The not-pony was already gone when I left the cavern.
Somehow, I wasn’t surprised when I turned around and found the cave, much like my guide, had vanished.
I laughed and looked down at the weapon I now held. It’s shaft of braided wood shimmered with the same rainbow light as the platinum-like blades.
“An actual divine element,” I said, reverently. “But... what does it do? And how am I going to carry it?”
It was a large weapon, and carrying it around everywhere I go would be unreasonable. I typically use Bakura’s weapons because I didn’t have to carry them, and my spells were small enough to fit several into my belts. They were easy to carry, but this, not so much.
As if it read my mind, the weapon glowed and shrunk, the wood became soft and flexible, like yarn, and the blades dangled almost like pendants.
I stared at it for a few moments before realizing what happened. I put it around my neck and hooked the blades together.
It was a necklace.
“Well, that’s convenient,” I said.
I grabbed the shaft-turned-necklace and pulled. It immediately came off and grew to its former glory. I wanted to swing it around. Mess around with it to figure out what else it could do, but I decided against it. With how abruptly I left, I needed to get back to assure everyone I’m okay.
I willed it to return to necklace form and it obeyed. “That’s awesome.”
Putting the legendary, god-soul infused, ultimate weapon turned fashion accessory around my neck again, I made my way back through the forest.
Only a single timberwolf tried to hinder me, but it was quickly scared off by my silver flame.
I got back to town where I dismissed my summoned weapons. I glanced at the clock tower when it came into view. It had only been about two hours since I had left.
“Helluva two hours,” I said with a chuckle.
The party might have even still been going on, so I decided to stop by the library. I needed to talk to Twilight, anyway. I needed to know if she knew anything about Gaea’s Thorn.
I got to Golden Oaks and saw figures moving around inside. I was right.
I entered and immediately was swarmed by everyone else.
“What happened?”
“Where did you go?”
“Is everything alright?”
That was Twilight, Jynx, and Fluttershy, respectively.
“Ah... had to go talk to someone,” I said. “It’s not important, right now.”
“Wait, did you leave just for some new bling?” Rainbow asked.
The others looked at my new necklace, curiously. Twilight, though, gasped.
“Shiro... where did you get that?” she asked. She must have been able to feel the divine magic inside it, being a demigod, herself.
I fumbled with the necklace, brushing a thumb along the blade. “That’s a long story, and this is still a party. Speakin’ of, where’s Spike?”
Rainbow and Pinkie snickered and Twilight groaned.
“Wait... they’re still at it?” I asked.
“The guy’s got three years worth of blue balls to let out,” Jynx said. “I’d be surprised to see them before morning.”
“Actually, it is getting late,” Fluttershy said. “I need to check on my animals and make sure they’re all okay. I’ll see you in a little bit.”
I gave her a quick kiss in acknowledgement as she left.
“Yeah, and I have to get up early to receive some weather deliveries,” Rainbow said.
“So this isn’t still a party?” I asked.
“Sorry, I guess you missed the rest of it,” Pinkie said. “That’s okay. We’ll have another soon enough.”
As everyone else filed out, only Twilight, Jynx, and I remained.
“So,” I said as I turned toward them. “Ah might have somethin’ for your study night.”
Ever since Jynx officially moved to Ponyville she and Twilight had set aside one day out of the week, every Friday, as a ‘study over’. Somehow, being the nerds they are, they managed to combine a sleepover with a study group. Jynx would stay over and the two of them would study all night.
“I’ll say you do,” Twilight said, eyeing my necklace with hunger.
“What is it?” Jynx asked. Even without her horn she’s still a unicorn and could sense magic. However, divine magic, according to what I read, was something else. With very few exceptions, only divines could actually sense divine magic.
“It’s a divine element,” Twilight said.
Jynx gasped, looking at it in a whole new light.
“It was a gift... from Gaea,” I said.
Both of them gasped again and looked at me with wide eyes.
I reached up and pulled it off, willing into its weapon form. “She called it ‘Gaea’s Thorn’.”
Twilight’s brow furrowed in confused thought. “Gaea’s thorn? But... Gaea never made any weapons. Or so I thought. I’ve studied all eighty-nine known elements, and I can say for certain I’ve never heard of this one.”
I smiled, holding it out to the pair of adorable scholars. “Well, you’re in luck, because Ah’m leavin’ it here with you two to poke, prod, and figure out, because all Ah know about it is it can turn into a pretty neat piece of jewelry.”
“R-really?” Jynx asked, eyes shimmering in pure delight as Twilight reverently accepted the divine weapon. “I get to catalog a previously unknown divine element?!”
I smiled and nodded. “That’s right.”
She let out a squeal of delight. “Oh, I’m so giving you head tomorrow!”
I gave her a sultry grin. “Why wait?”
“Oh, no,” Twilight interjected. “She’s mine tonight.”
That was another reason behind the study over. About a month ago, Jynx and Twilight started dating. This not only gave them a night to dedicate to each other, but it gave me and Fluttershy the same.
“Oh, fine,” I said. “But tomorrow, Ah’m holdin’ you to that... and the bed.”
Jynx purred, “Oh, you better.”
I gave her a kiss and made for the door. “You better have mah wife home in one piece, tomorrow,” I said to Twilight. “Along with a detailed description of everything you did to her.”
Jynx rolled her eyes, pushing me out the door. “Get out and go bang your own girlfriend so I can bang mine.”
“Yes ma’am,” I said, letting myself be ejected.
I chuckled as I started toward Fluttershy’s. I swear, I married a nympho.
Of course, I wasn’t much better.
As I walked, my mind went back to what else I had discovered in the forest. That mare, the one that betrayed us in the Crystal Spire and later attacked the orphanage, was somehow involved with the increased, strange monster attacks? How? Who was she? Jynx said she was a known and respected member of the science community, but how much of that was real?
The not-pony said she really was a cultist. That much was suspected, but it wasn’t confirmed. Of course, just the word of some random ‘pony’ in the woods wouldn’t be enough for the authorities, even if it was enough for me.
I shook my head, clearing it. Those were thoughts for another time. For now, it was Fluttershy time.
I quietly approached the cottage. She would still be outside, going on her evening rounds. I crept around, spotting her stuffing the birdhouses with new straw and paper for insulation.
I snuck as silently as a shadow, creeping toward her.
“Can you fill the water troth?” she asked, not even looking toward me.
I slumped. “Okay, Ah know none of your birds told you, that time.”
She just turned a smile toward me. “Nope. I smelled you.”
I opened my mouth to reply, but realized I was, in fact, up wind and she was, in fact, a predator.
“Damn,” I said as I shook my head and went to do as she requested. “You’re too good.”
“It’s my job to know when big, bad, nasty predators are stalking poor, innocent little ponies,” Fluttershy said, giving me big, doe eyes.
I turned on the water to fill the large tub. “Oh, and what happens when one is stalkin you?”
Fluttershy giggled. “Then I call on my handsome, brave hero to come save me.”
“And what if the big, bad, nasty predator is your handsome, brave hero, gone feral and wild?” I purred as I turned back to stalk toward her again, though, obviously, not really trying to hide.
“Then I suppose I will be eaten,” Fluttershy said, feigning hopelessness. “My friends will come to find nothing but my thoroughly devoured remains.”
I hummed in mock thought, scratching my chin. “You know, Ah bet Rainbow would love to join me for a nice meal for two.”
Fluttershy giggled. “Oh, stop. You’re making me blush.”
Naturally, I did stop. Fluttershy was the type that could take some, slight teasing, but never much. I found that once you get a blush, it’s time to ease up. Any more and she starts to get uncomfortable.
I went back to the tub and turned off the water.
“Would you care for some evening tea?” Fluttershy asked, opening her back door.
“Ah would love some,” I said, following her inside.
I went to the living room and sat on the couch. Fluttershy soon followed, a tray on her back with a few little sandwiches. She set them down on her coffee table and went back for the tea kettle just as it started to whistle.
I grabbed one of the sandwiches. Fluttershy insisted on preparing the meals on our day. She said that I should have one day where someone else cooked for me. Of course, seeing as we had a party today, it was less a meal and more a snack to round out what we ate at the party.
She soon came back with the tea pot held in her mouth. I had to force myself to not help. She insisted that she serve me on our days. She said I spent the rest of the week serving everyone else, so I should at least have an evening where I’m the one being served.
She set it down and asked, “What kind would you like, today?”
“Ah’ll take some of that orange spice tea,” I replied.
She served up the tea and took a seat on the couch, snuggled up at my side.
“It’s hard to believe Spike’s already a pre-adult,” Fluttershy said. “It feels like only yesterday he was just an adorable little baby dragon.”
The concept of a ‘pre-adult’ was still rather novel to me. It was like a trial run of adulthood except you didn’t have a choice about purchasing the whole thing. One was given most of the perks of adult-hood and only some of the responsibilities. I had to wonder if it would work on Earth.
Nah, kids were idiots. If anything, the age of adulthood should be raised on Earth.
“Speaking of babies, it won’t be long before yours is here,” Fluttershy said. “Oh, I can’t wait.”
She was always so giddy when talking about babies of any kind.
I chuckled. “Maybe you’ll find a nice stallion to give you one or two... dozen.”
Fluttershy giggled. “That would be nice... but I don’t think it’ll happen. I doubt I’ll ever have a foal of my own.”
I scoffed. “Nonsense. You’re a gorgeous mare, who’s kind, lovin’, encouraging’, can turn into a badass dragon-pony. What stallion wouldn’t want you?”
“In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not very good around ponies and worse around stallions,” she said. “If I ever find a special someone, they’ll probably be a mare, and even then it’ll probably be them that has the foal.”
I sighed and gave her a quick kiss. “Ah’ll tell you what. If you get with a mare, Ah’ll put a foal in you, if you want. Ah’ll get the compatibility spell and everything, just to make sure it ain’t part tiger.”
Fluttershy looked at me with wide eyes. “Really? You would do that for me?”
I chuckled. “Of course Ah would.”
Fluttershy smiled as she put her hooves around my chest. “Oh, thank you. You’re such a wonderful boyfriend.”
I smiled. “You deserve only the best.”
Contrary to what one might believe, my relationship with Fluttershy wasn’t a very sexual one. Most of our dates ended with us just cuddling. We just loved being with each other. Of course, that made the times we did make love that much better.
Thus, while Jynx and Twilight probably fucked like lesbian bunnies, I just held an adorable yellow and pink pony all night, and I was perfectly okay with that.
In part because I fully intended to hold Jynx to the promise of oral she made the evening before.
As I passed through town on y way back to Twilight’s, I saw Spike and Rarity in the market, the young dragon helping her like he often did as if the previous night never happened. I gave the pair a wave which they returned.
I got to the library and raised a paw to knock on the door. Before I could, the door flung open and Jynx nearly plowed into me.
“Oh, Shiro, perfect timing,” she said. “I have to head to Canterlot.”
I furrowed my brow. “Why so suddenly?”
“I have something I have to check. I’ll be back tonight,” she said.
“You can take the next one,” Twilight said from within. “I need you here.”
That confused me a bit, but I tried to ignore it. “Aw, come on. You made me a promise yesterday.”
Jynx rolled her eyes. “I’ll do it tonight.”
“But what about me?” Twilight said. At the questioning glance I gave her, she explained. “We were so busy studying last night that we both fell asleep.”
Ah. Twi didn’t get any either, then.
Jynx winced. “I know, and I’m sorry. I’ll make time for us tomorrow, okay.”
Jynx gave Twilight a quick kiss, then turned and gave me a slightly deeper one, and then rushed off as quickly as a pregnant mare can waddle.
The two of us watched her go, me still a bit confused about what just happened and Twilight frustrated.
“Really? She’s just going to cold clam me and run off?” she stated with a huff.
“And she blue balled me, so Ah’m right there with you,” I said.
I glance between Twilight and my retreating wife before going into the library. I went to the table by the door, opened the drawer, grabbed the ‘Closed for Emergency’ sign, and hung the sign on the door.
Twilight yelped as I picked her up and threw her over my shoulder. “Wh-what are you doing?”
“Solving our problem,” I said as I carried her inside, and slammed the door behind us.