Keela watched in amusement as I drew on the piece of paper in front of me, my hoof moving surprisingly deftly as it manipulated the pencil. Working with a hoof wasn't that different from holding something when you could stick things to the surface of it using magic, I found out. I'd never had any issues learning to manipulate things with my left appendage, either. Maybe I had always used the left one?
We were in the lounge area of her lab. This vessel, I recently discovered, used to be a large research platform before it was refit with massive engines and used to escape from the Grosh. Now Keela was one of only three researchers who still used the lab section. We were entirely alone, so I felt reasonably comfortable being out and about. My transparent, barrier-body was in an almost perfect replica of my pony self due to the power of the book floating in my chest, and I was busy drawing while seated at a rather comfy table. As odd as the situation was, I'd been taking a bit of comfort out of the audacity lately.
It surprised me a little when I realized that Keela wasn't much bigger than I was in pony form. One thing I didn't recall was that Keldarians were rather small in stature. Standing up, she was maybe a meter tall at best.
"Oooh, she's pretty. You can definitely tell she's a female," my only companion commented finally, sliding closer to my energy body while peeking over my shoulder.
I raised an eyebrow and peeked back at her questioningly. "It surprises me that you can say she's pretty, not being a pony yourself," I pointed out, watching her snicker.
"Traits of attraction are surprisingly universal. I don't know if you recall, but some of our species took an interest in our allies too, even though they're practically hairless, gargantuan, and rather brutal. She's very pretty. I can see why you like her," Keela explained, catching me by surprise. No, I hadn't been aware of relations with our allies such as that. They seemed kind of gross to me, but I supposed everypony had their own tastes. Err, everyone.
"I didn't know that. Or at least, I didn't remember it," I reasoned, staring down at my rather based drawing of the absolutely gorgeous lavender unicorn. She didn't look nearly as good on paper; let alone in monochrome. Vibrant colors had oddly grown on me for some totally unknown reason.
My, dare I say, friend nodded politely, looking deeply amused. "I'm glad you patched things up with her, regardless. I didn't mean to get you in trouble. I'll refrain from sending things through the book from now on," she promised, averting her eyes as a light blush danced onto her cheeks.
"Eh, you know they already think I'm nuts. Maybe watching the paper pop out of me would convince them otherwise," I groaned out, trying my best to keep the bitterness limited. A sudden compulsion hit, and I followed it instantly without consideration.
"Hey now! Don't be so hard on yourself," Keela protested a few seconds after my forehead smacked into the surface of the coffee table. I felt nothing and barely resisted sighing. "Look, I might not know much about love, but I know if she really likes you like that, she'll come around eventually. Trust takes time to build up and you haven't been there all that long, really," she added several seconds later, apparently upon deciding I wasn't going to move anymore without further stimuli.
I shook my head against the hard surface, agreeing with, "I know I haven't been there that long. I'll be the first to admit that I don't compare in the slightest to Celestia. I'm just, I don't know, venting frustration at this point?" It was rather confusing to even me. Something told me that this was the first I had to deal with these kinds of feelings; they neither involved making something work or spontaneously making things no longer work, be it mechanical or organic.
She giggled again. I impulsively decided that it wasn't as nice of a giggle as Twilight's or Fluttershy's. "Their culture is amazingly peaceful, so you're very lucky, honestly. All of your new friends seem really nice, so I don't think you have anything to worry about. Rarity might actually really help Twilight see what she's missing, from the sounds of it," she added, gently rubbing my back. Well, the shield told me she was rubbing it. It wasn't like I could actually feel anything. Still, the sentiment could be appreciated, which she probably knew.
"See what she's missing?" I asked curiously, finally lifting my head off the table and looking back at her to my right.
Keela only snickered; her short whiskers wiggled in amusement as she grinned at me. "Call it a woman's intuition. Rarity spending so much time with you will probably vastly improve your relationship with Twilight," she explained, nodding twice at the end.
The concept was completely foreign to me. "How will hanging out with Rarity improve my relationship with Twilight?" I inquired incredulously, raising an eyebrow to my alien friend.
She just shook her head, looking impish now. "You'll see. If it makes you feel better, I can see why she likes you as well. If she's unsure of herself, you probably make her feel really comfortable, actually."
Okay, I give up. I was never going to understand females, and I was only wasting my time in the trying. Keela let out a humming noise and added more snickers, which started to annoy rather than placate at this point.
I glared at her, but she just hummed a little more insistently. If we hadn't been talking for the past, like, four hours, I'd think she was suddenly nervous about talking to me.
She gave me a questioning tilt of her head, causing me to realize that something was off. I shifted and turned away from her, but the tone and depth of the humming noise didn't change. Okay, that was weird. It wasn't coming from her, then.
"What's wrong, Mender?" she asked, voice shifting a little lower and more serious.
I glanced about, and realized the humming wasn't coming from anywhere. It was in my head, but exceedingly there. There! It was so real that it couldn't possibly be real. Oh crap. It reminded me of what that connection sounded like between the dimensions.
"There's a humming sound coming from my mind. I think it's something to do with the dimensional link. Weird," I informed, glancing back at her in confusion.
She frowned, and then shook her head. "I'm not doing anything differently. Perhaps you should try waking up real quick and seeing if it's not on that end?" she reasoned, shrugging her shoulders.
I contemplated it for a moment before deciding she was probably right. If Twilight had my head in a pot and was smashing it off the wall trying to wake me up, I should at least humor her. "All right. I'll tug on our link if I can make it back to sleep," I accepted, standing up off the couch again.
She nodded and smiled to me before everything went monochrome. I braced myself as I withdrew, keenly aware of the book hitting the couch cushion before everything fell backwards. It was kind of like falling and sliding at the same time, with a warm feeling of liquid running just along your skin. Rather peaceful once I stopped panicking the first time.
Then there was the sensation of waking up...
* * * * *
The room was almost pitch black, the only light being the soft moonlight coming through the side window next to the small balcony. Even that was reduced significantly by the heavy leaf foliage in front of it. Sometimes I forget that I technically live in a tree.
Remembering why I woke up, I perked my ears up for that strange humming noise. It didn't take me long to locate it in the relative quiet of the night. It was directed this time, clearly coming from downstairs. What was scary was that it was a familiar noise to me at this point. I'd not remembered much, but the humming noise advanced electronics made was still quite clear enough.
I slowly slid off the side of my cot, careful to ease my hooves onto the hardwood floor. They were significantly harder than the rest of my skin and would undoubtedly make noise if I rushed. Easing along and cringing at every creaking noise, I peeked over at Twilight and Spike.
My fillyfriend was completely under the covers at this point with just the tip of her head and horn sticking out. I smiled as I watched the blanket gently rising and falling with her slow breathing, a warm fluttering sensation drifting into my chest. I was glad we were on better terms now.
Spike hadn't moved either apart from rotating onto his back. His light snores were rhythmic and gentle, occasionally accompanied by a twitch of his legs. I tried not to chuckle before slipping past both of them and heading down the stairs.
Unfortunately, the first floor was far darker than the second, which only served to magnify my apprehension. I wasn't afraid of the dark by any means, but there was something absolutely terrifying about the unknown if you dwelled on it for too long. My eyes slowly got adjusted to the lack of light. Of course, they were drawn like a moth to a bonfire in the direction of the darkened corner. I knew that the cabinet was there, ominously hidden in the darkness. The happy feeling in my chest was gone in an instant, replaced by a nervous dread.
My ears twisted around and I almost groaned when I realized that was exactly where the sound was coming from. A few choice expletives were muttered under my breath before I gritted my teeth and inched closer to the three cabinets. My initial instinct was to run back upstairs and wake Twilight up, but I somehow doubted that would be met with much success.
My breathing became a controlled, stifled thing the closer I got to the cabinet as I tried my hardest to quiet any excess noise I might be making. Who knows what might be in the dark, listening intently for me to announce my presence.
I hesitated, stopping a meter away from the object of concern. Shadows seemed to cling to it and I was unsure if that was a product of my imagination or some nefarious will inside. Damn it. I was distinctly aware of the darkness around me, suddenly not wanting to turn around lest I come face to face with some grinning demon or maddening abomination. My heart beat faster as I almost saw its glowing red eyes in the dark as it got closer, smiling with rows of razor sharp teeth. Wicked instruments of torture and misery were in her hands as the shadows hid all but her weapons, clawed arms, and glowing eyes. I could almost smell the fresh blood that dripped off the twisted, serrated drill she held; the blades on it were curved perfectly to slide under and around the eyeball before she turned it on...
Shuddering, I snapped myself out of the darkening images and tried not to throw up. What the hell was I doing?! Glaring back up at the cabinet upon gathering my nerves again, my left hoof flared up with an inner light, bathing the entire lower floor with the intensity of a box of flares going off!
I whipped around instantly, expecting to see things burning away or writhing in agony in the sudden light. I was both disappointed and relieved to see nothing out of place at all. Have some guts, Mender! Damn it. My imagination was going to give me a heart attack.
Swallowing nervously after becoming satisfied that I wasn't going to be ambushed and torn apart, I slowly turned back around and glared at the cabinet. My flared up ball of light behind me split into multiple pieces and scattered about the main room, illuminating row after row of books along with the humble furniture, dwindling fireplace, shelves of instruments and scientific baubles, and entry to the kitchen. Nothing was out of the norm.
My eyes locked back onto the first cabinet directly in front of me. The humming noise was gone, apparently having disappeared at some point during my minor freak out. Maybe it got scared and ran away from me instead. I chuckled airily before resting my hoof on the door handle to the cabinet. Guts, Mender.
After a quick recollection of my breathing, I gritted my teeth again, threw up my forward barrier over my chest, neck, and face, and opened up the cabinet.
The rocks were just sitting there, exactly where she had left them. My spike of apprehension and preparation to defend myself was actually met with a bit of disappointment, honestly. I glared at the three blasted things, wishing I knew of a volcano to toss them into. Of course, even if I knew where one was, walking all the way there just to toss something in seemed like a major pain in the butt. Of course, magic existed, so I suppose Twilight could just teleport me there.
I shook off the distraction before sighing, a little tense still but with dwindling outlook on my mission. I hadn't managed to find the source of the noise after all. Why would rocks hum in the first place? Growing mildly frustrated, I reached out and nudged the left-most one with my hoof.
I could have sworn I pulled something in my chest with how fast I inhaled. Shoving myself backwards with all three remaining hooves probably didn't help either. The stone actually lit up when I touched it, glowing with a soft blue light that almost perfectly matched my coat! Upon retreating back to my meter gap, I whipped up my full barrier in front of me again and watched the stone through it, unable to help but shiver as that noise came back. Damn it! I should have woken up Twilight after all!
The stone wasn't very impressive for something potentially lethal. It glowed softly, barely managing the same strength as a candle. My eyes widened as its edges and cracks faded, however, revealing what I recognized as a wire frame design of blue lines. What the hell?! The blue light washed away the rock coloring completely before withdrawing deeper into the stone. That's when I realized that I could see inside of the thing.
The outer rock became a finely detailed, shaped barrier. It wasn't a rock at all! The wire frame dissolved at the same time the image of a rock did, leaving the barrier to shrink down to that of a glowing sphere instead. I started and backed up another half a meter as the orb of light drifted lazily out of the cabinet and stopped right in front of me. Oh crap. Was it sentient?
I instantly recognized the effect as a holographic display as it popped a 'box' up above it in the air. "Entity 002 Recognized" was displayed directly above it in darker blue, computerized print. Below that, slowly fading into existence, were smaller words as well. "DNA Scan Completed: Unlocking"
Well, that seemed a little strange. Actually, this entire event was a little strange. The rather non-threatening little orb of light then spontaneously vanished without so much as an announcement of intent. Two lightly glowing disks, much smaller than the original ball, fell out of the air from where it had been and landed abruptly on the wood with a light chiming noise that was entirely unexpected.
I blinked and tilted my head towards them before nudging the closest one with my shield. It mildly surprised me by doing absolutely nothing. Well that was anticlimactic. Still, I suppose I should be happy that I wasn't being hauled off into an alternate universe by eldritch physics tentacles only to die a horrible, squishy death in a void without a space suit. It could always get worse!
I dropped the extra shields in favor of just the skintight ones and nudged the coin-sized disks with my hoof this time. They continued their pattern of doing nothing, producing further mixed feelings in me. Huh. Upon closer inspection, I noticed they were comprised of two separate glowing sections. The outer ring was slightly darker in coloring and took up maybe a fifth of the radius in width. They looked kind of like an alien bit, almost, if I was comparing them to Equestria.
Finally relaxing a little, I picked one up with my magically enhanced hoof and stared at it. It was the same on both sides, as I kind of expected. This was strange. Why were these things inside of the rocks? Did they have anything to do with the effects from before with the tentacles and potential death? They felt warm to the touch and brought only more questions rather than answers; although it was safe to say that I had located the source of the noise after all.
The second coin-shaped disk proved perfectly identical to its partner, and I set both of them down on the coffee table. Systematically, I reached out and poked another one of the rocks, entirely unsurprised when it started doing the same thing. They were some sort of encrypted storage devices, I decided. Maybe it wasn't an 'accident' that they were sent with me after all. I was obviously on their list of individuals to reveal themselves to, after all. Entity two, huh?
"Mmph, what's with all the light down here?" I suddenly heard Twilight mutter from the stairs. Oh crap!
Totally caught red-hooved, I didn't even try to hide the glowing orb of light drifting towards me from the cabinet as I slowly looked over at her, trying to smile innocently. She stared blankly at me for a moment before shifting to a questioning expression instead, eyes locking onto the orb of light instead. "What are you doing?" she asked a moment later, continuing down the stairs at a more rapid pace. She thought this was something that I was doing?
"Uh, I heard a noise from the cabinet and went to check, and then, um..." I tried to explain before faltering. I realized I didn't exactly know how to explain what was going on in the first place.
Thankfully, I didn't have to. Her eyes widened as the light receded and she recognized the wire frame shape of the rock drifting in the air. She rushed over, horn lighting up with magic as she scanned it rapidly.
"That, is that one of the rocks?!" she asked almost instantly, suddenly significantly more awake than I had given her credit for prior.
I nodded weakly before glancing back at it. "I touched it, and this happened with the first one, too. It says that it's unlocking for an entity zero, zero, two," I explained as best I could.
She watched, eyes shivering with a mixture of what I could only pick up as nervous fascination as the holographic displays lit up with the exact same message as the first one. In the meantime, I picked up the two disks from behind me and offered them to Twilight, hoping she could make more sense of them.
At first, she just frowned down at the two disks before snapping her attention back to the orb as it unceremoniously vanished. She watched the two coins fall to the floor before looking back at the two I held. "These came out of the first one I poked. I wanted to test if it would happen again, which you can see the results of," I offered.
Twilight frowned at the two disks before levitating them off my hoof and closer to her face for examination. "The stones were containers, then," she deduced instantly, surprisingly me with her clarity yet again.
I nodded weakly, adding, "They were locked, and for some reason, I was on the list of accepted individuals to open them." That made me nervous for some reason.
"Maybe them following you here wasn't so accidental after all. Why didn't this happen the first time, however?" she questioned, flipping the two disks over and over as she peeked at them. I was amused at how fast she forgot about sleeping.
That I couldn't answer, however. "The only thing I can think of is that I didn't technically touch the stones directly before; just the tentacle thingy that came out of it after Fluttershy poked it," I offered, tossing a shrug in for good measure after. Fluttershy apparently wasn't on the list that the rocks had. Did that mean that what happened was some sort of defensive mechanism or something? Scary. That was just a guess, however.
"This is so weird. They're precisely shaped crystal disks of some sort with weird magic woven into them. There's some sort of scratching along the inner disk, but they're too tiny for me to pick up fully. Well, this definitely gives me something to study in the off time after the party," she muttered, suddenly looking bewildered and shaking her head at the two floating in the air in front of her.
I sighed before looking down at the ones lying on the floor instead. Wait a second, something was different. One of the two disks on the floor was yellow in the center with a much brighter glowing blue ring around it. Something was in the yellow too that I couldn't make out.
Curious, I picked it up and instantly drew Twilight's attention. She saw the difference too and frowned until I brought it closer to us. Both of our eyes widened drastically as the image in the center of the yellow came into view.
Inside of the now familiar yellow center, the glowing alien disk had a crystal clear image of three butterflies; their cyan bodies and pink wings offsetting the soft yellow perfectly. No. This couldn't be possible, even! Why was that design on something that came from my world?!
"Mender, do you know what these are?" Twilight asked quietly, nudging the coin-shaped artifact carefully.
I shook my head, sadly. "I was just as surprised as you are. This shouldn't be possible. The rocks are from my world, so why is Fluttershy's Cutie Mark on this?" I questioned, staring hard at the brightly colored disk. Something was very wrong, and I didn't have a clue where to begin to guess what.
"There's one more rock. You should open it and check the disks there as well. This is beyond weird. You're sure you didn't have anything like Cutie Marks in your world?" she questioned as I stepped over the coin on the floor to poke the last rock in the cabinet.
"No, nothing like that. I'd never heard of them before coming here," I assured, giving her a nervous glance. She returned it and nodded, glancing over as the other rock activated, announced me as 'Entity 002' again, and opened up exactly the same as the other two.
Both Twilight and I watched intently as the coins hit the floor, and I could tell right away that something was off again. One coin was blank, but the other had a light cyan inside. Oh crap. "Rainbow Dash's coat color," Twilight pointed out, picking up the coin. Her bringing it up so we could see it confirmed her suspicions. A tri-colored cloud and lightning bolt was in the center of the coin. What did the coins mean?
"I'm curious. Do you have one of those links with Rainbow, too?" she questioned, bringing up a very good point. I shook my head, however, potentially ruining the theory. She peeked more intently at the coin, not seeming dissuaded in the least, however.
"The outer ring isn't lit up like Fluttershy's. I wonder why that is? Here, try holding it," she offered a moment later, extending the coin over to where I was.
Her expression made me frown. It was almost passive, with her voice abrupt and expecting. Did she think my touching the coin would cause something to happen? Uncertain, I hesitated as I extended my hoof to the coin, stopping barely a centimeter from the shiny surface. Shouldn't we be, like, experimenting on these first before going right to live tests? Of course, I didn't exactly know how to experiment on them, but still...
Twilight decided for me by smiling gently while I hesitated and lifting her hoof up slightly, brushing the coin along the underside of my hoof. I jumped slightly at the sensation of a static jolt, but she pulled the coin back before I could react. It glowed angrily for a moment before the outer ring lit up as well, causing the light created by the coin to be magnified significantly.
Both of our eyes widened as "Connection Established" faded into existence overtop of the coin. Well crap. "Fascinating! You have a link with all of the coins. I think they're responsible for the strange phenomenon between you and Fluttershy," she theorized, sounding a little too curious for her own good.
I coughed lightly, pointing to the coin she was still holding. "You might have just created a connection with Rainbow Dash, too," I reasoned, staring blankly at it. What did the connections ultimately do? Twilight seemed momentarily unsure, hesitating as she looked down at the coin in her hoof.
"It, well, it needed to be tested. Making the connection must be a two-stage process. Fluttershy touched the rock a while back during the first incident, and then you touched it immediately after to free her, which probably caused the connection. But why wasn't Rainbow affected fully, too?" Twilight pondered out loud.
Both of us were suddenly distracted as my flare spell went out and we were plunged into the darkness. Well, we would have been if not for the two fully established coins, and one partially established coin glowing like tiny flares. Wait, partially established?
I glanced down at the coin Twilight had set down and widened my eyes. "Oh crap. Twilight, the other coin you touched!" I pointed out, gesturing towards the coin with my hoof.
She started, still trying to get over to the lamp and being apparently surprised by my sudden outburst. "Huh?!" she let out before glancing down at the coin in question. Her coat color and starburst shaped Cutie Mark was on the coin already, but with no lit up ring around the outer edge. "Ack! Don't touch it!" she exclaimed harshly before catching it in her magic and pulling it over to her. I gave her a skeptical glance, but she just frowned down at the coin and rapidly shook her head. "We don't know what the links truly do, so let's minimize the exposure until we can get more information," she added, looking away from my stare.
My ears drooped a little and a light spike of bitterness shot through me. Sure, she thought experimenting with Rainbow's coin was fine, but when it came to hers, she decided it was too risky. Either that or she really didn't want to establish that kind of link with me. The reality of option two burned and I quietly winced, looking away from the unicorn.
I couldn't really fault her for not wanting to jump into something like that, I guess. A little assurance that she was looking forward to extending our relationship at all, however, would be a rather nice thing. Even our kisses had devolved a little into just friendly pecks. I tried not to think of her saying she was tired or didn't feel like it just as an excuse, of course. I mean, I had said no on the one occasion, albeit for a slightly different reason.
"Um, I'm sorry. That sounded, um, not the way I wanted it to," Twilight spoke up, bringing me back to attention. Looking back up at her, having not remembered lowering my head, I was a little surprised to see her staring right at me. Her expression was difficult to read; softened, yet her eyes darted quickly, searching my face like I was doing to her.
Eventually I decided with taking the safe choice. "It's all right, Twilight. I know that kind of connection to me is a big commitment and can't be looked at from a purely scientific point of view. Further, if it turns out that the connection is bad or detrimental, we're going to need you to fix it. If you're being detrimental at the same time, that would be very difficult," I acknowledged gently, trying to give my most earnest looking smile towards her.
I think she bought it, anyway. I mean, I was trying to do my best to stay positive and not worry anypony. Keela promised that she was actually making headway on closing the link permanently, which was definitely a good thing. If I could solve this issue without anypony else getting involved, it would be wonderful.
Twilight's ears lowered at the same rate as her eyelids. Damn it. She didn't buy it. "Mender, I... Um. You're serious about all of this and I should have taken your word on how you felt at and least tried to be serious, too. I realize that, now. Not even considering how my viewpoint hurt you was also immature of me. I'm going to fix this, don't worry. I have to. Regardless of my apprehensions, I've never felt this strongly about anything not regarding academics and learning before. Ever. The more I think about it, the more everything points to this being exactly what I want. You're everything I want in a stallion, honestly, and are a ton of fun to be around. I'm going to fix this!" she adamantly declared, suddenly looking more than a little scary. I swallowed, trying to think of something to say, but quickly realized that technically she hadn't said any of that directly to me. It sounded more like she was saying that to herself. The gesture made me pleased, of course, but I wasn't entirely sure it was needed.
She faltered after seeing me shrink slightly under her level of hot bloodedness. "No, no, no, Mender. I'm not going to hurt you. See?" she asked before slowly extending both of her forelegs out, smiling gently at me. My brain recognized it before my cognitive thoughts did as the universal 'want hugs' gesture. I relaxed a little and nodded before leaning forwards again. She took me against herself as gently as possible and just held me there. A moment passed, and I lowered my muzzle down to her neck, sleepily resting it there against her fur.
To my surprise, Twilight let out a content sigh instead and pulled me tighter to herself. Her forelegs let out a shiver as she squeezed, slowly rubbing them up and down my back while clinging to me like a life raft at sea. If it had been any harder, it might have actually hurt.
"It's okay, Twilight. I'm just happy you're going to have it looked into," I muttered, slowly breathing in her light scent. The raspberry scent of her shampoo from this morning drifted into my nostrils and I exhaled slowly, relaxing further against her as she took over supporting my entire weight. Not that it was a lot of weight to support at the moment.
"More than just that. I believe you now. There's more to this than just your imagination. These coins prove that. But let's deal with this more in the morning. Well, later morning. It is four o'clock. Let's go back to bed for now, Mender," she suggested, slowly lifting my head up to stare directly into my eyes instead. Hers were soft and sleepy looking and I had to restrain a snicker. The smile got through, though.
"Okay, Twilight. I'll trust you to keep the coins safe," I agreed before lowering my head again and resting. She was right, of course. Three and a half hours didn't feel like enough sleep at all.
"Somepony likes my neck," Twilight cooed impishly while she lifted the coins back into the cabinet. I watched the doors close again before chuckling.
While her statement was true, I further corrected, "It is a very nice neck and very tasty looking, but in all honesty, you smell good. It's making me relaxed and sleepy," I muttered tiredly.
There was a momentary pause, and for a second, I worried that I'd said something wrong again. Twilight lowered her head down as well, however, and gently nuzzled my neck in return. "That's rather romantic, actually, and probably a good thing," she murmured quietly, exhaling against me.
As probably intended, my curiosity spiked. "Why is it a good thing?" I inquired against her neck.
"Ponies can pick up pheromones on other ponies. If you think I smell good, that probably means that your body is telling you we're biologically compatible with each other and an optimal choice for a mating pair. You smell good to me, too, by the way," she explained in a disturbingly casual manner, leaning back and smiling at me with lowered eyelids.
Her choice of wording was a little creepy, however. I tried to toss up an assured smile, but I think it came off as nervous instead as I swallowed. Well, I suppose I shouldn't have expected anything else. "Does that mean you want kids in the future?" I asked, attempting to not only sound casual as well, but change the topic from 'optimal mating'.
Her eyes widened again and she blushed, smiling shyly. "I've never really thought about it, honestly. I was pretty goal-oriented before moving here, in an academic sense. Sure, I've really opened up socially since then, but nowhere near enough to even realize that I might have the opportunity to become a mother in the future!" she exclaimed, looking oddly like she was somehow scaring herself.
She didn't let me go and run screaming for the stairs, however, so I took it as a good sign. Heck, she actually squeezed tighter, which was actually kind of painful now that I thought about it. "Ah, um, my insides are still squishy and fragile, Twilight," I reminded, wincing slightly.
She let out the cutest squeak I'd heard since last hanging around Fluttershy and promptly eased up the pressure, smiling with a slight embarrassed tint to her expression. "Ah, sorry. Are you okay, Mender?" she asked cautiously.
"Eh, if I got to pick my preferred way to die, that would definitely be it. But I'll be fine," I teased, managing a grin to her finally. Hopefully she'd take the hint and lighten up a little. I felt bad that I had gotten her worked up, especially if she was going to try to go back to sleep soon.
Her expression shifted back to warm mirth, and she nodded. After a light parting kiss to the forehead, she released me and stood fully again. "Let's go back to sleep, Mender. You need to get more rest and so do I. We have a lot to do tomorrow," she warned, gesturing towards the stairs with her head.
Sighing, I nodded and stood back up again, definitely feeling the tiredness. Well, on the bright side, even since I'd been hopping over to the other world and telling Keela more about Equestria, it had obviously warded away any bad dreams. Might as well enjoy keeping my end of the bargain if I could. If it meant making Equestria safe again, permanently, it was definitely worth it.
In my distraction, I failed to see Twilight duck in and give a gentle, yet extremely wet lick to the side of my cheek. The sly unicorn teleported at the same exact instant of contact, shifting both of us upstairs in a blinding flare of light. My stomach dropped back into my body and I was momentarily disoriented as I fell over onto something warm and soft, in an embarrassing heap of limbs and fur. Wait, these blankets were a lot higher quality than what I remembered them being all of a half an hour ago.
Twilight giggled at my sprawled out form before tucking me in and... My mind froze, spitting out memory overflows and error messages as I felt the warm unicorn slip under the covers next to me. Twilight no doubt sensed my immediate rigid stupor, as she informed, "I'm lonely tonight and want to keep your bad dreams at bay. Don't worry, Mender. I won't even touch you if you don't want me to."
Her whisper came out warmly and danced inside of my chest for a while, being carried by the butterflies. Well, maybe this wouldn't be so bad. I nudged forwards a little, lightly pressing myself into her chest. She let out a pleasantly surprised cooing noise, and I felt her forehead rest against mine. "Thank you for trusting me, Mender. It really means a lot to me, and I'm not going to ever betray that again. Let me prove it to you, even if it takes forever to do so," she requested. I felt a gentle warmth drift into my mind before lightly intermingling with my own magic. It was an amazing sensation and I couldn't help but kiss any of her skin that I could make contact with. The feelings distinctly belonging to Twilight were drifting into me, and it made me feel very secure indeed.
"I'll give you another chance, Twilight. Don't worry about that. I just wish you trusted me a little more." It was the truth, of course. She probably knew it all along, but it felt good to get it out.
She winced gently, but nodded against my forehead. "I do trust... Well, I'm going to start from now on. During my talk with Rarity earlier, she mentioned several techniques that could use to build trust in you and vice versa. A few are a little, um, embarrassing, but you're totally worth it," she assured. I felt her temperature rise a little bit, oddly.
I didn't really understand what she was talking about, but nodded gently and just let the energy drift into me. My mind idly traced the magic back upwards and I saw where our energy pools were actually connecting. It was rather interesting, once I managed to think through the haze that was building up in my mind. "You said before not to push my energy back into you, right?" I inquired quietly.
Twilight paused, and I felt her energy stir a little, but she surprisingly didn't withdraw. "Yeah. Please don't do that. It's not just from pushing your energy into me. It's only if I'm already moving mine into you at the same time. I can tell you more about it tomorrow, if you want," she offered softly. She already trusted me a little more, I realized. I stayed my ground, not about to try it and betray that newfound trust, of course.
"I'm not going to, don't worry. I would like to know why eventually, though," I agreed, relaxing and simply enjoying the hazy sensation of her heat both against me and drifting into my mind.
She smiled and I realized she picked up on my contented feelings. A general feeling of happiness drifted into me as she mirrored my earlier nod. "We have a long train ride tomorrow, so I'll explain it then. Rarity would already know, of course, but she'll probably be able to add far more onto the romantic and bonding aspects of it," Twilight relayed softly.
Oh. With that admission, I suddenly understood the implications a little better. Twilight picked up on that too and released a gentle giggle before snuggling closer to me. Yeah, this was nice. The pressure and expectations weren't what I was expecting, which is to say, they were essentially non-existent. We were just enjoying each other's company, really.
Eventually, I couldn't manage to form coherent thoughts anymore and drifted off to sleep, pulling a pleasantly murmuring Twilight Sparkle with me.
* * * * *
Another bump jarred my reasonably upset stomach yet again. I winced and curled up further, trying to keep the nausea under control as I lay on the nicely cushioned train car seat. The pearly white unicorn sitting across from me gave a look of sympathy as I double-checked the bucket was still at the base of the seat. Okay, I officially hated trains.
"I didn't expect such a violent reaction. Why do you have no problem doing loops on Dash's back through zero gravity while being fired at, but a train going barely sixty kilometers per hour gets you sick?" Twilight asked skeptically from directly next to me. She sat nearest my head, and despite her rather venomous tongue, her tone was soft and she gently rubbed my neck and cheek at the same time.
I swallowed dryly before wincing again, sticking my head over the seat just in case. "Rainbow didn't vibrate while feeling like a sack of worms against your legs," I protested, deciding the mental image just made it worse.
"This is truly unfortunate. Were you able to grasp any of our explanation at all?" Rarity asked politely. Okay, so that conversation had been the last thing on my mind until now.
"Kinda. She puts energy into me, I put energy into her, and then we absorb each other's energy and gain some sort of bond," I managed to summarize without barfing, amazingly enough.
Rarity made a disappointed 'Tsk' noise with her mouth before shaking her head. "Well, I can see you missed the various romantic aspects of such a bond. Surely, given your apparent connection with Fluttershy, you can understand why such a link is sacred," she lectured idly, flicking her mane to the side in mild irritation. The motion made my stomach churn but, like a train wreck in slow motion, I couldn't look away for some reason. Okay, bad example given the context.
"Oh leave him be, Rarity. As sick as he is, it's a wonder he got that much," Twilight defended, gently massaging my shoulders as I took deep breaths over the bucket. Damn.
It was true, though. Given my connection to Fluttershy when in close range, I could appreciate the romantic undertones of such a bond. Frankly, I think she was the only reason I regained my composure at all after my vivid hallucination and panic attack. Once I got back from this silly trip, I was definitely going to thank her. We needed to talk a lot more about this thing anyway. Oh yeah, and maybe warn Rainbow before she freaks out from hearing 'voices' in her head sounding remarkably like me.
"Oh yes, and you are suddenly the quintessential understanding mare, I know," Rarity muttered dryly. Twilight's hooves jolted against my shoulders before digging in a little. Uh oh. I suddenly regretted my compromising position next to the ungodly powerful unicorn.
"So you remind me every chance you get. I know; I get it. I'm a horrible fillyfriend who doesn't deserve Mender. Let me guess, you feel you're better for him?" Twilight asked, seemingly forgetting my squishy muscles were there and pretending it was Rarity's neck instead of my own. Oh please help me live through this train ride, somepony!
"What?! I am simply looking out on Mender's behalf! I cannot believe you'd stoop so low as to insinuate such under-hooved intentions. You really must get a grip on this terrible case of paranoia that has you! It is simply not befitting of a lady," Rarity warned back, looking truly offended for the brief moment my vision caught her before I started gasping for air. Note to self, make sure Twilight was fully aware of her body at all times. Further note to self, haunt the crap out of her if you don't live through this train ride.
The lavender unicorn in question let out a low growl before pointing out, "Surely, you're not so perfect as to have never made a mistake before. There, I said it! I screwed up and lost the trust of my coltfriend! Does that make you happy?!" she asked dramatically, voice now loud enough to probably be heard through the walls. Well, glad this wasn't a private topic or anything. Oddly, however, having half of my windpipe pinched off was doing wonders for making me forget about the nausea. Still, dying wasn't a good motion sickness prevention method.
Carrying through with my new concept of self-preservation, I began flailing my forelegs about to hopefully get my fillyfriend's attention while gasping like a fish out of water. As predicted, she glanced down quizzically at me before widening her eyes and instantly letting go. My lungs screamed in triumph, or perhaps whiplash, as I inhaled heavily and rolled over onto my back, panting. Wow. That wasn't awkward timing at all.
"No! No, no, no! Why does this always happen?!" Twilight groaned, surprising me once more by flopping over sideways onto my upper half with herself at the same time. My yet gasping muzzle inhaled a few rogue strands of fur from her chest as the warmth washed all around me. Well, at least she wasn't a female of my species, or this position would be exceedingly awkward indeed. If I vaguely recalled correctly, which I wasn't going to bet any bits on, pony anatomy placed the female mammary glands significantly lower. Oh, and they retained almost no mass when the mare in question wasn't with foal. I supposed that it was actually more convenient that way, anyway.
My cheeks grew hot as I squished my eyelids shut, trying to drive the thought chain out of my mind. Damn it; I hated it when this happened.
"I didn't mean you're a horrible fillyfriend. I'm sorry for speaking too rashly. Will you forgive me?" Rarity asked softly, doing a surprisingly good job at attempting to defuse the situation. Well, at least I thought it was a good apology. Thankfully, it also served to distract me from images of a pregnant Twilight. Of course, as far as, um, attractive daydreams go; I guess that one's fairly evolutionarily justified. She would look incredibly gorgeous pregnant, in my opinion. Ugh. Why did I do this to myself?
Twilight let out a low murmur into my stomach before nodding gently. "I know. Mender's very understanding, thankfully. I probably reek of being totally new at this."
"I am still here, you know," I reminded politely upon realizing I could talk again. Curse that air threshold for speaking.
It was very strange feeling of Twilight smiling against my stomach. She lifted off me a little and looked into my eyes instead from an upside down perspective. Feeling a bit brave and hoping it would make her realize it wasn't that big of a deal, I reached both of my hooves up and gently pulled her down into me.
She let out a soft muttering of nothing in particular upon breaking the upside down kiss a few seconds later, and smiled more fully down at me.
"Does that mean you forgive me?" she asked hopefully, eyes dancing a little in the light.
I couldn't help myself. "About the overly enthusiastic neck rub? Of course," I assured, smirking now. Predictably, her ears flattened back and she gave me a barbed stare.
"Careful, you might wish you hadn't said that once you find out how I plan to earn forgiveness for the rest of it," she warned, mirroring my expression in an instant.
My ears drooped and I managed a timid swallow. "Uh, isn't that kind of defeating the purpose?"
"Oh, simply no imagination. You'll thank me for giving her the ideas afterwards, I'm sure. Once you recover, of course," Rarity tossed in, sounding oddly devious. I glanced over at her with widening eyes, which caused her to burst out into copious amounts of laughter, followed promptly by Twilight. Well, I was doomed...
The train hit a particularly jarring bump before I could properly formulate words and I groaned again, remembering why this bucket was lying in front of my spot on the seat. Damn it. I contemplated asking Twilight to strangle me again so I'd forget about the nausea.
"Oh, you poor dear. I think it's almost worth sending a letter to Rainbow Dash upon our arrival, requesting that she pick him up for the return flight," Rarity suggested politely after my dry heaving was finished.
I sighed weakly before shaking my head, protesting, "Rainbow shouldn't have to fly all that way and then haul me back just because the train makes me sick. That's not fair to her."
"That's very kind, Mender, but she probably wouldn't have a problem with it. She thinks she owes you, anyway," Twilight reminded, earning a groan of lamentation from me. This was promptly followed by a groan of my stomach trying to crawl out of my body.
I heard a light, almost imperceptible squeaking laugh from Rarity before she tacked on, "Or we could always talk to Princess Celestia about having the royal carriage and guards fly you home."
After recovering from almost falling off my seat in a coughing fit, I finally managed to scramble back and glared up at her. "No! I'd rather walk than ride in a royal carriage. Ugh. It probably costs a few thousand an hour," I protested weakly, earning a giggle from Twilight.
"It doesn't. That's what I first rode to Ponyville in. It's very comfortable. Although if you're uncomfortable with Princess Celestia, you could always ask Princess Luna. She seems to have taken a liking to you," Twilight suggested, sounding deeply amused at my expense. I glared back at her over my shoulder and saw only a grin in return.
"Oh! Is that my Scandal Senses tingling?! Quickly, this calls for gossip!" Rarity exclaimed, suddenly from the seat right next to Twilight and leaning in closer to listen. The lavender mare in question seemed more freaked out than anything, starting in place before falling over onto me in surprise. Any rebuttal I had carefully selected was promptly drowned out by a second helping of Twilight's chest and stomach fur.
"Rarity, it's not like that at all! She just likes his name because it has," Twilight started to rapidly explain. Well, she tried anyway. Her thoughts must have been fairly disrupted when I suddenly closed my eyes and licked gently along the fur of her tummy.
"Whaaa!" she squealed before flailing off the side of the seat and crashing onto the floor, blushing furiously. Oh, payback was worth the probability of death that earned me.
Quickly, I threw on my innocent facade. Rarity gave me a skeptical and extremely scrutinizing stare in the meantime as Twilight recovered on the floor. Several intentionally awkward seconds passed before Twilight restored her capacities enough to roll her eyes. "Try to limit kisses and licks to my face and head please. That felt a little weird," she managed to request, spoiling all of my current and future fun at once.
"There's no fun in that, Twilight. Surely you can be more imaginative," Rarity concurred without needing my specific input. I snickered before lowering my head towards the bucket again. I'd hate to drop my guard and end up having yet another mess to clean up.
"Shush. That's a bridge that can be crossed far, far, far, far in the future," the lavender mare shot back. Well, that boded well for me. Actually the ironic thing was that I couldn't decide if that was a good or bad thing.
Rarity made an amused sounding half snicker before adding, "I do suppose you intend to ship him away with the rest of the single stallions in a few weeks, then?" Okay, that caused my brain to stall out.
There was a soft smacking noise as Twilight mushed her right forehoof into the spot directly under her horn. I gave her a curious yet observing stare. Apparently what Rarity said triggered some sort of memory in her that she seemingly forgot. Or broke her brain and that was how she rebooted it.
"Great! How did I forget about the stupid heat cycles?! Um, yeah. That would probably be a wise idea," she finally muttered, sounding a little dejected. What did temperature have to do with sending away all of your males? Did the mares turn into bloodthirsty, ravenous monsters or something if the temperature increased too much? No, that sounded far-fetched, even for me.
Rarity gasped, looking horrified. At this point I was getting used to her having that expression. "Oh my, Twilight! It's unheard of! A stallion who actually has a fillyfriend being sent to those horrible cabins!" she exclaimed. Her voice was strange, and I couldn't tell if she was serious or not. I knew she had a taste for dramatic flair, but it was often too subtle for me to separate from what might actually be a disaster. Frowning, I looked up and tried to pay attention just in case.
"Oh come on! The cabins are quite nice and you know it. It's more of an inconvenience than anything. Talk about stalling out our entire economy for a good week," my fillyfriend reputed.
Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. "Um, not to sound stupid, but I need to sound stupid here. What are we talking about?" I asked curiously. Now that I thought about it, this was starting to sound vaguely familiar.
"Heat, Dear. Are you unfamiliar with the word?" Rarity asked, causing Twilight to perk up out of her stupor and glance over at me instead.
I nodded wearily, frowning slightly. Rarity gave me a smile instead and nodded as well in a more assuring manner. "It's perfectly understandable given your unique arrival here. Heat is a little complex, but I'm sure you'll understand it fine. Normally, when a filly enters into marehood, she..." Rarity started to explain. Wait. Oh, this was starting to sound familiar.
"Estrus?" Twilight alternatively suggested, interrupting her friend. Oh hell! My eyes widened as my ears flattened back in an instant.
"Wait, you ponies go through an estrus cycle?! How many times a year, and does it sync up?" I asked rapidly, suddenly realizing exactly what they had been talking about.
Rarity momentarily looked totally flabbergasted, while Twilight just giggled and nodded, answering, "Yes, it does sync up with other mares so we mostly all go into heat at the same time if we live together long enough. That's cumbersome for tight knit communities like Ponyville. It occurs twice in a year; once in the spring, and a somewhat lighter one in the beginning of fall. You luckily showed up after the first one."
Rarity coughed lightly and looked away again, nodding. "Indeed. You wouldn't have found any males at all, and probably would have actually been pursued had you shown up a mere week and a half earlier, just for a different reason other than food. I'm sure that would have worsened your opinion of us severely."
Well, I guess I lucked out after all. "Well, if he'd arrived for the spring one, yeah. The fall variety isn't that bad. Regardless, we evacuate the males more for their comfort than anything. All of the pheromones drifting through the air makes them a little awkward," Twilight corrected in a rather proper manner. Well, they seemed to be extremely civilized about it. It was more like a biological annoyance than a true danger, then.
"Eh, I don't mind being shipped off to some cabin for a week. You'll have to give me the specifics when it comes closer to being required," I requested, easing back down into my disaster prevention position, deciding that it wasn't really that dire a conversation after all.
Rarity let out a huffing noise before rolling her eyes. "I personally think you're crazy not to go with him, and would hate to see the social stigma that will stir up, but as your friend, you have my support," she finally gave in, averting her eyes from my now slightly flustered looking fillyfriend. That was so weird to think about.
"It's not that big of a social stigma! I mean, lots of mares decide to wait before, um, that," Twilight defended, probably needlessly, given what Rarity had just finished saying. That probably indicated something, but I was too lazy to think about it further. Plus I felt like crap.
"Perhaps. I'm simply concerned for the stability of your relationship if you truly decide to wait as long as it sounds," Rarity pointed out. If I didn't know better, I'd almost think I heard an impish undertone to her voice. Weird.
My stomach finally started to settle gently. Twilight looked suddenly like she might need the bucket instead, however. "W-What?! Um, but I haven't read anything about... Oh no, I didn't read the advanced relationship books yet, though! I didn't think I'd need those for a few years still!" she exclaimed, starting to shift into her telltale panic state. Uh oh. Wait, years?!
"Years?! Oh, I truly feel for you, Mender," Rarity teased, letting out a light giggle as she looked over at me instead. Twilight practically spun in circles between looking at the two of us. Was Rarity doing this on purpose just to rile up Twilight? Wow, I hadn't realized pranks could get so ugly!
"Stop teasing her, Rarity. You know I don't, um, mind waiting as long as she needs to," I reminded, carefully choosing my words to hopefully head off the panic session. Twilight dismantling the train while we were moving sounded like a bad thing, yet something she might do while freaking out.
I shouldn't have hesitated in thinking up the proper wording, though. Twilight let out a soft whimpering noise before shrinking a little. Well, I guess we wouldn't be making it to the party after all. I braced for any potential magic catastrophes as best I could. Hey, at least my stomach felt better now!
The train's forward momentum slammed to a halt in an instant, sending my stomach lurching upwards into my lungs, it felt like. I winced before almost sliding off my seat. Rarity merely leaned back slightly in surprise while Twilight slid from the center of the room into the base of the seat Rarity was on, eyes getting a little watery and appearing oblivious to the sudden shift of momentum.
"This has been a successful test of the emergency brake system! If this had been a real emergency, it would have been accompanied by much more screaming. Thank you for your time!" I suddenly heard blaring over the speaker system in a male voice.
I promptly threw up into the bucket.
FIRST
You're not the only one Mender. In fact,
arch.413chan.net/pinkiepie_pull_up_a_chair-(n1293476721203).jpg
Good job I'm not driving him anywhere!!!
Guess he needs more...............training.....
2453074 Happy now?
2486982 Confound these puns, they drive me to drink~
Well I'd be lying if I said I understood the coins/connections part 100% but I assume it's going to have some more explanation later
First night sleeping in same bed! Yay!
That train ride was... awkward Pretty weird seeing them being so open about the subject at hand (hoof?). But I guess it's just good for their relationship to talk about this stuff.
Also, Twilight, seriously? Years?? Welp... Mender is going to be... eh... blue (sorry, had to do that) I was honestly expecting the "reward" after the party to be exactly that, but I guess not.. Well something awesome is still coming I think!
I don't know how you do it Kiro, but this just keeps getting better and better
2487126
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Sorry Mr K, I can't help myself!! I need help!!
Dick move train driver...dick move
2487146 I never said they were bad...just that um...their unique
LOL! TROLL ENGINEERS BE TROLLING!
2487139
Seriously, Twi, at this rate Fluttershy'll warm up and keep him around for the week before you do.
What did Mender used to be again? Also, have someone draw an image of what he originally was; a written description isn't the same as a drawing.
2486718 Its.. its just like the ending will ruin your life for about three weeks.. It was a master piece of a game, I personally haven't played it no, but like I said, I watched Cry play it and just.. I don't know what to do with my life anymore But, I digress. Amazing game, Cry only found to minor texture clippings through the whole game, they did a great job at building the texture foundation. And the voice acting is simply superb
This line man, this line.
Hmmm, the the whole 'sending the males away to stay in cabins during the heat cycle' thing sounds a lot like The Incognito Brony's 'Heat and Desire' series...
But anyway, another good chapter, and it's nice to see Twilight and Rarity have made up.
While Twilight and Mender may be worried about the potential connection with Dash, I can already see a potential advantage to it. Good luck trying to prank someone who can hear your thoughts!
Amazing as always.
Too much science there, Twilight. Too much science...
If it were me in Mender's situation, I would've blown a raspberry instead. That would've been far more hilarious.
So yes to Keela. Not yet for the party. And yes to Mender getting some... Kinda?
Is that 2nd or 3rd base for magic unicorn sex?
Run for your life Mender! Because this relationship will be the death of you... again!
Also, why doesn't he want Rarity knowing that Luna likes moons? ~TeeHee~
~Momentai
Given the skewed gender ratio, even with herd based relationships, I would imagine females being more possessive of their mates. Not that Twilight isn't being possessive of him but she seems to be lacking the instinct beyond 'I've got one'. Unless she's having an internal struggle of intelligence vs. instinct.
An interesting take on how they deal with estrus. Seems a bit excessive, but effective, and I can see how it could come to be. Poor Mender, but considering his old life he's still doing better then he would have.
2487658
For 2 like that it's the right amount of science, just look at how he went from confused to asking for details when Twilight used a more scientific word then Rarity.
I now wish there was an emoticon of Twilight licking. :)
Awesome chapter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OH THE D'AWWWWWWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I loved the idea of the bonds and the disks, Brilliant!
I think this chapter officially put Mender and Twilight as my favorite couple in all of Fimfiction!! They're so cute!!!!
YOU ARE AWESOME!!!!!!!!! I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER!!!
CAPS LOCK!!!!!
2488783
My point wasn't about comprehension, it was about the level of creepy.
2488874
I know. but I still think it was the right amount of science for those two. If she didn't explain it he would be left wondering what she meant, and if she didn't add her bit of creepiness to it he would Question if she felt the same, and if she used different words he might not know what she was talking about.
Could have been worse, she could have given him an analysis of her reaction to his pheromones.
Until the males are all shipped of and isolated in cabins twice a year.
Now, while I’m sure Rarity's description is exaggerated for theatrics, the actual conditions are irrelevant. While I could see a society developing a heard like system given skewed gender ratios, I think the whole 'heat' wrinkle is usually handled/developed poorly by authors.
An increase in mood swings, irritability or sex-drive would be understandable, but honestly, I find it hard to imagine a complex society developing at all if the female's estrus cycle overrides rational thought enough that segregation of the sexes is required.
Tread lightly
I'm surprised when Mender first met up with Keela he didn't get horrible flash backs and freaked out like when he did 2 chapters ago. Unless I read wrong, it sounds like Keela was the reason why his squad had their eyes drilled out.
Ugh, I had to blink and rub my eyes to get the funny feeling out of them after reading that. *shivers*
~Have a good one.
Another Briliant chapter! do keep up the good work
They do emergency brake checks like that in equestria? why is that needed... is it really that dangerous to ride the train?
Gosh Twi, get it together already
Sorry Mender, looks like it'll be awhile...
2486714
I was just worried that day because I literally submitted my reply 2min after you started your replies to comments And of course ponies like you and your stories, all of you are awesome!
2486724
Wow, talk about development, and I'm sure there will be more later on!
Now I'm curious if Keela stayed up hoping for an explanation of the hum, seems the type that she would. Also good to know that she knows she'd have competition if she thought of doing anything. Interesting to see her view on their allies (humans?). Also, Twi getting comfy with Mender in bed, and practically invading his mind ALL night? Did he hide traces of his contact with Keela from her?
Also, this is throwing me for a loop!
Maybe it's just me being male and reading WAY into things, but could it be that he does the same for her? If so, to what extent/degree? The implications are staggering!
Now for those discs. Assuming they are activated by touch of either the disc or container, I do not recall RD touching them, however Memory Pending was a while ago so I may need to re-read. They REALLY should warn her though, considering I'm sure shes the only one with that cutie mark and coat color. Can't wait for the experimentation though, wonder if they'll have an impromptu one if they decide to have Dashie pick up Mender. I do wonder how much the link actually has the subjects share. Whether it's simply one-to-one communication with a filter on thoughts/feelings, or if it can be a full on "I can read your entire mind!" type of deal. Both and everything in-between could be rather interesting for the link with 'Shy, Dash and Twi.
Speaking of Twi, I can honestly understand why she wouldn't want to risk full activation of the third disc before discovering what they actually do and the long term side effects, but she really should take a minute to realize how things like that could be taken by a guy who is still pretty emotionally fragile when it comes to their relationship.
On the topic of relationships, awesome that they are talking things out, and things are progressing slightly, but really Twi, years?! Again, back to the thinking about reactions to comments bit. Also, the degree of Rarity both teasing Twi and trying to help them progress their relationship is slightly surprising, yet pleasant to see.
Now, this is long enough so I'll wrap this up with saying, RD is best pony and Keela is best Keldarian, I hope she sticks around for a while and maintains at least a friendship with Mender as long as possible.
So much flustered Twi, it's freaking great on the whole train ride, and I commend you on Mender's absolute fear in dealing with those rocks, I found throughout this I've grasped his personality, and his reaction towards them was great!
I really can't wait for more, things are progressing, and getting even more interesting.
No mender.
Snu Snu is the best way to die.
...
......
too bad for u tho!
On a not completely unrelated note it is nice to see Twi and Mender bonding agin
I just have to say, having Rarity with them on the train just made things way more entertaining than they would've been
*snerk* Poor Twilight, so very easy to tease into oblivion
I had wondered why he hadn't just had Keela send him a message to prove that they weren't coming from him, but seems like it simply didnt occur to him till now
Man, I wish I had a fillyfriend....I mean girlfriend! GIRLFRIEND!
Not that I wouldn't mind, but , you know...
2451305
I think you underestimate my expectations of the friendship Mender has developed with the mane six. From the way you talk, they're only comforting him out of friendship and get nothing in return out of it apart from the fact that their conscience is clear, you say. This isn't true at all. I believe that the mane six, as friends, feel it their obligation to comfort Mender. But I don't mean this in a clunky, consciously authoritarian way. What I mean is that the mane six want to be there for Mender by instinct--especially Twilight. And I think that they're there obviously there for more than the purpose of being clear-conscienced and good-hearted friends. Friendship drives deeper for them, but that fact does nothing to reinforce the theory I've constructed.
No, I do not dislike Mender as a character. I'm simply pointing out his flaws often. And considering how much I can relate to him, I can definitely appreciate him as a character. Am I a little irked by some of his actions? Yes. I'm also irked with Twilight's, who is, in fact, best pony. I may have been a bit harsh in the theory I posted but it was only so that I could get my point out more clearly. Mender's not a full-fledged and outright coward but it is a flaw in his character. I adore Mender and find him a very interesting pony. I just want to see him develop.
2486718
yeah, that's a pretty good definition for the whole "herd" ordeal, but I mean, still, I'm the only one who spoke out against a fantastically gigantic harem? it just bugs me...you know?
just what techniques are we talking about here twilight? and also, YEARS?! *hits fist on table* TWILIGHT! you do NOT make a man wait that long for sex, especially oral!
yes I did just read this now, haven't had the time
2486722
He didn't exist when you started writing this? You started writing this before the end of Season 1?
I have no idea why, but I find that kind of scientific talk coming from Twilight to be absurdly sexy.
You guys are really on a rail with all these train puns. This is a great chapter especially because it's somewhat of a calm in all the chaos in Mender's life. It's like someone suddenly put the brakes on his bad luck. And it was interesting to see how you went about the whole estrous cycle thing. Some authors prefer to make ponies more like humans in the respect that they do not have to deal with heat, but I think it's a bit more interesting when it's a factor. That being said, I can already feel that something is somehow going to go wrong with Mender being sent off away from Ponyville. There will either be some massive problems going down back in town or there will be something happening in these cabins the mares mentioned.
I wonder how awkward it can get.
Really didn't think Twilight would be that apprehensive about sex, I mean I was thinking that's what she'd been hinting at when she'd been flirting with Mender. Waiting for YEARS though? Suddenly the idea of Mender losing his virginity to Fluttershy doesn't seem all that farfetched...
This is one time where I'm kinda disappointed that I was right. I wish that link with Fluttershy had been something more meaningful than an effect by those rocks, even though I did say a while ago that it was the most likely explanation. They were obviously pieces of technology, but I didn't really expect them to be quite so purposeful about it, and figured it was probably more of an accidental side effect. Also, for a rare direct question, are the rocks gone completely now, or is there still some remnant of them remaining other than the coins?
I'm really not sure what the purpose is for those, though. It seems likely inspired by that soul-drop link thing that Keela did, but far more limited in range. For quite a while now, I actually kept wanting to guess they were Grosh technology somehow, but that doesn't seem to make any sense. I would also say maybe it's intended for a female Keldarian to keep track of any males she's claimed, but I don't know. The fact that Twilight touched Rainbow's chip without completing the link means that, in addition to opening the rocks, the secondary connection only works for approved individuals as well. And that seems to imply they specifically wanted Mender to use it, which almost gives the impression that they expected him to end up somewhere that he'd have the opportunity. A few little details have suggested Mender jumping dimensions wasn't as accidental as we think, but I don't see how they could have expected Rainbow's rainboom to help pull him through. But in any case, I can't figure out why they would want Mender to be able to use those coins. Also strange how they recognize cutie marks as an identifier. And interesting that there happens to be six of them.
And I once again find myself in agreement with Mender that Twilight's behavior was mildly irksome there. Eager to test Rainbow's chip, but her own is "Ack! Don't touch it!" Perhaps with that first one, she wasn't thinking about potential consequences, though, and by the time hers was there, her desire to test it was gone because she knew what would happen. But would she have done the same test if her own chip had been there instead of Rainbow's, rather than after it? I wonder how easy those connections are to turn back off, too. And I hope Spike doesn't go looking through those cabinets. I keep wondering what would happen if he found those crystal tokens and ate them, thinking they looked like tasty gem "chips" to him.
So if Twilight and Mender can sort of mingle their magic within each other, does that mean he could pull her along with him to the other side when he pings Keela? I'm not sure if that would be a good thing or a bad thing, if it's possible. It would certainly convince her he's not imagining things, at least. I'm sure they'd become fast friends if Mender introduced Keela to Twilight as the woman who got him tortured after she kissed him. It's also interesting how even when he's asleep, he's awake. I suppose that's a good thing for now if it prevents unpleasant dreams, but it seems like that could get strange after a while, if done too often.
Okay, so Twilight absentmindedly strangling him was the exact sort of thing that originally started lowering my favor for MoonLight, but for some reason, it was mostly just funny this time. "Damn it, Mender! Why do you always make me hurt you?!" Sorta sounds like an abusive relationship in the making. I think they really should establish one of those connections with each other, if for no other reason than so that when Twilight starts accidentally assaulting him, maybe she'll stop and wonder why she mysteriously feels like she's being strangled. I'm still not sure if touch sensations transfer when they're right next to each other, though.
And oh hell, you're including heat cycles. I usually assume that's not really a problem in Equestria, but it's one of those things that can go either way, just depends on what each author feels like doing. It does create some rather interesting complications, and this is the first time I've seen them incorporated so, sooo... I don't even know. So directly as something their society deals with by actually addressing with a practical solution, I guess. Every other story I've seen mention it just kinda springs it on someone. So what about Spike, does he get sent away too? And I can't help but imagine if poor Mender had shown up during that time period. If he literally peed himself just from Lyra approaching him non-threateningly, getting hunted down by a ravenous hoard of random mares in heat would have filled him with so much concentrated fear that it would have taken physical form and condensed into a tiny black hole to suck him in or something. Then he'd pop out in yet another dimension, and who knows where that would've been.
By the way, one other random little thing that's kind of amusing that sometimes comes to mind from typing "Mender" so often. I used to have bearded dragon a few years ago. His name was Mendel. Somehow that seems funny to me anyway.
2486766 - plp855
Indeed. It's a lingering problem in any of Mender's relationships. He has an underlying fear of females. Twilight and Applejack are probably the most significant however. I think Fluttershy might also stick with him, however.
2486982 - Lucky424
You're just terrible. And it's awesome! Also, interesting fact! Horses can't throw up. MLP Ponies can however, as illustrated in the third episode.
2487139 - Jamza
The coins aren't fully understood yet at all, no. Thank you. You understand that this isn't a completed work and that loose ends may actually be answered in future chapters. The shock!
You're right though. Twilight and Rarity do display extremely close friendships in this. The fact that they can have small tiffs and recover so quickly is another way it's shown. Also, as should be obvious by this chapter, Twilight is re-thinking the speed in which she expected things to happen. So what happens in the future is totally unknown. I do know she plans on having a bit of fun in the room they have to themselves of course.
I'm glad you're enjoying, though!
2487150 - jaccan
Quite. He's a troll.
2487166 - Ryexander
And how!
2487306 - Zontargs
That might be fast even for Fluttershy's kindness. It's only a couple weeks away.
2487327 - Bubbubob
He was a species named Keldarian. Small, feline-like bipedal race with blue fur tones. I can give more specifics to anypony who wants to draw them if so. I didn't anticipate there being an interest.
2487370 - Potential_Hero
I might have to look into it once I get some free bits again. Like I said, I'm a fan of the other two, and a sucker for awesome endings.
2487396 - kingtwelvesixteen
Yeah, the conductor is a total troll.
2487407 - Farnham
Really? Well I suppose it is a rather simplistic approach to a solution to the problem. Not that the problem is that horrifying to begin with, but I felt it deserved mention in the story for a bit of added realism.
2487456 - Ebrony Black
Hullo again! Females are difficult to understand for males. And some females too.
Twilight is finally starting to get serious about it, but does have a lot to learn about relationships still. Almost as much as Mender. The years bit was one of those learned things in this chapter, but Rarity did tease her significantly about it, yes.
Everypony seems to like the last part, though.
2487586 - Enryu57
Mender is definitely mostly immune to Rainbow-Pranks now, yes. Pinkie might need to go solo for that in the future!
2487592 - Willsons
Glad you're enjoying.
(1/4)
2487658 - RoboRed
HA! Lampshaded by Mender himself there. I guess either would have been interchangeable>>2487724 though.
2487724 - Zer0prototype
*double checks to make sure he has his metaphors right* Uh, in the baseball terms, I guess what they've been doing with the mind melding so far would be between first and second base in terms of fun mind merging.
2488587 - PhantomKirby
And now the readers start trolling Mender too. Oh, and technically, if Twilight killed him randomly there, it would be his third 'death', from an academic standpoint. His old self dying, then blowing up the Grosh ship are things he subconsciously counts.
2488783 - Guardian Talon
Maybe they normally ARE more possessive? This is Twilight we're talking about. She has stated she has no experience in the field. Also, it's not really an excessive measure so much as merely a matter of convenience. It's explained more in-depth later on for Mender, but larger cities don't even do that much, as they're segmented enough for all the mares to NOT sync up. Smaller towns just have the stallions take a break for a week or so in order to avoid accidents. And no, not those kinds of accidents.
2488800 - Blaise Brony
I'm glad you're enjoying. MoonLight is indeed adorable. So is MoonShy. Also, ROYAL CANTERLOT VOICE FTW! (They need a Luna emote.)
2488878 - FlyingChurro
Works for me!
2488947 - John41
A complex society would be almost impossible to form if the base instinct of either sex overwrote rational thought and required segregation, you're right. So if you realize I agree with you fully, why are you worried that I'll handle it poorly? Readers have no trust in a fanfic writer, I swear. I'd never mentioned that it was a 'required' segregation, nor mentioned that it totally overwrote base rationale. Have a bit more faith?
2488949 - FlyingChurro
Careful. He needs to ride home on a train yet, still.
2489202 - NightCore
That's because subtly, Keela triggered a totally different reaction specifically herself. And yes. Julia complained about the feeling I invoked with that image too.
2489292 - lilsamsam223
I'm glad you're enjoying. And no, he was trolling his riders.
Also, it MIGHT have been a while had Rarity and Fluttershy not intervened. Now Twilight has some thinking to do, it looks like.
(2/4)
2489408 - tigerphoenix
Well admittedly, I usually type up my replies the night before posting so I have enough time in the morning, then reply to last minute comments. Still, even if I didn't have the contingency for last minute comments, I'd STILL reply to you, Phoenix. You're one of my longest running reviewers. I dare say we're friends, even!
I can't remember for sure, but I think their day/night cycle is flipped. That's why Keela was spamming him with messages while he was trying to sleep. Although, I think it might have been just KEELA'S cycle that was flipped. I'd have to go back and peek. So of course she stayed up, having just woken up anyway. Twilight wasn't invading his mind though. Just her energy was. She doesn't get direct memories unless she specifically looks for them, which she wasn't because Mender didn't ask her to.
Also, I was waiting for somepony to notice that. Don't forget, his old self SAVED Keela, so she probably has a deep respect for that. Even if not, she's finding Mender's personality is far more relaxed and gentle than she was expecting from an alien, so she's feeling comfortable around him, I'm sure.
Rainbow directly touched the 'connection' by biting into it to yank it out of Mender's chest. Mender at least seems very adamant on telling Dash though, so worry not. I'm sure she'll be warned. Also, more on the links later in the story. Things are going to get... interesting.
Twilight realizes how it sounded now of course. She's fighting with her own internal feelings that are scary and making her unsure of what she's doing. You'll see gradual improvements in her, however.
Rarity is an interesting case for their relationship. She's upset with Twilight and somewhat saddened that Mender isn't taking more initiative of course, but she's also trying her hardest to make them work. They're both her friends. Of course, she's also attempting to get Fluttershy in the mix too.
Keela will be throughout the entire story, as will Nirru. I'm glad you're enjoying, and welcome another 'long' reviewer like Periphery and ExplosiveBrohoof.
2490178 - tjamesbeard
I did warn that things will speed up. Not just in the alien department, either. Mature side story, ahoy!
2491736 - Enmar
I don't think Twilight and Fluttershy alone would be enough to inflict Snu Snu. And yes, you will see Twilight gradually improving as she adjusts to this whole 'relationship' thing.
2492200 - Arez
Quite. I imagine that without her there, it would have simply been a boring explanation of estrus practices followed by him dealing with nausea.
2493045 - Bridgebrain
Twilight is almost as fun to tease as Mender. And no, Mender isn't perfect. He doesn't always come up with the best solutions to a problem.
2493097 - Master Specter
I wouldn't mind either. It's more the mental for me, ya know?
2494035 - ExplosiveBrohoof
I understand that part. I only wanted an admission that he wasn't an out and out coward who always tried to run away as you seemed to portray him in your earlier comment. Further, Mender's development as a character is indeed one of the things this entire story will cover. It's probably a bit to early to see huge changes however.
2496588 - lordumber
I understand. Yeah, you're the only one who specifically stated that a massive harem would be a bad thing. I guess there are a lot of pony stories about that sort of thing already, so maybe more readers are just conditioned to accept it? I'll just come right out and say that this isn't a harem fic, and never will be.
2497820 - lordumber
Even without external nudging, I doubt Twilight herself would have bothered waiting that long. It was more just showing her inexperience in the matter. She is referring to reading reference books, after all. And delay is fine.
2499122 - MuffinTop
I was referring to the first story. I started writing it about halfway through season one, and at that point, it was just Twilight and Spike in the library. Memory Pending was almost completed when I watched Owls Well that Ends Well, and by then, it was too late. The lack of Owlowiscious carried over unfortunately to this story too. He doesn't get a lot of screen time in the show, and is hard to logically work into my story too. I will put him in eventually, though.
2502469 - TheGreatSako
Oooh, really? Heee. I'll keep that in mind.
(3/4)
2503480 - Unwitting Brony
Ooooh, another good one. Sorry, but I think puns are fun. I also added estrus and their practical solution to the inconvenience as a point of realism. There are reasons for almost everything in the story, although the reason isn't always direct or readily apparent. Ponies having a menstrual cycle instead, like humans, has always kinda disturbed me however. Plus it brings horrible implications as they don't wear clothing.
2504435 - MuffinTop
I'm curious. Do you think that without the intervention of Rarity here, that Twilight would have actually ended up waiting that long, given all that's happened so far? Apprehension might be misplaced there. She more wants to do things 'right'. The only problem is, she doesn't know what 'right' is.
2504909 - Periphery
I guess it's more just a matter of preference or familiarity. There's not a lot I could do to change it now anyway unless I wanted to redo the chapter I just posted.
It's difficult to fight against overwhelming fanon such as that, but that's a bit of a stretch. There are other explanations for Sparkler being there with Dinky as well. I mean, Applejack and Sweetie Belle weren't sisters. So I see where you're coming from, but I guess Dinky being Derpy's daughter more works for my.... for my.... *stares blankly at your pictures* Damn it. ..... .......... I'll consider writing Dinky out of the story..........
I'm not a big reader of either Vinyl or Octavia, really. I do enjoy their fanon personalities however. Plus the change of scenery in Forgiveness Pending to Canterlot has allowed me to add a few new ponies in. I think things are going to run smoothly for the Canterlot arc. I'll leave that to you for judgement, however. Although if it makes you feel better, I don't have any major crossovers in this story and am not going to shoehorn anything in like that.
I obviously can't specifically tell anypony what Twilight's thinking in those regards, but that's what I observed from a third person perspective of my story. It's very likely she totally forgot about the rocks. Until now...
Yeah, I totally didn't realize at the time that it was you. Your other name is so... different from the Periphery I know and love. I remember the spork thing though. I'll have to go take a peek later when I get a chance.
2504922 - Periphery
Heh. Irony is that you're right regardless. Mender himself still has a special connection to Fluttershy, with or without the more literal connection. I doubt anypony else could have gotten him to drop the barriers in the barn incident earlier. Mender cares deeply for Fluttershy, and even if the link is technical rather then mystical, does that really matter? More on that later on. Heh. Also, to be a LITTLE spoileriffic, I wouldn't drop all your theories on that yet.
The rocks were never rocks to begin with. They were a camouflage container for the disks that were destroyed when opened. It's safe to assume that you won't be seeing the 'rocks' as rocks anymore.
You draw on a lot of hints there! You rock, Periphery. Don't let anypony tell you otherwise. Yup, there are specifically six disks, they appear to record the Cutie Mark and coat color of the individual, half of which didn't exist in his old dimension, and they appear to only activate for Mender. Although I should probably elaborate that a bit. They DID call him Unit 002. Also, the technology MIGHT be Grosh in origin still. It's never stated so far how much they copied from their enemies.
Sadly, you'll never know if Twilight's reaction would have been different had hers been first. Alas. Although those are two very interesting questions, of course. Can the disks be turned off, and what happens when they're destroyed?
Ha! Yes, Mender can pull Twilight anywhere his consciousness goes when they're mingled like that. He can also choose to detach from her and go alone if desired. Personally, I'm not inclined to believe that Keela's at fault for what happened. The only thing she, as of the current knowledge of the audience, did was fail to claim him prior to doing whatever it is they did intimately. Your judgement call there.
Heh. It was more her applying weight to the wrong spot on him, but yes, I agree. She needs to be more conscious of what she's doing and how it affects others. She's always had that problem, even in the show. She's lucky Pinkie is Pinkie, really. Some might take offense to their friend stalking them, taking detailed notes on them, and then insinuating their crazy because there's no logical evidence for their abilities or behavior.
Well Rarity MIGHT have been embellishing the severity of the heat a bit just to get a rise out of him. Is it wrong for a cultured and civilized society to address a biological problem with a practical solution though? They wouldn't have literally chased him. Rarity was just trolling him. Spike gets sent away too, and usually rooms with Big Mac.
Bearded Dragon? Is that a type of lizard, as in a pet? Or is it a character you had? *confused*
(4/4)
2522949 I........just Googled that. It was something that I never knew. And now I am going to put that on Facebook......as for me being terrible.....
static.neatoshop.com/images/product/85/485/Thats-How-I-Roll_1954-l.jpg?v=1954
2522949
Re. the Week: if Twi's gonna take years, Flutters has plenty of time to warm up to the idea. Didn't mean this Week.
2522949 "That might be fast even for Fluttershy's kindness. It's only a couple weeks away" i have been meaning to ask about the length of a year in the world, you said that he arrived a week or two after the spring heat, (which should be early spring) lived for a week, slept for two weeks and has been awake for about a week. So 5 weeks that would make it June or July should he not have about 8 weeks before the fall heat?
2522956
Keep in mind that we're a good 150,000 or so words in the story. When you're making such an epic long fanfiction, bear in mind that for it to extend to such a length, you need to keep feeding the reader. Even though we're not that far into the story, we're still 150,000 words in, and you need to keep things happening. Description means next to nothing if there's no context--nothing to keep the reader interested. I'm not trying to say this critically, moreso as a reminder that you're making a LONG story. Character development should happen quicker than you may intend. And, again, take this as an idea or advice, not criticism; I still need to catch up, so it's not my call.
2522957 Well personally, I've always thought that in Equestria, sex in general probably isn't something that's ever been frowned upon or treated as "evil" as it has been and still is in our society. I mean given that Celestia is their ruler and whatever moral code they follow is likely based on her teachings, I highly doubt that there would be any incidences of her followers misconstruing sex as something that should be looked upon with shame. This in addition to the fact that Equestria is a matriarchal society, so the common practice in our world of making girls feel ashamed of their bodies is most likely unheard of there, makes for a rather liberal view of sexuality in my opinion. So I don't really see why Twilight would have any reason for being so apprehensive about it, aside from her own insecurity. I mean lets be honest here: In modern relationships, couples usually have sex within a matter of weeks or months, as long as nothing like religious beliefs are holding them back. So the idea that Twilight is thinking of dating Mender for YEARS before they have sex is kind of a bit unreasonable. Hell, even Christian couples would most likely be having sex after the first year or two, seeing as how they'd probably be married by then.
2522956 Mature side story you say?
Anyways, always great that you respond to the comments, it's absolutely awesome.
2522956
I dare say I've been around since Chapter 1 or 2 of MP, and it was something that caught my eye and interest rather quickly, I'll have to check when my first comment was to confirm, also, agreed on the friends part!
(Edit: Chapter 1! 67 weeks and 5 days ago! 131903 )
Ahh yes, flipped cycle, completely skipped my mind, either way I hope she wasn't waiting expectantly for a reply because well, I don't wanna see her disappointed, oddly enough.
Good to know about Twilight and the whole mind/energy invasion thing, would have me disappointed in her otherwise.
True he did, and I suspect that is a key reason (of a few I presume) of her apparent interest in him. In regards to the alien thing, I would think that it might help that he was her species too. Curious, any other pony mention that comment?
Oh right, thanks for the reminder (again!), I kinda forgot to read back about that in MP. I do tend to wonder what the reaction will be on RDs part. Can't wait for the info on the links, also, interesting? You and your teasers!
I have no doubt Twi will improve, hopefully the brain to mouth filter will be sooner rather than later.
As for Rarity, I'm still not convinced that there isn't some sort of attraction to him that she's not letting on about.
Glad she will be, she has grown on me rapidly and I find myself rooting for her to have something with Mender that lasts beyond the possible connection to her dimension; possibly leading her to joining Mender in Equestria, don't think Nirru would be pleased with that though. I'm not really that much of a "long" reviewer, the chapters only sometimes move me to type a wall of text that happens to be a natural crit. I definitely don't see myself as on par with Periphery or ExplosiveBrohoof, those two are simply awesome in their analysis and deductions, however I appreciate the compliment none-the-less