//------------------------------// // Apple Pie part 2 // Story: Apple of My Eye // by musicalreader //------------------------------// Chapter 5- Apple Pie Pt. 2 AKA: Make Your Own Punny Title, I Got Nothing… Applejack and Orion walked in silence up the dirt road leading to Sweet Apple Acres. He was starting to get a little antsy though. He was trying to keep his promise not to stretch his wings out, and it was driving him nuts. Seeing that he was uncomfortable, Applejack decided to break the silence that had grown between them since leaving the boutique. “If ya wanna go for a short glide, ya can. It doesn’t matter if yer flyin’, Ah just don’t want ya flexing them wings of yers in front of everypony, specially not Applebloom… ya hear?” she said, her accent growing heavier as they walked. Orion wondered if it just came out stronger when she wasn’t around her other friends… “I got it AJ.” He said, jumping into the air and beating his wings until he was at a reasonable height to start circling around. It felt good to fly now that he had wings… Maybe that was why Rainbow Dash was always flying… He touched down after a few more minutes, the top of what was clearly a bright red barn breaking over the top of the hills on their left as they got closer to the main gate of the farm. “Hey Applejack, how come it’s a bad thing for me to flex my wings anyway?” he asked, not for the first time, “I know you said Rainbow Dash would probably be able to tell me, but if it’s something you’re not supposed to do, I’d like to know sooner rather than later.” Applejack sighed, pressing a hoof to the bridge of her muzzle, “It just ain’t proper. Something’s just aren’t done cuz of what they hint at. Fer Pegasus stallions, stretchin’ yer wings is one of em. Matter of fact, that grabbin’ thing you keep doing ain’t too proper either.” “Grabbing thing?” he wondered out loud… “You mean when I hug somepony else?” “Is that whatcha call it?” AJ responded, raising an eyebrow, “Where’d ya even learn that?” “Princess Luna would do that to me whenever one of us went off to go do something else… Kind of like saying goodbye she said.” He answered, suddenly wondering if maybe he should have taken his social cues from somepony that wasn’t a thousand years out of date… “Well that ain’t what it means nowadays… Granny Smith sees you doing that, she’s liable to chuck the mill stone at yer head.” The orange mare said candidly, laughing a bit to herself, “I can’t wait ta tell Rarity and Fluttershy that you thought you were just being friendly.” “So what does it actually mean?” he asked, trying to get her to stop avoiding the question. “It’s kina hard to put into words, honestly, I don’t even get half the stuff about pegasi, just what I pick up on from Rainbow’s pals when they come to the market… tell ya what, after dinner, why don’t ya go on down to the library and ask Twi fer a book about it. She’s probably got somethin’ that can help ya.” Applejack answered, shutting down any further attempts from Orion to bring up the subject. As they crossed the threshold at the gate, Orion noticed that a majority of the trees that were always shown bearing fruit were completely bare. “What happened to the apples?” he asked, motioning with his hoof, “I thought it was spring around here.” “Yeah… It is Spring…” Applejack answered, looking at him funny, “But that don’t mean all the trees around here are gonna start growin’ apples at once. We’d never be able to collect em all if that were the case. Right now it’s the Southern Orchard that’s giving us the apples. The Eastern Orchard is starting to bloom, and they’ll be ready fer harvest after we’ve finished with the Southern ones, then the Northern Orchard after that. It’s on a rotation thing ya see?” “Oh… so that’s how you guys are able to keep fresh apples stocked year round?” Orion guessed. “Eeyup…” A deep voice said from next to them, Big Macintosh standing over Applejack, but just about eye level with Orion. “Holy crap!” Orion yelled, jumping into the air and hovering for a few seconds before lowering himself to the ground. “How the hay did you sneak up on us?” “Now watch yer language there youngin’…” an aged voice called out from the farm house, “I might not hear everything like Ah used to, but I can pick up when a young stallion’s usin’ words he’s got no right usin’…” “Granny” Applejack called out, trying not to laugh at Orion’s embarrassment and failing miserably, “We got us a guest fer awhile! Princess Luna sent him ta live here in Ponyville and Ah said we could board him ‘til he gets a place of his own!” “Well alrighty then youngin’, Ah’ll set another place fer supper.” “Sorry for scaring you like that fella.” Big Macintosh said, his low voice as calm as he looked, and his voice missing the distinctive accent that the rest of the Apple family seemed to display, “Not often we get visitors out here I haven’t seen around town before. Figured you might be a new friend of AJ’s, so I came over to say hi, and when I head you all talking about the apples, I figured I’d put my two cents in.” “Huh… Well that’s cool… Creepy, but cool.” He answered, scratching the back of his head with a wing before extending his hoof for Big Macintosh. “Name’s Orion, like Applejack said, she offered me a place to stay at your home until I can find somewhere else, I’ll try not to stay too long and be a bother.” Big Mac simply nodded, tapping his fore hoof against Orion’s and smiling in that tired way that any blue collar worker seems to have. “Don’t worry about being a burden. If I know AJ, and I do, then you’ll be running errands for us until you’re out of here. Besides, the Apples pride themselves on hospitality.” “Well alright then…” Orion responded, surprised that Big Mac, the famously quiet farmer, had just made not one, but two mini speeches. Just how inaccurate was the show anyway? “So do you normally get visitors?” “Nope.” “So you pride yourselves on hospitality, but you don’t normally entertain guests?” “Eeyup.” “………Do you normally talk in one word answers?” “Eeyup.” “Are you just screwing with me?” “Nope.” Apparently the show wasn’t that inaccurate after all… “Ain’t no use trying ta get more out of him than that. Big Mac only really talks when he’s got somethin’ ta say. AJ interjected, again, failing to hide her laughter at Orion’s expense. Orion groaned and smacked himself in the face with a wing… and managing to run smack into a tree while his vision was obscured. His vision swam for the second time in as many days, and his eyes started to resemble those of a certain gray mail-mare. He picked himself up off the ground and started to catch up to the two laughing apple farmers, only wobbling slightly as he tried to get the world to stop being inhabited by duplicates of everything. “Is he always like that?” Big Mac asked his little sister. “Eeyup.” She replied, smirking at him as her friend finally managed to walk in a straight line long enough to catch up. “Ughhh… I just don’t know what went wrong… that tree came out of nowhere.” Orion groaned, his wingtips massaging his temples. “That tree’s been here almost as long as Granny Smith.” Applejack replied jokingly, “If anything, it’s thinkin’ that ya’ll are the one that came out of nowhere.” “Eeyup.” Big Mac agreed. V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V “That dinner was delicious Granny Smith!” Orion exclaimed, after having eaten almost as much as Big Macintosh. Hey, you run around Ponyville and run into a tree and see if you’re not hungry… “Ain’t no trouble at all youngin’.” The Apple family matriarch responded, “Now, Applejack says yer new here in town. Did she give yah a tour of the place yet?” “Yes Ma’am, AJ and her friends showed me around town all afternoon. Though I’m pretty sure a good chunk of that was dealing with city hall and Rarity making me something to wear.” He admitted, smiling. After introducing himself to the elder of Sweet Apple Acres, the four of them sat down to a gorgeous spread of Apple Pie, Apple Fritters, Apple fries, Apple juice, and celery. Apple Bloom was missing because she was having a Cutie Mark Crusaders sleepover at Sweetie Belle’s place. “That’s good. I’d have a whole heap of chores ready if one of my own weren’t being good hosts.” Granny Smith said, glaring at her two oldest grandchildren, “Speakin’ of which, what are ya gonna be doin’ around town to earn yer bits?” “Well, I have a job at Sugar Cube Corner starting tomorrow, but once I figure out what my special talent is, who knows.” He answered. “Well, if yah ever find that yah need some work to do, Ah know these two can always use some help.” Granny Smith said, smiling and getting up from the table, “And speakin’ of chores, everypony helps with the dishes, so let’s get them goin’.” V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V After the dishes had been finished, Orion took off flying for the library. It had gotten dark out while they had dinner, and he was starting to see the first few stars of the night come out. As he glided over the darkening landscape, he couldn’t help but admire the beauty of the small town. There were only a few businesses open at this point in the evening, but almost every home was letting out light as the families caught up and rested from their days. Ahead of him, he saw the all too familiar shape of the Golden Oak’s Library. He alighted on the ground softly and knocked at the front door. When the door opened, he was surprised to see that it was Spike… but he didn’t look much like the short, round, baby dragon from the show. He was easily as tall as Orion, and his snout was longer and his spines were actually spikier… and to top it off, he had wings! “Can I help you?” Spike asked, his voice still retaining that youthful note despite his more grown up appearance. “Uhhh… yeah…” Orion eloquently answered, his brain still trying to catch up to the fact that Spike wasn’t anything like he’d expected. “You must be new… Don’t worry, I’m a dragon, but I’m one of the nice ones that don’t eat ponies. Name’s Spike by the way....” The green librarian said sarcastically, cracking a friendly smile and showing off some of his rather pointy teeth. “Oh, sorry about that… you just surprised me is all… I knew there was a dragon working here named Spike, but you look different than I thought you would…” Orion answered evasively, “Anyway, I was wondering if Twilight was around? I need to find a book about… well I guess you could call it body language.” “No problem dude. Come on in. Twilight’s out at one of her friend’s places right now, but I’m the one that does most of the shelving, so I’m probably better help anyway.” He replied, opening the door fully and inviting the grey pegasus inside the giant tree. The interior was thankfully similar to the show. There was a central table for studying, and there was a wall of books that circled from one side of the door to the other, the only break being at a couple staircases that led up to Twilight’s living quarters and a staircase that led to the basement. The only part that was really different was another door next to the basement steps that Orion assumed would take one to another section of the library. “Here we are!” Spike said, clambering down a ladder holding a medium sized book with a red cloth cover and gold lettering along the spine. “The Language of Wings” Orion said out loud. “Awesome! This sounds perfect!” “Cool, then in that case I’ll check it out from our system and it’ll be due in three weeks.” Spike said, giving Orion another jagged toothed grin, “So what brings you to Ponyville?” he asked conversationally, as he bagged the book for Orion. “Well, I moved to Equestria not too long ago, and I was staying in Canterlot with Princess Luna. Then she sent me down here to Ponyville today.” He answered, looking around at some of the details of the library he had missed, and also trying to be as evasive about himself as he could. “Cool!” Spike said enthusiastically, putting the bag on the counter for Orion to grab when he was ready to leave, “So what’s your name anyway? And what do you think of Ponyville so far?” “My name’s Orion, and it’s pretty cool. I got a job with the Cake’s, I’m staying at Applejack’s place for now, and I’m just happy to be here… It’s a lot nicer than where I came from.” Orion said, “I just need to find something to do for fun around here. Pinkie mentioned something about a club… I’m thinking I’ll check it out as soon as I figure out where it is.” “Oh you’re talking about the Broken Note.” Spike said, nodding his head sagely, “That’s a pretty cool place, not gonna lie, just be careful. Mares apparently like to mess with a Stallion’s drink if he’s not looking. Nopony’s dumb enough to try that with a dragon, but if you’re gonna go, bring a friend unless you want to deal with foals. Especially this time of year.” “What about this time of year?” Orion asked, getting a little worried at the tone Spike’s voice took on at the last part. “It’s Spring, so about half the mares in town will probably be in heat. And since there’s not a lot of stallions in Ponyville, it’s kind of a free for all with the single ones.” “So what… should I carry a stick with me or something?” Orion asked sarcastically, pretty sure that Spike was just messing with the new guy. Sure he’d read about what could happen if a mare was in heat, but he doubted that one would go so far as to be forceful. “Well, Caramel and Big Macintosh seem to prefer MACE when they go out, but I guess a stick would work too.” Spike said seriously, “In any case, you should be fine for now, things don’t start getting crazy until about the beginning of summer.” Orion got a sinking feeling in his gut that Spike wasn’t pulling his leg… “You’re serious?” he asked incredulously. “Yep. Most places don’t have the same kind of stuff to worry about, but supply and demand you know? Manehattan has about an even number of the sexes, so nothing too special happens there, Ponyville though… totally different story. Seriously, there’ve been times that I haven’t seen Big Mac for weeks, because he had to hide from about half the town.” Spike explained, his face never showing anything other than a serious expression. “That sounds… I don’t even know… funny? Scary? Something like that…” Orion said, his wings flapping nervously as he listened and imagined having to hide from a roaming group of Mares. “Well, I wouldn’t worry about it too much. You’re staying with the Apples, so I’m sure Big Mac will teach you a few things about avoiding anything you don’t want.” Spike reassured him, smiling softly and placing his arm around Orion’s withers in a friendly manner. “Anyway, if you’re looking for something to do tonight, I hear that they’re having half price night at the Broken Note, if you don’t feel like dancing, there’s a couple bars on the outskirts of town you might want to check out. “Actually Spike, I think I’m gonna go back to the farm and get some rest. I start work at Sugar Cube Corner tomorrow, and I’d rather not show up tired or hung over you know?” Orion said, stowing away the information about the local watering holes for later use. “Well, you have a good night then.” Spike said, showing Orion to the door and seeing him out. Orion took off into the night sky, soon out of sight among the clouds that had drifted in from the Everfree Forest. Spike closed the door and was starting to go upstairs when he realized that the bag with the book Orion had wanted was still on the counter. “Crud… I’m probably gonna have to run that over to him tomorrow… Oh well, what’s one more errand from the usual list Twilight leaves.” Spike said, shrugging and heading up to the room he shared with Twilight, petting Pee Wee as he walked past his stand. “He seems like a nice enough guy too. Be cool to have another dude hanging around this town.” V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V “INCOMING!” Orion hit the deck as soon as he could, a twenty pound sack of flour sailing overhead, shortly followed by Pinkie Pie… for the umpteenth time that day… “Dangit Pinkie!” Orion hollered, checking on the cupcake’s he’d been charged with icing. “Can’t you test that cannon in your room?!” “Well yeah, I could, but then you wouldn’t be able to see the new stuff I did to it!” She replied, picking herself up off the floor. “Besides, Pound and Pumpkin are safe, and I’m firing at a safe target.” “You just painted a target on the wall with red icing! And something tells me that the Cake’s wouldn’t think their kids are too safe with your party cannon going off in the kitchen, and their kids being protected behind a donut box bunker!” “Oh relax silly!” Pinkie responded, waving her hoof at him nonchalantly, “The twins are fine. HEY POUND! PUMPKIN! YOU GUYS ARE ALRIGHT AREN’T YA?” “YOU KNOW IT PINKIE!” Pound yelled back, taking his helmet off and looking over the top of the wall of filled donut boxes, “TRY THE NEW COOKIE DOUGH SHELLS NEXT! GUMMY SEEMED TO LIKE THOSE!” “ON IT!” Pinkie shouted. How no one in the front of the store was bothered by this was beyond Orion. It was his first day on the job, and already Orion was considering asking about hazard pay. The Cake’s had been nice and showed him how to properly ice the cupcakes in the shop. Cup Cake had wanted him to stand outside of the shop to advertise, but Carrot had insisted he learn to do some of the kitchen work so that he could help his wife at the front counter. It had even been a pretty nice job for awhile. He had some time alone with his thoughts, quietly icing the baked goods, even getting creative a couple times, and after the Cake’s had checked on him after the first hour, they’d been pleased with his work… ………. Then Pinkie Pie came in off her lunch break… So far the casualty rate was three dozen cupcakes blown off the counter by a rogue wad of confetti and glitter, two pies and a tray of candy canes lost to Pinkie’s appetite alone, and he had taken a direct hit from one of the experimental rounds Pinkie had affectionately dubbed the Cookie Dough Fuster Cluck… While he was using a shower out in behind the shop to wash off the cookie dough that had stuck itself in his fur and feathers, Pound and Pumpkin Cake had come back from school and set up Fort Cookie, and from then on, he had been lucky to get through even a half dozen cupcakes without having to avoid ordinance or Pinkie or BOTH! While he finished the cupcakes that he could and put them in a relatively safe place, (there was no actually safe place form Pinkie Pie) he went out to the front to ask the Cakes if it was alright for him to take a break. “But you just started hitting a really good stride sweetie!” Cup Cake protested, “Why would you want to take a break now?” Before he could answer, a loud blast echoed from the kitchen, a white cloud exploding out and the twins, Gummy, and Pinkie all stumbled out covered in what could only be twenty pounds of flower. They all looked at one another and hit the floor laughing. “Ahh… Yeah… forgot to warn you about how to deal with that…” Mrs. Cake said, grinning nervously, “Well at least they didn’t get started on the sprinkle rounds…” “You’re right… they were too busy shooting off the CDFC shells.” Orion answered dryly. “The CD’s are what now?” Carrot Cake said, walking over to see his kids and one of his employees looking like ghosts. “The Cookie Dough Fuster Cluck.” Orion explained, realizing that he had just abbreviated the name for the newest menace to baked goods warfare. “Orion! Language!” Cup said, glaring at him and shooting her gaze over to the twins, who were still doubled over on their sides laughing at each other. “No no, That’s the name Pinkie gave it. Then she shot me with it.” he explained, not wanting to lose his new job over a misunderstanding. “Oh… well in that case, I don’t see why you can’t take a break while Pinkie finishes up your job. Were there any other casualties in the kitchen?” After listing the baked goods that had fallen prey to Pinkie’s obsession with her party cannon, Mr. Cake suggested that Orion just take the rest of the day off. “Don’t worry about cleaning up any of the mess. Pinkie knows that if she destroys more than two trays of anything that she has to clean up by herself.” He explained, “And here’s your cut of the tips for today.” Carrot slipped him a small cloth bag of bits, which Orion accepted grudgingly. He didn’t feel right taking money from the cakes without putting in a full day’s work. But then Mr. Cake pointed out that he still had some cookie dough and glitter in his hair, and Orion felt better about accepting the money. “Maybe I should get my hair cut…” he mused out loud. His mane was, after all, pretty long, even Fluttershy’s hair looked like it was a bit shorter than his. And even though it was pulled back in a neat ponytail, he still couldn’t help but think that people were staring at him. “There’s a place right around the corner that gives a pretty good manecut.” Carrot Cake suggested, pointing just up the road to a sign bearing a picture of a pony silhouette with their mane flowing behind them. “Normally I’d suggest the barber I use, but something tells me you don’t want a buzz.” “Thanks Mr. Cake. I’ll see you guys tomorrow. What time do you want me here?” Orion asked, turning to his employer and smiling. Everypony was so friendly so far. “Well, tomorrow we’re actually having a special celebration. Since it’s the tenth anniversary of Sugar Cube Corner, we’re going to be staying open for an entire 24 hours. Would you mind popping in during the evening to cover the night shift? There’s not a lot of ponies that will be out anyway, so it should be perfect for you until your pace improves a bit more.” “No problem sir. So, stop by around 5 then?” “Yeah, that’ll work fine.” Mr. Cake agreed, ducking as a stream of donuts sailed over his head from inside the shop. “I have to get going now, looks like Pinkie set off the Glazed Goods Gatling, I gotta go do damage control now. See you tomorrow Orion!” Given the thing’s he’d seen just in that afternoon, Orion knew there wasn’t any point in sticking around. He knew it would only get weirder if he stayed. Instead, he set off up the street, careful not to stretch his wings as he wandered towards the mane stylist Carrot Cake had pointed out. Before he could get half way though, he was sideswiped by what he could only describe as a Technicolor blur. “Holy Horse Feathers! I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” The blur said, as Orion’s eyes spun in their sockets from the impact. Seriously, was this becoming a daily occurrence? The sun comes up, the rooster crows, Orion gets hit by something heavy? “It’s alright… I should have been watching out for ponies zooming around like a bat out of hell.” He said sarcastically, standing up on wobbly legs, amazed that nothing seemed seriously injured. “Well ya don’t have to be angry about it…” Rainbow Dash said, pouting on the ground with her hooves crossed in front of her chest. “I said I was sorry.” “It’s whatever…” Orion finally said, not too bothered by the whole thing now that he knew he wasn’t injured. “What were you flying so fast for anyway?” “I was practicing a new trick and I lost control.” Dash said, standing up and looking a little better now that Orion wasn’t being a jerk, “Tried to stop, but you know how it is with wings… you get going at a certain speed, and if you try and brake too soon, you’re likely to tear ‘em out of their sockets.” Orion grimaced. He’d been subjected to a fair amount of gruesome images about flying injuries when Luna was teaching him about flying, “Well, good thing you’re not hurt. Love to talk, but I have to go get my mane cut.” “Whoa whoa whoa there speedy.” Dash cut off, blocking his path, “Why you in a rush huh?” “Because I just spent the afternoon as an accidental target for Pinkie’s newest Party Cannon ordinance, and I’m pretty sure that if I don’t get my mane cut, somepony’s going to think I’m the new filly on the block.” “Why in Equestria would you want to get your mane cut darling?” an all too familiar voice said from behind Orion, “I saw Rainbow Dash slam into you, and I wanted to see if you were alright, but you’re clearly delirious if you want to cut your beautiful mane.” “I gotta agree with Rarity on that one dude.” Rainbow added. “I normally don’t go for the whole long hair thing, cuz it gets in the way if you’re flying, but it looks good on you. Seriously, you’ll have a special somepony in no time with the way you look, don’t go messing with that.” “As uncouth as Dashie normally is, she’s right darling. You’ll have many a wandering eye on you with your looks and build… if you absolutely insist on getting it cut, at least come with me to somewhere that isn’t Mane Street Stylists…” Rarity said, gesturing at the store Orion was heading towards before Dash slammed into him, “Honestly, their styles are entirely out of season, and gaudy to make it even worse.” “Uhhh… okay… I guess.” He said hesitantly, counting the bits in the bag from Carrot Cake, “But I’ve only got like, twenty bits, so it can’t be anywhere that expensive.” “That’s more than enough for a simple styling session at the spa dear, and while we’re there, you can stretch those wings of yours out and get the most wonderful massage you’ve ever had.” Rarity said, smiling kindly at him. “Dash, you’re coming too. I insist that you go and get a hooficure for once, and I will not take no for an answer.” “Come on Rarity! You know I hate having other ponies touching my hooves!” Rainbow exclaimed, “Besides, it’s bad enough you’re dragging Orion to that place, but do you really have to drag TWO awesome pegasi with you? All they’re gonna do is snip a few split ends, maybe show him a different way to brush his mane, then stretch him out and start rubbing him down with oil and… his wings might get worked over too… all spread out and stuff……..” As her mini tirade trickled off, the sky colored mare slowly turned a darker shade of blue, then finally took on a reddish hue not unlike Fluttershy and Applejack had yesterday. “Shall I take it then, that you’re alright with me dragging you both to the spa?” Rarity asked, shooting a knowing grin at her friend, which to Orion looked like a cat that had its prey right where it wanted it… Rainbow Dash nodded, opening her mouth in a crooked grin like she had just had the best idea ever. “I think that’s an awesome idea Rarity… But we should probably stay in the same room as Orion through the whole thing… you know, make sure he gets the best service those spa ponies offer…” “I think that’s a wonderful idea Dash. Come along now, both of you.” Rarity said, clapping her hooves in excitement and starting off towards the spa. Orion tried sneaking off, but he was stopped by an outstretched wing. “Oh no you don’t big guy… you’re coming with us…” Rainbow said, laughing and giving Orion a gentle shove to follow the alabaster fashionista. Seeing no other way out, he followed. V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V Orion had to admit, even though he hadn’t gotten much done about his mane. A minor trim was all the spa ponies were willing to do even after he told them that he wanted it cut short, they had mumbled something about it being a crime to do anything more than clean up the split ends and trim about an inch off. Then Rarity had insisted on using her frequent visitor’s points to treat him to a massage while her and Rainbow Dash sat getting their hooves done and stared at him. He had to admit, the massage felt amazing, especially after they got to his wings… but his two friends watching him like a hawk just kind of killed the mood. He still felt weird about stretching his wings out after being told by Applejack that it wasn’t considered polite, but Dash’s wings were stretched out too while she watched him, so maybe it was just Applejack messing with him. He almost asked Rainbow Dash what it meant for a stallion to stretch their wings out, but she had started drooling by that point, so he figured the hooficure was something else, and he didn’t want to interrupt that. He was heading back towards the farm by this point, and the sun was starting to get closer to the horizon. He crossed the threshold of the main gate, and was about to go inside the house when a voice called out his name. He turned around to see none other than Derpy Hooves sitting in the dirt at the bottom of the steps. “Are you Orion Borealis?” she asked, her face scrunching up as she looked between the label on a box in her hooves and him underneath was a red book, “I have a package for you if you are.” “Uhhh, yeah. I’m Orion.” He answered, unsure of whether or not he should address her by name. Even though the show had addressed her as Derpy, it had been wrong about Spike, who was to say. “Cool. If you could just stamp this for me, I can give these to you.” She said, smiling and holding out a clipboard with an ink pad at the bottom. He pressed his hoof to the pad and then to the large square at the bottom of the form. Apparently that was the right response, because the next thing he knew, Derpy shoved the package and the book at him and started to take off for her next delivery. “Damn… never even got a chance to ask her name…” he mumbled to himself as he went inside the farm house, cradling the package under his wing. “Who are you?” a small voice said as he entered, startling Orion out of his private reverie. Sitting on the couch in the living room was Applebloom, Scootaloo, and even Sweetie Belle. Sticks and mud in their manes, and their coats spotted with what was hopefully berry juice and not blood. “Uh… I’m Orion… I just moved to town and your sister is letting me stay with you guys until I can get a place of my own.” He responded, still taking in the mess the girls were covered in. “That’s cool. Ah’m Applebloom, this here’s Sweetie Belle, and that’s Scootaloo.” The youngest Apple responded, smiling and pointing at her friends in turn. They all seemed older than the show portrayed them. If he had to guess, he’d say that they would be about in upper middle school if they were human children. “Whoa!” Sweetie Belle said, her eyes growing wide for a moment as she looked at Orion, “You’re a blank flank too!” “Hey, you are... but yer a grownup… Oh NO! Gils, do you know what this means! We might be blank flanks forever like Orion!” Applebloom wailed, covering her eyes with her hooves as looks of terror came over all three of the crusaders. “Hold on girls… you won’t be blank flanks forever…” Orion said, trying to stop the impending flood of tears, “I’m not originally from Equestria you see. Where I’m from, most ponies don’t have a cutie mark. It doesn’t mean I can’t get one, it just means that I need to figure out what my talent is first.” “You mean you don’t know what your talent is either?” Scootaloo said, looking a bit hopeful. “But how come you’re not sad about not having one?” “It doesn’t mean I don’t have one… it just means that I haven’t figured out what it is yet. Where I’m from, a lot of ponies go through life without knowing what they’re special talent is, so it’s normal to not go out of your way to look for it. Since I’m moving here though, I’m going to try and find out what mine is. You’ll get yours soon enough, don’t worry.” “Ah guess that makes sense… but how are ya gonna go lookin’ for yer talent?” Applebloom asked, sniffling but not crying. “I know! Why doesn’t he join us?!” Sweetie Belle said, her voice layered with so many sweet intentions that it would have given him diabetes if that were a thing in this world. He’d asked Luna, it wasn’t. “Yeah! Then we’d have an adult that could help us try the stuff Applejack says is too dangerous fer fillies!” Applebloom exclaimed, high fiving Sweetie Belle and grinning, all traces of their previous sadness now completely gone. “I wonder if he could help us figure out why our zipline failed and we could give it another go!” Scootaloo added, joining her friends in a huddle that was so full of energy, Orion was surprised they hadn’t blasted off through the roof yet. “Maybe you should ask Applejack first girls… I still have work I have to do, and I still need to get settled into town first.” He said, trying to avoid getting roped into something like Cutie Mark Crusaders Extreme Sports Players or something. He started inching his way along the wall towards the stairs, making a break for it as they continued to discuss the merits of having an adult join their club. When he was finally in the room the Apples had given him, he decided to see who would have sent him a package. Looking at the royal seal in place of the normal postage stamp, he could only assume it was either Luna or Celestia. He opened the box and saw a small crystal with a hole bored into the base, and a pair of headphones not unlike the ones he’d seen on a poster for Vinyl Scratch when he was in Canterlot. The only other thing in the box was a small scroll, which he unfurled with his hoof, and read quickly. Dear Orion, Celestia heard from Twilight that you’re settling in well, though you’re apparently a bit “touchy feely” when saying your goodbye’s to others. I can only assume that is partially y fault for not explaining some of the minutiae of body language in Equestria. Don’t worry about any misunderstandings, just go to the library at the first chance and check out a book called The Language of Wings. This should explain the things I forgot to cover while you were at the castle. Also, I remember you saying that you would miss the music from Earth, so I used my magic to get a hold of your “lap top” and then Celestia helped me pull the music off of it and stored it into this crystal. You can thank Cadence for the crystal when you get a chance, and to use it, you simply plug the headphones into the crystal, then say the name of the song you want to hear. It should always play at the volume you want, and responds to your moods. Just a small parting gift until I get time away from the castle to visit you down in Ponyville. Hope everything’s going well. Yours, Princess Luna P.S. Feel free to send me a letter sometime via Spike… Hint, hint… Orion chuckled to himself a little at Luna’s obvious attempt to get him to communicate. And she was right, he should probably tell her about his first day, and some of the crazier things he’d heard about the mares in this town. But first, he had to test this crystal out! He plugged the headphones in, the crystal glowing a soft green, not unlike the color of his eyes. He put the earphones on and said the first song that came to mind. "Play Spring..." Instantly, the soothing sounds took hold of him and he flopped onto the bed, relaxing at the familiar sounds. His mind started to drift into the void, and he was almost asleep when the sound of tiny hooves pounding on the floor outside his room pierced through the music. He sighed and got up, putting his vest on and sliding the crystal into one of the pockets so that he could listen to his music some more when he wanted to later. He opened the door to see the CMC running down the hall towards what he had been told was Applebloom’s room. The only thing he was able to make out as they tore off down the hallway was Sweetie Belle telling them that Rarity had said to play quietly. Great… Orion thought, Did she follow me back to make sure I didn’t take scissors to my mane? He walked down the stairs to see not only Rarity, but also the rest of the Mans 6, sans Pinkie, sitting around the living room chatting while Applejack brought out a tray of iced tea. “And Darling, you should have seen him earlier this afternoon… Oooohhhh… I love watching a stallion get worked over, but he does this thing when they got to his waist… it was just so, well, sexy!” Rarity was saying in an enthusiastic whisper, “And the best part is, I don’t think he knows what he looks like!” “Who looks like what?” Orion said, coming down the stairs, wondering what his friends were talking about. Apparently it was girl stuff, because all five of the mares sitting in the living room turned a deep shade of red when he walked in, “Or, maybe it’s none of my business…” he said, hoping that he hadn’t just made another faux pas. “It’s alright Orion, maybe it’ll teach Rarity not to gossip.” Twilight said, the first of the girls to return to her normally composed self, “How did you like your first day at Sugar Cube Corner? And did you get that book from Spike you left last night?” “Oh, so that’s what the book was… Yeah, the mail mare came here not too long ago and gave me a book and this thing from Luna.” He said, pulling his music crystal out of his pocket and showing it to the purple librarian and her friends. “Oh my goodness it’s lovely!” Rarity said, “But dear, why on earth are you hiding a gem like that in your pocket?” “It’s not a gem Rarity, it’s a crystal. From the looks of it, I’d say it has music engrained in it via magical imprinting.” Twilight said, cutting off Orion who was about to say almost the exact same thing. “See? He even has headphones hooked up to it. Can I see it Orion?” “Uhhh… sure, I guess so… just be careful. It’s got a bunch of songs from home that I can’t find here in Equestria.” Orion said, holding the crystal out for Twilight to grab with her magic. “I wouldn’t worry about breaking it anytime soon, these gems are specifically reinforced to not crack unless you manage to practically drop the moon on it.” Twilight said nonchalantly. V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V Many miles away Canterlot Castle, Luna looked up from the book she was reading as she prepared to raise the moon for her night to begin. “Tia? Did you hear something? I could swear somepony said something about me….” She asked, looking across to her sister, who was enjoying a lovely piece of cake and tea. “No Lulu, we’ve been over this before. If somepony else in the story makes a joke that could refer to us, the author will write in that you have some kind of response for comedic effect.” Celestia responded, not even cracking a smile as she quite effectively shattered the fourth wall. “What author? Tia, did you hire another ghost writer for your autobiography?” Luna asked, a confused look on her usually regal face. “Nothing Luna, don’t worry about it. I’m causing the writer enough stress by mentioning it and breaking the fourth wall anyway.” Damnit Celestia, can you at least lower the omnipotence for the purposes of the story? “No, sorry about that though. If I ‘lowered it’, then I wouldn’t be a very good Omnipotent Goddess now would I?” “Sister? Are you talking to yourself?” Luna asked. “Yes dear, now eat your moon pie and go start your night.” Celestia said. “You should be careful of that sister… That is what happened before I became Nightmare Moon, I started talking to myself, convinced that there was somepony there with me called Rider.” She means “writer” “Yes, I know. Now get back to Sweet Apple Acres.” Jerk “Nonsensical hack” You have a fat flank “Well I can do magic and fly, what do you have?!” ………At least people can’t make Sarah Jessica Parker Jokes about me…… “YOU TAKE THAT BACK!” Celestia yelled, blasting a hole in the wall opposite her. Ok ok ok ok! Just don’t point that thing at me! “Deal. Now get back to the story.” Princess Luna, having only heard half of this discussion, was of course concerned about her sister, but figured that when one is older than at least one Millennium if not multiple ones, and responsible for raising the sun over an entire world, minor episodes like that were understandable… V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V “Oh my, it’s so beautiful though… Orion, can you activate it for us?” Fluttershy asked softly, her eyes growing wide as she stared at the crystal. “Sure… let me think of a song though… Luna said that it’ll play the perfect song to fit any mood, but I want a good song to start you guys off on… I got it.” He then put the headphones on Fluttershy and put the crystal close to his mouth, saying evenly, “Play Elements of Harmonics.” From her reaction, he assumed it was safe to say that she enjoyed the music. Seeing that she had started smiling and moving her head back and forth to the beat, he turned to Applejack. “Do you know where your brother is AJ? I wanted to talk to him about a couple things.” “Well, he should be comin’ in any minute now. He usually does after workin’ all day.” She responded, and sure enough, not two seconds after she finished, Big Macintosh stepped into the room and looked at the group of girls and Orion and nodded his head, walking to the kitchen to get a drink. Orion followed him into the kitchen and sat down at the table across from him. “Hey Big Mac, I was wondering… I talked to Spike last night, and he said that during Spring and Summer a bunch of the mares in town go crazy… he even said that you went into hiding for a couple weeks one time to avoid a small army of them looking for you… is that true? Or was Spike pulling my leg?” “Eeyup.” Big Mac answered solemnly. “So he was joking?” Orion asked hopefully. “Nope.” “So the mares around here really go nuts when they’re in heat?” “Eeyup.” “Is it bad?” “Depends” was all that the red farmer said as he sipped on a tall glass of water and munched on a couple of pretzels. “On what?” Orion asked. “How many of ‘em want you.” Big Macintosh said, “See, around here, there’s about one of us for every five or so of them. Of that 20 percent, about half or more are married and seen as off limits. You and I are in the 6-10 percent of the population in Ponyville. That’s about 50 or so of us altogether. You put us 50 or so up against a small army of about 600 some odd mares, and every Stallion in Ponyville has an average of about 12 mares that are possible mates. Though there is room for fluctuations depending on tastes, availability, and just how bad the heat gets each season. Oh, and of course, you can’t forget to factor in the 10 point hotness scale mares around town use.” Orion’s eyes bugged out of his head at not only everything that Big Mac was saying, but the fact that Big Mac WAS saying it… seriously, who knew there was such a thing as fancy mathematics and Big Mac could actually use it… “That...... That’s a lot to take in…” Orion said numbly, Maybe moving to Ponyville was more dangerous than staying on Earth after all… “Wait… you said there’s a ten point scale? So if somepony was low on that scale, do you think they’d be safe?” “Mmmmmm… it’s possible… but you’d have to ask some mares about where you fall to know for sure.” Big Mac conceded, finishing his snack. “In any case, I wouldn’t sweat it too much… you got wings, so worse comes to worse, you can just fly away.” “What if I’m at a bar and one of them tries to slip me something?” Orion asked, panic rising as the horror stories Spike had told him suddenly grew larger and more terrifying inside his mind. “Ain’t nothing you can do about something like that besides watching your own drink, not taking drinks from anypony else, and keeping a clear head in all but the safest situations.” “And what if I get cornered and jumped?! How do I protect myself from a heat crazy mare that knows how to ground a pegasus?!” “Calm down alright… listen, I’ll show you a few tricks I picked up over the years. Come on up to my room in about five minutes and we can practice alright? I still got some energy left in me from today, and I got some time before I go down for a nap anyway.” “You’ll teach me some self defense?” Orion asked, stunned. “Eeyup.” “Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you Big Mac!” “Don’t mention it. It’s the least I can do for a new guy. If we don’t look out for our own, then we ain’t much better than some of those Diamond Dogs.” After finishing his sentence, Big Mac walked out of the kitchen and through the living room to reach the stairs. He nodded politely at the mares in the room, who were still passing around the headphones and the music crystal. “You girls done with that yet?” he asked, suddenly feeling a bit more comfortable now that he knew a few things for certain, and had a self defense lesson with Big Macintosh in a few minutes. “Oh this is simply amazing darling… although some of the songs are a bit weird, they’re also amazingly exotic! I don’t know how your musicians made some of those songs, but they’re beautiful.” Rarity said. “And I have to really admire the beauty of the spell’s construction. Luna really went above and beyond anything most unicorns would have been able to manage. I’ll bet the crystal empire is the only other place you could find one of these with as good a result.” Twilight complimented, “I’m actually a little jealous.” “Ah’m thinkin’ of asking the Princesses fer one of these next time we have to meet with them fer Element business… Sure would make bucking some of them trees go by faster.” Applejack added. “It’s… very nice…” Fluttershy said, still blushing when she looked at Orion. “I like that one song… something about going a club and dancing and getting cooler…” Rainbow remarked, smiling at Orion, “I wonder if there’s a way to get that on vinyl... I just know that song was awesome, just like me!” “You’re talking about 20 Percent Cooler. Yeah, it’s a pretty good song.” Orion said, chuckling to himself, leave it to Rainbow Dash to find the song based on her catchphrase. “Hey, can I ask you girls something?” “Of course darling... What’s on your mind?” Rarity asked, scooting closer to where Orion was standing, always hungry for a juicy piece of gossip… or maybe she just liked being near him… hard to tell with her honestly… “Big Mac told me something about a ten point scale here in Ponyville… Where do I fall?” he asked frankly, trying not to be evasive about his question. “Why would you want to know something like that?” Twilight asked, “Everypony knows those are just used by school fillies to degrade one another and set up social stratification amongst groups for the later development of severe self esteem issues.” “Actually Twilight… I kind of use that scale for some of the stallions around town… and some of the girls too…” Fluttershy admitted, hiding behind her hair as everypony ogled at her confession. “I mean, I could never ever EVER make myself talk to a stranger… but it’s nice to imagine things… and I don’t want to be with somepony that I don’t find attractive in my fantasies… so I uh… keep a little book with ponies scores…” “Well Ah never would have thought Fluttershy would be the one…” Applejack said smirking, “Ah gotta admit Twi, I use that scale doohickey too… but Ah try not to judge a pony just on their looks.” Everypony in the room turned to face Rarity. “What? Why are you all staring at me like that?” she asked, whipping her head around at the sudden attention. “Oh alright… so I keep tabs on certain ponies that I find are above average… I’m still not so crude as to base my affections on a silly number… usually…” “I used to use one all the time when I went colt watching in Cloudsdale.” Rainbow Dash confessed, “I haven’t used it in awhile though, on account of all the training I have to do for the Wonderbolts.” “Why do you need to know something like that though Orion?” Twilight asked, shooting glares at her friends for using something she apparently didn’t approve of. “I was just wondering… because I’m not to what Equestria considers attractive. I mean, where I come from, we have VERY different ideas of what to look for in a partner…” he said, trying not to open himself up for teasing from the mares in front of him, this was always where it started… he showed a hint of low self esteem, and then the teasing and manipulating would begin. “Well I don’t think there’s any one way to judge a pony’s appearance.” Twilight said, cut off preemptively by Rarity putting a hoof in her mouth and stepping forward. “As Ponyville’s Premiere Fashion Designer, and watcher of all things fabulous, allow me darling.” She said, removing her hoof from Twilight’s mouth. She then proceeded to walk around Orion, examining every aspect of him in minute detail. “Hmmm… not bad… not bad at all… good shape, nice healthy coat…no cutie mark, but really, that will come with time… and your mane and tail style are simple and well suited for you… one last thing darling, could you please spread your wings for us as wide as you can?” “I thought that was rude…” Orion said, “What if I offend somepony?” “Oh I don’t think anyone will mind considering the circumstances.” Rarity replied, winking at her friends and placing her hooves under his wings, coaxing them to spread. Holy shit that feels weird! Orion thought, his wings stretching out fully after having Rarity’s hoof brush them. He immediately regretted letting them spread out like that though, when Fluttershy fainted, her coat having somehow turned from a buttery yellow, to a bright red. “See? I just made Fluttershy faint!” Orion protested, gesturing with a hoof at the downed Pegasus. “Darling, she’s scared of her shadow, she was probably startled by a dust bunny brushing her hoof. Now don’t you dare put those magnificent wings away.” Rarity chided, magically placing Fluttershy on the couch to rest, a goofy grin plastered across her face, “Well girls? What do we think?” The rest of the group hadn’t reacted as badly as Fluttershy, but they were all wearing a matching shade of maroon… he was pretty sure he saw Rainbow Dash’s jaw hanging, a string of drool threatening to fall to the floor below. Applejack was the first to speak. “Ah reckon he’s at least an eight and a half… He ain’t no earth pony, but the boy’s got himself some bulk… add another half a point cuz of the fact that he’s from somewhere exotic…” “Full points…” Fluttershy mumbled in her sleep, “I really like his mane…” “Nine point eight easy...” Rainbow Dash said as if in a trance, wiping the drool from her mouth, “You got some really… really… really nice wings…” “If it will help you feel better about yourself Orion, I’d have to give you an 86.4. Your score may improve though if you display a good enough mental acuity and general friendliness. Like I said, appearances aren’t everything.” Twilight said huffily, she clearly wasn’t interested in the whole affair. “He’s gotta at least be an eight. Maybe a nine depending on how good his cooking is.” Pinkie Pie said from behind Orion. “GAAAHH!! Pinkie! Will you quit doing that?!” Orion said, jumping into the air and hovering in fear of the pink earth pony that seemed to wreak more chaos than Discord ever could. “Oh do come down from there darling…” Rarity chided, though her vantage point offered her a nice enough view for her purposes. “And I’ll have to agree with Rainbow Dash, you’d get about a nine point eight. A nine point four at the worst. Your wings and your coloring really are something else sweetie. They give you a foreign appearance, and make you seem like a warrior. Who wouldn’t want somepony like that for their own.” “Alright girls… thanks… I guess… anyway, I need to go do something with Big Macintosh upstairs, so I’ll see you all later.” He said, flying to the top of the staircase and trotting down the hallway to Big Mac’s room. As he vanished behind the door of Big Mac’s room, Fluttershy sat up, her head still feeling like it weighed a ton, and her coat still tinted to about the same shade as Appleblooms hair. “Why do you think he’d be worried about how he looks? Do you think the poor dear is worried about impressing somepony?” “Who knows Fluttershy… I still want to know why you think he’s into Stallions. It seemed pretty obvious to me that he wanted a MARE’S opinion on how he looked.” Twilight said, glaring at Rarity. “I’ll tell you the same thing I told Applejack, there are too many signals for them to all be simple culture differences. Think about it, what other colt or stallion goes to the spa willingly? What other kind of stallion will take his clothes off in front of a lady without batting an eyelash, and then there’s still the stretching.” Rarity contested, “Besides, he’s much too fashionable to be completely straight I’m afraid… all the gorgeous ones are into other males.” “That’s just a stereotype.” Twilight retorted, “And I don’t see what going to the spa has to do with anything. And the clothes thing could just be you freaking out over nothing. Remember the Gala? We all got dressed in front of Spike because like he pointed out, we’re always naked anyway.” “I dunno Twilight… I mean, most guys, if they see me popping a wingie, they get this cocky look in their eyes or they start checking me out… he didn’t do either…” Rainbow Dash added, causing Fluttershy to blush at her casual use of the slang “wing boner”. “Besides, it’s like Ah keep telling everypony about mah brother, just cause ya ain’t seen ‘em with nopony before don’t mean they’re into other males. He might be savin’ himself fer marriage.” Applejack said, siding with Twilight in the argument. “I have to agree with Rarity on this one girls.” Pinkie said, “I was flirting with him all afternoon and he didn’t do anything but keep working on those cupcakes the Cake’s had him doing.” “Were ya flirtin’ with yer party cannon?” Applejack asked. “Yeah! That’s like, the best kind of flirting!” Pinkie Pie answered, throwing her hooves in the air as if this were the most obvious thing in the world. “Ah don’t think he considers getting’ shot with cookie dough and streamers ta be flirtin’ Pinkie” AJ answered honestly, her friend’s hair deflating slightly. “Fine then, how about a little bet. Twenty bits and a trip to the spa on the loser says that Orion, if not Orion and Big Macintosh both, are into stallions.” Rarity said, indulging in one of her few unladylike pastimes. “Ah’ll take that bet. Cuz Ah know mah brother’s as straight as the path of Celestia’s sun, and Ah think yer fulla manure about Orion.” Applejack said, tapping her front hoof with Rarity’s and sealing the bet. Suddenly, from upstairs, all the mares heard a loud thud that shook the ceiling. “What in tarnation was that?!” Applejack yelled, looking at the ceiling, which as it happened, was right under Big Mac’s room. All the girls looked around at the group and simultaneously galloped, flew, and in one case teleported to the door sealing off Big Mac’s personal space from the rest of the house. Each of them pressed an ear to the door and tried to listen to what the commotion was, when Orion’s voice said breathily, “Easy Big Mac, I haven’t been doing this as long as you, take it easy or you’ll break me…” A deep Eeyup resounded through the door before another thud hitting the floor and a short yelp from Orion. Every eye brow the Mane 6 possessed was now firmly embedded in the ceiling above, and five pairs of eyes looked to Twilight Sparkle. “What?” she asked, “I’m not barging in there…” “You have to know a spell… I have to know what’s going on in there.” Rainbow Dash hissed. “Same here.” Fluttershy answered, practically giving her friend ‘The Stare’ “I got a bet with Rarity says you need ta show us inside that room Twi. I promise Ah’ll share that trip ta the spa.” “And I wanna see Big Mac and Orion going at it.” Pinkie said, grinning like a madmare even more so than normal. “Aarrgghh… Fine!” Twilight said, conceding defeat, “I have a one way mirror spell I know… give me a second…” Her horn glowed with its usual purple aura, a wide beam silently bursting from her and hitting the door like a wall of fog. As the magic faded from the door, so did the door it seemed. They could still see the borders of the door itself, but most of it had turned practically into glass. “Now we can see them, and they can’t see us.” Twilight said proudly, her words falling on deaf ears as four jaws hit the floor at once, and one Fluttershy passed out yet again. This time though, her face bypassed red and turned purple. Hers and Rainbow Dash’s wings alike were completely extended, and Twilight was pretty sure she could see Dash’s pulse in one of her wings… “Oh please girls, it can’t be that HOLY HORSEFEED!” she said, turning around and seeing Orion pinned down under Big Macintosh, who was practically sitting on top of the pegasus, his wings pinned out to the sides under Mac’s forehooves, and the both of them covered in sweat and breathing heavily. Suddenly, Big Mac’s ears flicked at the noise Twilight had made. “Did you hear something?” he asked, his deep voice once again resounding through the door. Five mares covered their muzzles with their hooves, and Fluttershy kicked a leg and giggled, getting a mouth full of Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash hooves for the noise. “I think you’re imagining things… can we switch things up and try that one position? You know, where you had me on my stomach? I think I can handle it this time.” “Are you sure? That’s a pretty advanced move… I don’t want ya complaining tomorrow that you’re hurting.” Big Mac said, flipping Orion over as he folded his wings in to his sides and got on the floor with his tail in the air and his muzzle on the ground. “Alright then big guy… like I said though, no sense in rushing… we got plenty of time to learn here…” Twilight had seen enough. She stopped casting the spell and gave the two their privacy, mass teleporting herself and the others back down to the living room. V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V Nopony had moved or talked for at least half an hour. The sun was now firmly setting, and only the sound of blinking could be heard in the Apple Family living room. Finally, Orion came clambering down the stairs, his body dripping with sweat and his breathing ragged. His legs seemed wobbly too, but that might just be because of… no, there was no excuse… He was walking on wobbly legs because he most likely just got his brains bucked out by Applejack’s brother. “Hey guys… everypony alright?” he said, noticing that Fluttershy was no longer passed out. “Glad to see you’re alright Fluttershy, I was worried I’d scared you a bit earlier.” “Oh no Orion… it’s perfectly alright… happens all the time.” She responded, her face flushing, but managing not to faint as he fluttered his wings out to stretch them a bit. “Cool. Hey Applejack, has your brother always been that much of a hard-ass when it comes to pushing your limits?” he said, turning to the blushing farmer. “Uhhh… Ah… maybe?” she responded, her brain trying to shut down for her protection. “Damn… gonna be rough the next few times then… I’m going to the kitchen for some water. Anypony else want some?” Six heads shook to the side, their mouths dropping open more and more by the minute. “Alright, suit yourselves.” He said, disappearing into the kitchen and coming out with a glass of water a moment later. He stood in front of the mares and gulped it down like he hadn’t had anything to drink in months. “Dang it’s hot in here… Aren’t you girls hot?” he asked, tugging at the collar of his vest. “Darling…” Rarity said, the first to break the mass stupor they were all under, “Where is Big Macintosh? I thought you two were working on something…” “Oh him? He passed out after about half an hour… he told me beforehand though that he likes to take a nap after something like that anyway, so that was kind of expected. Still wish we could have kept going a bit longer though.” “You don’t say… Oh dear…” Was all the rose colored fashionista could get out before her brain decided to stop thinking and just keep breathing. “Yeah… seriously, it’s like, ridiculously hot in here…” Orion said, undoing the buttons on his vest and stripping out of it, stretching his wings to work out the kinks Big Mac and him had worked up while working on breaking various pins and grips. He remembered all too late about a couple points of Ponyville etiquette though, as six bodies collapsed on the floor simultaneously… more than a couple of them wearing a goofy grin too… “Well shit… Ahhh, I’m sure they’ll be fine. I need a shower…” Orion muttered to himself, walking back up the stairs and draining his glass as he reached his room. “Today went pretty well I think.”