> The Second Time Around
>  by JujubeLand
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> The City of Flights
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Las Pegasus was anything but subtle.  The city didn't sparkle against the gorgeous Equestrian backdrop in the deepening twilight; it glowed with a harsh, burning glare that tore through the darkness and peace of the surrounding countryside, all pretense of environmental concerns or sensibility abandoned in favor of a sprawling metropolis that teemed with nigh innumerable ways for ponies to spend, spend, spend their hard-earned bits (or illegally acquired currency, whatever the case may be).  Magic-powered signs flashed with promises of fortunes and endless pleasures, and nearly half of the crowd that trotted the street as Celestia gave way to Luna consisted of ponies clad in garb befitting their places of employment, doing their very best to coerce the herds of tourists to come inside, unwind, and enjoy themselves for a little while.  It was a city that sickened the advocates of modesty and integrity, drained every spare bit from the gullible, and left every pony that took a walk down its glittering avenues for the first time with their mouths agape, wondering how on earth anypony could experience a place so bold, so beautiful, so garish and hope to come away with any shred of decency left.

In other words, it was a one-of-a-kind city for a honeymoon.

Or in Plywood's case, a second honeymoon.  The tan earth pony had toiled away for nearly thirty years at his carpentry business in Maneitoba, providing the citizens of that small, unassuming town with quality wooden furniture and accessories at prices everypony agreed were fair.  His hammer-and-plank cutie mark attested to his talent revolving around toppled trees, and while his living was anything but fancy, it wasn't meager either, providing him with all he needed to get by.  After such a long time in the trade, however, he finally felt entitled to a little “alone time” with Hazelnut, the unicorn mare who had been at his side since two years after his store had first opened its doors.  Leaving the shop in the capable hooves of his young sons and apprentices, Ply had drawn from his substantial savings and forked over the bits necessary to procure round-trip airship tickets and a week-long stay in the City of Flights, booking a room at the “fabulous Chariot hotel, casino, and family fun destination” (at least according to the brochure).

It was at that very hotel, casino, and family fun destination that Plywood found himself on the first night of his vacation, staring up in slack-jawed wonder at the realistic representation of Manehattan's skyline.  At least, he had to take their word that it was realistic, seeing as how he'd never been there to see it.  Complimentary cloud-walking spells had been issued at the airfield with assurances that any unicorn staffer in the city could renew it at no additional charge, and as skeptical as Ply was about the whole idea of walking on condensed droplets of water, he had to admit that the light, fluffy feeling was comfortable against his hooves.

He tore his gaze away from the facade of the hotel and looked around him.  Maneitoba was a town where everypony knew each other, where the foals all went to the same schools and grew up in safe, loving households, and where the crime rate was practically nonexistent.  To be transplanted into a city like Las Pegasus was more than a little overwhelming for Ply.  The streets around him weren't so much active as they were alive, overflowing with a multicolored sea of ponies fighting through one another, some destination or another on their minds as they walked by the earth pony without a second thought.  Faces drifted past his vision in one second, and in the next, they had vanished, only to be replaced by a coat of a different hue, a doe-eyed stallion with his eyes following the flashing signs above him giving way to a mare who looked incapable of smiling, her gaze unwavering as she focused on the path before her.  Plywood felt alone, even as the crowd trotted around him.  Each of these ponies had a name, a family, someplace they called home, and yet, their stories would never be known to him; the mass of equines drifting by him without a second thought as he stood in front of the Chariot would only ever be one large, unsolved mystery.

Then, his eyes fell on one particular mare, and all his loneliness disappeared.  Disembarking from the cart that had brought the vacationers to the Chariot was a light brown unicorn, her steps cautious and slow as she stepped out of the cab and gave the driver a smile and a thank-you.  Ply sighed as she turned toward the cart and her horn glowed a pale blue, levitating their bags out of the back of the vehicle.  The passage of time and three healthy foals had taken their toll on the aging unicorn's body, filling out her once-lithe form and giving rise to wrinkles and weakened knees, but as Plywood watched Hazel float their luggage in front of her, doing a quick double-check to ensure she hadn't left any bags behind, he let a smile creep across his face.  She had never stopped being his beautiful mare, and here in this chaotic city filled with nameless, faceless ponies, the sight of her familiar face as she made eye contact with him and gave him a soft smile sent his heart soaring.  Amidst the clamor, he heard her voice call out, “Ready to go inside, Ply?”

He nodded in response, then trotted over to the front door and swung it open.  With a goofy grin, he bowed his head slightly and said, “After you, madame,” holding the door open as Hazel walked through trailing the airborne bags, rolling her eyes at him even as a chuckle floated from her lips.  He simply grinned wider in his response, falling in beside her as she cleared the door.

His smile quickly morphed into a look of sheer awe as he drank in the sight of the hotel's interior.  The outside had been fancy; this was downright lavish.  Staircases with gold-trimmed handles rose to either side of the two ponies, leading to rooms on the upper floors.  In front of them was the main lobby.  An elongated desk to their left was apparently where they were to check in, judging by the sharply-dressed staff ponies, each of whom was attending to a guest.  A tall door on the far side of the large room led to an area where ponies could lose large sums of bits, if the signs that read “Casino” were any indication.  The floors were not made of cloud; rather, an elaborate tile pattern of swirls and colors of every hue danced beneath the hooves of the myriad number of ponies that were trotting to and fro through the main room.  Two large banners hung from the ceiling, each one advertising an upcoming performance by Sapphire Shores and featuring different glamor shots of the celebrity singer dressed in a outfit that could not possibly contain any more gems.  The ceiling itself was domed, reaching high into the interior of the hotel; the rooms were located along the perimeter of the rectangular building, and each one featured a grand view of some part of Las Pegasus (if the brochure was to believed).  The fixtures, the trims, even the carpet that began at the base of the stairs:  all of it was either lined or coated in gold, occasionally twinkling if it caught the light correctly.

The centerpiece of the room, however, was the fountain that sat in the center of the lobby.  At the top of the fountain, easily reaching thirty feet high, a marble carving of a unicorn reared up on its hind legs, rendered in strikingly minute detail, emitted a steady stream of crystal-clear water from the tip of its horn.  The liquid sparkled as if it really were magic emanating from the horn of a powerful spell-caster.  The water cascaded down each tiered layer, the basins becoming larger and more beautifully decorated as Ply's eyes followed it towards the ground.  Flowery patterns bedecked the sides of the fountain, their entrancing vines and blooms unobstructed by the transparent waterfalls that tumbled over the sides of each basin.  The bottom container, the top of which was still just below Ply's shoulder, if he judged it right from where he stood, bore what looked like ancient carvings of ponies engaged in all manner of agricultural activities.  It looked like a cross between modern and olden design perfectly formulated into a seamless mesh of grandeur that embraced and paid homage to both styles.  The entrancing structure emitted an altogether eloquent appraisal from the lips of the earth pony:

“Wow.”

Hazel turned to him and said teasingly, “Wow?  Is that all you can say, Ply?”

His response was the same dumbfounded stare and a whispered, “Yeah.”

She sighed and followed his gaze around the lobby, maintaining her magical grip on their luggage.  Finally, after several seconds of silence, she added, “I guess 'wow' sums it up pretty well.  It's...well, it's just beautiful.  I've never seen anything even close to this.”

“Me neither,” muttered the earth pony.  He turned to Hazel and smiled.  “Well, I might have seen one thing.”

“Oh?” she inquired, turning to face him.  “And what might that be?”

The softness of his gaze and his old, familiar smile told her the answer.  For a while, a tan earth pony and a light brown unicorn simply gazed into each other's eyes, all the spectacular scenery and grandeur of their surroundings forgotten by Plywood as he sank deeper into those glistening orbs that had stared back at him through thick and thin, their irises always alight with love even when stained with tears or with brows furrowed in anger.  He leaned close, allowing her to nuzzle against his neck, and relished in the softness of her face as she rubbed against him softly.  Ply let his tension slip away with each sensation of Hazel's gentle touch, the chaos and hubbub of Las Pegasus replaced by a warm, familiar feeling that reminded him of home.  No matter where they were, so long as Hazel was with him, he was home.  He nuzzled against her one final time before drawing back, his mouth turned up in a smile that could only come from a stallion who had been in love for a very long time.  “How about we go check in?” he asked quietly.

“I thought you'd never ask,” Hazel responded, her voice tinged with a sly tone that made Ply shiver.  She began to walk toward the back of the lines that led to the desk, and Plywood quickly caught up and stood beside her.

The line moved quickly, a testament to the efficiency of the employees, and after only a few minutes of waiting, the two ponies were beckoned to the desk by a young unicorn stallion with a golden coat and a trained smile on his face.  He recited, “Welcome to the Chariot in Las Pegasus!  My name is Dandelion.  How may I help you today?”

Plywood cleared his throat and said, “Yes, hello, my wife and I have reservations in one of your honeymoon suites.  The name is Plywood, and my wife is Hazelnut.”

“One moment, please,” the young stallion replied cheerfully, levitating a list in front of him and perusing it quickly.  Ply waited patiently, giving Hazel one more smile which she returned, before turning his attention back to the employee before him.  His cheer, however, quickly faded when Dandelion lowered the sheet with a deep frown on his face and said,  “You said the name was Plywood, correct?”

“Yes, Plywood and Hazelnut,” the earth pony said, an edge of concern in his voice.

“Well, sir, I'm afraid there's no 'Plywood' or 'Hazelnut' on this list,” the golden-coated unicorn said.  “Are you certain you've already made your reservation?”

Ply's joy began to dissipate quickly.  “Yes, of course I'm sure.  I made all the arrangements by mail, and I've already paid for a week-long stay at this hotel.  Are you sure we're not on the list?”

“I'm quite sure, sir,” answered the employee, his face developing a look of pity.  “And you say you've already paid for your room?”

“Yes, I've already shelled out the bits,” Ply said, his voice rising slightly.  “I sent in all the paperwork, made the reservation, and now I'm here to check into my honeymoon suite, just like I paid for.”  The last two words came out with an almost-imperceptible growl, and Ply took two deep breaths to try to calm down.  He felt a hoof on his shoulder and turned to see Hazel looking at him with pleading eyes.  His rage, however, did not subside, and he whipped his head back around to Dandelion, who was giving the list another once-over.  “Now can we please get our room key and be on our way?”

The young stallion looked up, his gaze sharp.  “Sir, I'm afraid I can't give you a key if you don't have a reservation, and according to this, you do not have a reservation.  In fact, all of our honeymoon suites look like they're booked solid for the next two weeks, and your name isn't next to any of those reservations.”

Plywood didn't usually lose control, and he struggled to maintain his composure as the conversation wore on.  His voice was loud enough now that other patrons were looking over.  Their gazes were lost on him as he said, “I don't see how that's possible.  I've already paid in full for a week in a honeymoon suite, and now you're telling me I haven't?  How can I not be on that silly little list if I've given you enough bits to cover a month's pay?”

“Sir, it's entirely possible that there was simply an error in the mail delivery, and we didn't receive your final confirmation of your reservation before today.  I would be more than happy to provide you with a refund, or perhaps a discounted rate on a different room-”

“I didn't pay for a different room, and I don't want a refund!” Ply snapped.  “I want to get what I paid for!”

“I understand, sir,” Dandelion pleaded, “but that simply isn't possible.”

“What's going on here?”  The voice that interjected was youthful but deep and full of authority, snapping Plywood out of his fury.  He turned to the source of the sound, expecting some sort of police pony, but his jaw fell open when he beheld who had made the statement.

There, only a few yards away, stood Shining Armor, Captain of the Canterlot Royal Guard, and just behind him was Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, his recent bride.  Photos of the happy couple had circulated all throughout Equestria, and Ply recognized them an instant before remembering that their wedding had taken place the day before, though reports of the chaos surrounding their ceremony had not yet reached the ponies of Maneitoba.  The stallion was garbed in his uniform, the red waistcoat providing a sharp contrast to his white coat, and Cadance – as she was known to many – wore the remnants of a wedding gown that seemed to flow like a river of lace down her body.  A quartet of royal pegasus guards clad in traditional military regalia flanked the couple, and no other ponies were anywhere close to the married couple.  Out of instinct, Ply bowed low to the ground, and as he did so, he realized that he was one of the last to perform the act of contrition; they must have come in while he was distracted by his anger at the clerk.  His face flushed red with embarrassment.  Surely now he would be thrown out of the hotel for raising a fuss, and his entire vacation would be ruined.  He clenched his eyes shut, awaiting the judgment of the white stallion.

For a moment, nothing happened.  Then, the young Captain said, “Please, rise.”  Reluctantly, the earth pony obeyed, making eye contact with Shining Armor.  There was no anger in his eyes, only curiosity as he said, “I asked, what's going on here?”

Plywood couldn't find his voice, but suddenly Hazelnut was at his side, her head still slightly bowed.  “Begging your pardon, your majesties, but there seems to be a problem with our reservation,” the mare said, her voice shaky.  Ply instinctively draped a hoof across her withers without breaking his stare with Shining Armor.  His wife continued, “We paid in full, but it looks like something...went wrong.”  She drooped her head low.

Cadance spoke up for the first time, turning to the wide-eyed unicorn employee.  “Tell me, is this true?”

“I-it's true, Princess,” Dandelion stammered back.  “If they did pay, they're not on the list.  There's no record of their reservation anywhere.  You can see for yourself if you like.”

The list in question was soon engulfed by a light yellow aura, and it floated in front of Cadance and Shining Armor, who looked it over intently.  After a moment, Shining looked up at Ply and said, “What are your names?”

“I'm Plywood, and this is my wife Hazelnut,” the earth pony responded as he held his wife close to himself.

Cadance pointed a hoof at the piece of paper and looked at the golden-hued unicorn behind the desk.  “What do you mean, they're not on the list?  Their names are right here!”  She floated the list back in front of the clerk.  “See?  It appears they'll be in suite #2.”

At first, Dandelion looked confused, but as he scanned the sheet of paper one more time, his eyes widened and a bead of sweat began to trickle down his forehead.  He opened his mouth as if to speak, closed it again, then re-opened it and managed to choke out, “Um...well, it appears that their names...are, in fact...on the list.  One week's stay...in honeymoon suite 2.  How...er...fortunate.”

“A simple misunderstanding, then,” Shining Armor said, his voice bright and cheerful.  “Glad to see that's all that happened here.”  He turned back toward his bride.  “Ready to go, then, Cadance?”

As a faint blush rose on her cheeks, the princess said, “Of course, dear.”  The two regal ponies smiled at each other, and Shining Armor leaned forward and gave Cadance a peck on the cheek before they disembarked, the royal guards keeping pace with the young couple as they made their way through the lobby.  Exclamations of awe and respect from the ponies that they passed followed them as they walked.

Plywood watched the newlyweds round the corner and begin to ascend the staircase, then turned back to Dandelion, fully prepared to apologize.  He never got the chance, instead finding his vision filled with a key ring that dangled in front of him, suspended by a dark red aura of magic.  From behind the desk, he heard the clerk's rapid-fire voice, “I am ever so sorry about that I don't know how I missed your names the first time how silly of me here's your key please enjoy your stay at the Chariot and have a wonderful day!”  As Ply plucked the key out of the air with his teeth, he stole a glance behind the desk, where a quivering yellow form had shrunk down to about half his former height.  The earth pony merely sighed and walked away, Hazelnut following close behind, their luggage still clutched safely by her magic.

Neither pony said much as they climbed the stairs that led to the honeymoon suites, all of which were located on the fifth floor.  The experience at the front desk had left Plywood more than a little mystified, and a glance at his wife indicated that she felt the same way.  As confused as he was, though, the earth pony was even more relieved that they had been able to resolve the situation with their room, thanks to the timely arrival of the royal couple.  He flushed as he thought about how he, a simple carpenter from Maneitoba, had just been assisted by none other than a princess and her husband; this was certainly going to make for an interesting story upon their return home.

As they reached the final landing, Ply looked up toward their room and froze.  There, standing before him and Hazelnut, were Shining Armor and Princess Cadance once again, the former of whom was having a discussion with their guards.  From the positioning of the armored pegasi, it appeared that the newlyweds would be staying in the room directly next to the one for which Ply now held the key.  The captain caught Plywood's eye and gave him a nod, and the earth pony, for the second time in a quarter of an hour, dropped down in a bow, his wife following suit beside him.  A laugh from down the hall caused Ply to look up, and his face contorted into a confused look when he saw Cadance giggle, then whisper something in Shining's ear.  He chuckled in response, then began to trot toward the elderly couple.  Ply dropped his head back down in a respectful pose.

The same voice that had interrupted his heated exchange with the desk clerk now said, “Please, you don't have to keep bowing.”  Plywood tilted his eyes up nervously and studied the white unicorn's face, seeing only a gentle smile.  He rose from his bow and tried to manage a weak grin as the younger stallion continued, “I guess I'll never get used to that.  I'd much rather have my soldiers salute me than have everypony throwing themselves on the ground when I walk by.”

Cadance had stepped up beside her husband, leaving the guards stationed at the door.  She draped a hoof across his back and said, “Oh come now, Shining, it's a sign of respect.  Everypony does it for the princesses, including me.”

“I suppose you're right, dear,” the white stallion said, nuzzling Cadance's neck briefly before turning back to Plywood.  “You're the couple from downstairs...Plywood and Hazelnut, right?”

The earth pony nodded and attempted to talk, but the room key was still dangling from his mouth.  A moment later, Hazel's magical aura encompassed the key ring, and with his mouth free, Plywood said, “I'm honored you remember, your majesty.”

That statement earned a hearty chuckle from the captain.  “Please, Plywood, call me Shining.  After all, if we're going to be neighbors for the next few days, we'd better get used to running into each other, right?”

Ply's face twisted up in confusion.  “Neighbors?  You mean you two are...”

“Taking our honeymoon in Las Pegasus?” Cadance finished.  “Indeed we are!”

Hazelnut spoke up, “But I thought there was a special royal honeymoon suite outside Canterlot.  Why aren't you staying there?”

Cadance stuck out her tongue and pointed her hoof toward her mouth, then said, “I've seen that suite...it's boring, old-fashioned.  Shining Armor and I wanted to try something new and exciting, maybe a little unexpected.”

“A little?” Plywood said.  “I don't think I've ever heard of royalty coming to Las Pegasus for a honeymoon.”

Shining countered, “That's why it's perfect.  It's giving us a chance to be out among the common ponies for a little while, get to know them, take in the sights of the city.  Neither of  us have been here before, after all.”  He nodded toward the elder couple.  “How about you?  What brings you to Las Pegasus?”

Hazel answered, “You're on your first honeymoon, but we're on our second.”  She leaned her head on Ply's shoulder, and he smiled out of habit as he felt her weight press into his.  She continued, “It's been a little over twenty-five years for us.”

Shining stepped forward and patted Plywood on the shoulder not occupied by his wife.  “Congratulations!”

“Yes, indeed,” Cadance said.  “Your love must be very strong, to have lasted all these years.”

Ply grinned and said, “Well, it certainly hasn't been easy, I'll tell you that much.”

Shining said, “I believe you.”  A look of curiosity came over the young stallion's face.  “Say, if you two wouldn't mind, could you tell us...how you did it?”

“Did what?” Hazelnut asked.

“Stayed together, in love,” Cadance answered before offering her own question.  “What's your secret?”

Plywood grinned and said, “I don't think it's a secret at all.  We just...”  He thought over his statement before speaking, formulating the words carefully.  “Well, first and foremost, we've always been honest with each other.  If one of us has something to say, we say it, simple as that.  We share our thoughts with each other, and if we disagree, then we have ourselves a little argument before deciding that I'm right.”  That earned a nudge from his wife and a chuckle from all four ponies.  After the laughter subsided, Ply continued, “Nah, she's right more often than I am.  But we're always willing to talk it over, feel out our issues instead of just blowing up.”

“We're also faithful,” Hazelnut said.  “I've not so much looked at another stallion in...that way since I started going out with Ply, and I know that he's not checking out the mares when we go out.  He's the one for me, I'm the one for him, and that's good enough for both of us.  No reason to go shopping around when you've already got what you need at home.”

Plywood nodded slowly in agreement before adding, “And in my opinion, the most important thing in any marriage is to remind the other pony that you love them every day.  Don't just say it, although you should do that too.  Show it, in any way you can.”  He leaned his head down to rest against his wife's.  “That answer your question?”

Both Shining Armor and Princess Cadance nodded, and Ply smiled as the alicorn and the captain shared a brief embrace, her head resting against his neck.  The princess looked up once the hug had ended and said, “Thank you both.”  With a nod to Shining, she turned and walked back toward their room.

The white unicorn said, “Well, it's been lovely meeting you two, but I need to get going.”

“We understand,” Hazel said, turning toward their own room and using the key to unlock the door.  As she stepped through the open doorway, she said, “Ply, honey, I'm going to put our bags up.”

He said, “Be there in a moment, dear.”  Shining Armor had already turned to go, but he stopped short when Plywood called out, “Excuse me, your ma-er, Shining?”

The captain turned his head and inquired, “Yes?”

Ply took a step toward the young stallion, remaining silent as he contemplated how to word his question.  Finally, he decided.  “Were our names...really on that list downstairs?”

Shining gave him a knowing smirk.  “They certainly were, at least when Cadance and I read it.”  With a wink, the stallion returned his gaze to the door before him and trotted toward the room where his bride awaited.

The earth pony shook his head as he turned toward his own room.  As he stepped inside and shut the door behind him, he got his first look at the inside of the Chariot's honeymoon suite, and he paused for a moment to take in the sight.  The circumference of Celestia's golden orb had dipped below the horizon, but the lights of the room were more than adequate to reveal all the intricate details.  Just like the lobby, the décor was a testament to the skills of whatever ponies had done the interior design work, and everything from the heavy red velvet curtains that hung over the windows on the far side of the room to the matching sheets draped over the sizable bed to Ply's right had a lining of gold.  The color scheme was pleasant, designed to make the room as comfortable as possible for the couples that had booked them, and Plywood felt at ease as he looked around his home for the next week.

Hazelnut, who had set their bags against the wall and was now sorting through them, broke the silence.  “I have to say, dear, I wasn't expecting to be staying in the same hotel as royalty, much less in the room next to theirs.”

Ply chuckled softly and said, “To be honest, Hazel, I don't think this room was supposed to be ours.”

“No?”  His wife turned toward him, one eyebrow raised in confusion.  “What do you mean, Ply?”

“I think our paperwork really was lost in the mail,” the stallion answered.  “I think Shining Armor and Princess Cadance put our names on that list in place of somepony else.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Call it a hunch,” Ply said with a grin.  “But I'm certainly not one to turn down the generosity of royalty.”  He stepped close to his wife and said, “What still needs unpacked?”

Hazel turned to him with a sly grin.  “I think that can wait until later, don't you?”  She closed the distance between them and nuzzled her head against his neck, a soft “Mmm...” escaping her lips.  Ply felt his body relax as his wife gently rubbed against him, the familiar feeling conjuring up warm memories from their past, and he nuzzled back, years of experience allowing him to avoid accidentally scratching himself on her horn.  He lifted a hoof and draped it around her neck, holding her close.  For a while, the married couple stood there locked in a soft embrace; no words were necessary.

Plywood finally broke the silence.  “I hope they made these walls thick.”

Beneath him, Hazel giggled.  “Worried about what's going to happen next door?”

“Not exactly,” Ply replied with a wicked smile.  He pulled Hazelnut tighter to him.  “Besides, they'll probably be doing exactly what we did on our first honeymoon.”

The walls had indeed been soundproofed, a rather obvious choice by the architects considering what ponies would be housed in the rooms.  If the Maneitoba ponies had been able to hear the sound from the royal couple's suite, however, Ply's suspicion would have been confirmed, and no doubt it would have brought a smile to the faces of the elderly couple.

It was the sound of two ponies snoring.
> Show Me
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Captain of Princess Celestia's Royal Guard was a position that was not bestowed on just anypony.  In order to rise through the ranks, Shining Armor had undergone rigorous physical training and conditioning, as well as mental exercises meant to enhance his innate magical abilities.  His dedication had paid off the day that the Sun Princess herself had recommended him to fill the position left by her previous head of Canterlot's security, an opportunity he had gladly seized.  No matter what the other stallions who had sought that job whispered behind his back about the alicorn's close relationship with his younger sister Twilight Sparkle and how that had “clearly been the deciding factor” in his appointment, Shining – and more importantly, Celestia herself – knew that the sole reason he now served as head of all the guard ponies in the capital city was because he was the most qualified stallion, strong in both magic and physical prowess.

All of his training, however, could not have prepared him for the events surrounding his wedding to Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and the spell cast upon him by Chrysalis, the Changeling Queen.  The subsequent invasion by the shape-shifting horde, followed soon after by the liberation of Canterlot through an enhanced shield spell with the assistance of Cadance, had certainly taken its toll on Shining, both mentally and physically.  He had made it through the wedding and reception unscathed only because of his stamina and a great deal of adrenaline; the journey to the suite where he now lay passed out atop the bed, fully-dressed and not even underneath any of the silken sheets, was a blur, a sequence of foggy memories that mostly involved him trying to keep himself conscious.  The promise of frivolity on the honeymoon had lent him strength to fight the urge to utterly collapse from exhaustion, but to his great relief (and slight disappointment), less than a minute after arriving at their suite in the Chariot, Cadance had stumbled over to the four-poster bed and thrown herself onto it, her snores commencing almost immediately.  With a tired grin, Shining had clambered up onto the bed beside her and lowered himself into its welcoming embrace, joining his new wife in slumber.

He was in the same position upon waking as he had been when he had fallen asleep, and he opened his eyes quickly to assess the situation, his training temporarily taking over.  A soft smile spread across his face when he was met with the sight of Cadance on the bed next to him, her head resting on a folded foreleg and her midsection rising and falling with slow, even breaths.  Her mane cascaded down around her face, and Shining grinned at its disheveled state, a testament to the mare's desperation to get some rest after the events of the previous day.  And the weeks before that, he thought, reminded of the testimony of both his sister and his bride regarding her imprisonment in the caverns beneath Canterlot.  He slowly and gently scooted off the bed, doing his best not to rouse his slumbering bride, and trotted to the nearby bathroom to undertake his typical morning ritual.

Their luggage had been waiting inside the suite upon their arrival, delivered ahead of time by royal couriers, and Shining easily located the necessary supplies for him to freshen up.  After a quick emptying of his bladder and a brief assessment of his current state in the mirror (he'd certainly seen better days), he made his way to the shower and turned the silver handles to the angles that gave the water his desired temperature:  hot, but not scalding.  He nearly forgot about his clothing, which had been on him for what seemed like an eternity, and he peeled off the dress uniform and cast the outfit into the corner before taking his first step into the cascading water.

Las Pegasus certainly spared no expense when it came to luxury.  Even as a city in the sky, they were still able to accommodate guests with all the amenities they might have had on solid ground, even hot, running water.  Shining could only imagine what they had undertaken in order to accomplish that, chalking it up to pegasi who clearly knew more about indoor plumbing than he did.  Whatever the means, the feel of the water on his coat as it thoroughly soaked him and flowed down his legs, pooling on the porcelain underneath his hooves before emptying down the drain, was nothing short of exquisite.  He closed his eyes and exhaled deeply, his body relaxing under the gentle pressure of the steady stream.  I've needed this, he mused as he levitated a complimentary bottle of shampoo in front of him and began to apply to the gel to his coat and mane, feeling cleaner by the second.  The deluge of clear, cleansing liquid was soon joined by a liberal amount of suds that swirled together with the water as it spiraled down his body and into the drain below.

He remained in the shower longer than usual, relishing in the hotel's luxury, but finally, he twisted the knobs to their off positions, and a few final drops of water fell from the shower head before the flow finally came to a stop.  Shining retrieved a towel from the nearby rack, a white, fluffy thing with the hotel's name embroidered in gold lettering near the bottom that reminded the unicorn for the hundredth time that he was a guest in this particular establishment.  For a hotel towel, it was surprisingly absorbent, and after only a few minutes, Shining stepped out of the porcelain tub thoroughly dried off.  The next several minutes were spent at the sink in front of the mirror, attending to his teeth, mane, and face with careful brushing and scrubbing.  With one final glance in the reflective glass, Shining gave a brief nod, and satisfied with his appearance, he retrieved his discarded garments and made his exit from the bathroom.

Cadance was right where she had been before, her sleep uninterrupted, and Shining smiled as he saw her again.  Even in a ruffled gown, her hair slightly unkempt, and her deep breaths occasionally turning into little snores, the white unicorn still felt the same way about the alicorn on the bed that he had since their first date.  Nopony else in the whole of Equestria could hope to match her for beauty, both outward and inward.  As he absentmindedly placed his uniform in a bag reserved for dirty laundry, he kept his gaze on the sleeping form of his wife.  “My wife,” he whispered softly, the gravity of those words hitting home for what felt like the first time.  This gorgeous mare curled up on the bed, each curve of her body accentuated by the cloth that still clung to it, her barrel rising and falling in a slow, even rhythm, was his to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for all of time and beyond.  His heart soared as the truth of those ideals took flight inside him, and he stepped back to the bed, propped up on his forelegs, and leaned down to give her a gentle kiss on the cheek.

As he pulled his head away, the pink-hued pony's eyes fluttered open, and she turned her head to look lazily at him.  Her face molded into a joyous, if tired, smile, and with a yawn, she said, “Morning, Shine.”

That nickname would have been most unwelcome coming from anypony else, but whenever Cadance said it, he always felt a little tingle in his heart.  “Morning,” he said back, nuzzling her cheek with his snout gently.  “Sleep well?”

“Oh, did I ever,” she said, rising up into a crouching position as she stretched out her forelegs with another yawn.  She turned to face him.  “You?”

“Like a foal,” he responded with a smile, hopping up onto the bed beside her and assuming a similar sitting position.  “They made these beds very comfortable.”

“Almost too comfortable,” Cadance said with a grin.  “If I remember right, as soon as we got here, I was out like a light.”

“You weren't the only one,” said Shining.  “But I'm sure we both needed some rest, after all that happened.”  He leaned against her, their cheeks together, and sighed contentedly.

For a moment, neither pony spoke, happy to bask in each other's presence.  Finally, Cadance said, “You smell nice.”

Shining pulled back and raised an eyebrow.  “That's kind of a strange thing to say, don't you think?”

She feigned shock and gasped, bringing a hoof to her chest for emphasis.  “Well, it may be strange, Shining Armor, but as unusual a statement as that is, I dare say it's very true.”

Both ponies giggled before Shining said, “It's probably because I had a shower.”

“Oh, that's just what I need!” Cadance shouted, leaping off the bed and trotting in the direction of her bags.  As she dug through them to find her toiletries, she asked, “Is it a nice shower?”

“Let me put it this way,” answered Shining.  “The ponies who designed this place really knew what they were doing.”

Her necessities retrieved and floating around her in a magical aura, Cadance turned back to her husband.  “Sounds amazing.  Can't wait to try it out!”  She began walking toward the bathroom door, a grin on her face.

Before she reached the door, Shining spoke up, “Hey Cadance?”

She looked in his eyes again.  “Yes, Shine?”

He smiled softly.  “I love you.”

She answered with a smile of her own.  “I know.  I love you, too, Shine.”  He hopped off the bed and stepped over to her, leaning his head in toward hers.  She responded in kind, bringing their lips together for a brief, modest kiss that was sweet but oh-so-short, the sensation of the touch setting off sparks in Shining's mind.  She pulled her head away and gave him a wink.  “I'll be done before you know it,” she said before giving a quick toss of her head and stepping into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her and leaving Shining alone in the room.

The white unicorn took the opportunity to briefly explore the honeymoon suite.  While the rest of the hotel had seemed garish and overly fancy, he was surprised to find that the room which he and Cadance occupied was rather subtle and subdued, with a color scheme of deep red tinged with gold trim.  The patterns on the sheets, curtains, and upholstery were simple, as was the layout of the room, consisting of the very spacious bed, an end table on either side of the bed, a small dresser on the left side of the room, and two chairs against the wall on either side of the wide window.  The bathroom was situated near the bed, just beyond one of the end tables, and Shining heard the sound of running water from inside as Cadance took a shower of her own.  A modest closet rounded out the room's features, and upon seeing it, Shining perked up and began the menial but all-important task of unpacking their luggage.

The mindless task of sorting through personal belongings gave Shining the chance to think.  The first subject his mind drifted to was the mare currently being washed clean in the other room, and he found his heartbeat increasing its pace as she entered his thoughts.  She'd always had that effect on him, even since before they had begun “seeing” one another.  As a young colt in Canterlot, he'd first laid eyes on the alicorn when she had been asked by Princess Celestia to watch his little sister Twilight.  The young princess and the little lavender filly had hit it off famously, Twilight even going so far as to call Cadance “the greatest foal-sitter in the history of all foal-sitters.”  Shining's sibling, however, had not been the only one to notice how wonderful Cadance really was.  Despite being at that awkward age where mares were just starting to become interesting rather than annoying and mysterious, Shining found himself enamored by the pink alicorn, his interest enhanced by the closeness of her relationship with Twilight.  If anypony could get along with his sister that well, they were certainly worthy of his attention as well.

His pursuit of a position as a royal guard, however, prevented him from forming anything more than a mild friendship with Cadance.  Years of rigorous training and exercises kept him occupied, even as Twilight quickly outgrew her need for a foal-sitter.  During that time, Shining saw nothing of Cadance, his entire being instead focused on becoming the most capable guard in Canterlot.  Finally, the dream was achieved, and he was made Captain of the Royal Guard.  He was elated, and his parents and sister showered him with praise and accolades.  At that moment, he felt like he was on top of Equestria.

Then, at the celebration his mother and father had thrown in his honor, there came a surprise.  One moment, he was chatting away with Twilight about some of the more memorable moments of his guard training, when he felt a light hoof tap on his shoulder.  He turned to see who it was, and his eyes opened wider than he ever thought they could.  There, standing before him, was Cadance, but not the foal-sitter he'd known and respected.  She had grown up into a stunningly beautiful young mare, and Shining had to pick his jaw up off the floor before greeting his old friend.  For the rest of the party, it was nearly impossible for the white unicorn to be anywhere but next to the alicorn, conversing about anything and everything just for the sake of talking to her.  A promise of dinner later in the week made his heart leap, and he found it difficult to sleep that night as images of the young princess danced through his subconscious.

Occasional lunch or dinner meetings soon turned into official dates.  It was difficult to focus on guard duty sometimes, as Shining's thoughts continually drifted to Cadance, but he soldiered through his shifts and responsibilities with gusto, looking forward to his next outing with the alicorn.  She was regal and proper, being a princess, but Shining soon discovered her fun-loving side as well.  Her wit was infrequent but sharp, and she relished any opportunity to have a laugh, her ringing peals of mirth warming the stallion's heart.  She lived up to her cutie mark as well, encouraging love between other ponies who were having arguments or issues, and Shining smiled often as he realized that the heart on her flank was also beginning to serve as a symbol for how he felt about the mare.  He had fallen hard for her, and it soon became clear that she had done the same for him.

The unicorn levitated the final outfit out of his bag and hung it carefully in the closet next to the others.  While clothing was often unnecessary for ponies, Shining understood the importance of his garb, especially the regalia that indicated his status as guard captain, and he regularly (if begrudgingly) wore some manner of suit when he went out in public.  This trip, however, had not required very heavy packing, considering that his plans for the very near future did not involve leaving the confines of the honeymoon suite, and the few outfits brought along for both him and Cadance were vastly outnumbered by empty hangers inside the closet.  Shining slid the door closed and turned back to the luggage, sighing in contentment as he confirmed that his task was complete.  The water in the bathroom was still running, and Shining hopped back up onto the bed.  He lay down on all fours atop the red sheets, letting his mind wander as he waited for his wife to finish her shower.

His thoughts first drifted to the couple that occupied the room adjacent to theirs.  Cadance had been the one to suggest intervention when they spied the two ponies having words with the desk clerk, not surprising considering her penchant for love, and he grinned as he replayed their reading of the list.  A single glance at the name reserved for the suite that should have belonged to the couple – Plywood and Hazelnut, if he recalled correctly – had made Shining's decision extremely easy, and he was glad to have neighbors who seemed friendly and kind.

He remembered the conversation that took place outside their rooms the night before.  Honestly, faithfulness, and love.  They were concepts that had been the cornerstone of all great relationships, but to hear them admonished by a couple that seemed genuine, down-to-earth, and (dare he say it) common refreshed and encouraged Shining.  Many of the marriages he had been around in Canterlot consisted of two ponies who had simply tied the knot for the sake of convenience or social standing, while others were failing experiments undertaken by overly ambitious and immature ponies who had moved too quickly and now had more responsibilities than they were prepared for.  Shining Armor, on the other hoof, was dedicated to making his union with Cadance something special, even if she was royalty and therefore used to being pampered and provided for.  They may have been a high-profile couple, the talk of the newspapers, tabloids, and practically the whole of Equestria, but he knew that they would face many of the same trials that his own parents, as well as Hazel and Ply, had experienced throughout the course of their own marriages.  No matter what, however, Shining was confident that the two of them could weather their storms.

The next place his mind traveled was quite unexpected, yet surprisingly pertinent.  He flashed back to a sunny spring day, and a conversation his father had instigated with him when he was just on the verge of puberty...


***


“Shining, can I talk to you for a moment?”  Orion's voice drifted to Shining Armor's ears.

“Sure, Dad!”  The colt cast aside his magazine, the latest news about hoofball abandoned as he trotted up to the older unicorn that stood before him.  Instead of the normally stoic and proud figure his father usually cut, however, the stallion before him looked nervous, almost uncomfortable, one front hoof scuffing the ground absently while his eyes looked everywhere but at his son.  As Shining assumed a sitting position in front of his father, he said, “You okay, Dad?”

An unconvincing smile crept onto the stallion's face as he finally made eye contact with the colt.  “J-just fine, son.”  His shaky voice told Shining otherwise.  Before the colt could comment, his father continued, “I just wanted to talk to you about...um...things.”

“What kind of things?” Shining asked, suddenly desiring to return to his article about potential draft picks.

His father cleared his throat before saying, “Well, Shining, you're starting to get to a certain age, and with that age might come some...feelings.”  He paused for a moment.  “Feelings about...mares.”  Orion stepped forward and put a hoof on his son's shoulder.  “I think it's time I told you about the, um, facts of life.”

Shining stared back in confusion.  “What are you talking about, Dad?”

The stallion placed his hoof back on the floor.  “Do you remember when you were younger, and you asked where foals come from?”  Shining nodded.  “Remember what your mother and I told you?”

“Yeah, you said that foals were a gift from the princess for mommies and daddies who love each other very much,” Shining said, his tone indicating how much he actually believed that explanation.  His curiosity, however, had been piqued by his father's line of questioning.  His education at a rigorous private school had not included any lessons regarding the more intimate details surrounding pony anatomy and the main function of certain body parts, at least not yet, and he was genuinely curious about the origin of little ponies like himself and his baby sister Twilight.

“Well, Shining, that wasn't...completely true.”

No, really?  The white unicorn held his tongue.

“You see, son, the truth is that mares and stallions are...different in a very, very important way.  The fact is, stallions and colts like you and me, we have a...*ahem* stallionhood.”

Shining had honestly never heard it called that before, but he had a pretty good idea about what his father was talking about.

“Yes.  You – we – have a stallionhood.  It's nothing to be ashamed of, it's perfectly natural, and it's a very important thing for any male to have and take care of, like when you're playing sports or something like that.”

The young unicorn had received a few blows to the area between his legs, and he winced as a memory of the pain flashed through his mind.  He could not, however, follow his father's train of logic, and he waited for the older unicorn to continue.

Orion did so after a moment of silence and yet another clearing of his throat.  Shining considered retrieving a glass of water for his dad, but remained in place as the unicorn finally carried on.  “And of course, you also know that it's where you, er, urinate, and that's also perfectly natural, it's what it's there for.”

Now Shining really wished his father would get to the point.

The stallion's eyes were shifting around again.  “But a mare is...well, different.  A stallion has a stallionhood, but a mare has...well...a marehood.”  A weak grin came to Orion's face as he once again settled his gaze on his son.

“Um...what?”

The grin shattered instantly, and the elder unicorn struggled to regain the momentum of the conversation (what little there had been to begin with).  “Well, son, what you and I and every other stallion out there has, mare's don't have that.  Not at all.”

Confusion was giving way to impatience.  “Then what do they have, Dad?”

Shining could see the wheels turning.  Unfortunately, it seemed they were turning the wrong direction.  “It's like...you see...the best way I could describe it is...”  One of his father's front hooves twirled through the air in a vain attempt to accelerate his thought processes.  “Well...it's kind of like a flower.”

“A...flower?”

“Yes!”  The older unicorn's eyes shot open, and a smile that was rather unsettling came to his face.  “And what we have, what stallions have I mean, is like a, a bee!”

“Seriously, what?”

Orion carried on, ignoring his son's interjection.  “And bees, well they just love flowers, you know, so much that they want to help the flowers make little seeds so there can be more flowers for other bees later on.  So a bee has to help a flower by...um...flying to it, and...”

It was akin to watching two hoofball players run into each other accidentally, ending up sprawled on the ground in a disorganized heap; as much as Shining wanted to look away, he was enamored by how horribly this was going.  His father's desperate eyes were scanning the room, and his smile was fading away rapidly as he struggled to maintain his incredibly perplexing analogy.

“You see, flowers need pollen so they can make seeds, and the bees, well, they have to fly to the flowers, and they bring the pollen to the, er, flowers, and they give it to the...um...flowers, because they love flowers so much that they just want them to be happy and have little seeds of their own, seeds that'll grow up into even more beautiful flowers.  And if a bee really loves a flower, it'll only fly back to that specific one, and it'll only give pollen to that one flower because it loves it so much and wants it to feel special.”  The stallion paused, his face blank.  “Understand, son?”

Before Shining could give the obvious answer, a third voice interjected into the conversation.  “Honestly, Orion, we've done it I don't know how many times, and even I don't have any idea what you just said.”  The colt looked over to see his mother, Dazzle, stepping into the room.  With a wide smile, she stood next to her husband and draped her foreleg across his withers, looking up at him.  “That was...almost painful, but I had to hold back some serious laughter.”

Orion said weakly, “How long were you there?”

“Long enough,” Dazzle responded with a light chuckle.  She turned to Shining.  “Son, your father is obviously having a hard time with this, so I think both of us will do the explaining from here on out.”  She turned back to Orion, who wore a sheepish grin.  “Sound good to you, sweetie?”

“No objections here,” the stallion said, his smile growing as he looked comfortable for the first time since the beginning of the conversation.

Over the next half-hour, Dazzle and Orion (mostly the former) spelled out all the details regarding the process of reproduction as their son listened with wide eyes and rapt attention, and when they concluded, Shining honestly wasn't sure whether to be amazed or greatly disturbed.  As he mulled over his opinion, Dazzle said, “Now, Shining Armor, I know that this is a lot to take in right now, but we're here to answer any questions you might have.  Your father and I don't want you to feel embarrassed to ask us anything at all.  We want to make sure you understand everything completely.  Got it?”

Shining gave a nod, his head still a jumble of new and enlightening information.  One question, however, sprang to his mind.  “Just one thing:  You two did this together?”

Both adults chuckled before Orion answered, “Yes, of course, son.”

Shining looked to the other room in time to see a small purple filly gallop past, her horn alight with magic that was pulling a raggedy doll with button eyes alongside her.  He turned back to his parents.  “Twice?”


***
	

Shining Armor's trip down memory lane was interrupted by the sound of an opening door.  He had been so engrossed in his revisiting of one of the most awkward moments of his (and probably his father's) life that he hadn't heard the water shut off, and he sat up on his haunches as Cadance stepped out of the open door, humming a little tune as her dress levitated beside her.  She seemed to have a little more spring in her step, and the white unicorn smiled and said, “Feel better?”

She paused her impromptu recital and turned to face him, her face a beaming grin.  “Oh, you have no idea.”

Shining chuckled.  “Actually, I kinda do.”

Cadance blushed slightly and giggled, her voice still trembling from laughter as she said, “Oh yeah, I guess that's true.”  She skipped toward the closet and opened it up, using her magic to hang her dress from an empty hanger.  Without swiveling her head, she asked, “Did you unpack all our bags?”

“Every last one,” Shining responded with an air of pride.  “This room is all set for the week.”

“You're just too good,” Cadance said as she slid the door closed and spun around to face Shining, her face beaming with a coy smile.  “What did I ever do to deserve a pony like you, my brave Shining Armor, great sorter of luggage?”  She brought a hoof to her barrel and raised her chin high, eliciting a brief laugh from her husband.

“Careful now, Cadance,” the white unicorn said, “or you'll start sounding like our dear friend Blueblood.”

The alicorn giggled as she hopped up on the bed, joining Shining atop the mattress.  “Could you believe the room next to us was supposed to be for him?  Was there even another name with his on the list?”

“I don't think so,” Shining said.  “It might as well have said, 'Prince Blueblood and his flavor of the week.'”  He laughed again, then scooted closer to Cadance, closing the distance between them.

The pink princess sat down herself, her flank pressed up against Shining's.  The white unicorn felt his cheeks flush with heat, and he draped a hoof across his wife's withers as she rested her body against his.  Her warmth against him was a welcome feeling, and he nuzzled his head onto hers, gently rubbing up and down.  She gave a sigh of happiness, and the couple was content to sit there for a while, basking in each other's presence.

Shining Armor broke the silence.  “Cadance?”

She pulled her head back, and he followed suit, looking her in the eye as she asked, “Yes, Shine?”

For a moment, he didn't know how to start, the sight of her face leaving him temporarily dumbstruck.  Her formerly disheveled mane had been styled into its usual pattern; the multicolored hair flowed down around her face and delicate frame, accented by her trademark tiara perched in its usual place.  Other than the tiny crown, she wore no other garments, but he found himself unable to admire her beautiful body.  He simply couldn't tear his gaze away from her deep purple eyes; they were one of Cadence's more subtle features, at least when compared to her elaborate mane, but Shining had always found himself enamored by them.  It took another prompt from her to snap him out of his minor trance.  “Shine?  What is it?”

He blinked twice and said, “Sorry, lost my train of thought for a minute.”

Cadance gave a sly grin, one eyebrow raised.  “I do have that effect on stallions.”

“Especially this stallion,” Shining said, causing a blush to rise on his wife's cheeks.  He continued, “Actually, I've been thinking a lot about what Plywood and Hazelnut said to us yesterday, about how their marriage has lasted as long as it has.  It really struck a chord with me, and...well, I feel like I need to say something before I do anything else.”

“Is everything okay, Shine?” Cadance asked.  Her face tensed up into a look of concern as she placed a hoof on her husband's shoulder.

His own hoof came to rest atop hers, a strong press assuring her that he was all right despite the turbidity within him.  “How could it not be?  I'm on my honeymoon with the most beautiful mare in Equestria.”  The blush on the alicorn's face deepened.  “It was what Ply said about honesty...I need to confess something, Cadance.”

Her eyes searched his face for any hint of something wrong, her formerly boisterous countenance giving way to a face filled with worry.  “What is it, Shine?”  She leaned closer, her head only inches from his.  In a whisper, she said, “You can tell me, whatever it is.”

He exhaled heavily.  “I know.”  He drew in a deep breath and closed his eyes, then revealed the truth.  “While you were, well, imprisoned, and the changeling queen was in your place, I...I made out with her.”  He opened his eyes slowly, and even though he felt a great burden lift from his heart, he had no idea what to expect from the mare before him.

The last thing he could have anticipated, however, was a deadpan face.  After several seconds of nothing but locked stares, Cadance said, “Is that it?”

“Um...yes,” Shining said, caught off guard, ironic considering his job title.

“You didn't do anything else?”

“Nope.”

A shove on Shining's shoulder was accompanied by a quick burst of laughter from the pink alicorn.  The stallion stood in stunned silence, waiting for Cadance's giggling fit to pass.  Finally, she calmed herself down enough to say, “And this is a big deal to you?”

Shining's eyes widened.  “Of course it is!  I kissed another mare!”

Cadance waved her hoof in the air.  “I'm gonna stop you right there, Shine.  Now, answer me something:  did you know it was another mare?”

“Well, no,” Shining answered.  “She had us all fooled.”

“Well there you go!” Cadance shouted.  Her hoof came back down onto his shoulder.  “It's not like you went out looking for somepony else to hook up with.  That...thing was a master of deception, and I don't think for a second that you didn't believe that it was me all along.  If a changeling had showed up as a copy of you, I probably would have done exactly the same thing.”

“But I should have seen the signs,” Shining said, his voice pleading.  “Twilight tried to tell me, but I didn't listen.”

“You were trying to plan for a wedding while keeping Canterlot defended at the same time,” Cadance said.  “The stress would get to anypony.  I mean, I was worn out too, even before I got thrown down into those caves.”  She drew closer to Shining, pulling him into an embrace.  Her head rested on his shoulder.  “It's all right, Shine...I understand.”

“So, you're not mad?” the unicorn whispered as he returned his wife's hug, gently stroking her back.

“Not at all,” she responded in a voice equally as soft.  Shining let himself sink into her hug, his heart taking flight as his conscience finally felt clear.  He had expected at least a little bit of backlash after his revelation, but Cadance's willingness to forgive had definitely taken him by surprise.  He continued to trace idle circles along her body as the couple sat quietly, the only sounds their breathing.  Finally, the pink alicorn spoke.  “I thought of you while I was down there.  Every hour, every minute, all my thoughts were consumed by you.  I honestly didn't know what I was going to do if I couldn't get back to you again.  I...I can't imagine living without you, Shine.”

“Cadance,” Shining whispered, “I've never loved any pony as much as you.”  He felt warmth rise within his heart, surging through his body with each beat.

“Do you remember what Plywood said yesterday?” Cadance said as she pulled back from the hug, staring into Shining's eyes once again, the barest hint of a grin on the corners of her mouth.

“Which part?”

“About reminding each other how much we love each other.  If I remember correctly, he said that we need to show it, not just say it.”  A pair of hooves suddenly slipped behind Shining's head, and faster than he could react, his head had been pulled into Cadance's, his wide, surprised eyes slowly closing as their mouths melded together.

The young couple had engaged in heated kissing before, but Shining had made sure to keep those sessions short and sweet for fear of losing control.  He'd been madly in love with Cadance for a long time now, but the two of them had made a pact with each other that they would wait until they had tied the knot to partake of that most private and pleasurable of acts.  A mantra of sorts had served as a reminder of their promise:  “True love waits.”  It was a sentiment that Shining's parents had both instilled in him and encouraged him to follow from a young age.  He'd been tempted many times – oh, so many times, his wife was unbelievably sexy – to break their promise and give in to his passion, but he was able to quell his eagerness through the use of two reminders.

First, both he and Cadance were high-profile ponies in the capital city, already receiving undue amounts of attention simply because they were dating.  If they were discovered in a compromising position, or if Cadance were to become pregnant out of wedlock, both their reputations would have been torn to shreds, and for the niece of the Princess of the Sun to be caught in any sort of scandal would be absolutely devastating to her.

The second reason was much simpler:  Princess Mi Amore Cadenza was worth waiting for.

Now, however, there was nothing to hold him back, and as his lips gently massaged hers, the reality of the situation flooded into his mind, bringing with it desires that had been held back for a very, very long time.  Their maws still interlocked in intimate contact, Shining flicked his tongue gently across the entrance to Cadance's mouth.  Without pause, she widened her jaw, and Shining followed suit, their heads pushing closer together.  Shining brought a hoof up to stroke his wife's mane even as his tongue began its trek around her mouth, relishing her subtly sweet taste as he rubbed his flexible organ against her teeth, her gums, even her own tongue, which gladly rose to meet his in a gentle samba.  His exploration of his lover's mouth complete, Shining retracted his intruding tongue and allowed Cadance to take her turn.  He shivered as she imitated his earlier actions, her tongue leaving a thin coating of her saliva in its wake until her taste permeated his entire mouth.  Each breath the alicorn released flowed into the stallion's mouth, warming his head with her exhalations.

Their lip-locking lasted a little longer before the lovers finally pulled back their heads, panting heavily.  A thin tendril of saliva hung suspended between their mouths, snapping in two as the stallion fixed his gaze on the deep purple eyes of his mate.  They were so familiar, those irises, but they never failed to draw him into her enrapturing gaze.  Still panting, he cracked a smile.  “I think...Ply may have been on to something.”

Cadance matched his grin.  “I think you may be right.”  She stroked his face gently with her hoof, her stare never wavering from him.  Her voice was a whisper as she said, “Shining Armor...I want you to show me.”  Now a hoof was on either side of his face, focusing Shining's vision straight onto her face.  As if I'd want to look anywhere else.  “Show me how much...you love me.”

He put his own hooves atop her shoulders.  “I would be happy to, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza,” he whispered back before moving his head forward for another kiss, this one much more passionate.  Shining's tongue dove in almost immediately to meet Cadance's in a wild, aggressive dance.  As their mouths continued the intimate tango, Shining scooted forward, one hoof sliding down Cadance's back while the other took position against her barrel.  When the kiss finally broke, he gently nudged her backward while supporting her with his other leg, and she leaned back, braced by his strong foreleg, until she was lying prone atop the red sheets, Shining looming above her with his hoof still on her pink torso.  He smiled softly as he gazed down at his bride, her multicolored mane pooling around her head and shoulders and her eyes alight with a passion that was quickening the pace of Shining's heart and filling him with a soft, comforting warmth.  Her wings spread out beneath her, still close to her body and not yet at their full extension.  He engaged her in another light kiss, barely more than a brushing of lips, then whispered, “You're so beautiful, Cadance,” his hoof gently rubbing up and down her soft barrel.

Her smile was even more alluring than usual, considering that not only was she on her back beneath him, but also that her eyes were blazing with desire.  “Show me,” she said again, her hooves around his withers.

Truth be told, Shining was brimming with nervousness as much as excitement, but he found that the former was quickly losing ground to the latter the more he looked at Cadance beneath him.  He leaned down to plant a soft kiss on her neck, and his trepidation fled almost entirely as he inhaled her scent through his nostrils.  It was like the first smell of a field of daisies, warmed by a spring sunrise and rustling under a gentle, cool breeze.  She nuzzled her head against his as he kissed lightly against the skin of her neck and crept upward to plant a peck on her cheek.  He moved up further, teasing her with a soft nibble of her ears and a whisper:  “I'll show you.”

His hoof began to blaze a trail along her body, and his mouth soon followed in its wake.  He wasn't entirely sure how to proceed, but instinct drove him down, slowly down from her head to the rest of her body, each inch of her receiving a gentle rub from his hoof and a lick from his tongue, already eager for more action.  Soft coos of pleasure from his bride indicated that he was doing something right, and he continued his ministrations, spurred on by her wordless encouragement.  Kiss after kiss, lick after lick, he drew ever nearer to the most sacred place.  He felt her hind legs spread out beneath him as he reached her pelvis, mere inches from his destination.  He reached one hoof down to her thigh and softly stroked her cutie mark, eliciting a slight gasp from Cadance, while his mouth resumed its course.  A dull heat seemed to radiate from the area just below his jaw, and he pulled his head back to take in the sight of his lover's treasure for the first time.

The small mound of pink, a lighter shade than Cadance's coat, was rather like a flower, its petals closed during the night; it looked moist as well, the little patch of hair below it slightly damp.  It seemed rather simple, and yet, at the same time, Shining wasn't entirely sure how to proceed.  That was only until the first hint of scent wafted into his nose.  It was similar to the taste that still lingered on his tongue, but it was infinitely stronger and more pungent, tearing through his olfactory senses like a bolt of lightning and filling not just his nose but his entire head with its sweetness.  He dipped his nose closer to her entrance, breathing in deep and shuddering as another wave of her smell assaulted his nervous system.  The warmth within him increased as he absorbed her scent.  He felt his stallionhood begin to poke out of its sheath, blood already rushing to engorge the eager flesh, and his hoof continued its gentle rubbing against the heart on his lover's flank, a soft “Mmm...” escaping her lips.

His curiosity pressed him to go one step further; if her musk alone could have this kind of effect on him, what would it be like to experience her taste?  His tongue snaked out of his mouth slowly, tentatively, finally making contact with the lower end of her slit and giving a quick flick across her entrance.  She let out a squeak and recoiled slightly, her wings fluttering, and he quickly brought his head up to look her in the eyes.  Her cheeks were flushed deep crimson, and her mouth hung open as she breathed slowly and evenly.  “All right, Cadance?” he said, his tone filled with concern.

With a quick nod, she said with a slightly hoarse voice, “I'm okay, Shine...just don't stop.”

He lowered his head back towards her marehood.  “Does it feel good?”

“Just don't stop,” she said sharply.  “It's...oh, Celestia, it's amazing...”

Shining smiled; that was all the answer he needed.  His head descended the rest of the way, and another light lick across the pink folds brought a moan of pleasure and a tremor from the mare beneath him.  This time, Shining felt a jolt of excitement rocket through his body as Cadance's arousal made contact with his taste buds, flooding his mouth with the taste of his lover; it wasn't quite as strong as her aroma, but it was filled with the same wonderful essence.  He focused his attention on her damp entrance, which was rapidly becoming more wet by the second.  Each sweep of his tongue drew out a cry or groan from the alicorn.  The sounds of her pleasure spurred him to continue his licks, as did the moisture that met his tongue with each contact against her treasure and the ever-present scent of her musk.  The sweet smell and the more subtle flavor on his tongue assaulted his senses, nearly overwhelming him with a surge of pure, unadulterated lust; he had never felt a desire quite this strong, his brain urging him to please the mare on the bed in oh-so-many ways.

The unicorn's head swam with the combination of smell and taste, but he could also feel his own arousal growing beneath him, the blood filling his member until its entire length hung loose from its sheath, his sensitive head barely brushing against the bedsheets.  Emboldened by his expanding erection, he pressed his nose further forward, engaging his lover's lower lips in a sort of kiss.  Her sharp cry of “Oh!” and the accompanying moan gave Shining the message that this was quite all right with Cadance, and he took the next natural step that would have come during a normal kiss:  his tongue became more involved.  The princess' shouts grew in volume and frequency as his tongue darted out from between his lips to explore the previously unplumbed depths of her passage, lightly brushing against her pulsing inner walls.  Her tight chamber seemed to clutch at the intruding organ, and he swirled his tongue around the circumference of her tunnel.  Her sweet moisture that his tongue lapped up was quickly replenished by the mare's increasing arousal, which was also evidenced by Cadance's repeated cries and gasps of pleasure.

After a few circular motions of his tongue around her pulsing walls, he pulled his head away, Cadance giving a little whine at the sudden absence of his mouth.  Shining, however, rose to his hooves and stepped forward, standing straight over his bride, her eyes ablaze with desire.  He leaned down to give her a kiss, and her muzzle eagerly rose to meet his, their lips and tongues engaging in glorious battle for several seconds before the two panting ponies broke the contact, their gazes meeting.  Cadance smiled and said in a breathy voice, “I think I tasted...myself on you.”

Shining grinned.  “How was it?”

“A little strange,” Cadance admitted, “but...kind of hot.”  Both ponies chuckled lightly, but then Shining felt the tip of his erection brush against the soft body below him.  Cadance gasped, then turned her gaze to the space between their bodies, her eyes widening with awe and hunger as she beheld the unicorn's stallionhood on full display in her presence for the first time.  Shining blushed slightly as her attention turned to the impressive member, and his cheeks reddened further when his wife said, “It's...oh, Shine, it's huge.”  A sudden pressure on his shaft caused Shining to twitch; one of the alicorn's hooves had ventured down to touch his erection, and it slowly slid along his length as Cadance whispered, “Oh my...”

The first hint of contact against his hard member had sent a quick wave of pleasure through the stallion's body, and now that it had the mare's undivided attention, he felt multiple pangs of bliss course through him.  They traveled along his length and rushed through the rest of his body, filling him with a feeling of warmth.  He closed his eyes as Cadance's hoof slowly stroked back and forth along his shaft, his sensitive head still pressed lightly against her barrel.  Each light brush against his throbbing stallionhood sent a fresh surge of pleasure through Shining, his desire finally coming to fruition.  Between gasps, he managed to say, “So, you...like it...Cadance?”

She kept her eyes fixed on it for a moment longer before looking back up at Shining, her mouth agape and a thin tendril of drool running down her cheek.  “Oh, Shine,” she whispered lustily, “it's even better than I imagined.”  She brought her hooves up to loop around his withers, the sudden absence of her touch causing Shining to gasp slightly.  She leaned her head up next to his and nuzzled against his cheek.  In a soft, sultry voice, the princess repeated two words that sent a shiver of absolute desire through the captain's entire being:  “Show me.”

Her head dropped back down against the bed, her unkempt mane flowing down around her shoulders and her wings now spread out beneath her pink body at their full length.  Shining gazed deeply into her purple irises, the eyes that were normally filled with joy and pep now half-lidded in a much more primal, hungry look.  Neither pony dared to speak; everything that they had gone through in their relationship, and especially all the events surrounding their wedding, had led them to this moment, and words would only spoil it.

Shining managed to tear his eyes from Cadance's and looked down, stepping his hind legs back and shifting his hips as he attempted to line up his throbbing member.  The alicorn kept her hooves across his withers, holding his head steady, and for a moment, there was no sound but deep, slow breaths and the rustling of a mattress as the white unicorn adjusted his position, lifting his erection from the mare's body and pulling it back.  Finally, after a minute of fumbling, he found his position and began to lower his hips slowly and carefully, his hind legs spreading out slightly to allow him to sink downward to his ultimate goal.  The head of his stallionhood suddenly made contact with a warm, moist surface, causing both ponies to gasp.  Shining caught his breath as an electric jolt of pleasure tore through him; the feeling was unlike anything he'd ever experienced in his life, and it sent his mind to untold heights of joy, though he knew the best was yet to come.  With one final look at his wife, her eyes wide with anticipation, Shining braced his hips and gave a little push.

The initial penetration was rather easy, considering how aroused Cadance was, but her unexplored depths were still tight around his shaft as he sunk into her.  Shining barely noticed the resistance, however, as his brain nearly exploded with pleasure at the feel of her inner walls clutching him, smooth and wet and incredibly warm.  Underneath him, Cadance let out a scream that topped the volume of all her previous noises of pleasure, and as Shining paused to relish in the sensation of her passage encompassing his sensitive head, her breaths came quick and short, punctuated by soft whines and moans of pleasure.  Shining found his own breathing difficult, and he released a low groan indicating his own bliss.  Finally, he regained control of his senses, his brain still flooded with new and incredible sensations, and looked down to the pink mare beneath him.  “Oh, Cadance, you feel...so good...”

“Don't stop,” she said, her voice almost desperate.  “Please, Shine, don't stop.”

He leaned his head down again to nuzzle her neck as he resumed his descent into her, propelling himself forward slowly with his hips.  As inch after inch of his stallionhood vanished into her eager passage, the friction of her inner walls against his sensitive shaft created wave after wave of nearly unbelievable pleasure.  His thoughts were unable to concentrate anywhere else other than their intimate contact.  She was tight, but her juices made his task easier, making her passage just slick enough that he had no trouble sinking deeper into her, accompanied by a high-pitched moan from the alicorn.  Soon, however, he came to a barrier, and Cadance gave a cry that sounded more like pain than pleasure.  Despite her earlier insistence, Shining paused his penetration and brought his head up, looking at her face again.  “Cadance, are you all right?”

Her eyes were closed, and she was panting, her cheeks now a deep crimson.  She managed to open her eyes and meet the unicorn's gaze.  “It's okay, Shine,” she said in a throaty voice.  “I'm okay.  Go ahead.”

Despite knowing this moment would come, Shining was still a little afraid of following through, and he asked in a whisper, “Are you ready?”

She shut her eyes once again, drawing in and releasing two deep breaths before looking back up at him, her eyes the picture of steely resolve.  “Take it.  Take me.  I'm all yours.”

Shining nodded slightly and leaned his head back down next to hers, whispering, “Here I go,” before giving one last steady push.  The resistance against his stallionhood gave way, and once again, Cadance cried out, throwing her head back.  He quickly pressed his own head against her neck, mumbling “It's okay, it's all right, I'm here” repeatedly and punctuating each sentence with a kiss or light nibble against her pink coat.

Finally, after several seconds of deep breathing, Cadance rubbed the back of Shining's head with her hoof and said, “I'm all right now.  Please, Shine, keep going.”

He withdrew his head from its gentle attention to her shoulder.  “All right,” he said with a light smile before bracing his hips once more and continuing his plunge, his consciousness once again assaulted by a fresh wave of pleasure as her passage seemed to rejoice at the renewed motion.  Cadance moaned loudly again, and this time her voice carried no trace of discomfort.  Shining's heart soared as the noises she made revealed how good he was making her feel, despite the pain of her first time, and he continued to sink deeper into the mare.  She took in his stallionhood eagerly; the mare moaned and gasped while the stallion grunted and groaned.

He finally came to a halt when all but an inch of his sizable member was buried inside her body, and both ponies took a moment to simply revel in the feeling.  Shining's breath was coming in gasps, each heartbeat sending a throb of pleasure through his body all the way down his length, and Cadance's inner walls clutched him tightly.  He had never felt such warmth as he did emanating from his lover's passage, the pleasant temperature making his erection feel very comfortable, and he knew that her body welcomed the feeling of being filled.  He felt like he belonged there more so than he'd ever belonged anywhere else, locked in intimate contact with the love of his life; each surge of blood through his veins carried a fresh supply of utter bliss directly to his brain.

Then, he started to move back, and the assault on his senses began anew, punctuated by even more cries and moans from Cadance.  It was as she was desperate for him to stay, grasping at him even as his stallionhood slowly slid out.  He grunted as her passage's attempts to retain him caused incredible friction against his shaft and around the flared tip of his head, each inch an adventure in pleasure.  As he slowly withdrew from her, he whispered between panted breaths, “Cadance, I...feels so good...”

Interspersed with her own rapid inhalations and exhalations came a reply:  “Never...felt this way...in my life...oh, Shine, please...keep going...don't stop...don't you even think about stopping.”

Shining flashed a toothy grin as he finally ceased his exit, only a little more than an inch of his member still inside.  Cadance's passage pulsated with anticipation of his return, and he wasted no time in returning to its welcoming depths, this descent a little faster than his previous foray.  He soon came to the same point at which he had stopped earlier, fighting against the urges of his brain that told him to throw caution to the wind and begin rutting the living daylights out of the mare beneath him.  With a great deal of self-control, he retracted his length from her again, pausing when just his head was still inside.  His mind told him to move, move, move, to buck his hips as fast as possible and cause the mattress to shake from a relentless pounding.  Instead, he gritted his teeth and drove in slowly again.

Soon, the stallion had settled into a steady rhythm, rocking his body up and down as he plunged into the alicorn's depths, retracting back only to dive back in.  He groaned as the pleasure built through his body, each incredible descent into Cadance sending a new shock of rapture to his brain; her twitching inner walls and her moans and cries that only increased in both sound and frequency as he continued his even-paced lovemaking filled him with joy, knowing that his bride was having the time of her life even as he was riding higher than he could ever have hoped to on his own.  His pace increased with each penetration, a fresh shout of elation escaping his wife's lips with each thrust.

His stamina could only hold out so long, and in far too short a time (though he honestly didn't know how long he'd been going), he felt a familiar sensation begin to build up in his testicles.  Now, his concentration shifted to a new subject:  there was no way in Tartarus that he was going to allow himself to lose control before the mare that shared the bed with him had experienced her own moment of utter bliss.  He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw shut, grinding his teeth slightly even as the speed of his hips picked up even more.  The urge was difficult to fight, and even without looking at Cadance, he could still hear her screams of pleasure as he pistoned in and out of her.  The sounds of her arousal became ever louder and drove him wild with desire.  He let his instinct take control, his motions becoming nearly automatic and picking up speed as he focused every fiber of his being on keeping himself contained.  It was a losing battle; the endless barrage of amazing sensations that crashed against his mind was nigh overwhelming, and even with all his thought power dedicated to not releasing, he was drawing close to the edge far faster than he wanted, his groans becoming longer and more guttural as the bed began to shake beneath both ponies.

Then, just when he felt he couldn't stand it a moment longer, Cadance's screams suddenly had words.  “Oh!  Shine!  I'm...oh!...I'm gonna...gonna...”  A moment later, her long, loud shriek pierced the air of the room accompanied by a rush of warm liquid from somewhere deep within the alicorn, coating her passage with a fresh slickness that enveloped his member in its wet warmth and proved to be the final straw for Shining.  With his own shout, a roar of sheer joy that mingled with Cadance's in a concordant symphony of ultimate bliss, he finally, finally let himself go, ceasing his eager thrusts as his stallionhood throbbed and pulsed with each shot of thick, warm seed into the depths of his lover.  It was a blinding orgasm; his eyes rolled back into his head as he unloaded spurt after spurt of his payload into Cadance, the screams of their mutual peaks of pleasure morphing into each other's names shouted at the top of each pony's lungs.

At long last, the final gob of ejaculate spilled forth from the tip of Shining's member, and he collapsed onto the bed next to Cadance, one hoof wrapping around her midsection and his head nuzzling against her neck once more.  He simply breathed long, steady breaths that brought refreshing air swirling back into his eager lungs.  Each one carried with it a hint of his wife's sweet scent.  Beneath him, Cadance did the same, and she leaned her head against his as they lay prone on the bed.  He smiled and inhaled deeply, his mind still riding high from the incredible sensations that had rocked his body only moments before.  His stallionhood gradually softened before finally making its final exit from Cadance's passage, soaked now by a combination of her juices and his cum that leaked out of her entrance and pooled into a wet spot on the sheets.

After several minutes, Shining managed to pick his head up and bring it over to Cadance's to plant a soft kiss on her cheek.  She smiled back at him, her eyes still flickering with the last remnants of arousal but her face the model of sheer satisfaction.  With a soft voice, the princess said, “You sure showed me.”

Shining chuckled.  “See?  I really do love you.”

She brought a hoof up to his face.  “I never doubted that for a moment.”  The young couple brought their heads together for a brief, delicate kiss, their lips brushing together softly.  Their mouths hung open as they pulled away, their breaths slow and even.  In a whisper, the princess added, “And don't you ever stop.”

The unicorn smiled.  “I won't.”  As he pulled her into a tight embrace, he realized that he believed those words with every cell in his body, and the mere thought of loving such an incredible mare as the one who lay next to him in this lavish honeymoon suite in Las Pegasus brought a fresh surge of joy to his heart.  Even more than that, he knew that she loved him back, and that made him the most fortunate stallion in all of Equestria.

For a while, the couple just lay there, basking in each other's presence and warmth but with a sense of anticipation building in the backs of their minds.  After all, their first go had been absolutely wonderful, an incredible experience of ultimate bliss shared between two ponies who loved each other more with each passing day and were fully committed to one another.  Their honeymoon, however, had just begun; what would it be like the second time around?
> A Honeymoon Gift
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Over, around, under, through.

Hazel gritted her teeth in concentration as she levitated the cord out of her bag.  She snuck a quick glance to make sure she was alone even though Ply had left the room not two minutes prior at her behest, sent off in search of some brochures for upcoming shows by the Cirque du Celestia acrobatics troupe.  While Hazel was interested in attending one of their shows, the truth of the matter was that she didn't care whether he found any information or not.  Right now, all she cared about was making sure his gift was ready by the time he got back upstairs.

Over, around, under, through.  The brown unicorn began the process carefully, hearkening back to Hearth's Warming Eves.  Wrapping presents was something she only did during the wintry weeks leading up to the celebration, and truth be told, that was one of the only times of the year that she even utilized the knot-tying spell she had been taught at a young age.  No shoes meant no shoelaces, and therefore no practice with the art of a secure knot; it was only through the use of a four-word mantra that the process came back to her.  Tonight, however, she found her thoughts were prone to wander, and she muttered the words under her breath once again:  Over, around, under, through.

Soon, after tying and re-tying two knots, she finally fell into the old habit, the memories of past Hearth's Warmings serving her well.  The cord soon began to flow almost of its own accord, her magical link with the binding instrument sending it looping around and around.  Her need for focus lessened, she allowed her thoughts to meander once again.

The first full day in Las Pegasus had been nearly overwhelming for the Maneitoba couple; the mere size and scope of the sprawling city in the sky left them breathless.  If the expanse of the City of Flights had seemed extensive with the lights of the buildings piercing the night sky, it was even more staggering in the light of day, and for the better part of the morning and afternoon, Hazel and Ply had simply wandered almost aimlessly, letting their hooves carry them all over the winding streets.  Hotels, restaurants, and various businesses – most of which had casinos added on – stood as silent guardians on both sides of the avenues, the skyscrapers sometimes reaching higher than either pony could see without straining their necks.  The sidewalks were abuzz with activity as well, from other tourists clamoring to find their next photo opportunity to promoters wearing sandwich boards advertising a good time to be had inside the depicted establishments.  It was like wading through a sea filled with overeager schools of all types of fish, and Hazel had to admit, the whole experience had been more than a little unsettling.

The one constant was the tan earth pony beside her, his presence giving her peace.  Even though his face betrayed his own trepidation, she found comfort in that fact; it meant she wasn't alone.  Plywood had always managed to have that effect on her.  Above all, his companionship made her feel safe, secure.  She knew that as long as he was around, she didn't have to worry about anything.

Then, her mind drifted back a little further to the previous night.  A blush grew on her cheeks, and she faltered with the cord for a moment, quickly regaining her composure even as brief memories flashed through her brain.  Ply's hot breath on her neck....the familiar sensation of being filled...slow, sensual grinding building up to a pleasant peak, accompanied by a soft warmth throughout her body...it was a lovemaking to which she had grown accustomed.  Yes, it was wonderful, and she certainly enjoyed it, but it struck an odd chord with Hazelnut.

It had been...the same, for a while now.  And she knew why.  Their last session of intimacy that had not been slow, methodical, but still very sweet had been nearly five years ago, when right in the middle of a vigorous rutting, Hazel's rear left knee had suddenly buckled, accompanied by a cry of pain from the mare.  Needless to say, the mood had been ruined, and in the end, Hazel had undergone several weeks of therapy in order to repair what had been a minor muscle tear.  Despite making a full recovery, she knew Plywood blamed himself for the incident.  Ever since then, he had been very tentative in the throes of intimacy, taking extra care not to cause further damage.  She wasn't upset with him; how could she be when all he was concerned with was her well-being?  The lack of vigor in the bedroom, however, had left her feeling dissatisfied.  That was why, when she had packed her bag in preparation for this trip, she had packed the necessary supplies for a wonderful surprise.  She grinned slightly as her horn continued its work with the cord.

Hazel glanced at the clock on the bedstand.  Ply had been gone for a little more than five minutes; he would be returning any time now.  The unicorn refocused her efforts, tying knot after knot in the winding cord.  It had to be ready by the time of his return.  Finally, her task completed, she let out a sigh of relief and relaxed, awaiting the telltale click of the latch that signaled Ply's arrival.

The sound came from behind her shortly.  She smiled softly and swiveled her head around to look at the doorway as Plywood stepped in, his voice heralding his entrance.  “Hazel, honey, I couldn't find any brochures, but I asked the desk clerk, and he said he could print me up a schedule.”  The earth pony's eyes were fixed on the piece of paper in his front hoof.  “We might be able to catch one of their shows on Tuesday at the-”  He stopped abruptly when his head finally lifted up.  Hazel had to stifle a chuckle as his face went from passive, to curious, to shocked in the span of about two seconds, the paper slipping from his hoof and drifting lazily to the floor below.  “What in Equestria?” he sputtered out as the scene before him finally registered.

Hazelnut tried to picture the scene from her husband's point of view.  She could only imagine what was running through his mind when he looked up to see his wife in a most peculiar position.  Her front half was resting on the bed, her hind legs hanging down over the edge of the mattress opposite the side that contained the pillows.  Those hind legs, however, each had a length of cord tied tightly around them, the binding instrument connected also to the bedposts on either side of her.  The cord was pulled tight enough that her legs had parted, exposing her already-glistening marehood that was suspended slightly above the bed itself.  Her tail was already off to the side, giving her husband a glorious view of her most private of areas.  Another section of cord was currently wrapped around her forelegs as well, constricting her movement of those limbs that were extended out in front of her, resting on the bedsheets.  She could still turn her head without discomfort, and her body had a little room to shift, but at this point, she was completely at his mercy, her extremities extremely limited in their range of motion.  Still looking back at him with a fire in her eyes, she said in a seductive purr, “Welcome back, Ply.”

He hadn't moved an inch since seeing her displayed before him, his eyes drinking in the scene.  His response, however, surprised her.  “Who...did this to you?”  She thought she saw a flash of anger in his eyes.

Hazel grinned slightly, amused at his protectiveness.  Her answer came in a soft whisper:  “I did.”

There was no need for words between the two ponies after that; Plywood's face said all that needed to be said.  A raised eyebrow of surprise.  Why would you do something like that?  The other eyebrow joining its companion.  Oh, you want to do that.  And from the sound of it, you want to go at it hard.  A slightly furrowed brow.  But what about the leg?  I wouldn't want to re-injure it.  A look of understanding.  That's why you're bound; it's holding you in place, so I can't – er, so you won't get hurt again.  Narrowed eyes and a sly grin.  Not to mention it's bucking hot.  Well, what kind of husband would I be to say no?  The tan earth pony stepped toward the bed, and Hazel turned her head away from him again, sighing in contentment as she waited for the first sensation of contact.

For a moment, none came, and she raised her head to look back again, but instead cried out in surprise as she felt the roughness of his tongue give an exploratory lick along her entrance, the tingling feeling of the pink organ against her treasure sending a shiver through her.  Just the thoughts of their past lovemaking sessions had already left Hazel incredibly aroused, and as the first lick was followed soon after by a second and a third, she shuddered at the feeling of his flexible tongue against her sensitive lower lips.  This was what she had been waiting for, and she surrendered her body entirely to the warm waves of pleasure that began to course through her.

His oral ministrations were very brief, however, and she whimpered when the sweet, sweet feeling of his tongue against her nethers was replaced by nothing but empty air.  She shifted her hips out of instinct, desperate for the senstaions to continue, but with her body constrained, she didn't move enough to cause any friction on her soaked entrance.  A deep longing welled up inside her, and she let out a soft whine, begging Ply to come and ravish her, to fill her up with his love.

Suddenly, she felt a new tingle emanate from her marehood, and she gasped in delight at the renewed pleasure.  At the same time, a pair of brown hooves appeared on the bed beside her, and an instant later, she felt the warmth of an earth pony's heavy body press gently into her back, Plywood supporting his own weight but still pushing his body against hers.  He was warm, and so her own warmth grew, stoked like a fire of pure passion as he settled into a very familiar position and began to rock back and forth, his soft hair prickling against her back.  With each shift of his body, she felt a pressure against her lower lips as something rubbed against them, and her eyes widened when she realized what that thing was.  She didn't need to peek; she simply let out a soft “Oooh...” of pleasure as his stallionhood ground against her folds.

As his throbbing flesh slid up and down, pressing against her treasure, she moaned lightly and smiled, trying to encourage Ply without saying a word.  He's already so hard, she thought, and the idea that her displayed body had given rise to his arousal – his thick, long, arousal, oh Celestia I want him so bad – sent a fresh surge of excitement through her mind.  She felt his length beneath her beginning to become slick as it took on a fresh coating of her juices, evidence of her own state of being hot and bothered.  She was ready, so very ready for him, but for the time being, she did her best to focus on the feel of his thickness rubbing against her lips as he primed her for entry.  Each motion back and forth against her marehood was an exercise in pleasure all its own, and she gasped as he nibbled lightly on her left ear, her body twitching joyously in anticipation and bliss from the warm feeling that was building throughout her entire being.

She felt his body shift backwards, his hooves sliding closer to her shoulders, and the grinding against her slit ceased as well.  An involuntary whine escaped her lips at the absence of the contact against her marehood, but at the same time, she knew what was coming up next, and she trembled in excitement as the stallion repositioned himself above her.  She felt his length rub briefly against her inner thigh, and she shivered with delight, doing her best to relax her body in preparation for his arrival.

There was no forewarning, no gentle prod of his sensitive head against her sealed lips as if asking permission to enter.  One moment, she was waiting, and the next, the familiar sensation of being filled struck her like a freight train, her inner walls practically screaming with joy as they welcomed her husband's stallionhood back like an old friend, clutching and twitching around his entire shaft.  Hazel herself cried out at the sudden assault of pleasure as each inch of Ply's member caressed against her sensitive flesh, a feeling that never grew old no matter how many times she experienced it.  He fit her perfectly, and she relished each millisecond of his presence inside her.

Plywood, it seemed, was not content to simply plunge into her, and with a grunt, he drew his hips backward almost as quickly as he had penetrated the mare.  Her mind reeled from the friction of his length against her inner sanctum, and her passage quivered as it tried to milk the impeding cock for all it was worth before it was gone again.  She had no time to recover, however, before he was buried to the hilt again, his hips slamming against the flesh surrounding her entrance, which drew another shout of surprise from the mare.  Hazel scrambled to latch on to something, anything, in her jumbled thoughts to calm herself down and stem the rapidly rising tide of her pleasure, but found herself utterly unable to do anything but cry out as Ply began to move in and out at an incredible speed.

Each descent of his member into her twitching passage brought another shout of elation from the unicorn, and each brief retraction of his thickness gave her a chance to suck in a rapid breath, but Hazelnut was powerless against the incoming orgasm, her brain simply letting go and enjoying the ride.  Less than a minute into their copulation, the mare screamed loud and long, all her senses overwhelmed by the unrelenting pleasure of her husband's vigorous lovemaking, and her eyes rolled back as she succumbed to her peak, a wave of fluid pouring forth from deep inside her to coat her insides even as Ply continued to rut her senseless.

She recovered quickly from the orgasm as their intense mating continued, Plywood either undeterred by his wife's orgasm or simply determined to give her the ride of her life.  Her tongue lolled out of her mouth as she gasped in time with his eager thrusts, which had not slowed a bit from when he had begun.  The sensations renewed their assault on Hazel, from the rubbing of his thick stallionhood against her inner walls, to the warmth of his body as it ground against hers, to the feel of his balls slapping against her clit with each insertion.  She could hear his grunts of exertion from above her as he rode her, and she gave her own moans of pleasure as he kept up his rapid pace, a fresh upwelling of heat in her body signaling that she was definitely going to experience more than one high tonight.

Through it all, though, one strange feeling managed to work its way to the forefront of Hazel's mind:  Safe.  All of her more recent bouts of intimacy with the stallion above her had been just that, almost to the point of lethargy, but now, as his length thrust inside her with reckless abandon and her body went along for the ride, she felt more safe than she had during all of those lovemaking sessions.  His closeness was a factor, certainly; the weight of his body, while not pressing uncomfortably on her back, was still warm and heavy upon her, even as his coat ground against hers.  What made her feel more secure than she had in nearly five years, however, was the fact that she knew, beyond any doubt, that the stallion who was currently burying his pride inside her at a steady clip loved her more than anything else.  He would always be there for her, no matter what, and he was more than willing to satisfy her needs in any way possible, even if it meant giving her the best sex she could ever remember.  He really, truly loved her, and the thought of it stoked the fire of her pleasure.  As her body began its journey towards an inevitable second orgasm, she smiled wide, her tongue still hanging out of her mouth.  And I love him.

While the first peak of her night had been like waves crashing against rock, ripping through her with force and vigor, her second orgasm was more akin to the arrival of high tide on a sandy beach, an experience simultaneously powerful and peaceful.  She cooed and sighed as her bliss reached its high again, a much quieter and more pleasant orgasm than the first, but still with a great deal of force behind it.  It was impossible not to feel that part of it when Ply was still going, his pace finally starting to slacken, but the steady in-and-out of his member never ceasing for a moment.

His longevity was beginning to drive Hazel crazy, but in a very, very good way, her body encouraging Plywood to continue rutting her long into the night.  As she came down from her second high, a third followed rapidly on its heels, though this one was more like an aftershock than anything.  If the second orgasm was like high tide, the next was like the ocean wave that invariably followed, not quite as strong but still packing plenty of punch.  Like rolling waves on the beach, she began to experience her own crests and troughs:  a little tremor of bliss rocketed through her body and receded, only to be followed rapidly by another that was less powerful, but still incredibly pleasurable.  She didn't bother to count her miniature orgasms; her mind was preoccupied by the nigh-endless barrage of absolute ecstasy that was pounding through her whole body.  She could barely hear her own moans and cries, let alone Plywood's as he continued to grind into her passage and back out.

Vaguely, she became aware of her husband's shouts growing louder and more frequent, and she smiled softly as she recognized the signs of his inevitable release.  Her body had long ago given up all pretense of resistance, instead giving in entirely to the assault of pleasure that had completely overwhelmed her, her muscles spasming with each gasping breath.  She rode the wave of one final, little surge of bliss as Ply's head came to rest on her shoulder, his mouth shouting something incoherent as he finally, finally came, warm gobs of seed pouring out of the tip of his stallionhood that was buried oh-so-deep inside her.  Hazelnut shuddered and twitched at the incredible sensation, welcoming every drop of his cum into her deepest recesses as her final orgasm began to fade away, leaving her panting and nearly numb from sheer pleasure.  He unleashed spurt after spurt into her, finally relaxing his body slightly as the last of his load shot out into her waiting womb.  With a grunt of satisfaction, Ply flopped down onto the bed next to Hazel, breathing heavily.

She was barely coherent, but she managed to somehow rest her head on his shoulder as he lay beside her, a wide smile plastered on her face.  His entire body was warm and comfortable, and she sighed as the afterglow of their unbelievably wonderful intimacy washed over her, relaxing her muscles and seeming to drain all the tension from her tired body.  She barely felt his stallionhood soften and eventually retract with a soft pop, a mixture of both their liquids dribbling out of her filled passage and onto the carpeted floor beneath.  She simply breathed, drawing in lungful after lungful of air as her senses danced through the stratosphere, reveling in their amazing lovemaking.

Eventually, she regained her composure and nuzzled her cheek against Ply's, a gesture which he reciprocated.  Their lips found each other, locking in a soft but passionate kiss as the couple lay on the bed, Hazel's hooves still bound but not holding her back at all.  As they broke their kiss, the stallion whispered, “Doing all right, Hazel?”

Rather than answer with words, she settled simply on an affirmative “Mmm...” and another brief, tender kiss, her eyelids drifting shut as she massaged her lips against his.

“I'm glad,” Ply said as soon as his mouth was once again unoccupied.  “Hazel,” he said quietly, prompting her to open her eyes to look at him.  For a while, the two ponies simply stared at one another, their gazes locked as their eyes told the story better than words ever could.  Finally, Ply broke the silence again.  “Thank you.”

Her mouth was slightly dry, but Hazel still managed a response.  “No, thank you, Plywood.  You have no idea how long I've been wanting you to do...that.”

“I've certainly missed it,” he responded with a grin which she repaid in kind.  He gave her a peck on the end of her muzzle.  “I love you, Hazelnut.”

She smiled back.  “And I love you, Plywood.”  Once more, their lips tangled together, this time in an elongated kiss - though still not involving any tongue - as his hoof idly caressed her midsection.  As that kiss broke, the mare gave the stallion a wicked smile.  “So, are you ready to go again?”

Ply's eyes widened slightly.  “You sure, hon?  That couldn't have been easy on you.”

“Are you kidding?” Hazel said, giggling.  “That was...unbelievably good.”  She kissed him lightly on the cheek.  “But I can only imagine how good it'll be the second time around.”  She pushed her head into his, the kiss this time lasting much longer as her tongue finally came out to play, exploring around his mouth and dancing with his own pink organ between their mouths until they pulled away, both breathless and blushing.

His smile said it all, and Hazel gasped a little as she anticipated their next round.  As Ply began to prop himself up above her again, however, he paused and looked down.  “Um, Hazel,” he asked, “did you want me to untie you first?”

She looked back up at him, her cheeks flushed but her eyes narrowed in a saucy stare.  “Buck no.”
> Rough Patch
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shining Armor was right:  the designers of the hotel really knew their stuff.  Cadance shut her eyes and held her head up to the shower nozzle as it dispensed an even flow of hot water, the soothing liquid dribbling down her body and covering her with a complete sense of cleanliness.  She breathed in deep through her nostrils as the enclosure filled with steam, a sense of pleasant warmth settling over her body as she basked in the relaxing shower.  Her mane, dampened by the water, clung to her neck and cascaded down her body, and her tail soon followed suit as she turned around and allowed the water to soak her rump and wash her rear half clean.

Cadance blushed as she rubbed her coat with shampoo, her hoof exploring the area around her most sensitive of places.  It was even more so now, after yesterday.  Her cheeks flushed a deeper red as images and memories of her first full day alone with her husband replayed in her mind.  She vaguely remembered some sort of food and drink being delivered by room service, though she couldn't recall exactly when; the rest of the day had been spent on the bed, and by the end of the day, they'd had to ask one of their guards outside the door to fetch some clean sheets.  The evidence of her and Shining's consummation was clear not just on the silken red covers, however, and Cadance concentrated as she rubbed the area around her entrance, the matted hair around her thighs and on her back legs telling the story of the couple's excursions.  She smiled as she rubbed vigorously, occasionally brushing against her sensitive marehood and eliciting gasps and small yelps of surprise.  To say she was sore was an understatement, but if that was the price to pay for a day of unfettered bliss, then she was more than willing to cope with a little discomfort.

Several minutes of scrubbing and rinsing later, Cadance shut off the flow of water and levitated a towel with her magic, enveloping her body in the fluffy white cotton.  Soon, she was quite dry, her mane poofy and unkempt, and she stepped out of the tub and over to the sink; her instruments for beautification floated up beside her, glowing with the same aura of magic that rippled around her horn.  A brush here, a comb there, and the slightest bit of makeup, and Cadance took one last glance into the mirror to be met with her own smiling face, looking satisfied.  She stepped through the door and back into the honeymoon suite, switching off the light behind her.

A look at the bed led to a light giggle, stifled by a hoof against her mouth.  Shining Armor had not awakened yet, and in the throes of slumber, he had turned over onto his back and was currently snoring softly, his forelegs tucked in close to his body and his hind legs splayed out.  Like a little puppy, Cadance thought, and she sighed happily at the adorable sight of the stallion sleeping in peace.

That peace was quickly shattered by a series of loud knocks on the door.  Cadance quickly turned toward the source of the sound, and she heard Shining stir on the bed, mumbling something about salad as he came to.  The alicorn, her curiosity rising, stepped toward the door and peered through the eyehole, her gaze met by the distorted face of one of the royal couple's pegasus guards.  She quickly stepped back and swung the door open as Shining Armor stumbled his way off the bed and over to her side.

Two of her guards stood before the door, and the gray-coated one on the left spoke.  “I am terribly sorry for disturbing you, your highness, Captain Armor, but it seems that an...issue has arisen, and I'm afraid only you can provide a solution.”  He bowed his head low as he addressed Cadance.

The princess' response was cut short by a shout from down the hall, a clearly agitated voice yelling something incoherent.  With a concerned glance back at Shining, Cadance stepped out of the suite, the guards instinctively taking up positions on either side of her and her husband close on her heels.

The sight before her caused the alicorn's eyes to widen in surprise.  The couple from next door were currently engaged in some kind of shouting match with a tall, white-coated unicorn stallion wearing a garish suit, while a blue-hued unicorn mare with a darker blue and white-streaked mane stood back from the confrontation, her face the picture of concern and panic.  Cadance's surprise, however, quickly turned to ire when she recognized the blond-maned stallion, and she stepped toward the arguing ponies with determination in her eyes and an authoritative shout emanating from her mouth.

“Blueblood!”

The four ponies in the hallway before her fell silent and turned toward the approaching princess, and at the sound of his name, the prince's face took on a comical expression of shock, his eyebrows rising high as he recognized the alicorn all too well.  His demeanor, however, quickly shifted to a smug gaze, a look that had adorned that face since as long as Cadance could remember.  His voice flowed out like silk, and Cadance had to suppress an uprising of bile in her throat.  “Cadance!  How lovely to see you again, sister.”  He pursed his lips in a pout and widened his eyes.  “So sorry I couldn't make it to your wedding...diplomatic mission to the camel nation, you understand.”

She always, always hated it when he called her “sister,” so naturally, he did it every time they saw one another.  With all the sweetness she could possibly muster, she said, “Oh, of course I understand, Blueblood.  Your work does keep you...”  She glanced at the mystery mare, who looked even more confused than before.  “...occupied.”

“Yes, well,” Blueblood responded, clearing his throat, “as true as that is, I am happy for you.”  A half-smile worked its way onto his face, but his eyes belied the fact that he really didn't give a buck about her marriage.  She watched as the tall stallion glanced behind her, no doubt spying Shining Armor, and gave a look much like a lion would give to a house cat.

Cadance brought the prince's attention back to her.  “Thank you, Blueblood, but right now, perhaps you'd like to tell me why you're interrupting my honeymoon?”  She made her smile as wide and fake as she possibly could, though not nearly as well as the pony she was talking to could pull off.

“Actually, no offense, sister,” Blueblood said with a wave of his hoof, “but I had no intention of involving you in this little...spat.  I believe I can handle this particular issue on my own, thank you.”

Cadance turned to the guard who had spoken earlier.  “Please, just tell me:  what's going on?”

The gray pegasus didn't give an answer; rather, that came from a clearly incensed Plywood, causing Cadance to swivel her head toward the tan earth pony.  “I'll tell you what's going on!  This stranger just comes up to our door this morning and starts pounding on it, and when I open it up, he starts spouting some nonsense about how this suite is supposed to be his!”  Ply draped a foreleg across his wife's withers.  “He was right in the middle of trying to get us thrown out when you showed up.”

“It's true, your highness,” the guard added.  “Their confrontation became very heated, and the four of us agreed that you would be best suited to handle the situation before it got out of hoof.”  He bowed his head low.  “Forgive me if I overstepped my bounds.”

“That's quite all right,” Cadance said with a smile.  “You did the right thing.”  She turned back toward the prince and the other honeymooning couple.  “So that's the situation, is it?”

Ply opened his mouth as if to speak, but he was cut off by Blueblood as the white unicorn stepped forward and filled Cadance's field of vision, his nose held high in the air.  “Indeed it is, sister, just a simple mistake, no doubt.  In no time at all, I'll have these commoners out of my suite, and then everything will be just fine.”

The way he spat out the word “commoners” sent a shiver of rage down Cadance's spine, and she peered around the unicorn's impeding body to see two faces with furrowed brows and gritted teeth.  Blueblood certainly has that effect on ponies, she thought as she returned her gaze to the prince's smug face.  With her smile still wide, the alicorn asked, “Tell me, Blueblood, who's this?”  Cadance gestured toward the blue-coated mare, who shrank back slightly at the attention.

“Her?” Blueblood inquired, nodding his head toward the mare.  “Oh, this is my companion who was supposed to be sharing the suite with me.”  He kept his head aloft, but stole a glance back at the Maneitoba couple.

With a sickeningly sweet smile, Cadance said, “And what's her name?”

Blueblood's eyes widened slightly, and he faltered for a moment before saying, “Why, her name is, ah, Minuette!”  He flashed a toothy grin.

The alicorn turned away from the white unicorn and faced Minuette, who seemed to become even smaller as the princess addressed her.  With a slight bow of her head, Cadance said, “It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Minuette.  I am Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, but you may call me Cadance if you wish.”

The blue unicorn's jaw hung open for a moment before she seemed to snap out of a trance and dropped to the floor on all fours, quivering slightly.  A stuttering, high-pitched voice squeaked out from the mare:  “P-pleasure to m-meet, er, make y-your acquaintance, your m-majesty.”

Cadance felt a pang of sorrow in her heart, and she turned back to Shining Armor, who had remained close by but silent for the duration of the discussion.  She whispered, “Shine, comfort the poor thing,” and with a nod, he stepped around his wife and toward the panicking mare.  The alicorn turned her attention back to Blueblood.  “Still up to your old cavorting, I see.”

Blueblood's eyes flashed with anger for a moment before he said, “Look, all these introductions are simply endearing, but there's still the unresolved issue of a suite that is rightfully mine.”  He turned away from Cadance to face the elderly couple.  “I expect you two to be out of here within the next ten minutes, or I will involve the police.”  A snort escaped the unicorn's nose as he glared at Hazel and Ply.

To their credit, the ponies from Maneitoba stood their ground with equally fiery stares back at the stallion.  “We won't be going anywhere, Blueblood,” Plywood spat.  “This room is ours, bought and paid for.”

The prince tossed his head back and gave a derisive laugh.  “You expect me to believe that a pair of commoners were able to afford a honeymoon suite in one of the fanciest hotels in all of Las Pegasus?  Ha!”  He laughed again, the very sound of it causing Cadance's cheeks to flush with fury.  “You probably had to sell your tiny little house just to afford one night.  Goodness knows how you raised the rest of the money.”  He stared them down with a sickening grin.

“Blueblood,” Cadance said forcefully, getting the unicorn's attention again.  “Cease this nonsense at once.”

“Nonsense?” Blueblood said, his hoof flying up to his barrel in indignation.  “My dear sister, I believe you are mistaken!  I paid for this very room several days in advance, and I fully expect to receive what I spent my bits on.  Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I need to contact the Las Pegasus police.”  The prince turned swiftly and began to trot down the hall.

He stopped, however, when Cadance shouted, “Stop, Blueblood!”  She closed the distance between the two of them as he turned back toward her, a bored expression on his face.  When she stood before him, she continued, “There's no need to do anything like that.  I can tell you the truth.”

“So, you'll help me get what's rightfully mine?” the unicorn asked with a sly grin.

Cadance stole a glance back to Hazelnut and Plywood, their faces still filled with anger, then turned to see Shining Armor patting Minuette gently on the shoulder, a look of encouragement in his eyes.  She grinned at the sight of her stallion speaking to the stranger, the hints of a smile appearing on the corner of the blue unicorn's mouth.  She drew in a deep breath and turned back to face the blond-maned pony.  “Yes, I will help you.  You'll get what's 'rightfully' yours.”

She didn't need to look back; the gasps told her that she would have seen three very shocked ponies in the hallway.  Blueblood, however, slid his lips into another smug smile, and he said in that silken voice of his, “I knew you'd come around, sister.  Now, it's time to resolve this.”  He took a step back toward the suite doors.

His progress was halted by a pink hoof pressing against him, just underneath his neck, and he looked down at the alicorn before him with a quizzical look.  She gave her own satisfied smile as she said, “And what's rightfully yours, Prince Blueblood, is a room somewhere else.”

A white jaw hung open for a moment, and two blue eyes widened in surprise.  “Excuse me, princess?”

“Listen up, Blueblood,” Cadance said, lowering her hoof back to the floor.  “This whole thing was a mistake on the hotel's part.  Plywood here deposited his payment several weeks ago, therefore giving him first claim to the honeymoon suite, but something went wrong, and the hotel had no record of him.  As a result, they accidentally filled that vacant spot, and it just so happened to be you that got it.  It was a big misunderstanding, Blueblood, but suffice it to say, the suite belongs to those two.”  She gestured a hoof back to the Maneitoba couple.  “So I'm sorry to say, but if you want to stay in Las Pegasus, it'll have to be in a different hotel.”

It was a rare sight indeed to see the prince flustered, and the alicorn reveled in the sight as he waved his hoof around aimlessly and tried to formulate a reply.  “But...I was...we were...my name was on the list!” he finally blurted out, giving a wide, sweeping gesture of frustration.

“You're right; it was on the list,” Cadance said, emphasizing the past tense.  “I saw it on there myself when we arrived at the hotel.  But now you know that it didn't really belong there, so I took care of that and put the suite under the names of its rightful occupants.  Now, does that settle everything?”

Blueblood stepped close surprisingly fast, his head only inches away from Cadance's.  He hissed, “You saw my name written down, and you replaced it?  Why, you little-”

Suddenly, there was a flash of white, and Cadance stepped back as a third pony interceded between her and Blueblood.  An instant later, she recognized Shining Armor, and she smiled as he crossed horns with the enraged, taller unicorn.  Her husband growled, “Don't even think about finishing that statement, Blueblood.”

Even though Shining was slightly shorter than the prince, he seemed to loom over the other stallion, their eyes locked with fierce stares.  Blueblood, however, was incensed.  “Or what, Shiny?”

“Try me and find out,” Shining said, his voice a low grumble.

Blueblood smirked, his horn still scraping against the other white unicorn's.  “See, there's still a big difference between you and me, Shiny,” Blueblood said, spitting out his mocking name for the captain.  “I'm actually royalty, so you can't touch me without some serious consequences.  And you?  Well, you're just some pathetic little soldier colt who just happens to be screwing royalty.”

Shining growled again.  “The only reason you still have all your teeth right now, Blueblood, is because I wouldn't hit a mare.”

With a mocking chuckle, the prince responded, “I'm sorry, I meant to say pathetic and immature.  Looks like my dear sister Cadance really found herself a keeper.  What, did you use some kind of mind control magic to convince her that you would actually be a good husband for a bucking princess?”

The next few moments seemed to move in slow motion.  Cadance, almost out of instinct, leaped forward and turned her back to the prince, his eyes still locked with Shining's, and with a swift snap of her leg, her hoof shot out and struck Blueblood square in the jaw.  The force of the blow turned the unicorn's head violently to the side, and his body, unable to maintain its balance from the sudden shock, stumbled toward the wall, striking the barrier with a loud thud.  He slid down the wall slowly until he collapsed in a heap in the hallway, his eyes half-closed and one of his front hooves gently massaging his jaw as muffled moans of pain came from his mouth.

In the next instant, Cadance was standing over him, her breaths slow and even.  Her voice seething, she said, “Listen very closely, Blueblood, because I'm not going to say this again.  First, the room is not yours; you don't even belong in a honeymoon suite, not when you can barely remember the other pony's name.  It's not like you don't have enough bits in your bank account, unlike the two ponies who actually had to save up to enjoy a little luxury in their lives.  Second, Shining Armor is both Captain of the Canterlot Royal Guard and my husband, and you will treat him with the same respect that this 'bucking princess' does.  And third?”  She leaned down close to the prone stallion and whispered loudly in his ear, “Don't you ever – ever – call me 'sister' again.”

With that, the princess turned away from the mangled heap of whimpering white stallion and rejoined her husband and the royal guards.  She nodded to the armor-clad pegasi.  “Make sure he gets escorted out of here.”  As the winged guardians trotted over to do just that, Cadance turned her attention to the blue unicorn, whose eyes were wide as dinner plates.  “Minuette?” Cadance said sweetly, causing the other unicorn to nearly jump out of her skin.  The princess strode up to the still-terrified pony and placed a consoling hoof on her shoulder.  “I'm sure he made plenty of promises and told you things you wanted to hear, but you can do better.”  She stole a glance back at Blueblood, who was currently being helped to his hooves by two of the pegasi.  “Much, much better.”

Minuette blinked in disbelief for several seconds before finally finding a response.  “So...what do I do now?”

Cadance smiled softly at the unicorn.  “It's a big city, dear.  You ought to enjoy the rest of your time here.  Who knows?  Maybe you'll find somepony who'll treat you right.”

A brief grin flashed across the blue pony's face before she muttered a quick “Thank you,” then turned and trotted down the hallway (in the direction opposite Blueblood, of course).  Satisfied, Cadance turned her head, only for a set of lips to come crashing into her own.  She recoiled in shock at first, but eagerly sank into the kiss as her husband's blue mane filled her view.  Her eyes drifted shut as their mouths tangled together, teasing tongues soon joining the festivities and rubbing vigorously against one another, the tangy taste of her stallion once again permeating the alicorn's taste buds.

A soft “Ahem” caused Cadance to break the kiss and look over toward the source of the sound, only to see Hazel and Ply still standing outside their suite, their previous looks of distress and anger replaced by sly grins.  Cadance's cheeks flushed red, and Shining Armor's did the same as Plywood said, “Y'know, your room is right over there,” pointing with his hoof as if the couple didn't actually know where they were staying.

Cadance stepped back from Shining, still blushing, and said, “Yes...indeed it is.”  She brought a hoof up to her mouth and cleared her throat loudly, trying to recover her bearings.  “Anyway, are you two all right?”

Hazelnut's smile grew as she answered, “Thanks to you, your highness.  I was afraid we were actually going to be thrown out for a little while there.”

The princess raised a hoof.  “Please, just 'Cadance' is fine.  And you never had any need to fear; there's no way I would let that lout Blueblood rent a honeymoon suite when all he's going to do is use some poor mare.”

“Actually,” Plywood interjected, “that reminds me of a couple questions.  Did you really replace Blueblood's name with ours that first day in the lobby?”

Shining Armor took the opportunity to answer that inquiry.  “We certainly did.  You see, the prince is something of a philanderer, and he's got quite the reputation around Canterlot.  Once we saw his name on the list without a second listed pony, we knew that he wasn't going to be using that room for anything good.”

“That's right,” Cadance added with a nod.  “But when we encountered you two, I felt a strong sensation of love coursing through me.”

“How?” asked Hazel.

“It's my special talent,” Cadance said with a smile, gesturing toward the ornate heart on her flank.  “If two ponies have as much love as you two have for each other, I can feel the presence of that love.  It's a magical trait.”  She nodded toward Hazel and Ply.  “And you two have one of the strongest I can remember in recent memory.  Blueblood?  Not even the slightest hint.  I talked it over with Shining, and we agreed that a honeymoon suite is a place where love should shine at its brightest between ponies who actually mean it, and that meant you two.”  She gave a wide smile.  “I can't think of a better choice.”

The Maneitoba ponies smiled softly at the princess' words, and the earth pony stallion drew his wife in close with a gentle embrace.  After several seconds of silence, Ply said, “We can't thank you enough, Cadance and Captain Armor.  We really do owe you a great deal.  We wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for you.”

“Think nothing of it,” Shining Armor said, his own countenance matching that of his grinning, slightly blushing wife.  “I just wish more ponies out there could share the same relationship that you two do.”

“Thank you again,” Hazel said softly.

Plywood suddenly piped up, “Oh!  Before I forget, I had one more question.  Why did Blueblood keep calling you 'sister?'  Are you two actually related?”

Cadance felt her cheeks redden again, though this time from an emotion that was far less pleasurable.  “It's a strange situation,” she began, shuffling her hoof on the carpeted floor.  “You see, Celestia is a very kind ruler, and if a young pony shows potential in their schooling, it's often brought to her attention.  She sometimes takes those foals under her wing and teaches them at her private school, away from their parents and family.  She basically becomes like their surrogate mother, but since she doesn't want to replace the pony's actual mother, she insists that the young ponies call her their 'aunt.'  Blueblood and I were both part of that group, him for his high marks in studies of foreign lands, and me because I was born an alicorn to unicorn parents, and so it was almost like we were brother and sister.”  Cadance sighed.  “But he got caught up in all the things that being like royalty brought with it, and now...well, you met him, so you know.”

Hazel nodded sagely.  “I've met a few ponies like him; they let the money and power get to them, and suddenly they think they can do whatever they want and treat the rest of us like nothing at all.  It was wonderful the way you stood up to him.”  With a nudge to Ply's midsection, she added, “Now,  I think we'll leave you two alone.  Right, dear?”

“Oh, of course,” the earth pony said with a grin, and without another word, the ponies from Maneitoba stepped back into their room and shut the door behind them.

Cadance turned back to Shining, and the stallion said, “Now, where were we?”

The alicorn grinned and closed the gap between her and the unicorn, nuzzling his neck with her cheek as she said, “Right about here, I think.”  She raised her head and brought her lips to his again, their previous vigor returning as they resumed their kiss from earlier, tongues eagerly exploring each partner's mouth.  After several glorious seconds, Cadance pulled away breathless, a thin string of saliva suspended between her and her husband's lips.  It snapped in two when she spoke again.  “Shine, did I do the right thing?”

“How do you mean?” the captain asked, his hoof circling around behind Cadance to stroke gently against her withers.

“With Blueblood,” the pink pony responded.  “Was I too hard on him?  He is almost like a brother to me.”

Shining's hoof slid up to his wife's cheek, and he turned her head so that she faced him.  “And it's exactly because of that fact that I think you did the best possible thing, Cadance.”  He gave her a quick peck on the cheek, then continued, “The stallion is misguided, and he needs somepony like you to tell him the truth every once in a while, even if it comes with a rather impressive knockout.”  He smirked.  “Though, I have to admit, it was incredibly satisfying to see him go flying like that.”  His eyes narrowed.  “Not to mention pretty hot.”

She gave him her own steamy look.  “Oh, you think so, do you?”  He nodded in response, and she kissed the end of his nose lightly.  “You like it when I'm rough?”  Shining gasped as she bit down on his lower lip slightly, tugging at it for a moment before releasing it from her grasp.  “Well, let's see how rough I can be.”  Without warning, she pushed her face into his, causing him to take a step backward as her open mouth drove against his, her tongue slathering across his still-closed lips until he finally gave in and allowed her to enter.  The princess' flexible organ immediately set to work, rubbing roughly against his gums, the roof of his mouth, his teeth, wherever she could reach.  As she began to break the kiss, she clamped her teeth down on his lower lip again, this time drawing a slight cry of pain from the stallion as the skin nearly broke.  She gave one more squeeze with her teeth, then let him go and whispered, “How was that?”

The sound of a clearing throat cut off any response from Shining Armor, and for the second time, Cadance looked for the source of the interruption.  She blushed furiously when she saw the two remaining pegasus guards standing in the hallway, their wings extending outward as they looked anywhere but at the two lovers making out.  Cadance coughed and said, “Yes, well, guards, you may resume your duties.  Shining, shall we retire to the suite?”

The white unicorn stood flabbergasted for a moment before saying, “Oh, yes, yes we shall.”  He nodded to the guards.  “Carry on.”

A few seconds later, the young couple were sealed inside their room, and as the door closed, both ponies laughed.  Cadance could only imagine what the two armored pegasi outside were thinking about at this point, and she fell into an embrace with Shining as they released their mirth, the awkwardness of having been spotted – twice – melting away into peals of joyous laughter.  Eventually, their giggles died down, and Shining Armor was the first to form coherent words.  “I almost feel sorry for those stallions.”

Cadance let out one final chuckle, then asked, “Why's that?”

He narrowed his eyes.  “Because they get to see me making out with the most gorgeous mare in all of Equestria.  They have to be jealous of that.”  He leaned in for another kiss.

You're a charmer, Shining Armor, Cadance thought, giggling slightly at the internal rhyme, and met her husband's lips once more, their close contact finally not at risk of being interrupted.  Her body's heat grew as her tongue picked up where it had left off, tangling with his as it journeyed through his mouth and eagerly slurped against each and every surface.  His taste was something she would never tire of, and she eagerly lapped away, each stroke of her tongue bringing with it a tingling sensation that echoed through her head.  Shining, for his part, seemed content to let her roam around his mouth, only raising his tongue slightly to nudge against hers.

Their lips remained locked as Cadance began to walk toward the bed, Shining backpedaling to match her steps.  Never once breaking their kiss, the alicorn's tongue still swirling around the unicorn's mouth with gusto, the ponies arrived at the bed, and Shining stopped as his rump made contact with the mattress.  Cadance, however, was not about to cease her forward momentum, nor break their kiss that had barely allowed the ponies breaks for breath; the fire in her belly was far past the stages of kindling, and it was turning rapidly into a roaring blaze.  She pushed forward, and Shining, out of room to maneuver on the floor, somehow managed to worm his way onto the sheets, turning his body sideways and rolling up onto the silken surface, lying on his side as his wife continued to press her mouth against his, each warm exhalation of the stallion down her throat sending a shiver of excitement through her.

Finally, almost mercifully, she pulled her head away, though her mind still swam with the sensation of Shining's taste on her tongue and lips.  She quickly hopped up on the bed beside the unicorn, standing on all fours and leaning down to nibble on his ear as he hummed softly.  Her soft bites soon became harder and more frequent, and Shining gasped beneath her as she clamped down extra hard on his sensitive ear, the soft flesh giving way to her eager teeth.  After two more firm chomps, the mare pulled her head away to gaze at Shining's face as he breathed deeply, his eyes open in a surprised look.  “You...all right, Cadance?” the unicorn asked between breaths.

The mere sight of her husband beneath her sent a fresh wave of heat through Cadance's body, all the way from her head to her rapidly moistening nethers, and she put on a wicked grin.  All the soreness from the previous day's activities had been replaced by a deep, burning, longing inside the mare's core, overriding every other emotion that even so much as attempted to cross her mind.  She could still taste him in her mouth, but she wanted oh so much more of him, and she was not in a mood to wait.  In a firm whisper, she said, “On your back, now.”

Shining's visage could be confused for one of fear as he obeyed his wife's command, but by now, she knew better; she could see the fire behind his eyes, letting her know he was in just as much anticipation as she was, and the thought of that drove her muzzle down to lock against his again in a brief but exciting kiss.  Little sparks seemed to ignite in her mouth as she kissed him passionately, sending signals to her brain that she was ready for more, and she felt a thin trickle of moisture run down the inside of her hind leg.  It seemed her entire body was receiving the same signal, loud and clear.  But first, I've got something to take care of.

Cadance broke the kiss, drawing a quiet whine from her husband, and stepped back, eager to feast her eyes on her husband's most impressive asset.  She was not disappointed; it seemed that their foreplay had produced a satisfactory result, if his throbbing erection that pointed toward the ceiling was any indicator.  She grinned mischievously and leaned in, inhaling deeply of the scent of his stallionhood.  A shiver ran down her spine as the sharp smell invaded her nostrils; it was stronger and more powerful than his taste on her tongue, yet somehow it accentuated those lingering traces of his essence.  She bent down further, her tongue probing out experimentally, and gave his tip a light lick.

He was salty, musky; it was a similar flavor to his mouth, only more earthy and quite a bit stronger.  It drove her senses mad with lust, and if she interpreted his gasp correctly, he was certainly enjoying the attention to his member.  She eagerly licked again, her tongue rubbing along the sensitive flesh a little harder this time and absorbing more of his taste into her mouth.  He groaned softly, and she looked up at him with eyes that burned with desire.  In his gaze, she could see the same fire that was already raging within her, and with a wide smile, she resumed her attention to his erection.

Wide, sweeping slurps of her tongue around his sensitive head drew small cries and gasps from Shining, and she lapped up the first glob of precum that leaked out of his tip, finding it slightly more bitter but still wonderful.  After a light kiss planted on the end of his member, she slid her head down and used her tongue to further effect, licking down and back up his rock-hard shaft.  His stiffness began to glisten from her light coating of saliva, and he moaned softly as she licked him thoroughly, planting small kisses along the way for emphasis.  Finally, she sunk down all the way to the base of his shaft, gently nudging his testicles with her tongue.  He gasped as she made contact with the sensitive orbs, and she smiled at the sound of his obvious pleasure.  With one last lick up his length, she drew her head away for a moment and simply basked in the strong scent of her stallion.

He had just raised his head up to inquire about her pause when she bent down and started to lightly suckle his tip, and he cried out in surprise and bliss, his body quivering beneath her.  His expressions of excitement only increased as Cadance took the initiative and began to take his stallionhood into her mouth, the now-slick length sliding easily into her waiting maw.  Her tongue stayed busy, slathering the underside of his member with more saliva as she sunk down lower and lower, the feeling of his throbbing erection against her lips and slowly extending down her throat filling her head with lust.  She resisted the urge to reach a hoof back and rub against her leaking marehood, instead concentrating on fitting as much of his impressive size inside her mouth as possible.

She made it about three-quarters of the way down before finally stopping, the tip of her husband's glorious cock making contact with the back of her throat.  The need to breathe came over her, and she quickly withdrew her mouth, releasing his member with a small pop as she drew in several welcome breaths.  She gazed through half-lidded eyes at Shining, a smile adorning her face when she saw his tongue lolling out to the side and his eyes staring at the ceiling.  He was in the throes of ecstasy, and Cadance wasn't even finished yet.  Her lungs refilled with air, she took him into her mouth again, sucking lightly as she made her way down once more.

This time, however, when she reached her stopping point, she stretched out a hoof to nudge against Shining's balls, drawing a sharp cry from the stallion.  Gently, she massaged the tender testicles while at the same time beginning to bob her head up and down along his length, slowly at first, but gradually increasing her speed, his grunts and groans of pleasure matching her pace.  Oh, he wasn't going to last very long at all, but that didn't deter Cadance as she slid her eager lips along his stallionhood, faster and faster, while her hoof continued to probe at his scrotum.

Even though he didn't call out a warning, his gritted teeth and elongated moan indicated that Shining had reached his peak and could hold on no longer, and she paused the motion of her head just in time to receive the first shot of his warm, sticky seed against the back of her throat.  His orgasmic roar registered in her ears, but she concentrated on the tip of his member, still buried in the depths of her mouth.  She swallowed.  The bitter taste didn't unnerve her in the slightest even as more cum poured forth from deep within him and into her gullet.  She could barely keep up with him, her cheeks reddening as she realized the sheer size of his load.  At last, he gave a weak thrust of his hips, and the last little spurt dribbled out of him.  She quickly lapped it up, then finally pulled her muzzle off his stallionhood, licking her lips as she experienced the full bore of his taste for the first time.  It was like he was present on every part of her tongue, his essence swirling around her head.  It was bitter; it was salty; it had a strong, musky smell; but most of all, it was him.

The thought sent a fresh surge of warmth through her, and she recalled her own arousal, which had now left her inner thighs quite damp, and she looked down at Shining only to discover that he had not deflated much at all.  She stared hungrily at his erection as it rose back to its previous height, her heart beating rapidly at the thought of his stamina.  Without a word, she stepped carefully around him, then over him, positioning herself directly above her husband's body.  His glazed-over eyes met hers, and he gave a smile.  She responded with a grin of her own, then asked, “Ready to go again?”

He only nodded in response, and she turned her head to look back at his erection, fully engorged and prepared for a second go-round.  She lowered her hips carefully, lining up her attention-starved treasure with his stallionhood, her brain running wild as she awaited the glorious contact.

Finally, his tip pressed against her soaked lips, and she gasped loudly as the electric sensation coursed through her body.  Beneath her, the stallion also let out a little cry, clearly still sensitive from her earlier oral work, and she rocked her hips back and forth, her marehood rubbing against the flared head of his member.  Ripples of pleasure ran down her spine as her lower lips finally received some love, and Shining moaned as he no doubt felt the same sensation.  Cadance, however, was not content just yet, and in one vigorous motion, she lowered her hips down.

Her sharp, shrill shout mingled with his own cry of joy as she impaled herself on her lover, .  No matter how many times she had felt him enter her during all of their exploits yesterday, the reality of his erection sinking into her passage still brought with it an intensity of bliss that she relished.  She felt every twitch, every throb of his length as her inner walls caressed it, seemingly happy to be filled up again, and her head pounded with the sheer, overwhelming pleasure of it all.  Almost immediately, she began to move, grinding her hips up and down over the top of his rigid stallionhood, the friction sending surge after surge of pleasure from her loins to her head and back again, and she cried out with each descent onto him, her passage tingling with joy.

Cadance moaned and whined as her body seemed to move of its own accord, instinct taking over as she drove herself down and up, down and up, her inner walls milking his length for all it was worth.  Her body warmed up as the waves of carnal bliss continued to wash over her consciousness.  She looked down, barely aware of her surroundings, and smiled to see her husband clenching his jaw in concentration with his eyes tightly shut, his own grunts and gasps drifting to her ears.  I'm making him feel this way, she thought, the idea alone causing her mind to reel.  She bent her head down, her hips never ceasing their steady movement, and bit his shoulder lightly, moaning into the soft fur as she mated with Shining.  She felt a hoof begin to caress her side, and she smiled at his tender touch even in the midst of their lovemaking.

The sensations finally began to build, each thrust compounding with the next to begin to overwhelm her mind with pleasure.  Her cries became more frequent as she came closer and closer to the ultimate high, and the movement of her lower body turned into something more than just a simple act of coupling:  desperation.  She wanted so bad for him to take her to the limit and send her careening over the edge, and she redoubled her efforts, her body practically a machine as she ground against him.  A screaming, sweating, incredibly aroused machine.  Oh, she was close, so close, she could feel it coming, and all she needed was that one last little push.

Over the sound of her screams, she could hear Shining cry out, louder and louder, and she knew this was her chance.  She mercilessly pounded herself onto him, raising her head from his shoulder to yell out to anypony that could hear that she was with the stallion she loved, and he was about to make her cum.  A few more thrusts was all it took, and for the second time that day, Shining erupted inside his wife with a scream of pleasure.  The first sensation of his warm release splattering against her insides turned out to be the last straw, and with a shuddering cry, Cadance felt her grip on reality slip away, replaced by an overwhelming sensation of orgasmic bliss that sent her whole body tingling with warmth and pure, unadulterated joy.  She was aware of Shining's repeated thrusts into her, and she could feel the heat of his cum as it coated the deepest part of her, but she found it impossible to form words as she rode her high, her senses succumbing to the incredible pleasure.

Eventually, he ceased his motion, and she rolled off to his side, his stallionhood detaching from her with a soft, wet pop.  As comfortable as she had felt with his length buried inside her, his exit was just as pleasant, her inner walls gladly relinquishing their grip on him after the completion of his task.  She lay there for a while, just breathing as her orgasm slowly faded away, leaving her with nothing but soft warmth throughout her entire body.  Her hoof idly stroked against his barrel as she rode the afterglow, smiling all the while.

Finally, the silence was broken by the unicorn next to her.  “You're right; I do like it when you're rough.”  He gave her a weak smile as his hoof rubbed against her side.

“Told you,” Cadance said with a smirk, bringing her lips to meet his in a gentle kiss.  “I kind of like it myself,” Cadance whispered.

Shining's hoof slid up to her cheek, and she looked into his eyes, finding in them the same warmth and love that she'd always seen there.  He said softly, “I love you, Cadance.”

She touched her hoof to his as it pressed against her muzzle.  “And I love you, Shining Armor.”  She planted a small kiss on his hoof and exhaled deeply, smiling as she continued to stare deep into her husband's eyes.  Their gazes remained locked for a while until Shining's eyes drifted shut; Cadance's followed suit soon after, her long, slow breathing giving way to peaceful, quiet snores as she lay next to the stallion of her dreams.  And he was there, in her dreams, his face lit up in a joyful grin as he ran alongside her through a grassy field, their laughter echoing through the countryside.
> The Perfect Ending
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next several days passed in a near blur for Plywood.  He, along with Hazelnut, had taken to seeing the sights of the City of Flights, exploring some of the more notable landmarks and locations in the famous floating metropolis.  Their excursions lasted long into the night, and ever since his rather vigorous session with Hazel (which had left them both very sore but extremely satisfied the next morning), the two had not retained enough energy nor had enough time for further intimacy.  Ply, however, honestly believed that the mere memory of that exciting night would be enough; indeed, the sight of his self-trussed wife had been burned into his mind almost instantaneously, an image that he revisited often even while they toured the city.  Whenever he recalled the events of that night, he would look over at his bride and smile softly; he truly was a fortunate stallion to have a wife that dedicated to him, as evidenced by her selfless act.  He had fallen in love all over again.  

Finally, the night before their scheduled departure arrived, and Plywood was more excited than usual as the couple ventured out of the hotel and into a cart, ready to transport them to the fabulous Licks-or hotel and theater.  Las Pegasus was renowned for its theaters, and of all the acts that performed in them, the one that was recommended more than any other was Cirque du Celestia.  Plywood, at the encouragement of Hazelnut, had acquired tickets for one of their shows, and now that the time for the show had rolled around, he and his wife took their seats in the auditorium, innumerable ponies surrounding them, and prepared for an evening of excellent entertainment.

To hear about the Cirque du Celestia troupe was one thing; the promise of acrobatic stunts, high-flying fun, and a stage show with no rival was certainly enough to get anypony's heart racing a little faster in anticipation, especially if that pony happened to hail from a small town almost on the other side of Equestria.  To see the performance live, however, was an entirely different experience.  More than once, Ply became so enamored by the myriad of colors, sights, and incredible acts on the stage before him that his jaw hung open wide, a fact that he only became aware of when he felt a slight dribble of drool running out of the corner of his mouth.  Invariably, he would subtly lick up the escaping saliva and reseal his lips, only for the performers to pull off yet another unbelievable feat of daring that would leave him slack-jawed and staring.

The athletes told the story of Nightmare Moon's rebellion and banishment, and Ply could scarcely recall a more memorable recount of the ancient tale.  Pegasi soared through the auditorium, zooming over the heads of the crowd at times as they looped and barrel-rolled and dove towards the stage, pulling up at the last possible second to swoop back across the sea of patrons, loud gasps emanating from the audience members who felt as though they could lift their hooves and touch the lithe bodies that zoomed past them.  Unicorns utilized unique spells, creating swirls of magical color that slithered all around the stage, expanding and contracting and changing hues before bursting into a million tiny specks of light, only to be born anew by their casters.  Earth ponies tumbled and dove, some clutching swinging trapezes with their teeth at the last possible second while others ran on spinning wheels that rotated on an axis, leaping through what looked like empty air only to be caught and spun around some more.  Each act portrayed the events seamlessly, the show never becoming too over-the-top or gaudy while at the same time holding the audience spellbound and breathless, desperate for the next part of the show to wow them.

At last, the performance closed with a flourish, Celestia gathering the Elements of Harmony to seal Luna in her lunar prison.  With several final, breathtaking stunts, the last brushstroke of a masterful work of art was laid to the canvas, and as one, the crowd rose to their hooves and cheered wildly, stomping the floor in a cacophony of raucous applause.  Ply shouted his approval and stamped eagerly, but his face fell when he looked to his right and saw Hazelnut, the only noticeable exception to the audience's seemingly unanimous declaration of praise.  Her eyes were fixed on the stage, but her hooves remained firmly planted on the floor, a look of deep contemplation that bordered on sadness etched on her face.  The earth pony slowed his own applause, his brow furrowing as he observed his mate's lack of cheer; he wasn't angry or upset at her silent demeanor, only confused and concerned for her.  Her head swung around to look at him, and her mouth stretched  into a weak smile of reassurance.  He tilted his head to the side with wide, questioning eyes, not wanting to battle the crowd for noise dominance, and she responded with a slight nod to him before returning her gaze to the bowing performers.  She gave a few halfhearted stomps, almost as if she was only attempting to appease him, and Ply finally peeled his eyes away from her to shower further accolades onto the performers.  His heart, however, was no longer in the cheers and whistles; now, it was with the mare next to him.

The ride home was silent, almost uncomfortably so, as Plywood wrestled with the words to say to his wife.  She seemed content to snuggle close to his body in the back seat of the cart as it rolled through the cloud-paved streets, his foreleg wrapped around her withers and her hoof gently stroking the thick coat on his barrel.  Upon arrival back at the hotel, and with a quick tip and “Thank you” to the driver, Ply disembarked from the public transportation and walked quietly back up to the familiar honeymoon suite, Hazelnut beside him the whole way but still not speaking.  Her look had evolved from its original forlorn state to something that seemed more determined, more focused, and Ply had to admit, he was having a hard time cracking the code of his wife's shifting facial expressions.  He hoped that the confines of the room would allow him some insight into her perplexing mental state.

Less than a second after the door had closed, he suddenly found himself with a face full of mane, his wife's scent wafting into his nostrils as her hooves wrapped around his withers and the side of her head pressed against his neck.  For a moment, he froze, unsure of what was going on, but he soon returned the embrace, a smile creeping onto his face as he hugged Hazel close to his body.  His eyebrow rose in concern, however, when he felt her body shudder beneath him, and she drew in a gasping breath.  He pulled his head back, determined to look Hazel in the eye, and she did the same, confirming his suspicion:  Glistening tears trickled down her cheeks.  He immediately frowned in concern.  “Hazel, honey, what's the matter?”

She looked up at him, her eyes moist with the fresh tears, but the corners of her mouth were turned up in a smile.  Between light sobs, she answered him.  “I've just been...doing some thinking.”

He brought his hoof up to brush a tear from her cheeks.  “About what?  What's wrong?”

She sniffled twice, and he waited patiently until she was ready to speak.  At last, she regained enough composure to form sentences.  “I've just thought about this last week.  Everywhere we've been, everything we've seen; it's all been so incredible, so unbelievable.  I mean, we got a room next to a princess, for goodness' sake!”  She chuckled lightly, though he knew it wasn't from the heart.  “This city...all the sights...after seeing that beautiful show tonight, it just made me realize that there's so much out there in Equestria that I haven't seen, and I might not ever see.”

Ply's face fell, but before he could speak, she continued, “But at the same time, I also realized that...well...I don't care if I see all those things.”  His confusion returned as she went on.  “Las Pegasus has been just wonderful, and I've loved every day we've been here, but...”  She drifted off, her thought interrupted by a sniffle.

His hoof slid from her cheek to her chin, and he tilted her head up, gazing deep into her eyes.  “I've had a wonderful time here too, Hazel, but it wasn't because I was in Las Pegasus.  Sure, we've seen some amazing things, but the reason I've enjoyed myself is because of the pony that's been beside me the entire time.”  He leaned in and lightly kissed the tip of her horn, causing the mare before him to shiver slightly.  “It just wouldn't have been the same without you.”

“That's exactly it,” she said, her smile growing a bit.  “It took us coming all this way, to a strange, new, humongous city for me to see that my life is just...perfect.”  She stepped close to him, once more wrapping a hoof around his withers and pulling him close to her body.  “And it's because I'm with the perfect stallion.  I'll be honest, I wasn't sure about how this week would go when you first told me about it, but now, near the end, I have to admit, the second time around's been even better than the first.”  She nuzzled against his neck.  “I love you, Plywood.”

He squeezed her tight.  “I love you too, Hazelnut.”  For a while, he was content to stand there, his foreleg wrapped around his wife and hers around him, no sound but their breathing present in the honeymoon suite.  His thoughts drifted to the mare before him, and he began to travel back in time, to a small woodworking shop in Maneitoba, over twenty-five years ago...


***
	

Plywood exhaled hard, the dust from his latest project kicking up and swirling around the work room.  He surveyed the newly-constructed end table with pride, softly muttering, “Now just need to paint it and give it some finish, and it'll be ready to go.”  He had received the order from one of his neighbors only two days ago, but since his schedule wasn't very full, he had been able to dedicate more time to the small project, and he was determined to make it look perfect.  After all, there was a reason he didn't have many more jobs lined up:  His shop, having just opened up, was still struggling to find business in his relatively small town.  Ply was confident, however, that Maneitoba would have plenty of work for him, if he stayed patient.  The stallion with a hammer and a two-by-four on his flank tried not to let his mind drift to his dwindling bank account, instead focusing on the task at hoof.

A noise from the other room grabbed his attention as the tinkle of the bell on the door indicated the presence of a customer.  His workroom was separated from the other room by nothing more than a door-shaped hole in the wall, and he quickly put down his supplies and trotted into the main room, ready to receive potential business.  Because of that, his smile was wide and genuine as he stepped through the opening and proudly stated, “Welcome to Plywood's Woodworking Shop.  How can I help you today?”  His head had been held high, his eyes shut, but he froze when he opened them, his front leg locked in mid-step and his jaw hanging slightly open.

He had been prepared to see one of the many residents of Maneitoba striding through the front door, likely with some minor task or quick repair that he could take care of within a day.  What he was not prepared for was the sight of a light brown unicorn mare with a wavy auburn mane stepping into the store, the bell chiming softly again as the door closed behind her.  What he was very unprepared for were two additional facts:  First, he knew this mare, though he certainly remembered her a little shorter and not as lean.  Second, she was absolutely stunning.  As she turned to face him, he blurted out the first thing that came to his mind, much louder than he should have.  “Hazel!”

She looked up at him with that same smile he recalled from many years ago, though the sight of it had never made his heart flutter quite like that before.  Her voice, smooth and silken, drifted to his ears.  “Well Ply, it looks like you've got a nice little setup here.”

After a second more of dumbfounded staring, he found his bearings and managed to close his mouth long enough to breathe in and speak in a much more normal tone of voice, his cheeks flushing slightly red at her compliment.  “Heh, thanks.  Yeah, it isn't much, but it's what I love to do, so here I am.”  He stepped out from behind the front counter, never tearing his gaze from the mare who had suddenly stepped back into his life after two – or was it three? – years away.  “But what about you?  I had no idea you were coming back to town!  How long are you here?”

Her grin faded slightly, and he got the sudden feeling that he'd done something terribly wrong.  In a soft tone, she answered, “It looks like I'll be back here for a while, actually.  I kinda...dropped out of culinary school.”

He took a step closer, now only inches from the beautiful but forlorn unicorn.  “What happened?”

“Some of the professors and I had...different ideas about what constituted a suitable dish,” she said with a slight smirk, though her eyes betrayed her sadness.  “My specialty was never food, anyway, but there's no school dedicated to ponies whose talent lies with mixing non-alcoholic drinks.  Honestly, I'm better off studying from home.”

Ply nodded in understanding; Hazelnut didn't have a cutie mark of a steaming cup of coffee for nothing.  He could still remember the strong cups of the bitter black liquid that she brewed while only in high school, adding all manner of flavors (including her namesake) to make them taste incredible.  She had made coffee drinkable, a feat he would never have thought possible, and even at that age, he'd been most impressed with her ability.  Her decision to study at a culinary school in Canterlot, however, had been risky at best, and now, it appeared as though that particular path of higher education was not the road she would travel.  He reached up a hoof and patted her shoulder sympathetically.  “Sorry to hear that, Hazel.”

She gave a little shrug and tossed her head, her mane bouncing in the same direction.  Ply's heart skipped another beat; at this rate, he was in danger of some kind of attack.  Hazel responded, “Eh, it's all right.  It's good to be back in my old stomping grounds again, see all the familiar faces.”  She looked up and locked her gaze on his, her dark blue eyes holding him in place.  She hasn't just grown up, the stallion thought, she's gorgeous now.  He'd entertained the thought of asking her out when they were in school together, but he had always considered her to be above him, a pony dedicated to the “lowly” profession of woodworking.  They had been good enough friends, sure, but his nerves, compounded by a low self-worth, prevented him from making a move.

Now, however, she was back in town, and she had stopped by to see him, of all ponies.  That thought brought up a question, and he asked her, “So where is 'home,' exactly?”

She said, “Oh, I've got a little cottage on the edge of town that my parents own.  They used to stay there sometimes if they wanted to get away for a night or two, but it hasn't been used for a while.  They gave it to me.”

“Wow,” Ply said, “that was very generous of them.”

With a snicker, Hazel said, “Well, they weren't about to let some college dropout move back in with her folks.  What was I gonna do, stay in the basement?”  She chuckled, and Plywood joined in.  After her laughter died down, Hazel continued, “Actually, that's one of the reasons I'm here.  It's been so long since anypony's stayed in the cottage, all the furniture is kind of a mess.  I think it'd be best if I had new furnishings made, and who better to go to than the pony who was making three-story birdhouses in Mr. Plank's wood shop class while the rest of us could barely pound a nail into a board?”

Ply laughed at the memory from his school days, the strange and curious looks his classmates had given him nothing compared to the elation he had experienced when his cutie mark appeared.  He had almost forgotten Mr. Plank's shock at seeing his elaborate “bird mansion,” as his teacher had called it.  His joy was temporary, however, when it dawned on him why Hazel was here.  So she just needs me to make furniture?  That's fine, I guess; what kind of friend would I be if I didn't help her out?  “Sure, Hazel, I'd be happy to help you.”  Quickly, he added, “And since you're a friend, I'll even give you a discount if you like.”

He could swear he saw the faintest hint of a blush cross her cheeks as she said, “That would be great, Ply.  I can come back later and give you a list of all the things I need, all right?”

His brain screamed at him to do something, anything to carry on the conversation a little longer, but his mouth worked too quickly.  “Sure, Hazel, that'll be fine.”  She gave him a smile – a lovely, captivating smile – and turned to go, but thankfully, his thoughts processed fast enough to catch her before she reached the door.  His volume, however, was once again louder than anticipated.  “Hazel!”

She turned back to face him again.  “What is it, Ply?  Everything okay?”

“Yeah, it's fine,” he said, waving a hoof idly, trying to calm down as his heart increased its rate.  He stammered, trying to formulate the perfect sentence in his head before she left again.  “I...um...well, I was gonna ask you...”  The words refused to come, and he nearly entered panic mode as he looked at her again.  She's beautiful, you idiot!  Don't let her just walk out the door!  Say something!

Her voice seemed to break all the barriers that were preventing him from thinking clearly.  “It's all right, Ply.  Go ahead and say what you need to say.”

Her smile sent his heart racing again, but this time, he was able to form coherent words.  “I was wondering if maybe...we could have lunch sometime.”  He paused for just a moment, swallowing hard before continuing, “You know, to talk about what you need done, and maybe catch up on old times.”  His front hoof reached up and scratched at his withers, but there was no itch there; he felt like a fool, but all he could do was wait.

She simply looked at him for a few seconds; she didn't smile, she didn't frown, she didn't laugh, she just looked, almost as though she was studying him, judging him.  Oh Celestia, I've made a horrible mistake, he thought, a bead of sweat trickling down his forehead as he awaited any sort of verbal response.  There's no way she would say yes, she just needs you to make some chairs and stuff, what were you thinking, you idiot...

“Sure.”

His eyes widened slightly, and his thought process froze.  Wait, did she just say what I think she said?  “Yeah?”

She giggled lightly.  “Yeah, I think that sounds great.  I'd love to.  When should we meet?”

He sputtered out the first thoughts that came to him.  “Saturday, noon, at Griddle's?”

She grinned.  “That would be fine.  I haven't had his greasy hay fries in too long.”  She stepped toward the door, still looking at him as she said, “I'll see you then, all right?”

“All right,” he said in barely more than a whisper.  He watched as she flashed him one last smile, the hints of a blush still on her light brown cheeks, before stepping out of the store, the bell signaling her departure.

For a few seconds, he just stood there, stock-still.  At last, his brain caught up, and he gave a little laugh and a leap into the air.  He trotted back into the workroom, his mind racing a mile a minute, and returned to his project, his focus no longer just on the small end table before him.  Now he had a date, with a mare he'd known for a very long time, in only two days, and she was gorgeous, and he didn't have any formal wear...

Suddenly, he had no idea how long it was going to take to finish the end table.


***
	

Ply chuckled softly at the memory and looked down at the mare wrapped in his forelegs.  Her mane was slightly duller, gray and white hairs beginning to make their appearance in the sea of auburn, but it had the same vibrant wave that he'd seen on that day.  It still sent his heart fluttering sometimes, and this was definitely one of those times.  He pulled her a little tighter to his body, eager to feel the rhythmic thumps of her heart.

Hazel, her head nuzzling his neck, asked, “What's funny, Ply?”

He stroked her back with his hoof as he said, “I was just remembering the day you came back to Maneitoba.  I swear, the first moment I saw you, I didn't think I'd ever see a mare that beautiful again in my entire life.  And you know what?  I was right.”

She hummed quietly and said, “Oh, Plywood, you old charmer.”  She giggled, her light laugh bringing a grin to Ply's face.  “Tell the truth, I was a little nervous myself that day.”

“Oh?” he asked, his curiosity piqued.

“Mmhmm,” she responded.  “I was back in my home town after failing at college, and I was afraid...afraid everypony else was going to look down on me for not making it in an elite school, just like my folks did back then.  But then I walked into your shop, and I saw you again, and you didn't judge me; you didn't treat me like anything less than a friend.  I knew then that it didn't matter what anypony else thought, because at least my old buddy Plywood would stick up for me.”  She released her grip on him, and he did the same, stepping back to lock his gaze with hers.  “And I know now that dropping out of that school was the best decision I could have ever made.”  She snaked a hoof behind his head and slowly pulled him close, and he offered no resistance, eagerly pressing his lips to hers.

Their mouths moved with practiced precision and grace, their jaws engaged in a delicate dance that they had undertaken so many times before, but one which Ply never grew tired of performing.  He ran his tongue along her lips, loving their mild, sweet taste, and she eagerly parted them.  Slowly and surely, drawing on years of experience, Ply explored every inch of her mouth, her own tongue rising up to stroke delicately against his as he ran the flexible organ along the roof of her mouth, across the tops of her teeth, and even a quick sweep across the gums, her strong essence permeating his senses as they made out.  Her cups of coffee, no matter how much she sweetened them with the ingredient that was her namesake, could never compare with the real thing.

He finally pulled away, their tongues remaining in contact for as long as possible before they were separated, though still connected by a strand of saliva that broke only when Hazel licked her lips and breathed in.  Ply gave her a sly grin.  “You know, Hazel, this is our last night in the honeymoon suite.”

She raised an eyebrow with a smile of her own.  “Oh really?  I wasn't aware,” she said, teasing him.

“Indeed it is, last time I checked,” Plywood said with mock indignation.  “So, answer me something, Miss Hazelnut, if you would be so kind.”

“Anything, Mister Plywood,” the mare responded with a giggle.

He leaned his head over to her ear and whispered, “Is there anything, anything at all, I can do for you that would make this night even better?”

She responded in kind, her own muzzle drifting over to his ear.  Her hot breath on the sensitive flesh sent a tingle through his head as she whispered back, “I was actually thinking there's something I could do for you.”  She nibbled lightly on the tip of his ear, and he flinched slightly as she teased him before releasing him and saying, “Lie down on the bed.”

He didn't hesitate, turning and hopping up onto the amazingly comfortable bed before rolling over onto his back, his forelegs tucked in close to his body and his hind legs spreading apart.  He could feel the tip of his stallionhood beginning to poke its way out of his sheath, and his heart rate began to increase as he prepared himself for whatever she had planned.

Hazel, for her part, wasted no time either, taking a position more towards the foot of the bed, her front hooves planted on either side of his hips and her head facing his but above his hardening member.  She looked down at him with a lascivious grin.  He knew what she was planning a moment before she acted, but he still gasped when she dropped her head and gave him a long, slow lick down his ever-increasing length.  How long has it been since we've done this?  The earth pony barely had time to muse over that question before another surge of pleasure came from down there, and he lifted his head and looked down to see Hazelnut providing him with a coat of saliva all up and down his sensitive stallionhood even before it had fully emerged from its sheath.  His breath came in gasps as she continued to utilize her soft, rough tongue, licking from base to tip, each trip a little longer as more blood rushed down there to make him harder.

Finally, he stood at full attention, and Hazel blushed slightly as she pulled back and admired it.  Plywood felt his own cheeks grow redder, each beat of his heart accompanied by a throb of his member as it stuck out proudly, ready for his wife's further action.  It didn't take long; almost immediately, she leaned back in and swirled her tongue across the top of his flared head, a jolt of pleasure coursing through him as she touched his sensitive flesh again.  Each pass of her tongue across the tip of his erection was marvelous, and he grunted as he held himself back, eager to make this last.

As her tongue continued its work, however, Plywood was suddenly struck with an idea, and in between gasps, he spoke up.  “Hazel?”

She looked up at him with longing eyes, her hoof taking over for her tongue and stroking the underside of his member with gentle, even movements.  “Yes, Ply?”

His breath caught as he felt another surge of pleasure, but he still found the words.  “I know what would make this – unh – even better.”

“And what's that?” she said, never tearing her eyes from his nor ceasing her hoof's ministrations.

Oh Celestia, that's sexy, he thought, but he forced himself to concentrate.  “I'd like to – ah – do yours too.”

Abruptly, her hoof stopped mid-stroke, and he gasped at the sudden lack of friction.  Hazel's eyes widened, then narrowed; her answer was clear, even without words.  She quickly shifted her body into its new position, her marehood now above Ply's head and her rear hooves just above his shoulders.  He looked up at her treasure, and his mouth began to water in anticipation.  She was clearly excited as well, if the glisten of moisture around her entrance was any indication.  Slowly and deliberately, she lowered herself down, her tongue giving his stallionhood another long, slow lick as her body settled atop his.  Her soft coat was warm against him, and she wasn't heavy; it was more comfortable than any blanket could hope to be, and he relished every moment, every sensation of her pressed against him.

His attention was seized, however, by the return of other, much stronger sensations, and with another gasp, he realized that she had gone back to work on his member, her warm tongue brushing along his tip.  He was tempted to lean back and lose himself in the incredible feelings, but at the sight of her damp entrance, he steeled his resolve; if she was going to please him orally, then by Celestia, he was going to return the favor.  But first...

His hooves immediately went to work, making contact with her cutie marks and rubbing in small circles on her flanks.  The soft, malleable flesh gave way easily to his ministrations, and he heard Hazel give a little cry of pleasure, her mouth temporarily withdrawing from his erection.  He continued to massage her flanks, pressing down a little harder with each pass, and she soon resumed her soft licks, punctuated by the occasional moan, her hot breath making contact with his hard length causing him to shudder.

While his left hoof continued to caress her flank, his right began an adventure of its own, sliding up to stroke along her haunch before drifting to her tail.  There was a spot, almost directly where her tail emerged from her body, where she was especially sensitive, and he didn't hesitate to find it and give it a vigorous rubbing.  The spasm of her barrel atop him and her squeak of surprise and happiness let him know that his attention was very much appreciated, and he continued to massage her special spot with firm but gentle circles of his hoof.  Her tail flicked back and forth, brushing across his nose twice as she fell victim to his contact.

His massage never ceasing, Plywood leaned his head up, the muscles in his neck barely straining as he closed in on his goal.  The smell hit him as he came closer, and he shivered at the sweet scent.  Hazel was living proof that smell and taste were closely linked; the aroma of her arousal only served to enhance the traces of her strong, sweet flavor that remained on his taste buds, both his olfactory nerves and his oral cavity soon filled entirely with her essence.  He breathed in deep through his nose, the sensation of her scent echoing through his entire head and sending a wave of bliss through him.  Only the love of his life smelled that way, he was sure of it, and he breathed in deep again, a smile on his face.  I wouldn't want to be anywhere else in Equestria at this moment.

He gasped as he felt a new sensation tear through his body, and judging from the warm, wet feeling and the slurping sounds, Hazel had enveloped the head of his stallionhood in her mouth and was suckling on it.  The entirety of his shaft throbbed with pleasure as she treated him like hard candy, and he lost focus for a moment as the ecstasy coursed through his body.  Ply regained his composure, however, and his tongue finally wormed its way out of his mouth as his head closed the distance between himself and his wife's treasure.  With only a moment's hesitation, he gave a long, slow lick along her entrance, eagerly tasting her juices.  Her moan of pleasure came with an added bonus:  her mouth was still around his sensitive head, and the vibration of her lips only made him twitch and throb again.

His tongue began its work, delivering lick after lick across her lower lips and eliciting even more groans and purrs of approval from the mare who was still suckling him, sending a new wave of pleasure through his erection.  It was a vicious cycle, but he didn't mind in the least.  They continued in this pattern for several minutes, Ply's hooves never ceasing to rub her left flank or her special spot, and she continuing to suck on him, occasionally withdrawing her head to give his shaft a fresh lick or to swirl her tongue across the top of his member.  All the while, the pleasure and warmth inside Ply grew steadily, his mind threatening to eventually yield to the mounting pressure.

It was Hazel who broke the cycle first, and Ply moaned as she took even more of him into her muzzle, her lips sliding down his length while her tongue tickled the underside of his stallionhood.  He was enveloped in warm wetness, and the sensations of pleasure racing through his erection doubled.  He threw his head back slightly and gave a low growl as she began to bob her head up and down, slowly at first, but rapidly increasing her speed.  His head was pounding with each motion as his member sank into her mouth again and again, her tongue working even harder than it had before and coating him completely with warm saliva.

A new determination came to Ply even as Hazel's pace grew faster and faster, and even amidst the relentless assault of pleasure, he managed to raise his head back up toward her eager entrance.  His hooves had ceased their motions with the first feeling of fellatio, and now he slid them around her thighs and gripped her legs (being careful to avoid her bad knee), using the grip as leverage to lift his head.  His tongue was already out, and he gave one final lick before pressing his snout right up against Hazel's lower lips and pushing the eager pink organ inside.  He was met by another moan of pleasure from the mare atop him, the sensation of her vibrating mouth around his erection nearly pushing him away, but he pressed on, focused on the task at hoof.  An ample exploration of Hazelnut's inner walls was in order, and he swirled his tongue around the circumference of her passage, drawing out more moans from the mare.  Her juices were flowing freely now, combining with her scent to indicate her immense arousal, and Ply lapped up all he could, the taste of his wife on his tongue sending him into a frenzy of eager licks.

He wasn't going to last much longer; that much was evident from the tingling sensation that began to build in his balls.  Hazel, however, was not going to be left out, not if he had anything to do with it, and he doubled his efforts, scraping his tongue against every inch of her inner surface that he could reach.  His left hoof slid over to join his mouth, but its target was the small nub that lay just below his snout.  As his tongue scrambled like mad inside her, he found his mark with his hoof, and Hazel gave a muffled cry.  That's the ticket, he thought, and his hoof pressed lightly against the small bundle of nerves as he licked her over and over again.  Hazel, to her credit, didn't cease her motion, but her shouts and moans grew louder and more frequent, increasing the pleasure that wracked Ply's body and pushing him ever closer to the edge.

A shudder from the body atop his and a withering cry; that was all the warning Plywood received before a wave of moisture struck his snout and tongue, the scent and taste of Hazelnut's essence flowing freely over him telling his brain that he could hold on no longer.  He pulled his head back, her juices flowing out of her entrance as his hoof rubbed her clit in little circles, and with a cry, he let himself go, releasing the pent-up energy into torrent after torrent of seed that shot out of the tip of his throbbing stallionhood.  Hazel had released his member less than a second before he finished, and his seed fired out violently and sporadically, some of it splattering onto his legs and hips, while other shots of sticky cum simply dribbled out and flowed down the side of his erection.  His mind, however, barely registered any of this, as his thoughts floated through a sea of incredible euphoria.

The feel of a beating heart that was not his own slowly brought Plywood back to reality.  The first sight he was met with was his wife's pink entrance, wet with her juices and his saliva, and he smiled as he felt her breathing in time with him, their inhalations and exhalations slow and steady.  For a while, he simply lay there, the smell of her treasure wafting to his nostrils again and leaving him placid.  Eventually, she managed to swivel around and roll off of him, ending up beside him on the bed.  He turned his head to see her face, and his eyes widened when he beheld the evidence of his orgasm plastered all over her.  Her coat was matted in several places, and white blotches dotted her face and neck; one small glob even clung to her horn.  He dropped his eyes in embarrassment.  “Sorry, Hazel...guess I got a little carried away.”

She lifted his chin with her (thankfully clean) hoof and looked into his eyes.  “It's all right, Ply.  I hadn't done that in way too long; I kind of forgot how messy it can be.”  She giggled slightly.  “Besides, it was incredible.”

He smiled wide.  “You can say that again.  The perfect ending to a perfect honeymoon.”

She gave a soft smile, but that soon shifted into a wicked smirk.  “Whoever said it was the end?”

He raised an eyebrow.  “And just what do you mean by that, Miss Hazelnut?”

A stern look accompanied her response:  “Well, Mister Plywood, I think I'd better get in the shower before any of this stuff starts to harden.  And you know, that shower's big enough for two.”

His grin was wide.  “Sweet Celestia, I love you, Hazel.”

“I love you too, Ply,” she said back, starting to lean in close, her lips puckered.  Her progress, however, was halted by a hoof pressing into her upper barrel.  “Hmm?” she asked, looking up at Plywood with curious eyes.

“Well, honey, maybe we could kiss...um...after we shower.”  He gestured toward her semen-stained face.

She giggled again.  “That's fine with me.”
> Epilogue:  Departure
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“And that's the last of it!”  Shining Armor grinned contentedly as he zipped the final suitcase closed, then levitated it off the bed and onto the floor beside the rest of the luggage.  He looked over to Cadance, the smug smile still on his face, and she shook her head, a grin gracing her visage as well.  “Looks like we're ready to go,” the unicorn said, trotting toward the door.

“Are you really in such a hurry, Shine?” Cadance asked.  “It's not like the room is on fire or anything.”

He trotted over to her and drew her into a tight embrace.  “I know, Cadance, but our cart is going to be here any minute, and I think it'd be best if were prepared.”

“I know,” the princess replied softly.  “It's just...I'm not sure I'm ready to leave just yet.”

Shining drew his body back and looked at her face, noting the faraway look in her eyes.  “What do you mean?”  He rested a comforting hoof on her shoulder.

“It's just...” she began, dropping her head to the side, her pink cheeks turning a little more red.  “This room means so much to me now.  It's where we first made love.  I never want to forget that.”  She nuzzled her head against his neck.

Shining smiled softly.  “And I promise, you never will, and neither will I.”  He stroked her withers gently as she leaned into him, her warm, soft body nestled against his muscular frame.  “This will always be a special place.  But you know what, Cadance?”

Her voice was barely above a whisper.  “What's that?”

He planted a soft kiss on the top of her head, just above her horn.  “I think I'll enjoy making even more memories with you once we get back to Canterlot.  Sound good?”

She giggled beneath him, and his heart lifted at the jovial sound.  “That sounds wonderful, Shine.  I can't wait.”

Their embrace continued, neither pony willing to relinquish their grip on the other, until several knocks on the door echoed through the honeymoon suite.  Reluctantly, Shining released his bride and walked over to the door, swinging it open to reveal a unicorn bellhop who said in a nasally voice, “Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and, uh, Captain Shining Armor?”

“That's us,” Shining said, gesturing toward their waiting bags.  “Thanks for coming by to pick these up.”

The bellhop stood dumbfounded.  After several seconds, Shining was about to say something when the young unicorn seemed to snap out of a trance.  “Er, uh, yeah!  I mean, I'm just doing my job, but it's still my pleasure!  And it's an honor to meet you, Mister Armor, or, I mean, Captain Armor.  I couldn't believe it was really you when the boss told me to come up here, but it is you!  And the princess, too?”  He glanced into the room, and his eyes widened.  “Oh wow!  The princess!  This is unbelievable!  It's, well, I'm just-”

Shining cut off the rambling bellhop with a raised hoof.  “It's okay, you can calm down now.  Take some deep breaths.”  The other unicorn did just that, inhaling through his nose and exhaling slowly through his mouth.  “That's it, you're doing fine.  Now, what do you say we get these bags downstairs?”

The young employee nodded vigorously and gave a crisp salute.  “Yes, sir!”  Without another word, his horn began to glow, and all the pieces of luggage rose from the floor suspended in his magical aura.  The bellhop, still giddy, turned and started to trot down the hallway, a bit of spring in his step.

Shining Armor chuckled at the sight, then turned back to Cadance.  “After you, my lady,” he said with a bow of his head and a sweeping gesture of his front hoof.

She gave a little laugh.  “Why thank you, Captain,” she said with a high air as she strode proudly past him and out the door.

“My pleasure, Princess Cadenza,” he responded, his head nearly touching the floor.

As she walked by, however, his hoof rose up subtly and gave her a little nudge on the rump, causing her to squeak in surprise.  She turned to face him, her eyebrows furrowed and her mouth turned up in a playful look.  “I dare say, that is conduct most unbecoming a Captain of the Canterlot Royal Guard.”

He gave her a wide, puppy-dog stare.  “Is it?  I do apologize, my lady.”

She raised one eyebrow.  “I'll simply have to punish you for your impudence, Captain.”

A smirk appeared on his face.  “I look forward to it.”

With a short laugh, Cadance made her exit from the honeymoon suite, and Shining moved to follow her.  As he gripped the door handle with his magic, however, he took one last look at the room that he and his wife had shared for the past week, all the memories of their bliss and passion replaying in his mind.  You're right, Cadance, he thought.  This place is special.  But you know what?  He closed the door and turned to the hallway where the princess had a slight head start.  It's not nearly as special as you are.  The unicorn trotted quickly, catching up to Cadance and walking beside her, giving her a flash of his smile and receiving one in response.  Silently, they walked side-by-side, the unicorn bellhop a few steps in front of them with their luggage still in tow.

The trip through the expansive hotel took several minutes, but they soon arrived at the front entrance.  With a quick nod, the bellhop strode through the swinging doors and out to the street where the cart that would take Cadance and Shining Armor to the airfield awaited.  As the captain and his bride made to follow him, however, a familiar stallion's voice rang out through the lobby.  “Shining!”

Both ponies of the royal couple turned, and Shining smiled when he saw a tan earth pony and a light brown unicorn walking towards them.  He called out his own greeting.  “Hazelnut, Plywood, wonderful to see you again.”

Cadance spoke up beside him.  “Are you two getting ready to leave as well?”

Hazel nuzzled her husband gently as she answered, “Yes, I think it's time for us to head home.”

“Did you enjoy your stay?” the princess inquired.

Shining noticed a little blush on the cheeks of both ponies before him.  Hazel looked up at her husband as he answered Cadance's inquiry.  “Very, very much.  It was certainly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.  Wouldn't you agree, dear?”

Hazel's reply was a simple “Mmhmm,” and the white unicorn couldn't help but smile as he watched the married couple become lost in each other's eyes for a moment.

It was Cadance who spoke next.  “Well, that's a little different,” she said with a voice laced with curiosity, and Shining looked over to see her stroking her chin, deep in thought.

“What's the matter?” Shining asked, curious himself.

She looked at him for a moment and gave a brief shrug before turning to the other couple.  “Excuse me, Hazelnut, Plywood?”  The two ponies broke their gazes and looked up at the princess.  “Do you remember how I said I can sense the presence of love if it's strong enough?”  The earth pony and his wife nodded in confirmation.  “Well, it's very odd...the aura I feel coming off you now, is...it's even more powerful than it was when we first met.”

The knowing looks that Hazel and Ply exchanged spoke volumes, and Shining grinned.  After a moment of silence, Hazelnut replied with a soft smile, “It's not that odd, Princess.  If there's one thing this honeymoon has taught us, it's that love can only grow stronger the second time around.”

“That's right,” Plywood continued.  “And if you don't mind a little advice from somepony who's been married for a while, let me just say that it's certainly not going to be easy for you.  There'll be hard times, you'll have disagreements and arguments, and I know you'll have times when you wonder if it's all worth it.”  He wrapped a hoof around his wife and drew her close to himself.  “It is.  Love is anything but boring; no matter how long you've been with somepony, you can always learn something new from them.  I found that out myself on this trip, and I don't think I've ever been happier.”

Shining's heart warmed as he absorbed the earth pony's wisdom.  He knew the truth of Ply's words; he'd heard the same statements before from his parents, friends, and even from Celestia prior to his marriage, but now that he'd spent a week with the mare of his dreams, he was starting to realize how much they rang true.  He looked down at Cadance.  “Thank you, Plywood.  I truly appreciate all that; even if we are famous, that doesn't mean we can't still learn a thing or two.”  He smiled down at his bride, and she smiled back up at him.  “I get the feeling that I'm going to enjoy this journey very, very much,” he said softly.

The princess whispered back, “Me too.”  She turned to face the other couple.  “If you two should ever go to Canterlot, please feel free to stop by and pay us a visit; we'd be honored to have you.  And I know we'll do the same if we ever head up to Maneitoba.”  She stepped forward and embraced Hazelnut, who awkwardly returned the gesture.  “Thank you both.”  With that, the two married couples in the lobby parted ways after brief words of farewell, and all four ponies made their way to the front doors of the Chariot hotel and exited onto the streets of Las Pegasus.

A casual observer would have seen two very different couples striding out of the entrance of the Chariot, each pair of ponies headed for a cart laden with luggage.  They would see an elderly couple, the earth pony husband walking close beside his wife to ensure that her trip down the shallow stairs was safe while the unicorn wife leaned into him slightly for support.  A few yards away, they would see two much more recognizable ponies, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Shining Armor, whose wedding had been the biggest event to come out of Canterlot in a long, long time.  The younger ponies walked with much more confidence, their eyes seemingly unable to drift away from the other pony for longer than a few seconds.  The two couples looked vastly different, but if that same observer were to inspect them closer, they would notice two similarities:  In the eyes of both husbands burned a desire to provide for their wives, to be dependable and strong, to protect them and keep them safe.  The eyes of both wives, meanwhile, glowed with joy and anticipation of their lives to come as well as an eagerness to be a comfort, a rock to their husbands.

And so it was that two married couples, one at the dawn of their lives together and the other approaching their twilight, clambered into carts on the cloud streets of Las Pegasus, ready and eager to return to their respective homes and carry on what they had learned in the City of Flights.  Two couples, one old and one new, rode off towards the airfield, their spirits full of the one thing that was the key to any successful marriage, no matter the ages of the ponies involved:  true, committed love.