Prince of Zebras

by RandomBlank

The Future

“Do you, Celestia, Princess of Equestria, Goddess of the Day, Keeper of the Lore...”
“...wait, I didn't accept that gig yet...” I frowned at Master Templar Xaboo.
“...Hopefully soon Keeper of the Lore, Mistress of the Sun and Honorary Dean of the School for Gifted Unicorns, take Prince Nadir to be your husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do you part?"
“Oh, yes, I soooo do!” I pranced in place.
"Do you, Nadir, Prince of Hippotigria, Count of Clover, Lord of Entwine, Prime Judge and Master of Laws...”
“You're a Master of Laws?” I pointed my hoof at him, playing utter shock.
“Why, yes, I hold the university degree! But not now, Celestia, for goodness sake!” he danced in place as if highly uncomfortable.
“...take Princess Celestia to be your lawfully wedded wife, promising to love and cherish, through joy and sorrow, sickness and health, and whatever challenges you may face, for as long as you both shall live?"
Nadir shrunk.
“Um... can I leave for a moment?”
The crowd groaned.
“No, you can't!” Templar stepped up to the prince.
“But... I... I mean...”
“You get to kiss the bride!” I fluttered my eyelashes.
“No! I mean, no, wait Templar, that's not what I meant! I...”
“By the ancients, prince! Your indecisiveness becomes as legendary as the Princess' mercy!”
“Her legendary... mercy?” Suddenly Nadir knelt in front of me. “Celestia, have mercy on me! I'm too young!”
“Prince Nadir...” I bowed my head to his ear. “You're overdoing this! They are gonna guess!” I whispered.
He stood up.
“I do,” he said, resigned.
“Finally.” Xaboo sighed. Apparently our antics were wearing on his nerves. He knew the secret but still, his sense of humor was lacking. “Now, I pronounce you Stallion and Mare. You may kiss the bride.”
...
“You. May. Kiss. The bride.”
Nadir approached me and lifted my veil. We extended lips towards each other.
The lights went out.
How the lights went out in the bright noon of a sunny day in a hall with tall open windows will remain a mystery for all but the involved. Me, as one of the involved, could thank Luna for the diversion. It allowed me to kiss Nadir for real, holding him tight, tasting his tongue and nibbling on his lips. A small mercy for us, allowing us to express our real feelings without others seeing.
Meanwhile, over the ruckus of confusion loud voice of Luna emerged: “Will somepony dispel this?!”
That was our clue to finish. Nadir turned, I held his tail with my magic, he dug his hooves into the floor, pulling.
Daylight returned.
Nadir stopped pulling and turned sheepishly. “I thought something caught my tail.”
“I thought you wanted to run.”
“Me? Never!” he played bold.
“So kiss me at last and let's be done with this.”
He caught me, turned nearly flipping me on my back, but he held me in his hooves like a dancer in Tango. And he kissed, not a gentle kiss, but a bold, strong, and enjoyable drink from my lips.
I didn't need to play shaken when he returned me to upright position. That was some bold kissing!
“There. Satisfied?”
“That remains to be seen in the evening.”
Oh, yes. Definitely. The news that I accepted his demand for a heir raised quite a few eyebrows.
Mixing exchange of glares, smug grins, turning heads indignantly, we walked down from the altar and towards the exit, followed by bridlesmaids and groomscolts. We boarded the carriage and rode to the party in the summer pavilion outside Canterlot. I never liked its pompous architecture and the likelihood to have it torn down after the party was the reason of our choice. That, and distance from any inhabited areas that might fall victim to collateral damage. Oh, our little Ponyville party from Nadir's first official visit would be nothing compared to this!

* * *

“So, Princess, as the evening draws to a close, shall we retire to my chambers or yours?”
Oh, the insolence! Oh, the indignity! I shook my head and stood up from my seat. “Yours. And I hope you're up to the task.” I stood by Nadir, clearly displaying our size difference to whoever was still to see us.
Rarity was one of the remaining guests. I had to shot her a thankful smile. The dress was fabulous. Or the dresses, if you prefer. Currently most of them were in tatters, as designed. She designed my wedding dress to have layers, like an onion. As our antics would destroy one layer, shedding it would reveal a new layer even more dazzling than the previous one.
I also wore my dark green coiffure with pride. Fair is fair, Rarity. Never mind Nadir belching smoke from time to time. “Guaranteed to kill the taste”, yeah, I owed her that much. That was some night to remember, indeed. No pony was safe. Not the bride, not the groom.
We headed to the exit. I suppressed the urge to bump Nadir's butt with mine.
He failed to suppress his.
As we passed the turn of the corridor, hidden from the guests, we raced to his room. Breathless, we ran in, and locked the door.
I tensed.
Nadir tensed.
“Come on, prove you're not a changeling!”
He pounced.
I dodged.
He grabbed me.
I rolled onto him.
He pulled me down.
I held him down.
We kissed. Oh, yes, we kissed, hungry for each other, without holding back. His lips were my treasure, their taste, their touch my delight. Then he kept kissing my chest and my belly, and finally arrived at my nipples. I knew that probing kind of kissing. He sought the chakra of fertility. He opened it with a long, tender kiss, making me gasp in suddenly realized craving, a burning need. I met his eyes and saw the same need reflected in them. He desired it too.
“Tonight.” He smiled. “Tonight you will conceive our son.”
My heart pounded heavily and my face burned with excitement. My mind wandered to what kinky idea would he have for tonight. He definitely would.
As if guessing my thoughts, he grinned mischievously and walked up to the bed. He lifted a big, white sheet of cloth. Then he held it up.
A bedsheet. With a regular, small, round hole in the middle.
“You're kidding? You're kidding, right?”
“Chastity is a kink on its own rights. Play it tonight, as if the bunch of nobles were to scrutinize your every action. Perform your duty. Be my shy, reluctant wife.”
The images played in my head.
I blushed.
He grinned.
I stood up and walked up to the bed. I lifted the sheet with my magic and held it between us.
I undid the latches of my last layer of the wedding dress - a shiny, sequin-covered corset and a short lace skirt. I let it drop to the floor, watching Nadir's expression observing my shadow on the sheet and glimpses of my body through the hole. Oh, yes. The sheet between us kept him more interested than any strip-tease I could ever pull off.
Then I lay on the bed, covering myself with the sheet, allowing the hole to wander near my hindquarters.
He lay by me, on the sheet. He caught the corner of the quilt in his teeth and pulled it over us.
“Princess Celestia,” he spoke quietly, “Tonight the union between our countries shall be made complete.”
I extinguished the candles and darkness encompassed us.
I felt the sheet stretch and curve around my body. I felt his limbs embracing me. I pushed against the sheet to return the embrace and it yielded reluctantly, allowing me to hold... my husband!
The thought filled me with warmth. At long last best interest of my subjects was in total agreement with my own. My duty was my pleasure.
My Nadir. My love. My husband.
The thin barrier of the sheet held him away from me. I could make out his shape but the texture of his fur, the detail of his muscles was hidden from me.
He pulled the quilt tighter around us. The heat of our bodies filled the small space and penetrated through the thin sheet, an additional bond between the two lovers.
I was the princess of the land of Equestria, laying below the sheet, desiring, willing.
He, the prince of Hippotigria, above me, sought the way.
The thin sheet between us was a barrier separating us. A barrier with a fault. He used that fault.
And I didn't oppose the intrusion into my space. No, I was helping him to find the way.
The tip felt new against my coat. As if I had never felt its touch. As if it was happening for the first time in my life.
I teased, moving around, keeping it just out of reach, brushing my thighs against it. But each move was getting it closer to its goal. At last I let it rest against my sensitive flesh, letting me perceive the slow throbs.
He wouldn't force his way in. That was an offer and I would decide whether to accept it or not.
I was fully allowed to back off without any consequences. Some explaining, the prank is over, the young prince is allowed to go free. Sure there would be disappointment. But the one most disappointed would be me.
No, I waited for this long enough. I wanted this too badly to ever consider refusing. I pushed against the pressure. I let my body yield. I felt the hardness sink.
I let it fill me, and only as it hit the barrier deep in me, I paused.
“May Hippotigria prosper. Plant it, my prince.”
His movement was slow and deliberate. His stallionhood was pulsing slowly in me, the friction of the sheet against my erect nipples between my thighs made me clench my teeth, a pleasure little known so far, the moment being more than anything that happened between us so far. He pushed... not harder, just further, and it slid into my womb, the sudden exhilarating shock, but my body was way too receptive to protest in any shade of pain. It was pleasure, pure and stunning.
Normally he'd drag this part out, make me come over and again. But we both needed it too much, we waited too long. The evening would last and we'd have a plenty of time to go at it again. But now we needed it NOW.
With one exception, one last delay. This was Nadir. My Nadir. He just had to.
“Luna will protect the ponies.” he whispered.
Then he kissed my throat. A very special kiss. I felt the chakra of my Royal Canterlot Voice opening. It tore Zecora's ointment blockade apart, it opened wide, blooming in its full glory.
Then he thrust, hard and fast, embracing me, holding me tightly, burying his face in my mane.
I felt the hard member pulsing, throbbing, stretching me. I felt the semen hitting my inside.
I lay there. Not screaming like I would normally do. That was way beyond screaming. That was magic, strong and pure and bright. I lay, taking Nadir's gift in. It was carrying life into me, a new life I would kindle and nourish. It made me full, it made me complete. Four thousands years of seeking. And tonight I achieved my purpose.
I'd create life.
Under the starry sky, holding my beloved, gazing at the beauty of the night, I smiled contently. I held the gift in me. I would not have to destroy it. With morning light, I will infuse it with magic of sunrise, shape it with my magic, conceive our son.
Luna's shield of force field extended over us, enclosing us in a shiny sphere, to protect us from curious intruders and from falling debris.
Soon the shield lit up with countless impacts of falling rubble. Loathsome building. Good that it's now gone.

* * *

We raced breathlessly, as if our lives depended on it. Which was almost true - common ponies might not come alive out of this.
Down the meadow, leaving the hot and dry savanna behind us, up the slopes of the mountain, through increasingly green meadows, we raced towards the distant forest.
“Why is it so tenacious?!” I gasped.
“You pissed it off!”, Jack shouted back to me.
“I hoped it would back off!”
“It didn't!”, Nadir shouted from the other side.
Why did it exist at all? I thought rhinos are just legendary, made-up creatures from pony tales!
We didn't attack it first. It attacked us. Okay, maybe poking the hide with my horn to see if it's as thick and durable wasn't the best idea.
Then maybe using the Prancing Pony technique on the monster's face as it turned to me wasn't a good idea either.
This and many other thoughts passed through my head as we raced towards the forest, growing closer oh-so-slowly.
Jack fell. He stood up, limping. I supported him with my wing as we resumed running.
In other news, the rhino was closing up on us.
One of my pinions was broken in a fight with a vicious badger yesterday, so I couldn't fly. And the way the rhino turned with my horn embedded in its skin, I wasn't sure the tip wasn't fractured. I wouldn't dare to teleport us now.
The young forest was our hope, the trees should be too dense for the rhino to pass.
“I'll try to distract it and you take Jack to safety!” Nadir shouted and turned.
I looked behind me while running and supporting the donkey with my wing.
Nadir charged the rhino. The rhino charged Nadir.
As they were about to collide, Nadir jumped on the beast's head.
The rhino raised his head.
By a miracle, Nadir avoided getting impaled on the fearsome horn. Still, he was thrown far up in the air.
He hit the ground with a thud. My heart stopped.
“I'm fine!” he shouted and I resumed running as he stood up and led the rhino away from us, before turning.
And again, terrified I watched as the rhino takes the turn closer, and is about to impale my husband.
Then Nadir kicked. He kicked the rhino’s head with both hind hooves.
The rhino staggered and fell.
Nadir hesitated.
“Keep running!” I shouted, and just in time, as the rhino began standing up.
Nadir bought us some time. Still, we reached the trees completely breathless, and we needed to run another half a mile before the rhino gave up pushing through the thicket.
Finally, we found a small moss-covered hole and dropped, breathing hard.
“Heal please”, gasped Nadir.
First my horn. I checked. Minimal fracture, which would lead to it blowing apart and likely killing me if I cast anything serious. Still, very carefully casting minimal healing, I managed to repair it, then healed Nadir's fractured ribs and Jack's twisted ankle.
“What's this hole?” Nadir pointed deeper into darkness of our hideout. He picked up a rock with both hooves and threw it deeper into the gloom . A vicious snarl sounded.
“Wolverine! RUN!” yelled Jack.
We didn't need to be told this twice.

But let's skip two days back, to our arrival.

* * *

“I'm glad you took me on my offer.” Sir Quage greeted us at the gate of Castle Silvamora.
High turrets in high, thick walls, this was as much a settlement as a fortress, surrounded by a rapid mountain river rolling rapidly from steep, forested slopes into a valley far below. A tall drawbridge connected it with the forest road.
“Quage, do you think I could get to show Celestia the savanna?” Nadir asked, after greeting his old friend with a hug.
“Savanna, steppes, mountains, meadows, hills, canyons, even Dire Woods, all my lands are yours. But maybe you should start with the meadows and hills, something calm and friendly? The savanna is... tough.”
“Celestia has quite enough of that at home, but she said she's never been to the savanna. She'd love to have a word with the antelopes, greet the giraffes, maybe pay a visit to the elephants.”
“Oh, really?” Quage shook his head, leading us through the castle yard. “It's... oh, yes, I forgot she's not your average princess. I'll give you a competent guide. But for now, a feast. Our cuisine is not as fancy as in the capital, but it's all good and nourishing. Come.”
Two of his soldiers standing guard at the gate of the main castle chamber pushed the gate open and we entered the dark, cool interior. Oh, yes. The table was heavy with what the Canterlot elite calls “commoner food.” All my favorites! I swallowed saliva. And we weren't alone. There was a lot of zebras waiting, and I didn't notice a single frown or glare...
Quage saw my face and grinned.
“Feel at home. Let's get to eating!” he led us to the head of the table.
I noticed a big donkey sitting next to our places, apparently occupying a rather high place in the hierarchy. He was big. Like, taller than me. He had long ears, grey coat and striped legs. I recognized the species: African Wild Ass.
“Oh, yes, let me introduce.” Quage noticed the equine. “Here's my good pal and your guide. You don't know each other yet, but I'm sure you're going to get along just fine.”
The donkey turned to us with a silent question, as if not recognizing us. So Quage introduced him.
“Hello, I'm Princess Celestia.”
“I'm Prince Nadir.”
“And this is Jack Ass.”

* * *

Over half of the honeymoon passed. Oh the amount of fun we had! Nadir got nicknamed as “Terror of Hyenas”, and I taught lions the taste of Zo-Fu. We didn't meet Quage all that often - he couldn't accompany us most of the time, busy managing the province. Annexing Dire Woods, while welcome, added a whole new layer of headaches to his usual duties. New border patrols, census of new citizens, registering current defacto leaders of the communities as official government emploees, dealing with these, who didn't like returning to Hippotigria after they emigrated, and convincing them that zebras were a better alternative than the gryphons. Still, he'd spend a hour or two every day in our company, be that during meals, or at evening leisure time.
As my husband and I lay by the fire, snuggled up, him reading a book, me idly playing with threads of magic, weaving them into patterns in the air, Quage grinned. “See, Nadir? I You're warming up to each other. I said you would!”
Nadir snorted.
“What?” Quage asked, confused.
“You have a heart of gold, my friend, but skin worthy of a rhino.”
“Come on, I heard when you lay your hooves on Celestia after the wedding, she yelled at you so hard she demolished the whole Canterlot Castle! Isn't that true, princess?”
Nadir chuckled. “First, not the Canterlot Castle, just the Summer Pavilion, a small and ugly palace outside the city of Canterlot.” He paused, then he looked at me. “Then, she didn't yell at me...”
I grinned.
“Sir Quage.” I said in my most controlled, regal tone. “Prince Nadir has many virtues and quite a few vices, I accepted the whole package and I don't intend to change much about him. Especially, that amongst his numerous virtues, he's a truly... exceptionally... extremely good lover.”
Quage's eyes grew wide with shock.
“And Celestia can't quite control her voice.” Nadir grinned. “Normally we use an ointment to suppress it... but that evening was special. I mean, special special. You surely heard about... events. They weren't exactly an accident.”
“Nadir! You sabotaged your own wedding?!”
“We both did.” I ruffled Nadir's mane. “So he neutralized my ointment just as I was about to have the best orgasm in months, all right. But who was saying 'Yes I do' with a piece of ginger root under his tail?”
“That was MEAN!” Nadir shouted. “I had to play my part and I couldn't stand in place!”
“When did you even get rid of it?”
“When the lights went out. I kicked it under the altar.”
We looked at each other, laughing. We kissed.
“Well, put a dunce hat on my nose and call me a rhino!” Quage exclaimed. “She's same as you!”
“Naaah,” Nadir grinned. “You can't win against her. She cheats with magic!”
“Says the one who used a haunted deck of cards to cheat at poker.” Quage pointed his hoof at Nadir.
“You did?” I asked, surprised. “How did you even approach putting ghosts in a whole deck of cards...”
“Just the four aces. And it backfired. Badly. I got them all, four of a kind, and they started howling and made the whole deck fly and everything!”
“Made Zephyr want to kick you.” Quage laughed. “Damn, the boy hates cheaters! By the way, where is he? And Storm?”
“Storm's catching up on family relationships. Zeph... I don't know. He asked me for time off. I don't know, it seemed like he's sick, but he played it down when I asked.”
“I noticed it too.” I said. “He looked like he tried to avoid me over the last days before wedding.”
“He did? I... no, friend or not, I'm still his boss and he’d feel cornered if I started questioning him. You ask him what's the matter when you get a chance again, okay?”
I nodded. I hated trying to guess what's biting a friend who doesn't want to tell what's biting them. I'd much rather guess myself and just get a confirmation... Well, maybe he just needs some time and can manage to sort things out on his own?
Sure he seemed depressed. As if he lost something precious. What did Zephyr hold precious that he lost around that time?
I facehoofed.
Denial is such a horrible condition.

* * *

“You wanted to see me...” Zephyr bowed low.
“No. I wanted you to see me. And stand up. I hate when my friends grovel before me.”
Zephyr obeyed. Yes, that's it, he obediently stood up.
“Come.” I motioned him to follow me from my office to my personal chambers. He followed... obediently. We entered the room and I motioned him to the tea table. I prepared two cups of tea for us, while he sat, watching me, silent all the while. I placed the cup in front of him and dropped some sugar cubes into mine. I stirred, while he was watching his cup silently.
I raised the sugar bowl and held it by his cup. “Sugar?”
“Two please,” he said in a calm, resigned tone.
I put the two cubes of sugar in his tea and stirred. His look never left the cup to meet mine.
Silently, I wished to be brave enough to blurt it all out, tell it straight. But I was always a coward.
Still, I was always good at manipulating others, cornering them into situations where they are forced to do what needs to be done. So time to employ the plan... the plan to corner myself into doing this. To trap myself without other options but to do the right thing.
So let's start with beating about the bush. I can dare to do that much.
“Tell me, what connects Nadir and Storm.”
He held the cup with both hooves and raised it to his lips. He took a sip. I could sense him thinking about the answer. He put the cup back. Then he spoke his mind, calmly, precisely, a servant fulfilling an order to the best of his ability.
“They are like brothers. Storm has three younger siblings, and Nadir's the fourth. The most troublesome, the one with most dangerous ideas, and the one needing most attention not to let him hurt himself. Nadir gets some great ideas... he has a kind of hunch, to approach the solution from the opposite direction. You know, Zenith and Nadir. Zenith, doing the straightforward right thing, working along with the procedures, systematically and orderly, like the sun shining on his subjects from above, visible and obvious to all. And Nadir, always in the shadow, seeking the back door, shortcuts, alternate solutions, doing the unexpected. While Zenith has the guard and the agents and all the system solutions for when he is opposed, Nadir has Storm to rush to the rescue if his plans don't pan out. Storm and me... Storm seems to be better at judging when Nadir needs help though.”
“Why?”
“I tend to... panic. Sometimes I worry too much. Storm was never late, and he'd never...” his voice trailed off.
“Still blaming yourself for that dart?”
“Yes.” he nodded, while stirring the tea, spoon held with both hooves.
“So, why are you tagging along?”
I knew the answer. But it was too hard for me to say it. I had to have him to admit it instead. First came the obvious, simple not-quite-lie.
“He employs me as his page. I'm his most faithful servant. And I have a debt that goes... quite beyond mere servitude.”
“Not deep enough to be willing to give your life for him though, is it?”
“He's my prince, and... a really great ruler. I'd never hesitate to give my life for a ruler like him.”
“Would you give your life for Zenith?”
“I...” he stared at the tea for a moment “I think so.”
“Not for the same reason as for Nadir though?”
He looked into my eyes. Now he knew that I knew. Still, he hesitated.
“Trust me, Zephyr.”
Whether he decided to trust me willingly, or if he simply obeyed me...
“I love him.” Zephyr lowered his head, defeated. “From the moment I felt his hooves on my shoulders, his mouth on mine, I fell in love with him. And I know I have no chance. He's the prince, he's straight, he has a wonderful princess for a wife. For a time I thought staying with him would earn me a chance, another chance to be with him, to let him see and return my love. I thought it hopeless, and ridiculous, I knew it was unacceptable politically but I still hoped he - Nadir, the prince of paradox and unintuitive solutions - would find a way for us to be together. I was hiding my affection through antics and jokes. I sought alternate ways... I sought solace in embraces of hundreds others. Many of them were great Zebras, great Ponies... I found many friends and had some great time. Still, none of them was Nadir.”
I could see his ears drooped. He was staring into his tea blankly.
There. I got him to say what I didn't dare to say. I can't claim ignorance any longer. Time to be the princess, noble and wise. I swallowed. I took a sip of tea. Good tea, tea gives me courage. Say it, Celestia. Do it.
“First things first, Zephyr. I'm not giving him up, no matter what. I love him, and no less than you do. He's my husband and my love. And currently my best friend too.”
He didn't move. Still the servant, the slave, not daring to think about opposing the Princess.
“Still, you're my friend too, and I really hate to see my friends depressed. So, Zephyr, I'll do whatever I can to make you happier.”
I noticed it. He didn't move, didn't flinch or say a word but his eye pupils grew wider.
“So, yesterday's game of Poker at the library... That had a somewhat... special purpose,” I continued.
At that Zephyr stirred. “You were cheating?!”
“No, I wouldn't put it that way.”
“You WERE cheating!” he pointed his hoof at me. Love or not love, Zephyr would not agree to cheating at games of chance. Sure Team Ponies obliterating Team Zebras so completely seemed like cheating...
“Luna and Twilight spent last month on drilling me on theory of games. That was my exam. I never cheated, but we three always employed the optimal strategy, and besides, I'm a good actor, so you could never read my bluffs. You three were following your hunch, we were following hard maths. That's all.”
“Okay, okay...” he hunched his shoulders. “Sorry for the... suspicion. Kinda sucks to lose most of my savings though.”
“Sure it does, but fair is fair. Nadir lost more.”
“An hour of his freedom. For an hour he will be your slave, doing everything you say.”
“That bought him a credit of thousand bits.”
“Which he promptly lost anyway.”
“I hoped to win a similar boon from you...”
“Nadir went through a lot to give me freedom. I won't gamble such a gift away.”
“And would you sell it for hard cash?”
“No, I don't think so.”
“To a friend?”
“Once it's out of my hooves... a good master fell on hard times once...”
“With a safeword.”
“With a safeword?” he perked his ears. “Then it's not for real! I wouldn't ask money from a friend for that.”
“Same offer as Nadir. One thousand bits for one hour.“
“One thousand?” Zephyr opened his eyes wide. “That's... You can buy a real slave for that much on the black market!”
“That's only fifty more than what I won from you. Besides, even if I knew where to buy a real slave, can you picture me buying one? And last but not least, I don't want some random slave, I want you! You have a certain... reputation.” I gave him a knowing smile.
“Celestia, I can't. You know that for you I would do it for free. But first off, I won't help you in cheating on Nadir, and even if he knew, I'm not worth that much.”
“Oh, Zephyr... I hoped you think better of me than that,” I teased. “The moment you think Nadir's getting the short end of the stick, you're free to use the safeword. But there's a purpose to the high price tag. Safeword or not, you're keeping the money, and with me knowing your unfaltering sense of honesty, I'm expecting to get my money's worth.”
“It's one of these devious plans of yours, isn't it?”
“Yes, it is.”
“All right. I will trust you know what you're doing.”

* * *
                                   

The secluded fortress on a high peak was constantly guarded by a wing of pegasi. They were specifically on lookout for journalists, and anypony spotted with a camera would get clobbered bad. A photo of what was going on inside, if leaked, would be bound to cause a drastic diplomatic conflict. Considering that in the times before the ponykind was united under one flag of Equestria many smaller city-states practiced slavery, and that zebras were commonly slaves to ponies back then, the current sight would cause outrage in Hippotigria.
The sight involved the current ruler of Equestria, noble Princess Celestia holding two leashes attached to collars on two zebras: ruler of Hippotigria, her husband, prince Nadir and his personal page Zephyr. She was wearing tall latex boots, lounging on a luxurious bed. Them - on a fluffy rug by the bed, tracing hooves over bodies of each other.
“Now kiss,” commanded the pony princess.
Any modern, enlightened zebra or a pony would be appalled at how terribly wrong that scene was.
And the less enlightened ones would certainly be outraged about the fact that as the two kissing stallions embraced, their hard stallionhoods crossed like risen swords.
...I stifled a giggle. Giggling is not becoming for a mistress, but the way Nadir was blushing! So cute!
Meanwhile, Zephyr was lost in the kiss. Eyes closed, but their corners sparkling with tears. Breath catching in his chest, his forelegs holding Nadir as his most precious treasure. Now, now, crying is not becoming for a mistress either!
My look wandered down to the two hard, black shafts rubbing their tips against two white bellies. My hoof wandered between my legs. Now this is something a mistress can do. I rubbed my slit, enjoying the sight, slick latex on my tender flesh making quiet squeaky noises.
...oh, so that's what Nadir meant by “forgetting himself”! The two collapsed to the floor and Nadir ceased blushing, now he was kissing Zephyr in the earnest, their tongues entwined, lips dancing together, hooves wandering lower...
I tugged on the leashes a little. “Enough for now.” I had to repeat the tug for them to break up.
They sat before me obediently. Zephyr's need almost palpable. Nadir's blush returning in more intensity than before.
“Once the hour is over you two are free to finish, but for now I'm in charge.”
I could see Nadir blush getting even deeper. Oh, no. Denial is such a horrible condition. Not into stallions and such crap...
“Honey...” I rubbed Nadir's chest with my latex-clad hind hoof. “Honesty and freedom, remember? Zephyr's a trusted friend. I'm often far away, and you have your needs. I won't mind the least bit if you have a roll in the hay with each other when I'm not around.”
Nadir swallowed saliva loudly. I could see Zephyr's eyes sparkling with joy.
“Now my pussy needs good licking. The one that does it better gets a reward, the other keeps licking.”
I rolled on my belly, letting my hind legs down from the bed. And soon enough there were the two tongues. First one performing some quite amazing feats of skill, then making room and the other one joining, trying to repeat them, learning the new trick after few tries.
Still, the masterful strokes soon got me writhing and gasping loudly.
“Enough!” I gasped out, and the two tongues retreated.
I rolled onto my back watching the two dark muzzles damp with my juices.
“Zephyr, here.” I pointed a place on my bed, next to my head. “Nadir, continue.”
Nadir stood transfixed as my mane flowed momentarily where Zephyr was supposed to lay. He realized what reward he missed. Meanwhile Zephyr crawled up to my side, not sure what to expect.
A small cane surrounded by glow of my magic floated from a bucket by the wall and behind Nadir's backside.
*swish-crack*
I hit lightly, waking him up from the stupor. He yelped, then dug his mouth between my thighs and returned to licking me, though only half-heartedly as his stare was devouring the sight of my mane encompassing Zephyr's maleness.
And soon enough I could see Zephyr struggling to withhold his orgasm, not sure if he's allowed to cum. I smiled to him. “Enjoy your reward,” I said.
And as our eyes met, he understood the message:
Nadir is mine. You're my friend, so I'm willing to share, but don't get greedy. Don't try to steal him from me or you will lose him.
And then I blew his mind with an orgasm so intense he whimpered with each spurt of cum shooting up from my mane and flying far past the bed.
Then I lifted my tail a little and let it float along Nadir's belly. His eyes grew bigger as the realization hit, and finally he got to returning the favor with his tongue in the earnest, if a little erratically.
Zephyr lay, catching his breath. I watched Nadir thrust his hips into the colorful mist of my tail.
Not so easy, my dear.
I moved my tail to the side, exposing his maleness painfully hard. He looked at me with a complaint in his gaze. That was cruel!
“Keep him on edge” I muttered to Zephyr. “Don't let him cum until I say so.”
“Yes, mistress!” he sprung to attention and crawled off the bed.
“And you keep licking. You don't get to cum before me.” I tucked a thick pillow bent in half under my neck to watch his face comfortably. Normally Nadir would be able to have me in throes of orgasm within minutes, but this time I was sure to prepare... distractions.
Oh, yes! The eyes suddenly opening wide, the rapid gasp... a sign Zephyr got to work down there. Nadir's normally skillful tongue action got erratic again.
“You may help yourself to the toy chest, Zephyr, if you like,” I said with a smirk.
“Thank you, Mistress, I'm good,” sounded from below Nadir.
I could see Nadir's hips thrusting again, and he almost forgot the tongue in his mouth... *swish-crack*!
And Nadir was back to work, trying to keep Zephyr's distraction from his mind and concentrating on finding my special spot with the tip of his tongue. And he was getting me there fast! Was Zephyr slacking off?
But then I heard quiet knocking of things in the “toy chest” shifting and the hooves of the zebra returning in a quick gallop.
I couldn't see much beyond the head of my husband between my legs, but that was quite enough of visual turn-on for me. His eyes suddenly growing wider than ever before. His tail appearing from behind his head. A breath turning into a yelp, with his mouth open wide.
He shook the stupor off before I'd employ the cane again, and tried his best at licking me, interrupting this with rapid gasps, flaring his nostrils, his eyes wandering away to show only whites, his ears drooping or perking, sometimes clenching his teeth, breathing through the gap between them.
Momentarily, he got a moment of respite and returned to licking me, closing his eyes and gasping hard through his nose.
And I saw a grinning zebra head appearing from behind Nadir's back. Our eyes met again, and I understood the message.
I could steal him from you. It's not for lack of skill that I won't.
I sent Zephyr a gentle nod. Friends. Sharing.
He nodded in confirmation. Then he sunk below Nadir. And my husband yelped, his eyes opening wide, his tongue forgotten. But then he spotted the glow of my horn and got back to work before I could employ the cane.
I could see Nadir focus, he tuned out his distractions and despite Zephyr's attempts, he was succeeding at bringing me closer to the top.
I'd surely stop him before then, still allowing him to bring me closer to the top for now. But then I felt the special kiss... The kiss of a mystic opening a chakra. My Muladhara, the chakra of sexual pleasure opened and the gathered tension flooded in. He gripped my hooves as I was coming, writhing, shouting out, struggling as he held my legs and kept licking, filling me with pleasure.
And then I felt somepony holding my head tightly. And my pleasure doubled with my horn tip in his mouth, the tongue screwing into the spiral of my horn, wrapping around it, pulling...
Caressed from both sides, with my inside burning, my orgasm wasn't stopping, only rising. Soon my stamina was exhausted, and I was unable to writhe and scream, I just lay, whimpering, weak spasms still shaking my body when the assault from both sides wouldn't stop.
Two points, one inside my vagina, on its wall a short way in, and another, two inches from the tip of the horn, on its bottom side, were simultaneously sending wave after wave of pleasure, both assaulted by patient, precise strokes of two tongues, never pausing for a second, never missing the beat. And the waves would meet somewhere near my heart or stomach, and collide, sending ripples of ecstasy so strong it kept me unable to do anything.
And it lasted. And lasted. Subconsciously I knew the two would need to stop eventually, but it felt like they could hold me their prisoner indefinitely, paralyzed by pleasure. Probably, if it was anypony else, at some point I would panic, but I trusted the two, so my trance lasted without interruption, my mind unable to find a coherent thought, blanked by ecstasy.
It's hard to pinpoint the moment, but at some point the caress of my horn shifted a little, ceased to be in sync with the caress of my special spot down there. At first the point of collision wandered down towards my lower abdomen, then it faded, slowly, taking long minutes, until I just lay there, relaxed.
The tongues retreated.
I was far too exhausted to move. I managed to push my eyelids open a little, but my eyes wouldn't even try to focus. I closed my eyes and lay there.
I heard a whisper by my ear.
“I'm sorry, mistress, that I disobeyed you, but you were nowhere near to getting a thousand bits worth of service.”
“I don't think you gave her what she wanted from you, Zeph.”
“And what did she want?”
I heard a muffled thud, a surprised squeak, then sound of kisses, interrupted only by one word.
“This.”
I heard them making out for a while. Then they paused.
“Nadir?” whispered Zephyr, catching his breath.
“Yes?”
“I love you.”
“I know.”

* * *

a small segment of this scene has been blatantly plagiarized from Weaver's “Ask Ice Pack”.
“Zorana, I didn't know you can tapdance!” Nadir joined the applause.
“I do?!” she asked, momentarily losing balance and nearly falling from the table, but she turned the fall into a graceful flip with a landing in her husband's embrace.
...Light's hut got a bigger table and long benches instead of chairs to fit us all. Just a very unofficial evening with one special purpose. My look wandered to my faithful student, sipping from her cup, blushing...
I couldn't tell if Zenith was angry or worried. “Zorana, you're drunk.”
“So are almost all of us.” she laughed and hiccuped loudly.
“I am not.”
She stood up from his lap. “So walk up to the door.”
Zenith stood up. He held his front legs on his hips and walked on his hind legs to the door, staggering only once a bit. “There!” he grinned triumphantly.
“Now that was a fine display of sobriety, brother, but why did you walk on two legs like a diamond dog?” Nadir grinned toothily.
“I... um...” Zenith fell to all fours. “It's him.” he pointed his hoof at Light. “He made... an impression...” Zenith turned his head a little.
“Come back and sit down bro. You're drunk.”
“Okay, maybe just a little.” Zenith stumbled while trying to walk back to the table in a straight line.
Light gathered the cups and reached for the bottles. “So, who wants the cider, who wants the white wine, who just Zoranade, who dares the red?”
“My wife's... wine... please!” Zenith raised his hoof.
“I think you'd better pick Zoranade this round, bro.”
“I am... Fine! A glass of the wine please!”
“One glass of finest Mother Vine grape wine coming up.” Light poured less than half the glass of the light drink from a crystal carafe. Zenith was definitely not used to alcoholic beverages...
“Cider.”
“Cider.”
“Cider.”
Nadir and his two companions were of single mind. Light filled their cups from a squat bottle in reed braid.
“Celestia, just Zoranade, like before?” Light smiled.
I rubbed my bloated belly, nodding with a smile. I had tried a sip of each of the beverages but I wouldn't harm the little one growing inside my body. Plus I'd be driving in the morning. Driving the moon down and the sun up of course. Light poured the drink from a tall, narrow, curvy bottle. Half-copper for commoners in Entwine, imported Zoranade in its brand, fancy bottles was a prestigious hit at five gold bits a flask all the way from Manehattan to Stalliongrad. Both Zorana and me endorsing it certainly helped the popularity, and a hefty exports tax on Commoners' Grapes and derived products was filling the treasury of Entwine nicely.
“Mee... Cider. With some Zoranade.” Luna grinned leaning into Light's embrace. She was more than a little drunk.
“Twilight?”
“Just a little wine please,” she blushed.
“Applejack, same as Princess Celestia?”
“Yer makin' it like ah was sum fancy noble.” she shook her head.
“Come on, Appy!” Storm rubbed the rounded belly of his wife. “Even if you weren't an Element of Harmony, you'd be still my wife, Lady Applejack of the Scorching Sun. Oh, my noble wife drinking a beverage made of Commoners' Grapes, oh the indignity, oh shame!” he mocked, while tickling her as she laughed.
“Zorana?”
“I'll skip this round. I'm just pleasantly tipsy and not thirsty!”
“Lady Fleur, Lord Fancypants?”
“The wine. Definitely.” Fancypants was sure.
“Me too, please.” Fleur grinned wide. “I can't believe it, only six grapes this year, and one was made into this... godly beverage!”
“It's only so good thanks to your tips!” Zorana smiled, still blushing from the compliment. “Normally I wouldn't ever dare to risk it! To purposely let a Mother Vine grape spoil!”
“You experimented with the dark grapes enough before you tried.” Light grinned, while filling a glass for himself from a separate jug. The rich red drink he poured was unlike anything in our glasses and I could feel the scent of strong alcohol in the air. The commoners' grapes wine was deemed far too strong to drink for ponies and zebras, but seemingly both Gryphons and Minotaurs loved it (and Light stated really hard that sale to Buffalos must be banned.)
Light distributed the glasses to the gathered.
A baby cry could be heard from the adjacent room. Luna jerked her head up.
“Sit down, sis. I'll take care of it.” I stood up and went to check on Tempus as Luna sighed with relief, falling back to her place, embracing Light. I entered the room and approached the cradle.
Oh. The nappy is full. I was so glad to have my alicorn powers. Poor Earth ponies!
“So, Lord Fancypants, how's the Lunar Shire doing?” I heard Nadir through the half-closed door.
“Three hundred new settlers last month! And my two helpers... When Celestia assigned them to me I thought she wants me to keep a close eye on them, but they really work their hooves into the ground at the office! I'd never find time to drop in to this meeting if Petunia couldn't cover for me, and Diamond Quill really seems to know every stone on the moon!”
I finished rolling the full diaper and dumped it into the void. Void. Luna enchanted the dumpster with a portal to the elemental plane of Void. I think she over-engineers things a little at times.
“Sure getting distinguished as the Lord of Lunar Shire and mayor of Bluebloodville helped you rebuild your reputation, but what about your estate? I heard the value went through the bottom. during the worst times”
Ick, the smell! Wet wipe. Void. Wet wipe. Void. Wet wipe. Void. Dry wipe. Void. Levitation power yay. I'd kiss my horn if I could reach it. I winced at the mental image. Zephyr's such a bad influence. No, excuses, excuses. I'm just perverted like this. I extended my tongue towards my horn. Like, a mile is missing. Never mind. Baby powder.
“T'estate*HIC* is fine.” I heard Luna. She really shouldn't have tried her man's drink.
“That's true.” Fancypants said. “It's not mine anymore formally, though I'm still the administrator. Princess Luna bought it whole with her personal funds when it was to be foreclosed. It still boggles my mind how she managed to gather such significant funds on such a short notice.”
“A hundred bits in a high percentage account left for a thousand years goes a long way,” explained Light.
New diaper. Lay the foal. Close the diaper, stick the edges. There, done. I snuggled the foal to my face, nuzzling the brushy white mane. Sweet little baby!
A flash of light. A crying twin copy of Tempus appeared in the cradle. With a full diaper. I sighed, lay first Tempus back and began unrolling the second diaper. The smell assaulted my nose. I began understanding Luna on the decision to create a portal to the Void.
“Ah gonna... You'll get it all back. Every last broken bit!” Luna slurred from behind the door.
“The princess wanted to say that the estate will be returned to the rightful owner in a state no worse than before the unfortunate events, when the opportunity to perform such transition without raising undue questions arises.” Light explained. And he was after two glasses of the strong drink on top of a glass of the wine and a glass of the cider!
“Thazz what ah meant.”
“I know, love.”
“Light, ah gonna... Ah gonna...”
“I know.”
“No, Light! Ah gonna...”
“Run.”
Luna ran in.
I conveniently lifted the lid of the dumpster for her.
The mix of three liquors, pickles, daisy sandwiches and stomach acids vanished Into the void.
“Luna, do you want me to help you neutralize it a little?”
“Ah'll be fi...”
Another flood went into Elemental Void.
“Do it sis.”
I lowered my horn to her spine and applied the spell. Some bad memories tried to surface, but I managed to keep them at bay. It was just my sis drinking a bit too much.
She shook her mane and looked at me with gratitude, sobriety rapidly returning to her mind. She spotted the foal in the fresh diaper and another, freshly unwrapped. “Thanks sis. I'll take over from here.”
I smiled and returned to the table, took my place and took a swig of Zoranade.
“She's gonna be fine?” Light asked with a little concern.
“I made her sober. She's changing the diaper.”
“I thought you were...”
“Let me remind you your son's name is Tempus.”
“Oh.” Light raised his hands defensively. “I'm sorry. I forgot this happens with him.
I smiled, taking another sip. A moment of silence. I looked at Applejack's belly. Her foaling will be around the same date as mine.
I decided to break the silence.
“So, there are still two married pairs without a foal at the table. When is your turn?” I turned to the pony beauty.
“I'll finish the studies first. Get a job maybe.” Fleur smiled.
“You can afford to remain unemployed, dear.” Fancypants embraced her waist.
“I can, but I don't want. A useless pretty shell? Good for looking good? No way!”
“High One!” Zorana raised her hoof, and Fleur knocked her hoof with her.
“So, when will the elder prince of Hippotigria produce a heir?” I grinned to Zenith.
“Six years after you.”
“Excuse me?”
“A rapid transition on both thrones would be destabilizing to the country. Let Novan rule in Nadir's place for at least five years, and then it will be the right time for the change on the second throne.”
“Oh, always so serious, always thinking about the country!” I smiled.
“That I am.”
Luna returned to the table and took her place by Light.
“Awww, all sober and conscious,” he grinned, embracing her waist. “And I hoped I'd carry you to bed and exploit you in a dozen different ways while you lay numbly unable to move” he muttered to her ear.
Luna raised Light's cup and took a deep swig of the strong red wine, then sent him a mischievous grin.
My look wandered to Twilight. Her blush deepened. She took another drink, emptying the cup and fiddling with her front hooves. Her look kept springing to Zephyr.
“I think Twilight is ready.”
Twilight's look jumped to me and her blush went full crimson and she turned to Zephyr.
“I... Is it gonna hurt? I heard it hurts so um, if you could be super-gentle on me I would really- I mean, not TOO gentle, haha. Just, um...”
Zephyr's hoof landed on Twilight's mouth closing it gently. “It's okay to be nervous. But I'm a professional. I'm going to make sure you have a good time. Okay?”
“O-kay” muttered Twilight.
Poor girl still couldn't gather enough self-confidence to approach any stallion (or mare) by herself. So we gathered today to make sure she knows we are accepting. For a while I pondered bringing other Bearers in, but I was a bit afraid their reactions might discourage Twilight. So only Applejack, who bore a zony in her belly already.
Zephyr took Twilight's hoof under his own, courtly, and led her to the door. They'd take the same route Nadir and I took on that memorable night a year ago, have a nice talk, gaze at the stars, and hopefully...
Maybe there was more than just motherly love in my feelings towards Twilight?

* * *

...I strolled the corridors of the University of Canterlot, trying to find the lecture hall. I stopped by some doors overhearing a teacher shouting at a student...
“Just look at that! Wrong method, wrongly executed, with faulty data, errors in calculation, mixed up units, bad graph, and the error discussion is on a different set of data! This whole homework is one huge Celestia’s Wedding!”
I snickered as I continued down the corridor. It’s been six years, but the idiom apparently became a permanent part of Poni.
Another turn, another flight of stairs, and at last I arrived at the right lecture hall. I snuck in, trying to take one of the last seats in the big, almost full room without disrupting the lecture, but Luna spotted me, and threw me a glare. Come on, sis, cut me some slack, I’m only like fifteen minutes late, and... and I’d stain the seat with Nadir’s cum if I was on time! I really had to clean myself up!
“So, let me just repeat the part we covered until now”, Luna said, “...for those, who arrived late...” she threw me another stern look. It caused a few chuckles in the crowd. I had to admit she looked extremely serious with these little round glasses. Rarity’s idea. They really were giving her looks the necessary few extra years needed to command respect in students. But she still looked cute...
Focus, Celestia, Focus! This is important! Tensor fields are cool, I can handle that. Complex numbers flow in my blood, that’s how we cross the barrier between worlds. Functionals, all right, I can handle functionals. But... no, don’t do it, don’t do it, No, you did it! You just had to add recursion into the mix!
I groaned in frustration seeing as Luna happily put the tensor function symbol inside one of the fields in its own tensor.
Squared.
You sadist.
One lost bet. One lost bet and I had to obtain prestigious title of Master of Mathematics, just because Nadir has no fingers on top of his penis.
That cheating human... my insides tingled at the memory. And twenty seconds longer and Luna would have to get a black belt in Classic Zo-Fu!
Have to focus on the lecture. Luna would be all too happy to flunk me!
How did you differentiate it like that? I lose focus for a minute and I...
Oh, thank you sis. At least Luna is a competent teacher. She will repeat until everypony gets it. Demanding, but not unreasonable. I began picking up how she took the thing apart and applied methods we knew already to every piece along the way, resolved the minor caveats and presented a neat solution.
Luna proceeded to solving several other smaller examples, while explaining how and when to use the presented method, and when would it not be applicable. I was taking notes and making the best out of the lecture. As did great most of students. Luna would not hesitate to use the RCV on those who wouldn’t pay attention. I recalled two “noble ladies” who would discuss and compare their cosmetics in the back rows. Noisily. Luna got angry. Wind, clouds, glowy eyes, spread wings, thunderbolts and lightnings, they both wet themselves. One dropped off after that lecture, the other started getting best grades and appeared to be an excellent student and a nice filly once the “bad influence” was gone.
At last Luna wrapped up the lecture with a recap of the new methods and the students packed up. I moved to the side to let others pass and waited as Luna was erasing the board. She put her little glasses in a small case and packed it with her books in a briefcase. I approached her and smiled. She had a line of chalk on her nose. I put my face right in front of her.
“Any problem sis?”
I licked her nose.
“Tia?!” she stepped back, shocked.
“You had some chalk there.”
“You could tell me. Or use a hanky.”
“Yes, I could.”
“And you probably have a perfectly valid and useless excuse why you didn’t.”
“No, I don’t. Or maybe I do, depending on your viewpoint.”
“I’m all ears.”
“I love you, little sis.”
Her expression mellowed. “Not in public, Celestia. There will be rumors.”
“Zephyr’s such a bad influence, isn’t he?”
“Excuses, excuses.” she approached, then licked my nose without warning. “There. Let’s catch some lunch. The transport of grapes has arrived this morning. Today’s Zorana day at the cafeteria.”
“Mmm, steaks.”

* * *

                                   
“ABANDON CITY!”
Luna's voice blared over the dark, empty streets. She stood like a captain of a ship on the top of the gate tower of the Penumbra castle, while ponies below milled around, gathering in the caravan along the middle of the main street. Many carts, wagons, all filled to the brim with movable property. They prepared to leave their beloved homes behind. They gathered all they could take, and prepared to start on a trek to the new place where they would rebuild their homes.
They were pale, shorter than ponies of Equestria, skinnier. They all had lived without sunlight for many years now. Time has came to move on, to abandon Penumbra, and welcome the sun for the first time. Risking a battle would be unwise, too dangerous. After counting all the pros and cons, we concluded rebuilding the city from scratch at a different location, then simply discarding this shard of reality, breaking the anchor holding it to Equestria will not endanger a single life, and will cost a small fraction of what would the battle cost. Most of property was already at the destination, the castle striped bare, houses empty - the last batch of citizens would leave today, and the veil of darkness would be raised... to let the empty city die for the last time.
I flew along the line of wagons. I helped a pair of ponies fasten a grandfather clock to the top of their wagon. One of twelve. Twelve grandfather clocks? I shrugged and continued along the line, helping whenever ponies required assistance.
They should exit the Everfree Forest before dawn and ponies of Ponyville would welcome them at a cave by outskirts of the Whitetail Woods. There the property would be deposited and ponies of Penumbra would pass their quarantine of getting used to daylight. A week later they would depart towards borders of Hippotigria, where ponies of Equestria and zebras of Hippotigria, together with first settlers from Penumbra were preparing the new city, called Halflight to welcome them. Nadir was currently there, overseeing the preparations.
“Princess Celestia!” a distressed voice sounded from below. I landed by the cart of a family of Earth ponies. The mother of the family approached me.
“Our daughter is missing! She's nowhere to be found!”
“Calm down. No pony will be left behind. We'll find her. What can you tell about her?”
“A filly fifteen years old, long golden mane, white coat, a white lily for a cutie mark. I'm afraid she could have gone to the lake in the forest!”
“She knows the borders are torn down, doesn't she? The wild Everfree Forest is all open for pouring in?”
“She... She wanted to keep a white lily from the lake. But then her friend came, crying about losing her home and she gave her lily to her. And I think she might have gone to pick another for herself. She should be long back...”
“Mom, let me go bring her, do not bother Princess Celestia.” an almost adult colt approached us. “I'm sure Aeris is fine. She just forgot...”
I smiled. “Yours is currently the most urgent issue. I'll try find her, and if you're willing to help, young stallion, the Solar Guard outpost is located at the end of the column. Pass them a message to send out Wonderbolts in search of her, and if you want to make yourself useful, they will surely find a place for you in the rear guard.”
“Mom? Can I help them?”
“Princess Celestia?”
“I cannot guarantee he'll be fine. The job is difficult and dangerous, but every set of hooves counts.”
The mare turned to the elder stallion who was already harnessed to the cart, a silent question in her eyes.
“Let him help. I'll manage with the cart. And even if he doesn't find Aeris...”
“Make me proud, son.”
“I will, mom.” the youngster kissed his mother on the cheek and ran towards the back of the column.
I flapped my wings, rising over the city veiled in darkness, then turned on wing and dashed to the castle. My wings were recalling long-learned patterns of turns as I did a half-roll fitting in a narrow gap between two towers, pushed with my hooves against the third, and dove through a narrow window into the western wing corridor. Brushing my wingtips against the walls currently devoid of luxurious tapestries they had carried for past millennium and a half, I descended towards the throne room, then took a sharp turn, flying up towards the high ceiling, and landed on a balcony leading to a wooden door, on top of long, narrow stairs overlooking the great throne room.
Many times Luna would chastise me for taking this shortcut, startling servants and upsetting the tapestries mid-flight. So I'd have to circle the castle and take the boring, straight approach to the outside balcony of my chamber? No way, sis. I was glad for the chance to take this route this one last time, centuries after I deemed it lost along with the whole city.
But there's a job to do. I pushed the door open and stepped into my own chamber of the castle. There, on the dresser, a dried white lily was stuck behind the frame mirror, where I left it years ago when Luna sacrificed her grandchild’s soul to give this city a chance.
I removed it and concentrated, binding the life-finding spell with the flower. The Everfree Forest was far too “lively” for plain life-finding spell, but this flower bore an imprint. One from a filly who gave it to me on that fateful night...
The trail was hesitant at first, but then it formed, a needle stinging at my mind, pointing to one specific point amongst millions of sparks of life.
I ran through the balcony door, jumped down, tucking my winds and gaining speed, then I spread them above the ground, banking sharply and flying with all the speed my wings would give me. Market, Orangeries, Water works, darkened, dry fields where watermelons used to grow... permanent darkness wasn't conductive to growth, and Penumbra was entirely dependent of food deliveries from Equestria.
I flew uphill along the former grasslands, now dark and dead. There was the lake, and the lanterns giving nourishment to the few water lilies near the shore. But the filly was further away, where gnarled trees began, dry and dead too - even the dreaded Everfree Forest needed sunlight to live.
A shiver ran along my back as I realized that fate would meet the whole world if I allowed Luna to keep the eternal night.
The trail was wavering and vanishing as if snuffed by some powerful magic. It pointed deeper into the forest and I beat my wings, gaining some altitude, to have a better look. A short way further there was a shimmering, translucent wall through the landscape, where the shard of Penumbra connected to mainland Equestria, currently anchored and inert, basked in the darkness that prevented sunlight from ever shining down here, the shimmering wall just a token disturbance at the joint of the two worlds...
There, a light! And in a moment of clarity the trail pointed to a place in the forest outside the shimmering wall, and I turned into a dive, flying there, crossing the barrier without any resistance.
I could see the filly huddled under roots of a big, old tree, holding the lantern as a weapon, and a monster closing on her.
The monster was something I hadn't seen in my life. A pale, bloated creature covered with loose, bare skin hanging in fat-heavy tumors, and sickly livid sores. It was somewhat resembling an elephant, but the head was vaguely equine, though more rounded, earless, with an indentation in the forehead, an enormous maw and narrow slits between eyelids over large, hidden eyes. Two long, thin, twig-like appendages ending in sharp spikes, like long legs of a spider extended from its back. It bore something like a torn, black, tattered rag or molting black skin on its back and it emanated a miasma of rotting flesh. A noise reminiscent of cackle was escaping its maw, tongue with a split tip licked the lips, and the twig-like appendages kept rubbing each other like legs of a fly.
I landed between the filly and the monster, making my horn shine with strong light, rising a magical barrier of protection.
“Run!” I commanded.
The filly crawled from between the roots and prepared to dash, when the monster coughed out a spell.
The raw, foul, tainted magic felt like a globe of phlegm. Like a ten-ton globe of phlegm hitting us. We'd be dead if not my shield, but the impact knocked it out, broke through and send us tumbling.
The blow knocked the lantern out of the filly's grip and the monster approached, entering the circle of light.
Standing up from the dirt, I began noticing things. A short conical tip sticking out of the hole in the fat forehead. A glimpse of gold on the edges of the black rag. The bony, twig-like appendages with two joints, like bones of wings.
The cackle sounded louder, and I recognized some syllables...
Ce.... Les... Tia...
The eyes were wild, filled with malice and hate. But there was a spark of intelligence in them. A little, barely visible spark. And the hate was clearly directed at me.
For a moment the hem of the black rag shone with rich, fancy, golden embroidery.
I knew this pattern all too well. I'd see it more than enough during the first century and a half of my life. Only one pony wore cloth with this pattern.
Doctor Thistle.
Professor Thistle.
Rector Magnificus Thistle.
Senator Thistle.
Prime Minister Thistle.
President Thistle.
High Marshal Thistle.
In the end just Mister Thistle, the humble advisor to the Royal Sisters. One clueless about the relationship might say he was my father... but he was more of my owner. Master. Slaver.
And currently... this. A monster. And what made it even more creepy was that he was completely transparent for my life finding spell. There was more life in his sores than in his body. Undead. A corpse. Animated by magic so powerful it could obliterate the world many times over.
I knew what direct confrontation would cause. End of Equestria. Death of millions. And my death too.
I raised a spell of confusion, masking us, making us hard to locate.
I sent a jolt of energy to the filly. It would keep her going despite the pain; give strength.
“Run!” I whispered. “Tell them all to run! Now! Fate of Equestria depends on you!”
She ran.
I turned to the creature.
It just willed the confusion to be gone. Its malice-filled irises focused on me. I felt them paralyzing me, making me entirely unable to move. My body would not react and my mind was heavy, finding will to cast spells was difficult.
Such a stroke of bad luck! Over five thousands square miles of the Everfree Forest, and we had to stumble upon the one single creature that...
...that wasn't a mindless animal any longer. No, he sought us out. He was still barely sapient, but he knew... and he wanted revenge.
The stalks of wing bones rose, aiming at me, preparing for a blow. Killing quickly? Torturing for hours? I didn't want to guess. I didn't want to wait for the strike. But I couldn't run, I couldn't move.
So instead of moving, I dissolved. My flesh remained, transfixed in place, but the essence just poured down into the soil. I transpired through the soil as the pink fog, emerging a good way away. I reformed my body... a new body from scratch. This was extremely draining, depleting most of the reserve of my power, but the vapor form was too vulnerable, no horn for focus, no wings for rapid flight, not even mouth to speak. The pinions would take at least a few days to gain the power to absorb magic of the sun... if I lived that long. But for now I was whole and alive.
My ears caught sounds of the feast. Crackling of bones, tearing flesh. I winced mentally. I realized my tiara and hoof-overs are lost, but I knew better than to count on the horse collar gone. For now, the trick bought me just some time. Now to use it wisely and escape alive... No, I wasn't afraid of my death. I was afraid of grief it would cause to Luna and Nadir. I had to survive... for them.
I had no illusions, the bulky, ugly shape would outrun a speeding train. I knew my chances and the outlook wasn't good, but I hoped my knowledge of the forest would help. Confuse, slow down. I knew if I enraged it, it would lash out with the magic, and I wouldn't stand a shade of a chance. But being “gamey” enough?
I flew. Not towards Penumbra yet, but over the forest, through deepest thicket, leaving my scent and a trail of my magic to follow.
And sure enough the collar materialized on my neck... and I heard a roar of frustration as the monster understood: if the curse still can't be destroyed, the bearer is alive.
Wings, don't fail me now!
I dashed, recalling the layout, the features of the forest.
Cave of Murder Spiders, the mountain on my left. There it loomed, a deadly trap. I plunged into the darkness, sparing a bit of my power to shield myself from the hail of their nets shooting at me, sending a burst of flame to open an exit on the other side of the hill. Soot stained my wings as I passed through the burning nets. And soon enough I heard rumble of rocks falling, a roar...
I flew over the Froggy Bottom Bog, and shouted, a yell waking the hydra up. The four towering heads emerged from the bog and stared at me... I was far too fast. But then there was this... “animal” approaching. Hopefully, the hydra would would...
No, the roar changed into a wail, I cast a glimpse behind me, and saw two out of the four necks fall, fly at an angle that was making it apparent: they were no longer attached to the body.
And mr. Thistle was far closer than I had hoped, the thick, pig-like legs making half-mile leaps and punching through obstacles like a cannonball.
There, the Venom Glade! I flew low over the killing grass, it lashed out at me, one of the stalks connected and a burning pain exploded in my leg, luckily the poison didn't get to penetrate.
And there, mr. Thistle landed in the middle of the glade. Thousands of stalks extended, trapping him. Meanwhile, I turned towards a crevice in the ground, looming nearby. I knew better than to count the grass would stop him for long...
But another glimpse made me shudder. The grass was withering in contact with his skin. He was more poisonous than the venomous grass...
There, ahead of me, was the Ghastly Gorge, splitting the Everfree Forest in half. I turned into a dive. Quarray Eels snapped at me shooting from their dwellings in the walls, but I dodged them, nearly turning my dive into a tumble, and in a moment I almost reached the bottom...
I felt sympathy for the merciless predators, they would lose their lives just so that I'd gain a second or two.
Nearly skimming the surface of the river below, I banked and glided deeper. I knew the race wouldn't be long now, just one trick up my sleeve left...
And sure enough, like a rock from the sky, the monstrous mr. Thistle was falling from the edge, the eels easily catching the bulky ball of flesh who didn't even try to avoid them. They'd die from murderous blows, poison in the sores, hang with torn jaws, but by breaking his fall they bought me some time. Enough time to speed towards Penumbra along the bottom of the canyon without much more distractions. Faster, faster! The horror was chasing me in earnest now...
There, a translucent shimmering wall marked the border between real Equestria and Penumbra, where the crack, not existing before the fall of the dark city, ended with a diagonal wall. I beat my wings, feigning intent to rise to the edge of the canyon, and the monster leapt, to intercept me, tackle me. I spotted something that made cold sweat flow down my neck: a piece of flesh, bloodied white coat and pastel cloud of a mane hanging from a maw that would surely end my life in one snap. And I was far too drained to try tricks like teleportation or dissolving into fog again...
But I broke the rise and dove again towards the bottom, where the river was crossing a special gate Luna had prepared... The river belonged to Equestria, and Penumbra would interrupt its flow, sealing the gorge. So there was an exception, a place where the anchoring wall of magic was... faulty. Luna created a weakness in the joint between worlds. Enough that pressure of water could overcome the barrier and the river continued through our modern Equestria, under the ruins of the city, through the gorge that didn't exist in the past Penumbra.
I passed the border and entered a tunnel of dark unreality, the shard of Penumbra overlapping the volume of the gorge, pressing from all sides, trying to assert its presence onto our world, remaining rejected by Luna's Exception.
Sure enough the trick didn't hold my chase for long. The fabric of magic pulsed, as mr. Thistle asserted his existence in the realm of Equestria, breaching through barrier between Penumbra and this location, returning to the chase through the half-existent gorge, half native rock upon which Penumbra was founded.
Not much longer now. I could feel it pulsing. As the worlds overlapped, I was remaining on Equestria side, for the simple reason that it was not all solid rock. But then I sensed the pressure lessen and almost pull me back across the worlds.
Another few flaps of my wings and let's hope my memory serves me well!
I flew up the gorge. Luna's Exception's power weakened and Penumbra re-asserted itself around me. I let the barrier take me, I crossed the worlds, and flew on... through an irregular, tall cavern.
The scattered tents of the prospector camp loomed below me. The site of my research, the last night before I wore the barrier holding the horrors too thin to withstand the pulse of magic of sunrise.
And my magical sense shook and hurt as the barrier exploded prematurely, a wall of crystal behind me collapsing, opening onto blinding bright core, where hundreds of demonic terrors basked in power of a source of energy the ancients used to keep the Everfree City running. It was that power that drew me here in search of resources, they were the monsters that brought doom to Penumbra.
But for a moment they had a different “prey”.
Mr. Thistle had leapt. And as I crossed into Penumbra, he followed, across the fourth dimension, passing into Penumbra's counterpart of where he was in Equestria.
He materialized there, inside the vault. And they swarmed him. The terrors that destroyed the city now opposed an Ancient.
It wouldn't last long. His own outburst had given them origin after all. He didn't need much to destroy them... still, in his berserk, animal state and with their tenacious attacks... it would give me a minute or two.
For a moment I risked to stop. I extended my wings. My new, weak wings basked in the magical glow and I drank the energy in, nowhere near to my full potential but enough for two things...
First, teleport. Straight up, a mile or so.
*BAMF*
Luna was directly below me, on the tower. I curled my wings, diving.
“Luna! Lower the moon!” I yelled, descending to her side.
I could see last of wagons crossing the barrier in the distance, leaving Penumbra. Last of guards ran after them. Three Wonderbolts still circled the tower, trails of smoke, flame and rainbow mixing. I shouted to them to depart. They obeyed and headed towards the caravan...
Luna didn't ask any questions. Her horn glowed and the moon was... not dropping, but falling really fast. The way it stopped... I was sure Western Kingdoms suffered an earthquake...
“You fine, sis?” Luna asked.
“Yes”, I muttered, focusing my power. It was far too early. It wasn't natural. It wasn't easy. It was heavy.
“Thistle?”
“Yes”, I muttered through my teeth. Come on! Move!
I felt the touch of Luna's horn on mine, soft, almost erotic. And the power flowed in. I heaved...
There, the light of dawn shone above the horizon, eight hours ahead of its time. The guards should protect the ponies of Penumbra, wrap their heads in cloth to prevent them from going blind. If not, we'd have a lot of healing to do...
I heaved again and I felt Luna stagger as I drained her power almost dry. But there it was, the first sliver of the sun above the eastern horizon above distant Ponyville. There would be no time to raise it all the way. I affixed it where it was, it would have to wait.
Ponyville vanished, replaced by white, unreal fog.
Penumbra broke its anchor and was adrift through the interdimensional void.
The ground trembled below us, right in front of the castle, and began cracking. We supported each other in the earthquake.
“Sis,” I spoke quickly. “I had to shed my body. I can't absorb the power efficiently. When it opens up, grab as much as you can and channel any surplus into me. Then we crash the city into the meanest, nastiest neighbor universe you can find, and escape seconds before the crash.”
Luna just nodded and spread her wings, then she touched her horn to mine.
The earth opened.
There was no glow to absorb. No demons to oppose. No monstrous bloated creatures.
Just one plain, plump pony emerged. A small, fat alicorn.

* * *

I was a statue.
It wasn't a strange feeling. Under Thistle's power, in my youth, I'd spent a year as a statue for speaking up...
I wondered if I'd ever be a pony again... or would I spend the eternity next to Discord? I could listen and observe but I couldn't do anything else.
At the very least Luna has avoided that fate for now.
I was placed in the corner of my own office in Canterlot, which Thistle has claimed as his own. And he was questioning. There was Luna. And there was Light, sitting in the corner.
“I don't understand, Luna. Why has the compulsor failed so thoroughly? How could she even plan that?”
Luna, to her credit, remained defiant, proud. She entered her special mood. She seemed perfectly calm, perfectly logical, perfectly neutral. Only I knew the absolute rage that blazed under that surface. I could only guess calm gaze of Northern Light hid similar flame.
“Why do you believe it failed? From what I know, it works to the specs to this day.”
“Nonsense. Three millions died in effect of her betrayal. She performed a coup d'etat at such a cost! The world went nearly extinct!”
“It's designed to make us choose the least evil if we can't choose any good, does it not?”
“Stop being insolent! You know perfectly well how it works! Now tell me why it failed!”
“I repeat. It never failed. It performed precisely to specs given the circumstances.” Luna frowned deeply.
Thistle's patience was running short, but his curiosity was still taking the better of him.
“So how do you explain such a mass murder was allowed? Motivated by such selfish purpose too?”
“The choice was the least of evils. The motive was along with the purpose of the collar.”
“Wouldn't not killing a whole bunch of ponies be more along the lines?”
“We are not permitted to allow total extinction of the ponykind, through inaction or otherwise. We are not permitted to allow it, no matter the cost. Moreover, allowing total extinction of all life would be even worse.”
“What kind of insane blather is this? Everfree was on the brink of entering a golden age! What nonsensical idea led you to believe that? Did Celestia perform some sophistic exercises to cheat the compulsor? Did she use them on you too, to make you believe...”
“This is the objective truth.”
Thistle's horn glowed, but with Luna turned to stone he'd have only the human to talk to. He threw a glance to the two-legger and the glow vanished. He didn't consider Light a subject worthy questioning.
“You're insane, Luna. Why did you even pick this... animal for a partner?! Weren't the changelings supposed to provide for all emotional needs of these who are too incompetent to find partners themselves?”
“Allow me to explain the situation with the Changelings. Gifted with insatiable hunger to be loved, they developed a strategy. They concluded that the feeling of love is the most powerful when a love lost is returned. The worse the loss, the stronger the love after recovery.”
“Yes, the counselor role, grief relief, that's all according to design.”
“Except that's way stronger than love to a plain make-believe lover substitute, premarital love, postmarital love, and all other variants they were intended to service.”
“So what? They all provide sustenance if applied correctly.”
“But less than in case of the grief counseling substitute. So that situation was most desired.”
“Obviously not. Oh, you mean from the changeling point of view. I guess they'd swarm a groom whose bride has died as he watched, they'd do everything to make him happy again!”
“Happy? Unhappy love filled with crippling grief was just as nutritious for them! And keeping him in grief, reminding the happy moments and the pain of loss at each opportunity would keep the love going for years.”
“Well, they shouldn't wish for something like this, that's... Oh right. They have no sense of morality. That's a miscalculation. But ponies should quickly notice the situation and prevent it, shouldn't they?”
“Providing the changelings allow them. They would protect their prey violently.”
“Prey? What an ugly word. Anyway, that's a rare border condition and certainly not applicable frequently. There are countless happy pairs and...”
“Countless potential prey!” Luna interrupted. Thistle threw her a glare, he hated to be interrupted.
“And pray tell me, how would the situation apply here? They are both alive!”
“Which is against the changeling's best interest. And let me remind, the changeling has no morals. Leading to the situation where one of them is dead is in its best interest as it can take the place of the deceased, and the changelings do everything in their power to create such a situation.”
“Now, how could the miserable creature even think about creating such a situation? They had no social influence whatsoever, and only the queen had any genuine social grace.”
“Plasma rays from their horns?”
“Apple tarts with green beans? I can speak in non-sequiturs too.”
“I think the academia, politics and the palace has left you out of touch with the more down-to-earth ways, so let me rephrase with a full sentence”, Luna didn't even blink when the horn began glowing and he muttered some curses. “A plasma ray shot from a changeling horn kills a pony very thoroughly and very violently. This achieves the purpose of having the pony's partner witness their lover's demise.”
“Egads, No! The plasma ray spells weren't intended...” Thistle's voice trailed off.
“Changelings are a dangerous vermin. They are hunted and destroyed whenever possible, and their attacks comprise a considerable number of disasters that meet contemporary ponies. Their tactic involves stealthily replacing key figures in a settlement, crippling defenses through sabotage, then attacking openly, killing roughly half of the population, kidnapping the remainder, and enslaving them inside their hives, keeping them in a constant feedback of memories of loss until their death.”
“That's... That's horrible! That's completely different from the intended behavior!”
“That's only one of countless problems we have inherited after the Great Everfree.”
“So... all right, the human. A ridiculous creature, but with your lack of social graces and the problem with changelings, a justified choice. But we've digressed. We were talking about your ridiculous assertion about extinction.”
“Celestia concluded that the first step after ascension would be a battle between all the ascended.”
“No. It would be assuring access to necessary natural resources.”
“What if two ascended don't agree about who should receive given resource?”
“They would resolve this through negotiations. But that's besides the point. There would be no battle of any kind.”
“What if no agreement can be reached?”
“It would be reached, I'm sure about that!”
Light stood up and walked up to me. He brushed my horse collar with his fingers. “Mister Thistle, would you care for a game?”
“We have no time for games, I'm trying to discover FACTS here!”
“This game would answer your questions and allow you to discover the facts you desire.”
“All right, what kind game are you suggesting? Dice? Hide and seek?”
“A strategy game called 'Acquire the resources', a game of wit and negotiation. We assume roles of newly ascended and negotiate on resources that create a conflict of interest.”
“I think I see where you're going with this. Well, if you can prove the point that it would lead to extinction, we can try that. The condition of victory is besting the opponent in negotiations, I presume?.”
“Allow me to offer additional condition of loss. Let's assume both sides wear the... how did you call that?” he placed his hand on the collar. “Compulsor, right? An action that triggers its safeguard mechanism is a condition of loss.”
“That condition is pointless. Why should I voluntarily subject myself to a handicap like that?”
“We are simulating a situation where you are accompanied by a person wearing it. Leading to a situation where they get killed for their inaction in preventing your action would lead to them preventing your action. At all cost.”
Thistle smirked. “They wouldn't be able!”
“Oh, but they already were!”
Thistle frowned. He wanted to add something...
“Humor me.” The human smirked. “We need a notebook and a pencil for keeping score. And please allow me an advantage to consult Luna on matters of magic as we play. I'm completely clueless about them.” he picked the items from the desk and approached the big map of Equestria on the wall. “Let's pick sides. Pick any but the Everfree.”
“Why? I wanted to pick the Everfree!”
“You'd be biased. Besides, your knowledge of the nation would give you an unfair advantage. We need to impartially look at our subjects. I suggest we skip equines entirely and pick between Arf, Trinicity, High Horn, and Atlantis.”
“I pick the Trinicity.”
“All right, I'm the master of Arf.”
“What is the subject of the dispute?”
“You want to build a dam, right here.” he pointed at the river flowing from one of the cities to the other. “It provides flood prevention and irrigation for your farmlands, but the increased water levels would flood tunnels of my settlements and my infrastructure.”
“Well, seal up your tunnels!”
“The rock in the upper strata is a natural aquifer. I'm not capable to do it at reasonable cost.”
“Well, that's not my problem. Deal with it.”
“I provide an underground channel that drains the lake bypassing the dam.”
“I seal it up.”
“I redirect the river entirely at this point...” Light pointed by the mark “Tartarus”.
“I demand you reopen the flow! We need this water!”
“That's not my problem. Deal with it.”
“Why, you...!” the horn glowed.
“Wait wait wait.” Light waved his hands. “This is not how you play a game. We're not digging any tunnels for real so you're not blasting me with your horn for real. If you want to chastise me, you must do it in the game. Remembering you're a newly ascended griffin and I'm a newly ascended... what would I be?”
“Collie”, Luna hinted.
“All right, so if you want to punish my insolence, feel free to declare an action against my in-game persona, taking its power into account.”
“You are not supposed to address me like that!” Thistle was pissed.
“The master of Arf has only replied in kind.”
“I blast the dam by Arf to smithereens!”
“I blast the dam that was the original issue.”
“I order the dam rebuilt, with strong defenses. And throw in a warning blast against all canine settlements surrounding the dam.”
“Well, I poison the fields that were to be irrigated. I also melt the snow in mountains, creating a flood that will obliterate all settlements the dam was supposed to protect.”
“They were already washed off when you blasted the dam first”, Luna interrupted.
“Oh, thanks. Then I skip the flood. Just poison the fields. Your citizens are without food.”
“I take yours!” Thistle gasped increasingly annoyed.
“I form defense preventing entry to Arf. Luna, dear, what kind of shield should I use?”
“Start with generic Red Shift Field.”
“Red Shift Field.”
“I'll just blast it with ray of differential potential.”
“Let me just inform you the moment the ray penetrates the shield and strikes Arf, I'm launching something perfectly comparable at Trinicity.”
“You have no business attacking Trinicity! What profit would it give you?”
“Removal of demand for my food supply. Removal of your reason to attack.”
“Conceded. I raise a shield on Trinicity. Deep containment field.”
“Luna?”
“Add a Reflector shield on the inside of the Red Shift Shield.”
“I raise the Reflector shield.”
“Ha! Fool! I create Absorb-Feedback loop as soon as your Red Shift shield falls! Within minutes every dog in Arf is fried!”
“Restore the outer Red Shift Shield before that happens,” suggested Luna.
“I do.”
“In effect,” Luna explained, “The twice shifted, reflected differential ray, vastly magnified by your Feedback loop, will bypass your absorption. Raising Red Shift Shield takes a fraction of second, you won't have time to react.”
“Wait, you just... Killed me!” Thistle shouted. “You can't kill the players!”
“Protecting my citizens? Protecting myself from the collar?” If your ray passed, it would be game over for me.”
“All right, all right. That was a surprise attack. I would normally foresee it. Let's play this again.”
...and they did, exchanging sides. This time Thistle's move would open him for Light's attack which killed all his citizens. “You know the consequence and still do it. The collar kills you.”
“The stupid thing wouldn't....”
“Foreseeing this course of events, a subordinate kills you two rounds earlier, and they sue for peace. Surrender is better than extinction.”
“All right. Again.”
And so they played long into what would be the night, if not for the unending sunrise. Pretty soon the scenarios began shifting. They ceased paying attention to the resources, immediately focusing on obliterating each other. Sometimes Light would win, sometimes Thistle, but pretty soon Thistle began exhibiting increased ire. “I can't use my strongest attacks because my own people would go extinct! But that's a nonsense, I could rebuilt all life within days after my victory!”
Luna stood back as Light offered a game without the rule about the collars. Blast-blast, Light lost. Once again. Attack, defense, attack. Thistle lost. Again... The games lasted seconds and reminded me the game of rock-paper-scisors from the land of gryphons. At last they paused.
“Now, mister Thistle, how would the course of the game change with several players instead of two?”
“I guess it would be pretty hectic and chaotic. No time to form alliances or build defenses... Only strongest attacks, immediately.”
“All life would be obliterated. Do you still believe the compulsor is faulty?”
“But I would rebuild all life within days!”
“Let me repeat the question. Do you still believe the compulsor is faulty?”

* * *

The world was stuck in the state of permanent dawn for past sixteen hours, the sun stuck where I had left it. Thistle could not be bothered with finishing the job and wouldn't let Luna do it.
Light and Luna managed to convince Thistle that I had a valid reason to oppose them. The alicorn conceded the ecosystem of multiple artificial species created by Res Publica Ponica was a disaster, and that he’d never do better than that. He understood he would not be welcome as a leader of the nation. It seemed like Light was winning every argument.
Too bad Light didn't know Thistle.
Thistle was a jerk.
Knowing it all, with all the more pleasure, he announced he's taking the rule over the world.
And he set Luna and me in the sculpture garden, as sculptures. Still, he kept Light around. As a... “curiosity”. A monkey maybe?
I could see Light's glimpses towards us as he'd walk through the garden. Thistle knew well that Light hates him, still, with Luna set in stone, Light wouldn't dare to do a thing, and Thistle drew sadistic pleasure from Light's powerless hate.
Still, I could not see the point as Light kept telling Thistle about wonders of human technology. Over and again he'd surprise the fat alicorn with a solution that was unknown in Equestria. He casually mentioned visiting there with Luna a few times.
This got Thistle genuinely fascinated. Ability to travel the multiverse safely and conquer more than one world? And Light seemingly oblivious to potential consequences, kept talking about computers... the one made by Luna, and the ones “at home”, much more advanced, as he claimed.
Whether that was his goal or not, he got Thistle to ask: “Could you show me around your home world maybe?”
“Despite having no clue about performing magic, I happen to know the full theory of cross-dimensional travel and know the route by heart. Just carry me and I'll show the way.”
I dreaded Light would try to lead Thistle to some lethal universe, a suicidal attempt - not because the universe would kill him, but because Thistle used truth detection spell all the while and would know when Light lies about the route.
“All right, give me the initial vector.”
“One more thing. Before we go... I will need a hacksaw and a hammer once we arrive there. Could you maybe... produce them out of thin air with your godly powers?”
“What would you need that for?”
“It's about one urgent repair work I absolutely must perform at the landing place before we do anything else. We'll be there in seconds, you'll see for yourself, that will take much shorter than explaining.”
The items materialized and Light picked them up, while citing first vector of the travel... Thistle grabbed Light in his magic and flew up.

* * *

“Ready girls?”
“Ready!”
“Let's do it!”
The rainbow ray hit, dissolving the stone on me, then on Luna. I gasped with relief.
“Princess Celestia!” Twilight ran up to me, while the remaining Bearers cheered. “I'm so glad you're fine! We came as soon as we could, but Tempus only showed up three hours ago and then he needed time to unlock the Tower of Elements!”
“And he was right to wait! The power the Elements of Harmony can emit in a short burst is what my opponent could emit continuously. We must prepare a battle plan. They can be back at any moment! But first...”
Another three hours had passed since Thistle and Light vanished, and the halted sunrise was still looming at the horizon. I concentrated on finishing the sunrise, prepared to affix the sun at first sign of trouble, but I managed to set it on its route without distractions.
Then I realized Luna was gone.
Not for long. Barely had I finished asking the six if they saw her going, she appeared with Light in the tow. He looked terrible. His whole chest, face and hands were a bloody mess. He fell to his knees and threw up on the grass... I tried to focus my healing on him but I couldn't find any injuries! It wasn't his blood!
An adult, old man, and he cried, looking at his bloodied hands.
“Hush, love.” Luna held him close, without showing any reservations about getting all the blood on herself. “Hush, you did right. You did the right thing.”
“What happened, Luna? Did... Did Light kill Thistle?”
“No, Celestia.” Luna lowered her head and pulled Light tighter to her chest.
“I... I should have.” Light cried. “I... first I hit his horn with the hammer... I smashed it...”
“Then he hacked his wings off,” Luna finished.
“I just couldn't bring myself to killing him! But I couldn't let him restore his power!” Light cried out.
For a second I felt horribly guilty about feeling relieved that the monster was still alive.
“...so I did it”, said Luna.
And then I felt horribly guilty about feeling relieved that the monster was dead.

* * *

                                   
“Mooooom!” Dawn ran to me, crying. “Tempus took Miss Fluttershy and he said he lost it!”
I looked at my little daughter, her big eyes filled with tears. Miss Fluttershy was the oldest and most beloved of her six favorite dolls, all six made by Rarity for her consecutive birthdays.
“Where is he?” I frowned. “I'll have a word with him.”
“He vanished and said he'd be back in the evening! And that I would not see my doll ever again!”
“I'll make sure he's grounded when he shows up, but there's nothing we can do until then.”
“But there’s something I can do, auntie.” I heard the nice, masculine voice behind me. “I was such a brat while growing up, wasn't I?”
The time travel appearances were always unnerving. Unlike teleportation or cross-world travel, they were completely stealthy. I turned.
There, by our picnic blanket stood the tall, navy-blue alicorn with a brushy mane that looked just like the lights of Aurora rapidly shifting. Tempus in his late teens was extremely handsome, similar to his mother but bulkier.
And there was a navy-blue colt with white brushy mane, held by ear in levitation field of the grown-up self.
“Ow, ow! Let me go!” the colt squirmed. “You're me! How can you take side of a girl and not yourself!?”
“Because I was an idiot when I was a colt. Now tell us where you hid Dawn's doll.”
“A-Ha! You don't remember! Ow! Ow! I'll tell! Let go!”
“Then behave and tell.”
“It's in the labyrinth! I ran in and took turns at random till I was lost, then I dropped it under the hedge!”
“That's not true.” Novan removed his glasses and raised his gaze from over his book. I sent a smile to my stripped son. Technically younger than Tempus by over a year, in fact he was older, bigger and more mature due to Tempus notoriously skipping any periods when he'd have to wait for something. Novan was more considerate and extremely dedicated. At one time as we found him ears deep in books way past midnight, still writing a homework, Nadir joked to me: “Did you have a one-night-stand with Twilight?”
Novan's cutie mark was a zebra glyph for Libra, a set of scales. Press would speculate about his special talents for trade, but I knew better. Nadir would even consult Novan in harder court cases. Sometimes I was worried that the young alicorn was so deadly serious about his future role instead of having fun as a kid... but then I'd recall the night we were seeking Novan all over Entwine, while he was in the Southern Half hospital after winning over twenty silver playing cards somewhere in the Topside and then spending that on a big cake and eating it whole, alone.
The winged, horned zebra left the book and stood up from the blanket. “Tempus, you know nopony gets to bully my sister but me.” I knew he'd protect Dawn with his life, still she did complain about him at times... “So tell us where the doll is now.”
“Blah blah blah, you stuck up Prince of Hippotigria! Go rule your stupid country!”
So that's what it's all about. Tempus is jealous about Novan! And he'd bully Dawn just to upset Novan! We'd have to think up something to curb this...
“You know, my younger self,” older Tempus frowned, “that I'd probably already be the prince of Halflight, or maybe even the Lunar Shire, if you weren't such a jerk? Now I have to work hard to rebuild my reputation to be given a chance again.”
Novan threw a confused glance to the older Tempus, but he replied with a wink, and the zebra just smirked. A talent to flawlessly discern truth and falsehood, not just discerning technically true statements but genuine ability to detect deceit, truth told in order to misguide, like Light telling Thistle he needs the hammer to “repair something” when he needed it to repair Equestria... Novan would know. Still, he knew sometimes it's better to hide the truth.
“So if I'm good I can be a prince of a country too?” Younger Tempus threw the older self a surprised glance.
“Yes, if you're good and you want it...”
Technically true. I wouldn't even hesitate to give elder Tempus the rule over Equestria if he asked (horse collar included). Still, I remembered him mentioning to me in private that he enjoys his freedom too much. “I'd much rather handle the journal and have all kinds of adventures”, he'd say. The Journal was a book we'd all write about our experiences and events, and he'd read it in several years, pick a moment in time, then help discreetly, or less discreetly. He said secret help gives him much more freedom. Paradoxes are not possible and the reality will actively prevent them, so if ponies of the past remember given event given way, he has no choice but to follow it to the dot, and attempts to change the future would be resisted. But if he knows too little, he's just an impartial pawn of fate, driving events to a conclusion leading to his normal timeline.
I made a mental note to write down today's event.
“So, Tempus, are you going to return your cousin's doll?” I asked, frowning.
“But I don't know where it is!”
Novan coughed.
“All right, all right!”
“I'll handle it.” Elder Tempus prepared to go with his younger self.
“I'll go check that there's no self-abuse.” Novan stood up.
“Oh c'mon!” elder Tempus protested. Once, as a kid, he managed to make Luna cry with some insensitive remark. Then he came running and crying to me, with a bleeding nose and bruised all over. His older self - not the adult Tempus visiting now, but one just a couple years older than him had came and beat him really bad.
“You did want to beat him, didn't you?”
“Just one kick to the flank! He deserves it!”
“Just one?” Novan required confirmation.
“Novan!” I frowned.
“Not too hard too!” elder Tempus bargained.
“Mom,” Novan frowned back at me. “You know he will keep being a jerk to Dawn if he's not punished.”
“But not by being kicked!”
“Auntie,” elder Tempus said, “your ban on candies does not work. I'd just skip back in time before the ban and stockpile on them. And I can't really recall all my past caches. I still keep finding forgotten ones ten years from now!”
“And the kicks? Do they work?”
“This kick is written in the journals of fate. I still remember it and it will keep me from doing anything mean to Dawn for months!”
“I will watch them.” Novan stood up. “I know you, cousin. Now you believe it will be just one kick, but the moment you're out of earshot you'll change your mind.”
Young Tempus was watching me with increasing panic, hoping for my mercy.
“All right.” I sighed. “One kick, and not too hard.”
“No! Please! Please! I won't do it ever again!”
“Lie.” Novan said with a smirk.
“We can always call Luna.” I smirked.
“No! I'll go!”
Sis had a way of talking to his son. It involved dark clouds and lightnings and blinding bright eyes but it worked like a charm.
The two “escorted” the smaller one away.
At first my heart jumped at the quiet sobs of Tempus as he followed, but then my gaze wandered to the big eyes of Dawn still damp with tears. She still didn't have her cutie mark yet...
I tucked her under my wing and she calmed down, snuggling up to me.
I definitely enjoyed playing a babysitter while Luna would handle foreign affairs.

* * *

We climbed what seemed like endless stairs in the side of the mountain. Not only ponies and gryphons had secluded mountain top fortresses.
Sure I could just fly there, but this was a ceremony of very high importance. Although only very few were allowed to know of it, and even fewer to participate, its importance surpassed most important holidays of Hippotigria. The long climb had a purpose. Each step on the long way was bringing memories and thoughts. Thoughts about mortality and memories of happy moments together. Moments past, that would not return. I could appreciate the meaning of climbing the endless stairs, each step bringing us closer to the final destination.
It was three days after Prince Novan received the silver diadem and sat on the throne in place of Prince Nadir. The gathered crowds cheered the new ruler, momentarily overshadowing Prince Zenith. Although only a formality - Novan, together with Zenith, has been the defacto ruler of Hippotigria for past five years - the change filled the hearts of the gathered with hope and optimism. Future of Hippotigria seemed bright.
Novan walked by my side, climbing the stairs patiently. Nadir walked ahead of us, talking with the High Matriarch of the Temple... the first mare to guide the institution, the very same priestess that led the chorus during the memorable sermon when I gave the accounts of life of Saint Vixor.
I could see how Nadir's step lacked the youthful bounciness. The age was catching up with him, intense youth cut into the years of his life, countless injuries sustained in his adventures, healed back then, were resurfacing now. He could live maybe another ten years normally, or maybe another thirty with help of my healing powers.
Still, Nadir's age was nothing compared to Northern Light. The human could never climb these stairs alone, but Luna was one step behind him, glow of her magic surrounding him. Thanks to her, his walk was easy and light. He didn't change very much from the moments he met Nadir for the first time, during our memorable party at the Ponyville Library, but I could see his skin more ashen in color and thinner, his frame lighter, his wrinkles deeper. Both his body and his mind were losing strength and focus, although he was still pretty strong... for his age.
Others followed in a loose file behind.
Me, Luna, Novan, Dawn, Zenith, Zorana, Zephyr and Storm would be there only for company, guests of honor. Tempus stayed in Halflight to watch over both nations in our absence. Nadir and Light were the subjects of today's special ceremony.
Today Prince Nadir would die.
Soon afterwards Northern Light would pass away too.
My gaze spotted what at first I took for a flock of birds perched on a distant outcropping. Only after a moment I recognized they weren't birds. They were all navy-blue alicorns. I tried counting them but lost count past fifty. So there was Tempus, coming here every time his thoughts about mortality would disturb his sleep, to watch his father at the end of the road.
I watched the backside of my husband, legs patiently pushing him up, step after step. How many times did these loins give me pleasure beyond anything I experienced before? And now, maybe in hour's time they would lie lifeless on a pyre, turning into ash, consumed by fire and blown away by wind.
I heard whisper of Luna.
“We can still wait. We can still change mind. Come again in another ten, maybe twenty years.”
“No, love.” Light stopped for a moment, waiting for Luna to catch up, then continued, walking by her shoulder. “I don't want you watching me turning into a dessicated mummy. I don't want to experience losing memory, losing control over my body. You deserve better than that.”
“I don't know how I'll live without touch of your hands on my cheeks, without the scent of your body.”
“You know well that my body is reaching its limits. I can't give you what I was giving you when I was younger. You'll eventually wonder what was so good about this naked ape, so inferior to a handsome virile stallion.”
“You're joking, right? It's thanks to you we have doctor Celestia walking ahead of us.”
“I'd prefer to believe I've awoken love to mathematics in her...”
“The way she lost her second bet sure looked like she did it on purpose”
I did not! Still, I could not withhold blushing. Besides, which of us isn't a professor of mathematics? And which earned the black belt in classic Zo-Fu recently? Three times is a charm! Three times and long lessons in endurance and self-control under Zephyr's supervision.
Though I had to admit. It's like human hands are built to pleasure mares.
And so, today the only human in Equestria would die, and so would my husband...
All in all, I should feel more sad about all that.
My gaze wandered further up, about a mile above us. A small group of ponies - priests and alchemists - were leading two distinct equines. I met the two briefly before, as Nadir was explaining the secret ceremony not performed for at least 300 years in Hippotigria... no ruler living long enough, all dying premature violent deaths.
The two were practically still kids, barely reaching adulthood. Two stallions. A short, fit zebra and a tall, unicorn-zony, stripes blue, not black. The two stallions really scared me when I saw them first. I looked into their eyes, and I saw nothing. No mind, no will, no soul, nothing. Their biological mothers, priestesses serving the country faithfully (and receiving very generous reward for their service), took a special poison at the conception time. Poison that prevented souls from inhabiting bodies of the foals they bore. Blank, mindless, barely capable of simplest biological processes, the “empty” foals were grown in a secret facility of the temple to be strong and healthy.
The complex ritual is possible only once in a lifetime, once per soul. It can't be repeated to grant immortality. When we are born, our souls get firmly anchored to our body. Upon death that anchor is dissolved and the soul will either depart, or remain as a ghost, to haunt whatever it was bound to when the body died. But once its new temporary residence is destroyed, or something forces it out of the body, it departs permanently, forever.
Some clever pony in the past thought... what if the soul gets to haunt a body that has no soul?
It was a good piece of necromancy and dark magic, but studied for centuries it was assured safe. The idea of “farming” soulless bodies was somewhat morally ambiguous, but I talked to the priestesses and they assured me they considered it an absolute honor to be able to serve Nadir and one who saved Nadir's life. The records recalled many rulers of Hippotigria taking this route of retirement in the past. And I recalled the art reaching much further into the past, practiced in the Everfree City. Forgotten by Ponies, still practiced by Zebras.
So, through special potion-poison Nadir's body would be put on brink of death and his soul would be turned into a wraith. As the ravenous ghost, he would attack the nearest, most vulnerable target: the blank body. He would possess, inhabit, and haunt it.
And then the body of the one we knew as Prince Nadir would die.
At that moment the dark unreality of the wraith is severed. The rest of the soul is pulled into the surrogate body, full consciousness and memory replace the nightmare. King Nadir wakes up.
As Nadir was talking with the priestess, he was definitely anxious about it.
My gaze wandered back to Light. He seemed completely calm about the perspective of being poisoned, turned into a wraith and killed. Something else was bothering him.
“Luna, darling,” he turned to my sister. “I'm still not sure about this whole knighting part. I really have no clue how to be a noble.”
“Not this again. First off, I can't marry a commoner. And besides you are the very epitome of knighthood. You don't have to do anything differently than you were doing all your life. These fake snobs can stuff it with their made up rules, you are the true noble!”
“Isn't a knight supposed to be good at fighting?”
“Sure. And I'd surely end up as a snack to that swamp beast in that half-word between the toonic and atomic universes if you weren't good at fighting!”
“Oh, yes, I forgot. That was some adventure! We should try something like that again!”
“Are you considering some more travels across the wide Multiverse with me once you're young and strong again?”
“Why not? Princess Luna and Sir Northern Light on a Cosmic Adventure!”
“Whoa, that sounds cheesy!”
“Only to those who never tasted it!”
Now that sounded tempting. Maybe in their adventures there would be room for Nadir and me? No, for us this world held more than enough adventure and challenge.
And we were only halfway through our time together.

The End.