her in a chair and began to explain what had happened. She cringed in several places, I am sure you can guess which ones, and eventually, the explanation came to an end.

"...And I'd really appreciate it if you'd be there. I'm sure Rose would be happy to see you there when we do it for them, and uh...frankly I could use all the support I can get." She said bashfully as she pulled her hat over her eyes...

Cheerilee gave an understanding nod and smiled "Well, I am relieved to hear that all of those nasty rumors I had been hearing are just that. As for what happened, I am glad that you realized that what you were doing was wrong. I suppose at that I should also feel sort of bad for steering clear of her for no good reason..." She finishes somewhat pensively.

Applejack comfortingly claps her on the back with a small smile. "Well, I guess we were all right foals in our own ways, huh? But no worried, here's how we're gonna make things right..."

Next on the docket was Rainbow Dash. Last Applejack had heard she was bragging about Rose teaching her how to read.

She had been bragging about a bit more than that, But Applejack was not terribly upset about it. Honestly, she had sort of seen it coming after she got an earful from Cheerilee about how hoovesy she had gotten with Rose before.

Either way, the matter at hoof was more important. She found the Pegasus lounging on a low hanging cloud, kicking back and relaxing. Applejack approached her quickly, and made a yell up towards the cloud "Hey! Weatherpony!" She cried out loudly as she craned her neck to look at the other.

Rainbow Dash poked her head over the edge of the cloud, looking a bit confused before a look of realization "Oh! hey there., Applejack." She says, rolling off the side of the cloud before diving and swooping down gracefully next to Applejack so they did not have to yell at one another. "What can I do you for, huh?"

"Rainbow Dash, I uh...I need your help." Applejack says somewhat reluctantly. She had always had somewhat of a rivalry with the pony, both of them being athletic types, even if she did not really know them that well, they saw each other around at competitions and the like.

Rainbow Dash chuckled softly at this, holding a hoof to her ear. "O-oh, I'm sorry, what was that? the change in pressure coming down must have messed with my hearing."

Applejack frowned slightly as she gave her hoof a small stomp "None of that now, please! This is serious, Rainbow Dash. I..I dun gone and screwed the pooch with mah coltfriend something fierce.." she says, looking like she might tear up a bit thinking about it.

Dash's face dropped a bit at this and she thought for a moment "Huh, yeah, I did see Rose coming through here a while ago looking fairly upset about something. I was gonna ask him if he wanted to hang but I thought I should give him a little bit of space till he cools off." She said as she rubbed her chin with her hoof. "so uh, what happened, anyway?"

"Ugh...lemme tell ya about it, Ah suppose..."

A casual stroll later, Rainbow was laughing almost controllably while applejack gave her a flat, unamused stare. "Ah, come on, Rainbow Dash! This is serious. T'aint funny!"

Rainbow Dash finally managed to recover and breathe, wiping a tear from her cheek. "I-I'm sorry Applejack. That's just the most off the wall stuff I have heard in a loooong while. I can't believe your granny actually called her a-"

"DASH!" Applejack said a bit louder, stomping her hoof again a bit more firmly than before. This prompted the pastel pony to flinch back and collect herself properly, offering an apologetic smile "My bad. I guess that sort of thing isn't making it much better huh?"

"No it sure as sugar ain't" Applejack said, calming down quickly enough after the genuine apology. "Anyway, are you game to help?"

"I guess it depends. what do you have planned?" she asked, leaning in as Applejack moved to whisper into her ear."

That went well enough, and to make things even better, Rainbow Dash offered to bring Fluttershy along. Having the kindest pony in Ponyville would definitely be a step in the right direction.

All that was left was...ugh, that hoity-toity pony at Carousel Boutique. As much as she would rather not set hoof in there without good reason, she...well, did, have good reason.

She made her way inside, the little bell on the door jingling and announcing her to the unicorn inside, who called out from the room in the back "Oh, just a moment, darling, I'm just in the middle of something!"

A few minutes later, she did come out, looking pleased with whatever she had just done as she set a pair of glasses down on the desk. "Now, what can Rarity do for you, hm?" her eyes light up with curiosity as she sees who it is that has entered her shop, her ears perking as she quickly trots closer

"Why, Miss Applejack! it has been far too long. What Can I do for you hm? Another wedding to attend perhaps? I am sure your er...duds, could use a good sprucing up and mending yes? Or have you finally decided to come to your senses and let me work my magic!" she says excitedly, hoping the latter was the case, obviously.

"No uh, I am afraid that neither of those is right," Applejack says, seeming a bit...reluctant to continue, but forcing past it. "Ya see, I am in a bit of a pickle, and I hate to be a bother but I need your er...talents to help me set things right." She says as she starts to once more explain her fuck up.

After listening to the story, Rarity seems almost on the verge of tears. ever the dramatic pony it would seem. She clutched a hoofkerchief and blew her nose as her eyes watered "O-oh that is ever so sad, I feel just dreadful for participating in such uncouth social ostracization!" She declared as he hung a foreleg over her eyes and looked to the skies dramatically. "And Rose has been an absolute darling the few times I have bumped into him. I could never try to stand in the way of such a lovely star crossed romance. You a humble, farm pony and him a dashing Stallion of Mystery. Ohhh it's like one of my harlequin romance novels!"

"yeah, huh huh, sure..." Applejack says, a bit more flat-faced on seeing the others over the top reaction to her admittedly somewhat severe plight.

Rarity realizes she might be getting a bit carried away and gathers herself, a more determined look coming across her face. "So then, what can I do to help, hm? and do not worry about the cost! whatever it is you need from me I will be happy to provide!"

Applejack seems a bit uncomfortable with this and tried to raise the concern "N-now that ain't necessary, I can pay like any other pony..."

"Nonsense! Nonsense and rubbish! I would be delighted to have a place in such a touching story darling! why when ponies here I had a hoof in this I will be the talk of the town! I insist you allow me to make amends for my wrongs!" Well, she doesn't seem to be wanting to do it for the same reasons as everyone else, but she's got the spirit.

"Huh...fine, I s'pose, if you feel that strongly about it." Applejack says as she leans in close and begins to tell the other what they will need to do, her grin slowly widening as she listens.

"Oh darling, this is going to be marvelous!"

And that should about do it for my little takeover. I shall turn things back over to our dear little strawberry pimp for the time being. tata for now~

~~three days later~~

Huh, Looks like she did the thing again. Ah well, at least she was nice enough to timestamp where I should pick up this time instead of leaving me to guess.

Anyway, Yes, three days after erm...the incident. I had decided to pay Zecora a visit and had made my way to the outskirts of the forest. I had forgone my preparations from the last time. Both because I did not need them for such a short jaunt inside in my opinion, and also because....well, perhaps Zecora was on to something with the whole not fighting nature thing from our last....conversation. I figured that perhaps if I was a bit more willing to simply go with the flow and respected the forest a tad more, perhaps trekking through it might not be so bad?

In any case, whatever the reason ended up being my trip was short and pleasant. I found myself at the door of her treehouse shortly. Man, what is it with treehouses and- you know what, not the time actually. But yes, I knocked on the door to her home and announced myself. “Miss Zecora? It is Rose. Rose Tint? I er....if you are not busy, I was hoping that perhaps we could hang out!"

A few moments later, the door opened to reveal the pony in question. Zecora smiled softly at me, donned in her usual going out cloak that obscured her features somewhat. “A thoughtful gesture on your part, anyway, but I did have some plans to go out shopping today. You may certainly join me if you would like my friend. Whatever the means, after all, time with pals is it’s own ends.

I smiled a bit wider and nodded in agreement. "Zecora, I would be delighted to accompany you on your outing this afternoon." I said happily as I stepped aside to allow her to join me outside.

We walked back to town together, chatting the entire way. She told me more about herself, which I will not repeat word for word as her rhymes, while wonderful, can be a bit cumbersome to pen at times. She was apparently a Journeyman of sorts of her craft. About middling in terms of education. She had come to Equestria as part of her training. Part of what was expected of her was to go out into the world and find a site relatively untouched by civilization, and in a sense, bond with it, become one with the wilds if you will. She had chosen the Everfree.

She, in turn, asked me about myself. "So, tell me of your past, if you please. My curiosity on the matter, I must appease.

I glanced over the finer details but gave her more or less the explanation that I gave any old pony. I was a backwoods fellow from the Louwhinnyana colonies who had found himself a fish out of water. I told her how I had come to Sweet Apple Acres and how the Apples had been, honestly, far kinder to me than I would say I deserved, even in my dire straits, which did seem to pique her interest.

"I can see why you would bring me to those Apple folk. Their good nature it seems is for certain no joke. Though I would not take you for a backwoods colt, for your...refined behavior would give quite a jolt."

I chuckled softly, I suppose that my being a good old boy did not mesh terribly well with the way I acted. I simply shrugged and responded "What can I say? I suppose I am simply built different. I was always a fairly eager to learn, er...colt back home, even if I was not terribly good in school. I always had these...attention problems you see. not terribly easy to get me to sit still. it did eventually mostly mellow out on its own, but even now I tend to be excitable and to er...make choices that sound good on paper but do not always work out, as you have already seen."

"I can indeed see that being a trend in your life. A good heart but rash action often leads to strife." She says with a knowing nod. "Another question, for I still feel in the dark, what is the meaning behind your cutie mark?"

I blink as she says this and do my best to answer. "well, I am not entirely sure myself. I looked it up and it seems that the stars on the top represent that I have some significant measure of magical potential. and well..this is more my personal interpretation, but the tower itself has meaning in my culture." that is to say, both equestrian and human culture. "it represents ambition, sudden and disruptive revelations, and potentially destructive change. And that all sounds kinda nasty and a bit scary. But I like to think it means that I have a special talent in helping change the way things are, and that if I set my mind to it, those changes will be for the better.

"That was so sweet I think I am going to lose my lunch, and I have not eaten in centuries."

"Oh hush you" I snapped back at Eris internally.

Zecora hummed for a moment and nodded. "it is indeed quite the foreboding mark to bear. but as you say, I am sure it can be used well with care. That you wish to do good is a proper goal. one that you may yet achieve being such a kind soul."

"Oh, well, that is awfully nice of you to say..." I say in response, feeling a bit overwhelmed. again, do not do the best with a lot of praise.

In any case, I was saved from further potential friendly mushiness by our arrival in town. Things were still fairly quiet, save for rainbow dash buzzing around, putting some clouds together quite quickly. That was odd in my view, she normally did not hustle that way on a normal day, save for when it was almost time for her shift to be over. I shrugged it off and continued on my way.

On seeing me walk into town with her, there were actually a couple of ponies, mostly ones who had bothered to peek out when I talked to her last time, who remained in their booths, bless their little trying not to be racist hearts.

One of the ponies was, unsurprisingly, Applejack, who was giving up a somewhat anxious smile and wave from her stand. I supposed it was her turn to watch the thing. Zecora waved back and made to walk over to her, and slightly surprised, I followed.

Applejack smiled a bit wider as we approached. “W-well howdy there Zecora, Rose...” she said as we stopped in front of her cart.

Zecora greeted her in return, “Good afternoon, applejack, it seems our solitude is ended. it is quite refreshed yo actually see the stalls tended." She jokes dryly, shooting a few of the somewhat nervous-looking ponyfolks around us an amused glance."

"Well yeah, I figure that seein' ya with one of the town's most eligible bachelors probably sent them all a bit of a message." Applejack said with a small shrug as I rubbed at the back of my neck.

"I-i mean, I would not go that far, Applejack." I said softly as I looked this way and that.

She smirked and responded, "Well, most stallions in town are either too young to start herdin, too old to start, married or er...just not interested Pickins in town are awful slim even if a mare ain't too choosy." She leans in a bit and smirks a bit wider "That bein said, I ain't gonna act like you ain't a looker, hun."

This elicited a fairly severe blush from me and I shook my head, giving my hoof a little stomp, wincing slightly. it seemed I was still a bit tender...which reminded me. "so erm...you too seem to be getting on alright. I take it you er...worked things out?"

"Sure shooting! I went over almost as soon as you left and apologized her for not speaking up when granny went off that way. granny felt plum bad about it too to boot and sent her regards." She said, looking somewhat more sheepish for a few moments until Zecora cut in.

"The past is the past, and in the past it shall stay. What is far more important is what we do today. Speaking of which, I have apples to buy. Please Applejack, avail me of your supply."

Applejack smiled a bit wider and nodded, and the two exchanged bits and goods, a dozen or so apples now in the Zebra mares saddlebags. "Be right happy to. Say it's looking a bit dark there, id'nit?" She said as she looked up at the...suddenly rather foreboding cloudy sky.

"What the actual fuck Rainbow Dash...." I said as I rolled my eyes. "Well, I do not think there is going to be anypony open or shopping soon, it's looking like a real doozy of a downpour. I guess it makes sense since they missed a scheduled shower the day before yesterday..." I said with a small sigh as the ponies around them took the excuse to lock up and head inside, looking somewhat relieved. hey, baby steps I guess.

Applejack piped up at this, looking back and forth for a moment before speaking "Well, how about the three of us head back to Rose's place since it's the closest outta the three? We can all head home again once its safe to go out and er..spend some quality time together a bit more peaceably like."

I was somewhat surprised by her suggestion, but pleased. I smiled and nodded my consent "That sounds like an absolutely wonderful idea, Applejack. Go ahead and close up and I will be happy to have the two of you over for as long as you like."

The two of them seem happy to accept my invitation to escape the rain and we quickly make our way back to my home at Golden Oaks. I get the door open and make my way inside, squinting my eyes "hmmm..I do not remember drawing all of the drapes closed before I left, it sure is dark..." I said before suddenly the lights flicked on and the voices of several ponies, Applejack included shouted.

"Supriiiiiiiise!"

A quick panic attack later, I was able to take a moment to gauge my surroundings. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, Cheerilee, Pinkie Pie, and...most of Cheerilee's class were all in my house, wearing party hats. On the wall was a colorful cloth banner that read. "Welcome, Zecora!" in big bold letters. There was a cake, some punch, streamers.

And a very Pleased looking Pinkie Pie all in the middle of it. yep, this was a surprise party. And all for Zecora by the looks of it.

Zecora looked, taken aback for a moment, confused as she tried to vocalize. "I...what...you...?"

Pinkie interjected as Applejack closed the door and went to stand next to the rest "It was all Applejack's idea. We all felt pretty bad about making you feel so lonely since you came to town, so we decided to throw you a surprise 'Late Welcome To Ponyville Sorry We Thought You Were Evil' Party!" She said as she stood up on two legs and gestured around before coming back down.

I cut in, incredibly surprised "but...this must have taken so much planning, how did you even..."

Pinkie Pie cut me off and excitedly began to explain "Well, Applejack came to my house and asked me to help throw her a party in exchange for telling me when your birthday is. Then she went to Cheerilee to ask her to come, and she ended up letting her class know what was going on and a bunch of them came to support their favorite librarian and his new friend! Rainbow Dash helped make sure that the weather was bad enough to get you all three here when Applejack suggested it, and Fluttershy heard from Dash what was going on and decided to help by having her animal friends keep tabs on you all to make sure we knew when you and Zecora would be together in town! Rarity helped design all of the decorations, and even helped Applejack make a super-duper special gift for Zecora! And I did my best to make sure everything was set up on super short notice once we knew we were ready to go today and got everyone else rounded up and ready to party!"

She was gesturing and hopping and prancing about excitedly as she said all of this, seeming to say it all in one breath before taking a gasp and falling to the floor for a second, twitching before she got back up. "And now Zecora has lots and lots of new friends. So what do you think, Zecora? Huh, huh!?" She asked, hopping up and down a few more times.

Zecora is silent for a moment before her lip begins to quiver, a few tears slowly welling in her eyes, running down her cheeks onto the floor. "T-this is perhaps one of the nicest things anypony has ever done for me. I...words cannot express my gratitude. To think that you would go this far to show your regret for your poor behavior..."

"And that's not all!" Pinkie said with a wider smile as she stood off to one side as Applejack walked over with a small wrapped giftbox in her mouth, which she put on the round gently in front of Zecora.

"Go ahead sugarcube, me and Rarity made it special, just for you." She said as she stepped back, smiling softly, nervously.

Zecora sniffled and collected herself before opening the packaging with her teeth, gently pulling the lid of the box off in her hoof before freezing up again, muscles tensed as she got a somewhat blank look on her face again.

Applejack smiled and explained. I got to thinking about what you said about living in harmony with nature over forcing harmony onto nature, and that reminded me of maybe the one time we Apples have done that as a family. Zap Apples come from the Everfree, and they only grow when they want to and they can be real hard to harvest proper-like. But they make some of the best, most tastiest jam you ever did have if you treat em' just right, and they helped put our family on the map and helped make Ponyville what it is today.

As Applejack continued to speak, Zecora pulled what seemed to be a neck scarf or a bandana of some sort, with a pattern of small rainbow-colored apples across it on a field of blue to match her eyes. "I know we done did you dirty, but I would like to consider you an honorary Apple, if you'll have the honor. You're welcome on our farm anytime you like."

Honestly, Zecora was not the only pony in the room who was shocked, while Eris gagged audibly in the back of my mind and begged for mercy, I was finding myself astonished at the level of care and planning these girls had put into coming together to help a mutual friend help another friend in need, and made one another richer in friendship for it. I was practically on the verge of shedding a not so manly tear or two myself.

But this was not my moment, this was for Zecora to decide how to handle, I stayed silent and stepped back to give the poor mare some room as she processed what was happening before she broke out into one of the larger smiles, and certainly the most open vulnerable and genuine one I had seen from the mare so far. "You pony folk honor me with your kindness and hospitality, Applejack, I humbly and happily accept your offer of kinship." She said through tears that still flowed happily down her cheeks as she used her hoof and mouth to tie the bandana into place on the front leg not already occupied by a bracelet.

This was met by cheers from the gathered crowd of ponies, hooves stomping happily as confetti popped off in the background, music starting up as if qued, which it might very well have been.

The party itself was quite a pleasant, lovely affair. I played some songs myself for the little ones, we all talked to Zecora and she regaled us with small interesting tales about her life before living in ponyville. We had cake, we danced and laughed together. It was...really nice honestly. I felt something when I was there with all of my friends, a sort of...spark if you will. Eris felt it too, though she mostly just hissed in protest at the feeling my experience was subjecting her to, but fuck her, it was fun!

In any case, that was more or less the last few days in a nutshell I suppose. I certainly cannot wait to see what sorts of new things await me and well, all of my wonderful new friends in the coming months.

I suppose I shall just have to wait and see.

Princess Celestia gives a soft sigh as she lowered the sun and raised the moon once more. once more, she felt the indignant screams of her sister reach out to her through the connection to the lunar body. her only contact with them each day for the last thousand years. It varied from day to day. Some days she threatened death. Some days she begged to come home. Some days she simply bawled or howled or babbled incoherently. The worst nights were when she seemed almost sane and asked her dear solar sister why. Why had she sent her away. Why had she not helped her when she saw the signs of her decline.

Thought it all, Celestia remained steadfast and only gave her the same responses every evening and every morning.

Good night, Luna. I love you, sister.

Good morning Luna. I love you, sister."

Recenely however some of her nightly ramblings had take a more...problematic tone. She spoke more and more often of how the seal that kept her bound was weakening, How soon, the stars would aid in her escape. This Celestia knew to be true. But what she found far more disturbing was when a few weeks back, her sister had said something more out of the ordinary.

"He is here. You can feel him can't you?"

And indeed she could. She had felt the disturbance on his arrival, then again, a few days later. A flare of chaotic energy from the direction of Ponyville, near their former castle in the Everfree. on that night her sister spoke of him again.

"You cannot ignore him, and you can not ignore Us, not for much longer..."

And she was right on both counts, once more. That was what bothered her the most. Even in her wekaned, maddened state, her sister was right.

She had taken steps to have one of her sleeper agents in Ponyville activated to report to her on any strange going on, any new ponies in town. it had not taken long for the agent to provide her with the information she had been dreading.

There was indeed a new pony in town. One with a very...concerning mark on his flank, and one that he had gotten at a very worryingly late age by the sounds of it. She was slow to worry too much at first. After all, cutie marks always displayed some ultimately positive aspect of the one who possessed it.

However, Upon seeing the artistic rendering of the mark her spy had provided her, her heart sank deep into her chest.

Ever since the defeat of Grogar, First Champion of the Red by Gutsy the Great and the Ancient Ones, And the Defeat of Tirac, Second Champion of the Red by those champions, the very same. After the casting away and scattering of Tirac's Rainbow of Darkness, that great and terrible gathering of several of the Bends o the Rainbow, by the First Weapon of the White, the Rainbow of Light. After Her and Her sister's ascension to divinity a decade or so afterward following the great Ponyland Cataclysm and the Equestrian Exodus so long ago, Ponykind had prospered under the rule of Celestia and Luna, the latest Champions of the White.

By all accounts, Grogar had been a terrifying foe. A creature of the deepest recesses of the Prim, a dark wizard taking the form of a vile Ram of immense size, ruling his dark citadel of Tambelon with an iron cloven hoof, The entire City being sealed away by the champions preceding even the earliest accounts she knew of from her foalhood until his return and final defeat.

Tirac had been terrifying in his own way, by all accounts she had heard. Even without the aid of his Rainbow of Darkness, he possessed the ability to siphon away the connection creatures had to the essence of creation and add their strength to his own. with his final breath before being struck down, he used all of his ill-gotten power to in turn, strike down the land the ponies called home with a slow, rotting sickness that slowly drained all from the land that let life as they knew it thrive.

Without the access to the energies, all life in this realm is immersed in constantly, without that motive force that made all that was possible here, the land, and all the ponies who chose to continue to live on it began to wither away into lifeless, unfeeling husks of their former selves before finally being unable to carry on, slowly, cruelly suffocated in the ambient energy vacuum like a fish out of water.

They made it through those trying times, most of which have been long since lost to memory, fading into legend then into nothingness. But the rest of the tale is enshrined in the culture of the ponies alive today and well remembered.

They had defeated the wicked jests of Eris together using the thier own gifted Artifacts of the White, the Elements of Harmony.

And when her sister had succumbed to the madness that came of gazing for too long into the abyss, she had defeated her with them as well.

But now, with this new information, there was only one reasonable conclusion, one that upon touching the moon again with her magic, her twisted sister could only cackle with delight at Celestia's woe and agree upon.

"The Wheel of Ka turns once again sister. The Champion of the Red comes, and Discordia with him."

Indeed, the tests she and her sister had faced up until now were nothing compared to his. her time had come to live up to her mantle as Champion and defend Harmony, Defend the White from this interloper. This slavering jackal that sought to bring her world to ruin.

And if she was being honest with herself, without the support of her sister, even with the elements, Even with the blessings of Gan to guide and protect this world so long as it stood proud as a beacon amongst countless others that had grown twisted or Moved On, she worried she would find herself lacking.

But then, much to her shock, what seemed to be happening was very much outside of what she had been expecting. She had been expecting...the worst. Crops failing, foals dying of mysterious and sudden illnesses. ponies being...killed, murdered in cold blood for the first time in centuries.

What she heard from her spy, however, was that he had set himself up not in a position of influence, or power, like those before him. No, he took up an occupation as a simple Apple Farmer, and then a Librarian! What's more, he had even volunteered to sign up for the Royal Guard.

The reports continued, day after day only growing more confusing. He showed genuine care for others. Went out of his way to help those in need, even going so far as to recently, Direct a young foal towards what it seemed could very well be her special talent, and bringing an ostrasized foreigner into his friend group.

And oh his friends. of all the ponies he could have befriended, he had to bring those ponies together. that bit worried her. She had plans for those ponies, Plans that could be greatly jeopardized if their friendship was genuine and in the worst case, continued to grow.

This threw all of her plans into uncertainty. However, she could not act in haste. Harmony would prevail, as it always did. She simply had to have faith in her Patron, and in the grand designs of the White to carry the day.

She would not act for now. However, she would watch with great interest. And when the time came for that one to be within her grasp, she would make sure that he was kept as close as one dared to keep a snake when the need arose.

She may even accelerate things in that respect. He did love to learn. And if he was unaware of who he really was, perhaps he could be...tamed, dare she hope to say it, brought into the fold of the White.

And ohhh, that so titillated her, the thought of taking such a vile, unforgivable thing and managing to nurture whatever withered scraps of decency and harmony that nestled within it to bring them from their wicked ways. yes, perhaps she could, having caught him so early in their game.

She would have to be careful, but the more she thought about it, the more she felt that if she kept a close eye on them and offered a proper, guiding hoof, she could make it happen.

She had fancied taking on another student anyway.

It has been about two months since my last journal entry. Not because nothing of note has happened, mind you. More because so much of note has happened, especially the last few days.

Let me get you caught up to speed before I get into the nitty-gritty.

I have been keeping up my schedule more or less as it was the last I wrote. More or less every day, I do my morning practice with my instrument and some light study. Then I open the library for a while. About once a week, sometimes more, Cheerilee brings her little ones over to spend some quality time with me while I look after her charges, singing songs or telling stories, sometimes simply dispensing some one on one advice or book suggestions. Now that I have had some time to acclimate, I have even started helping her grade papers occasionally when I have free time to take some of the load off.

Then, after I close the library, I Study for a while longer, then I make my way out into town to do any shopping I need to do, both for food and for supplies for my studies. I am delighted that in the last few months, with focus and dedication, and some help from my er...room mate...

yes, hello~

Hello Eris.

Anyway, with all of that behind me, I am delighted that I now possess a small array of basic to intermediate spells. I can Create light and use my transformation spell as always (through practice i have shaved the time down to about a minute!), create fire, move objects, detect gemstones (thank you, Rarity, this saves me a fortune on my work, and is a nice little side hustle.) Move Earth (first thing I started learning after the gems) Detect life forms using their connection to the Source of Magic (super useful for finding Walter whenever he tries to hide in the branches when he does not want to take a bath.) and create a shield (I figured I needed some sort of defense in case something required it.)

With the assistance of Eris, I have also more or less gotten the hang of entering my Dogan at will, even while entirely conscious. This makes memory recall for me virtually flawless, so long as the initial memory is strong I cannot read any faster than I used to and retain the information, nor can I Rainman a handful of loose change on the ground or instantly read a situation but if I give a book or an array of coins a careful study, I can more or less recall what I require so long as I take the time to focus on it.

You might ask, why have I not used this ability to memorize more spells. Well, the short answer is, because learning spells is hard.

The long answer is that even if I know how to weave the spell, my horn still needs to adjust to the process of creating and maintaining that particular pattern, like working out a new muscle, for more or less every new spell. Spells more similar in nature to ones I already know are easier to get the hang of, but it still takes time. it will still take me a week or two to get used to using a new spell if I practice it consistently on a daily basis. and if I slack on my training, spells I use less can slowly become harder to cast again, like an atrophied muscle. this is generally why unicorns are more limited to magic pertaining to their special talent. Aside from er...esoteric forces at play,(cutie marks, what the hell to be honest) most ponies simply do not see it as worth it to master spells they will never use only to lose the ability to use them if they stop practicing.

Fortunately, the more spells you manage to learn and maintain, the slower the effect, as your horn becomes more resilient. And of course, the more magic you train yourself to use at a time, the more magic you can channel without hurting yourself. Like any skill, it is a slow, cumulative process with rewards the more you work at it.

However, with my special talent being more...generally arcane from what I understand, and with my ability to retain information far more effectively than ever before, my progress has been...admittedly fairly quick. Most ponies apparently take months, sometimes over a year to get comfortable with a new spell, especially one out of their element. Me learning a new one every week or so is unheard of outside of exceptionally gifted arcanists from my understanding.

But enough about that, I could go on about magic all day but it will not get us anywhere.

My physical training is also going swimmingly. I go out as often as I can to assist the Apples with their framework and visit with Applejack. We have, if you were curious, decided to refrain from being intimate for the time being, as we agreed that we could stand to get to know one another better when I raised the concern. The same goes for Cheerilee, and Rainbow Dash has been surprisingly incredibly respectful of my desire to not get intimate again until I feel we are ready. it is honestly quite nice that the girls have been respectful of my wishes, and what is more, they seem to have made it quite clear to the other mares in town that I am not currently, how you might say, shopping on the market.

I am still a bit miffed to have to let them speak for me on that, but still glad nonetheless.

Speaking of Rainbow Dash, I very frequently indulge in our physical training sessions together. Between that and the farmwork I have to say I am quite pleased with the way my body is coming along. I am certainly no Big Mac in terms of bulk, but what unicorn could hope to be? I am quite content with my slender, graceful toned physique.

After our workout sessions, I will always make sure to invite her back to the Library for some gentle cuddling as I read whatever book she is interested in that day with her. She has more or less mastered the basics of reading and writing now, but she still very much enjoys spending the time with me and I do not mind giving it to her.

After I send her home, I will spend an hour or so meditating and gaining further familiarity with the limits and abilities that my inner world, My Dogan possesses. This is truly a fascinating and useful visualization technique, if I may go off on a small tangent. I look forward to further mastering it in the future.

After that, I, of course, freshen up for the evening, if I have not done so already, and generally, unless I am going on a date with one of my lovely suitors, will spend a nice quiet evening home alone with a good book or two and my faithful friend Walter.

And that is more or less my daily schedule, along with a bit of dish on my personal affairs on the side. I will occasionally go into the forest to pay a visit to Zecora, or check up on that rose I planted (which by the way, seems to have grown into a lovely little patch of them about as wide as I am in diameter. I may give some of them to somepony as a gift at some point.)

My visits with Zecora are always fairly pleasant. we chat, exchange ideas and such. Everyone expects something romantic out of us for some reason. I personally do not see it. Zecora is a wonderful mare, and I adore her company. But I do not think I would want to potentially muddle our current state of affairs with intimacy unless she were to invite it herself. And from the looks of things she is about as content with the way things are as I am.

Anyway, moving on.

It all started yesterday morning. I awoke to find that well, a good number of ponies were in a bit of a tizzy. Ponies outside rushing to and fro, shouting directions at each other and frantically looking about.

All of the commotions made it more than a tad difficult to concentrate on my morning activities, So I simply had breakfast, brushed my teeth and headed out towards the farm to see what all of the ruckus was about.

Applejack and her family were not immune from whatever this madness was, it seemed. Applejack was running around quickly hammering down loose nails and checking fence posts. Granny Smith was in the kitchen, I could see her through the window baking like a mare possessed while Applebloom and Big Macintosh were repainting the barn.

When she saw me making my way towards them, Applejack stopped, smiling at me, but still seeming a bit on edge as she trotted over "Oh golly, just the pony I was hoping to see! ya think you could help us out here, sugarcube?"

"Sure, if you tell me what is going on." I said with a small chuckle as I leaned in to nuzzle her cheek, getting a pleased look from her as she adjusted her hat. "You didn't hear? Princess Celestia is coming down to scope Ponyville out for an upcoming Summer Sun Celebration, and the Mayor flipped out and is demanding everyone prettify their property!

"WHAT!?"

That...hurt a bit, I flinched and let out an audible "OW!" as I rubbed at my head after that outburst from Eris.

Applejack gave me a concerned look and put a hoof on my forehead "Are you alright hun? You ain't lookin' too hot all of a sudden."

I smiled at her as reassuringly as I could and rubbed at the side of my head with a hoof "Y-yeah, I am just coming down with a headache all of a sudden, it really hit me out of nowhere."

'What the fuck Eris, what gives?'

"What gives is that that sunflanked tramp is going to ruin everything if she finds out I'm up here. I knew it was only going to be a matter of time until she arrived, but I didn't think she would show up this soon. I was hoping we would have more time to prepare."

As this exchange went down, applejack was bringing me inside "here, darlin, lets get you laid down, nice and easy. just relax and ah'll get you some ice for that before I get back to work." She said as I allowed her to lead me to the couch in their living room.

'Eris, please calm down.' I said internally as I nodded my thanks and laid down "Thank you darling, i should be fine in Just a bit, and then I will be happy to help."

"Thanks, Sug." She said as she went to the kitchen and grabbed an ice bag and then left me to it, heading back outside once I was situated. God that mare is just...the best really.

Meanwhile, Eris was still having her moment. "Why should I calm down, why aren't you freaking out? You realize she can read minds right? She's basically a Goddess, and you are the one she is going to erase from reality if she realizes what's going on here. I'm just hitching a ride, remember?"

'Oh...fuck, yeah that's right.' I said simply, trying to process this and trying not to panic.

Full disclosure, I was succeeding externally only. Internally I was failing utterly.

Eris did her best to reassure me. Not to worry! I think I can manage. I will just have to do some er...temporary redecorating. A few false memories here, a few locked off areas there, until i have the time to teach you how to do proper Occulemency on your own."

Hm...that sounded sort of sus, but I did not have much of a choice at the moment, so I agreed.

'Alright, as long as you do not mess things up too much in there, I just got everything the way I like it up there.'

"You can count on me stud, Just leave everything to me~"

With that less than reassuring closing note, I nursed my headache for a bit until I was feeling better and got up and went to go and assist the others.

There was quite a lot of work to do, and I ended up having a fairly full day. Those gains were really paying off, and I was able to do a lot more than I would have been able to do a few months ago. We managed to more or less get the farm into tip-top shape! All the while I was working I felt an odd...buzzing in the back of my head, as if something was being shifted about, tinkered with. I started to occasionally get glimpses of an oddly familiar group of ponies and other assorted creatures that I knew intellectually I had never met, but seemed like family to me. I can only assume those are the false memories Eris was planting.

After having a nice pleasant dinner with the Apple Family that evening, I made my way home, making sure to let Rainbow dash know that I had already gotten my fair share of working out for the day. She had been quite busy with the weather team all day as well and seemed to take it in stride. we were both fairly tired from all of this hullabaloo it seemed. There was a letter waiting for me from the mayor herself of all ponies. She had tried to get into contact with me in person while I was gone and failed, it appeared, and had written down some special instructions for me tomorrow.

Dear Rose Tint,

As your employer, it is my duty to make sure you have been informed (though no doubt somepony has already told you and you are hard at work somewhere else) That none other than the Princess of Equestria, Celestia Morningstar herself will be paying a visit to our fair town to appraise us as a potential site for an upcoming Summer Sun Celebration. These inspections are a routine business and occur usually a year or two in advance of the event so that the organizers have time to prepare everything required.

As the sole operator of Golden Oaks Library, I expect everything to be (as you often keep it anyway, thankfully) In top shape for her arrival tomorrow. This is Especially Important, because tomorrow, as I have been informed by Cheerilee, is the student bodies library visitation day. This is a happening that her majesty has expressed interest in viewing, as she is in fact, quite fond of foals. I know that the little ones adore their visits from Cherilee's glowing reviews of your performance on these days, so please, in that respect continue to do what you are doing.

I do not mean to pile on too much pressure but the future social and economic prosperity of Ponyville may very well rest on your shoulders. Your svelte, muscular...

Ah! Sorry, got carried away with my train of thought. Hopefully, I crossed that out enough times.

Anyway, good luck!

"'FUCK!"
"FUCK!"

The next day was more than a little bit stressful. I made sure to at least eat breakfast, groom myself, and do my exercises before I started preparing the library. I made sure that everything was properly tidy and made sure that Walter was also appropriately groomed.

Once all of that was taken care of, I gave a small sigh and opened the Library to the public for the day. I was, quite surprised However to see that there were two white stallions in golden armor outside of my home, standing facing away from it.

I cleared my throat softly as I looked out the door towards the two of them "erm...is there anything that I can do for you gentlecolts?" I asked them with a raised eyebrow as I gave them a once over. Hmmm...the one on the left was actually pretty cu- no. this was not the time for that, bad Rosey!

One of them answered without so much as looking back at me. "This building is currently under guard by order of her Highness Princess Celestia Morningstar. She is currently on her way with her personal student, a gathering of small foals and a schoolteacher to observe their weekly library visit. Are you Rose Tint, Golden Oaks Librarian?"

Ah yes of course. Guards, that made sense. I nodded and smiled softly at them both as politely as I could manage "Why yes, yes I am, as a matter of fact."

"Excellent. We have been directed to make sure that you do not leave the area for the duration of the Princess' visitation without her accompaniment. She seemed quite adamant that after this you be the one to show her and her student. around town.

Huh, so it seemed as if I was going to be the Princess' butt boy for the day. Unfortunate.

"Well, I suppose I could make some time to assist her if she is adamant about it..." I said as I rubbed at my chin, getting the most reaction out of them so far, a turned head towards me and a raised eyebrow.

"Are you saying that you would rather be doing something else?" the one on the right asks dubiously.

"Well, I do have a lot of responsibilities to several ponies. The Princess is important and all, but the ponies i care about come first in my view."

The eyebrows only got higher from there, but after a moment, they both shrugged and turned back to resume thier duties.

I decided to head back into my house and grab myself a cup of coffee before she arrived, wanting to be as alert and ready as I can be. I could feel Eris rummaging around making some last-minute adjustments upstairs but tried not to pay her too much mind.

Soon enough, the menagerie arrived. the door opened and two ponies stood each to a side of the door, taking out bugles to announce the princess with a rousing short tune as another pony trotted out, opening a scroll as he stood on his back legs to announce. "Presenting, Her Royal Highness Princess Celestia Morningstar of Equestria, Lady of the Sun, First of Her Name, Order of Starwirl: First Class."

Quite the mouthful to be honest. Anyway, Sunbutt gracefully walked her way into my home. She was...quite regal if I am being honest. graceful, gentle-looking. A coat of pure white, big eyes not too dissimilar in color from my own, actually.

Oh, and of course, the big honking flowing multicolored mane and tail that waved even with no breeze to support them.

Eris had gone quiet in my head, presumably hiding deeeeep inside of my dogan trying to conceal herself.

As I looked her up and down with mild curiosity, her eyes met my own and she smiled softly, nodding. "Good Morning, Librarian. I am Princess Celestia, and this..." She said as another pony, a purple unicorn trotted up next to her, looking excited. "Is my Student, Twilight Sparkle. She will be supervising an up and coming rendition of the Summer Sun Celebration, and I thought this would be an excellent opportunity for her to see the sights and get to know the locals."

I smiled and nodded as I looked over the purple pony. She had a cutie mark with a star similar to the two on my own flank above my tower. She must also be magically oriented. I smiled wide and contained most of my excitement. "it is wonderful to make your acquaintance, your Highness, you as well, Miss Sparkle." I said with a small, polite nod of my head.

Twilight seemed a bit confused by my reaction, looking up at her teacher questioningly "Princess, why did he not bow when you arrived?"

Celestia chuckled softly and waved a hoof nonchalantly. "Oh, Twilight. Didn't I tell you? he is apparently from the Colonies. you know how little respect that have for the crown there."

Indeed. While a violent revolution had not occurred, the Amareican Colonies had secured the right to autonomous governance so long as they provided nominal tithes to the Equestrian Crown some time ago, according to my personal research. I chuckled softly and shrugged as well as one can on four legs. "What can I say. I would much rather develop personal respect for Celestia the Pony rather than feign it for Celestia the Princess."

While twilight seemed aghast at my words, Celestia gave a patient, warm smile and nodded slightly "Well My Little Pony, I do hope that I can earn that respect today..." she said as she trotted closer. As she approached, I saw that we were close in height, I was only perhaps half a head smaller than she was. She seemed to notice it too, eyes widening slightly as she muttered <sub>"perhaps not so little"</sub> before her face returned to normal and she noticed my cutie mark.

"That is...a very interesting mark you have there. That star symbol generally only appears on the flanks of ponies destined to wield extraordinary magical prowess. I usually only see it these days on members of House Sparkle, Like my Student here." She said, gesturing to her with a hoof. "You realize what the tower symbolizes in the Celestial Tarot, yes?"

I cringed slightly but nodded, giving a small sigh. "yes, but I like to focus on the positive. I really do feel like that change is more often than not a good thing. Maybe it's fate's way of saying that my magic will change the world for the better. Though I erm...admittedly do not know an awful lot of magic at the moment..."

Celestia seems pleased by my answer, but slightly surprised as she raises an eyebrow at my assertion of ignorance. "Oh? That is quite peculiar, why is that?"

"Well, I only recently got my cutie mark actually," I said a bit bashfully as I rubbed at the back of my head.

Twilight seemed shocked by this, while Celestia nodded again "it is not unheard of for ponies from more...remote locations to be longer in getting their cutie marks." She says with a small sigh "Sadly it can be difficult to find harmony so far from the light of the sun. In any case, how about we let the children in and then you can tell me about how you got your cutie mark, hm?"

I smiled a bit more honestly at this and nodded my agreement "Princess, that sounds like a delightful idea."

And so, the children came streaming in, with Cheerilee along for the ride. they all oohed and ahhed at the princess while Cheerilee and I chatted a bit off to the side for a moment.

"Well Rose, what do you think of the Princess, hm?" She asked with a small chuckle as she leaned against me while we watched the princess and the little ones interact.

"She seems nice. I am of course, still not terribly partial to the idea of Monar- or er...Diarchy in this case." I said with a small shrug, leaning in to give Cheerilee a gentle nuzzle.

"Really? and what sort of system of government would you prefer?" she asked, leaning into the affection and pulling back after to give me a curious look.

I Smiled sheepishly and shook my head "it is erm...complicated, another time." In front of the princess was not where I wanted to start explaining my affiliation with Ego-GeoMutualist gang.

She shrugged and nodded, and after a few more minutes, the children all seemed to finally settle down enough for us to corral them. Celestia herself was kind enough to explain to the children that she wanted to hear the story of how I got my cutie mark, which seemed to get them all ready to be quiet and listen quickly enough.

I took my usual spot in the midst of them at the center of the crowd, sitting down on my favorite chair as i settled in to tell the short tale. I told them about my brief time living with the apples, how I had not really used magic before then, getting to grips with using my horn. I told them how rewarding and natural it had fell,t like I was meant to be doing it. I told them about when Cheerilee had told me of the gentleman from Canterlot who would be here to administer testing and who pushed me to the edge.

At this point Twilight interjected with a doubtful tone. "A Quad Casting? From a total novice? That seems very unlikely."

Cheerilee piped up to defend me "oh, it happened, and we still have the scorch marks on the floorboards to prove it." Sher said, giving me a playfully disapproving look, to which I smiled back sheepishly.

"So erm, yes, I got my Cutie mark that day! I er...also got tricked into enlisting for the Guard, but I consider that a small price to pay for discovering what makes me unique!" you know, aside from all of the cross universal reincarnation bullshit. i don't even know if that is really all that unique, to be honest.

Celestia chuckles softly at this and nods "That is a very positive way to look at your circumstances. I must say your tale is a little inspiring. it is always so wonderful to hear about my little ponies overcoming adversity." She says as she gestures with a hoof from her spot amongst the crowd of foals.

Applebloom, never one to miss an opportunity to talk me up, chimed in "Yeah! Mister Tint is one of the best ponies I know. I remember a few months ago he saw that Miss Zecora was feeling left out of things in town, and he tried to help her! it i-uh...didn't go so well the first go-round...But my big sis was so inspired she gathered up all of their friends and our class and we threw her a party!"

Celestia smiled a bit wider at this, a small glimmer in her eye as she listened. "Oh, well that is quite noble of them. Perhaps my student could learn a thing or two from these ponies about the magic of friendship." She said kindly, while Twilight wilted slightly, seeming a bit embarrassed.

"You flatter me princess, really..." I said with a slightly uncomfortable little chuckle.

I did my best to quickly move on from the moment and get the attention off of me. I helped all of the little ones find new books as I normally did,w which was going swimmingly, when suddenly little Twist came up to me looking excited.

"Mister Tint! Mister Tint!!" she said eagerly, bouncing a bit in place next to me after she had my attention.

I leaned down slightly to meet her eyes and smiled, nodding a bit "Yes, little one, what is it?"

She turned to one side, posing to show off none other than her new cutie mark! Two peppermint sticks in the shape of a heart. "I was at Bon Bon's house yesterday, and she was showing me how to make peppermint sticks, when I got my cutie mark!" She says, barely able to contain her excitement. "And it's all thanks to you helpin' me and talking to me, thank you so much, Mister!" She said as she trotted in closer and pulled me into a hug.

I nodded and gently patted her back before petting her mane affectionately "Good job, Twist. I am sure all friends and family must be very proud of you, I know I am." I said before stopping my reciprocation and allowing her to release me.

After I set her up with some slightly more advanced books on her topic of interest, I was greeted by the sight of the princess, who had apparently been standing behind me, watching the entire thing, seeming....conflicted for some reason for a moment, before looking satisfied. "You know, it is rare to see a single stallion who is so good with children." She says as she watches Twist skip off back towards her friends. "Much less a pony in general who is so in tune with the needs of others. How did you help her find her talent?"

"O-oh er..." I said, stuttering slightly at first as I collected myself from the surprise of her having gotten so close so quietly. "Well. I asked her about what ponies in town she admired and recommended a book based off of that. I figured that she would probably admire a pony who was already doing what she thought was interesting. And whenever she came to me asking for advice, I would always simply tell her to do what she thought was the right thing" I said as i rubbed at the back of my neck with a hoof.

"Oh. Well, that certainly is excellent advice for a filly her age. A cutie mark comes when you are ready for it, and not before. it seems you simply helped her get ready a bit faster than she might have on her own." She said, her apparent pleasure seeming to increase. She leaned in a bit closer and spoke a bit more quietly, just for the two of us to hear. not a whisper, simply an inside voice.

"You know Rose. I think I see a lot of potential in you. You are a bit....old for the sort of offer I am considering making, I usually go to the parents to ask permission at a younger age but better late than never."

I was apprehensive of course, i unsurely raised an eyebrow and leaned in a bit closer myself, raising a hoof and gesturing to her "Erm...go on?"

She smirked softly and looked me in the eyes and simply asked.

"How would you like to become my newest personal student in the study of Magic?"

"I-I am sorry, what?" I asked her incredulously as I leaned back, eyes wide. Eris remained quiet but I felt a distinct tingle of panic in the back of my head. "B-but why?"

She chuckled as she looked me up and down, gauging my reaction. "Well...a few reasons. For one, Ponies with a raw talent for magic such as yourself and my current student are incredibly few and far between. I like to make it a point that everyone in Equestria has access to what they need, and provide as much as they can to others. In this case, I can see you are in need of the best teacher possible, and you were clearly willing to put something on the line for it if you let yourself be convinced to join the guard for it, and as your Princess, I am happy to provide just that." She said as she took a seat on a nearby beanbag chair, motioning for me to do the same.

I nodded and sat on another of the comfortable sitting sacks and sighed softly "and er...what are the other reasons if I may ask?" I enquired delicately.

"Well, for one...Twilight is....a bit of a recluse at the best of times. Sure, she has her assistant, but that is hardly a substitution for peer to peer companionship. I am hoping having someone on an equal hoofing to her in terms of status will give her someone to relate to and...perhaps also to spur her to greater heights of effort in the process." She said as she relaxed a bit into the beanbag chair "oh goodness, this is simply marvelous. I am so happy to have lived to see such inventions reach widespread use..."

"Uh huh..." I responded softly as I rubbed my chin, thinking. "So, you would be willing to give me access to the ability to reach my full potential as a magic-user in exchange for providing companionship for your current student. Am I about on the ball here?" I asked as I tilted my head slightly.

"I suppose you could look at it as a mutual exchange of favors if you like," She said as she shrugged slightly. "So, are you interested?"

I dreaded what might happen if I dared to refuse, so I instead probed to see if I could find a reasonable excuse. "I mean, that is all very kind of you to offer and all, but I erm...I do have obligations here. As a Librarian for one. I would be quite sad to leave all of these little ones who I have helped to grow these last few months all by themselves. And of course, I also have friends here and we would miss each other very much if I were gone for too long. And then there is also my obligation to the guard, I did sign paperwork and everything...."

She smiled a bit wider at this and shook her head "your concern for others when faced with such an opportunity is incredibly admirable, my little pony. As my student, you will be provided with a stipend that shall provide for your day-to-day needs which I assure you exceeds your current income. You will also of course, be free to visit Ponyville anytime you like, provided I do not require you for some task or another. And as for your being signed to the guard...I am sure that I can come to an arrangement after speaking with the Captain. Considering the circumstances I am sure that something can be arranged. If nothing else, I can always pardon you from duty." She says with a smirk as she places her chin in her hoof and gives me a slightly bemused look.

I give her a raised brow look and squint a bit afterwards. "And you are willing to give your word that I will be free to do as I please outside of our lessons?"

"You have my word. I swear on the sun itself that I shall not impede you from doing as or going where you please outside of lesson time." She says with a kind smile, crossing her heart.

"Well...I suppose that...it would be acceptable, yes, I shall accept your offer." I said happily, feeling content with what was on offer. Celestia really did seem like a stand-up pony to me. And if I am being honest, I could relate to what she was saying about Twilight. I...tended to be a bit of a shut-in back home. I was just never terribly personable until living amongst the pony folk sort of brought it out of me. Maybe all she needed was a friend!

Celestia smiled brilliantly, and for a moment, all of my worries were washed away as I basked in it, if this is how ponies felt around her all of the time it was no small wonder they elected to put their faith in her. Then after a moment I regained my focus and returned to a normal state of mind, slightly confused but still pleased that I had secured such a significant boon in my quest for knowledge, and gotten myself in the good graces of the princess at the same time by the looks of it!

"I am quite glad to hear that, my new student," she says, her voice sounding...oddly relieved, as if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. "Once you have shown me around town, we can begin to make preparations to have your effects moved to Canterlot Castle." She says as she gets up and beckons for me to follow behind her "Would you mind accompanying me? I wish to go and inform Twilight of the good news. I hope that she will be pleased to have a new peer to study alongside."

I nodded my assent and happily got up, stretching out a tad and walking with the princess side by side to speak with the purple pony.

We found her relaxing and nose deep inside of a book, of course. Something she must have brought with her, As I did not recognize the selection from what was available in the library after memorizing the catalog a few weeks ago. celestia gently cleared her throat to get the other's attention. She quickly perked up, put the book away and stood, looking up at her mentor happily "Oh! Hello Princess. Are we getting ready to go on the rest of the tour?" She asked, seeming singularly focused on her teacher.

Celestia smiled a bit wider and nodded. "indeed we are, Twilight. I was actually just making Rose here an offer that I am quite happy to say he has accepted. Twilight, meet your new Co-Student." She said, giving a small nod in my direction.

Her jaw dropped for a moment as she turned her head to look at me, I nervously straightened my bow tie and nodded to her with a small, slightly anxious smile "well erm...yes...Hello." I said somewhat lamely as I extended a hoof, which she seemed to be able to compose herself enough to shake not too long after.

"Well, I suppose that if the Princess sees potential in you, I am not anypony to be doubting her judgment..." Was that...was that a bit of jealousy I was hearing? "I am glad to be making your acquaintance, Rose."

"Well, thank you, Miss Sparkle, I hope that we can become good friends in our mutual pursuit of knowledge," I said, sounding significantly more pleased about this than she was. "I apologize if my relative ignorance makes me slow in getting going, but I will work as hard as it takes to try to catch up!"

"I am sure you will, my little pony." Celestia said, moving between us gently and taking us both under a wing gently. Why did she keep saying that anyway? and why did she smell like vanilla bean. "So then, shall we be on our way? I am sure Miss Cheerilee can handle things from here with a bit of help from some of my entourage."

"Oh! Er...just a moment actually." I said as I reluctantly extracted myself from the gentle embrace. "I should probably let her know what is going on. She tends to get a bit anxious when I keep her out of the loop. I just know this one is going to be a bit of a doozy for her." I said softly as I gestured towards the gentle, flower flanked mare.

Celestia gave an understanding nod and gestured for me to proceed. "Please, go to her. I am sure your herd-mate will appreciate your concern."

Well, she was not my herd-mate yet, we were still very much in the process of dating. But I still appreciated the sentiment. I trotted over to Cheerilee and gently nudged her to get her attention. She turned to face me, smiling wide at me "Oh! Rose, there you are. Can you believe Princess Celestia is actually here? Oh, she is everything I always thought she would be from all of the accounts and pictures." She said as she looked past me to the princess and her student, then back to me.

"Oh er...yes she is quite wonderful..." I said, kicking the ground with my hoof a bit "She is so wonderful that she even offered me a position as her personal student in Canterlot..." I finished with a sheepish smile down at her.

"Oh...? Oh! Oh, Rose, that is absolutely WONDERFUL!" she said, throwing her forelegs around my neck and hugging me close, kissing me deeply. A bit too deeply, I definitely felt tongue that was not appropriate in front of the kids. I still kissed her back though, wanting to let her have her moment as the foals let out a unanimous "ewwwwwwwwww" at our pda.

After we pulled back from the kiss and had a moment, I smiled and nodded "It is, but I am going to really miss you. I can come to visit whenever I like when I am not studying, but it will still be hard not being here able to help you and the little ones like I have been doing. You all are almost like a family at this point to me."

"Oh, you poor dear. Don't worry, you will still be able to come down and see us whenever right? Canterlot is not too terribly far from here, only an hour or two by flight and a bit more by train." She said as she ran a hoof through my mane comfortingly, kissing my forehead before pulling way more properly. "Just make sure to write to me whenever you are not able to come down and visit, alright?"

"Of course, Cheerilee," I said gently as I nuzzled her a bit more before turning and heading back over to Celestia, taking a deep breath and putting on a smile.

"So, Princess, you wanted a tour of the town?"

The tour of the town went swimmingly as far as I was able to tell. I took the opportunity to also make sure that my other suitors and my friends were all informed of my departure.

The first I came into contact with after Cheerilee was Rainbow Dash. Mostly because Weather management was a very vital aspect of making sure the celebration went off without a hitch, so visiting the lead Weatherpony was a vital aspect of the inspection.

We found her relaxing on the only cloud left in town, aside from those which make up her house. Of course, once she saw the princess coming, she ended up flailing from surprise so hard the cloud dissipated and she came falling down, managing to land with grace at the last moment with a gentle swoop down for the remaining altitude, landing in front of the three of us as casual and cool as you please, smiling and rubbing her chest with a hoof. "Heheh, I uh...meant to do that, yeah...new trick. Oh!-" As if remembering something important, she gives the princess a bow, eliciting a chuckle from the royal.

"Please, rise, my little pony." She said warmly as she appraised the other. I stepped in, trotting over next to Rainbow Dash to Introduce her.

"Erm...Princess, this is my good friend, Rainbow Dash." I said, gesturing to her with a hoof "She is the Lead Weatherpony of Ponyville. I honestly do not think that you will have anything to worry about in terms of keeping the skies clear that day, she is exceptional at her craft."

"Darn right I am!" She says, her smile widening as she strikes a small pose, clearly somewhat encouraged by my praise. "There Won't be a cloud in this sky when I'm on the job, I can clear this entire area in ten seconds flat!"

"Not an exaggeration, by the way, I've seen her at it," I say with a small chuckle as I walk back over to the princess. "Rainbow Dash. I am sure you already know her, but this is the princess and my er...new teacher, Celestia." I said, gesturing towards the royal in a similar fashion as before. "And her other student, Twilight Sparkle."

"Nice to meet you!" she says as she looks twilight over appraisingly, humming as she thinks until something hits her and her eyes go wise "W-wait. New teacher?" She asks, jaw-dropping slightly.

"That was my reaction," Twilight said somewhat dryly, giving a small grin at her reaction.

Celestia smiled down at Dash and nodded "Yes. Indeed, I have decided to take your friend here under my wing much like I have with twilight and teach him all I can about magic, to help better foster his abilities. He has a lot of potential, Rainbow Dash, More than I think any of you, even he might know." She says with a slightly thoughtful expression, looking up at the sky for a moment before turning her head back down to the rest of us.

"In any case, thank you for your reassurances, Rainbow Dash. I am glad Ponyville has such a dependable pony watching the skies."

Rainbow Dash still seemed to be somewhat processing the news she had just gotten, looking a bit crestfallen. "D-does that mean you won't be able to come hang out anymore?" She asked softly as she walked a bit closer to me, looking up at me sadly.

I shook my head quickly and pulled her in with my foreleg to hug her. "No, of course, I will still come to hang out. As much as I can! Princess Celestia very much values the benefits of healthy friendships and is apparently more than happy to allow me to come down and visit more or less as often as I would like." I reassured her gently as I nuzzled the top of her head before pulling away, leaving her feeling somewhat better, it seemed.

"Well, I guess that's okay! You better be ready the next time I see you though, Big Guy. I'm going to put you through your paces!" She says, nudging me with her elbow as she chuckled softly, which I happily returned

"Of course Rainbow Dash. I'm game anytime."

After a few more stops, Next on the docket was Sweet Apple Acres. The Princess seemed interested in Having them, in particular, be in charge of the food for the celebration, should they bring it here. Applejack was hard at work as usual it seemed. She was practicing her bucking on a thick wooden post, getting ready for the big harvest in a few months. From what I was told, they apparently have some trees bearing fruit throughout the year, but most of their supply comes from the large main harvest in the fall.

When she saw the three of us approaching, She stopped what she was doing and gave a bow, taking off her hat as well. "O-oh! Princess Celestia, welcome!" She said, coming back to her feet after a moment or two.

"Thank you, little one. What is your name if I may ask?" The Princess asks her, looking at her kindly."

"My name is Applejack, Ma'am." She said respectfully as she looked over at me with a raised eyebrow. "Rose? What are you doing with the princess, there, hun?"

I gave her a slightly nervous smile as I walked over, gently nuzzling her cheek as I often did in greeting of my suitors. "Well erm...I am actually her guide for the day! I am helping her and her student familiarize themselves with the town." I said, hesitating for a moment before continuing to speak. "She has also er....decided to take me under her wing and bring me to Canterlot as one of her personal students in the study of Magic."

"Her....student...huh...." Applejack ponders for a moment, wilting slightly before doing her best to seem happy for me "Well, that's awful nice of her, sugarcube! About some pony saw something in you like I do." She said sweetly before pulling me into a hug firmly and patting my back with her hoof.

I squeaked softly in surprise and hugged her back, resting my head on her shoulder and humming slightly as I returned the hug. You'll uh...break the news to Applebloom for me, right? I do not think I would be able to convince myself to leave if she pouted at me over it." I said somewhat lamely as I pulled away.

"Heh, sure thing, partner." Applejack said with a small, amused grin as she looked up at me somewhat sadly, trying to pull her hat down over her eyes.

I reached to gently adjust her hat so that I could meet her eyes and smiled softly. "Hey now, no need to act tough for me, darlin..." I said as I leaned in and gently kissed her for a moment before speaking again "I'll be down plenty often to visit you all, as much as I can." I step back slightly, giving her a long, gentle longing look before speaking once more "You know, I'll always think of this place as home, and that makes you all my family."

"Does that make this incest?"

'I SWEAR TO GOD I AM IN NO MOOD'

"DGeez! Fine...<sub>can't have anything in this head...</sub>"

During this internal exchange Applejack is tearing up in front of me, so I quickly turn my attention back to her as she speaks. "O-of course, hun. You are welcome back here anytime, ya hear?"

I nod, and we embrace once again, hugging each other close as she nuzzles softly against my neck. I can feel the dampness of her tears and simply rub her back slowly, shushing her as we stand there.

We stay there like that for a few more long moments before separating, she sniffles softly and speaks. "W-well, enough of all that mushy stuff, Y'all need to see what sorts of vittles the Apple family can provide, right?"

And from there, we had a pleasant afternoon of going through several of the more delectable dishes the Apples had to offer. we departed with lighter hearts and er...heavier stomachs. Needless to say, the princess had very much enjoyed the menagerie of treats. She had finished out the docket of goodies as light as a butterfly, while twilight and I trailed behind somewhat sluggishly.

We finished out the rest of the inspections fairly well. the other girls were sad to see me go, of course, to be sure, but it was not quite the same sorts of emotional moments that would justify a passage in my diary. Some simple "goodbyes." and "ill miss yous," the usual sort of thing

Well that, and if I dwell on this too much longer the pages I am writing on will be quite soggy.

After the inspections were all wrapped up, We headed back to Golden Oaks, and I went up to pack up most of my things I would want until the rest was moved. My diary of course for starters. I also packed a few books, some snacks, and of course, my side project. I was very careful to pack that staff away carefully so that it would not be damaged, but I did not want anyone peeping on my research. As far as I could tell it was fairly unique and I wanted to perfect it in private.

I made sure to bring Walter along as well of course! I did not want to leave him alone or such a long time unsupervised. it was bad enough I had to leave him by himself when I went to the forest. Though I suppose I could have asked Fluttershy to birdsit...Ah well, hindsight and all!

Once everything was packed up. I met Celestia outside of the Library, where they had transportation ready for the three of us in the form of a cartridge pulled by several pegasus guards. She raised an eyebrow at my choice of pet. "I did not notice you had a pet. A crow?"

"Yes, they are very intelligent, and Walter here is very sweet," I said as I smiled at the crow who was currently perched atop one of my saddlebags. He cawed softly and his feathers ruffled slightly, clearly pleased by my praise.

She smiled at my response and nodded, gesturing for me to follow as she and Twilight headed towards and into the waiting carriage. "Are you ready to go then? Canterlot Castle Awaits, my new student."

I give a small sigh and look back at the library, pensive for a moment more before I take a deep breath and steel myself, giving a smile as I trot over to the vehicle that would take me to what seemed to be the next stage of my life.

"I sure am, let's move."

The trip to Canterlot was...pleasant, actually. Celestia had tea prepared for the three of us aboard before we left, courtesy of her entourage of employees, who I am guessing had to make their own way back to Canterlot. Possibly by train?

Anyway yes, the trip. it was surprisingly quiet in the cabin, above the clouds. I had never been on a plane when I was back home, but I supposed this was the next closest thing. I looked out onto the clouds below with wide eyes, taking in the wide landscapes. "wow..." I said softly as I just sort of...soaked it all up.

"First time flying?" Celestia asked with a small chuckle as she sipped at her beverage. "I know it must be interesting, but your tea is going to get dreadfully cold if you let it cool for so long." She said with an amused tone in her voice as she watched me.

I turned back around, taking my snout off of the glass and nodding as I levitated my tea towards myself, sipping it softly before addressing her "o-oh erm, thank you." I said softly before setting it back down. there was a sort of small table in the middle of the carriage with the three of us all sitting next to one another in front of it. Celestia was in the middle and Twilight and I both took a window seat. Walter was perched comfortably on the table at one corner, occasionally dipping his beak in a small cup of water provided for him.

"So Rose, are you nervous about moving to Canterlot Castle? I know that this must all be very strange and sudden for you." Celestia said gently as she placed a wing comfortingly over my back "if there is anything that I can do to make your stay more comfortable please do let me know, I do not intend to take you on as my student and not do my due diligence in making sure that you are not provided for."

I gave her a thankful smile and slowly relaxed into her wing, ending up resting against her side, eyes slowly closing. Her presence was admittedly quite soothing. "I really appreciate that. As long as I have time to pursue my own interests and visit my friends and am able to make enough to support myself I will be fine, I think. I always tended to be fairly erm....content with whatever I was able to scrounge up." I said as I nestled in gently against her side. I am not sure what came over me, to be honest. She was warm, and gentle, and smelled of vanilla beans, I was simply quite relaxed by her being in my general vicinity.

Twilight seemed to be feeling the effect as well. When I cracked an eye to look she was similarly relaxing under the wing of the princess, looking incredibly content.

I decided to try to strike a bit of conversation since we still had about another hour to go on our flight to Canterlot. "So erm...Twilight, How long have you been studying under the princess?" I asked her innocently enough.

"Ever since I got my cutie mark actually. I got it on the day I was taking the exam to enroll in her school for gifted unicorns and...well, it is a bit of an embarrassing story, actually..." she said, blushing a bit as she no doubt recalled the experience. "But I am very glad it happened. My family has always been known for being magically talented far beyond the norm, but becoming a student of Celestia is..well it's beyond the wildest dreams of most any unicorn in Equestria." She said as she sat up slightly to look at me.

"I hope that this isn't something you find offensive, but I was actually incredibly shocked to hear when you and Celestia told me that she had asked to take you on as a student. I mean, not because you are a stallion or anything, just to be clear," she said clearly, seeming slightly flustered as she tried to reassure me. "I mean, one of the greatest mages of all time was a stallion. My personal hero, Starswirl the Bearded. But anyway! I was more just shocked that Celestia decided she saw potential in some pony from out in the middle of nowhere who she had just met not an hour ago!"

I chuckled softly and waved a hoof as I sat up a bit as well. "Trust me, I am every bit as surprised as you are at her latest choice in pupils. I mean sure, I am above average from everything I have gathered, but well...I don't really know much about how anything works here." I said, being as honest as I could be. "Everything here is strange and new to me, and to be honest, sometimes it's sort of scary being in a place with rules and customs you don't fully understand. I mean, I try to live and let live but sometimes it really gets to me." I said as I apparently came to grips with some repressed feelings.

I suppose it was only a matter of time until things like that started to bubble up. I mean, as nice as everything has been I did sort of well...violently die and get thrown into a world I know nothing about. Even if I did choose to do it it makes sense that there might be some...underlying unresolved issues that might crop up. I had been so worried about other ponies, helping them and learning from them and trying to solve problems and make friends and learn, that I never really did much in the way of taking time to focus on myself.

As I processed all of this, Celestia seemed to pick up on my mild distress and pressed me a bit closer under her wing with a reassuring smile. "There is no need to worry. Twilight is well versed in most every subject. if you require some remedial courses I am sure that she would be more than happy to assist you with tutoring in your spare time, isn't that right Twilight."

The idea of teaching probably appealed to Twilight, if her sudden widening smile was any indication. "I would love to! oh, it'll be just like teaching Spike after he hatched. Though of course, it'll be with a fully grown pony instead of a baby dragon but close enough..."

Well, there was certainly a good deal to absorb in that statement, but I decided to put most of it aside for later and focus on what was immediately pertinent to my own situation so as to remain focused and put together. "I erm...I appreciate that twilight, very much." I said gently. "I can understand the joy of teaching others. I actually helped that Rainbow Dash pony we met earlier learn how to read."

"It is very sweet of you to do something like that for one of your herdmates, Rose," Celestia said approvingly with a warm smile as she listened to us converse. I blushed slightly and did my best to gently correct her.

"I erm...I do not actually have any proper herdmates yet, as a matter of fact. I have several suitors, And I find them all wonderful, but the way that mares do things her is...different from home. I am not used to them being as forward as they seem to be here."

She raised a brow at this, seeming intrigued. "Really? Rural areas like Ponyville, if I recall, tend to be somewhat less aggressive on average than a big city like say, Canterlot. What are things like in Amareica? I will admit I have not had the time to make a formal diplomatic visit there myself yet. That General Wooden Tooth was not the most welcoming to royalty and I have not had time since he was in office. I hear that President Triumphant Declaration is a bit more open to diplomacy tho- oh! I am sorry, I seem to have rambled a bit!" she said seeming a bit embarrassed at her lapse, her face turning a light pink.

"Oh, it's quite fine, Princess," I reassured as I tried to answer her questions, creating extrapolations about what the culture would be like based on what I had read about Louisiana Purchase America and the Autonomous Colonies here. "Well, folks are hardworking and fairly stalwart. Things in the colonies are a bit rough at times, but everyone tries their best." I said with a sigh as I recalled the nights I spent back home relaxing around bonfires while friends and family played washboard and accordion and drank beer and consumed copious amounts of heavily seasoned boiled seafood. "As for romance, I am not at liberty to say, I never was terribly big on the dating scene back home. Always busy with other things." other things being living as a massive shut-in and avoiding all social contact whenever possible.

"Oh! Well, perhaps it is simply the shock of interacting with mares in general. Since you never really had to deal with it, it must seem a bit forward." Twilight said with a small smile. "Don't worry too much. Most mares do not want to alienate a stallion too badly. A good firm no should be enough most of the time, provided you aren't squeamish about hurting feelings."

Celestia gently interjected again "Though I would certainly recommend you try to find a good mare or two in the city. I know it may seem a bit much to ask, but A hoof full of mares with a good head on their shoulders can go a long way in helping you adjust."

"Heh, yeah...I gathered that much already myself." I said with a small smile as I nodded to her advice.

We continued to chat casually in this manner for a while longer until, with a small lurch, the vehicle came to a stop and the doors opened. Fanfare played and a carpet rolled out as an announcer, dressed similarly as before was handed a roll of parchment from one of the guards pulling the carriage. They stood on two legs, unrolling it and stating firmly, loudly.

"Ahem!, Announcing the return of Her Royal Highness Princess Celestia Morningstar of Equestria, Lady of the Sun, First of Her Name, Order of Starswirl: First Class, Her Student, Lady Twilight Sparkle, of House Sparkle, Order of Starswirl: First Class, and.....her newest Student, Master Rose Tint of Louwhinnyana.." he finishes, sounding slightly confused as he gets to my part, announcing my name with all of the excitement of the smash brothers announcer saying Alex's name in the character select screen.

Yes, I am aware that this is a fairly niche reference. No, I do not care. be thankful I am not paraphrasing Homestuck if you even know what that is.

Anyway! it was a somewhat awkward arrival, needless to say. Everyone who happened to be in the area when the carriage arrived was of course incredibly respectful of the princess and Twilight, bowing upon her exit from the vehicle. She smiled softly "Rise, my little ponies. I am pleased to be back in my Chosen city once more." She says as she beckons for the two of us to follow.

I steel myself and exit, following her into the castle, able to feel several dozen sets of eyes on me, Some of the analytical, some of them disdainful, and some of them...uncomfortably lecherous. I smiled anxiously at the ponies in the crowd and simply followed until we entered the castle and the doors closed behind us before letting out a soft breath of relief.

Celestia chuckled and gave me a sympathetic look. "oh, you poor thing. it feels off, having all of those eyes on you, doesn't it?" She asks as she smiles down at her "Do not worry, It simply takes some getting used to, with the proper tutoring you will be able to properly mingle with the noble ponies and display yourself with the proper...graces in no time."

Oh, dear. I had not considered the...further-reaching consequences of my choice, it seemed. I should have known I would be expected to be...involved with the socialite lifestyle to some degree as someone closely associated with the Princess. I hesitantly enquired. "So erm...if I may ask, what all exactly will be expected of me? I do not mean to ask in a complaintive way it is just...I want to live up to whatever standards will be expected of me, and I want to be ready..."

Celestia nodded and looked to Twilight. "Twilight. Would you mind going on ahead back to your chambers for now? I need to have a...private discussion with Rose here."

Twilight hesitated for a moment, but seemed to think better of it and nodded, trotting off in what I can only assume was the direction of her quarters.

Once she was out of sight, Celestia walked closer to me, smiling reassuringly as she came to my side. and spoke.

"Let's go for a walk in the garden, if you don't mind. We have much to discuss."

The garden was quite lovely. statues of all sorts were on display surrounded by lush, healthy flowers and assorted vegetation. Birds chirped and all soft of critters chittered as the sun beamed high overhead pleasantly.

One statue, in particular, stood out as important to me. A statue which appeared to be none other than Eris poised midsong, eyes closed. I made mental note of what I could only assume would be my eventual target.

I walked side by side with my new teacher, quiet for now as we simply enjoyed the surroundings. We eventually came to what seemed to be a frequented spot for her. there was a table with chairs set up on a patch of grass surrounded by bushes to ensure privacy. She took a seat at one chair, and I, at the other. A servant came from seemingly nowhere and provided her with a tray with a pot of tea and some scones before bowing and disappearing as quickly as they had arrived.

She took a moment to pour herself a cup, taking a sip of the tea and giving a small sigh before she looked down to me with a smile. "Much better. Now, I believe you wanted me to explain to you the expectations that I have for you as a student, correct?"

I smiled and nodded agreeably at her question "Yes Ma'am. I do not mean to be a bother about it, but all of this is very new to me, And I want to make sure that I do not cause any issues."

"Well, I certainly appreciate that you are eager to please me, my little pony." She said, her smile widening slightly as she took another sip of her beverage. "I will be happy to explain. You see...I have been somewhat...hooves off with my last few students. The student before I had Twilight, Sunset Shimmer...She was a very talented filly, but sadly I did not give her the moral guidance she needed and she ended up...in a position where I could not help her realize her full potential. Twilight is a wonderful student, and I have a great deal of faith in her but...aside from what little experience she has as a member of a noble family she never was much of one for the day to day of Canterlot Life. She is always shut in with her books and her assistant and only has one friend aside from her brother that I am aware of. I sadly neglected to give her the time she needed with me to learn how to properly conduct herself outside of academics." Celestia said, sighing softly again as she set her teacup down.

"So I have decided that this time with you, I will not make those same mistakes. I will be giving you as much of my attention as I can spare and will be keeping a close eye on you. I want to make sure that you are fully prepared for what I need from you from a moral, society and academic standpoint." She says, looking into my eyes with a somewhat serious expression. "As such I will be holding you to somewhat of a higher standard than my last few students. In addition to the normal studies, I would typically put you through I will be assigning you tutors on matters of social grace and the proper way to carry one's self when dealing with nobility."

"Oh dear, that is...an awful lot! But I think I can manage it." I say, smiling softly up at her., Sure, I was a bit anxious to be having it all laid out in front of me, but If I took it one day at a time, I was sure It wouldn't be so bad, right? "So erm...I take it I will be seeing a lot of you then?"

"Indeed you will! I will attempt to include Twilight as well. I know she can become a bit jealous when she feels she is not getting the attention she feels she deserves. I would not want to cause a rift between the two of you, considering she will be assisting in your education as well." She said, smiling somewhat sheepishly. "I know it does seem like a tall order, but...I....well, if I am being completely honest, I sort of...feel for you a tad. I want to see you grow, to become more than you are, for reasons I am not sure someone so much younger than myself would understand." She said softly "You are capable of so much, but you know so little. You clearly did not have the privileged upbringing of my previous students, and I want to make sure that we can give you as good a start as we can to send you on your way to great things."

"Oh, well that is really sweet, Princess." I said simply, looking away from her, feeling a bit bashful as she spoke. "I'll certainly try not to let you down at any rate."

"I am sure you won't" She said with a slightly wider smile. "Now, there will be a celebratory dinner on your honor this evening, to celebrate my selection of a new student. I am going to work with you for a while in the garden to try to get you up to snuff on the basics of how to speak to noble ponies so that you do not cause yourself any undue embarrassment. I will ask you to remain by my side for the duration of the evening. You are erm...new to the scene, so to speak. I would like to make sure that nopony attempts to...take advantage of your vulnerable state." She finishes somewhat sheepishly.

I smiled and innocently nodded to her as I answered "I would be more than happy to accompany you for the evening, Princess." Which, for some reason, seemed to increase her sheepishness slightly until she collected herself and we began my lesson.

What followed was what can only be described as a crash course in etiquette. a veritable whirlwind of correct silverware use and placement, suitable greetings and questions for guests of various stations, and posture and poise. if it were not for my ability to store information so readily, I daresay it all would have been very much overwhelming. Luckily enough I was able to listen carefully and occasionally ask her to repeat herself where needed so that I could keep track of it all.

IT seemed like only a few minutes to me, but apparently, by the time we were finished, several hours had passed. it was almost time for dinner! Celestia Escorted me to my new living quarters, which were actually close to her own. Right next door as a matter of fact. (in case I needed to get ahold of her, she told me.)

I took a bit to get myself freshened up and changed into that dashing outfit Rarity had been so kind as to create for me, the Suit, not the magician's outfit.

Once I was prepared, I was surprised to open my door and find a guard waiting for me outside. He spoke simply "The Princess has sent me to escort you to her in the Dining Hall, please follow me."

I was a bit put off, but realized it was probably for the best to do as he said. After all, I didn't understand how things worked here yet. If Celestia felt I needed a guard, I probably needed one. I obeyed and gestured for the guard to lead the way, and off we went to the Dining Hall.

The guard led me through a long hallway. the sounds of our hooves clopped and echoed in the large, quiet corridor as I followed him towards my destination. We did not speak, I was a bit too nervous for once to make small talk, especially not with someone this intimidating.

Luckily for me, that moment finally ended as we came to a set of double doors. They opened to reveal the scene of a rather large, luxurious dining hall with a long table, covered in a white silk tablecloth. an array of still covered silver dishes littered the surface of the table as noble-looking ponies of many shapes and sizes, and even a few members of other species, such as a few griffons and a few others I could not identify off hoof, made quiet small talk as they waited for the banquet to begin.

As soon as the doors were open, many sets of eyes were on made, and the muttering got considerably busier. I did m best to tune it out as I walked slowly into the room, trying my best to maintain the sort of proper posture and walking pattern Celestia had briefly tutored me on. I mean, not that it mattered in my opinion. they had most likely seen me earlier today getting off of the carriage but I was asked so I attempted to oblige.

Celestia and Twilight were already at the end of the table on the other side of the room, along with another pink alicorn I did not recognize, a blonde, somewhat effeminate looking stallion, and another larger blue-haired, white stallion. Celestia nodded to me and gave a small wave, beckoning me over to the empty seat at her side.

A very anxious, nerve-wracking walk across the room later, I managed to seat myself next to the princess, who gave me a reassuring look before standing up from her seat, using her magic to clink a spoon gently against an empty glass.

As soon as she stood and clinked, the room went dead quiet as all eyes focused in on her intently. She smiled a bit wider and began to speak.

"Fine Nobility of Canterlot. I have gathered you all here today, as you may be aware, to Celebrate the selection of my newest Student, Master Rose Tint of Louwhinnyana." She said with a much louder voice than I was used to from her normally soft-spoken person. "Although he may be from the Colonies, I expect that each and every one of you will treat him with the kindness and respect due to any other upstanding native-born Canterlot Citizen, as you should do for any other pony born anywhere else on Equestrian soil or beyond."

She looked down at me gently as she continued to speak. "I will allow the young stallion some time to say a few words of his own, if he so wishes, to introduce himself to you all as he sees fit. Rose, would you care to make any statements?"

Oh. Well shit, way to put me out on the spot there, Sunbutt.

I took a deep breath and stood up. I supposed that it would be expected that I at least make an attempt at speaking, having been invited to do so. I cleared my throat and began speaking what came to mind to the best of my ability.

"Denizens of Canterlot. I know that I am not like you." I said simply, which was met by some soft, confused muttering. "I make no bones about the fact that where I come from has different standards and different ways of doing things than Canterlot likely does. However, I do not feel that any of that should prevent me from serving the crown properly. If the Princess herself had the faith in me required to hoof select me for her tutelage, I am certainly not one to cast doubt upon her judgment." And neither are you, was the unspoken undertone of the statement.

I continued. I understand that there are things expected of me that exceed by a large margin the expectations set upon your average pony, and I shall do my best to make sure that I make the most of the opportunities I have been giving to learn, to grow, and to hopefully in time, become a well to do and active member of Canterlot Society. In the meantime, I hope that I can count on your support and patience as much as you all can count on my willingness to excel and progress. Thank you."

I sat down quietly and was greeted by a polite, mildly enthusiastic round of stomping at the ground as applause. a number of ponies actually seemed fairly satisfied with what I had to say. Task completed successfully I suppose. Celestia gave a satisfied, encouraging smile to me and I melted just slightly before recovering my poise. Why did that keep happening?

I gave a small sigh and after a few more moments and a signal from the princess, the food was served. the covers on all of the dishes were listed to reveal a startlingly diverse and delectable looking assortment of foods. mostly vegetarian of course. But due to the diversity of the guests, there was, of course, some seafood for the pegasi and griffons and even some proper meat! I was not sure of what variety but it was certainly there.

the dishes were slowly passed around in a circular motion to make sure that everyone had a chance to get what they wanted on their players, servants, presumably, unicorns out of sight managed the platters and such, giving about two or three minutes on each dish before rotating forward in a clockwise direction. any that ran empty were quickly and unobtrusively replaced by more.

As the process began, the blonde stallion to my left spoke to me in a measured, reasonably polite tone, his blue eyes looking me over with an analytical, somewhat curious glint. "So, your name is Rose Tint yes?"

I smiled back at him kindly and nodded. "yes. Pleased to erm..make your acquaintance, sir? May I have your name?"

"He sighed and gave a small roll of his eyes "I suppose it is only appropriate for someone of your status to be unaware of whom you are speaking to. My name is Prince Blueblood. I am Princess Celestia's' Nephew, you see." he said with a slight air of self-importance as he placed a hoof on his chest. "Please do not be offended by my comment, Mister Tint. I am simply quite surprised that one like yourself would find yourself amongst the ranks of such big players almost entirely by happenstance."

Celestia seemed to pick up on our conversation and cut in gently "Now Blueblood, The only chance involved was that he happened to be in the correct place at the correct time. I assure you he will certainly come to earn his place at the table. I read the report from his recruitment exam, did you know that with only a week or so of practice in magic, having never used it before he managed to pull off a triple weaved casting? A simple light spell or not, that is not something just anypony can do." She said as she brought a glass of what looked to be a dark fruity liquid to her lips and took a small sip.

Blueblood certainly seemed somewhat surprised by the news. Apparently, he thought I may have made my way to this position through some other means. "Well, that certainly is nothing to sneeze at," he said, looking down to see if he could score a look at my cutie mark, perhaps? he seemed a bit displeased to see that I was in fact, wearing pants at the moment. "I would like to see your cutie mark, at another date if you do not mind."

I smirked and decided to mess with him just a tad. "Now, Blueblood, This hardly strikes me as a proper time to ask if you can get my pants off."

His eyes widened and he sputtered at this, blushing heavily as he tried to respond "W-what! Why I..I never!!" he said indignantly as he tried to recover. The large blue maned Stallion sitting to Twilight's right gave a hearty chuckle at this, as did the pink alicorn beside him further on. Twilight seemed shocked by the size of my big clanking cast iron testicles while Celestia tried to hide a small smirk behind her glass.

The food continued to pass around, and I absent-mindedly added things that looked good to my plate. A baked potato, some mushrooms.

it raised some eyebrows when I grabbed some garlic shrimp from the ponies around me. Some of them looked shocked, others slightly disgusted. There was one griffon a bit down the way who seemed intrigued by my choice, nudging his associate with an elbow and gesturing toward me with a thumb.

"You eat seafood?" The pink alicorn asked, seeming slightly concerned. The bluehair gently put a hoof over hers and said "Now Cadance, there's no need for that, is there? This is to make him feel welcome."

She sighed softly and nodded her agreement. "Sorry Shining. I am not used to seeing most ponies indulge in that sort of thing, Even pegasi abstain more often than not these days."

I decided to interject "Oh erm...Cadence, was it?" I asked before continuing softly. "The consumption of seafood is actually fairly common where I am from. the southern section of the Louwhinnya Territory is a coastal area." I said as I looked back down at the seafood a bit hungrily. Instead of directly using my telekinesis which was generally considered to be a bit barbaric at the dinner table in polite society when utensils were available, I hovered a fork down and stuck the shrimp with its prongs, bringing the delicious morsel to my lips and pulling it off. I chewed with a satisfied sound escaping my lips as I gave a small shiver before swallowing happily "Mphh...it has been far too long since I enjoyed a good shrimp..."

This drew a few more concerned looks from onlookers, as well as a few approving looks from the more carnivorous folks at the table. But I was not paying terribly much attention to them, I was too busy paying attention to the hot sex that was the shrimp in my mouth to be bothered.

"Well, I am certainly glad that you are enjoying the food, Rose." Celestia said, giving me a small smile"Though perhaps after this plate it would be for the best if you stuck more closely to the usual fare for ponies in Equestria. Some of our guests seem a mite put off by your choice of meal." she said, giving me a sympathetic look as she gestured to some of the less pleased looking guests at the table. "We are trying to give you a good first impression after all."

Well shoot, that meant that the wonderful looking roast I saw earlier would be out of the question, a pity, I sighed softly and nodded, finishing my current plate and grabbing some roasted carrots and some pasta from the newest platters on offer before me.

The blue maned one, Shining I think his name was, took some time to speak to me not long after "So, Rose. My sister Twilight tells me, and it appears Celestia corroborates that you are very new to magic. I heard that you only got your Cutie mark a few months ago. is that really true?"

I nodded and smiled softly "That is correct, yes. magic was never a big part of the lifestyle where I was from. Aside from erm...well, Voodoo and the like, but that is more the purview of the Zebras. best leave such delicate affairs to those with more experience, you know? Your name was Shining, by the by yes?"

He smiled back at me and nodded. "That's right. The name is Shining armor. I am the Captain of the Royal Guard, and also Twilight's brother." He said as he looked to the alicorn beside him, Cadence I think it was. "Dear, would you like to introduce yourself?"

"I guess I had best," she said, still seeming a bit put off from earlier. "My name is Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. But I prefer Cadence usually. Shining here is my Fiance." she said, giving me a small, polite smile as she poked at her salad.

"Well, Princess, it is lovely to meet you, and congratulations to the happy couple," I said kindly. I was surprised not only to see that they were engaged, but also that he was the Captain of the Guard. I mean, he certainly seemed the large, dependable...handso- No! bad Rose, he's taken! In any case, he certainly seemed the type to work as a solider. But still...

"Forgive my surprise, but I am very impressed to see that a Stallion could work himself up to such a high ranking military position. From what I gathered, most stallions are typically treated as...again please forgive me...window dressing for foppish nobleponies, as a status symbol."

He gave a small sigh but smiled reassuringly "No worries. You'd be correct in that assumption most of the time sadly. Mares don't seem to appreciate a stallion with a can-do attitude, even these days, Aside from you, of course, Darling." he said quickly as Cadence raised an eyebrow before contentedly going back to her food at his reassurance. "Anyway, I did work quite hard to obtain this position, even with the Sparkle family association doing me some favors. Favors I wish I could have made my way up the ranks without, but hey, I cannot help thaa my upbringing came with perks I did not ask for," he says with a sigh.

I can see how being part of an established noble family, one with direct connections to Celestia, could lead to folks assuming he is only in his position because of his connections, especially with him being engaged to a Princess. I nodded knowingly in agreement. "Yes, that does seem somewhat unfortunate. I am sure you do a crack-up job in any case." I said encouragingly, which seemed to draw a bit of a smile from him in return in thanks.

Once dinner proper was finished, all of the guests funneled, out into a larger room for what seemed like some sort of after-dinner reception. No doubt an opportunity for ponies to meet and greet and er...work their magic to move up the social ladder, make deals and the like if I had to guess.

My suspicions were confirmed when as we walked out, Celestia gently draped a wing over me and whispered into my ear firmly "Stay close, there are parasites everywhere. Twilight can handle herself well enough, she simply flatly doesn't care most of the time. But you are new. I don't want you making any enemies, or...any agreements you might regret."

I swallowed softly and allowed her to keep me close, and not just because it felt pretty nice this time. What she was saying made plenty of sense to me, keeping close to her would keep anyone with...undesirable goals from taking advantage of me without my realizing it. it might also give me a better idea of how Celestia herself handles such individuals.

As it turns out, she handles them quite well. Polite, but firm when she is uninterested. We were near immediately assailed by several of these sorts of ponies, all of whom wheedled her with fairly empty complements as they tried to bring up this proposal or that tax increase or some other banal thing. it was honestly fairly pathetic to watch as she effortlessly dismantled attempt after attempt to cozy up to her.

I suppose it was only a matter of time until one of them came for me I suppose. They came in the form of a light blue pony with a straight white mane, wearing gaudy purplish goggles and a gaudy outfit. The approached with a surprising boldness, very unlike their contemporaries.

Celestia seemed to recognize her though, and was a bit more welcoming "Ah, Photo Finish? to what do I owe the pleasure?" she asked as she turned to face me. "Rose this is-"

Surprisingly, the bold Earth Pony cut the princess off and struck a bit of a pose. "I am Photo Finish, the greatest photographer in all Equestria." She said in a thick East European accent. "I have come to make a request of the Stallion."

Celestia gave her a slightly surprised, raised eyebrow. "Oh? And what sort of request might that be?"

"He is positively Fabulous, and that ensemble is doing him plenty of favors. I wish to take photographs and ask where he got that outfit." She said simply as she circled around me, gently separating me from Celestia for a moment.

I gave her a slightly concerned look as she slowly, almost hungrily circled me, looking me up and down. "I erm...I appreciate your compliments, but I am not sure if-"

"but you must!" She insists as she sticks her hoof into the air dramatically. "You are positively radiant, Herr Tint. The camera, she begs to drink you in. WE GO!" She
essays suddenly, grabbing me by the collar and dragging me off in cartoonish fashion.

"B-but waaiiiiit!" I said as I flailed a bit while being dragged off to who knows where. Celestia did not seem too worried at least, even chuckling softly. I suppose that this mare was nothing to worry overly about if Celestia trusted me in her hooves.

With this small reassurance, I gave a small huff and resigned myself to be dragged. "This is incredibly demeaning..."

Once Photo Finish had finished dragging me to our destination, she clopped a hoof against the ground and cleared her throat. Immediately, a handful of ponies were on me, standing me up and dusting me off as she began to speak. "Forgive my forwardness, Herr Tint, but I assure you this will be in your best interest."

I shook my head with a small sigh and tried to speak, "Well, may I ask-"

"MAKEUP!"

*POOMPH*

a comically large powder duster caught me across the snout suddenly, leaving me coughing as the other few started to set up a camera and I tried to speak again "May I ask- *cough cough*, what is in my best interest about being photographed?"

Exposure, mein blume! You are a very handsome young stallion. Oh no need for that look, it is just a fact!" She snapped at me somewhat impatiently as I gave a small embarrassed look before thinking better. "No wait, hold that look!" She said as she zipped over to the camera and took a candid snapshot of my sheepish expression. "Yes very nice. Anyway! You are going to be a big piece on the metaphorical board, like it or not, Herr Tint. A bit of positive public exposure goes a long way. And If I happen to make a nice mint on the distribution rights on a few snapshots of the Princess' latest student in the process, well that is simply fortunate for me, Ja?" She says with a small chuckle as she readies the camera again.

"Hm, I suppose that sounds fine." I say as I consider further. "But I will want a cut as well. Shall we say...Seventy thirty? it is only fair considering how suddenly you plucked me from my comfortable position." I said is I struck a small pose, Raising a hoof and looking towards the camera. I was not sure what I was doing, and it showed in my face, but Photo seemed to be eating it up.

"Oh ya, that is adorable, I love that himbo energy you are putting off Herr Tint. Sixty Forty, with me as majority. it is a rare opportunity to work with Photo Finish!" She says as she snaps a few more pictures. "OH! now do one where you are trying to look assertive!"

I squinted slightly and pointed at her with a hoof," Now look here ma'am, i-"

*snap* "Oh ja, lovely!"

I sighed and shook my head and continued "I will not settle for less than an even split!"

She pulled herself from the camera and thought for a moment before clicking her tongue "Hm, very well, I shall have my ponies draft the paperwork while we work."

A few ponies had gathered around to watch me be photographed as I put on a few more admittedly somewhat awkward poses. Photo seemed to find my affable, somewhat confused nature to be adorable, calling my stylings "Avante Garde" and "Bold" and the like.

A few more photographs later, Photo Finish suddenly raised a hoof and said "ENOUGH! We have what we wanted from the poor stallion."

She watched her assistants pack up the cameras and smiled at me. Actually, that was probably the first smile I had seen out of her since I met her. "The photographs should be ready in a few minutes, I shall have them make copies and you may keep the original stills, as a gift from the esteemed Photo Finish!" She said with another little dramatic pose.

"Oh, well I am quite flattered." I said with a small smile of my own. "Thank you for the erm...praise, and for taking my picture, I suppose," I said somewhat lamely, not sure how to go about a proper thanks.

She smiled a bit wider as she elbowed one of her assistants and softly says "Is he not just the cutest himbo, darling?" before trotting off to go take care of...something I assume. her assistants were over after a moment with the promised paperwork and after carefully looking it over to make sure I was getting the deal we agreed on, I signed it with a provided quill.

The pony gave my signature a somewhat odd look but shrugged and moved on quickly. Left to my own devices I now wondered where I should go now that I seemed to have some time to float about on my own unsupervised.

I wandered around for a bit, trying my best to maintain a low profile. it was of course, difficult after such a showy happening with me involved. I had a number of ponies floating in my vicinity, none yet coming directly to me, but staying nearby as if waiting for a good opportunity.

One came not too much later as I found myself near a table with a punch bowl. I served myself a glass and sipped at it with a pleased sigh. Strawberry, if I had to guess. I was approached by another stallion, This one yellow in color, with blue eyes, and a very red mane and beard hanging from his chin. He wore a pair of wide, wire-rimmed glasses and his mane was.. a tad frazzled, but he looked like he had tried to tame it for the occasion. Hew had a white stripe across his face and white fur covered his legs and looked like...admittedly adorable little knee-high socks. He Smiled somewhat nervously as he came close enough to properly address me. "Excuse me! You are uh, the Princess' new student? Rose Tint, right?"

I smiled back at him kindly, looking down at the smaller stallion and nodded "Ah yes, that I am! What can I do for you, sir?"

He smiled a bit wider at this and seemed encouraged to be a bit less on edge "OH! I was just wondering what sort of pony Celestia had hoof chosen for such a prestigious position. You see, I am something of an aficionado of the arcane myself!" he says somewhat excitedly "Though admittedly my area of expertise is more er...in knowing than casting...anyway, the name is Sunburst. he said as his head dipped down a bit the perked slightly as he said his name with a small awkward smile.

I reassured him with a pat on the shoulder with my hoof. "Hey now, no need to feel down on yourself. Everypony has things they excel in, nopony is perfect." I said kindly, which seemed to perk him up a tad. I continued to speak "honestly, I barely know thing one about magic. The Princess seems to think I have potential, is all." And I mean, if I am being totally honest, based on what I understand, that's objectively true, But I was trying to make him feel better about his own talents, and I never was one to enjoy bragging too much. "So erm...I take it you are of a scholarly persuasion?"

"Oh yes! After my graduation, I have been taking time to pursue my passions of Ancient Equestrian History and Arcanology. I have actually amassed quite an impressive personal collection of rare tomes." he says, seeming pleased with himself, back to his p[previous chipper if squirrely demeanor.

I perked up a bit upon hearing that "Oh! you don't say? perhaps if you are not opposed, i could have a gander at one or two? I am sure a lot of it is beyond my current level, but a look or two could not hurt." That and I am sure the poor guy has been dying for someone to show it off to, he hardly seems the sociable type.

And my assumption seems spot-on as he visibly grows considerably more excited "Oh! The Princess' Student, wanting to view my personal collection? Oh why that would be a wonderful treat. I would be more than happy to give you a guided tour!" he says happily.

I nod again and think a moment before answering "So erm...if I may ask, how did you come to be at this sort of a party? No offense to you or anything, it is just that every pony aside from myself that has been here has been fairly influential or wealthy or royally affiliated. I am curious as to your deal."

"My...deal...oh! you mean how I got invited" he says as he realizes what I mean. "I am a recipient of the title of Order of Starswirl: Third Class for "Significant contribution to the body of Arcane Knowledge." He said sounding somewhat proud again. "I received it a few years ago for my graduation thesis on Theoretical Improvements to Arcane Weaving Technique to Increase Thaumic Efficiency. I erm...essentially did a paper on ways that the way unicorns currently weave magic could be tweaked to get more power out of less effort." he finished a bit more simply with a slightly apologetic look, seeming self-aware of how hard he had just nerded out there. "My work when applied in preliminary studies showed an increase in the ballpark of twenty to fifty percent efficiency increase, and I was given that title for it! Order of Starswirl members are sort of er...considered a big deal in the magic community and are generally well respected so I get invitations to a lot of events like these. Though I typically do not er...attend."

Yeah, I could definitely see him not being overly interested in social events. "Well, in any case, I am certainly glad that you attended this one, as we both seem to have made a new acquaintance out of the arrangement."

"It seems so." he agrees with a small nod. "So, how is Canterlot treating you so far?" He asks as he leans slightly against the table, looking up at me seeming eager to continue the conversation.

"Well, I will admit it has been a very short time since I arrived. only earlier today as a matter of fact." I said somewhat sheepishly. "But so far it seems fine enough. The Princess and her close associates have been welcoming, and I am certainly satisfied with my living conditions."

"Well, that is good at least. So, what is the Princess like to just...regular speak with? You know, like a normal pony?" he asks me with a curious glint in his eyes.

I thought about it for a moment carefully before responding "Warm, she is definitely very warm, and oddly protective for some reason. Like, more than you would expect. She does not seem to enjoy letting me too far out of my sight." I said as I looked over towards where Celestia was still chatting with some pissant brown nosers who by the looks of their expressions were clearly out of their depth. Twilight had taken my place for now at her side, seeming quite pleased. She looked over to me and gave a small wave of acknowledgment, which I responded back to with a wave of my own.

Sunburst notices this interaction and gives a small chuckle. "I see, she seems to have taken a quick shine to you." he says as he runs a hoof through his mane to attempt to tidy it a bit more "I suppose that is normal for you, from my experience, You do seem a very affable stallion."

I was pleased by his praise and smiled all the more "Well thank you, but I think I am not the only one in this conversation who seems quite....pleasant to converse with. Would you perhaps care to accompany me for the duration of this little social event? I think I would feel a bit more comfortable with some like-minded company. And as much as I enjoy the Princess, I do not wish to make her spend all of her time worrying over me." I also preferred some time to do as I please. as well-meaning as she was and as much as I had been appreciating her support, she could be a bit much at times.

At this invitation, his cheeks seemed to grow slightly flush, presumably with a bit of anxiety and light excitement. it was charming how quickly he seemed to have warmed to me. was confident that we would be good friends in no time at all!

"Well Rose, I think that would be just delightful."

After we decided to pal around together, my new friend Sunburst and I had a wonderful time. We wandered about a bit, chatting casually about this and that. I mostly let him speak, since he seemed excited to have someone to speak to. Whenever his ramblings became too technical, I was not always up to snuff, but I took the time to stop him and ask concise, short questions to clarify or explain something to me and he seemed pleased that I was fairly quick on the uptake even if I did not have the most upfront knowledge on the subjects at hoof.

We actually got on the subject of his award-winning paper again, leading me to ask, as casually as I could manage, a small question or two about my own passion project. "So, Sunburst. These alternative weaving techniques you keep mentioning, are they by any chance, also effective on artificial magical conduits?"

This prompted a confused, somewhat blank stare followed by a slow blink from him before he asked, head cocked "I-I am sorry I am not sure I understand the question. Artificial magical conduits?" I mean, if you are referring to storing magical energy in gemstones, You can of course do it but the efficiency of energy stored is about the same. I’m surprised you know about that sort of thing though. Most unicorns don’t learn about that until Basic Enchanting I in sophomore year.”

I shook my head and smiled softly, deciding to press a bit further in case I had simply not been clear enough. They couldn’t possibly have not... “Nonono, I mean say, hypothetically, if a pony were to create an artificial substitute for a horn to channel magic, say like, a staff, or a wand? Would the weaves you’ve devised still retain the efficiency increase they have using a natural horn or would there be a variation? Was that not a part of the study done?”

The longer I talk about it, the more his eyes widen and his jaw drops as he listens. When I finish my question he says “Oh, er....well, there is no such known device. There are a few very high-level enchanted artifacts that boost the magical power of a pony, but er...none that allow a pony who does not already have magic to use it. Unicorns and a few other horned species are the only ones who can even use Arcana as far as scholars are aware at the moment.”

I raise an eyebrow and give them a puzzled look of my own. “But, that does not make an awful lot of sense. Sure, mana burns are a concern but shouldn’t anypony with sufficient discipline be able to reach into their Source?”

He only looks increasingly confused “Source? What do you mean? Most ponies just sort of....feel the magic inside of themselves and use it in weaves.” He says softly as he tries to figure out what I am saying.

I swallowed softly, feeling a tad nervous. It seemed that the way I do things was not the way other ponies do things after all. "we can...discuss it more in private if you like, later, after the event. It has to do with my personal research and I am sort of hush-hush about it." I said as I looked around a bit nervously, humming a bit as I did. There were far too many potential prying eyes around for my test at the moment, I much preferred to keep my research a private matter until I was comfortable sharing it.

He nodded, seeming to understand wanting to keep my project my own in the midst of prying eyes. "Of course. Far too many opportunistic types to be too loose-lipped. I will admit, you have my curiosity, but it can wait until we have some er...privacy." he said as he took a quick look around us.

Eventually, our milling about took us towards what seemed to be an ensemble of musicians providing some smooth sophisticated jams for the event-going crowd atop an elevated stage. I stopped Sunburst with a hoof gently as we came close enough to get a proper view of them doing their craft, smiling. "Oh, I adore live performances!" I exclaimed as I rooted just a tad closer to watch, staying quiet, as is only polite while watching them.

Sunburst chuckled softly and came up next to me, seeming content that I was enjoying myself for the moment as I watched what seemed to be the end of a set. The ponies on stage did seem a tad tired, but determined as the music gently swelled towards an ending. it was of course, fairly classical in style, with a violinist, a pianist, a few brass instruments, and even a somewhat plain and elegant black haired pony with a treble cleft playing a stand-up bass quite wonderfully. After a few more moments, I realized, I recognized that pony! Yes, it was none other than Octavia, clear as day!

As excited as I was to see the mare who had sold me my instrument, I politely waited until after the song was finished and clipped my hooves against the ground politely, smiling up at them "Oh, that was quite nice!" I said, being rewarded by a small smile from the thankful ponies on stage.

She smiled down at me softly and walked towards the edge to have a proper conversation. "Take a break, everypony, I think I am going to chat with him for a bit."

The rest of her squad seemed to be just fine with that, kicking back and taking a well-deserved breather. She nodded then turned back to me and my friend. "Rose! Well, how about that. What a coincidence that the pony I sold an instrument to not three months ago is here of all places, and as the center of attention no less!" She said with a small chuckle as she gestured with a hoof to our surroundings. I do events such as these fairly often in Canterlot, so I am sure we will be seeing more of each other." She said as she extended a hoof down to me, which I shook happily. She then turned Sunburst, acknowledging them as well, politely. "And may I ask your name as well, sir?"

Sunburst smiled and offered her a hoof, which she shook politely as he introduced himself "My name is Sunburst, Miss Octavia. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"A pleasure to make yours as well, Sir." she said courteously as she eyeballed the two of us with mild curiosity. "would you perhaps like to join me and the band during our brief respite from our contractual obligations? I am sure nopony will mind too awfully much if our rest runs a bit long. Most of these nobles are far more concerned with hearing what they want to hear from others, rather than the music." she said with mild distaste.

I chuckled softly, and Sunburst and I looked at each other and nodded in agreement. We would be delighted to." I said before the two of us made our way over to the right side of the staging area to get up to where they were.

Once we had gotten ourselves situated with a few chairs, Octavia, Sunburst, and I started to chat amongst one another.

To her credit she gave us both enough attention to be polite and proper, not neglecting to include Sunburst in our conversation. She even started off by asking him some questions about himself and what he did for a living, much to his delight.

Once the pleasantries were out of the way however, she made no bones about cutting to why she had invited us up there with her choice of question. "So, you are the Princess' Student in magic now, Rose? I would have hardly pegged you the type from looks alone, no offense mind you." She says quickly before continuing. "I mean, your cutie mark speaks for itself. Congratulations on that as well, by the by, good show. It is simply that most unicorns of the more arcanically inclined persuasion tend not to be the artistic type." She says with a small wave. "Sure, plenty of them play an instrument, but with a lot of them, you can tell it is more something they do as an intellectual pursuit than anything they have a passion for. Take for example, this rather dry stallion I happen to know as a client who happens to play the violin. He plays so...stiffly. No passion behind it at all. he isn't even terribly good! What was his name...Ah yes! Bench Appearo! The fellow has a nasty habit of appearing from seemingly nowhere to challenge ponies to arguments about all manner of subjects. He makes a living as a public speaker of sorts. Oh! but drat am I rambling, So sorry, sirs." She says, finishing the monologue sheepishly.

In the meantime, however, I am doing my very best not to have a fucking fit at hearing that. There is no way on God's green...or Celestia's green earth maybe? No fucking way that some cosmic entity out there was not allowing this to be a thing sheerly as an overly drawn-out bit for a laugh. I could hardly believe she was being serious, but I suppose you could say, facts don't care about your feelings. Except they probably do when friendship is literally magic.

"Oh nono, you are quite fine!" I said with what I could feel was the biggest shit-eating grin on my face as I repressed my meme lord instincts. "It's refreshing to me when somepony speaks their mind so candidly. I always enjoy hearing about a ponies real feelings on matters they care about."

Hearing this reassurance from me seemed to appease her and she relaxed again. "Oh, well then you definitely haven't been hanging around this crowd for terribly long. I swear we have to make sure these hoof dragging fops don't get their hooks too deep into you."

"Hear hear to that, Miss."Sunburst says with a rather sly grin of his own as he chimes in. "it does sometimes feel as if us genuine folks are a rare breed amongst the er...upper ranks Canterlot society."

"Amen to that, my good stallion," I said with a nod of my own. "I feel quite fortunate to have found myself in such good company this evening."

Octavia smirked at this, and seemed to decide something before asking "Well then, would you perhaps be able to reward such an excellent company with a demonstration of your musicianship? I will admit I am curious as to your progress. You can tell a lot about a pony by how they handle an instrument as well, it might give me some idea of how you have changed since we last spoke."

I was a bit surprised by the sudden end to our little three-way social circlejerk that was ripping on the Canterlot Nobility. Smiling apologetically I responded, "As much as I would love to, I am afraid that my effects of that persuasion are still in my room."

"Oh, No worries at all, we can wait for them to be fetched. I can understand wanting to stick to a favored tool of the trade. I never go to a gig without Mister Thumps." She says as she gestures to her bass resting on a stand for now

With her permission to delay her resuming her own performance a bit further, I sighed and got the attention of a passing servant to fetch my things, giving them very particular instructions about what they may and may not touch before setting them on their way. "Very well, though I will warn you my taste in music is not really what I would consider appropriate for this sort of venue."

"I am sure it will be fine," she said with a small smirk as we sat back and waited for the servant to return. "Besides, it might be amusing to give some of these ponies a jolt."

That hung in the air while we chuckled and bantered a bit while waiting. Eventually, the servant returned with my case, and I popped it open and got everything adjusted. Octavia suggested to me that some of her bandmates accompany me while playing. I had several questions but she just assured me that "it would be fine" and "the magic of harmony would guide their hooves."

I was less than reassured but supposed I was not in a terribly good position to argue about it. I made some...requests as to instruments I would prefer as a backup, which the members of Octavias' surprisingly versatile group were able to provide easily.

As I was tuning up with the others, wondering how this was even supposed to work Octavia decided to go ahead and make an announcement on my behalf.

"A-ahem...pardon the interruption everypony. I am just wanting to inform you that Octavia and the Treblemakers will be halting our pre-planned set for the evening temporarily. In its stead, we have invited none other than the new student of Celestia himself to demonstrate his playing while we accompany him. I hope you all enjoy what he has to offer. I have personally seen him play and I know I certainly did."

She smirked at me as she trotted back towards me, nodding for me to go up while whispering. "No pressure, knock them out of their shoes."

I nodded in return and gave a nervous smile, trotting up to the front of the stage with my bass floating on my magical grip. I decided to say a few words before stating. "Erm...I would like to start by making it clear that this was not my idea." As serious as it was, it got a few laughs by tone alone. I swallowed and continued. "I am very flattered that Miss Octavia here wants me to use some of her allotted time this way. She er...actually is the one who sold me this instrument you see here, funnily enough. While I was in Ponyville as a matter of fact."

This got a few interested whispered from the crowd, and I continued "So erm, yes, I suppose I should get to it, sorry..." I said somewhat meekly as I got seated on a provided stool. This was a lot different than playing for easily pleased foals and a schoolmarm. needless to say, I was more than a bit nervous, so I decided the best thing to do would be to play something that came from the heart and described my feelings.

So i did.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwvfnfyOJvo&ab_channel=NinjaSexParty-Topic

After my little performance, the room was fairly quiet for a long few moments. I smiled anxiously and decided to clear my throat and crack a joke. "Well...maybe you weren't all ready for that one. Your foals are gonna love it though."

A few more moments of awkward silence, thankfully finally broken by Sunburst clipping his hooves on the ground enthusiastically with a nervous, wide smile of his own. he was joined from offstage by Octavia, who also gave a small whistle.

And then the real surprise.

"Bravo. very well done, Rose." Celestia said from near the back as she politely, gently clopped her hooves to the ground as well, smiling to me softly, encouragingly.

This was of course, enough to get the rest of these royal simps applauding. Fucking hell, you know what they say. The Queen sneezes and the kingdom catches a cold, or something to that effect.

I gave a small nod to them and gave my best approximation of a bow from four legs, one leg sweeping across myself as if folding an arm before coming back up. "Thank you, thank you very much," I said softly as I gave the Princess a thankful look before trotting off stage.

Once I was out of sight of prying eyes backstage I let out a long sigh and shiver, trying to shake it off. That was...an experience. One I was not too terribly eager to repeat. Crowds were not, and are definitely still not my favorite thing.

Sunburst came over to me as I was collecting myself, looking fairly sympathetic to how I was feeling as he put a hoof on my back "Heh, yeah, I could tell how uncomfortable that made you. Why did you do it anyway? if you had told octavia no I am sure she would have understood."

"That's the thing, honestly. I have a pretty hard time telling ponies no." I said sheepishly as I allowed him to gently rub my back a bit longer, since it did feel pretty nice. "Especially if I know them personally, it can be hard to just tell somepony no. I just worry so much that I am going to erm...disappoint somepony and then they aren't going to like me anymore." I said softly. I am not sure why I was confiding this to him, I just felt...sort of safe doing it, like I knew he was not going to judge me. Honestly not a feeling I am used to. "Anyway, I am just glad I managed not to fuck it up."

"I would have been surprised if you had." he said with a chuckle. "With how Harmonious the city is, spontaneous musical events happen more often here than anywhere else in Equestria. The SME density is at least twice as high as the surrounding areas most days."

That certainly got my attention. "Spontaneous....musical events? So you are telling me that it is a perfectly normal occurrence here for ponies to simply break into coordinated song?"

He nodded, completely serious it seemed "And dance as well! sometimes there will even be background music from nowhere at all! it generally occurs at moments that are emotionally significant to the ponies effected. And it happens more often in areas which are exceptionally in-tune with Harmony. Why, there is even major recorded instances of it happening. One of the founding members of the Autonomous Union of Amareican Colonies Had has it happen to him on a shockingly regular basis. A griffon fellow named Publius."

My eye twitched slightly as my suspicion that the universe was fucking with me became even stronger. I sighed softly and nodded along "Hmm, you don't say...you talk about Harmony as if it were a concrete force, like Gravity or Electromagnetism. Why?"

He seems a bit confused by my question. "Because it is? I am not sure what Electromagnetism is. But Gravity, Harmony and Discord are the three fundamental forces of existence. There are a few others that are predicted to possibly exist but those are the three that are currently repeatably demonstrable under laboratory conditions."

Ah. might be a few years too early for that by a decade or so. Well, another one for the to-do list I suppose. I tilted my head and nodded. "Interesting So erm...please excuse my ignorance, but could you enlighten a humble backwoods pony like myself about the finer points of harmony and Discord?"

"I think that might actually be more my department, Rose." I heard a somewhat amused voice behind me declare as Sunburst gave a somewhat awestruck expression.

I turned around and sure enough, there she was. Princess Celestia, smiling softly down at me. She seemed, somewhat concerned, but kind as always as she gently placed a hoof on my shoulder. "I quite enjoyed your song, Rose. I...can understand your feelings as well. I know this must all be a lot. But we can discuss that more later. How about you introduce me to your new friend here?"

I leaned into the touch slightly and gave a soft, pleasing breath before I nodded and gestured to the other stallion. "This is Sunburst. We met by the punchbowl a bit after Photo Finish had her way with me on camera." I said, looking over at him "I was actually intending on inviting him back to my chambers after the event is over so that we can discuss our mutual interests at greater length. He is a real whizkid at arcane stuff apparently."

"Oh, I manage to get by..." he says somewhat abashedly, smiling softly and blushing at the praise being provided to him. "Your student is a very interesting pony to talk to. he seems so confident on some subjects but on others all he has are questions." he continues, changing the subject half-jokingly.

"Oh, no need for all of that. A willingness and ability to learn are all one can ask of a truly worthy student, Mister Sunburst." she says with a knowing smile as she continues to gently rub my shoulder with a hoof. "I am very glad that Rose here has already made his first friend in Canterlot." She said as she cast her gaze over my choice in companionship with an appraising expression before returning to her normal pleasant demeanor.

"And if I had known he was acquainted with the pony in charge of the entertainment for the evening, I might have set up a more private venue for them to chat if they wished. Though I suppose it did work out alright. I did not take you for much a rock music sort of pony though, Rose. I would have pegged you more as the Classical type, like Twilight."

I chuckled softly and shrugged a bit "Oh well erm, what can I say? I suppose I have a bit of a rebellious streak, and Rock music speaks to me that way."

She smirks a bit more deeply, seeming a tad amused "not too rebellious, I hope, dear Student." she said teasingly as she leaned in to speak more closely into my ear. "I would hate to have to punish you for any bad behavior, after all."

My eyes widened at this and I physically stiffened under her touch from the sheer surprise. I could not see my face, but if it was anything like Sunbursts' at the moment, I was certainly the envy of any aspiring ripe tomato. "I...I...what?!"

She leaned back, staying straight-faced for a moment before grinning wide and chuckling, stamping the ground a few times as she chortled. "Oh dear goodness, you two are just adorable. You are really going to have to work on your composure if all it takes to get you acting like that is a mare having a joke on you." She said, returning to a somewhat more dignified smirk as her chuckles softened and tapered off.

"Just because I am a princess does not mean I do not enjoy a good goof now and again, boys. no need to be so serious, it is still a party after all." She said as she turned and started to walk off "I still have a few hooves to shake and dates to make. Sunburst, I will leave him in your hooves since you two seem to be getting on so well. Do take care that my Student is in one piece when I get him back, won't you? Some of the mares out here act like that unironically, after all. I would hate for poor Rose here to fall into their clutches for the evening."

"Oh, ha ha, Princess." I said somewhat flatly as she looked back at us "I am not some helpless waif who needs his purity defended, I am an adult after all."

She smirked again before turning back away from us and continuing to trot off as she spoke "I am sure you are a very competent one as well, my little pony, but better safe than sorryyyy~" she finishes in a singsong voice as she exits literal stage left.

I sighed again softly as I rubbed my forehead with a hoof "Goodness she is....something, what have I gotten myself into."

Sunburst chuckled softly and gave a sympathetic nod "hey, nopony said that dealing with royalty would be easy. I can't say I'm not jealous though, I would give two and a half nuts to be able to learn everything she could teach."

Trying not to think about where he would get that extra half nut, I nodded as well, in agreement "Aye, that much is true, I suppose. Shall we go mill about for a bit longer? perhaps we might get extremely lucky and find one of the other two or three hypothetical ponies here that might be worth talking to."

"You know what, that sounds like fun, let's," he said as we both got up. We said our goodbyes for now to Octavia, who was getting ready to resume performing with her group, and made our way back onto the floor on the hunt for good company.

The company was found, but... I suppose good is a fairly subjective term. One I shall elaborate on further once I return from a brief rest. All of the excitement from earlier today has had me quite in a tizzy.

We had been milling about for some time, enjoying the festivities together, occasionally indulging in the provided refreshments when after some time, we were approached once more.

It was the Griffons from earlier at the table. One male, An older fellow, by the looks of it. He had a dull silverish color to his coat and plumage, with striking golden eyes. He wore a plain, well-tailored black coat with a white, collared and buttoned undershirt. The other was a female, reddish in hue in plumage, with yellow fur on her feline portion.

The male approached first, smiling wide at the both of us in greeting before less than subtly turning his attention mostly onto me. "Well, Isn't this a pleasant outcome! It seems we have found ourselves in the company of the Stallion of the Hour, Ruby." he said jovially, with a mild accent I was not able to place on the spot.

The female nodded, giving a small smile as she stuck close by. She wore a tightly fitted orange dress on her sleek body, a shawl of the same color covering her shoulders down to her midsection. "Indeed, Maxwell. Very good company indeed, I might say," she says as her own attention drifts over to Sunburst, giving him a somewhat wider grin. This prompts the poor stallion to swallow dryly.

"E-eheh..Ambassador Silverhammer. I am...delighted to see you attending." Sunburst said softly as he ran a hoof through his mane somewhat nervously, turning to explain to me. "Rose, This is the Ambassador of the Griffin Empire, Maxwell Silverhammer, and his erm...Escort, Ruby Tuesday.

The female chuckled softly and gently raked her claws against the ground a few times softly "No need to be so considerate of my feelings, Little Stallion. I am his bodyguard." she said as she looked the both of us up and down. slowly.

Maxwell sensed both mine and Sunbursts mild discomfort at his associate's conduct and cleared his throat, cutting in. "Ahem, quite, quite. Anyway. I was quite erm....surprised that Celestia took a male into such a prestigious position. Mind you, we in the Empire do not suffer from such...disparity in our population." he says as he runs a claw through his plumage. "But I understand that such an appointment is quite an upset in your culture. I certainly have been hearing more than a few whispers from some of the big players on the floor here. Not helped by your little erm...musical outburst, unfortunately."

I chuckled softly and nodded, giving an appropriately embarrassing expression to the comment. "Well, that is their problem, not mine, I feel. I simply did as I was asked to." I said with a small shrug, getting a somewhat surprised, then approving expression from him as I continued "I am here to obtain an education. I am sure politics will come into play more often than I would like, but I will not allow myself to be led about like a schoolcolt."

This gets a dry laugh from Ruby, followed by a quip. "Really? because you certainly were acting like a schoolcolt around that Princess of yours during the banquet."

I frowned softly and, a tad embarrassed, looked away from her "I erm...that is different. She has my best interests In mind and was simply trying to keep me from embarrassing myself."

Maxwell clicked his tongue and shook his head, looking at me sympathetically, a claw gently coming to rest on my shoulder. "Rose was it? I understand that Celestia is a very important role model for you pony folks. We in the Empire respect her strength and leadership as well. But you cannot simply allow a mare to run you around by your beak even if she has your best interests at heart. After all, you are your own Stallion, with your own wants and desires, yes?"

I winced slightly as I listened, what he was saying was certainly sensible enough. Just because Celestia felt something was for the best did not mean I was required to bend to her will.

"I suppose part of it might have been that I was scared to tell her no, and partly that well..she is so nice, you know? And it is already a bit difficult for me to tell others no. I was actually just telling Sunburst about that earlier."

Sunburst nodded in agreement as I mentioned his name, but he seemed a tad tongue-tied at the moment, looking anxiously over at Ruby, who was looking at him like she wanted to eat him alive.

Maxwell continued to look to me with an understanding air about him as he spoke. "Ah yes, I can understand that. it is hard to tell such a pretty face no."

I pulled back a bit, looking surprised as I raised a hoof defensively to my chest "W-what!? N-no, it isn't like that! It's just, she is quite motherly and gentle and-"

My defensive reaction prompts a laugh from Max as he lets his claw go to the ground after I move away. "Son, if you have a crush on the Princess, there is no shame in that. I overhear enough from her guards and er...quite a few of the nobles to know that you are definitely not alone in that respect. Not quite my thing though, I prefer my women lean and mean, like..." he said, trailing off as he looked over at Ruby then back at me "She always did have a thing for the shy type though."

"I could tell. Perhaps we could ask her more about her type when she finishes eye raping my friend there." I said dryly, prompting her to snap back to reality and stop her ogling, clearing her throat as she resumed a more professional posture. Sunburst gave a sigh of relief and shot me a thankful look.

"My apologies." She said simply, giving a small bow in our direction. "I did not mean any offense. One thing we have in common with you ponyfolk I am afraid. Though taking what we want is not so often limited to the females."

"O-oh erm, that is quite alright. I am just not looking for that sort of thing right now." Sunburst says apologetically, clearly looking quite relieved to have her put on the brakes.

"There see, much better! See how much easier things are when you are direct with your feelings." Maxwell said with a smile as he looked from Sunburst and I and back to Ruby a few times. "But er...I did have a reason to come over. I saw your choice of dishes at the table earlier. I also saw the way you were eyeballing that roast before the Princess put you off of it. I have to say, a pony eating meat is quite unheard of. Even towards the north where vegetation is more scarce and weather control less precise, they stick mostly to fish when times are lean. Were you perhaps raised around meat-eaters?"

"Oh erm....yes, there were a lot of omnivorous members of my local community back in Louwhinnyana. Fishing and Hunting were fairly common, both for food and for er..leisure activities."

His eyes widened at the mention of hunting. "Oh! A pony who hunts for sport? Now that is certainly quite the oddity. Celestia certainly does know how to pick them these days it seems." he said, though not in a derogatory tone. he seemed more excited than anything. "I think that the two of us might get on quite well, given the opportunity. I shall have to ask your Teacher if you are available for dinner sometime, I am sure we would have plenty to discuss."

That stung a bit, considering his previous comments, and I said firmly, not realizing I was going to say it myself. "That will not be required. I am capable of choosing the company I keep. I have already demanded that she not interfere with my personal life outside of my studies." A promise I realized that she might not be strictly keeping in the best faith. Hm. "Just name a time and I shall inform you if I am available a day or two in advance."

"Haha! Seems you have a set on you after all!" He says as he snaps his fingers, Ruby taking a business card from underneath her shawl, handing it to Maxwell, who handed it to me. "my contact information. I usually hang around the castle on most days. My Liege rarely calls me back to the Empire, he prefers to have me close to our associates in Equestria. I will send you an invitation at my earliest convenience." he says, seeming satisfied as I look over the card and pocket it.

After putting it away, I smile softly and nod to the older gentleman. "Well, thank you, sir. I look forward to seeing you around. Was there...anything else I could do for you?"

"Hm, oh nothing at the moment, thank you. That was all. If you will excuse me, I must be going. A lot of elbows to rub at a party like this, you see." he says with another small chortle as he walks off quickly. "Ruby, come along, leave the poor stallions alone."

Ruby lingers a bit longer, smirking at the two of us in a..somewhat concerning manner before turning and sauntering off, swaying her hips slightly on the way out, it seemed.

I sighed softly and rolled my eyes, looking over to Sunburst, who could not look more relieved to not be in her general vicinity any longer "Thanks for uh...sticking up for me there. A lot of mares just don't know how to treat a stallion. Even if i was interested, I certainly did not appreciate her ogling me like a piece of meat." he said as he shuffled side to side slightly as if trying to shake it off.

"Wait, so you are saying that sort of behavior is normal?" I asked, sounding a bit shocked because, even with what I knew about the gender disparity here, it was still a bit of a shock if it went that far.

"Not as much amongst the nobility, thankfully. But your average Canterlot mare is certainly a bit more er...aggressive than any right-minded stallion would like." he said as we started walking along together again. "You should see this place around heat season. I guess you will actually. it is uh...not pretty." he says, seeming anxious just thinking about it.

"I can imagine what you mean," I said sympathetically, frowning. "You know what. I think I am getting a bit tired of this party. how about the two of us go back to my room for a while. I can show you that project I was talking about earlier." I said, smirking down at my new friend as I placed a hoof on his shoulder. "I think I have made more than enough of a splash for today, if Celestia wants me back out here, she can come and ask me herself."

he seems a little shocked at my suggestion, and the way I presented it "Really? Are you sure? I do not want you to leave on my account. I can manage fine."

"Nonsense, I am asking because i want to leave." To prove a point to myself if nothing else. I was in control of my behavior.

He thought about it and fiddled about before speaking again "B-but, ponies might say something if they see you wandering off on your own with another stallion. They might start...untoward rumors about us."

I blinked and tilted my head a bit, raising my eyebrow. "What, you mean like that I'm into guys or something? What the fuck about it if I am. if I want to take you back to my room and turn your little flanks into jiggly banana pudding that's our business isn't it? I mean, not that I plan to, of course." I said reassuringly as I saw how bright red he turned at the turn my commentary had taken. "I am just saying that even if I am into that, it is not a big deal, right?"

He does some blinking of his own, his face becoming somewhat less red as he gives me an anxious smile "Y-yeah, not a big deal, right..." he said as he shuffled about a bit more "By all means, please lead the way then, Rose."

"it would be my pleasure, Sunburst," I said cordially, smiling as I gestured for him to follow me as I walked towards the exit closest to where I had entered, feeling pleased as punch with this small expression of my autonomy.

Once we decided to leave, actually making our way out unnoticed was easy enough. We simply left through the nearest door, and after several minutes of walking, I managed to find my way back to my room with my guest in tow.

I opened the door and gave a small sigh, looking around, tutting softly. Most of my things were still packed since I had been very explicit that I wished to handle the task myself. It was my fault but still not a very good look to bring a guest back to.

"Apologies for the state of things. My research can be a tad delicate and I wanted to make sure I unpacked everything myself, so there are still plenty of boxes here and there." I said as I walked further into the room, taking a seat on my bed. Walter fluttered over happily and settled on my head, nestling in against my voluminous mane and seeming quite content as I smiled softly up at him.

"Oh, it's fine! You should see where I am staying, it's an absolute mess!" Sunburst said with a small chuckle as he took a small look around, making himself comfortable at my desk, settling into a chair. "With all of the work I have it is just so much effort to keep track of it all on my own, you know?"

"Yeah, I can see how that might be a problem," I said, getting off of the bed after a few more moments in order to get down to why I had invited them over. "Now, I believe I was going to show you my...project, yes?" I said as I found the correct container amongst the pile, carefully retrieving it magically. I took special care not to directly manipulate the contents with magic. I nodded to the other and smiled as I trotted over to a door towards the back of my bedroom, where my soon to be personal study resided. it was currently a mostly empty room, but I was quite eager to convert it into an area to conduct my studies uninterrupted.

For now, however, it would serve as an excellent place to display my work to my new friend. I gently placed the box down
on the ground and used my hooves to open it. "I will have to ask you to refrain from using magic on these items while handling them, please. From personal experience, the results can be quite hit or miss." I informed them quickly as the contents were revealed.

Inside was my trusty staff. I pulled it out gently, smiling The Polished and oiled oak handle felt comfortable under my hoof, and the copper stripe smooth and comfortable. I smiled at my reflection in the large pink gem mounted at the top, humming as I placed it delicately atop its own case. "Sunburst, this is my project I told you about. I give you "The Rod of Arcane Accessibility," I said with a small chuckle as I ran my hoof slowly down the length.

He seemed a bit confused as he looked it up and down. "I am...not sure I understand. it seems to simply be an open-ended Clover Coil, like you would see inside most appliances. A really big one, and sort of...primitive, there isn't even any insulation to prevent a mana burn..." he said unsurely as he prodded it with a hoof."

Now it was my turn to be confused. "A Clover Coil. Could you explain that for me please? My knowledge of magic outside of casting is admittedly very lacking." I said sheepishly as I leaned in intently.

"Oh! Well that makes this make more sense...of course I can!" he said, seeming excited to be able to do so. "A Clover Coil is simply a coil of mana-conductive material laid over a non-conductive substrate, with a gemstone to serve as a capacitor to hold and disperse energy in accordance with the spell it holds. Generally, in a machine the gemstone is ensorcelled to output energy when a certain prerequisite of stimulus and energy input is met to perform a spell that operates the machine it is inside of." He explains as he takes waves a hoof about enthusiastically.

My own eyes lit up at this, my tail almost wagging a bit, twitching behind me as I shuffled my front hooves in place a bit "Oh! that makes this much easier to explain then! This is simply a simple multi-function form of that for general spellcasting. it is made so that creatures which lack a natural arcane focus, like a horn for example..." I said, pointing to my own horn "Can cast spells the way a unicorn does without suffering a mana burn from attempting to channel the required energy. The gemstone at the top simply acts as storage, and the spell is held as it normally is, by force of will."

His eyes widened slowly as I spoke, looking somewhere between utterly fascinated and completely horrified as I explained to him how it worked. "C-could you perhaps demonstrate?" He asked nervously, eyes fixated on the object with a mix of reverence and anxiety.

"Happily!" I said as I took the object in one hoof, using it to steady myself as I gripped it firmly. Instead of channeling through my hoof I was going to opt to do it through my foreleg. "Actually, this seems like an opportune time to explain how I do magic as well, since you seemed to be confused about that," I said, getting a nod from them.

"that sounds like a good idea, so you do not just sort of...feel for the magic inside of yourself and use it? That's generally how most unicorns do magic. A lot of them even have surges where they do it unconsciously as young as a month old."

I shook my head and chuckled. "No, I had to sort of learn how to find the magic inside of myself. I have to Visualize the source of my magic and sort of imagine myself reaching for it, drawing from it." I explained while doing so. I channeled the energy through my foreleg and up the Staff into the gemstone, where I then pulled it out and formed it into the proper weave to perform my go-to, a simple illumination spell. In a matter of moments a small sphere of light was hovering above my staff, my hoof and staff aglow with my aura. "I am fairly confident judging by the results of my studies that I can teach non-unicorns, and even non-ponies to do the same given the opportunity."

Sunburst was quite shocked by this, his eyes somehow wider than before as I finish my explanation and demonstration. "I-I...t-this is a lot of unsubstantiated claims you are making Rose. I mean, I suppose that what you are doing here provides some amount of weight to them but there is still quite a lot that remains to be seen," He said as I dispelled the orb of light, allowing the magic to safely dissipate before I placed the staff back into its container.

"I understand why you would feel that way. That is part of why I wish to keep this project under wraps. I want to conduct further testing on my own, using my own time and funds before I present it in a more public forum." I said gently, placing a hoof on his back, gently rubbing in a soothing manner as I looked down at the other male.

"Yes, I can see how you might want something so untested to remain a personal project," he said, a bit less shakily as I soothed him. Really, the pony attitude towards casual physical contact made smoothing these sorts of situations over marginally easier. "I suppose I could keep this between us. Though I admit I would feel better if I could perhaps...assist in some manner? I mean, you obviously do not have a grasp on a lot of the intermediate to advanced material somepony would study before normally taking on a project of this sort. it honestly just sounds like you cobbled this together by feel."

Not entirely untrue, to be fair. I did sort of wing it when I was making the thing. I nodded and smiled wider down at him "Sunburst, you are free to come over and assist with my research any time you like. My doors are always wide open for you." I said reassuringly, taking my hoof off of his back. he seemed to brighten visibly at this reassurance, giving me a pleased nod.

"I really appreciate that, Rose. Now er, what would we do? The party is still going if you would like to go back?" he said gesturing towards the door we entered from. I thought about it and shook my head.

"Nah, how about we go out on the town for a bit. I would love it if you could show me around a bit. I mean, if you do not object to keeping my company a bit longer." I said with a small smirk as I nudged him with my elbow in the side gently.

He turned a slight red at this comment and shook his head adamantly "N-not at all! you have been a delight to be around and I would be happy to continue hanging out with you." he said as he trotted quickly towards the door. "As a matter of fact, I know this wonderful place that sells the most delicious donuts in town if you'd care to partake?"

As I took a few minutes to remove my formal wear and slip on my saddlebags, I smiled gleefully at my companion and nodded, moving to follow him to the door. "Sunburst, that sounds like one of the best ideas I have heard all day."

The walk downtown was fairly nice all things considered. We got a look here or there, but nothing too untoward. Most of the...well to do populous was presumably up at the castle, white-nosing Celestia's powdered donut, so the area near the castle was more or less empty save for the occasional shopper at a stall or venue.

We arrived at a place called Donut Joe's. By all appearances a very well-to-do, homey establishment. Open windows, hanging lamps, and a cozy checkerboard floor greet us as the door opens and triggers a small bell to ring above it. A tan-colored, bulky unicorn pony greets us from behind the counter with a smile. "Ayyyy, what gives, Sunny Boy. I woulda thought you would be up at the Castle with all of those other fancy pants big shots to get a look at the Princess' new foreleg candy." he says with a chuckle as he proceeds to look me over as we walk towards him, giving me a small sly smirk "So who's the dame? This fine piece the reason you're playing hooky?"

I frown softly and cough as I step forward a bit more to place a hoof on the counter "As a matter of fact I am, My name is Rose. I am the Princess' new student or...foreleg candy, as so you eloquently put it, sir." I said, raising an eyebrow as I look down at the other male.

He looked steadily more and more sheepish as I continued my sentence, chuckling nervously as he tugged at his collar. "Eheheheh, Nice to meet'cha. "he said, giving his cap a small tip "I uh, didn't mean nothin' by it, I hope ya know."

I let my expression soften and smiled at him "Oh nono, I understand I do look somewhat mare-ish, you are not the first to fall victim to my...feminine wiles." I said jokingly as I fluffed my mane a bit with a hood, turning my snout up and striking a little pose, getting a less nervous chuckle out of the other. "At any rate, I am not one of those er...fancy pants sorts you were referring to. I am but a humble backwoods colonist with a penchant for the mystical arts." I said as I resumed a more normal posture, meeting his eyes, grinning softly. "One who happens to appreciate a good donut. And from what my friend here has told me, you have those in spades."

He beamed at the mention of his craft, quickly nodding. "Damn right I got the goods, pretty boy! What are you in the mood for, Glazed, Moovarian Creme filled? Powdered?"

I shuddered a bit at the latter. "Oh er...no powdered donuts, thank you, I think I will go with glazed for now if you do not mind. And a glass of milk, if you have it."

We sell by the bottle, pretty boy, and it'll be four bits for all that." he says gruffly but not unkindly as he prepares my order behind the counter "for here or to go? and what are you having, Sunny?"

I informed him I would be eating here and allowed Sunburst to order as well. he decided on a strawberry flavored cake donut. After I was served I took a seat with my donut and waited for him to join me, which he did shortly after some polite small talk with who I can only presume is the owner of the establishment, carrying his own pastel pink treat.

"So, popular customer, I take it?" I asked him, somewhat amused by what had gone down as we entered.

he nodded and smiled sheepishly up at me, taking a bite of his treat. "mphhh...yeah, I've been coming here ever since I was a foal. They really have the best in town as far as I'm concerned.

"Ya damn right we do!" Donut Joe said proudly from the counter as he busily published a plate, rag and dish held in the grasp of his magic.

I chuckled softly again and shrugged, taking a bite of my own donut. The taste is spectacular, taking me by surprise as I give a small groan of satisfaction, shivering as I swallow "mphhh...you know, I may be inclined to agree with you." I said casually as I took a sip of my beverage to cover my embarrassment.

As if that was not bad enough, as if on queue, I heard her in the back of my head.

Ohhhhh, what have we here? I decide to leave you alone for a day or two and I come back to see you in a donut shop teasing some poor flustered stallion in Canterlot? My my someone does work fast, hm?

I sighed internally, not surprised that she would finally show herself now that I was a good distance away from my new teacher.

It's not like that, Eris. We are just enjoying one anothers company.

Oh I'm sure it isn't. You just decided to sneak out of a party with a stallion who seems to have taken a shining to you, who then decided to take you to his favorite childhood dine-in spot where you are sitting alone together at a booth while you enjoy your respective sugar-infused rimming metaphors. For Kek's sake Rose your donuts are color coordinated!

I stopped the donut mid-way through its trajectory towards my mouth, my a=face flushing a more vibrant pink than normal as I slowly set it back down and dabbed my face with a napkin, giving a small cough as I continued my internal dialogue.

Okay, so maybe it looks bad, but you know as well as I do that this is entirely coincidental.

At least it was on my part. I cannot speak for anyone else after all.

Hmmmm, sure, keep telling yourself, and me that. You know as well as do how you really feel Mister Jiggly Banana Pudding~

Damn you woman! how dare you use my words against me!?

Hey, all I'm saying is that if you wanted you could probably get him to crawl under this booth and deepthroat your-

SLAM

"Soooo, Sunburst, tell me a little bit more about yourself." I said, smiling to him kindly as I firmly place a hoof on the table trying not to pay her any further mind.

He gave a small start at my hoof coming down, but smiled softly as I asked my question "Oh erm...well there is not a whole lot to tell, really. I have a Doctorate in Theoretical Thaumatology, or er, the study of the energies used to perform magic. I have an order of StarSwirl: Third Class membership, as I told you earlier. I enjoy Reading, and discussing academic matters with my peers." He said simply.

"Hmm, I keep hearing that term. What is a Thaum, exactly?" I asked, leaning in slightly, my curiosity rising to the surface.

"A Thaum is the amount of magical energy required to, under fully optimum conditions without waste from heat light or talent discrepancy, Conjure one white pigeon or three billiard balls," he said simply. to which I nodded before suddenly stopping my nodding, confused. That...didn't make much fucking sense to me. But hey, considering what a fucking calorie is, I was not in much of a position to make judgments about systems of measurement for things I did not understand.

Restraining my urge to say how utterly fucking stupid that was, I finished off my donut in a few quick bites and downed my milk so I would have the minimum of distractions while we spoke. " really? That is...certainly an interesting way to measure that. What about er..subjective magical power? Like, how powerful an individual unicorn is in terms of raw output. is there a way to measure that?"

His eyes light up a bit at my interest and he leans forwards a bit as well. "Oh! We call that an Arcana Rating. The formula is how many pounds of lead a unicorn can levitate for the duration of thirty seconds divided by ten. it seems like the fairest way since your average pony will be able to perform basic levitation equally well outside of special factors like horn or thaumic system damage." He explains with a small smile. "The Royal Guard Academy and the School for Gifted unicorns have a more thorough method of cataloging an individuals spellcasting strengths and weaknesses over a spread of several data points and rank them to create an overall rank, but that is more specialized and getting an evaluation can be a bit pricey for your average pony."

I smiled almost a bit dopily as I leaned in a bit closer, soaking up the information. That at least made considerably more sense to me. "Ohhh, that is really interesting! I suppose that I will probably end up having a similar appraisal done considering my situation."

Sunburst nodded his agreement "yes, that would be sensible considering. I am very interested to see what sort of results you end up getting, to be honest." he says as he meets my eyes.

Now kiss!

I squeaked softly at the sudden intrusion, my focus broken as I jump a bit, causing me to fall forward, my snout planted firmly on that of the other stallion mid-sentence.

Both of our eyes widen a bit as we sit there, immobile, our lips pressed gently together. His eyes slowly falling closed as he leans in a bit, clearly content with the situation until I finally pull away, both of us flushing fairly red

"O-oh erm, s-sorry about that, I was erm, startled by something suddenly..." I said sheepishly as I rubbed at the back of my neck, looking down and away at the table, leaning back in my seat.

When I looked back up I saw him smiling up at me, a sparkle in his eye "O-oh erm, it's fine really, I did not mind too much." he said, looking somewhat flustered himself "Though perhaps next time you could warn me before something startles you that way so I can prepare myself." he teases in an attempt to keep the mood light even though we both seemed pretty sheepish about what had just happened.

Oh wow, did he actually want to...oh well yes I supposed he did.

"I will erm, keep that in mind. So just to clarify you have no objection to what just happened er...happening again, hypothetically I mean?"

He shook his head and chuckled softly "Hypothetically speaking, I would probably enjoy it happening again, if you were comfortable with it."

I gave a small sigh and nodded, relieved. "Well, perhaps, hypothetically, we could arrange for it to happen again another time, more er, purposefully.

"That sounds good to me." He says grinning a bit wider as he finishes off his treat and goes to dispose of the waste and return the dish it was served on while I did the same, the two of us meeting by the door. Where he spoke "so erm...would you like to go back to your room and see if our hypothesis turns out to be accurate?"

I laughed softly at that, shrugging slightly before giving a small nod "I guess we can if you want to. I don;t have much better to do this evening."

So naturally, we headed back to my room at the castle and did some stuff.

What Kind of stuff? oh you know just uh...Stuff.

They totally made out.

You know I really do not appreciate you putting my business out there like that.

You know what fine, yes, we made out. We did a whole lot more than that as a matter of fact. But we will get to it when we get to it.

I made my way back to my quarters in the castle with my friend by my side, the both of us feeling understandably a bit nervous after what had just happened. We exchanged short, shy glances as we made our way down the hall and through the doors of my room.

After I closed the door and took Walter into the other room so his poor innocent birb eyes would not be soiled, I turned to Sunburst, a smile crawling across my face slowly "So er, where were we?" I asked as I slowly sauntered over towards him.

He responded with a nervous smile of his own, approaching me as I came closer "Hmmm, I think we were riiiiiight about here..." he says as he leans in to press his lips to my own slowly. I allow it, meeting him halfway, humming as both of our eyes close.

His forelegs slowly slid up my body, gripping me and sliding behind the back of my neck to hold me, and our kiss deepens, our mouths slowly opening. he gives a small soft moan and I grin inwardly, kissing them a bit deeper as I slowly back them towards the bed, pulling from the kiss and whispering into his ear "mnnn, do you really like it that much?" I asked softly as I looked down at them.

They were flushed faced, biting his lip as he looked up at me softly, nodding slowly "m-mhm..." he said airily as he leaned in to nuzzle my neck. I shivered softly and finally got him backed up to the bed, humming as we maneuvered onto the comfortable surface. We embraced properly belly to belly as we laid down, his back legs wrapping around my waist tightly.

I felt our sheathes and testes press and rub together sensually as we started to grind against one another, my face feeling warm as I leaned in to kiss him again. My magic made quick work of my collar and tie as I tossed it off to one side, focusing intently on the needy colt in my embrace.

"R-rose..." he said softly into my ear as I leaned down and began to nibble playfully at his neck. I felt him slowly unsheathing against my stomach, his tip dripping and dampening my stomach fur, the scent of him filling my nostrils. Like sunflowers, and a tinge of goldenrod along with his masculine scent.

His arousal triggered my own, and I quickly began to unveil myself to him just as eagerly. our slowly unfurling lengths rubbed against one another as our his moved needily, his eyes widening at the sight of me when he looked down to see my own length nearly reaching his upper chest, his own resting comfortably beneath my own ribcage "O-oh my dear daylights, that is...is that going inside of me?" he asked, his voice a cross of fearful and hopeful as he gazed back up at me, ears pressed against his head sheepishly.

I smirked down at him. Slowly nodding "if you want it to yes. I am going to put every inch inside of you, right where it belongs."

The phrasing must have pleased him considerably, he gave a small moan and I felt my belly get considerably more damp as a small spurt erupted from his tip. "O-ooooh yes please..." he said softly as he unwrapped his legs from around me, slowly clambering down towards my bottom half "H-here, let me..."

That was all he managed to get out before he found himself wrapping his lips around my flared tip. I gasped as his warm, soft lips wrapped firmly, eagerly around me, my eyes rolling back for just a moment before I regained focus. I looked down and saw him suckling contentedly on the head, looking back up at me with glazed over, depraved, happy eyes. Were those...yes., they were hearts in his eyes. At this point, I was both too horny and too used to strange things hap[opening in this place to care overly much and rolled with it.

"H-here, hold on.." I said softly as I rolled us so that I was standing over his face and he was on his back, legs splayed and cock twitching eagerly as he slowly started to bob his head up and down the first few inches. I looked down under myself to smile at him. "I am going to try something. I want you to take a deeeeep breath and relax as much as you can, okay?"

He looks to me, still somewhat unfocused as his suckling only gets more fervent, and he nods his head slowly, seeming to have some understanding of what I was going to do as the shudder through his body beneath me was any indication.

With that out of the way, I watched him settle back down, head angled as optimally as he could manage as he took a deeeeeeeep breath...

Just in time for me to start bending my hind legs, slowly allowing my hindquarters to come closer to his face, my thick, heavy member slowly sinking further down his throat with every passing moment. I heard him moan softly around me, a few sensual noises escaping him as his poor gullet spasmed and swallowed greedily around my shaft, barely able to handle what I was putting him through. His poor body shuddered and shook with delight as I managed to plunge myself ever further down his hungry throat.

I silently thanked whatever created this universe for not giving ponies a gag reflex as I sat myself firmly down onto his face properly my balls resting over his snout, covering his eyes when I looked back at him. "you okay down there?" I asked as I wiggled my rump atop his face.

He responded to this simple question with a long, drawn-out moan, his forelegs reaching up to wrap around my hindquarters, his tongue snaking out and sliding along the top of my cock sensually, moaning as it slipped underneath the sheath, making my eyes roll back and flutter shut for a moment "mphhh...I'll take that as a yes you dirty boy. Are you ready for me to start moving?"

He took a few more breaths, before finally, slowly patting my thigh lazily, rubbing it a few times as an affirmation of his willingness. I smiled and slowly started to lift myself off of him "mphhh...very good. Now, if at any point you feel the need to come up for air, Do not hesitate to smack my flank as hard as you can."

Another affirmative little noise escaped his stuffed maw as I pulled back out just past the medial ring, giving him a moment to get reoriented only to rob him of three of his senses once more, slamming myself back down hilt deep with the aid of gravity. A wet, delicate plap rang through the room as my heavy sack connected with his face again.A soft, audible "Gllllk!" escapes him as he swallows around me helplessly, the poor thing seeming to go utterly limp for a second in the face of such intensity. I shuddered with delight of my own, eager to hear more of that sound, to revel in his helplessness and his pleasure at being subject to my desire.

I raised up, dropped down again

and again

and again

I took a leisurely, but firm pace as I fucked his cute little muzzle. the sounds of flesh on flesh and his eager audible oral convulsions sounding out in a lewd, lovely symphony that spurred me to give him more, ever more! harder, faster slowly building. The more I gave him the more eagerly he took it, and the more I wanted to give~.

I decided that I might as well try to get him ready for more as I had my fun, I let my bottom half continue to work as my top half slides down to press flush to his own bottom half. I let his cock throb against my chest under me as I use a hoof to pull his tail back and away. After a quick inspection for well...hygene, I allowed my tongue to slip out and slowly, sensually run along his dock as I slammed down particularly hard onto his face, grinding firmly while I started to lap at the sensitive little area to make the cute little stallion under me squirm and mewl around my length needily.

I allowed my tongue slide down further, slowly running around the rim of his quivering little ponut, humming softly as i did so to send some gentle vibrations down the appendage, starting to pump my hips again, only a few inches coming in and out quickly in shallow, busy motions while I focused on preparing him for a while. he seems to take a shining to my own oral attentions, his hips bucking softly as I start pressing my tongue into him, steadily working him open, softening and loosening him up as best I can.

Soon enough I managed to work my tongue into him properly, my hips stopping once more as I focused. he squealed as my tongue slipped past his ring and properly penetrated. but he really squealed when-

"M-mnnn! Mnphhh~<3"

There we go, I slipped my tongue nice and deep into him and curled it, hitting the little bundle of nerves and tissue I was looking for that made his cock jump and spurt against my chest again. His throat spasming around me mindlessly as he starts to swallow and lick for all he is worth, his forelegs wrapping loosely around my back end again as he desperately makes out with the thick, heavy mottled horsecock embedded in his throat until finally, it seems he can take no more and smacked my flank hard with a dull THWACK

A short squeal on my part later, I stood up on wobbling hind legs and moved off of him, panting softly and wiping my mouth with my foreleg, looking down at him as he rolls over "E-everything alright?" I asked, only to be caught off by the sheer erotic desperation in his expression.

Tears streamed down his face. That was to be expected after a facefucking of such a severe intensity. Much to my surprise, it seemed he had been wearing a touch of eye shadow, because it was streaming down his cheeks along with his tears in an arousing display as he looked back at me, tail flagged, legs spread wide and splayed out as he lay belly down on the bed. I was not surprised to see a man wearing a touch of makeup in this setting, nor was I surprised to hear the next thing out of his mouth.

"I-I just need you...t-to buck me, buck me now, please Rose!" he said, wiggling his glorious, firm yellow rump at me, his cute little hole was wet, loosened and ready for me after the careful attention I had provided, pulsing softly, clenching around nothing like the greedy, eager hole of a desperate mare in heat.

Honestly, the dirty talk was just icing on the cake, the sight of him needy, vulnerable, and desperate like that was more than enough to make me ready to pounce on him. I sprang into action, both of us grunting softly as I landed on his back softly, wrapping my forelegs around his barrel. His breath hitched as he felt my flared, dripping tip prodding his tight pucker, leading into an outright, loud, pleading moan As I managed to push past his entrance, the head stretching him wide and sliding inside to a cry of "Oh dear sweet Celestia on her throne yesssssssssssss~' from my partner.

"Oh, you like that?" I asked in an innocuous, husky tone, licking my way along his pulse point as I slowly pushed my way home. The poor thing was only able to nod quickly and mutter "yes" again and again as I slowly pushed deeper inside of them.

And then I hit it again. As the top of my thick, veiny rod grazed and pressed down onto his prostate, his legs kicked a few times weakly under me, his back arching as he let out a soft, feminine moan of my name, pressing his behind into me as best as his pleasure addled, weakened body would allow, driving me almost halfway into him in his eagerness to accommodate me.

The feeling of his hot, tender little hole so greedily squeezing me, milking me as if it craved every drop I could spill into it was almost more than I could bear. The hot, confined slick little pocket I had found myself entering was beyond delightful. And as he pled with me for more, I found myself giving it to them instinctually, Giving a small snort as I gripped them more firmly around the midsection before driving myself ferociously to the base with a dull wet smack as my hips finally collided with his plump, soft little flanks.

From there, there was no longer any stopping it. A Raw, animalistic, passionate rhythm ensnared the two of us. In, relax, out, sqeeze, working in tandem, I brutalized his poor behind as earnestly as he tried to please me with it. Every time I pushed home, his breath hitched a little higher and I felt him tighten just a bit more, the feeling of my heavy balls swinging and smacking firmly against his own pair a staccato to our orchestra of passion, driving home the power I held over him in that moment, and the hold he had on my desire in turn.

But after so much excitement, neither of us could continue for much longer, it seemed, Wordlessly we both worked harder faster to a quickly approaching climax. I pulled him into a deep, eager Prench Kiss, my tongue sliding against his own, the two wet muscles dancing off of one another in our mouths as I clutched them close, my balls clenching and tightening to my shaft it let off several long, heavy shots of my seed into him.

I felt him moan loudly, then progressively more weakly into my mouth, and felt the bed under us grow damp with his own spent load as I pumped rope after rope into his freshly molded and claimed behind, making sure that not a drop of the precious seed I was using to mark my territory was wasted as we kissed each other progressively more gently, sweetly until he was spent beneath me and I pulled out, half soft and retracting from his gaping rump, utterly satisfied as we turned to face each other on our sides, cuddling contentedly.

A while after we finished our romp, the stallion dragged himself away from my embrace reluctantly, His hole seeming to have closed enough to be properly hidden once more by a well-placed cock of his tail. I gave a small grunt as well, slowly standing up. "Ugh...we should probably head back into the party, huh?" I said as I levitated a comb from my nightstand over to myself to start sorting out my hair, my bowtie and collar coming towards me and properly affixing themselves. "Ugh...Celestia's Servants will probably take care of the sheets but what am I going to do about the smell..."

He gave me a slightly confused look "Oh? you mean you do not know the spell for temporarily nullifying strong odors? Most unicorn colts and fillies are taught that once they reach breeding age." he said, his own glowing as his aura enclosed us both for a moment. In no time at all, it seemed that the masculine scent of intense, passionate Stallion fornication had disappeared from the room, as well as our persons. "Mind you, you will still need to take a bath later, but that should hold for about four hours if need be."

I slowly blinked, quite shocked at this revelation. I really should have read that book about pony puberty a bit more closely.

After getting him to draw me out a simple spell diagram to follow casting it myself later, We got our clothes and our hair all in order and headed back into the party, once more decked to the nines. (and on cloud nine if you catch my drift.)

The rest of the party was pretty alright, I stuck close to Celestia, who was kind enough not to question where I had been, I was kind enough to not give her an answer she did not ask for in turn.

At the end of the evening, I managed to find my way to the place I was expected to bathe. I was a bit embarrassed to have to ask the maid near my quarters where I could wash myself while she gave me a look I would rather not be given by a strange woman. She must have been the one with the er...privilege of handling my sheets that evening. In any case she pointed out that my suite did have a bathroom, and a quite opulent one at that, where I took plenty of time to soak myself and wah carefully, wanting to make sure that the lingering scent off stallion lust was appropriately diluted after my boners in this department prior.

Once I was squeaky clean in all of the ways that mattered, I took Walter out of the study and apologized to him for leaving him in there by himself, giving him some millet in his tray as a sign of my sincere apologies, which he seemed to happily accept.

And finally, I settled into bed for a nice, well-earned nights sleep.

Or...so I thought.

I awoke, or...rather I came back to consciousness shortly after falling asleep. I sat up to find myself in unfamiliar surroundings. As I looked around, I saw that I was surrounded on all sides by darkness, only illuminated softly by a rose-colored glow emanating from my person. Enough to let me know that I was definitely not in my room.

I was surrounded by a dull, jagged cratered landscape. Above me was a tapestry of stars glimmering brilliantly in total silence, save for my own soft breathing in my ears.

I was....on the moon. Hm. From what I could tell, I seemed to be projecting, the same way I did whenever Eris guided me through that...exercise from a while back. Though it seemed I was doing so in the physical world from what I was able to tell. I was not sure why I was here, or how. But I figured it must be for a good reason. My body was safe as far as I knew, and I would probably go back eventually. Nothing to really do about it but sit back and enjoy the view.

I found myself staring up at the night sky for hours contentedly, humming a bit as I drew little patterns in the er...moon dirt? In the moon dirt absent-mindedly with my hoof. After such a long, hectic day it was honestly quite peaceful to be able to have some time to sit in the quiet dark and just vibe. The planet, surface as dark as the surface I found myself sat upon, made a reserved and interesting centerpiece to the night sky from the moon's perspective.

"Quite rude of you, to keep your hostess waiting, young one."

I gave a small squeak and a start as I jolted to my feet, turning to the source of the voice. As I turned around, I saw her.

She stood around a head taller than me, about the size of Celestia, If not a bit taller. A dark, luxurious blue coat, the edges of which that touched the light terminating off of us both seeming to glow softly, almost dazzlingly with the light of the moon itself. She wore combat attire, a helmet, a breastplate, and boots, not of gold, but of a softly cold bluish metal. perhaps Adamantine or Orichalcum. Her brilliant blue, vertically slitted eyes peered down at me, more in a sort of amused anticipation than anything particularly malicious as her majestic, starry mane flowed freely about her in a variable shroud of cosmic wonders. Truly a mare of the moon. A mare on the moon.

The Mare on the Moon.

I did what struck me as appropriate and bowed my head to her softly in greeting. "Good evening Princess," I said softly, which seemed to render her somewhat confused, judging by her expression as let my head rise once more to meet her gaze and continued to speak. "My apologies. I Was unaware you wished to see me. I simply assumed I would go back to my body when the time was appropriate and was erm...enjoying the wonderful view. it is not often that one can experience such a fantastically different perspective." I said, gesturing with a hoof.

"N-no need for apologies, young one." She said somewhat stiltedly. This was clearly not the direction she expected this conversation to take. She was thrown off but not flustered. Simply caught off guard. Regaining her composure quickly enough. "Of the few who bother to remember Us, Even fewer bother to retain Our title., and even fewer would recognize it as legitimate," she said, a slightly pleased smile creeping across her face.

"I consider your Title as legitimate as any other Equestrian royal, Princess," I said politely. That is to say, not terribly legitimate at all. Not too big on that sort of thing myself naturally. "May I ask what brings me to your presence?"

"A tactful response, young one. And as for why you have been summoned here..." She said as she slowly walked in a circle around me, observing me like some sort of specimen, or a piece of meat to be appraised. "We were simply curious as to what sort of stallion you are. You may not realize this yet, but you are...very much not like other ponies. In ways beyond those We can glean from a simple peek at your surface thoughts."

For a brief moment, I raise a hoof and lean back, a bit displeased that she would attempt to look through my most personal affairs without my consent. What was it with powerful entities and not respecting your privacy here! But before I could properly rebuke her for this breach of etiquette, she made to reassure me.

"Do not worry, young one. We cannot penetrate terribly far past where We have started it seems. At least, not in this severely weakened state brought about by Our....Dear Sisters seal." She said, clicking her tongue as her eye twitched slightly in its socket. "Your fortitude is to be commended. Most ponies are not even aware of the arts of the Mindscape, let alone practice them with any degree of proficiency. At least, they did not back in Our day..." She said somewhat bitterly, turning her face away before returning her gaze to me.

"Oh erm...Yes, I suppose I do have a fairly decent teacher in that realm at the moment." I said somewhat sheepishly, still upset but slightly mollified by her praise. Even in this weakened form, it seemed that Celestia was not the only princess with a commanding, soothing presence.

The Princess raised an eyebrow, leaning in slightly "Oh? A teacher aside from Our sister? And who might that be?"

I decided to try to deflect for the moment, hoping she might lose interest "I feel a more interesting question is, how do you know so much about what is happening down below? I thought you were er...trapped here?"

She scoffed, looking a bit offended as she stamped a hoof. "Our sister may have trapped Our Soul here with those accursed Elements of Harmony, yes. But That does not mean that Our Mind is not free to roam as it pleases. To continue to observe from afar, even if We are no longer strong enough to guard the dreams of Our subjects, <sub>though they scarcely deserve it...</sub>."

I tilted my head at this, not quite sure I understood, and she seemed to pick up on this, she beckoned me a bit closer. "Ugh...come and sit beside your Princess, young one, We shall amend your lack of knowledge. It is unbefitting for one of your status." She said as she sat down on the ground, becoming for me to come closer. I sat next to her, giving the princess an apologetic look as she began to explain.

<sub>Goodness, what are they teaching in schools these days...</sub>Now, let us start simply. Many of the...uninitiated believe there is only the flashy sort of magic. What the typical unicorn would use. But the truth is that the Arcane is only one aspect of a much greater whole." She gestured, and a trail of light followed as she drew in the air "The world as we are able to grasp it exists through the support of three fundamental nested pillars. Each is supported by the one preceding it, but none could exist without the support of the other two supplementing them."

As she finished drawing in the air, I was left looking at three symbols.

"There is The Body, or the Physical Plane, Represented thusly."

Then there is the Spirit. The Mindscape, or the World of Dreams, represented by this symbol.

"And then there is the Soul. The World of Forms, represented in this manner."

She continued her lecture as the symbols hung in front of us, glimmering and slowly drifting. "Magic, as we know it, is simply the interplay of any two of the metaphysical forces inherent to these planes of existence to influence the state of any of the planes themselves. For Example. The Arcane Arts, the magic typical to unicorns is simply the interplay of The forces of the Mindscape and those of the Physical Plane. You draw energy from the former to influence and interact with the latter generally. Though It may also involve the use of purely. physical elements, such as when performing alchemy, brewing potions, or enchanting games, carving runes, and the like."

I blinked slowly, doing my best to commit everything I was hearing to memory, I could practically hear the quill I envisioned in my mind's eye scribbling away furiously, adding to the mental construct of the book containing my arcane knowledge. "So, what you were saying earlier is that The Elements of Harmony only bound your soul to the moon, and your mind is free to wander?"

She nodded, smiling softly "We can see why she would pick you to be a student rather than a concubine, Young one. You are rather bright." I did my best to repress the snappy comeback I had in mind, even though it was a real zinger and allowed her to continue uninterrupted. "Yes. Our sister seemed to neglect to seal Us away properly when she sought to use the elements on Us by herself. She always was rather...dismissive of the other schools, outside of whatever limited use she could make of them in her foolishness. She was dismissive of a lot of things..." The princess said more softly, looking away, eyes seeming distant and sad.

Without thinking too terribly much about it, I leaned in and gently placed my forelegs around her chest and back, hugging her softly. She flinched slightly in surprise, looking down at me with confused eyes "W-what are you doing!?"

"I was giving you a hug. Sorry for not asking first if that is an issue," I said quickly as I withdrew myself and scooted away a bit to give her some space. "it was my understanding that ponies in Equestria generally do not mind physical contact for comfort, and you seemed er, very much in need of comfort..."

She gave a small sigh, a light shade of midnight purple gracing her face as she looked away, then back to me again, seeming resigned. "We suppose you are not...terribly incorrect in that assumption, young one. It has just been so long since anyone save my sister bothered to think of Us and Our plight, and even then, she dreads Our return. Those who followed Us into battle so long ago have all but faded from memory, long since gone, save for a...few, who linger still. Even We can scarcely remember a time when others thought of Us as anything other than...This..." She said as she gestured to herself, her regal, menacing appearance. Though in her moment of vulnerability, she seemed far more pitiable than anything menacing.

I scooted a bit closer again, slowly reaching with a hoof to rub her back, which accepted, though still with a small flinch as my hoof came near. "Princess, I appreciate how difficult this must all be for you, even if I am unable to appreciate the full magnitude of the situation." I thought I may have understood why she had brought me here. Not simply to scope out her sisters newest student. Not simply because of some inevitable tangling of the fates.

But because she was lonely. Alone and desperate for company. Perhaps she thought that I, not being a native to her homeland and not subject to the prejudices of her other subjects, may have been more understanding of her plight. And honestly, I am fairly sure she was right, because I definitely felt quite bad for her as I saw her then.

"Perhaps...I could come to visit you again?" I asked her gently as I stopped rubbing her back, getting another shocked look from her before she regained some of her composure as I continued to speak "I Think I would like to know more about you, and to learn from you if I could. You seem to know things Celestia may be unable, or unwilling to teach me, and I er...would enjoy more of your company."

"You...wish to learn at Our hooves, young one?" she asked me slowly, peering down at me as if she was not able to believe her ears. "You wish to spend more time in my company? We...suppose We could accommodate you in this," she said, slowly rubbing a hoof along her chin. "We have admittedly never had a student before, We find the prospect a bit...exciting." Her voice perked up a bit as she said this until she looked out and saw something peeking over the edge of the world. I followed her gaze and saw it too.

The Sun

Almost as soon as the first beams of its light touched her, her body began to glow a soft, pulsing golden color, slowly rising up her frame from her hooves. She screamed out in pain, grasping at her head "A-aahhgngn....G-go now. We shall call you again another n-night..." she said, her voice strained as her pupils dilated, the glow slowly rising up her body.

I hesitated, not sure what she meant by go, I was not sure how I would get back to my body. I was not sure if I should leave her in such a condition "Are you sure? maybe there is something I could do to help?" I said as I reached out to her.

She smacked me away and bared her fangs at me, her eyes now a pitch-black, pupils completely dilated as she spoke out in two voices overlapping as one. "WE SAID GO!" She roared out as she slammed her hoof down just as the aura overtook her head and started to swallow her horn, the last of her I saw as I dast away was her falling to the ground, hooves covering her head as she snarled and jibbered and begged for mercy from some unknown force.

The slam of her hoof sent out some sort of shockwave and I found myself careening, screaming into the void of space back towards the planet below at blinding speeds. in no time at all I felt myself falling, falling back towards Canterlot castle, down into my room, my projected form colliding with my body below...

I awoke with a start, gasping for air, heart racing as I gripped the sheets under me in my hooves, my forehead dripping with sweat. I looked outside as my chest heaved to see the moon setting slowly and the sun rising to take its place, Celestia out on her balcony a few rooms down wings flared and face a mask of concentration as she worked to turn the clockwork of the heavens.

I pulled my attention away from there as I looked back down at myself on the bed, rubbing my head with my hooves and slowly panting less and less, my heart slowing as I calmed down.

There you are! i was worried sick about you!

I heard an echo through my head. I took a moment to let my eyes glaze over to address the source more properly, only to find my inner projection being furiously hugged by Eris, who was coiled around me properly and tightly, face to face with me and looking a mix of furious and anxious.

"Something plucked you clean out of your body and sent you catapulting across space! I thought you had tried to Astral Project unguided and bent sent careening off into the ether!" She said, sounding slightly shaken as she pet my mane with her claw slowly. I suppose she must have been worried that her ticket out of her and the father of her future spawn might have eluded her grasp.

I did my best to treasure her. "I assure you that I am quite fine, Eris, I was simply...out having a conversation with someone in need of my company," I said softly.

She seemed somewhat content with this, nodding as she slowly uncoiled herself from me and giving a small sigh "Please, do not frighten me like that, My King." She said as she smiled softly down at me. In moments like that, I could almost be convinced she genuinely cared for me. I smiled back and nodded. "of course Eris, I am sorry, I should not put you through that sort of worry as my friend." I said before taking my leave and returning my focus to my room.

What The Princess told me got me thinking as I walked to the bathroom. Her mind may be free, and her soul is bound...

But where does that leave her body?

Later on that morning, I was enjoying my breakfast in the company of both my teacher and my fellow student. Celestia seemed to be making it a point that we all spend a bit of time together as was feasible and practical to do so. What better time to talk about the previous day than the most important part of the next one!

I was enjoying a rather hearty bowl of corn flakes, Twilight enjoying some toast and hay bacon and Celestia having...cake. Goodness, she certainly must enjoy cake to be having it for breakfast.

In any case, if I wanted to ask any questions about what I had experienced last night, this was an ideal opportunity to do so without raising too many questions. “Princess Celestia, what was your sister like?”

Celestia’s eyes widened and she audibly chokes on her cake, her fork clattering from her aura onto the table loudly as she beats at her chest with one hoof, coughing and retching in the most undignified manner. Twilight was giving a very confused and concerned look at both myself and the princess as she watched this all occur

After Celestia recovered from her coughing fit and wiped her face with a napkin “That is a...very out of nowhere question, Rose. Most ponies are not well acquainted enough with Equestrian history to realize I had a sister. Even those who worship me in the deific sense generally consider the title of Sister for Nightmare moon to be symbolic.”

Well fuck, there goes any hope of not raising questions. “I was reading a book with Miss Cheerilee in Ponyville and we were discussing it together She had pointed out as something I should probably have a look at now that I am living in Equestria..” We were admittedly doing a great deal more than discussing if I remembered correctly. “The book did not explicitly name the two of you, but I was cognizant enough to put two and two together when I heard the story of the two sisters.”

“Hm, that is some book. This Cheerilee must be quite an educated mare…” a She asked, nodding slowly as she listened to me speak, her eyes narrowing slightly more unsure than displeased.

“Yeah, she sure is something. I hope my asking didn’t cause you any sort of hurt or anything, I was just...curious is all.” I said gently, trying to defuse any potential situation that might occur due to my unfortunate choice of topic

“Oh, no, it’s fine, really.” She said reassuringly, giving me a small warm smile. “We can discuss it if you like. What in particular did you want to know?”

“Oh er...I suppose I did not have any specific questions in mind, I was just thinking that I felt sort of bad for her. At first, I sort of wrote the behavior I saw in the historical accounts off as somewhat childish, but maybe that was reductive of me. I certainly wasn’t there.” I said, rambling a tad as I spoke to my teacher. “I mean, she’s on the moon, right? It must be awfully lonely up there. Do you think she ever like, misses you, or regrets what happened?”

Celestia seems to look confused for a moment, then, her eyes soften and she clicks her tongue softly. “Rose, that is a very sweet sentiment, but my sister is long gone from this world. All of that about me using the elements of harmony to defeat her and sealing her in the moon was mostly symbolic. I did use several powerful artifacts in tandem to trump her bolstered power, yes, but rest assured her fate was sealed that night, for better or worse…I had her remains interred in a mausoleum on the site of the battle to commemorate her.”

This certainly had my attention. I did not disagree with her and simply nodded. “OH dear, I am very sorry, I was under the impression that she was sealed on the moon like in the story, I suppose that is a bit silly come to think of it…” I said, doing my best to mimic an air of mild embarrassment and self-doubt, fortunately, both things I am adept at expressing.

Twilight coughed softly as she continued to poke at her toast and haybacon. “I do have to admit, Princess, this does have me a bit curious to hear about her. The only other alicorn I have met aside from you is Princess Cadence, and I am sure that you have some thoughts about your sister, and I would like to hear about them sometime if you feel comfortable opening up.”

Celestia smiled softly at her and nodded. “Perhaps another time, it is not the best idea to be thinking of such topics so early in the day, my little students. Perhaps when we all are in a better-suited place and time.

She placed her fork down next to her half-eaten cake and gently pushed it away, standing up from her seat, Twilight giving her a very surprised look. “In the meantime, please meet me in the Arcanum when you are finished with breakfast, I did want to personally attend to one thing with the two of you before I sent you off to study for the day.”

As she trotted off and closed the door to her dining chamber behind her, Twilight snapped her gaze over at him firmly, scowling a bit “Look what you did! Princess Celestia never leaves her cake unfinished. You must have upset her with that insensitive question!”

I gave a soft sigh and shrugged softly “Well if I did, that certainly wasn’t my intention., And don’t go acting like you didn’t throw your sticks onto the pile along with me, Twilight.”

Twilight had the good grace to look appropriately embarrassed herself at this remark, and scowled more softly than before, giving more of a pout. “Hmph...fair enough, I suppose we both went a bit further than was appropriate…Anyway, let’s finish our breakfast and go see what the princess wanted from us.

Breakfast finished without too much further issue, the two of us quietly sitting across from one another at the table until we were satisfied. After we had both finished we made our way towards her chambers. The guards let us through unharassed, and we opened the doors.

Her chambers were not what I might have expected. Fairly spartan in terms of decoration. A few bookshelves, some shelves full of various curious and trinkets I was not worldly enough to properly identify, a desk, and of course, her bed. For being the leader of a country, aside from the thin layer of gold decorating some of the furniture and all of the marble, the place seemed quite reserved and reasonable In terms of material wealth.

I did not have terribly long to dwell on such trivialities, however, as she couched softly, attempting to make sure she had both mine and Twilights’ attention before speaking. “I am glad the two of you were so prompt. I do unfortunately have other business to attend to after I have seen to this little meeting,” she said as she slowly trotted closer to us, standing in front of the two of us and looking down with a soft smile.

“I can already see that the two of you may not be the most...compatible, as study partners. Twilight, you are a very intelligent young mare. You are detail-oriented, determined, and laser-focused on whatever task you are currently working on. Not to mention incredibly powerful as a magus. No one could possibly be more proud of your achievements than myself and your family. You are a boon to the noble House of your birth and an inspiration to your fellow aspirants of the arcane arts.”

Twilight smiled wide up at the princess, looking quite pleased, tail flicking slightly. “W-why thank you, pri-”

“But you are also dreadfully single-minded in your thinking.”

As the princess continued to speak, Twilight wilted a bit, eyes widening as she frowned “W-wha…?”

The princess went on “You have a serious problem with being unable to think in ways different from the one you are most accustomed to. You also lack sorely in the spiritual aspects of being a magus, the Harmonious Virtues. You have no friends to speak of aside from that one girl, Moondancer, and your assistant, whom you hatched from an egg. You have your entire catalog of spells numbered for goodness sakes, I don’t think I have ever seen you attempt any sort of hybrid casting despite your incredibly high level of proficiency.”

She sighed softly and turned to Rose. “Rose, I have not known you long, but I have had the privilege of speaking with several ponies who have a high opinion of you. From what I am told, you are quite kind and incurably curious. You have a burning passion to understand the world around you and you are not afraid to try things you have not done before. I have seen firsthoof your capacity to bring out the best in others and yourself, and I have heard secondhoof about your capacity for some quite interesting magical feats. I mean, a high-level multicast, as a complete novice? Even with a simple light spell, the focus needed to maintain a weave of that level of complexity is...extremely unusual to see in somepony so untrained. Not to mention you seem to be quite efficient with your use of energy when casting. I do not think I have ever seen you draw much more energy than you needed when levitating objects.”

I smiled and nodded, bracing myself “alright, thank you, princess, now please, what are your critiques, I am eager to improve upon my flaws.” I said, waiting to be scolded the same way Twilight was.

“Well, forgive me for saying so but...you are a bit too bold for your own good. You are lucky that you did not fracture your horn with that little stunt in front of the recruiter in Ponyville, or worse! Not to mention you are quite...lax, and impulsive. I mean, really, did you think I was not going to hear from the maid about what you got up to with that poor colt you met at the party we held for you? That sort of forwards, thoughtless, brash behavior can not only be incredibly dangerous for an aspiring magus, but it’s...well, I hate to be that pony, but it is dreadfully unbecoming of a colt. Very unstallionlike behavior. You are incredibly lucky that no one else at the party realized what the two of you were getting up to. Can you imagine the rumors that would have started flying around if the press found out that the Princess’s new student is a colt cuddler?”

“To be completely fair, I actually swing both ways, As several mares in Ponyville could probably attest to,” I said with a sheepish smile, kicking at the ground slightly. Twilight's face was doing a very impressive impersonation of a tomato as she processed what she had just heard about me going balls deep in another stallion, giving me the most hilariously incredulous look while Celestia totally ignored it.

“Be that as it may, I would like to request that you keep your...cavorting to a minimum if possible, or at the very least keep it discrete. Where was I anyway...ah yes!” Celestia said, eyes lighting up a bit again as she resumed her spiel.

“The point I am attempting to make is that I think the two of you find yourself in a delicate situation, and while your personalities would seem to clash, at first sight, I believe that with time and the proper nurturing, the two of you could complement each other and become a nearly unstoppable force. Your Strengths complement one another in quite a novel fashion and help to cover the weaknesses of the other. Which is why, in addition to your tutoring sessions, I will be assigning the two of you a project, while beyond the abilities of just one of you I think that the two of you working together will be able to accomplish.”

Celestia walked over to her desk and floated a blank, grey cube in front of her, walking back over with it. “This is an ancient puzzle box. It requires two ponies working in tandem to open. My...parents gave this to me and my sister when we were about your age, and told us that when we were able to solve it together, they would consider us as proper adults, and pass on their wisdom to us.

She passed the cube over to Twilight, who grasped it in her own aura before continuing to speak. “In much the same way, when the two of you are able to work together to unravel the secrets of this object and work together to solve it and open it, I will consider the two of you ready to begin the path of inheriting all that I can truly pass on to you. This, of course, means, Twilight, that you will have to be diligent in bringing Rose here up to your level of knowledge and skill before you are able to advance in your own studies. Consider this the first step in going from a student to a teacher in your own right. I had...another...that I planned to have you share this task with at one point, but sadly, not everything works out the way we plan it…” She said, a sad, solemn look on her face as she turned around and walked out to her balcony, looking down at her kingdom with a sigh. “That...that is all my little ponies. Please leave me for now, I have many heavy thoughts weighing on me, and I do not wish to burden you young ones further with the weight of my guilt…”

With that particularly heavy closing line, we excused ourselves from her chambers and made our way to Twilights Chambers, which seemed to double as a personal laboratory of sorts. There was all manner of bookshelves, equipment, and instruments all about the room. A small, purple...lizard? Dragon? Approached us, giving me a curious look. “Hey, Twilight! Is this the stallion you’ve been ranting about ever since you got ba-”

He was cut off by a hoof gently being placed over his mouth as Twilight blushed and looked over at me sheepishly. “Spike, this is Rose Tint, Celestia’s new other personal student. I will be...tutoring them, bringing them up to an acceptable level academically, so that they can receive proper education from our teacher.” She said as she slowly lowered her hoof from his mouth.

I smiled down at him kindly and gave a small nod in his direction, extending a hoof for him to shake. “It’s a pleasure meeting you, Spike. I have heard that you are the glue that keeps Twilight put together, sounds like a pretty important gig.”

Hearing this seems to cause the little fella to puff up a bit, and he smiles wide and shakes my hoof eagerly “heh, at least somepony knows how to make a dragon feel appreciated.” he said cheekily as he shot a playful look over at Twilight, who rolled her eyes.”

“Yes Spike, I appreciate you very much and I would be lost without you, now can we get back to the matter at hoof?” she said in a somewhat irritated tone as she set the puzzle box she had been floating down onto a table. “Rose, I am going to run some basic tests to determine your aptitude and baseline level of knowledge in several subjects. Once we have an idea of where you need to improve and where you are more proficient, I will be able to better assist you in reaching your potential.” She said as she turned to face him. “Are you prepared?”

“As...prepared as I will ever be, I suppose…” I said somewhat unsurely in tone as I shuffled slightly in place, smiling down at her as confidently as I could “I am putty in your capable hooves, Teacher, please be gentle with me.”

She sputtered slightly at this but quickly caught herself, giving another small sigh and closing her eyes before opening them again to look back up at me.

“Excellent, then I suppose we can begin.”

“Begin?” I asked her a bit dubious as he shifted my weight from side to side, admittedly a bit nervous at the implications.

“Yes, Rose. We have a lot to do, and first and foremost is a thorough assessment of your abilities both academic and arcane,” she said as she walked over to a bookshelf and pulled out several booklets of various colors, laying them out on a table in front of us. “I normally use these test booklets to quiz myself and see if I am up to snuff on a regular basis, but they should suffice well enough to let me know where you are academically speaking and where we need the most focus.”

“So, you are going to give me a series of paper tests to determine my level of academic competence? Yeah, I understand that. But how are you going to test me magically?” I asked her as I walked a bit closer to the table and started looking over the booklets.

She clucked her tongue softly, pulling them away again in her arcane grasp and chuckling. “That will all be explained in good time, Rose. For now, let’s focus on getting this finished hm?” She said as she pulled up a chair and….a few sticks of peppermint.

“Here, suck on one of these while you work, it’ll help you focus,” she said not unkindly as she moved to one side and allowed me to take a seat, setting down a piece of paper next to me. “Just number the questions on the paper here and write out your answers, and I will grade them against the answer booklets afterward.” She finished as she sat down opposite to him, pulling what were presumably the answer booklets in question from another nearby bookshelf and setting them in front of her. “I will be giving you an hour for each test, begin.” She said as she hovered over an hourglass, flipping it and watching him expectantly as the sand began to trickle down.

I completed the tests as asked, taking a break for lunch and several to use the restroom, and by the mid-afternoon, I had completed all of them. Twilight graded my tests at another desk while I worked on the next, and by mid-afternoon, we were about wrapped up.

A little after I had finished the last of my tests, Twilight sat up and pushed herself away from her chair, taking a deep breath and rubbing her temples in her hooves “Okay, I have some good news and some bad news…”

She got up from her chair and trotted around to where I was still sitting. Putting down my answers, all marked with corrections with various scores in percentage. “You seem to be reasonably adept in mathematics, your Equish and reading-writing comprehension are well above average. Your recall and information retention are also quite excellent.”

"You’re welcome~"

"Oh hush you"

“Your understanding of science is...a bit odd. I mean, most of it is technically correct, but there was a lot of terminology I was not familiar with.” She continued, giving me a questioning look.

“Oh erm, sorry about that. It is probably due to the fact that I am from the colonies. We do tend to do things a bit differently there.” I said sheepishly, rubbing the back of my neck with a hoof.

“Hm, fair enough, the colonies have been playing it pretty close to the vest ever since we signed the Accords of Autonomy a decade ago…” She said softly as she rubbed her chin “I suppose you being from the colonies would also explain why your Equestrian History knowledge is barely past what could be expected of a grade school colt.” She said with a small sigh.

“Thankfully, most of what you do not know is not really pivotal to being a well-rounded Magus, so we can just work on those as we go, but there are certainly some things we need to work on immediately. Aside from your mathematic knowledge lacking somewhat, your knowledge of general arcane theory is absolutely pitiful for someone your age! It’s like you have only been doing magic for a few years at most!”

“Actually er...I never knew how to do magic until very recently, a few months at most, but probably less.” I said softly. I never was the best at keeping track of time sadly.

She seemed taken aback at my confession. “You never did magic until that recently?” She asked incredulously, clearly in some amount of disbelief. “I mean, I knew the Princess said you were a novice, but I assumed she meant you were simply a casual user of magic, I did not know she meant like...a complete beginner!”

“Yeah, until I came to Equestria I never had anyone who could teach me how to use magic, I am er...sort of from the sticks,” I said with a slightly apologetic tone. “I have admittedly mostly been improvising and using what I could learn from books in my local library.”

Twilight seemed to be at a loss for words, slowly opening and closing her mouth a few times before finally quietly answering him again “Celestia was right, no, she understated. You arent just too lax, you are borderline unhinged for doing what she said you did without any formal training. Fracture your horn? Pfff, you are lucky you still have a horn” she said, seeming to get more and more in a tizzy with every word she spoke, her hair seeming to spring a few loose odds and ends and mussing up a bit as she went on her little rant.

“Is...is it really that bad?” I asked softly as I reached up to rub at my horn, genuinely feeling a bit self-conscious, concerned even!

“Is it that bad, he asks!?” She said incredulously, seeming ready to continue her off-kilter tirade before Spike approached her and gently put a claw on her shoulder

“H-hey! Calm down Twi, you know you aren’t productive when you get like this. Look at the poor guy, you’re scaring the bajeez out of him.” The little dragon said, giving me a sympathetic glance, which I responded to with an appreciative look of my own.

Twilight took a few deep breaths and slowly nodded. “You’re right Spike. Rose, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scold you like a schoolcolt, no matter how much you deserve it, it is not appropriate behavior on my part.” She said as she looked me slowly up and down. “But if I’m going to be tutoring you seriously in magic, we need to set a few safety guidelines that every unicorn is supposed to have drilled into them at a young age.” She continued, walking over to a blackboard and beginning to draw.

“First of all, most obvious, if casting a spell starts to cause you to feel discomfort or pain in your horn, dissipate the weave and stop casting as soon as possible. That is usually an indication that you are attempting to channel more power than your horn is currently comfortably able to manage.” She said in a gentle, lecturing tone, drawing a crude stick figure of a unicorn with little hurt lines coming off of its horn, looking displeased.

“Second of all, when you cast a spell, never simply stop casting right away. If you do not take the time to properly dissipate the energy you are pouring into a spell, the unspent power will look for the path of least resistance, which will be straight out of your horn, to the maximum degree your horn will allow. This is in most cases, very painful and can result in mild to severe mana burn. In the worst cases, a severe backlash from powerful spells could injure or outright destroy your horn.” She continued, drawing a picture of a very dazed, upset-looking unicorn with a cracked horn.

“Which brings us to another important point. Under no circumstances should you allow something to make contact with your horn while casting magic. Your horn is very sensitive normally, and the sensitivity increases dramatically during a casting. Having something touch your horn while in the middle of casting will in all likelihood completely destroy your concentration and thus your ability to continue to hold the weave of the spell, resulting once again in backlash.” She concluded momentarily, gesturing once again with a hoof towards the second picture.

I nodded, making sure to take careful mental notes. Some of this, I already had a basic understanding of, both from reading the book Cheerilee had brought me when I first started learning magic and from personal experience. “That all makes a lot of sense, Twilight. Thank you for taking the time to cover this with me, is there anything else I should be aware of?”

Twilight seemed almost surprised at my willingness to defer to her experience for a few moments before nodding and continuing with a small satisfied smile. “Yes, plenty! For one, you should take care to avoid casting any spells while you are feeling strong negative emotions. More experienced casters can generally avoid the issues that are caused by doing this in stressful situations through advanced meditative techniques, but a novice like yourself would have a very difficult time with avoiding the issues.”

I slowly nodded again, tilting my head slightly, trying to indicate to her to continue “Alright, and what would those issues be?”

She seemed a little embarrassed for a moment at giving a lesson half taught before elaborating. “Well, Magic is directly linked to emotions. The more you feel while you are casting, the more power you can draw from, but the harder it becomes to control the shape of the spell because of your emotions interfering with your ability to focus. In particular negative emotions can draw a tremendous amount of power through magic, but it also causes the magic to take on...aggressive properties, spells that would normally be harmless might suddenly take on characteristics that make it more dangerous, including to the user, and it becomes much harder to control this already unstable magic when you are upset.” She said carefully, seeming to want to impress upon me the importance of this.

She cleared her throat softly and continued. “And also, doing so too often can have effects on a ponies psyche. The emotions you feel while casting will rub off on your soul over time, possibly causing changes in mannerisms and personality. It is theorized in some of the older books I have read on the subject some ponies can even end up becoming almost completely different ponies, changing physically in extreme cases. Though as far as I have been able to discern this is again, purely theoretical.”

My eyes widened slightly as I thought back to a certain lonely mare on the moon “O-oh dear…” I said softly, looking down at the ground, a tad shaken by what I had heard.

Twilight gave an almost smug smile as she saw my reaction. “I am glad you are starting to understand that this is serious business. Rose, I do not mean to put pressure on you, but Magic at the higher levels is not simply a matter of memorizing a few weaves. True mastery of magic is mastery of one’s own self, inside and out. You must be able to tame and master your emotions, and remain calm and absolutely focused in even the most precarious of situations. You must understand your limits and be ready and willing to push them when the situation calls for it, but not be too eager to do so, as it is no small matter.”

She seemed to become more serious, walking closer again as she spoke. “You must be prepared to accept the consequences of changing the fundamental nature of the world around you through the force of your will and understand all of the effects your actions might have on yourself and others. The path of a magus is a long and difficult one, and I won’t lie to you, starting this late will make it more difficult for you than most. Your complete lack of fundamentals alone will set us back considerably until we get you at a level of consistent and safe spellcasting that would be expected of a schoolcolt half your age.”

I genuinely felt myself start to wilt under the intensity of her admittedly very compelling monologue, shrinking slightly under her intense gaze until Spike gave a little cough and snapped her out of it. She smiled sheepishly up at me, seeming apologetic “O-oh dear, I went and did it again huh? Sorry about that, Rose. Spike, do me a favor and go down to that donut place you like so much, Say for...the rest of the afternoon?” Twilight asked politely as she hovered a small bag of bits over to the little dragon, who took them enthusiastically and nodded, scampering out the door without a second word.

I shook it off as best I could, looking down at her as reassuringly as I could manage in my admittedly shaken state. “O-oh, nono, it’s quite fine, I deserve it, and I appreciate that you are taking this so seriously,” I said as I rubbed at the back of my neck with one of my forelegs. “I mean, it was a really cool speech, I was very invested, you have excellent public speaking skills.”

She seemed mollified by the compliment, smiling up at me and nodding “well thank you, I do try to be a well-rounded mare. But uh...please stop me if I go off like that again. Making you nervous is really counterproductive for what we are trying to do here.”

“Understood, yes ma’am,” I said with a nod and a little playful salute, getting her to grin a bit before returning to seriousness.

“Alright, now that we have all of that out of the way, I am going to tun you through a few basic standardized tests to measure your magical capabilities.” She said, pulling a few odd-looking instruments off of a shelf and placing them on the table.

One was a small pentagonal device, on each of its corners sat a color of a different color, Red, Green, Yellow, Brown, and Blue going clockwise from the top. In the center were two curved, teardrop-shaped stones in a light pink and a deep midnight blue. “This is a Thaumometer” Twilight said as she picked the object up in her hoof. “It is a device created to detect the Essential affiliation and strength of magic. Basically, the more brightly any gemstone glows, the more strong any particular sort of magical energy is in its vicinity.”

She set the item back down on the table “Each of the gemstones is attuned to one of the seven Essential Natures, which are named in Ipposian and Equish as follows. Fotia, or Fire, Anemos, or Wind, Astrapí, or Lightning, Gi, or Earth, Neró, or Water, Ílios, or Sun, and Fengári, or Moon. Any type of magic outside of the most basic raw magic is some variation on these types of energy being formed and woven together in a variety of patterns to achieve different effects. By attuning each gemstone to its own affiliation, we are able to use this not only as a general magic detector but a reasonably reliable method of measuring the amount of natural affiliation a spellcaster has with any particular element by having them pour raw magic into it, whatever types of magic you are most attuned to will pour out more during a use of raw magic than those you are less attuned to. For example…”

Twilight focused and allowed her horn to light up, the Thaumometer starting to hum softly as the gems all began to glow, some brighter than others. In particular, the red, yellow, brown, and pink gems glowed more brightly than the other three. “Since I have a general talent for magic, I have a decent affiliation with every element, But I most especially have an affiliation with Foita, Astrapi, Gi, and Ílios.” She said, pointing to each of the stones as she mentioned the appropriate affiliation before gently setting the object down, her aura and the glow of the gemstones fading away.

“Now, I want you to simply channel your magic into the Thaumometer here steadily and gently. This is only to measure your affiliation, not your level of magical strength, so it does not require a great deal of energy to operate. While it can be used for that we have other better tools for that.” She said firmly but not condescendingly, giving me an expectant look.

I gave a small sigh, reaching within myself as I always did and focusing on my source, channeling the power through the vast darkness into myself and harnessing the light, letting it surround my horn in a thin sheath as it poured steadily into the device before me.

As I channeled my energy into the Thaumometer, it began to glow that familiar hot pink, and soon enough the gemstones began to glow. The blue, green, red and midnight blue portions of the object glowed more brightly, but the others also lit up about as brightly as the off colors for Twilight had.

“Hmmm...Foita, Anemos, Neró and Fengári...We share an affiliation, but otherwise, we seem to be fairly different on the other points,” she noted with a small cluck of her tongue, eyes lighting up as she seemed to get a tad excited. “I am so ready to have you up to speed, there are sooo many spells I have been wanting to try out that require two ponies using different affiliated weaves in tandem!”

I gave her a sheepish smile and allowed my power to fade, the light in the gemstones following suit “Well, I will certainly be doing my best not to disappoint you, Teacher.”

She seemed to stand a bit straighter and puff up ever so slightly at being called that, clearly somewhat pleased. “You really do not have to call me that,” she said with a satisfied tone, though she certainly wasn’t telling me to stop. “Spike, please take a note that our fellow student seems to have affiliations that mirror our own.”

“Yeah, that is really cool and all,” I said, a bit confused about something. “But er, why did you name them off in...Ipposian, was it?”

“Oh! Those are the traditional names. The classical names if you will. Ancient Ipposia was a bastion of groundbreaking philosophical, technological, and arcane discoveries before the founding of Equestria proper, so a lot of the older discoveries about the nature of magic happened there.”

“Well, that makes it seem slightly less pretentious, I suppose,” I said with a small shrug, leaving Twilight to give me an indignant look.

“It is most certainly not pretentious, it is an important part of the cultural heritage of all unicorns and an essential part of learning the arcane arts!” she said insistently, seeming a tad upset at my off-hoof jab.

“Hey hey, calm down, I’m just trying to lighten the mood a bit,” I said, raising a hoof at her calmly. “So, are there any other tests we need to administer?”

“Hm, yes, one to measure your raw output of magic and one to measure your ability to focus.” She said as she gestured to the other instruments on the table. Two simple-looking balls, one silver, and one gold. “These are the two most basic instruments used to measure the Focus and Power of a spellcaster, the Sphere of Pain and the Sphere of Might.”

“Those are...very concerning names, and i am hoping they are not as literal as they seem,” I said softly, nudging them each with my hoof and giving her a worried look.

“Prepare to be disappointed,” she said with a small, slightly amused smile. “The Sphere of pain is meant to test your focus, it stimulates your pain receptors at a gradually increasing intensity the longer you levitate it. It is used to determine how much stress you can handle before your concentration breaks. Admittedly it is a...crude method, and one not usually administered to spellcasters at your level, but that is because most of them are foals. As far as adults go, as long as everyone consents, it is a generally accepted practice.”

“I...see…” I said as my face fell slowly. “And the other one?”

“The Sphere of Might becomes heavier the longer you levitate it, requiring more power to hold it aloft. Like I said, these are very rudimentary tests meant as a benchmark and not a thorough analysis of a caster’s ability in these categories. They actually use them most commonly in the Royal guard to test unicorn recruits to see if they have the potential to become members of specialist units, from what my brother tells me.” She explained simply, rolling the sphere slowly back and forth under her hoof.

“Ah yes, your brother. Met him at the party, nice enough fellow,” I said slowly as i looked at the two spheres with mild apprehension, suddenly feeling a bit nervous about this whole ordeal.

“Oh hush, don’t be like that, you big baby. You’ll be fine.” a familiar voice echoed out from my thoughts.

“I appreciate your vote of confidence, but the Gom Jabbar wasn’t on my list of to-do’s for the day,” I responded inwardly as Twilight started explaining something or the other about the origins of the enchantments used to make these objects function.

“Psssh, it’s not as if she’s holding a poison needle to your neck, don’t be so dramatic. Besides, you already have the tools you need to excel in that respect at least.” She said, sounding amused at my fear at the prospect of pain.

“Oh, and what might those tools be, if I may be so ignorant as to ask?” I inquired imploringly, a tinge of frustrated sarcasm coloring my question, which only seemed to get soft titter out of her.

“Why, sheer unadulterated focus of course! Just trust me, when you start to feel the pain, look inward for the answer, consider this a freebie, tataaa~” She said before suddenly the inside of my head was quiet once more. I returned my attention to Twilight, who was finishing up her little lecture.

“...and ever since the founding of the Royal Guard the Spheres have been an acceptable field benchmark for their respective purposes. We can have proper tests done later when I can get access to more advanced equipment, but these are nifty enough to have around. Now, are you ready?”

I gave a deep sigh, not one hundred percent sure what I was supposed to do with the advice given, but I slowly nodded anyway. “Yes, I’m ready. Which one will I be using first?”

“Well, the traditional order is the Sphere of Might, followed by the Sphere of Pain,” she said as she pushed the golden ball towards me, giving me an expectant look as she used her magic to float over a stopwatch from the same shelf she had grabbed the spheres from. “You may begin whenever you are ready.”

I stepped forward and reached into myself, closing my eyes. If I was going to have as much time as I needed, I figured I might as well do it right. Focusing, I reached into the void once again, towards that sphere of light I called my own and drew from it slowly. I allowed the power to flow forth through the vastness of the empty space into my body and allowed myself to be suffused in it, my horn beginning to glow in front of me softly as I opened my eyes and reached out towards the ball.

As soon as I began to lift it, I immediately noticed it slowly beginning to become more difficult to hold aloft. Not by a lot, but little by little, similar to the sensation of holding a bucket of water out to either side of you, arms extended.

I corrected for the increase in weight by drawing forth more power from beyond, being careful to only use as much as I required at any given time. I reasoned that if I rationed out only as much power as I needed for the task at a steady rate, I would be able to conserve my energy and perhaps be able to eke out a bit of extra performance since I would not be as mentally fatigued from the effort of drawing unneeded power.

“Hmmm….thirty seconds...good. Good form, your aura seems to be fairly reserved. I was not expecting this level of finesse from a beginner.” Twilight commented offhoofedly as she observed my silent battle with the sphere.

I did my best to tune her out and simply continued to stare down the object presenting the challenge at hand or er..at hoof I suppose. At horn? In any case, I was very focused, I assure you.

Sadly, as time dragged on I could feel the sphere becoming heavier and heavier, and I felt my horn begin to ache at the effort of drawing more power than I was comfortable with. Since this was simply meant to be a baseline test and not anything more, I allowed my connection to h source to fade and dispelled the last of the energy I had drawn by allowing the sphere to gradually lower to the table again with a dull clunk.

Twilight gave me a slightly confused look “Is...something the matter? You seemed to stop pretty arbitrarily there. Usually, most ponies go until they can’t lift it at all anymore.”

“Well, I remembered what you said about magical backlash, and I noticed that it was starting to be uncomfortable to cast the spell. Since this is meant to just be a simple test to get a ballpark measurement of my abilities, I figured it was not worth hurting myself over like er...last time.” I finished somewhat sheepishly.

Twilight seemed to process this for a moment before giving me a small, approving smile. “Well, that is...very good. Thank you, Rose. I appreciate that you listened to me.” She said as she checked the time recorded on the stopwatch. “Hmmm...about two minutes. Not as bad as I feared, but still not as good as I was hoping for. You are a fair bit below average for your age group, but we can chalk that up to your relative severe inexperience.”

“Heh..yeah, I guess that makes sense, sorry to disappoint,” I said somewhat awkwardly, kicking at the ground with my hoof a bit. I felt...slightly ashamed, as if I had somehow let her down.

She seemed to notice my disposition and made a passing attempt to reassure me, in her way “Oh, nono! No need to worry, this is what these tests are for. We can get you on a training regiment to build stamina and capacity to help you improve. We cannot exactly develop your weak areas without finding out where they are, after all.”

She proceeded to gently push the silver sphere towards me next. “Now, go ahead and gather yourself, and whenever you are ready, proceed.”

I nodded to her and sighed softly, contemplating what Eris had told me before. Look inward for the answer…

I slowly started to reach into myself again to single out my source from the vast blackness, and when I was ready I began to lift the second of the two spheres.
At first, it was not really noticeable, but as the seconds ticked past I began to feel...an itch of sorts. An uncomfortable prickling sensation blooming downwards from the tip of my horn crawling over my skin and working its way under the surface slowly as it spread.

My nose twitched slightly as I felt an itch I was afraid to try to scratch, lest I break my concentration. Fortunately, by keeping the connection I was using to lift the ball as light as possible, I was able to make the effort significantly easier to manage.

Unfortunately, it was at about this time that the discomfort had spread over most of my body and began to change into pain. It was a steady, sort of burning sensation, ebbing through my skin, slowly seeping deeper inside of me. It was still tolerable for now, but it would quickly become much less so if the current rate was anything to go by. I needed to figure out what Eris had implied I should be doing, and fast.

My mind raced as I attempted to parse the proper meaning from her words. I sunk into my mindscape and flitted here and there, keeping a bead on the ball all the while. The pain was only going to get…

Wait.

The pain, it was gone! Or rather, much dulled. I could still feel it from within myself as I looked outwards to see what my body was doing, but while I was in my own head, so to speak, the sensations I was feeling were dulled, lessened considerably. Pain included.

I took a deep breath and allowed myself to slowly regress back into the reality in front of me, bit by bit. It was of course, not going to be feasible in most cases to simply retreat inwards, especially for more complex spellcasting, so it was important I try to strike a balance with it. I allowed myself to take on as much of the pain as i could withstand for now, sinking just far enough into my own mind to allow the worst of it to go unperceived. Eventually, I found the sweet spot and stayed there, eyes fixed on the sphere, steady and determined.

At least until i found myself being shaken back to reality by Twilight.

“Rose! Rose snap out of it! It’s been ten minutes, the sphere’s enchantment should have peake-”

As I was snapped back to reality suddenly, I was unprepared for the sheer levels of unadulterated agony I would experience for the split second before my magic faded. It was as if every square inch of my body, inside and out was being seared to a charred crisp simultaneously. I could imagine the scent of my own flesh charring, the sensation of my greasy skin crackling and popping, and I could hear myself scream for a few moments, Twilight backing away in horror as the ball fell to the table again and the pain subsided almost immediately.

I was cut off mid-scream as Twilight smacked me across the face with a hoof “Get it together, Rose! The test is over, you’re fine! It was just a simulation of pain. You should be physically fine,” she said, looking up at me with a clearly very concerned look on her face.

I shook my head a few times, rubbing my face with a small wince “Ah...yes, thank you, Miss Sparkle, so er….how did it go?” I asked her slowly as I looked down at her, slowly raising a hoof to gently rub her shoulder in a way meant to try to comfort her.

“What do you mean how did it go, you were...ugh, if you are asking if you did well on the test, yes. You did freakishly well for an average stallion your age, let alone someone at your level of experience. You seemed to be having some trouble towards the beginning, but after a bit, your eyes just sort of...glassed over, and you didn’t so much as twitch for a solid eight minutes. I tried to get your attention a few times at the seven-minute mark when the sphere should have plateaued, but you weren’t responding, I was starting to get sort of worried that you might have gone into some sort of shock..”

Hearing this, my ears drooped slightly and I shook my head “O-oh! Nono, it was just a pain management technique someone taught me.” I said quickly, removing my hoof from her shoulder after I felt like the contact was becoming more awkward than helpful.

“Oh, thank goodness, Celestia would have probably sent me back to magic kindergarten if I had accidentally broken you somehow,” she said, sounding quite relieved that I was alright. “But seriously, where did you learn something like that?”

It was now finally my turn to be smug, I smirked and shook my head. “You tend to pick up a few things here and there, the places I’ve been. Maybe sometime I could show you how I did it, turn this into an exchange of knowledge rather than just a one-sided education,” I said a bit playfully, turning around, tail swishing softly behind me as I did my best to be as insufferably self-assured as I could for a long moment before turning back around to see Twilight, seeming to be shocked, trying to recover herself, face flushed slightly in what I could only presume was embarrassment.

“Ugh, fine, be that way,” she said sounding a tad irritated with my shenanigans. “I am going to take the data we gathered here and try to formulate an appropriate schedule of training and education to bring you up to speed as quickly as possible. In the meantime…” she trailed off as she pulled a few books off of her shelves “I have some more general studies for you to handle.”

She piled the books in front of me. Equestrian History: A Primer, 998th Edition, Volume One. A Guide to Intermediate Mathematics. 101 Weaves for Beginners: A Spellcasters Compendium.

“I expect you to write a short 1000 word report on Chapters 1-5 of the first book, work through the first ten exercises of the second, and demonstrate competency with at least 5 new spells from the compendium by the end of the week,” she said with another small smug smirk of her own. “Do you think you can handle all of that, hotshot?”

“My name is Rose, actually, but yeah, I think I can!” I Said with genuine excitement. It had been a long time since I had been in a properly structured learning environment, and I was quite happy to have my own personal tutor. And one that wasn’t actively trying to seduce me at that. No offense to my darling Cheerilee of course. It is simply that repeated offers to try out ‘the flying backbreaker’ are not productive in a learning environment.

Twilight seemed almost disarmed, deflated even by my unflagging enthusiasm and my response to her little jab before giving another satisfied little smile. “You know, I think we might actually end up getting along passably at this rate, Rose. I appreciate your enthusiasm.” She said as she nudged me towards the door. “Now get going! I’ll probably see you at breakfast tomorrow.”

“Uh, oh, okay Twilight! See you arou-” I was cut off by the door slamming behind me as she deposited me outside in the hallway, giving a small sigh I dusted myself off and made my way back towards my chambers. I had a lot of studying to do, and It was about time to feed Walter lunch anyway. Might as well get cracking asap. While I was at it, I made a mental note to plan a trip to Ponyville sometime around the middle of the week. I silently wondered to myself if maybe Twilight or Sunburst might want to accompany me, it would be nice to introduce them to all of my friends...

After receiving quite the scolding from Walter over not returning to feed him until the afternoon, which involved a good deal of well-deserved pecks to the head on my part, I decided that the best way to make it up to my poor little compatriot was to take us both out for an evening on the town. After all, I had been working quite hard, and Walter had been having to put up with my less than hooves on approach to his rearing, what better way for the two of us to bond than to soak in the sights together!

The little fellow was securely nestled into my ponytail. The one at the front, not the one at the back. He was using it as a little nest, poking his head out from inside to look around as we walked the streets outside of the castle.

Really, Canterlot was quite a beautiful city. Soft, pale lights lit the streets pleasantly, though I would argue that the most pleasant lighting was when the moon was allowed to shine down where the lights failed, giving a wonderful, blue tinge to the scene of the night-shrouded cityscape around me.

My pet and I were surrounded by the sounds of hooves on cobbles, and pleasant lighthearted chatter, whether it be from friendly passerby enjoying the evening the same way I was, or from folks arguing with whatever shopkeepers kept their venues open this late into the evening, we were never terribly far from another pony. It felt safe, homey even.

As I witnessed all of these ponies out and about enjoying the nightlife, I could not help but wonder to myself if Luna would have been so quick to fall to her jealousy or even would have been jealous at all if ponies had appreciated her night this way in her own time. Perhaps if I could somehow show her the appreciation ponies had found for her domain in her absence, she might not be quite so angry, so hurt anymore.

“Awww, well isn’t that sweet of you. Look at you, can’t even take a night off to yourself without thinking about someone else.” a familiar voice rang out in a slightly playful, mocking tone in my head.

I gave a small sigh, rolling my eyes as I responded inwardly. “I suppose I should have expected you to pop up again after I got far enough away from the castle. I am guessing that this is far enough for you to feel safe meddling in my affairs for the evening?”

“Meddle? Little old Moi? Oh nonono, I am simply along for the ride for the moment, I am curious to see where the night will take you, still being so young and full of possibilities. I just thought you might appreciate a bit of company on your walk. And to answer your question, yes. Celestia might be able to read your mind if left unprotected, but she is not terribly good at it in comparison to her actual strong suits. She shouldn’t be able to get a bead on anypony in particular this far out.”

“Interesting. I am assuming because mental magic is more Luna’s field of expertise? That is what I would expect given that she is the Moon princess and all, what with the affiliation of Moon to nonphysical magic.”

“That would be a very correct assumption, my sumptuous little strawberry strumpet.” She said with a small tinge of amusement to her voice. “So, that little lavender busybody will be mentoring you? That’s what, five different creatures teaching you now, if we count myself, Little Miss Flowerflanks back in Ponyville and the Mare on the Moon?”

“What can I say? I see no reason to turn down someone who wishes to teach so long as I have the capacity to learn.” I responded with a mental shrug as I continued to stroll down the streets at a leisurely pace, happily soaking up the peaceful nighttime ambiance. “Speaking of our ongoing student-mentor dynamic, when will you be giving me that third challenge, anyway?”

“Patience, my little scarlet sweetheart. I will present the challenge to you when the time is right. Besides, you already have so much on your hooves, I would feel a bit bad about piling more on.”

“...really?”

“Hah, not really, I was just trying to at least put on the appearance of empathy since I enjoy your company enough to at least pretend to care about your feelings, But I couldn’t help myself when you asked like that.”

“Fair enough I suppose. I appreciate you putting in the effort, that is not something I would normally expect from you, to be honest. It’s a good change though.”

“Oh hush you! I do as I do now because it pleases me.”

“And why would appeasing me please you if you lacked the ability to care for others as you seem to be insinuating?”

“Because fuck you, that’s why.”

“Name the time and place Eris”

“How about after you get over yourself, and nowhere.”

“Sounds good to me : 3”

“Ugh…”

After this she went quiet for a while, sulking in my subconscious and occasionally muttering childishly under her breath as I walked when after a bit, I came across something of interest.

A pony to be a bit more precise, a mare, light blue with a silvery-white mane, wearing what seemed to be a magician's getup similar to my own that I liked to use when practicing spells. Hers was a purple, star-spangled affair clasped with an eye-catching blue gemstone, however, as opposed to my own rosy red and pink cloak and hat.

She was surrounded by a crowd, a caravan unfolded into a stage supporting her as the ponies around us all looked on in mild interest as she began to speak.

“Come one, come all! Come everypony to bear witness to the magical prowess of The Great and Powerful Trixie!”

Needless to say, she had my attention, I quickly made my way through the crowd, getting up the stage, eyes wide in excitement to see her perform. I had always enjoyed magic shows as a child, and seeing one that might be using actual magic as part of the performance was certainly right up my alley!

The confident showmare smiled wide down at her crowd, allowing her cape to flutter behind her majestically as she pushed her hat back to show off her horn. “Behold, as The Great and Powerful Trixie displays magnificent feats of mystical prowess!” She said, allowing her horn to come alight, fireworks erupting from her vicinity and crackling in the air.

While I for one was mesmerized, the rest of the ponies seemed to be less than impressed for some reason, some of them even walking off with a small shrug.

Trixie gave a small frown at this but shrugged it off to continue her performance. As she scanned over the crowd, she stopped for a moment when she saw me, looking up at her with what Eris tells me was all of the enthusiasm of a schoolcolt out on a field trip. She tilted her head before shrugging and continuing right on with her routine.

It was all fairly commonplace stuff, pulling a rabbit from her hat, card tricks, rope tricks, even some actual magic incorporating illusions and the like. It was all quite wholesome, and while a lot of the crowd had dispersed, I for one was having a wonderful time watching her performance.

Then, she called out to the audience. Or rather, what was left of it. “And now, for her next display of magical prowess, The Great and Powerful Trixie requires a volunteer from the audience.”

Of course, my hoof went up almost immediately, a big, childish smile across my face as I waved it back and forth vigorously, resisting the urge to call out vocally like a foal to get her attention. I had honestly always wanted to participate in a magic show!

She saw my exuberant volunteering and smiled down at me, seeming pleased. “Ah yes, a lovely young pony, you will make an excellent assistant.” She said, beckoning for me to join her on the stage.

I stepped up onto the stage a bit clumsily, almost falling but making it up alright after getting a helping hoof from her. As I did so, I heard some whispers of “is that…*mutter mutter mutter*...Princess’ new student *mutter mutter*...” and suddenly felt a bit more self-conscious as I looked out over the crowd sheepishly

“Perhaps this was not the best idea…” I said softly as I shrunk back a little from the edge of the stage, the same sort of nervous feeling as the last time I was on a stage creeping over me. As much as I wanted to participate, I was still quite nervous about being in front of a crowd, perhaps I had not thought this through quite as well as I could have.

However, Trixie seemed to think otherwise, placing a hoof on my shoulder and shaking her head as she whispered to me softly “Don’t pay them any mind. It’s not about them. It’s about the performance.” She said with a small gesture, smiling softly at me before pulling back.

She pulled back and began to speak to me “And what might the name of my assistant for the evening be?” She asked, as she looked me up and down appraisingly.

“O-oh er, My name is Rose Tint,” I said softly, getting a few more roused, louder mutterings from the crowd at the sound of my name. I really hoped I was not committing some sort of horrific social faux pas by participating in the show here. But at the same time, if I was, I suppose I would not have really done anything differently. It was fun!

“A lovely name for an equally lovely mare,” she said as she smiled a bit wider, flicking her hoof, making a rose appear from underneath her cloak and into her hoof, using her magic to hover it towards my head and affix it above my ear. “A rose for a Rose, fitting.”

I turned a soft pink at her praise and looked away, scraping my hoof against the stage a bit as my head dipped down. “I appreciate that But I am, er….not a mare,” I said as I looked back over at her with an apologetic awkward smile.

A number of laughs emanate from the audience, as well as a few surprising sounds, and Trixie had the good graces to seem suitably embarrassed by her own little faux pas. She did not let it deter her, however, and smiled wider, doubling down. “Then a Rose all the more rare and valuable~” she countered before continuing right on with her act.

Walter had been a bit excited by all of the action going on all of a sudden and peeked his little head out, peeping softly. I smiled and simply pet him a few times as I listened to Trixie doing her best to hype up the crowd with some sort of pre-trick monologue. Bless her heart she was certainly trying her best.

Once she seemed satisfied she turned her attention back to me and fanned out a number of cards “The Great and Powerful Trixie will now demonstrate her magnificent proficiency in the art of mentalism.” she said as she presented the cards to me “Please, select a card, Trixie will turn her back to you so that you may do so in private. Once you have, please place it back in the deck and let me know,” She declared, doing as she had said as she proceeded to turn her back to me.

Being a good sport, I lowered my mental defenses as best I could after quickly prodding Eris to make herself scarce and allowed myself to be open to any sort of probing she might be performing as I selected a card. I placed it back into the deck afterward.

I felt her rooting around here and there as she turned back around and being a good sport, I provided her with a clear mental image of my card, the king of hearts.

You know, as I sit here, I feel the strong urge to go on a tangent about how playing cards similar to those on earth might have developed, but I shall resist, back to the matter at hand. Trixie put on a bit of a show, pretending to be having some difficulty sussing out which card was mine before finally pulling out the correct card, getting some actually mildly impressed claps from the audience. Good for her.

I squeaked softly, and stamped my hooves, pleased with her display! I had suspected that might be what she was going to do, but seeing her actually use her magic to read my mind was quite exciting. I would have to ask her how she did that after the show!

I assisted her with the rest of her show, and having an assistant certainly seemed to help her shine properly, the crowd was certainly more invested in her show once she had someone on stage to interact with. About an hour later she and I were giving out parting bows, the show over, and the crowd dispersing, a few of them tossing bits onto the stage for her time.

A bit later, after the crowd had dispersed and she had had time to clean up and collect her bits from the floor of the stage, I approached her for a one on one chat. “Excuse me, Miss er, Trixie yes? Could I please ask you a few questions?”

She turned to me as I approached, seeming a bit surprised to see me. “You are still here? Trixie supposes she can take the time out of her evening for you, since you were such a passable assistant.” She said, rubbing a hoof against her cloak, looking down at it casually.

“Well, er, I hope it is not too much of an imposition, but I was hoping you could show me how you did that trick with the cards earlier? I noticed you used some form of Moon adjacent magic to read my mind, and I was hoping you could show me the weave you used?”

Her eyes widened slightly as I called out her trick. “You are an aspiring magus as well? Do you attend the School for Gifted Unicorns here in Canterlot?”

“Er...sort of. It’s a bit of a hassle to explain, but I really would like you to at least show me the weave you used if you could? It was really cool!” I said, stamping my hoof a bit excitedly as I spoke.

“You...you really thought Trixie’s tricks were...cool, as you put it?” she asked, sounding almost unbelieving at the prospect.

I nodded vigorously “Uh-huh! I only recently started learning how to use magic, but it’s always fascinated me!” I said quite earnestly. “I don’t see why anyone would not enjoy such a wholesome, well-performed show.”

Trixie gave a somewhat sheepish, appreciative smile as she spoke again “Admittedly, Trixie has garnered somewhat of a...negative reputation in her circles. But she is still very glad that you liked her performance.” She said, giving a small nod “While a Magician typically does not reveal her secrets, Trixie supposes that she can show you how she performed this feat since you have provided her with such adequate assistance.”

Once she had retracted and folded away her stage and retired to her caravan for the evening, we both sat down at a table within the cramped, homey little cart. She poured us both a nice cup of tea while explaining the trick.

“Now, the key to pulling this off in an interesting way is to make it look like you are not actually casting any magic,” she explained as she drew a diagram of the weave on a napkin with a stick of charcoal to illustrate it to me. “The more conservative you are with the amount of energy you are using in a spell, the less of a glow your horn puts off. So if you can manage to not put off a glow at all, which is not too difficult since mental magic generally requires more finesse than actual energy output, you can make it seem to the laypony that you are genuinely using otherworldly powers to read their minds.”

I nodded, paying rapt attention to the statement. Of course, most ponies would not treat everyday magic as an amazing show-stopping thing, the key to entertaining them in a magic show was to make what you were doing unexplainable! “

“It must really take a lot of ingenuity to devise ways to impress ponies with magic when it’s an everyday occurrence. I’m very impressed.” I said, placing a hoof under my chin as I spoke to her.

She seemed a bit embarrassed, but then puffed up a bit and soaked in the praise nonchalantly enough “Of course! The Great and Powerful Trixie is quite amazing after all.”

“I agree,” I said simply, sitting up a bit. She sputtered softly at this and seemed to deflate out of surprise, giving me an unsure, slightly confused look to which I chuckled softly. “What? For someone who seems so self-confident, you certainly seemed surprised by praise from outside sources.

“Trixie is...admittedly surprised. Usually, only school colts and the...less mentally acute are notably impressed by Trixie’s performances. Trixie is just...surprised to see someone clearly of a higher caliber who can appreciate the glory of her performances properly.”

“Oh I would not call myself of a higher caliber, but I appreciate the compliment,” I said, waving a hoof nonchalantly. “So, does the Great and Powerful Trixie eat? I imagine she must be hungry after such an exuberant performance. Would you care to grab a bite to eat with me?”

She blushed heavily as I invited her out for a bite to eat. “The Great and Powerful Trixie does not accept charity, especially not from Stallions!” she says proudly, seeming almost offended as she stomps a hoof down on the tip of the table, going still and seeming embarrassed as her stomach lets out a small gurgle. “But she does accept gifts from admirers, quite appreciatively in fact. What did you have in mind?”

I smiled a bit wider and shook my head “No idea! Have any recommendations?”

As it turned out, she did have a fairly pleasant suggestion for a place to eat. Nowhere too fancy of course. But a nice little out-of-the-way cafe where the two of us could sit under the stars and enjoy a cup or two was just what the doctor ordered after a show, to be fair.

I sighed softly and nibbled at my blueberry scone, smiling over softly at her as she poked at her croissant. “So, how long have you been a performer for, Trixie?” I asked politely, trying to probe just a tad to learn a bit more about her.

She looked up at me and gave a smile of her own as she poked at the salad and tea she had ordered. “Trixie has been performing since before she acquired her cutie mark. Stage magic is sort of a...family profession you see, though usually, it is the Stallions who carry it on But as her father’s only foal, he taught Trixie everything he knew.” She said sounding proud of it as she looked off to a corner, reminiscing. “Once Trixie graduated from herr basic courses at the School for Gifted Unicorns and she had learned all she could from him, I followed in his footsteps and started my own show.”

“Wow, I take it you found success then?” I asked, leaning in as I listened closely to her story, getting quite invested in the tale.

“I erm….yes actually! Trixie managed to get her cutie mark after her third solo performance, in Manehattan, as a matter of fact.” She said, smiling up at me in a slightly flustered way. I wondered if perhaps she was not being fully honest with me, but I shrugged it off, it was her story to tell, and if there were things she was not comfortable sharing with a near stranger it was not my place to pry at any rate.

“Well, I can certainly see why. I have no idea why those ponies out there were not more receptive to your performance. I might be a simple young stallion from the middle of nowhere, but I was quite impressed by your show.”

Trixie seemed to puff up a bit at my praise and seemed ready to soak it in with a verbal response to match when a somewhat confused look crossed her face. “Oh? And where is Trixie’s mysterious benefactor this evening from?”

“Louwhinnyana actually, one of the territories of the Autonomous Colonies,” I explained briefly, giving her the same alibi I had given everypony else thus far. “I actually did not live amongst other ponyfolk for most of my life, so coming to Equestria not too long ago was my first experience with magic. I actually learned the basics of levitation and a few other things in a small town not too far from here called Ponyville. Wonderful locals, by the way, I am sure they would adore your show.”

Her eyes widened slightly and what could only be described as a mixture of pity and mild disgust glinted across her eyes as she spoke. “You mean to tell Trixie that you have gone nearly your entire life without knowing the joys of being a unicorn? I suppose that means you are not currently enrolled in the School for Gifted Unicorns yourself?”

“Well, you might say I am in a way. I am currently under the tutelage of one of the top students there as a sort of er...step towards her own higher education. She is putting me through a sort of...magic crunch school to help me get up to snuff with the other ponies my age.” I said, trying not to give too many specifics about the goings-on of other ponies. I coughed softly and continued “I suppose the best way to put it is that I am on a sort of er...scholarship program? You might be aware of my situation depending on how recently you got into town and how closely you follow local goings-on?”

“Hm, that would explain why Trixie does not understand. She only got into town this morning. Trixie only really comes into Canterlot during peak tourism season about this time of year to make money to live the rest of the year in relative comfort doing shows in places where the cost of living is much lower.” She explains, seeming pleased with her living arrangement as described.

“Oh! Well then I will not bore you with the details, it doesn’t really matter too much, I don’t like talking about myself too much. Really I think you are a far more fascinating topic right now anyway.” I said with a sincere smile as I leaned forward and smiled wider. “What is it like being a stage magician for a living? And er...I hope this is not too personal or odd a question, but what does magic mean to you? I mean, I understand that magic is a big part of being a unicorn, according to most of the ones I have met, but I imagine in the case of doing it for a living, you’d have a particularly special relationship with your magic, right?”

Trixie stopped fiddling at her salad and seemed surprised for a moment before her composure returned once again, smirking up at me. “For a backwoods colonist, you sure do ask some astute questions. Yes, Trixie supposes you could say she has a special relationship with magic,” she said, taking a sip of her drink before continuing. “Being a magician is...fulfilling. Trixie supposes that considering her cutie mark at least that much should be obvious. She is able to make an enjoyable, if not always comfortable living traveling the world, seeing new places, meeting new ponies, while doing the thing she loves more than anything else in the world, entertaining other ponies.”

She gave a small sigh, staring down at her salad as she spoke. “When Trixie is on that stage, even when the crowd is not feeling it she feels...powerful, Invincible even, like nothing can go wrong, like nothing can touch her, it’s a wonderful feeling, to just lose herself in her persona. It makes her feel like a mare, to be able to look down at all of those ponies and know they are there to see me, to bask in her commanding stage presence…”

She takes a soft, long breath, looking up from her dish before continuing again, looking me in the eyes now. “As to what magic means to Trixie, well...it’s everything! Trixie is nothing without her performance, her performance is nothing without her persona and her magic. It’s even part of her special talent, and it defines her in a way that even a lot of other unicorns with marks in say, gardening or basket weaving simply cannot relate to.”

“Huh, I can sort of understanding where you are coming from, there actually. I only recently got my cutie mark while performing magic, and I sometimes feel a sort of...obligation, right? An obligation to reach my fullest potential…”

She cuts in, eyes lighting up a bit as she heard what I was saying, seeming to continue it. “And Trixie often finds herself working to the bone on her latest spell”

“Desperately working to gain the approval of ponies you care deeply for and ponies you barely know-”

“Spending long nights slaving over something new that might not even work-”

“And worrying that no matter how hard you try-”

“You simply aren’t good enough!” the two of us finish at the same time, both visibly slightly tensed and worked up from the sudden exchange, both leaning up out of our seats and forward over the table, making close, intense eye contact. We both seemed to be feeling...a spark perhaps? As if we had known one another for...not years, of course, but certainly longer than a mere afternoon! I could see a look of slightly flustered awe and Embarrassment on the mares face as she settled back into her chair.

“Trixie apologizes for her outburst, she usually does not lose her composure in that way.” She said, sounding a bit anxious as if she were feeling vulnerable after such a raw moment.

“I smiled and did my best to reassure her, admittedly feeling a bit open, vulnerable myself. “N-no! It is quite fine, really, we both got a bit caught up in the moment, please erm...continue? I was very interested in what you have to say.”

She nodded and cleared her throat softly, taking a sip of her tea before continuing on. “Quite. Anyway, Magic is...well it’s just the best really!” She said, breaking out into a smile again despite her reservations as she spoke. “Magic to Trixie means pushing the envelope and discovering new ways to wow the crowd. It means long nights curls up with a quill and pen by my tableside lamp with a cup of hot coffee coming up with a dazzling new routine. It means getting to reinvent myself however I like, to be able to pretend to be the mare she has always wanted to be.”

I had been listening raptly to her explanation, caught up in the passion in her voice but something about that last line sort of caught me off guard “What do you mean pretend? I think you are succeeding quite handily at being a wonderful mare from what little I have seen.”

Trixie’s face seems to freeze and turn a shade of pink that may even have rivaled my own tones in intensity, looking away and muttering “Trixie...appreciates your generous appraisal of her. She did not mean to let that slip, but…” she rubbed her face slowly with a hoof before continuing to speak. This time in the first person. “Look, Rose. You are a very nice stallion, and I can tell you mean it when you say these nice things and I really appreciate it. But The Great and Powerful Trixie isn’t well...Isn’t me. I mean, I try to be her, I try very hard because I love being her. But no matter how hard I try I just feel like, you know,m in the back of my mind I am a fraud. Like I’m trying to be someone I’m not. I have this like, wonderful idealized version of her in my head, and no matter how hard I try I can never live up to it, you know?”

I sighed softly and gave a small nod. “Trixie, I understand totally, but I also feel like you don’t give yourself enough credit,” I said reassuringly as I sat up a bit more. “I mean, just by realizing who you want to be and actively working towards it, you are already doing a lot more than most ponies in your position would do.”

“She seemed slightly mollified by this but gave me an unsure look “I appreciate that, but I really don’t think-”

“Hey.” I said more firmly, gently cutting her off before she could continue to depreciate herself. “None of that. I’m not just saying it like a platitude, I mean it.” I looked down at her as she gave me a surprised look and continued to speak again.

“Who is to say that just because you aren’t where you want to be quite yet that you aren’t getting there,” I said gently. “And even if where you want to be yet, who you are is already great!”

Trixie’s eyes widened slightly as I said this, leaning back a bit as she put a hoof over her mouth “You really think I am great?”

“Well yeah, of course! Think about it. Peo-er...ponies arent just static unchanging creatures right? Just because we have our destinies slapped on our flanks doesn’t mean we don’t control how we get there, and what that destiny means. We change all the time. Every second we live, every breath we take, we are no longer the pony we were before, and that means that you, as you are now, even if you don’t always feel like it, are infinitely rare and fleeting, and unimaginably valuable. You should treasure the you that you are now because you will never be that you again, and every step you take, every you that you become is going to take you closer to the you that you want to be as long as you keep trying.”

I sat back a bit, realizing I was getting a bit worked up again and calming myself a bit before continuing. “Anyway, there is no need to be ashamed of who you are or who you were, what is important is that the you that you are becoming is more like the you that you want to be, you know? And er, for what it is worth coming from a stranger, I think that the you I have seen tonight is pretty great so far, yeah.”

Trixie seemed quite taken aback by my little spiel, eyes wide as she seemed to process it bit by bit “I guess I never really thought about it that way…” She said as she rubbed at her chin slowly, looking away thoughtfully.

I smiled a bit wider as she contemplated, gently reaching a hoof across the table to gently hold one of hers in a platonic, reassuring way. “I am sure that wherever it is you want to end up in life, you’ll get there. And if you’d like to have a friend to support you, you can rest assured you have at least one pony willing to take up the position.”

She squeaked softly as our hooves touched, looking down and giving a flustered expression before slowly moving her other hoof on top of mine and nodding “I...Trixie supposes that she could use at least one friend in Canterlot. Even if it is a silly stallion like yourself, it is better than nothing.” she said in a playful tone that let me know she did not mean anything mean by it, it was simply all part of who she was, who she wanted to be. And frankly, I appreciated her being true to herself.

“So, I take it you will be in Canterlot for a while yet? Does the Gret and Powerful Trixie have a schedule of her planned performances I could get ahold of? I would certainly like to catch a few more.”

She smiled a bit wider at this and nodded, leaning down to ruffle through a saddlebag and pulled out a beat-up flier that seemed to list dates and locations. “I run the same schedule each year, so this should suffice. Perhaps Trixie will be so gracious as to call upon her lovely assistant again sometime if they show.” She said almost a tad teasingly.

I chuckled and accepted the flier, and we finished our dinners before saying our goodbyes and parting ways, a newly forged friendship lightening both of our hearts.

Honestly, with everything going on, with everyone I had met in Canterlot thus far seeming to want a piece of me for this that or the other, it was nice to be able to make a friend once in a while, Hopefully, I could make one or two more.

Only time would tell.