>You hire a carriage to take you across Canterlot from the train station to the castle. At the front gates you tell them who you are, and more importantly, who you're married to, and they let you in.
>The Elements always stayed in the southern tower, which was smaller and set off slightly from the rest of the central castle. A guard escorted you to the tower, then left you to climb up to the rooms. Years ago they had all settled into the habit of taking certain rooms, and AJ's room was at the end the left hallway. She picked it because it had a view down in the valley, right back to Ponyville.
>Practically running, you burst through the doors.
"AJ PREPARE YOUR BODY-"
>There's no one in the room.
"Son of a bitch."
>"Oh, hey Anon," Fluttershy says from behind you.
>You start blushing.
"Hey Fluttershy. Big Mac says he misses you."
>"Did he really say that?"
"Not in so many words but, you know he misses you."
>"You're right Anon, I miss him too. Hopefully the parade and the banquet won't take too long. How are the colts?"
"Uh, energetic. So, where is everyone?"
>"Oh, well earlier today a couple of ponies came by, friends of Twilight's, from school," Fluttershy explained.
"Friends?"
>"Well... acquaintances, I guess. Anyway, they all went out to lunch."
"Didn't feel like going?"
>"Not really, no, I didn't know any of them and, it was a large group..."
"Did they say where they were going?"
>"A cafe just outside the castle, not sure what it was called."
"Good enough, I'll see you Fluttershy!"
>You rush back out of the tower and through the castle grounds. Admittedly, there were a couple different cafes just outside the castle, but they all featured see and be seen outside seating for Canterlot's elite to show off. After running by the first one, you spot a familiar crowd of ponies outside 'The Taste of Elegance Tea Room.'
>Stuff it high society, you hop the short fence surrounding the seating area and make your way past a few tables of offended and surprised looking ponies. You planned to sneak up on Applejack and surprise her, but as you near, you see that a white stallion with a blue mane was leaning over, whispering into her ear as she laughed. You stop in your tracks.
>"Anon, darling! You finally made it," Rarity called over after spotting you.
>You walk over to the table and stand between AJ and the stallion.
"Hey AJ," you say as you come over.
>"Boy am I glad to see you, Sugarcube, pull up a chair," Applejack says.
>"Oh we should see if the maitre d' can bring over a-"
>You simply reach over to a nearby table and grab a chair.
"You mind moving over? I'd like to sit next to my wife," you tell the stallion beside her.
>"Here you go, Anon." Pinkie bounced her seat over so you could sit between her and AJ.
>Confound these helpful ponies.
>You sit down and put an arm around AJ.
"The farm hasn't been the same without you." You say as you lean in for a quick kiss. Almost instantly, you notice something, a taste. A difference. Not from her food. She wasn't in heat anymore. You couldn't taste it.
>"Well, I s'pose I have to swap bucking apples for bucking changelings every now and then."
>"And a magnificent job you did, too." says the stallion.
>"Twilight, please, you should introduce Anon to your friends, we're being so rude," Rarity insists.
>"You're right. Anon, this is Fine Line, Rare Find, and Shooting Star," Twilight explains.
>Okay, so he was Shooting Star.
>"Rare Find went to Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, and he was on the expedition we saved," Twilight goes on.
>You spend the rest of the lunch trying to go over your rudimentary knowledge of mare biology in your head, making little in the way of conversation.
>After what you felt was a polite amount of time, since no one was eating anymore, you turn to Applejack.
"So, I brought you a surprise from Ponyville."
>"Oh did you Sugarcube? What is it?"
"A surprise, I left it back in the suites."
>You try to give her a look, but she's turned, listening to Rarity flirt with Rare Find.
>It takes some further prodding, but eventually, with a huff, she gets up.
>"Ah might as well head back, if I'm gonna look as good as Rarity will tonight, I'll need twice the time." she says.
>"You're ridiculous, you look divine after a day in the fields," Rarity insists.
>"I doubt you could look bad tonight if you wanted to," Shooting Star adds.
>You try to hide a frown, with doubts about your success, and put a hand on AJ's shoulder as you walk away.
>When the pair of you get back to the suite, AJ turns to you.
>"Well there's no holding back your horses I guess?" She says as she pushes you against a wall next to the door. "I'm guessin' that surprise is hiding down here, right?" She slides her hoof down to the front of your pants.
>For a few minutes, everything is amazing, until her tongue plunges into your mouth. That taste. You come up for air.
"You're not in heat anymore," you manage.
>"No, but, that don't usually stop us anyway."
"But, how? I-"
>"Ah don't know, magic?"
>You feel something gnawing at you. Gnawing at your stomach, filling you with doubt while your penis desperately cried for you to just let it go.
"'Cause I though mares only went out of heat if they got pregnant."
>Suddenly, the hoof down your pants stops, and AJ pulls her face away from your neck.
>"What are you gettin' at Anon?"
"I'm just trying to figure out-"
>"Cause it sounds like yer accusing me of something."
"No, no, not accusing, but-"
>"But you're accusing me of infidelity. And after I spent the past few days saving Equestria from changelings!"
"Look, this has nothing to do with the changelings! It has more to do with you flirting with Shooting Star at the cafe. Like that's really what I want to see after all this time apart! What am I supposed to think?"
>She pushes you away from her and begins storming off out of the room.
>"You can think whatever the hay you want! I don't rightly care!"
>Well, that took care of your erection.