Change is a funny thing and perhaps the only constant thing that exists in the universe that continues to happen with any regularity. Everything continues to change, shaped in part by the changes that take place around it and the environment in which those changes happen.
There was once a unicorn, born to the worst of unicorns, the son of a long line of terrible unicorns, all of whom were born under a dark cloud that shadowed their destinies. Any of these promising sons that showed potential lived interesting lives, lives full of tragic circumstances that drove them towards their destiny, creating within them the opportunity for change.
And without fail, every one of these promising sons fell into darkness, broken by the times they lived in, taken down by the inherited destiny that they carried upon their shoulders. It was a series of changes that broke them, a perfect chain of events that struck upon their every weakness, shattered their resolve, and then it was a terrible change that brought them to their ruin.
And surprisingly enough, many met their ruin upon the Isles, drawn by simple twists of fate to the wretched land they were responsible for creating. It was a place that broke ponies, crushed their spirits, and ground even the strongest wills down into broken states of total failure.
This unicorn, born to the worst of unicorns, found himself in the lands his forefathers had created, like many of his own forefathers before him, and he had been drawn to the very edge of what he could endure. What remained was a broken heap, a collection of ragged tatters, chewed flesh, and a soul on the verge of breaking, a thin fragile connection remained that kept this unicorn from falling so completely into darkness.
This son, much like his forefathers, found himself unable to pull himself back from the brink, slowly sliding into his dark fate, but that thin connection was surprisingly strong, and it connected to not one, but two mares of surprisingly hardy stock, both born survivors and fighters, both also products of change. One was earthen, a product of these cursed lands herself, stubborn, resistant yet open to change, fierce, gentle, and very much in love with the unicorn sliding into darkness. The other was wind personified, also a creature born of change, and the embodiment of what she represented. She was change, a relentless wind that one had to be flexible to endure or else face breakage as the raging storm swirled all around. She was also a fierce protector, possessive, and had the stubbornness to match her earthen counterpart. She too loved the unicorn, and tried to keep him within the calm eye of her storm. She was not content to let him go; and, to keep the one she loved, she offered him her life, a home, and foals, powerful incentives that gave the unicorn something to strive for.
It was here that this son, born to the worst of unicorns, succeeded where his forefathers had failed. He had created bonds with those who would not let go of him, and during the moment where he had failed completely, when he hit the broken place like so many of his ancestors, he had the strength of others to fall back upon. When he could go no further and do nothing to save himself, he had others willing to shoulder the terrible burden he carried, to try and save him from his fate, not knowing what awaited him or what they were saving him from.
And so, the terrible repetition of destiny suffered change for the first time.
Over a week had passed since the flogging. Each had dealt with the awful event in their own way. Bucky remained in a state of near silence, saying very little, trying to deal with everything that had happened in such a short period of time. Berry focused on being a good wife, understanding there was something about her touch that kept Bucky going. Derpy focused on the new herd members, bringing them in and making them feel welcomed. Thistle had turned into one of Bucky’s constant companions, something that the grey mare had noticed and approved of.
Rising Star was experiencing a major shift in his personality. In some ways, he became even more poetic in his nature, but also more serious. It settled upon his shoulders that he was no longer a colt, not in the sense that he had a been a colt, a rollicking free spirit with no real responsibilities. Now, he was a husband and one of the two heads within a herd. He approached his new role cautiously and openly sought advice from Berry, and he was resolved not to fail those whom he was responsible for.
Sparkler focused on her new role, also seeking advice from Berry, and sometimes talking with her mother, trying to make amends for her mistake. While Derpy had forgiven her, Sparkler was having a great deal of trouble forgiving herself. Her mistake had brought terrible consequence, and Sparkler was determined to make restitution for what she had done. As a result, her friendship with Loch Skimmer had grown a great deal in a short time.
Loch Skimmer focused on her place within her new herd, as a fellow-wife, an older sister, and now a daughter to parents that she had trouble comprehending. The open affection was disarming, and there had been several instances where she had trouble adjusting to her new life. There was a time when Bucky had kissed her affectionately on her cheek and she had frozen, perhaps expecting something else, not sure what had gone through her own mind exactly. Up to this point in her short life, Loch Skimmer’s experiences with males had all been relationships based on fear.
Ripple fared a little better, openly welcoming her new herd-parent's affections, forming a strong bond with Derpy almost right away, and much to everypony’s surprise, a fast friendship with Sentinel. The two had quickly become an inseparable pair, with Ripple rapidly sliding into the role of a big sister to the younger lunar pegasus. Ripple also quickly took to Dinky and Piña, glad to watch over them and spend time with them.
Sentinel poured himself into his schoolwork, and had shown much improvement in just a few days. He was bright, attentive, and motivated far beyond the usual standards of most colts his age. He had aspirations and dreams, and they required literacy and education. He had begun saluting more, giving Bucky and others the respect that he felt they deserved. He had sworn yet another oath, this time to Ripple, to keep her safe from the rats that terrified her. It was a service with its own reward.
Dinky was content that something resembling school had returned into her life, giving her the sense of routine that she needed. More than anything though, she desperately wanted to commune again, to tap into magical forces and gain new understanding. The communing had taken away the itching need for mischievous pranks. Dinky was enthralled by the idea of power; not raw magical power, but the knowledge of how to use power, to bend it to her will, to shape the world around her and to have some sense of control over life. Her pranks had been lighthearted and had provided a few laughs, which were much needed right now.
Out of all of them, Piña had been the one most affected by the flogging, second only to Bucky. While she loved Derpy and her sister Berry a great deal, and had always gone to them for comfort, lately she had been spending more time with Bucky, quietly curled up with him, neither one of them talking very much or needing to talk, but simply content to spend time with one another in silence. Their relationship had shifted, and even though the words had never been said, Bucky felt that out of all of his herdmates, Piña alone truly understood what he felt about what he had done. Piña had a strong sense of right and wrong, a truly prodigious sense of right and wrong, and she knew what it was like to punish one’s self for being bad.
It was a quiet afternoon of rest. School was over, lunch was done, and the entire herd was gathered in their quarters, enjoying a bit of quiet time with one another. Sparkler and Rising Star were playing chess against one another, the chessboard and pieces constructed by Sparkler. It was crude but serviceable. Sentinel was napping, Ripple curled up against his side, her head resting on his withers as she dozed as well. Dinky had conjured up a tiny raincloud and was making it rain into a large clean bucket for drinking water. She was struggling to keep the cloud together with her magic, and Derpy was providing some gentle advice as well as giving an occasional nudge to the cloud to make it behave. The last cloud Dinky had summoned had been a little stormy and had zapped Dinky on the nose for meddling with nature. Piña was curled up in between Bucky’s forelegs, and was currently a pillow for Bucky’s head, which rested on her back. She was watching Berry and Thistle as they talked about something boring.
Berry and Thistle discussed foal rearing techniques and practical approaches to presenting a united front to a small army of foals that was sure to happen in the near future. Berry and Thistle both felt this was important, as both understood that foal armies were vicious little tyrannical mobs that had to be carefully dealt with. Berry had some practical hoofs on experience with her own siblings, mainly Piña, and Thistle had some small amount of experience through her own siblings and observations.
Loch Skimmer was on the bed, sprawled out, her broken leg propped up on a pillow, watching the different ponies in the room do different things. She occasionally wiggled a little closer to Bucky, who was also on the bed, completely unaware that she was doing so.
Bucky snored, having consumed a vast quantity of wine and some mead, and was now blissfully unaware of his own pain. His horn poofed out a ring of smoke occasionally in his sleep and, according to Berry’s observations, looked a bit like a dragon protecting its hoard as he slumbered.
Time passed, and things changed very little.
Dinky was still managing her raincloud, listening to her mother’s patient advice about dealing with nature and raw elemental forces, and the importance of having some respect for lightning.
Rising Star had lost yet another game of chess to Sparkler.
Thistle and Berry’s conversation had shifted towards the finer points of give and take within a herd and Berry’s observations on her admittedly short marriage.
Piña had fallen asleep in between Bucky’s forelegs, feeling safe and secure in the daylight where there were no wolves howling.
Loch Skimmer was now very nearly touching Bucky’s side, laying close to him and drowsing slightly, also feeling very safe and secure.
Ripple and Sentinel had shifted positions slightly, and now, Sentinel’s wings were wrapped around his head in a cocoon to block out the light. Ripple had mimicked his actions with her own wings to a small degree, and her head was covered by her feathers. The malnourished pegasus farted with every shift of her body, her innards still adjusting to eating something other than grass, and her belly was still swollen from lunch, where she had gorged on leftover pease porridge and fried oatcakes.
It was during this moment of relative peace and calm that there was a faint rapping upon the door. Sparkler rose from her game and approached, unlocking the door and cautiously pulled it open. A pegasus guard stood outside the door, and he bowed his head low when he saw Sparkler.
“Ma’am, you have visitors,” the guard said and stepped aside.
Sparkler gasped when she saw the two ponies who stepped into the doorway.
Bon Bon and Lyra were filthy, covered in mud and worse, and both looked very tired. Sparkler didn’t care about the mud, she threw herself at them, a cry in her throat that woke everypony in the room.
A lot of things happened all at once, a very confusing series of events that had a final result of Lyra and Bon Bon being buried under a mass of ponies. After several minutes, the unicorn and the earth pony were pulled into the room and the door was closed, Sparkler thanking the guard before locking the door once again.
Bon Bon, already emotional, lost it completely when she saw Bucky, she stumbled and fell upon Lyra who tried to catch her. Nopony said anything while the pair clung to one another and sobbed for a time, but Berry did go to them and wrap her forelegs around them both.
Derpy sat nearby, unsure of what to say or do, Dinky and Piña both clinging to her forelegs.
Finally, Sparkler could take it no longer. “Why are you here? How did you get here?” she asked, still in shock from seeing the pair.
“What happened to Bucky?” Lyra asked with a pained sniffle, completely ignoring Sparkler’s question. “He looks awful! What did that to him?” she asked while pointing to Bucky who was still on the bed.
“Bucky was savaged by the shadow wolves,” Berry stated softly. “He’s lost his eye and his wounds had to be cauterised shut to stop the bleeding.”
“Oh that’s awful,” Bon Bon whispered. “So many ponies I don’t know.”
“I don’t care how you got here, I am really glad you are here, we need you both,” Derpy said, her wings fluttering from barely contained emotion.
“Before anything else is said, we beg your forgiveness,” Bon Bon said in a choked whisper. “We made a terrible mistake and we hope that you will forgive us.”
“Mistake? Forgiveness? For what?” Berry asked.
“We wanted to be a part of your herd… we wanted a part of what you had, your happiness, and then we let you go off and face this wretched place all alone. We wanted to share your happiness, but we didn’t join you in your suffering. I feel terrible!” Lyra confessed, her tone heartbroken.
Derpy came forward, gently pushing Dinky and Piña aside, she closed the distance between her and Lyra. She leaned out and gently kissed Lyra on her cheek, and then leaned over and kissed Bon Bon.
“We felt awful,” Bon Bon continued. “We let our best friends go off without us, our friends that we wanted to be herdmates with. We were so foolish,” Bon Bon admitted. “Can you forgive us?” she begged.
“There is nothing to forgive,” Derpy soothed. “But we do need to get you two cleaned up a bit.”
“I can’t believe you are here!” Sparkler cried.
“We missed you Sparky,” Lyra replied. “We missed all of you.”
“We left just a few days after you did, and we went through a lot of trouble to get here,” Bon Bon stated.
“Tell us later, let’s get you two cleaned up and settled in,” said Derpy as her nose crinkled. She remembered what the wagon had to roll through to get out of the harbour city. The pair were muddy up to their hocks and beyond. Only Derpy knew it wasn’t just mud. And some of it was now on her own grey pelt. She eyed Dinky’s raincloud and had an idea.
The damp group of ponies were nearly dried from Dinky’s magic. It was a good lesson in fine control. The conjured raincloud had been used for showering. It had been a bit hesitant about giving up the goods at first, but a good scowl from Derpy had set it straight and made the cloud let go.
Or made the cloud widdle as Piña delicately put it.
Introductions had been made, and Bon Bon and Lyra were shocked by the size of the herd and how much they had missed. They were surprised by Sparkler’s marriage. The amount to take in was overwhelming.
“So… how did you get here?” asked Bucky, who was still reclining on the bed. His voice was different now, it was resonant. Commanding. Something had changed him. Where once his voice usually wavered a bit from continual nervousness, now his voice had settled, becoming sonorous, and it had smoothed out into something that was truly pleasing to the ears in a quiet and dignified sort of way. His reedy baritone had become a low rumbling baritone that came from deep within his barrel, it was the sort of voice any patrician would make deals with the dark denizens of Tartarus for.
Bon Bon was quite taken by the change in Bucky’s voice and apparent temperament. She didn’t know everything that had taken place, but Bucky had changed and Bon Bon couldn’t help but think that it was for the better somehow, something akin to a gut instinct that resonated deep within her.
“We left just a few days after you did,” Lyra said as she settled onto a sofa.
“We figured out we made a mistake… we couldn’t sleep. We couldn’t eat. We let our friends that we loved dearly go off to some horrible place. I haven’t been here since I was taken in a sweep a long time ago, but I have memories,” Bon Bon added as she clambered up onto the sofa next to Lyra and began to stroke Lyra’s side.
“We were halfway to Baltimare when a pegasus told us that Baltimare would be the last stop. He intercepted the train to tell all of the passengers. Baltimare and Fillydelphia both had suffered total collapse. There were riots. There was a bunch of stuff in the newspapers about corruption and it apparently set everypony off. Princess Celestia gave orders that all of the train service was being cut off. Baltimare was a scary place. You could see the city was on fire, and there was smoke rising up into the sky. We never did go into the city proper. We got off at the train station in a little farming community just outside the city,” Lyra explained.
“We stayed the night with a very kind farmer that lived near the train station that let the passengers use his barn to sleep in. The next morning we saw a newspaper… it said that Princess Celestia had closed all of the harbours and ports. Nothing was going in or out. I thought our journey was done, and we should try to get back to Ponyville somehow, but Lyra said no, we had to go onward,” Bon Bon continued.
“I led us to the coast. With the harbour closed, there wasn’t a lot of boats. I found a group of griffon fishers that were heading northward towards Manehatten and I talked them into giving us a ride,” Lyra said, relaxing into Bon Bon’s embrace.
“And by talk, she means used mind control magic to make them agree,” Bon Bon said sourly. “I still feel badly about it. We made it to Manehatten. I wish we hadn’t,” the mare said sadly.
“Total breakdown,” Lyra announced.
“There were some ships anchored off of the coast trying to figure out what to do next,” Bon Bon explained. “They couldn’t drop their goods off in Manehatten with the harbour closed. Lyra sweet talked one of the captains into bringing us here,” she continued.
“And now, we are here,” Lyra said.
“And this place is even worse than I remember,” Bon Bon stated as she cringed. “I came from Isle Fishhead. This is Isle o’ Groats. I’ve never been to this isle until just today. Lyra cried when she saw the harbour city.”
Lyra gave a haunted nod but said nothing.
“I can’t imagine somepony going through so much trouble for other ponies,” Loch Skimmer said in a soft quavering voice.
“They are our friends, we love them, and we hope they will be family,” Bon Bon replied nervously. “Although I am not sure we deserve it. I feel awful abandoning you. We should have boarded the train with you.”
“Oh stop!” Derpy snapped. “I am not angry. You shouldn’t feel bad about it,” the grey mare said in a more soothing tone.
“They are here now, we need to decide what to do with them,” Berry said. “It is my opinion that by coming to us, they have proven their worth. I know I am not an alpha, but I want my opinion known,” Berry announced, nudging Derpy softly and then gesturing at Sparkler.
“Oh, yes, that’s important,” Derpy said, cottoning on quickly. “Herd communication. Well…” the mare paused and licked her lips nervously after she spoke. “After hearing Berry’s opinion, and carefully considering it, I find I am in a place to agree,” Derpy announced.
Bon Bon and Lyra both heaved a sigh of relief.
“I have a condition,” Bucky stated.
“What?” Derpy questioned. “This is mare business. They are not coming in as fellow-wives, but as extended family.”
“I still have a condition… more of a request really,” Bucky explained.
Derpy scowled, put on the spot by her husband. She wondered what he was up to. “This is mare business and my decision,” she stated. “But I will take your request into consideration,” the mare added, shooting a quick one eyed glance at Sparkler.
“If they are going to be in the herd, fellow-wives or not, the price of admission is having one of my foals,” Bucky said with a certain sound of finality.
“What?” Bon Bon asked.
“Huh?” Lyra grunted.
“WHAT?” Derpy demanded.
Berry wisely chose to stay silent and give Bucky the benefit of the doubt.
“Look Bucky, in case you missed it, they aren’t interested in stallions,” Derpy said protectively, her wings flaring out slightly. One eye was closed as she glared at her husband fiercely.
“And I would never force myself upon them, you should know me better. But there is artificial insemination. I am not asking both of them to do so, only one of them, and it is a very simple request,” Bucky explained. “Well, simple request with some long term complications.”
Derpy’s ruffled feathers smoothed out a bit but she still looked a little uncomfortable and flustered.
“Actually, Lyra and I have talked about insemination or adoption for a while, we couldn’t find a worthy donor and I have problems with orphanages because I want to take all of them home with me,” Bon Bon replied.
“This doesn’t seem like such a big deal to me,” Lyra said.
“But why Bucky?” Derpy asked.
“Because recent events have taught me to revere life,” Bucky answered. “It is fragile and precious, and I want as much of it as possible,” he explained. “Would you deny me that?”
“Well, no… no I wouldn’t do that, but if they are bearing one of your foals, which would make it one of my foals, then I want them married in as wives, not just as extended family,” Derpy argued gently. “We are all trustworthy adults, and I think we can reach an agreement where they can be privately left alone to love one another and still be wives.”
“I am fine by that,” Bucky said, turning his head and focusing his left eye on the pair of ponies clutching one another.
“If we are going to be wives, then we want access to Bucky for the purpose of fathering more foals if we should so desire,” Bon Bon stated boldly.
Derpy’s muzzle scrunched and she looked thoughtful.
“I understand I haven’t secured my place in this herd as of yet,” Thistle said in a soft timid voice full of fear. “But I would like to say I support their right to have foals and request to have a good father that will provide for them. They are going to share the workload in raising your foals, correct?”
Berry nodded.
“So this arrangement isn’t about rutting, but what is best for any foals that come along because of this agreement. If I was a member of this herd, my own needs and feelings would be secondary to the needs of potential foals. Foals are all that matter,” Thistle stated timidly.
Bucky nodded and looked at Thistle appreciatively.
Derpy stared at Thistle for a long silent moment, the only sounds to be heard was the breathing of many ponies packed into a room. The mare and the filly regarded one another, Thistle constantly averting her gaze and staring down at her hooves as Derpy studied her.
“Come here Thistle,” Derpy commanded.
Thistle did as she was bid, her steps were shy and nervous, and she fearfully approached Derpy on the sofa. Derpy leaned forward and pulled the pregnant pony up onto the couch with her and cuddled her closely, wrapping her forelegs around Thistle.
“We understand one another,” Derpy whispered into Thistle’s ear. “That is the most grown up thing you have said so far. You are getting very close,” Derpy said sweetly as she smoothed away Thistle’s concerns.
Berry raised her eyebrow at Derpy’s words but said nothing.
“Do we have any say in this?” Dinky asked.
“I want a say in this,” Piña requested. She poked Sentinel. “Say something,” she whispered.
“What? What do I say? I serve, I don’t make demands, what is there to say?” he asked the earth pony foal poking him.
Piña rolled her eyes and gave up, hugging Sentinel instead. “My brother is a dope,” she muttered.
“I am not,” Sentinel protested, wrapping a wing around Piña.
“I am all for anything that would give me more mothers,” Dinky stated when nopony replied to her question. “And Lyra makes all kinds of silly voices for characters when she is reading to me.”
“Yeah, that’s important,” Piña chimed in. “Plus, Bon Bon makes candies.”
“Chocolate candies,” Dinky added. “Which are really good for pregnant ponies,” she pointed out with a hoof gesture.
Bon Bon giggled and her ears splayed out sideways.
“It would be really good for Ripple to have to mature role models,” Sparkler said, her voice cutting through the giggles. “Ripple doesn’t know much, but she knows that she likes looking at fillies more than colts,” Sparkler announced.
Ripple blushed under her dark pelt and covered her face with her wings.
“I want Ripple to see that it is perfectly okay and natural for her to feel this way. She is still young enough I think to develop a healthy outlook on her sexuality. This horrible place hasn’t yet broken her spirit completely. I want what is best for her, and having Bon Bon and Lyra around would give her somepony to talk to and go to for advice. I know she could go to Derpy or Berry, but my mothers swing both ways, while Lyra and Bon Bon only go one way. Ripple could get better perspectives from them I feel,” Sparkler explained. “As alpha of my own herd, and the daughter of this herd, this is my opinion.”
Rising Star looked at his wife thoughtfully, his eyebrow raised. He said nothing but nodded in agreement.
“I am having trouble taking this in,” Loch Skimmer said. “To take in two mares and then not rut them… I never never heard of such a thing,” she stated in strained voice.
“Even more of a reason then,” Sparkler announced. “To show Loch Skimmer what family can be, to give her a better example than what she has seen so far.”
“And we just wanted candy,” Piña whined, looking dejected. She leaned into Sentinel’s embrace and began to sniffle.
“And this is how a herd should function,” Berry quipped.
Derpy realised everypony was now looking at her intently. She could feel their eyes, all of them waiting on her decision, her choice, her words as alpha.
“I will agree to all of this, with one additional condition. Sparkler brings up a very good point. Bon Bon, Lyra, I want both of you to be Ripple’s caretakers. She might be Rising Star’s wife, but she isn’t ready for that now, and won’t be for a long time, and she could learn from our arrangement how to be a good fellow wife even if she only likes mares. Agree to this task and you are in. We will have a proper ceremony when we get back to the mainland,” Derpy announced.
“Agreed,” Bon Bon replied.
“Totally agreed,” Lyra answered.
“Welcome to the family,” Derpy stated.
“So what about Thistle?” Berry asked.
“What about Thistle?” Derpy repeated in reply.
“Well? Can we take her in?” Berry questioned.
“We shall see,” Derpy said, squeezing Thistle in a gentle embrace. She kissed Thistle gently on the cheek and Thistle blushed. “You did good,” Derpy whispered.
Berry glanced over at Bucky to check his expression. He seemed pleased with everything that had happened, and looked happier than he had been for a while. Her eyes traveled over the faces of everypony in the room, trying to find any hidden unhappiness with the recent arrangement. She found nothing.
Things were beginning to look up, or so Berry thought, feeling Berry confident about the future.
Feeling better about everything, she took advantage of the fact that Thistle was currently pinned in Derpy’s embrace. Raising an eyebrow that she hoped that Derpy would notice, she leaned in and planted a slow smouldering kiss on Thistle’s lips that made the filly squeal and stiffen in Derpy’s forelegs.
Berry pulled away after a very torrid moment and shot Thistle a come hither look. “Just to keep you motivated in your agreement that you have with Derpy,” Berry explained as Thistle fanned herself, her face now as red as an apple.
Derpy slowly ran her forelegs over Thistle, feeling around, stroking her soft pelt, until her legs were wrapped around Thistle’s belly. She gave a gentle loving squeeze. “I know you want what is best for this foal,” Derpy said in a low voice. “You really did impress me today. You deserve to be rewarded, as we agreed upon. You can go over there and try to kiss Bucky if you would like, if he will let you,” Derpy consented.
Thistle slid down eagerly from the sofa, paused for a moment, slowed down, tried to hide her fillyish glee, and then slowly crossed the room, trying to move as slowly and carefully as possible. Every eye in the room was watching her, and Thistle felt rather nervous all of a sudden.
She cautiously approached the bed, her breathing heavy, watching as Bucky cast his one eyed gaze upon her. She kneeled down, planting her front half on the bed, and moved her head in close to the unicorn that made her feel butterflies in her stomach. She licked her lips faintly, and then realised that she was completely terrified. She very nearly bolted right then and there, and she knew that Bucky had seen it in her eyes. She trembled, having suddenly lost her nerve. A moment ago she could barely contain herself after she had slipped off the couch, and now she wasn’t sure if she could go through with it.
On the other side of the room, Loch Skimmer watched everything that was happening with wide eyed concern, knowing that a similar task awaited her. She worried that Sparkler would feel jealous. She worried that Sparkler would hate her. Her own mouth felt incredibly dry. She cast a nervous sideways glance and looked at Rising Star, who was watching Thistle intently and her interaction with Bucky.
Derpy watched as Thistle froze, and she felt a pang of worry. Sex and love were two very different things. Thistle had been bred, but she had not been loved. She reached out and grabbed the nearest thing she could, needing to be physical right now, and what she grabbed was Berry Punch, who fell into her embrace without protest. Derpy squeezed the solid earth pony and practically held her breath, hoping that Thistle would pass this little test. She hoped her husband would reciprocate.
Dinky, tired of waiting, took matters into her own hooves, and began to march forward quickly. She moved with the sort of speed only a foal on a mission seems to have, and her mission was to get this awkward moment over with as quickly as possible.
“No Dinky!” Derpy cried, realising Dinky was up to no good.
Too late, Dinky had reached Thistle. Reaching up, Dinky gave Thistle a good shove on her backside, causing her to pitch forward onto the bed.
Thistle’s lips smooshed into Bucky’s lips for a moment, and Bucky gave a faint cry of surprise. Thistle smooshed her lips around a bit, not sure what to do, not sure what she could get away with, and then melted when she felt Bucky kissing her back. He knew what to do Thistle thought to herself as she felt the warmth spreading through her muzzle.
Finally, out of breath, and not thinking of breathing through her nose, Thistle pulled away, hearing a giggle from behind her. She stood there panting, feeling warm and flustered.
Dinky bounded up onto the bed and flopped down near Bucky, beaming a broad smile and looking very pleased with herself.
“Thank you Thistle,” Bucky said, looking Thistle in the eye. “Dinky, you messed up,” Bucky informed the foal.
“I did?” Dinky replied, her smile fading. She didn’t want to be scolded.
“Magic would have served your purpose much better and you could have attacked without warning,” Bucky instructed.
“Oh,” Dinky answered, her smile returning. “I’ll keep that in mind for next time,” the foal promised.
“You do that,” Bucky said as he chuckled. “Or there will be consequences.”