• Published 17th Aug 2021
  • 3,782 Views, 649 Comments

Beginning Anew - Goldfur



A rogue portal dumped Caleb into an Equestrian desert and left him stranded in an unfamiliar universe. He has to start his life anew but a sympathetic earth pony mare offers to help him learn the ways of his new world.

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Chapter 23

Caleb, Willow, and Sky celebrated their new herd by climbing into bed together… but only to cuddle. It was more than enough for the three whose spirits were so high that nothing more could be done to increase them. All was right with their herd and their world, so it was no surprise when they all fell asleep.

A loud knock on the front door woke them. Sky extended her senses to ascertain who was calling at this time. Her eyes widened.

“It’s for me,” she announced as she slid out of bed and headed for the door.

Caleb was hot on her heels, picking up on his Companion’s state of mind through their new link. He was startled but intrigued when she transformed into her new anthro changeling form before opening the door.

Vectrix bowed to their visitor – a tall chitin-clad mare with an imposing horn. “Good afternoon, Your Majesty.”

Chrysalis frowned. “So it’s true. I felt your bond to the hive wither away.”

“Yes – Caleb and I are now one.” Vectrix half-turned to invite the man to join her.

Suddenly realizing he was still naked, Caleb hesitated for a moment before reminding himself that Equestrians barely comprehended what a nudity taboo was. He stepped up to Vectrix who put her arm around his waist and he did likewise to her. “Is she in trouble, Your Majesty?”

Chrysalis gave him a long assessing stare before her features relaxed and she chuckled. “No. I merely wished to behold the outcome of this overdue bonding with a human.” She looked back to the anthro mare. “Most intriguing. My only disappointment was that it took so long.”

Vectrix said, “There were complicat—”

Chrysalis waved her explanations off. “Yes! Yes! I know all about them. That marefriend of yours whom I see trying to be inconspicuous behind you finally got her head jammed on straight.”

“Indelicate but true,” Caleb muttered.

The changeling queen laughed. “No matter. The deed is done and you are now free from service to the Hive, Vectrix. Let me know when you breed. I will be interested in which traits this human brings to your progeny.” Without a word of farewell, Chrysalis took off and flew away.

Caleb turned to Vectrix and raised an eyebrow. “We can breed?”

The anthro mare nodded. “I am a female Companion-Class changeling and, as such, inter-fertile with my male bondmate.”

The man blinked. “Do you want to have kids?”

Vectrix gave him a very happy smile. “Oh, yes! As many as you desire. However…” She turned to look at Willow. “Our lead mare has the right to give you your first foal.”

Willow started to return the changeling’s smile, but then her face fell. “I… can’t. Not without a compatibility charm.”

“What’s that?” Caleb asked.

Vectrix replied, “It’s an object enchanted to enable disparate species to have children.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“The spell to create a compatibility charm is extremely complex and unique to every combination of species. The greater the difference between them, the more difficult they are to make. And because you are the only human in Equestria, one doesn’t exist for you.”

Caleb saw how sad his fiancée was at that news and his heart fell. He hadn’t even thought about children yet, but it was obvious that his future wife had. Perhaps even as long ago as when Blazing Shield was her intended husband. “Then we’ll get one made,” he declared.

Vectrix sighed. “It could take years and you wouldn’t be able to afford it.”

“Why not? I’m not exactly poorly paid.”

“Because the enormous cost has always been amortized among all the future clients. You are just one person and would have to bear the price alone. No mage is going to devote their time and effort to give you a gigantic discount.”

By the way that Vectrix emphasized the word ‘enormous’, Caleb had a feeling that his office manager was not exaggerating. He could sense her regret for having to tell him the bad news. Nevertheless, he was not prepared to give up without trying. He knelt before Willow and lifted her chin to look her in the eyes. “Tell me truthfully – do you want to have foals by me?”

The earth pony nodded. “Of course I do. You are my stallion and I wish to give you foals. I want to be a mother someday.” Tears started welling in her eyes.

Caleb kissed her and wiped away the teardrops. “Willow, as your stallion and future husband, I swear that I will find a way to give you those foals.”

Willow sniffled but a slight smile grew on her face. “I believe you, my love.” Then she kissed him long and thoroughly.

When they finally parted, Vectrix switched to Sky and announced, “Enough of this sad stuff. Today, we are celebrating becoming a herd. I propose we go out to dinner at The Fig Tree.”

“That sounds like a great idea,” Caleb replied. “What do you think, Willow?”

“I’m all for it too. But you might want to dress up for it, darling.”

“Of course. Why did you… Oh.” As he headed back to the bedroom to retrieve his clothes, Caleb wondered if bonding with Vectrix had turned off his nudity aversion. Perhaps a shower was in order first, considering what he and his mares had been up to. Now there was an idea. After all, what was the point of having such a large shower stall if you didn’t take advantage of it? “Oh, g-i-r-l-s…!”


After a long and mutually enjoyable shower, the man and changeling teamed up to dry Willow with their towels. The earth pony trotted outside to water the flowers while Caleb and Vectrix set to toweling off each other.

The changeling wiped a smile off her muzzle, trying to look serious. “I changed my mind. I think you should spend the Mating Season here in Ponyville.”

While in physical contact with his Companion, the man could feel the good humor of his partner along with… was that mischievousness? “Really?”

Vectrix battled to hide her smirk. “Oh, absolutely. You see, I hadn't considered all the upsides. For instance, you'd have the chance to... interact with mares of several races. And since seven out of eight townsbeings are mares, you'd never grow bored.”

Caleb hung up his towel, narrowed his eyes, and crossed his arms across his chest.

The changeling beamed. “Think of all the cultural understanding that would happen... and in such a short period of time! Plus this would guarantee a positive teacher rating from the majority of your class.”

The human turned on his heel. “We're done here.”

Vectrix laughed openly, waving a hoof in a half-hearted attempt to get Caleb's attention again. “You know that Twilight Sparkle is both married and powerful enough to keep all the mares at bay, don't you? All you'd have to do is hide out in her lab for seven to ten days as her latest test subject!”

“Very much done here!” called out the retreating man.


With Caleb tied up teaching his classes all day and Willow taking said classes, it was up to Sky to make most of the arrangements for the marriage ceremony. The three of them had discussed when they wanted to have it over dinner at The Fig Tree, and they had agreed that they wanted to make their vows as soon as possible. Of course, they had to allow a reasonable amount of time to send out invitations, book a venue, and do everything else that was involved in planning a wedding reception. Once the date was decided, there was still the legal aspect. The marriage ceremony had to be performed by a duly authorized officiant. Back in the early days of Ponyville, this was the task and joy of Mayor Mare herself. However, with the explosive growth that the township had experienced ever since Mark Wells had arrived in Equestria and Twilight Sparkle had ascended, it had become necessary to authorize a couple more certified officiants while the mayor was occupied by her increased workload. Sky was sure that she would be booking one of those but was surprised when the mayor insisted on the privilege. The anthro changeling gathered that her Companion was somewhat of a celebrity in the mayor’s eyes. Of course, having the ear of one of the Triarchs tended to do that.

Caleb invited all his students as well as Prince Mark “& family”. He had no idea how many of the royals would actually be interested in attending the wedding of Equus’ sole human but he thought it was the polite thing to do considering all they had done to kick start his new life. Willow invited her former squad mates. Vectrix also invited some of her family.

While most creatures seldom dressed up for anything, a wedding was a notable exception. Sky made an appointment with anthro Rarity to have Caleb and herself outfitted with something special for the day. As for the bride, the changeling narrowly averted a potential disaster. Willow had called Sky to the bedroom where the earth pony mare was found standing in front of an open hope chest, holding up a wedding dress.

“What do you think, Sky? Do you reckon this has gone out of style?” Willow asked.

The changeling blinked. “Is… is that the dress you were going to marry Blazing Shield in?”

“Yes. I never got to wear it.”

Sky stepped up to the mare and took it out of her hooves. “And you’re still not.” She stuffed it back in the chest and closed it.

Willow frowned at her. “What do you think you’re doing, Sky?”

“Saving you from making a terrible mistake.”

The earth mare put her forehooves on her hips and glared at the anthro mare. “How is wearing my wedding dress a mistake?”

“If Caleb learns that this is the dress made for Blazing, and he almost certainly will, how do you think he’ll respond to that? He’s going to feel as if you’re using him as a stand-in for your lost love.”

A hoof flew to Willow’s mouth as she gasped. “Oh, no! I didn't think about that. I’d never want Caleb to feel that way!” She looked forlornly at the chest. “But it’s such a waste of a perfectly good dress.”

Sky shook her head. “I’ll take it around to Rarity’s boutique and see if she is willing to entertain a trade-in discount for a new dress. If so, I will set up an appointment for you to get measured.”

Willow brightened for a moment before her face fell once more. “I can’t afford even a discounted dress. I’ve been a student for months and the only income I’ve had in that time was from the meager stipend I receive for watching Caleb. And that stipend will be going away once we marry. There’ll be nothing left of my savings.”

Sky put an arm around the earth pony and hugged her. “Silly filly – I’ll cover that.”

“But you and Caleb already bear most of the financial responsibility until I start working once more.”

“My dear herdmate, that is irrelevant. We are already a family, and family provides for each other’s needs. You need that dress. I need my Companion to be happy. And the best way for him to be happy on the day is for you to be a beautiful bride in a dress made just for the occasion. Now, stop arguing and say thank you.”

Willow giggled. “Thank you, Mama Sky.”


The weeks flew by and the wedding day was upon them. The girls were excited but Caleb was calmly anticipating the big moment. After all, it was just a matter of formalizing their relationship and celebrating it with their friends.

Getting fitted for a tuxedo and subsequently wearing it didn’t set off his nerves in the slightest. That was before Prince Mark regaled him with the tale of his unforgettable wedding day. From that moment, Caleb kept wondering what disasters might befall his marriage ceremony. Every one of the prince’s wives had turned up as well as Princesses Cadance and Twilight Sparkle, the rest of the Element Bearers, and Phil’s family. Rarity and Rosa had teamed up to decorate the interior of Town Hall while Applejack and Pinkie Pie had taken care of food and refreshments. The man couldn’t stop imagining all the ways things could go pear-shaped in front of such august company. He kept on sweating right up until the moment that his bride joined him in front of Mayor Mare. Rarity had created a white lace and chiffon dress embroidered with patterns of aquamarine and amethyst that beautifully complemented Willow’s mane and tail. The joyful loving smile his fiancée gave him swept away all his cares and the ceremony proceeded without a hitch.

“I now pronounce you husband and wife!” Mayor Mare intoned.

Caleb knelt to kiss Willow to the cheers and hoof-stomps of the guests. Then he stood up and they both turned toward Vectrix who had been standing to one side during the ceremony. She wore a gossamer, peach-colored dress that tastefully showed off her figure. Anthro Rarity had made sure of that! The man held out a hand to her and Willow held up a hoof. The anthro changeling mare stepped between them, taking both with her own hands.

Caleb looked over to the audience and said, “Now, as you know, Equestrian law allows a stallion only one wife.” He then grinned. “Of course, even after just a few months living here, I have come to realize that there’s a vast difference between the strict interpretation of the law and day-to-day reality. Am I right, ladies?”

Several of the mares in the audience giggled and a few blushed. The stallions with them either stood a little prouder or smirked knowingly. The nobles might have had a lock on the legal interpretation of marriage, but the common pony did as they wished. Nopony bothered telling the Canterlot elite that though.

The human continued. “My Bond Companion, Vectrix, is as much a part of this… shall we say union… as Willow, and we both would be the less without her. As such, I, Caleb Awad…”

“And I, Willow Branch…” added the earth pony mare.

They finished together, “… take Vectrix a.k.a. Butterfly Sky into our family as our herdmate.”

Caleb winked at the audience before getting serious once more. “Ladies and gentlecolts, I give you Herd Faithful Kindness!”

He kissed the changeling on the left cheek while Willow reared up onto her hind legs to kiss Sky on the right. There was another round of applause that was just as enthusiastic as the first.

Willow resumed her four-legged stance and grinned at the audience. “And now that we’re hitched, officially or otherwise, break out the booze and the food. We’ve got a ton of celebrating to do!”


“Congratulations, Caleb,” Twilight Sparkle told the man as he and his mares mingled with their guests. “You’ve done extraordinarily well in adapting to this world. In my opinion, you made a marvelous choice in taking Willow as your wife.”

“Thank you. While I would never have believed it if you had told me this would happen back when I first arrived in Equestria, I’ve never done anything that felt so right as marrying my beautiful pony bride.”

“I suppose that the next thing on her mind will be foals.”

“As a matter of fact, that subject has already been brought up. There’s a little matter of making a compatibility charm though.”

“Well, with long-term plans of opening up interdimensional relations with Mark Wells’ Earth, there is the possibility of other Terran-Equian pairings occurring. They, too, would be requiring a charm, so I’ve already entertained the idea of creating one for humans.” The alicorn gave the man a sly look. “Now, if you had given me samples of every fluid your body produces months ago when I first asked, perhaps that work would be farther along.”

A mental nudge caused Caleb to look around to see Sky shake her head. He grinned and winked at her before turning back to Twilight. “But wouldn't any cell with a complete set of male human DNA work just as well? Like a sample from Phil which you’ve had access to for years?”

Twilight looked askance and her tail flicked as she was forced to concede the point. “Well… technically.”

“I figured as much. Let me know how that goes.” Caleb then turned his attention to another guest.

Said guest stood out from all the others. The white anthro mare only had to stand up to do so. Caleb blinked at Pearl’s choice of attire: white button-down shirt, vest, and bowtie; black top hat held in one hand; a dress coat with tails; and thigh-length boots over fishnet stockings. The mare’s smile widened when she caught Caleb’s eye.

“Behold the power of the incomparable Zatanna Zatara!” The unicorn waved a hand with a flourish, causing a black wand to appear. “Be amazed as I summon the most ferocious of wild beasts!” She brought her wand down and tapped the rim of the top hat three times. The third hit smacked the head of an emerging rabbit.

Angel glared at Pearl as he rubbed his head. The unicorn mare grinned sheepishly and whispered “My bad. I should have practiced our timing some more.” The wand disappeared again, Caleb noticed her horn didn’t light up, so no pony magic was involved. Pearl smirked and declared, “Ta-da!”

Angel gave his partner a disapproving stare, then his ears perked up. He leaped from the hat and made a beeline for the hors d’oeuvres table.

Caleb ignored the screams coming from that direction to ask, “Zatanna was it?”

The mare grinned. “Yep! My third most favorite DC comics character! Princess Trixie inspired me to learn the human way to do sleight of hand tricks.” She waved her arms and a bunch of silk flowers shot from out one of her sleeves. Pearl’s attempt to catch them was a bit slow and Caleb had to duck his head to avoid getting brained.

“Sorry!”

The man chuckled. “So – a magical pony? Who’da thunk it?” He looked her up and down. “Well, the outfit certainly is formal enough for the occasion.”

“Uh-huh! I’m always wearing one costume or another that mom or anthro-auntie Rarity makes for me. I just knew this one would be perfect for today!”

Realization hit Caleb like a galloping earth pony hauling a wagonload of bricks. He gasped and looked into her eyes. “Pearl, how old are you?”

“I just turned eighteen last month. So I’m an adult making adult decisions in an adult way!” She raised her arms over her head triumphantly. For his part, Caleb’s perception of the girl changed. He saw her happy-go-lucky attitude in a fresh light.

Pearl’s cheeky smile fell and she chewed her lip. “Sooooo… I think you’re pretty cool and wondered… ah… could we go out to dinner… I mean could I take you out to dinner sometime?” At the man’s hesitation, she said, “There are a bunch of great places along Restaurant Row, and I can tell you all about how Dad and Aunt Starlight saved it from the evil mind control magic of Zesty Gourmand.”

Caleb held up a hand. “Thanks for the offer, Pearl, but I’m going to have to turn you down. My dating days are over. Two wives are enough for me. I don’t plan on changing that near term… probably long term, too.”

“Awww…” The anthro mare wilted. “It’s the outfit, isn’t it?”

The man laughed and gave the mare a side hug. “Like I said, I think your cosplay is great. I’m happy that you have a hobby you enjoy with a passion.” The sound of something large breaking drew his attention. “For now, though. I think you need to go get your stage prop before the Mother of the Bride Queen Chrysalis decides to eat him for ruining the reception.”

The young mare’s mood changed in a flash. She went from standing still to a dead run. “Angel! Get back here!”


On the other side of the hall, Rarity held a restraining hoof on her husband. “Mark, dear. Calm yourself.”

The alicorn stallion snorted. “Dang it, Rares! Don’t tell me this is a mare’s cultural prerogative. Caleb is a grown man and Pearl is still just a kid! She’s gonna get hurt!”

“And what is wrong with that, darling?” At Mark’s shocked expression, she said, “I agree with you wholeheartedly. They are at completely different stages of life and Pearl lacks an adult’s maturity.”

The stallion tapped his forehoof against the ground impatiently. “…however?”

“However, Pearl needs to get over her crush on her own. Perhaps someday she’ll be ready for a stallion like Caleb. That isn’t the most important lesson to be learned though.” Mark pricked his ears forward. “Dear, think about the message you would be giving our daughter if you intervened. You would be telling her that you don’t trust her judgment. That she’s incapable of making her own decisions. That you don’t believe in her.”

Mark’s ears went flat on his head. “But I…”

Rarity stared into her husband’s eyes. “And that would be a terrible thing, don’t you agree?”

The one and only Alicorn of Lightning, Triarch of the Equestrian Empire, and father to many foals took a deep breath and slowly let it out. “You’re right. Thanks for straightening me out.”

They shared a tender kiss.

Mark glanced at Caleb and saw the man looking his way. With a flash of magic to the emerald on his crown, Mark transformed a forehoof into a green-pelted hand long enough to give Caleb the thumbs up.


Across the room, the human returned the friendly gesture then walked to rejoin his wives.

On the way, he furrowed his brow. “I wonder what that was all about?”


Willow and Caleb made love most nights, but this evening was extra special as they consummated their marriage. Then the mare surprised him by stopping him from another round.

“Now that we’re a formal herd, I think there’s something that you should do.”

“What’s that?” Caleb asked, his eyebrow rising to new heights.

Willow pointed at Sky who was lying to one side of the bed. The changeling reveled in their love-making although she didn’t take an active part in it. She didn’t have to since she shared through her bond with Caleb. And since the man had bonded with her, he didn’t think twice about her presence during sex. It would have been like removing a piece of himself if he asked for privacy.

“It’s time you made love to your herdmate,” Willow declared.

Sky was startled. “But… you know I share Caleb’s experiences. It’s not necessary right now.”

“Are you arguing with your lead mare?” Willow asked with a smirk.

Sky giggled. “No, ma’am!” She looked at Caleb. “I suppose it’s time to show you what sex with your Companion is like.” She took a seductive pose.

Caleb leaned in to kiss her. “If it’s anything like when we bonded, it’ll be awesome.” He then started exploring her body starting with her perfect breasts. She was soon moaning in delight but the man was shuddering from the stimulation too. Just as Sky shared in his gratification when making love to Willow, he was discovering that the reverse was true. The pleasure he elicited in her echoed through their bond, arousing him in record time. However, it paled in comparison to when they finally joined. There could not be any long-drawn-out love-making between the two because the positive feedback loop it created brought them both to orgasm in moments. With each sharing the other’s ecstasy, it practically blew their minds. They fell apart, panting as if they had just run a marathon.

When Sky finally caught her breath, she said, “Now do you see why I said sex is a perk of our bonding?”

Still panting a little, Caleb replied, “Did you know… that it would be… so intense?”

“From what other Companions told me, kind of. The actual experience still exceeded my expectations.”

“I don’t think… I could handle that… too frequently. I’m beat.”

Sky giggled. “Stick to fondling my boobs – I liked that.”

“Believe me, I know!”

“Wusses!” Willow said before snuggling up to her husband. “I’m ready for more.”

Caleb could only moan.

# # # # # # # # #

Author's Note:

Well, they're finally hitched, but their lives aren't complete yet.

(EDIT 29 Jan 2022: I made a small edit to the wedding scene to make it clear that Vectrix/Butterfly Sky was there in her natural changeling form.)

Art by Margony and Foxenawolf.

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