More than Friends 3

I don't own these characters or profit from them.

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

More than friends 3

By, Clayton Overstreet

Previously

In the first chapter of More Than Friends, Flutteryshy asked Twilight out on a date and the two became a couple. In the second with a little help from her little sister Rarity finally acknowledged her feelings for Spike. At the moment the four of them were enjoying the afternoon by a stream.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in Ponyville…

Apple Bloom was walking back and forth in the Cutie Mark Crusader's tree house anxiously when Scootaloo arrived. She watched her friend for a moment and then asked, "What's wrong?"

Apple Bloom jumped. "Ah! Don't go sneakin' up on a filly like that."

"I didn't sneak up. I've been watching you pace back and forth for a while now. What exactly is the problem?"

"Nothin'!"

Scootaloo stared at her. "Are you in trouble?" Apple Bloom just shook her head. "Come on Apple Bloom, we're best friends. You know you can tell me anything."

"Not if it's gossip. Anyway it's about… another pony." She sighed and sat down. "Ya see, I saw… someone. And they was walkin' around with another pony and kissin' them."

"So? Ponies do that sort of thing all the time."

"Yeah, but you see I know that the pony they were kissing has somepony they are already supposed to be seein'. Then I saw… that first pony with someone else and they was kissin' too. And the pony they was kissing is married. Over the last few weeks I've seen this pony kissing with lots of people and a lot of them all have somepony special and a lot of those ponies are friends of ours. But so is the other pony…"

Scootaloo shook her head. "Wait, I'm confused. What's happening?"

"I'm sayin' some pony we know is stealing other ponies somepony special and then sneakin' around to do it again with someone else. Plus lots of other ponies who I didn't think were interested in anypony. But that pony is a friend of ours too." She bent over and covered her face with her hooves. "So I don't know if I should ask them about it or tell our other friends or what!"

Scootaloo frowned. "Well that isn't right. Why would anypony steal somepony's else's special pony? And why would that pony leave their somepony special?"

"I don't know. I mean if they didn't like their old special pony maybe… but sometimes I see them together with their usual pony too, actin' like nothin's going on."

"Huh." She frowned and tapped a hoof on the floor. "Well I don't know what to do."

"Me neither. But if we talk to anypony it might start rumors and I could be wrong about what's goin' on."

"Why don't we go to Zecora's and ask her? She…"

"Um, I can't be sure, but I think I saw her with that pony too." She looked nervous. "What if she gets mad and puts a spell on the others?"

Scootaloo said, "Look, fron the sound of it this pony you're talking about has been kissing every pony in town except us. If we wait too long there won't be any pony we can ask about this without someone getting upset. I figure Zecora's the one we should ask since she's usually not in town anyway. You aren't sure it was her?"

"Well I only saw them for a second that time and a little while later I saw my… uh, the pony we're talkin' about with someone else. So I might have been wrong."

"Then lets take a chance." She smiled. "Maybe if we investigate we can get our cutie marks in…"

Apple Bloom uncovered her eyes and glared at her friend. "Now ain't the time!"

"Oh, right."

They made it to Zecora's and Apple Bloom knocked. A moment later the door opened and the friendly smile of their zebra friend greeted them. "Well if it isn't the light in the forest's gloomn, it's my good friends Scootaloo and Apple Bloom!"

"Hi Zecora," They said in unison.

Apple Bloom said, "Uh, Zecora can we talk to you about something?"

"There is nothing you cannot ask me, but for an answer I'll have to wait and see." She moved aside and they went in. After a little prodding from Scootaloo Applebloom began telling Zecora what she had seen. She still refused to say who the pony was she was talking about.

"My dear Apple Bloom I have had an ex, but I don't think I should explaint o you about…"

"Oh this isn't about that," Apple Bloom assured her. "Granny and I had the talk a while ago. She even told Scootaloo and Sweetie Pie, since we asked after we saw some of the pigs doin' it."

"Kind of gross really," Scootaloo said. "Grown ups are weird." Zecora just gave the same knowing smile the other adults had.

"But I thought you were supposed to have somepony special to do that with. But this pony is doing it with ponies who already have somepony."

Zecora nodded. "At times there are girls who will steal someone else's special someone with a wave of their head and a shake of their butt. We call such a pony, a dirty ****."

"That doesn't sound nice," Scootaloo said. Apple Bloom just looked upset.

"Well it's not nice and I'm sorry to say, some ponies will do anything for a roll in the hay. No love is involved, just lust and fun. For an easy filly they might give up their loved one. Someponies do it for the feeling, others for money, some are just teases offering up honey." Zecora sighed. "Some ponies are weak or impatient so when such things are offered they'll often take it. Maybe later they regret that little bit of fun, but by the time they regret, the deed is done."

"But… but these ponies are our friends. She… I mean… Applejack wouldn't do anything wrong." Apple Bloom looked at their shocked faces and covered her eyes.

Scootaloo said, "You mean your sister has been…"

"Not just my sister. I saw her kissing Fluttershy and Rarity and Big Mac and Twilight and lots of other ponies…colts and fillies." Zecora and Scootaloo's mothes hung open in shock. "Zecora I don't know what to do. If they're all doing this stuff maybe they know about it and are okay with it. But I can't ask because if they don't know they might get mad at my sister or the others." She frowned. "I even thought I saw her kissing you Zecora."

Zecora smiled. "At this time I can at least assure, I have never made out with her."

Scootaloo nodded. "Told ya." She frowned. "Sweetie Belle said she was going to ask Fluttershy and Twilight about fillies that like other fillies plus she and Spike are gonna trick her sister into admitting she likes him."

"But what if Rarity likes my sister?" Apple Bloom asked.

Zecora said, "It is best to maybe ask. Fixing a false rumor can be a difficult task."

"It's harder fixing a real one," Scootaloo said, reminding them of the time they had worked on the school paper and told everybody's screts to the whole town.

"We should get help from an older pony," Apple Bloom asked.

"Oh no little fillies. You can scream and you can shout, but problems of other ponies and their feelings I stay out."

Apple Bloom said, "I guess I can understand. I wish I didn't know."

"We can ask Rainbow Dash, I'm sure she'd help."

Apple Bloom said, "I guess. But lets get Pinkie Pie too."

"Why?"

"Well as far as I know they aren't seeing anypony and even if they have I don't think either of them'll get too mad. And they're her friends so they won't start any rumors. I'd ask Rarity and Spike and Twilight and Fluttershy too, but they're out on a picnic."

"What if they're all kisisng each other too?" Scootaloo asked. "Maybe we should make some kind of chart."

"You mean make some kind of graph that shows who might be with who? Nah, that'd be really sad. It's better if we just find out fer sure and maybe ask."

Zecora said, "You two may well ask, but I for one will avoid that task." She shook her head. "And people wonder why I live out in the woods."

It took an hour but they eventually found them both playing with their pets near a small pond.

"What are you doin?" Apple Bloom asked.

Rainbow Dash said, "Oh well Tank and Gummy are both aquatic reptiles you know and since all the other ponies are busy we decided to just take them here for a swim."

"Cool," Scootaloo said.

Pinkie Pie smiled. "Well Gummy does love the water, which makes since because he's an alligator and all and loves to swim. And Tank can swim too, but Opal doesn't like water being a cat and Wynona doesn't swim as well being a dog, Pee Wee and Owlowicious can't swim at all because they're birds. Though some birds can swim like ducks and penguins, but they're a phoenix and an owl so they shouldn't go in the water at all…" Pinkie was starting to turn blue.

"Pinkie, breathe!" Rainbow warned her.

Pinkie gasped. "Thanks for reminding me!"

"No problem." She turned to the two young fillies. "So what can we do you for?"

Apple Bloom was trying to figure out how to ask when Scootaloo said, "Apple Bloom saw Applejack kissing a bunch of ponies all around town and thinks a lot of them already have ponies they love."

Apple Bloom blushed as Rainbow Dash and Pinkei Pie stared at them. Dash said, "That do doesn't sound like Applejack."

"No way would she just steal somepony from somepony else."

"We should just ask her," Rainbow Dash said. "Where is she?" Apple Bloom shrugged. "Don't worry, I'll find her." She took off in a rainbow blur.

Pinkie said, "Don't worry Apple Bloom I'm sure there's a good explanation. Though I've never seen Applejack on a date so I don't know who she does like to go out with. It's weird because until Twilight shoed up in town it was like nobody ever talked to each other, but I like throwing parties for everyone and knowing who they are so it's almost like it makes no sense unless we only exist since Twilight arrived in town, but that couldn't happen unless…"

"Pinkie, breathe," Scootaloo said.

Pinkie gasped. "Sorry, sometimes I just get carried away."

"Maybe you should eat less sugar," Apple Bloom suggested.

Pinkie was still staring at her in wide eyed horror at that suggestion when Rainbow Dash landed. She looked off into space, shaking her head in shock. "I don't believe it."

"What?" The other three asked.

"I saw Applejack sitting under a tree at the edge of the orchard and she was making out with that Trixie pony that was here a few months back."

Pinkie frowned. "But Applejack didn't like that filly. Everybody did. Plus I thought she liked boys."

"Go see for yourself—." Pinkie disappeared.

Dash looked at Apple Bloom. "Who else did you see her wi—"

Pinkie came back. She looked at Rainbow Dash. Then she ran off again. Then came back, stared at Rainbow Dash, then ran off again. She did that six times before Dash grabbed her and said, "Pinkie, what are you doing?"

"Well I went to see Applejack like you said and I found her and she and another pony were sitting under a tree and they were kissing. I know because I could see their tongues and they were moaning and nuzzling too. So I didn't want to interrupt, bnut the weird part is…" She took a deep breath. "She was making out with you. How'd you get back here so fast? Cause I run really fast, even faster than you can fly and I'd think you'd be too busy with kissing Applejack to get back here like that, but here you are and when I ran back she was kissing you and then I came back here and you're standing here…"

"Pinkie, I've been here the whole time."

"She has," the two younger ponies said.

"Um, do you have a sister? Or a mother? Or a second cousin twice removed that looks exactly like you?"

"Pinkie, lets just go ask Applejack what's going on."

"Oh, well okay that could work too."

Picking up Gummy and Tank they headed back to the orchard where they saw Applejack sitting alone under a tree. She smiled at them and said, "Well Howdy everypony. What are you all doin way out here?"

"Cut the act Applejack. We know you were out here with somepomy," Rainbow Dash said.

Applejack smiled nervously. "Me? Out here?"

"Yep," Pinkie said. "I saw you kissing Rainbow Dash, except it wasn't Rainbow Dash because she was with Scootaloo and Apple Bloom. And Rainbow Dash says she saw you kissing Trixie."

"You've been kissin' with just about every pony in town," Apple Bloom said. "Now I don't mind you findin' a boyfriend or a girlfriend even, though I don't know what Granny would say, but I know for a fact a lot of those ponies have someone else who cares for them." Apple Bloom looked like she was going to cry. "I'm worried about you."

"Apple Bloom," Applejack said. She looked worried and sympathetic at the same time. "It's not like that. I am seeing someone but…" Suddenly the leaves above them rustled.

"Hey, who's up there?" Scootaloo asked.

"Uh…" Applejack looked like Apple Bloom when she had been trying to bring this up earlier.

Pinkie said, "I'll find out." She turned and raised a hoof.

"No!" Applejack shouted, but she was too late. Pinkie kicked the tree and suddenly a pony fell out, landing in the grass. It was Applejack.

"Huh?" The other ponies all said as the double sat up.

The second Applejack smiled. "Uh, hi."

Pinkie looked between the two of them. "Applejack I know you have a big family and all…"

"It's a changeling!" Rainbow Dash shouted.

Applejack sighed. "Yeah, it is." And then the second one flashed with green fire, transforming into an almost insect-like pony-like creature with sharp fangs and faceted blue eyes.

"Quick, run and I'll handle…"

"No!" Applejack ran in front of the changeling, who cowered against the tree as Rainbow Dash reared up, snorting.

"Are you a changeling too?" Rainbow asked, glaring at her. "Or did it put you under some kind of spell?"

"No," the changeling said in a hissing pleading voice. "Only the queen can do that."

Pushing up into the pegasus's face Applejack said, "Will you calm down and let me say something Rainbow Dash? You all know if I wanted I could buck you from here to Manehattan if you don't settle down right now."

"Oh yeah?" Rainbow Dash pushed back.

"Yeah!"

"Please don't fight," the changeling begged.

Rainbow Dash snorted once more. But she said down and said, "Alright, start talking."

Applejack backed off too, moving to stand next to the changeling, whom the others were still looking at with a mix of fear and mistrust. "It all started few weeks ago."

A few weeks earlier

Applejack was on her way home from a trip into town when she spotted Lyra heading into the forest at the edge of the Apple Family orchard. It was getting close to Zap Apple season and the timber wolves were prowling around again. She even heard one howl out in the woods as Lyra disappeared behind a tree. Applejack heard another howl, coming closer and without thinking she ran after the other pony.

Applejack arrived just in time to see Lyra surrounded by three timber wolves. They were closing in when suddenly in a flash of green fire Lyra changed into a changeling. The wolves yelped, backing up as the changeling hissed. So did Applejack, but before she could run from the wolves they turned and ran right at her, the branches that grew from her slamming into her with loud cracks.

When she woke up Applejack was surrounded by a mix of changelings and familiar faces. Some were older or younger than they should be. She saw several of Dr. Whooves, as a child, with pegasus wings, and just standing around. Also Lyra, Bon-bon, and others.

One changeling limped forward. "Are you alright?"

Applejack jumped up, ut her head swam and she leaned against a tree. She was ashamed of herself because suddenly she realized she was crying. "Please, don't hurt me! Don't suck out my love!"

To her surprise the changeling said, "We're not going to hurt you."

Blinking tears out of her eyes Applejack said, "You're not?"

"No! I didn't fight off that last timberwolf who came back to eat you just to kill you. If we wanted to do that we'd have done it while you were asleep."

Applejack looked down at the roughly two dozen changelings. "Then… what are y'all doin' round here?"

"Hiding," a Lyra clone with wings and a horn said. "Please, don't give us away."

"What?"

"Queen Crysalis is evil and cruel. She treats us all like slaves. So sometimes, when we can, we slip away and come out here to hide," the one with the limp said. "Equestria has so much love we can feed without anyone noticing. As long as we keep our heads down."

"So you aren't here to suck the life out of us like she tried to?"

"No!" They all said.

"We heard about the wedding," it told her. "We think she may have noticed us missing and come here looking for us. We're sorry we brought you all to her attention. It's just… well… this is such a great place."

"So much to see and do," another said.

"But ponies are always afraid of us and if we went back Crysalis would just use her mind control powers and we'd never escape again. And the other changelings would be watching us all the time."

Applejack nodded. "I see what you mean. So how long you all been here?"

"A few years." The changeling's cheeks turned a shade of brighter green and Applejack realized it was blushing. "I uh, saw you at the rodeo and in that Iron Mare competition you had with Rainbow Dash. You were amazing."

"Really?"

"We all go to a lot of the events around here. As long as we can avoid whoever we're imitating nobody notices. I saw you in that rodeo and in that Iron Mare competition you had with Rainbow Dash. You were amazing."

"Really?" Applejack felt herself blushing too. "I only got second place in the rodeo."

"You were robbed." The changeling smiled, which would have been more comforting without the mouth full of fangs. "Mind if I walk you out of the woods and back to Ponyville? There are all kinds of things in these woods." Some of the other changelings chuckled a bit sinisterly.

Applejack noticed but did not say anything and wouldn't until she was out of the woods. "Thank ya kindly, sugar. Are you sure you should though?" She glanced down at its leg, where a bit of luminous green blood flowed.

"Ah it'll heal up by tomorrow. Shape shifter, you know?" It nodded to the others and they nodded back before scattering into the forest.

"Well we got to talkin' and Pat here and I kind of hit it off," Applejack said.

Scootaloo looked at the changeling. "Are you a boy or a girl?"

The changeling flared, making everyone but Applejack jump. First it was Big Mac and then Twilight Sparkle. "I can be either one. In our species the queen lays eggs and the rest of us are sterile, but we can change into boys or girls. I usually just change to suit Applejack's mood." Applejack blushed.

"And you and your friends aren't planning to suck Ponyville dry?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Rainbow Dash, you take that back!"

"No, it's okay Applejack. I understand." It looked at them and said, "Changelings aren't as nice as you ponies. Those of us living in the woods keep it in check, but we do stay away most of the time so we won't be tempted. And I can't say some other changelings won't invade again. If Crysalis orders us to do anything face to face we'd have to obey too."

"So we can't trust you?"

It shrugged. "If I said you could, would you?"

"We'll give you a chance," Pinkie said. "Princess Luna is very nice these days."

"But you'll have to tell the princesses about it," Rainbow Dash said. She saw Applejack's look. "Oh come on. We can't just let them hide out in the woods. If they were evil and stuff then all they'd have to do is replace us and nobody would ever know."

"She's right," the Twilight-double said before Applejack could object again. "I'll talk to the others and we'll all happily meet with the princesses whenever they choose."

"Twilight, the real Twilight I mean not the changeling Twilight, which is you, would help," Pinkie said.

"I'll be there with you," Applejack promised, bumping her shoulder against Pat. They shared a quick kiss.

"So does that mean this is your friend?" Apple Bloom asked.

"I'd say we're a little more than friends, little sister."

"Yeah I'll say." Apple Bloom looked embarrassed. "I'm just sorry I thought… well… I know you wouldn't hurt anybody by stealing somepony they care about, but I kept seeing you kissing all those different ponies…"

"I understand," Applejack promised. "It's okay Apple Bloom."

"Hey, look at that," Rainbow Dash said.

Walking down the path side by side were Fluttershy and Twilight followed by Rarity riding on the back of a medium sized drago, roughly two or three times larger than any pony. Sweetie Pie was running around between his claws. Pinkie said, "Is that Spike?"

"He's not going to go crazy again, is he?" Buty from the look of things Spike was calm and Rarity was perfectly safe on his back.

"It looks like we aren't the only ones who need to tell them something," Pat said. It changed in a flash, suddenly looking like Lyra. "Well Applejack, should we go see about talking to your purple friend?"

"Sure thing, sugar" Applejack said and they hurries off.

Apple Bloom said, "There's still one thing that bothers me?"

"What's that?" Scootaloo asked.

"Well how come if Pat can turn inta anyone and does whatever Applejack likes, why'd he turn into Big Mac?"

Rainbow and Pinkie shared a look. Rainbow then said, "You two better hurry up and catch up to them." Distracted the two fillies ran off.

"Hey Rainbow, do you have some pony special?" Pinkie asked.

"Not me. I'm not ready to get tied down to anyone. Though I have to admit, Gilda and I experimented a bit in Flight Camp." She sighed. "And I am a little jealous of Fluttershy. Twilight is a heck of a filly."

"Well I want to get married and have kids some day," Pinkie said. "Just not too soon. There's just so much to see and do and so many people to meet. I don't mind fooling around with colts and fillies sometimes. You know things happen at a party. But I'm really not up for a real emotional bond right now. Plus every year it seems like someone with the powers of a god shows up and tries to kill us."

Rainbow Dash nodded. "Good point."

Author's note

I think this is the last story in this series. I don't see where else they could go from here. Applejack always struck me as the pony left out. Twilight and Fluttershy both seem like a good fit because they like the quiet and learning things. Both could go without adventures for the rest of their lives quite happily.

Spike and Rarity are pretty much the only main character couple the show even admit to. Because of the way they argue you could make a case for Applejack and Rarity, but Rarity always struck me as a size queen and she's also the only pony we've seen fantasizing about a date and that was with a guy. Spike has royal connections, is happy to serve her in every way, and they've kissed.

Pinkie and Rainbow Dash… them I could picture doing just about anything with anyone as long as they thought it would be fun. Pinkie, when she grows up and settles down a bit, will probably want a big family. Her family (even though everything in that How I got My Cutie Mark episode was pretty much a lie) seemed very old school. We still don't know why she never contacts them. Rainbow Dash, like most of the other pegasi in the show, appears to have been abandoned at birth. Some say they could see her hooking up with Scootaloo when she grows up a bit. Others wonder if she is even gay.

To paraphrase Terry Pratchett, this is true. It is wrong to judge by appearances. In the same way that a man in a mask and a striped shirt slipping in through your window in the dead of night may be lost on his way to a costume party or how the man in the robe and wig at the front of the courtroom may be a transvestite who has wandered in to get out of the rain. Snap judgements can be so unfair.

The cutie mark crusaders are too young to worry about such things… though I have suspicions involving Apple Bloom and Zecora. Also Bon-bon and Lyra. Princess Cadence is married and we're not sure about her relationship to the others… sister, daughter, cousin? As for Luna and Celestia, except for each other it seems likely anyone else would just age and die. After all Granny Smith met her when she was a kid and look at her now. So it's likely that they're an item.

Most of the guys in the series aren't that great and Big Mac was hooked up with Cheerlilee the teacher.

Anyway with the exception of Doctor Whooves, who doesn't really show up to often except in the background, and ponies that are related to her, Applejack doesn't have many options. Then you've got changelings who can be everything… it just seemed to fit.

Of course I haven't seen season 3 yet… (lousy &^&((*& _)! Only 13 episodes my butt! Mumble grumble mumble.) so who knows what they'll do in the show?