> Rule of Three
>  by Klamnei
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1: The Sire and the Dam
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Rule of Three




The coronation had been beautiful. 

It’d be an event ponies would talk about for years to come. Twilight Sparkle, former protegee of Princess Celestia, three-time savior of Equestria and Bearer of the Element of Magic, now an alicorn princess. Ponies had come from all over to partake in the festivities, and droves of other creatures from neighboring countries had been in attendance. Everyone knew Twilight would be amazing in her new role, and no one saw her ascension as anything but a miracle.

And of course, her parents couldn’t have been prouder.

Twilight Velvet and Night Light walked side-by-side through the quiet streets of Canterlot’s residential district towards home. It was evening now, and while the celebrations were still going on, they’d never been much for partying. Even if they’d been a decade or two younger, the constant influx of strangers wanting to meet the parents of the newly-anointed Princess would still have left them frazzled.

“Did you catch the name of that llama?” Night asked as they turned onto their home street. “I could barely understand him through the accent.”

Velvet yawned. “Duke Shamren. He invited us to his estate for their Harvest Festival. I told him we’d think about it.”

Night reached into his saddlebags for his keys. “It’s funny. If we actually took up on the offers everypony gave us tonight, we could plan a year-long trip around the world.”

Velvet rubbed her eyes. “At least it wasn’t as bad as it was at Shining’s wedding. Do you remember the Baron of Antelora? He pestered us so much I was ready to blast him through the wall.”

Night chuckled as he opened the door of their two-story townhouse. “Between him and the Shah of Dromardia, we almost started an international incident.”

Velvet grunted. “Royalty... the more of them I meet, the more I’m convinced ours are the exception over the standard.”

The familiar sights and smells of home greeted their tired senses. The entryway became bathed in the warm glow of a lamp as they hung up their bags, and Night made for the kitchen while loosening his tie, turning on lights as he went. Velvet took off her jewelry and headed for the bathroom while Night made them their usual tea, which thankfully was ready by the time she got out. She took her mug from him and followed behind to the living room, where they relaxed into their favorite chairs with collective sighs.

“So,” Night said a short time later.

 Velvet sipped at her mug. “So.”

“Our daughter’s a princess, and our son’s a prince.” Night could only shake his head at the words. “Both of them have saved Equestria multiple times, and they’re both upstanding citizens in every right. I think it’s official, honey. We’re good parents.”

Velvet giggled. “Acceptable, at the very least.”

Night’s eyes wandered to the pictures about the room. “Do you ever wonder how it happened?”

Velvet followed his unfocused gaze. “I don’t think I’ve stopped wondering.”

“Nothing really stands out, though, does it?” Night said, leaning back in his chair. “We loved them, encouraged them, taught them the same things everypony else teaches their kids... not exactly what you’d call revolutionary.”

Velvet folded her arms. “They weren’t unusual growing up, either. A bit on the shy side, but we’re not exactly social butterflies.”

Night shrugged. “Genetics, maybe? Reproduction’s a ruddy crap shoot, after all. Maybe we just got lucky.”

Velvet frowned. “Both their cutie marks are in magic, Nighty. If that happened by chance, I’ll eat my diploma.”

“But what, then?” Night rested his chin on his hoof. “If it wasn’t nature or nurture, how’d both our kids turn out to be national heroes?”

Velvet was silent. She picked at a stray cushion thread in her chair, her eyes flitting again from picture to picture. Shining had always been hard-working and polite. Twilight had loved learning and had never lost the spark. They’d both done the things all normal kids had done, and they’d never given any sign of the great things they’d do. Not even their magic levels had been anything strange until they’d gone off to school. 

“We may never know for sure.” Velvet looked up at the ceiling, where two dark and empty bedrooms sat upstairs collecting dust. “It’d be nice if there was something we could point to, but... I can’t help but wonder if we did anything at all.”

Night stirred his tea and floated over the day’s newspaper. “Well, I guess it doesn’t really matter now. After all, It’s not like—”

Knock, knock, knock.

Night and Velvet jumped. They exchanged a brief glance, but neither of them moved to get up.

“Were you expecting…?” Night said.

Velvet shook her head. “You?”

Night shook his head as well. They hesitated a moment more before moving together towards the door. Once there, Night looked in through the peephole… then clicked his teeth and took a step back.

“What?” Velvet whispered. “Who is it?”

Night glanced at her. “The tall ones.”

Velvet’s eyes went wide. She immediately flung open the door, and standing there without any form of disguise were Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, looking down at them with serene smiles.

“Hello,” said Celestia. “May we come in?”

Velvet needed a second to process that yes, the immortal alicorn rulers of Equestria Shining’s in-laws and Twilight’s new co-workers were on their doorstep. 

“I dunno, you two seem awfully suspicious.” Velvet leered at them. “We might need a minute to hide the good silver.”

Luna chuckled. “Well met, Twilight Velvet.”

“Hello, ladies.” Velvet bowed with Night and let them step aside. “A pleasure, as always.”

The four of them went back to the living room, where Velvet and Night returned to her chairs while Celestia and Luna sat across from them on the couch. Even with them sitting right next to each other, their larger size made it something of a snug fit.

“No torcs this time,” Night said with twinkling eyes. “Guess that means I reinforced the coat hooks for nothing.”

Celestia’s face went fiery red. “I am so, so sorry about that. Did you get the money I sent?”

Night snickered. “Five thousand bits was a bit much for a minor wall repair, you know. We wound up putting most of it in savings.”

Luna did a double-take at her sister. “Five thousand?!”

Celestia rolled her eyes. “Oh, calm down. It was out of my personal funds.”

Luna continued to stare. “Five. Thousand. Bits. For breaking a coat hook.”

“I felt bad!” Celestia said. “You expect me to tell Twilight the first thing I did in her parent’s home—”

“I don’t mean to be rude,” Velvet said dryly, “but I imagine your absence is causing a few ulcers right about now. We should probably make this quick before the city goes on high alert.”

Celestia and Luna put their hooves behind their heads. Night and Velvet nearly laughed, as the expression was more akin to Twilight’s or Shining’s after trying to raid the cookie jar. It was certainly an honor to see and get to know the mares behind the regal masks, but what surprised them was how normal Celestia and Luna were.

“You, ah... needn’t worry about a panic,” Luna said. She straightened and squared her shoulders. “We made the necessary arrangements before stepping out. We’re not needed until the dawn.”

Night raised an eyebrow. “Twily didn’t mind you leaving early?”

Celestia shifted in her seat. “She… doesn’t know we’re here. She was in the middle of celebrating with her friends, and we didn’t want to interrupt...”

Velvet pursed her lips. The subtext there was glaring, but she knew Celestia well enough to understand her intentions. Luna was harder to read, but she wasn’t the scheming type.

“Let’s not beat around the bush, then,” Velvet said. “What can we do for you?”

For a minute, the stoic, regal mask slipped back over Celestia’s face. It was a passing thing, but all the more obvious for it. She shut her eyes and shook her head, and when she met Velvet’s eyes this time, she had a deep, wise look that spoke of her long life.

“Everything amazing thing your daughter’s done is being celebrated today,” Celestia said. “This is her time to shine, her moment to be on top of the world, and she’s earned every second of it. The same was true for Shining on his wedding, and even though that event was nearly ruined, that he and Cadance removed Chrysalis and the changelings is just another testament to their abilities.”

Velvet said nothing. She didn’t move, didn’t look away, barely did more than breathe. She merely watched Celestia like a poker player.

“Your children are the greatest heroes Equestria has ever known,” Celestia went on. “They’ve accomplished feats I thought impossible, defeated foes I thought unstoppable. A golden age is dawning thanks to their efforts, and future generations will now enjoy years of peace and prosperity for centuries to come.”

Now a flush spread across Velvet’s cheeks. She very nearly looked away, but something kept her glued to Celestia’s piercing eyes. 

“Shining and Twilight are beautiful in every way.” There was no jest in Celestia’s voice, no derision or mocking tone. “They’re smart, powerful, kind, wise, adept, just, and humble. From the first moment I saw them, I knew they were going to be great leaders. They’ve since used their talents to make our world a better place, and most incredibly, they’re both still so young! Can you even imagine what else they’ll accomplish in their lifetimes?”

Warmth glowed in Velvet’s chest. What would they do? She didn’t have a clue, but she knew it’d be bloody amazing. She would’ve loved Shining and Twilight regardless, but for them to be so successful, to do so much for the world at such tender ages…

Celestia motioned to both her and Night. “I don’t know what it is about the two of you. Maybe it was something you did, maybe it was beyond your control, maybe it was chance, destiny, or something else altogether. I imagine you’ve asked yourself how your children became legends, but I’m afraid I don’t have an answer. All I know is that you both played a part in it, and for that, you’ve my most sincere thanks.”

Annnnnd that was when the warning bells went off in Velvet’s head.

“I hope you aren’t this transparent in real negotiations, Celestia,” Velvet said while folding her arms. “You don’t start a conversation like that unless you’re building towards a mighty ask. I’ll grant the praise means more coming from you, but we left early because we were tired of those same cheesy lines from the rest of the nobility.”

“Save the schmoozing for the peacocks with glass egos,” Night said coolly. “We just sat down, so hurry up and out with it before our tea gets cold.”

Luna snorted into her hoof. 

Celestia opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She worked her jaw several times, but she’d seemed to have forgotten how to form words. She sputtered and stammered for a few seconds before at last looking away while twiddling her hooves. 

“S-Sorry, it’s just…” Celestia blushed harder.  “I keep forgetting you two aren’t, w-well...”

Night cocked his head. “Aren’t what?”

Luna burst out laughing. “Aren’t afraid to treat us like actual ponies! You’ve no idea how refreshing it is to talk with somepony who isn’t trying to put you on a pedestal! Or trying to suck up to you!”

Celestia jerked her head at Luna. “What she said.”

Velvet’s eyes softened. She did have an idea, actually, though it certainly wasn’t to the same extreme. She and Night had had to come to terms with their own abrupt celebrity status, which was one of the reasons why they tried so hard to treat Celestia and Luna like family. 

“I understand that, but the point still stands,” Velvet said.

Celestia brushed her mane out of her face. “I suppose it does… I suppose it does. I’m sorry for trying to go about it like that, but this isn’t exactly something you can just come out and ask. It sounds ridiculous enough as it is.”

“Our son is the prince-consort of a formerly cursed, mythical nation,” Night said with a straight face. “Our daughter is an alicorn princess and co-wielder of an all-powerful ancient relic. I’d say we’re well-acquainted with the ridiculous.”

Luna grinned wide. “Have I mentioned how much I enjoy our conversations?”

Velvet smiled as well. “Once or twice.”

“Fine, fine.” All the poise and pomp left Celestia’s posture as she leaned forward in her seat. “Cards on the table, no doublespeak, flattery, lies of omission, mind games, ulterior motives, over-elaborate schemes, manipulation, blackmail, hidden meanings, or irons in the fire. Here it is, plain and simple, flat-out, straight-up, nothing more, nothing less.”

Night and Velvet nodded.

Celestia took a deep breath. “Could you please have another foal?”

Silence. Pure, absolute undisturbed silence. No one spoke or reacted at all—the only things that continued to move were the Princesses’ manes and tails. Night and Velvet were like stone, the world slowing to a crawl for them. The quiet stretched on and on and on...  until finally, Velvet coughed and rubbed her ears.

“I-I’m... not sure I heard that right. Could you repeat that, please?”

“We’d like a third savior of Equestria, please,” Luna said slowly and clearly. “At least a third one, although we certainly wouldn’t protest—”

“Nighty and I are well past our foal-rearing years,” Velvet said. She bent her head to show them the gray roots in her mane. “I’d have thought our wrinkles were evidence enough of that.”

“We’re well-aware how old you both are,” Celestia said. “We’re also aware of your medical histories, genealogy, magical ability, and ambient sensitivity, and more. Biologically, there’s nothing holding you back from conceiving, but I know it would be hard at this point. I’m willing to offer a way to make it easier. For both of you."

“There’s no easy way to raise a child,” Night said. “No matter what kind of deal you’re offering, the bulk of the work will still be on us.”

“And we’re too old to keep up with it.” Velvet examined a liver spot on her forearm, just barely visible through her coat. “Now, if we were in our twenties? Sure. Thirties? Why not! We might’ve even done it in our forties, but now? We’ll be senior citizens before the child is even in boarding school. I’m sorry, ladies, but even if we have the ‘winning formula,’ the time to use it has passed.”

Luna laughed. “Well, that’s solved easily enough! If the time to use it has passed, then all we need to do is give you some more of it.”

...

Velvet blinked several times. “I’m sorry?”

“Oh, come now,” said Luna. “Need I remind you who we are? What we do every day? You honestly think a parlor trick like the Age spell is beyond us?”

Velvet felt a chill.  “The… Age spell?”

“Lulu!” Celestia hissed. “I told you not to say anything until we had a chance to—”

“You can’t be serious!” Night all but shouted. “The Age spell? The dangerous and illegal Age spell? Are you both daft?!”

Luna stared at Night a moment before speaking in a calm tone. “I assure you, Night Light, there is nothing daft about us. There are some risks, yes, but in the hooves of capable spellcasters such as ourselves, those chances are less than the danger of a train ride to Ponyville. And as for the legality, not to mention the stigma…”

Suddenly, all eyes were on Celestia.

“Explain,” Velvet said.

Celestia made a noise between a growl and a groan. “Alright, just… hear me out. I promise it isn’t near as bad as you think.”

Velvet very much doubted that, but she merely motioned for her to continue.

Celestia cleared her throat. “About six hundred years ago, a group of dying and desperate unicorns decided to perform the Age spell on themselves without any precautions whatsoever. The result was a very messy explosion, killing dozens and taking out half a city block to boot. The media got wind of it before I could do damage control, and the word became that the spell was at fault. Never mind all the successful cases that’d been recorded up to that point, never mind half the casters had dementia, never mind that I made a statement explaining the spell is completely safe when performed by a capable spellcaster. Nopony cared. The public demanded the spell be outlawed, they pressed me and pressed me for years on end, until finally, I caved and gave them all what they wanted.”

“Howeverrrrrr…” Luna sang. 

Celestia rolled her eyes. “Howeverrrrrr, I didn’t want to give up my right to extend the lives of those I deemed worthy, so I made a loophole in the law stating a princess can cast the spell on anyone with consent.”

It took a few moments to properly digest that.

“So you’re saying...” Velvet slowly said. “Is that the infamous, sacrilegious, universally reviled and detested Age spell is not only perfectly safe and effective, but is only illegal because some brain-fried idiots tried it without any precautions?”

“Yes!” Luna clapped her hooves. “And the media took it and ran because controversy sells more papers. Isn’t that the silliest thing you’ve ever heard?”

Velvet’s eye twitched. “It’s a close second.”

“It gets better,” Celestia grumbled. “My loophole’s been made useless because of the reputation surrounding the whole thing. I’ve made offer after offer over the years, but I’ve gotten turned down every time without fail. Good ponies have died that could’ve lived long, long, long lives, and I’ve spent countless nights wishing I could’ve convinced them how silly they were being.”

At this, Luna leaned forward as well. “I do hope you’re not going to be silly, too.”

Velvet pursed her lips. She and Night were accomplished spellcasters, and thus had a healthy respect for spells that’d been declared forbidden. There were a lot of awful rumors surrounding the Age spell, and while most of them were dismissible, anypony with half a brain still stayed far, far away. 

But on the other hoof, Celestia was saying that the rumors and hearsay were false, and it was all a misunderstanding. And she was even offering to perform the spell herself!

Her.

Celestia.

The immortal demigod responsible for the Sun.

That fact alone really had only one proper response.

“WHAT KIND OF IDIOTS HAVE YOU BEEN OFFERING THIS TO?!”

Celestia blinked several times. “Uh…”

“Vel’s right!” Night said with wide eyes. “If what you’re saying is true, a pony would have to be INSANE to turn you down! How in the world have you been pitching this?!”

Luna laughed so hard she fell off the couch.

Celestia stared. Her blush was more apparent than ever now, and after a moment’s pause, she suddenly looked very tired. “The wrong way, apparently.”

“Told you!” Luna said from the floor.

“Not now, Lulu.”

“Well, I believe you!” Velvet said, her eyes gleaming. “If all the stigma is rubbish, then I’ll certainly take you up on it!”

“Same!” Night said without pause. “To Tartarus with old age! I wanna be around for as long as I can be!”

Celestia smirked. “Careful, there. The spell can be renewed many, many times before it loses its effect. You might not be saying that in half a millennia.” 

“I guess we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it!” Velvet clapped her hooves. “When can we do it?”

“Hold on.” Celestia held up a hoof. “Does this mean you’re agreeing to our request? You’ll have another foal?”

Velvet opened her mouth, but quickly closed it again. She thought the response would be automatic; an extended lifespan in exchange for doing something that was hard-wired into every living thing already. What was difficult about that? Why wasn’t she shaking Celestia’s hoof and giggling like a schoolfilly?

But then it all hit her at once. The discomfort of pregnancy, the agony of childbirth. The sleepless nights attending to a wailing, helpless infant. The near-total loss of free time. Dirty diapers and other things of indescribable revulsion. The stress of constant supervision. Endless worrying. The fights with Night. The ceaseless giving with next to no return. Teaching, guiding, advising, counseling, all to be ignored once puberty hit. The accountability for all the child’s actions until adulthood, and her personal favorite, Empty Nest Syndrome. 

“Honey?” Night said.

And then there were insane expectations on the child themself. They’d face constant pressure to be just as amazing as Shining and Twilight, possibly spending their whole life trying to escape a pair of shadows that stretched into the horizon. It didn’t matter if Velvet and Night put every effort forth into providing a normal childhood, the rest of the world certainly wouldn’t be. Who knows what effect that would have?

Luna climbed back up onto her seat. “What say you, Twilight Velvet?”

And speaking of Twilight and Shining, how would they react to a sibling almost three decades younger than them? Acceptance? Rejection? Indifference? Resentment? None of the above? What would happen if this child wound up simply being normal? What kind of life would they live? And even if they were another prodigy-slash-hero, would Velvet and Night then be stronghooved into doing it all over again? Would their extended lives come with the price tag of becoming nothing but hero-breeders?

Velvet looked around again at the pictures on the bookshelves and walls. An entire life’s worth of memories stared back: Parties, graduations, weddings, picnics, vacations, happy times, sad times, frustrating, stressful, joyful, adventures great and small. Did she want to go through it all again, despite the massive physical, mental, and emotional effort required to be a parent?

Was she willing to turn back the clock, to be a mother once more and bring new life into the world? 

Had it all been worth it in the end?

“...There will be stipulations,”  Velvet said at last.

Celestia nodded. “Of course.”

“And there’s a very good chance the child won’t be what you’re hoping for,” she added.

“We know,” Luna said. “We just want you to try. ”

Velvet sighed turned to Night. “I can’t do this alone. Think you’re up to it?”

Night took her hoof in his. “If you are.”

Velvet squeezed his arm. “You’ll stay with me?”

In reply, Night leaned in and kissed her lips. “Now and forever.”

Velvet stared into his face a moment. He hadn’t changed very much through the years—there were crow’s feet around his eyes, his cheeks were a little more gaunt, and his ears had gotten a tad droopy, but his eyes were still clear and strong. He was still very much the stallion she fell in love with, and if there was anypony in this world she’d want to do it all over with, possibly again and again and again...

Velvet turned back to their two guests. “Never a dull moment, is there?”

Celestia and Luna chuckled. 

“Fate clings to those it chooses,” Celestia said. “It can be a burden, but it can also be be a great blessing.”

Luna gestured to the photos on the walls. “I’d say you’ve had the latter.”

Velvet couldn’t really argue with that. There’d been some bumps along the way, but for the most part, it’d been a good life.

“In that case…” Velvet smiled and put a hoof on her belly. “You’d both better bring good gifts to the baby shower.”

Celestia smiled like a foal in a candy shop. “Oh, we most certainly will!”

Luna clapped her hooves. “Huzzah! And just think, considering your daughter’s ascension, perhaps your next foal will be born an alicorn!”

Velvet rolled her eyes. “Like that could ever happen.”
> Chapter 2: One Age Spell...
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 2: One Age Spell...


..and a Few Weeks Later-

WHAM! The front door rattled as it slammed behind Night.

“Damn it.” He set down his bags and turned to check if he’d broken it again. At this rate, he was going to have to replace the whole blasted frame. “Keep forgetting to hold back…”

He’d just returned from a trip to the store. Normally it took him about a half-hour to make the trip (on a good day) but he’d just made it in less than twenty! Heck, he wasn’t even winded!

“Stars, I love this.” Night picked the bags back up and went to the kitchen, setting them down on the table with a flourish. He’d picked up a few things his doctor had recommended to help with conception, and seeing as Velvet was going to be in heat any day now, he wanted to be ready to do his part. Magic could help a little with this kind of thing, but really, it ultimately came down to the old-fashioned way. 

Not that they had a problem with that…

Whistling, Night used his magic to float the groceries into the cupboards. He couldn’t believe how much easier this was! His mind was clear and sharp as a knife, his magic came at his beck and call, and all those little aches and pains that plagued him were gone. That thrice-blasted chill in his limbs had vanished, and even the soreness in his left shoulder (a remnant from an old sports injury) had healed! The old giddiness of his youth was racing through him again, and all he wanted to do was take Velvet in hoof and challenge the world.

Night paused. Speaking of which, where was Velvet? She’d been in the study when he’d left, but he didn’t hear the furious tika-tik-tik of her typewriter. She hadn’t been in the living room when he’d passed… the bathroom door was open, the basement door was closed, and they didn’t go upstairs much these days. He doubted that she was outside, either, so that only left—

Sniff… sniff-sniff...

Night stopped dead. He’d just caught a whiff of something—something good. He closed the kitchen cupboards and looked around, but he didn’t see anything of note. All there’d been was a passing hint of the aroma.

He raised his head and inhaled deeply...

“Niiiiiiiiiiightyyyyy~” Velvet’s voice sounded from the hallway. “Oh, Niiiiiiiightyyyyyyy...”

It was a familiar, tantalizing scent, sweet, warm, and lingering. It permeated Night’s brain and punted logic right the hay out, sinking everything into a pleasantly dull haze. Almost on autopilot, Night heeded Velvet’s call and followed his nose, walking down the hallway and heading towards their bedroom. He saw that the door was open a crack with a dim light beyond, and the heavenly scent emanating from within. He took another deep whiff and nudged the door open...

Sweet mother of Celestia.

A youthful Velvet was lying leisurely on their king-sized bed, sipping at some wine while looking straight at him. Enchanted candles were lit all around the room, and the air was warm like a midsummer evening. Set in her mane was a violet—the flower he’d given on their first date—and she was swishing her tail back and forth, fanning the scent of her heat with a come-hither stare. She was wearing a pair of azure panties emblazoned with his cutie mark; and a small fan was going with a steady whirr, its gentle breeze directed at the door. 

“Hey,” she said in a soft voice.

Night gulped. Velvet’s mane was full and shiny, the deep purple streaks the same color as the flower she wore. Her neck was thin and shapely, a compliment to her round, elegant muzzle, and there wasn’t a wrinkle anywhere on her to be found. Her silvery coat was healthy and thick, complete with a soft, fuzzy tuft on her chest, and her frame was as curvy as he remembered. 

And her hips. Sweet Celestia almighty, if those things could be weaponized, she could conquer nations. Combined with the effects of the Age spell, her motherly form had given Velvet a look that just flat-out screamed fertile. Her lovely hourglass form ended in an amply-cushioned rump that could turn heads a mile away, and his eyes would’ve been glued to it had not the rest of her been so lovely.

“H-Hey,” Night managed. He continued to ogle from the doorway, a greedy look creeping into his face. “Uh… wow. Erm, H-Honey… I mean, just… wow. Ahem, you uh… heh-heh… looks like it happened, huh?”

“Mmm-hmm.” Cripes, even Velvet’s voice sounded younger. Velvet stretched languidly and wiggled her rear, beckoning him forth with her tail. “It always did sneak up on me...”

As Night came closer, he could see just how worked up she really was. Her face was flushed and rosy, her lips parted as she panted for breath. Her coat glinted with a light sheen of sweat, and she kept licking her lips while staring at him, her gaze hungry and yearning.

Night stopped at the edge of the bed. Everything about Velvet, from the way she fidgeted to the way she kept touching her stomach... he wanted to remember it all. Velvet’s panties were drenched, the blue cloth soaked through and revealing her winking sex. There was an intoxicating intensity about her, like a coiled spring ready to explode, and all he wanted was more, more, more, more—

Night snapped out of it. There was that giddiness from before, that youthful energy like helium in his chest. But even with his dick throbbing and his instincts roaring, he didn’t move a muscle. He simply locked eyes with Velvet, his posture as tense as hers, appreciating her like a work of art. 

“This is surreal...” Velvet said, her voice breathy and strained. “Isn’t it?”

Night smiled. “Story of our lives, hun. All we can do is take things as they come.”

Velvet chuckled despite herself. “By the seat of our pants.” She moved over so Night could climb on the bed. She shivered as the mattress sank beneath his weight, his very presence making her that much wetter. His corded muscles flexed and slid beneath his azure coat, toned and firm like they’d been in decades past, and even a simple movement like laying down was so damn sexy. And oh, sweet Luna, his dry, masculine scent… as soon as he’d settled next to her, she buried her face in his chest and inhaled deeply, like she could get high on him.

Night wrapped his strong arms around her. He stared off into the darkness as they cuddled, stroking each other’s backs while the warmth radiated from their bodies. 

“You’re shaking,” he noted.

Velvet pressed her muzzle deeper into his fur. “I know.”

Night squeezed her tighter. Without saying a thing, he held her close and nuzzled her, staying like that for as long as she needed. He could feel her heart pounding in his ears, and Velvet was holding on to him like a vice, gripping him like he might float away.

At last, Velvet looked up into Night’s eyes. Gently, she pressed her forehead to his, crossing their horns with a soft click. The buzz of their mixed magic fields made their minds fuzzy, their hot breaths mixing and swirling like eddies in a current. They’d done this so many times—sometimes fast, sometimes slow, sometimes with passion, sometimes with feeling, and sometimes just because. Each time was special and had a meaning, but here and now, this time...

Velvet’s thoughts were abuzz with what-if’s. Worries and doubts, expectations on what they were about to do, how they were going to do it, what kind of challenges they were going to encounter. So many things could go wrong. So much possibility for disaster. Already the pressure was starting to keep her awake, and at this rate she wasn’t sure—

 —and then Night was kissing her, and nothing else mattered.

She couldn’t hold back her moan. Night’s gentle lips were like a soothing balm, pressing softly against hers while he petted her mane. He began sucking and on each of her lips in turn, the smek of his pecks sending a thrill through her. She tilted her head and opened her mouth, his hot, wet exhales brushing over her tongue; and she ground against him on impulse, his stiff stallionhood soaking her fur.

“Ah~” Velvet’s head was swimming. She slid her tongue in Night’s mouth and explored every inch of him with practiced ease. He started sucking on her tongue in turn, puckering his lips tight so he could keep her in longer. She pressed her head harder to his, her motions gradually growing fevered, and Night wrapped his tail around hers and tugged, sending a pleasant jolt through them. 

Velvet’s shivers gradually faded. She started pushing harder into his kisses, a need spurring her to pick up the pace. Eagerly, she swiped her tongue along his smooth teeth, her hooves creeping up to cradle his fuzzy head. Night growled and thrust hard against her, his own hooves drifting down to her godly hips. Inevitably he put more force behind his efforts as well, and for minutes their kisses rolled back and forth in a game, rediscovering each other’s bodies with rising passion.

Eventually, Night pulled away. He met Velvet’s eyes for a fleeting moment, then started licking her neck in long, weighty swipes. Velvet tensed from the electric thrill of his raspy tongue on her throat, her breath like a hiss as she started nibbling and sucking his ears. She felt him twitch and go a little bit faster, so she went to his other ear and did much the same… but then, feeling playful, she went and nipped the very tip...

...and suddenly she was on her back, with Night snorting over her like a mustang. 

“N-NIGHTY!” An even heavier blush crept into Velvet’s cheeks. Night’s wild eyes drilled into her like she’d been caught. She’d forgotten how sensitive his ears were in years past, and now that the gauntlet had been thrown adrenaline ripped through her like a lance, a coiled spring of fire blazing in her belly. “Oooooh, Nighty… Nighty, YES…”

Night’s nicker was like distant thunder. He ripped off her panties with magic, revealing her delicate, desperate flower. His thick, strong hooves pinned her in place as he kissed her again, this time hard and forceful. In a flash he broke away to suck on her horn, his teeth tracing along the grooves as his tongue snaked around the spiralling tip. Velvet squeaked and went cross-eyed from rising waves of delicious pressure crashing against her mind, and suddenly she became aware of the pre falling from Night’s length, dripping steadily and overflowing her navel.

“Nnnightyyyyyyyyy,” Velvet started slurring more and more. “Mmmrrrrrhhhh…”

Night puckered his lips and hummed, a low, guttural sound that sent delightful vibrations through Velvet’s horn. She felt herself wink, twice, her inner muscles spasming, trying to clamp down on the dick that wasn’t there. Her tail thrashed back and forth as it tried to hike up nice and high, so much so she thought it might lift herself off the bed. That fiery spring inside her was burning, hotter... hotter, always hotter…. and all Velvet knew was that she wanted him… SHE WANTED HIM...

“GUH!” Velvet ground against his dick sandwiched between them, a boiling rod of steel just for her. She caught wind of his earthy, familiar musk, and it snapped her resolve like a saltine. Her trepidations blanked as she morphed into a being of need, and she cried out one word in a stilted, cracking voice.

 “P-PLEASE!” 

Night didn’t need telling twice. He released her horn with a wet POP and pulled back to align himself for the deed. For a moment she felt him at his entrance, poking, swaying, moving with his subtle motions, her nether lips kissing his very tip. But Night wasn’t in the mood for teasing—he swooped down for one last frantic kiss, then jerkily, he pushed inside her hungry cunny.

Velvet was beyond words. Stars danced before her as she was penetrated with a loud schlick, that blazing, agonizing urge replaced with delicious, blessed fullness. Night’s long, broad girth spread her like she hadn’t been fucked in years, and his initial thrust alone sent shocks racing along her spine. She wasn’t sure if she’d ever been this tight, not even in her maiden days, and Night’s look of disbelief suggested he thought much the same. Already it felt like his dick was tickling the back of her throat, but even still, Velvet’s inner muscles kept devouring his entire length, her tunnel stretching, stretching, stretttttccching to accommodate him.

Snug. Soft. Wet. Those words repeated over and over in Night’s mind like a broken record. Velvet lips were parted, moving soundlessly as she took more and more of him. He thrust a second time, harder, and his medial ring slipped in with an audible squelch. Velvet’s mound bulged with his ample size, stuffed so very full yet still swallowing more, and her eyes fluttered and rolled into her head in a rapturous look he couldn’t get enough of. 

Night was almost in all the way. His sack was but a few inches away from brushing against her rear, and he could feel his balls stirring and swelling. He didn’t push at all anymore, he just let her pliable marehood be molded around him, planting love bites on her shoulder as a few inches became one… one-half… a quarter… a sixteenth...

...there.

Night and Velvet lay still. They looked into each other’s eyes while gasping for breath, slipping back into a tender kiss as their hearts beat as one.

“Hey,” Night whispered. 

Velvet stroked his cheek. “Hey.” 

Their sweaty manes were stuck to their necks. A rosy tint colored both their faces, and their pulses were racing a mile a minute. Their entwined bodies were primed and set to go on a hair trigger, yet they felt like they could stay like this for an eternity. 

Night nuzzled and murmured in Velvet’s ear. “I’d swear you were a virgin if I didn’t know better… you’re so ruddy tight… soft, too... no wonder they call you Velvet—GAH!”

Velvet’s powerful muscles kneaded his shaft like she was milking it. A long, loud groan escaped Night as he nearly lost control again, that bestial look seeping back into his eyes.

“Eager to be knocked up, are we?” he growled.

Velvet yanked on their tails. “Shut up and fuck me.”

Night didn’t argue. He pulled back with a strong motion, managing to get a little over half out of her passage. He rocked back and forth a few times with false starts, then with a proper thrust, he plunged once more into the breach.

Velvet’s voice rose a whole octave. That accursed emptiness had plagued her on the backthrust, but now her folds had reclaimed their virile prize. His dick was throbbing, his balls heavy and fat, and his pre made her insides all the slicker. He pulled back and thrust a second time, this time faster and stronger, and she wailed and arched her back, gripping him with all her might.

Velvet’s head lolled as Night’s tip barely brushed her cervix. He always did fill her up so nicely, and the way he went in at different angles to get her good spots… thank heavens Night had always been an attentive lover, because if he only cared about ‘getting to the finish,’ their sex life would’ve gone stale long ago. She wrapped all four legs around his barrel and pulled him in as far as he would go, yet he always broke free and slid back again for another thrust, the cycle fueling the fire within her even more.

Night found a good rhythm and kept pistoning away. Minutes passed as he entered and exited with meaty THWAPS, the bed shaking in time with their colliding hips. The candles around the room flickered and formed strange, wavy shadows around the room, dancing in rhythm with their desperate lovemaking. Night buried himself inside Velvet again and again, controlling his own pleasure while working to drag out hers, yet he couldn’t help but bite her mane and yank, causing her to shout his name before devolving into gibberish. 

But Night’s endurance wasn’t endless. He wanted to last longer, but Velvet’s sexy noises were pushing all his buttons, and his end had been waiting in the wings for a while now. But it looked like Velvet was getting close as well now, and in her state, he knew there was only one thing that was going to push her over the edge.

Night’s motions became unbalanced. A snarl escaped him as his muscles tightened to the point of pain, his balls reaching their boiling point. Velvet sensed the change and voiced her approval, moving with his thrusts to ensure sure he stayed inside. That fiery spring kept getting wound up tighter, demanding release, and just when she thought she couldn’t take it anymore...

“AH!” Night erupted inside her, shooting long ropes of seed into her waiting womb. He pumped load after load inside her, his twitching nuts producing more with every surge. He swiftly overflowed her and soaked their crotches, but even then he still kept cumming, his pulsing dick gushing out steady streams of stallion spunk. Velvet came as well with a joyous shriek, her pussy trying to hold in as much as it could, but that was impossible with Night’s unexpected output. She abruptly felt like she was soaring, flying high above the clouds, and her vision went dim and floaty as the blasted heated itch was quenched.

Their twin orgasms left them both reeling. Night was the one who came down first, and it was with a loud, sticky sound that he managed to disengage himself. For a few speechless moments he marveled at the sheer volume he’d produced; it looked like he spilled a jug of milk on the bed. He glanced down at his still-twitching package (seemingly no worse for the wear) and made a mental note to invest in some waterproof sheets.

“That…” Velvet said in a faint voice. “Was a good one…”

Night barked out a short laugh. “Doc wasn’t kidding about those supplements.”

With a weak magic spell, Velvet managed to collect most of the excess and dispose of it with a spell. She then scooched closer to Night, hugging him close with a dreamy sigh. “Mmmm, my hero. Vanquisher the vile heat.”

Night snickered. “My old foe.” He put an arm around her and planted a kiss just below her horn. “And just when I thought I’d sheathed my sword for good.”

Velvet rested her head on his shoulder. “I know you’re up to the challenge.” She closed her eyes and sank into the pillows, the warmth of his seed gloriously heavy inside her. “Along with all the challenges to come.”

Night was quiet. He looked up at the ceiling with unfocused eyes, thinking back on what it was they’d really agreed to. It was crazy enough what had already happened to them, but now this? What was raising this third child going to be like? How were they going to be received? How would he and Velvet be treated by extension? Sure, ponies were nice to them now, but what if this third child wasn’t what they wanted? Would he and Velvet be able to protect them?

“So many questions, never enough answers,” he said aloud.

Velvet didn’t reply, but she didn’t need to. There was nothing more to say.

Night snuggled next to Velvet and lay with her in silence, waiting until her heat flared back up and she needed another round.
> Chapter 3: The Foal Shower
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 3: The Foal Shower


Eight Months Later-

“Let’s see…” Velvet sat back in her favorite chair, pondering the plentiful pile of presents before her. “This one!” She grabbed a small box wrapped in purple paper and tore it open.

“Awww, these are adorable!” Velvet lifted the tiny pajamas for everyone to see. They were a pure, deep black, adorned with sparkly stars in the arrangement of constellations. “Thank you, Twily!”

Twilight Sparkle, who was sitting in the chair by the window, smiled softly. Also in the room were the rest of the family—Shining Armor, Cadance, Celestia, and Luna. It was rather inconvenient to have two separate baby showers (one for friends, another for family) but having royals in the family kind of demanded it.

“I thought it looked like the pajamas I used to have,” Twilight said. “You know, the blue ones?”

Velvet’s smile turned wistful. “You looked so cute in those…”

Twilight’s eyes fell on her mother’s pregnant belly. Heavy and round, her new sibling slept soundly within, snug and secure.  “I’m sure they will, too.”

Night snuck a peck on Velvet’s cheek. “Of course they will! We make good looking kids, right hun?”

Velvet giggled. “You goofball.”

Velvet had been pregnant even before she’d fully gone out of season. It’d been something they’d confirmed pretty quickly, but that hadn’t stopped her and Night from continuing to go at it like rabbits. Their sex drives seemed to be permanently stuck on ‘high’, and even months later, they were still eager and horny as ever. 

“Do you have pictures, by chance?” Celestia asked. She and Luna were sitting together once more on the couch, the only furniture large enough to accommodate them. “I’d love to see.”

“Yes, yes, yes!” said Luna, leaning forward. “Foal pictures are always fun!”

Twilight’s eyes shrunk to pinpricks. Stars above, Celestia and Luna wanted to see her baby pictures. Mission abort! Eject! Eject!

Velvet thought for a moment. “Hmm, I’d have to check the photo albums—”

“Mooommmm...” Twilight said.

Velvet raised an eyebrow. “What? It’s not like there’s any blackmail material in there. You were a sweet little baby.”

“Though you certainly gave your mother Tartarus before you were born,” Night muttered.

Velvet shuddered. That pregnancy, privately referred to as the Year of Suffering, had been a big reason why she and Night had stopped at two kids. Fortunately, this worst she’d had to endure this time around were cramps, cravings, and some mild morning sickness.

Twilight suddenly became very interested in the floor. “I-I… you, it’s just that... ergh…”

Celestia took pity on her. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you, Twilight. We don’t have to see them if you don’t want.”

Twilight didn’t even miss a beat. “Yes, please.”

Luna’s ears drooped. “Poo.”

Twilight’s eyes flicked to Luna, but she quickly returned her attention to the pajamas. “A-Anyways, A friend of mine help me weave some spells into the fabric. They keep the wearer comfortable regardless of temperature, they’re self-cleaning and resistant to stain, they can display things like heart rate, temperature, blood pressure, and magic levels, and they also stretch to fit the wearer up to a certain point! They should fit for about three years give or take a few months... oh, and they’re fireproof. Just in case of a magic surge.”

Velvet’s jaw about hit the floor. She’d noticed that the garment was enchanted, but she hadn’t realized said enchantments were permanent. A garment like this was probably worth several thousand bits!

Velvet gently set the pajamas back in the box. “That’s... quite impressive, honey. Thank you! All of those things will definitely come in handy.”

“Just all of those things?” Night said at Twilight. “No wish-granting features or invincibility charms?”

Twilight laughed. “I’m reserving those for my own foals.”

“Alright, let’s see…” Velvet looked through the pile, shifting her weight to prevent the foal from squishing her bladder. “I thiiiinnnk… I’ll opennnn… uuuuppp… this one!”

The present in question was pink with a gold and purple bow. Recognizing Cadance’s orderly hoofwriting, Velvet wasted no time in tearing it open.

Inside the box was a set of plain-looking diapers—about a dozen of them in total. They didn’t look fancy or out of the ordinary, but they did emanate a strange magic Velvet wasn’t familiar with.

“What do we have here?” Velvet picked up one of the diapers. “A Conjuration spell, I think?”

Cadance, who was on the loveseat with Shining, cleared her throat. “They’re designed to detect… ah, organic waste, and dispose of it. I thought I’d spare you the ickiness of changing diapers.”

Velvet’s eyes lit up. “Oho! Really?!”

Cadance nodded. “The spell on each one will only last a month, but it’s rechargeable. The instructions are in the box.”

Night in particular took a great interest in this. Leaning over, he eagerly inspected the diapers with a wide grin. “Oh, thank the stars… these are great, Cadance! These’ll be a lifesaver!”

Cadance giggled. “I figured this was a safe investment for me and Shiny down the line. I don’t like changing diapers, either.”

Shining shrugged. “Who does?”

Velvet caught the strain in her daughter-in-law’s voice. She seemed nonchalant, but there was the sliiiiiightest bit of yearning there, her eyes flicking down to Velvet’s belly now and again.

“And when’s that ball going to get rolling, hmm?” Velvet asked. “I certainly hope you two haven’t been deterred by Nighty and me—I’d love to see you start a family of your own!”

“Yeah!” Twilight chimed in. “I want nieces and nephews!”

“Surely you’re not going to let your parents win, are you?” Luna said. “They’re beating you now 3 to 0!”

Celestia snorted into her hoof.

In reply, Cadance turned to look at Shining, her face scrunched up like she was sucking on a lemon.

But Shining was undeterred. “It’s... been a lot of work reestablishing the Crystal Empire. Trade routes, border disputes, peace treaties, law revisions, national security, military protocol... we’ve been so busy that we wouldn’t be able to give a child any attention right now.”

Cadance hung her head. “We know we’ll never be typical parents, but we do want to be with them as much as we can. We’re not going to dump them on some wet nurse or nanny. That’s just not happening.”

“We’re hoping things will settle down in another year or two,” Shining went on. “Once we’ve finished laying down the foundation of… well, everything up there, we’ll start thinking about things like kids.”

Velvet looked down at the floor. She’d been afraid of something like this, but she wasn’t sure what to do about it. Shining and Cadance had a big responsibility in making sure the Crystal Empire was set back in order.

“Well, I think that’s smart of you,” Night said with a nod. “You realize having kids would be biting off more than you can chew right now, so you don’t want to get in over your heads. A mature assessment if I ever saw one.”

“Agreed,” Celestia said. “It takes a level head to realize that the needs of your little ponies take priority over yourselves. I know it’s not easy, but it’s our duty to make sacrifices.”

“Such is the burden of the crown,” Luna said.

Velvet bit her lip. We’re problems like this were just going to keep coming for Shining and Cadance? She wanted them to be happy, not weighed down by endless responsibility.

“That being said,” Celestia went on. “I think your decision to wait is due to a larger problem. If you really are short-staffed and overworked, we can spare you a few of our advisors to ease the load. That’ll give you the chance to find full-time replacements.”

“Which we also can help with,” Luna added. “We get applications for administrative positions all the time, from University graduates to industry veterans. Just tell us what you’re looking for, and we can send ponies your way.”

Shining and Cadance went stock still. If Velvet didn’t know better, she’d think they’d both just become statues.

“R-Really?” said Cadance. “You’d do that?”

“That’d help so much!” Shining blurted. “Yes! Yes, PLEASE!”

Luna frowned at them. “Perhaps you should’ve said something sooner, hmm? You needn’t suffer for nothing, you know.”

“And I feel like I should mention,” Night said. “That a certain other princess rather enjoys performing administrative work, particularly things like going through old books. Did it cross your mind that maybe she—”

BANG

“YES!” Twilight teleported in front of Shining and Cadance. “Yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes! Let me help you! I can go through the Empire’s archives and update things! I can revise the old laws and negotiate trade routes and amend border lines! Please let me do it!”

Velvet and Luna burst out laughing.

Shining, after getting over his mini-heart attack, haltingly found his voice. “O-Okay?”

Cadance smacked herself upside the head. “Oh, for pony’s sake… we should’ve thought of you to begin with, Twilight! You’re perfect for that!”

“She really is,” Velvet said, ignoring that it hadn’t occurred to her, either. Whatever, she could blame it on pregnancy brain. “With her handling your paperwork, you’ll be all caught up by the end of the quarter.”

Twilight laughed. “End of the quarter?! Please, Mom! I’ll have everything straightened out in a month. Six weeks, tops!”

Velvet rolled her eyes. “So long as you don’t burn yourself out, young lady.”

“If Twilight does indeed bring your books to code, I’d wager things will be much easier for both you,” Celestia said to Shining. “Combined with some extra hooves to spread out the remaining work, perhaps you’ll be able to focus on other projects.”

“Projects with eleven months of prep time, perhaps?” Luna said.

Velvet looked down at her belly with a fond smile. She could feel the light flutterings of the foal twitching in its sleep, so similar to how it’d been the first time. “I know you want to, Shining. I’ve seen the look in your eyes when you’re around little kids. It’s the same one your father had before we had you.”

Shining didn’t reply right away. He sucked his teeth and rolled his shoulders, trying to stay stoic despite dual puppy-dog eyes from his wife and sister. He noticed his father was trying to catch his eye, and while Night remained silent, his expression was one that spoke volumes.

“Let’s… see how things go,” Shining said. He put an arm around Cadance and smiled. “If everything really does slow down and get under control, then I don’t see any reason to hold back. I do want this, Mom, but I wanna make sure Cady are able to do it. Having kids requires time and energy.”

Velvet smiled back. “I know, sweetie. You’re right.”

“WOOOOOOOO!” Twilight raised a hoof in the air. “Oh, I can’t wait, I can’t wait! I just know your kids are gonna be so adorable! I can’t wait to spoil them rotten!”

Night turned to Celestia and Luna. “Guess this means we’ll be needing another foal shower soon.”

Judging by the looks on the the duo’s faces, neither of them had a problem with that.

Cadance leaned in and whispered in Shining’s ear. “Remember what we talked about. Four, at the very least.”

Shining chuckled. “Yeah, right. We’re not gonna be satisfied with just four.”

“Hmm, you’re right.” Cadance snuggled closer. “How many bedrooms are in the castle, again?”

Velvet decided that was enough chatter for now. She picked up a new present, this one in indigo wrapping. She noticed Luna sit up a little straighter upon her taking it.

Intrigued, Velvet opened up the gift and peered inside...

“Oh, my…” It was a circular crib mobile of metal, beautiful and intricate, dyed in colors of deep violet, pale lavender, and steely silver. The arms were inlaid with glittering runes (none of which Velvet recognized) and the edges were set with cloudy stones that almost looked like pearls.

Velvet lifted up the mobile, eliciting an “Ooooooh” from all present.

“A dreamcatcher,” Luna explained. “One of my own design. It filters out bad dreams and other maladies of the mind, but it also soothes ponies in the vicinity so they can may fall asleep. Infants wake during the night for many reasons, but with this, yours should sleep longer and easier.”

Velvet was speechless. She’d never seen so much care and effort put into something as mundane as a crib mobile! This had to be one of a kind!

“Geez, Luna.” Night carefully took it to look over himself. “This spellwork is top-notch! How long did it take you to make?”

Luna shrugged. “One of my first acts upon my return was to place enchantments like these across the entirety of the Dreamrealm. The mobile merely contains more focused versions of those enchantments. T’was something I did often in times past for those I favored, actually.”

“You haven’t done anything like that for me since you’ve been back,” Celestia pouted. “Am I not in your favor?”

“You haven’t asked,” Luna said without pause. “You know, that thing ponies do when they want something?”

Celestia blew a raspberry at her.

Velvet finally found her voice. “I-I don’t even know what to say. Thank you, obviously, but… wow. You said it’ll help the baby sleep?”

“Hopefully,” Luna said. “Newborns are notoriously finicky about sleeping, but with this, yours will likely not wake as often. Their slumber shall be smooth.”

Velvet suppressed a snort. Increased chance or not, far as she was concerned, she’d take any help she could get.

Celestia caught Velvet’s attention. “May I go next, Velvet?” She gestured to the white box in her lap. “I only have one gift, but after you see it, I think you’ll understand why.”

Velvet almost laughed. It appeared that not even Sol Invictus was immune to sibling rivalry. “Sure, but I’m not sure you’ll be able to top Luna’s gift.”

Celestia merely smiled. She hovered the box over to Velvet, who accepted it and opened it up to find...

A scroll. Just an everyday, mundane scroll, rolled up tightly and sealed with wax. Attached was a note written in tidy, flowing script, the i’s dotted with smiling suns.

Velvet-

 

Within this scroll is a spell that’s taken me the last six months to perfect. It’s just been tested and approved by both the Equestrian Mages Guild, and Equestrian Medical Association, meaning it is ready and available for use. It’s been given the classification of B-Class Hazardous Magic, but this merely means it can only be cast by a licensed physician or registered archmage.  

I know that foaling is excruciatingly painful ordeal. Even with the accomplishments of modern medicine, it still very much lives up to the title of ‘labor’. This spell was originally designed to merely make the process painless, but thanks to a breakthrough, I actually found a way to make the experience pleasurable. It works by—

Velvet’s eyes grew wider and wider as she read farther down. By the time she finished the letter, you’d think she’d seen a ghost. She set the letter down and gaped at Celestia, who merely winked in reply.

“What?” Twilight asked, looking between them. “Mom? What’d she get you?”

Velvet didn’t reply. She merely passed the letter to Night, whose face quickly mirrored Velvet’s. He opened and closed his mouth several times, but no sound came out.

“Okay, now I’m curious.” Luna turned to her sister. “What is it?”

Celestia leaned in to whisper to her. “You know that little project you gave me advice on a few weeks ago? I found a way to integrate the matrices.”

Luna mouth became an ‘O’. “Well, then...”

Velvet coughed and closed the box. “That’s very, um… very, considerate of you, Celestia! Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I imagine that this has already been... erm, distributed, to the local hospitals?”

Celestia nodded. “Along with several dozen trainers to instruct in its use. By year’s end, every hospital in Equestria will be able to provide it.”

“So are we just not supposed to know, then?” Cadance asked. “Come on, Auntie! Spill the beans!”

But Celestia remained aloof. “I think I’ll leave the announcement for the newspaper. I will say, though, that this is a gift for you as well, AND you—” she gestured to Twilight, “—when you decide to have foals of your own.”

Now Twilight just looked even more confused. Cadance, on the other hoof, perked up considerably. Shining’s expression was somewhere in between, but it was clear that the gears were turning in his head. He didn’t dwell long on it, though, as he instead produced a present of his own from behind the couch.

“My turn!” Shining held up his gift. “Here, Mom.”

Cadance apparently hadn’t seen said gift before this, as upon laying eyes on it, all the color drained from her face.

And Velvet could see why. The box wasn’t even completely covered on all sides, and there had to be half a roll of wrapping paper on the sides that were. Tape was everywhere on the thing (mostly doing more harm than good) and if she didn’t have her magic to force it apart, it’d likely would take forever to open. The words ‘Da Momma’ were written sloppily on the side in permanent marker.

Velvet took the papery abomination with a mother’s smile. “Thank you, dear.”

Shining snickered. “I probably should’ve had Cady wrap my gifts.” He gestured to the plethora of perfectly-proportioned pink presents peppering the pile on the floor. “She makes it look like art.”

Beside him, Cadance slowly… slowly lowered her head into a facehoof. “Never again, dear. Never. Ever. Again.”

Well, the wrap-job may have been terrible, but the gift certainly wasn’t. Within the box was an Ursa Major teddy bear, soft and huggable, with wide black eyes and a happy smile on its muzzle. Its lavender fur was incredibly fluffy, perfect for any infant.

“Oooh!” Velvet picked up the teddy bear and hugged it, rocking it back and forth in her hooves. “This is great, Shining! It reminds me of the one you had!”

Shining grinned. “Good ol’ Dipper. Go with what you know, right?”

Night leaned over to examine the teddy bear. “Not bad, bud… let’s hope they don’t sleep with it until they’re twelve, though.”

Shining turned a faint shade of pink. “I was eleven and a half...”

Celestia’s face grew into a smirk. “What’s this? My former Guard Captain, sleeping with a teddy bear until he was a preteen? I’m afraid we might have to revoke your Medal of Bravery for that.”

Luna’s expression grew grave. “T’is a considerable violation of protocol.”

Shining Armor didn’t even bat an eyelash. “I regret nothing.”

Velvet smiled fondly. She loved it when she could see her home as intended; a place where ponies could relax. Seeing Celestia and Luna letting their manes down—

“A-hem,” Twilight coughed.

Shining’s grin faltered. He rubbed his arms for a moment, his jaw clenching a few times before he spoke up. “Ah, another thing about the bear, Mom. Twily and I collaborated a bit with our gifts, and when she told me she’d enchanted the pajamas, I kinda... did the same thing with the bear.”

Velvet furrowed her brow. She examined the teddy bear closer, and sure enough, the bear was ablaze with protective enchantments. They likely were designed to be hidden from any and all prying eyes, but to Velvet, they were as clear as day.

“What did you do?” she asked, playing dumb. “I don’t sense anything.”

Shining sat up a little straighter in his seat. “You’re not supposed to. The wards are hidden with the highest Illusion spells, and they’re also tied to the baby’s magic signature. Deflection, repulsion, poison detection, elemental resistance, things like that. If one of the wards is triggered, you and Dad will be notified immediately, and an S-Class forcefield will be erected around the baby. The forcefield will only be able to be deactivated by one of the ponies in this room, and only if no mind-controlling effects are present on them.”

Velvet blinked several times. “Erm, I’m... not sure all of that’s necessary, Shining. I appreciate it, but I doubt the baby will be in danger from any of those things.”

Shining shook his head. “Mom, we’re some of the nation’s most important and powerful ponies. There’s a chance somepony may try to use you, or the baby, as leverage to get at one of us. I’ll be damned if I’m gonna let that happen.”

“He’s right, Velvet,” Cadance said. Her voice was soft, but fervent. “I don’t like thinking about it, but you and Night are at risk.”

Velvet sighed. Of course she knew that—she’d taken measures of her own to protect herself and Night. She was okay with some extra security, but she didn’t like having things forced on her...

...or slipped under her nose.

“I think you’re overreacting.” Velvet kept her voice flippant, her posture relaxed and at ease. “I appreciate that you want to protect us, but this is going too far. You may as well put wards on the whole house while you’re at it!”

Shining suddenly became quite serious. “...Twily?”

“...yeah?”

“How many protective spells and wards do we have on Mom and Dad, counting the ones on the house, and the ones we—” he gestured to everyone in the room save their parents. “—all helped you with?”

Velvet was cackling like a madmare on the inside. Oh, she was going to have a field day with this...

There was a very long pause before Twilight answered. She steepled her hooves and lowered her chin, a shadow falling over her face. One might think she was angry if they didn’t know her but in truth, she was actually counting. At last she opened her mouth to answer—

“One hundred and thirty,” Night said.

Everypony (save Velvet) flinched.

But Night just yawned and cracked his neck. “That’s what you were going to say, wasn’t it, sweetheart? One hundred and thirty spells, all cast in secret on your mother and I without our permission. You even put some impressive charms on them to keep us from sensing them.”

Twilight’s jaw dropped.

“One hundred thirty-three, dear,” Velvet said, her voice as icy as it was calm. “She put a few more on when she got here.”

Night raised an eyebrow. “Oh, really? What were these ones for?”

Velvet pretended to think for a moment. “I haven’t looked at them all yet, but one’s designed to cancel out the effects of a curse that ‘brings thoughts to life.’”

“Y-You… what?” Panic crept into Twilight’s face. “How?! I used a six-layer Falerion Concealment Array! There are Omega Class dampening runes etched around the house! There’s no way—”

“I’m your mother, Twilight.” Velvet rested a hoof on the crest her womb. “You forget you and Shining were once where this little one is now. Your magic is, and always will be, mixed in with mine, so it’s not hard to detect either of your spellwork.”

Something seemed to click for Twilight. “Gestative sympathetic arcane resonance...” She groaned and put her head in her hooves. “I forgot all about that...”

“I suggest you stop trying to hide things from us,” Night said in a voice like iron. “Both of you. We don’t appreciate being treated like we’re stupid.”

“You… you baited us,” Shining realized. “You just baited us into admitting guilt!”

“Yep,” Velvet said. “And you fell for it hook, line, and sinker.”

Celestia and Luna watched the exchange. They were tempted to say something, but not when the glares Night and Velvet were giving Twilight could’ve stopped a dragon in its tracks.  Cadance was less surprised—she’d been around a few times when Shining or Twilight had gotten chewed out.

“I’ve noticed you tend to add wards after something’s happened down in Ponyville.” Velvet’s eyes drilled into Twilight. “Is there something you’d like to tell us?”

Twilight gulped and shrank down in her seat.

“Wait, hold on!” Shining cut in. “Twilight didn’t—”

“Shining Armor,” Night and Velvet said as one.

The address was like a whip crack. Frosty chills raced down Shining’s spine as that tone clamped his mouth shut.

“S-Sorry,” he mumbled. 

Night stared at him for a moment longer before turning back to his daughter. “Go ahead, Twilight.”

Twilight felt herself starting to sweat. “We… uh, k-kinda had a mishap with an old book?”

“What kind of book?” Velvet asked.

Twilight’s wings twitched at her sides. “I’m not… actually... sure? I-I never actually saw it.”

Velvet and Night simply stared at her.

“Really!” Twilight said in a rush. “It got destroyed before I could analyze it! All I know is that contained a pretty nasty c-curse that one of my friends used on accident… made a bit of a mess in town, heh-heh...”

Velvet and Night continued to glare with all the gut-wrenching fervor of annoyed parents. Velvet also noticed that Cadance and Luna looked a little guilty, but that could be dealt with later.

“Was anypony hurt?” Night finally said.

“No, thank goodness,” Twilight said. “The curse was removed in time. There was just a bit of clean-up.”

“More than a bit,” Cadance muttered.

“We told you to be careful going through that library.” Night jerked his head at Celestia and Luna. “They told you to be careful! Who knows what kinds of things have wound up in there over the centuries?!”

Celestia took the queue. “He’s right, Twilight. I’d no idea a book of curses was in that library, hidden or no. It’s safe to say there could be anything out there.”

“I’ll remind you that we weren’t the ones who originally built that castle,” Luna added. “It was made by to the Council of Three Tribes, passed to us only when we were asked to rule.”

“But I wasn’t the one who found the book!” Twilight said. “Spike went out there by himself and found it in a secret room! If I’d known—”

“And why exactly,” Velvet said, her voice growing even colder. “Did you let Spike go off into the Everfree Forest by himself?!”

Twilight pursed her lips. She twiddled her hooves idly, her eyes falling to the floor.

“I think I can explain,” Celestia said. “From what I recall in the report, Spike had been left in the care of one Rarity Belle, who became emotionally distressed about something regarding her special talent. Spike wanted to help her, so he snuck off to the castle in the Everfree hoping to find a spell of some sort. That’s when he found the book.”

Velvet considered that. She’d met Rarity before; she’d seemed like a nice enough pony. Perhaps a bit too interested in the superficial, but not a bad sort. Velvet had also heard from Twilight that Spike had had a crush on Rarity, and while he wasn’t as smitten as he’d once been...

“I’d think twice about leaving Spike in Rarity’s care from now on,” Night said to Twilight. His eyes were still hard, but his voice had lost its edge. “He’s your familiar, and your responsibility. You can’t trust that other ponies understand the kind of trouble he’s prone to.”

“Yes,” Velvet said. “And I hope you’ve talked with both Rarity and Spike about all this. As a princess, as a caregiver, as a friend, you need to be the one that puts their hoof down.”

Twilight looked up, a dark glint in her eyes. “Oh, believe me. Spike is very much grounded for the foreseeable future. Rarity was more or less a victim, but she should have kept a better eye on him. Fortunately, she wants to make up for it however she can.” 

Twilight gestured at the baby pajamas. “She helped me enchant the onesie. Did it free of charge, of course, and she also mentioned making another pair on the house. She’s going to be doing some things for the town, too.”

Velvet let out a long exhale. “Well, it’s good to see that you’re not slacking on the discipline front. I know you don’t like exercising your authority, but I’m afraid that comes with the package. You have those wings for a reason, dear.”

Twilight rubbed her temples. “I know, I know…”

Celestia hid a small smile. She’d had a lot of trepidations about how the world would receive Velvet and Night’s third child, but she had less so, now.

“Now, as for the hundred-plus spells you have on us,” Night said to both Twilight and Shining. “Regardless of whether your hearts were in the right place, you really should’ve gotten our permission before casting them. You didn’t even give us a say in the matter! Does our opinion not matter to you?”

Velvet narrowed her eyes. “I seem to recall teaching you both that unsolicited spells on other ponies are not okay. Did that lesson not sink in?”

Shining winced. “We were afraid you’d say no…”

“...and you both can be stubborn about things like this…” Twilight added quickly.

“...and every day trying to convince you would be a day you’d be unprotected…” Shining said.

“...so we decided not to take the chance,” Twilight finished. “It just… wasn’t worth the risk.”

Velvet barked out a harsh laugh. “Stubborn about our own safety? Honey, we’re well aware of who you and Shining have become! It takes every ounce of our self-control not to brag about it! How naive do you think we are?”

“I think what’s happened is that you two have forgotten who we are,” Night said. “We may be old… well, maybe not anymore, but either way we’re not idiots. Did you think we forgot about Discord’s escape? The changeling attack? Sombra? The vines from the Everfree? We know you both lead adventurous lives, and our lives could get adventurous by proxy.”

“We’re touched that you’d do so much to protect us.” Velvet rested her hoof on Night’s arm. “And seeing you already looking out for your new sibling is amazing! But you can’t skulk around and go behind our backs. That is not okay. If you want to help with our security, you TALK to us about it first. Are we clear?”

Twilight and Shining mumbled affirmations and apologies.

“And maybe you can keep us up-to-date on these adventures you keep having, hmm?” Night said. “Neither of you write home as often as you used to. We miss the letters.”

Luna stifled a laugh. “The grievance of every parent.”

Velvet turned her attention back to the pile of presents waiting to be unopened. ”Now, let’s move on, shall we? Ooooh, this looks like a good one! Let’s see what we have here…”
> Chapter 4: Tomorrow May Bring
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 4: Tomorrow May Bring



 

Three and a Half Months Later-

Night yawned as he closed the bathroom door behind him. It’d been a pretty low-key Saturday, with him and Velvet working to get some last-minute things done around the house. Twilight’s old room was completely redone as a nursery, and the few belongings she still hadn’t brought to that new castle of hers moved to Shining’s room. They’d gotten the last bit of painting done a few weeks ago, too, and with the new wall border and carpet, it practically looked brand-new. Velvet had spent most of the day cooking and freezing things so they’d have easy to prepare meals in the coming weeks, and while they were pretty well stocked on supplies, trips to the store for random items would undoubtedly crop up.

Night’s thoughts wandered while he went about his nighttime hygiene. A part of him still couldn’t believe all of this was happening, but the reflection staring back at him was proof enough. His dark blue mane was full and vibrant, not a single gray hair to be seen. His amber eyes were clear and sharp, free of the crow’s feet and dark circles that’d plagued him. He didn’t look a day over twenty-five, with Velvet actually looking younger, and the longer he stared at himself, the more grateful he was they’d accepted Celestia’s deal.

But even with gratitude, said deal weighed heavily on his mind. 

Celestia and Luna, benevolent as they were, were hoping for another prodigy. Twilight and Shining had unspoken expectations that their little sibling would be like them. And with Velvet due any day now, the rest of the world had started harassing them for details on the foal. They ignored the attention for the most part, but they knew it was just the beginning.

And that’d been just one of the crazy things to happen lately. Shining had messaged them last week with the news that Cadance was pregnant. The week before that, a giant demon centaur had attacked Canterlot, stealing everypony’s magic and going on a rampage. Twilight’s spells had protected them from notice, but still, it’d been too close of a call…

Speaking of Twilight and Shining, Night couldn’t be happier at how they’d taken all of this. A part of him had been afraid they’d be weirded out by everything, or even worse, revolted at the use of ‘forbidden magic’. But when they’d finally come clean, Twilight had hugged him and Velvet in tears, overjoyed that she now had more time to spend with them. Shining and Cadance were similarly elated, with Cadance’s immediate question being whether Shining could eventually have the spell cast on him, as well.

To be honest, Velvet being pregnant seemed like an afterthought.

“Have as many kids as you want,” Twilight had said between sobs. “Just don’t make me b-bury you…”

“Of course it’s weird seeing you and Mom young,” Shining said with a shrug. “But weird’s kinda become par for the course for us, hasn’t it? If you guys wanna have another kid, go nuts. I don’t mind.” 

Night watched the water swirl down the sink drain. He doubted Shining and Twilight were going to play a major role in their new sibling’s life, them having their own responsibilities and whatnot. They’d likely be more like an aunt and uncle, but all things considered, that was probably the best anypony could hope for.

“Nighty?” Velvet called.

Night’s ears twitched. He’d thought Velvet had gone to bed already.

“Yeah, hun?”

“I’m in the study. Could you come here when you’re done?”

Night shrugged. “Sure thing.” He finished up, then opened the door and made his way down the hall.

He found Velvet sprawled out on the old couch by her desk. She was on her side wearing a set of striped socks she was fond of, her face scrunched up as she fiddled with a device of tubes, pumps, and suction cups. She was trying to attach said suction cups to the enormously swollen mammaries between her hind legs, but she wasn’t having much success.

“Come on…why won’t you... ERGH!” Velvet let the cups fall and gave him puppy dog eyes. “I can’t get them on.”

To describe Velvet as ‘heavily pregnant’ would be an understatement. Her gravid girth positively bulged with life, a precious maternal sphere jutting well past the couch cushions. The curve of her wide barrel, smooth and round, rose high above her shoulders and hips now, almost hypnotic as it rose and fell.

The rest of Velvet had filled out nicely, as well. Her curves had become even more defined in recent months, giving her hips and rear a delicious softness. Her entire body seemed to glow with vigor; her mane, tail, and coat all sporting that thick, lustrous look, and she had a calm, peaceful air that complimented her motherly form. Velvet’s pregnancies hadn’t always been this kind to her, looks-wise or symptoms-wise, but for whatever reason...

Night snickered as he took the pumps in his magic. “You’re leaking again?”

Velvet let her head flop onto the armrest with a grunt. “I could feel them filling back up an hour after dinner. I swear, they only just fit in my maternity bra now, and at this rate I’m going to outgrow it!”

Night could see she wasn’t lying. Her breasts were each larger than grapefruits, the fat, pink nipples leaking out streams of creamy milk. The dual swells were nestled snugly against her massive womb, the flawless skin stretched taut beneath her luscious silvery coat. He could also make out the thin, pink crease of her marehood just beneath her milk-drenched nethers…

…but from the cloying scent he caught upon drawing closer, that wasn’t just milk.

Night breathed on each nozzle to warm it up. He kneeled down next to Velvet, then slowly, he scooched in close to her undercarriage. Her belly looked even larger this close—tight and full, firm, yet soft. In days past he’d just sit there watching their foal shift about, pressing its little hooves against the walls of its sanctuary. The little tyke seemed pretty mellow right now, but Velvet was fidgeting despite this, her ample weight sinking deep into the couch cushions. 

Velvet couldn’t see what Night was doing; her bulk was so large it obscured her vision. All she could see was his back half, but that was enough to give her an eyeful of his hefty balls swaying back and forth. She tried not to pant as his weighty sheath twitched before her eyes, slowly relinquishing its long, thick prize.

“Mmmrrhh…” Velvet stretched out her legs, giving Night a tantalizing view of her fertile form. She swished her tail, already damp with her fluids and fanning him more with her scent. “I feel so full, Nighty. Just look... look at what you did to me! I hope you’re proud of yourself...”

Night licked his lips. He attached one of the pumps to her right teat, then stealthily, he ducked down to take in her lovely scent. Velvet felt him and hummed low, her eyes fluttering closed from his deep inhales. She heard the soft whir of the milking machine, and a few seconds later, there was blessed relief as her right teat was drained.

But as for the left teat…

Night pressed his muzzle to Velvet’s warm flesh. She was supple and soft, and he kissed along the edge of her breast for nearly a full moment, his tongue poking out here and there to taste her. 

“Please…” Velvet tried to lean into him,  but Night pulled back with a soft laugh. He took another deep whiff of her need, relishing the smell of aroused, pregnant mare—his mare. The aroma beckoned him to venture a bit lower, and he couldn’t help but tease her more, ‘accidentally’ nosing her folds with a quick lick…

A moan escaped Velvet before she could stop it. The sound spurred Night to kiss just a little bit harder, go a tiny bit faster, little nickers creeping into his breaths. She could see the clear beads of pre on his tip, his hips twitching every so often, and every time his erect length grew longer, it’d bounce off his underside to leave a clear, sticky splotch.

“Ohhhhh…” Now Velvet had caught his scent. She began stroking around her navel, now an outie despite not getting one during pregnancies one and two. Third time was the charm, it seemed. “Oh, yessss…”

Night was starting to feel that eager buzz, that headiness that always crept into his chest and thoughts. He swirled his tongue once around Velvet’s clit, never quite buzzing it but leaving her on the edge. He lapped up her nectar before kissing back upwards to her neglected teat, her engorged nipple sticking straight up, leaking more than ever and begging for attention. Yet still Night went agonizingly slow, dutifully licking his wife’s underside. He lapped up her excess while nibbling at her coat here and there, paying special attention to the tight, salty crease between her breasts and belly. Velvet cooed and coaxed him on, her limbs going slack as she purred like a kitten.

Night finally cleaned her up nice and good. He turned his attention back to her warm, soft breast, and with a cheeky grin, he swooped in and began suckling her.

Velvet’s breath caught in her throat. A heavy blush rose in her cheeks as Night’s firm, soft lips slurped her milk, eager and thirsty for all she had. A proper sigh finally escaped her in a sultry croon, and she murmured his name over and over while staring at nothing. Her whole world was centered around his naughty nursing, almost forgetting the still-burning fire in her core… almost.

Night may as well have been in a trance. Velvet was so warm, so alive, so fertile... It made him want to do this over, and over, and OVER, making a hero for every future disaster Equestria might face. He could feel the pulse of her body as he drank, and her pregnant belly seemed to throb with each pull, burgeoning a little bit more with their growing foal. He loved the way she’d learned to move with the weight, slowly swaying with that heavy maternal grace, and it was moments like this that he dreamed of her staying pregnant for longer...

Slowly, Night’s hoof wandered to her navel. He felt Velvet tense and grow warmer, then she rested her hoof upon his, guiding him to rub the fleshy nub in full. He obliged and twisted his hoof at her urging—

“MMMmm!” Velvet jerked her hips. She tossed her head as her leg twitched, a spike like like wildfire dancing across her skin. Little butterflies fluttered deep within in her belly that fanned the rising flames, and on cue, that telltale ache made itself known. She looked back over at Night’s back half, specifically at his tremendously virile package, and resisting the urge to fidget, she focused her magic on it, wrapping his length in her grip and squeezing.

Night growled. He started tugging harder, noisily slurping with loud smacks and pops. There was an impressive amount in her tonight, and it all easily flowed into his mouth, warming his belly more and more. He stepped closer and kept drinking, his senses now completely awash in her, his lusty urges fighting against his control. 

“It’s... b-bigger...” Velvet panted. Night’s cock was twitching and dripping in her aura, fully erect and all for her. “You’ve n-noticed... haven’t you?”

Night had. It was a rare side effect of the Age spell, triggering hormones that greatly enhanced sexual capability. It’d made his stallionhood longer and thicker, his testes fuller and heavier, his output now rivalling when he was taking those supplements. He barely needed any recharge time at all, now, and the result was he could fill her to the brim again, and again, and again...

Night suckled Velvet until her teat was bone dry, leaving the milker to finish the job on the other. He moved on now to her mountainous barrel, trailing upward in a stream of slow, steady kisses, stopping only to occasionally inhale the scent of well-oiled skin—sweet, light, and reminiscent of chocolate. He scooted closer and took her maternity in both hooves, feeling its full, squishy weight, gently nuzzling it with closed eyes. He pressed his face to its taut width while rubbing in slow circles, his heart soaring as he felt a hoof press against his cheek.

Velvet could only see Night’s back now, but she still could feel his length in her aura, dripping and twitching. She hummed as he caressed her, his loving touch like he was worshipping her. 

“Lotion,” Velvet murmured. She reached over to the end table, floating over a jar of thick yellow substance. She gave it to Night, who wordlessly opened it and scooped out a generous glob. Their nostrils flared with cocoa butter as he slathered it on her stretched skin, rubbing and blending it in with practiced ease until her belly was covered in a soft sheen.

“Ahh~”  Velvet sank further into the couch. She directed Nighty now and again to particularly itchy or sore spots, but otherwise let him work unheeded. A warm glow was in her chest and a needy ache was in her nethers, but she continued to stroke him at a slow, steady pace, just enough to keep him where she wanted...

Night continued to rub her steadily, but now he was also kissing her ribs, planting little nibbles here and there while making his way up her body. When he got to her heart, he stopped and gave it an extra long kiss, then a second kiss while looped his hoof behind her back. He kept kissing while travelling upward to her shoulder, then her neck, but now instead of kissing, he began sucking, feeling her pulse dance beneath her sweet skin.

Velvet was panting. She wrapped her hooves around Night’s head, pushing him down harder, her breath coming in hisses and gasps. Her heart was thudding in her chest, a heavy blush in her face as Night sucked her neck, and—oh Celestia, his breaths there, those hot, snorting puffs of air every time he exhaled through his nose…

“You naughty boy…” Velvet squeezed his length a little tighter, kneading and pumping it with care. Her magic extended to his hefty sack, avoiding his balls while tugging ever-so-gently on the loose, stretchy skin. “Don’t stop…”

Night released her neck with a wet POP to start nibbling her jawline. He nuzzled her cheeks before touching his lips to hers, and then they were lost in a deep, deep kiss, their tongues darting out to embrace. Softly, tenderly, they kissed once, twice, thrice, Velvet setting the tempo while they pushed back and forth. But one of them always wanted more when the other pulled away, and so they made a game of it to see who’d crack first...

The game might’ve gone on for some time if not for the DING of the milking machine.

“Ngggaaahh…” Night pulled away with rosy cheeks. A tendril of saliva connected their mouths, and his gaze became locked with Velvet’s, her smoldering bedroom eyes luring him back in.

“Velvet, love,” Night said. “Serious question...”

Velvet stroked Night’s dick a little faster. “Hmm?”

Night’s eyes were greedy, his tongue flicking in and out. “Wanna try for twins next?”

Velvet replied by pulling Night back in for another kiss. She bit his lower lip and moaned into his mouth, and he took that as answer enough. He pulled the suction cup off with magic and moving the machine away, then in an impressive display, he encased Velvet in magic and lifted her, her pregnant weight nothing to him as he carried her to the bedroom like a trophy.

“OH!” Velvet squeaked. “Ohhhhh, my big strong stallion…” She let Night take them their room, sighing happily as he set her down like a feather on their bed. “You gave me two amazing children, and now, you’re giving me one more…”

Night crawled up behind her a second later, swiftly pulling her to her chest. He looped his hooves around her while he breathing in her scent, his stallionhood matting, no, marking her coat. “I’ll give you as many as you want, dear...”

Velvet snuggled into him and wrapped her tail around his, both of them now gently cradling their foal. “Can you—ah—imagine?” Night had started kissing her neck again, his touch like lightning on her skin. “Some couples—nngh—don’t have sex at all—mmmh—while pregnant—AH! Oh, yessssss…”

Night had moved his hips, using magic to align his size between Velvet’s breasts. He pressed himself between the milky mounds and kept here, the base of his shaft pressed against her marehood as he moved back and forth. His movements stimulated her clit, sending constant jolts through Velvet, his leaky tip brushing her belly with each thrust with inches to spare.

“Nighty...” Velvet added her magic to his, pressing her breasts together and squeezing him further. She felt him start a steady rhythm, muscles tensed and bristling, him fighting to stay in control. He was like a caged animal—docile at first glance, but oh-so-ready to spring at any moment. The thought made her quiver and press harder against him, her waiting vulva winking against his shaft, yet still he didn’t break...

Night chewed and tugged on Velvet’s scruff. Her pillowy breasts were like heaven, and her plump, cushiony rear against his hips was divine. The mass of her fertile barrel was a thing of beauty, and he hadn’t stopped with the lotion the whole time, caressing the stretched skin in small, circles. Every muscle in his body wanted to go faster, to give in to that inner fierceness and take her, but even as his impulses roared, he maintained his efforts to savor his pregnant wife.

Velvet’s moans became low and husky. She leaned more of her weight against him, wanting more of his embrace, and he obliged, gripping her harder as his feathery lips snuck up to her glowing horn. He kissed all around her sensitive base, his teasing tongue tracing its grooves and delighting in the feel of her magic. He started licking her like a lollipop, and when he did, that clenching ache in Velvet’s nethers bloomed into a fiery need. Her moans soon became higher, more desperate, laced with whimpers and gasps that made Night grin, sending a message he heard loud and clear.

“Fast, or slow?” he whispered.

“Slooowww,” Velvet mewled at once. “Slow, slow, slowwwwwwww…”

Night pulled back just a bit. He used magic to bend his sizeable rod towards Velvet’s sopping entrance, then with a bit more, he peeled back the petals of her flower. He nibbled on her ear while pressing his tip to her vulva, and while he didn’t fit at first, the pressure on her entrance kept building, building, building… 

“Ahhhaaaaahhhhaa...” Velvet both heard and felt the lewd, wet POP of his spongy head slurping inside. Night’s gasp was like a hiss in her ears, and she felt his muscles tense with her, gripping her nice and tight while her voice rose and fell. Little by little he pushed into her, his efforts feeding that all-encompassing burn, and she arched her back against him, thrusting her prominent womb beyond their embrace.

It was with a snail’s pace that Night moved. He dragged out their sensations with practiced ease, kissing and ravishing Velvet with years of practice. He wiggled his hips every so often, his hooves moving down to rub her cutie marks, marvelling at how she remained so mind-bogglingly tight despite their frequent lovemaking. She always knew just how to squeeze him, bearing down on him with her soft inner walls, trying to milk him like he’d milked her. Minutes passed before even his medial ring slipped in, but neither of them cared so focused were they on each other’s sounds, scents, and touch.

Velvet could feel their foal shifting in the excitement. The little flutters only added to the storm inside her, and it made her moan all the louder. It wasn’t long before her first peak rolled over her, a stealthy thing that hit her out of the blue, yet all it did was leave her wanting more. A tingling burst swept through her as the second orgasm hit, making her shudder in the best way, but she was just that much more eager. Night felt her shuddering and pushed his medial ring inside, determined to further drag out her high, and when he did, that tingling burst was followed up immediately by third. Her voice cracked then, girly and lewd, and she bared down on him, hard, her nether lips sucking the rest of him inside.

“?!” Night thrust even deeper on reflex. He abruptly found himself hilted, his hips pressed against Velvet’s pillowy plot, and his eyes shrunk to pinpricks as the sudden move allowed the caged beast to barrel free.

A feral snarl escaped Night. He bit her mane and yanked, and Velvet’s cries became desperate whinnies of need. He began pumping in and out of her like a stallion possessed, yet Velvet merely wanted more.

SHLICK! SHLICK! SHLICK! SHLICK! SHLICK!

Night was relentless. He held nothing back as he claimed her again and again, stuffing her full with his hot, throbbing horsecock. He could feel her tunnel stretching, her legs quivering, her whole body warming, all of it spurring him to longer, harder strokes. He buzzed her clit on every backthrust, and soon she was yelling his name over and over, her depths thirsty for his seed.

Again and again, those tingling bursts spread out from Velvet’s core. Her blooming barrel was awash in it all, making her tunnel squeeze and clamp down even harder. The mass of her womb bounced with Night’s thrusts, the very end of his tip just tickling her sealed cervix, the jolts adding to her pleasure. She’d lost count how many times she’d cum, but what mattered more was that Night hadn’t, and so he continued to rail her fierce and fevered, the sounds of sex heavy in the air. 

It soon came to a climax. Night felt that telltale tingling, that familiar internal rush. His pistoning became unsteady, stuttering, his muscles contracting with each push, his flat flare swelling fat and lodging firmly inside her. He wedged his cock as far as it would go inside, and with one final twitch he bit down on Velvet’s shoulder, her approval ringing through the air—

“AH!” Night exploded inside her, the first jet splattering her deepest barrier and painting it white. He erupted again, his hot, hot, hot, jizz spreading all throughout Velvet’s tunnel, making it slippery and slick in all the right ways. His third and fourth loads were even bigger, the fifth and sixth even more so, and soon her pregnant pussy was saturated in his sticky stallion seed, so virile even a drop could knock her up again.

Velvet very nearly whited out. The heat of his orgasm inside her, oh Goddess, that blessed, delicious HEAT. How it added to the pulsing warmth surging through her, to provide that final push that sated that gnawing, clenching ache. Her mind became awash in floaty goodness, her limbs going rigid with each new wave, and her voice petered out to a breathy groan, hugging and stroking her burgeoning belly while bearing down on Night’s member.

Night kept going for a good bit after that, his teeth grit as fresh cum travelled up his thick, long shaft. He could feel their foal all the while, its movements like faint vibrations, and the surreal sensation filled him with a rush of pride. He eventually did peter out and relax his grip on Velvet, but when he did, he did nothing to remove himself from her… nor did she from him.

“Such a loud, lewd mare I married...” Night kissed the spots he’d bit, running his lips along the shallow teeth marks. “We’re gonna need soundproofing spells again soon...”

Velvet tilted her head back to rest in the crook of his neck. “Not... for a year... or so.”

It was barely even a moment before Night’s kisses became fevered again. In years past he would’ve felt a pinching strain deep inside his core right now, but all he felt was a pleasant buzz… a buzz that kept him horny, heated, and hard.

“I can’t get enough of you...” Night twitched inside her, the wet heat making him all the more eager. “But… ungh… we’ll have to be careful, or we really could… nnnf... wind up with twins…”

Velvet’s eyes met his. Their cheeks were rosy, their breath coming in quick pants. They licked their lips over and over, their tongues searching for each other. Neither of them spoke, but something passed between them all the same, and in an instant they were kissing harder than ever, their dual moans sounding in each other’s their mouths. Night started moving again, fluid and smooth, and Velvet resumed squeezing in time with his thrusts, her powerful muscles massaging him while their tongues moved back and forth. They pushed into each other on both ends as their thoughts became filled with the promise of the future, of what tomorrow may, or may not bring.

It was a long time before they went to sleep.
> Chapter 5: Hello, Little One
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 5: Hello, Little One



Two Months Later-

The length of a mare’s pregnancy wasn’t a surefire thing. Baseline time was eleven and half months, but due to any combination of factors (mostly age and previous pregnancies), that time could vary. Doctors weren’t able to determine set due dates because of this, so instead, they assigned what’s called a ‘labor window’. 

Labor windows ranged anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. However, older mares tended to have longer labor windows, doubly so if it wasn’t their first foal. Additionally, a foal wasn’t considered ‘overdue’ until the labor window is up, so most doctors weren’t willing to induce until then. That meant that there was often nothing for the expecting parents to do but wait in the last few months in a tense, uncomfortable limbo.

“Mmhhh...” Velvet stared blithely at the cream-colored walls of Canterlot General Hospital. Every room in this place was the same—no decor, no comforting colors, just bland, boring beige. “I’m hungryyyy...”

Night, who was sitting at her bedside, looked up from his newspaper. “Want me to see if they’ll give you more fruit?”

Velvet pouted. “I don’t want fruit! I want an extra large hayburger, a double order of fries, and a cookies and cream milkshake!”

Night snickered. “Just a little longer, dear.”

In ponies, the more ‘experienced’ a mare was being pregnant, the more their bodies acclimated. Mares on their third foal or beyond were usually given a labor window of two months, but in very, very rare cases, in went on to three or four. Velvet thankfully wasn’t one of those rare cases, but at thirteen and a half months pregnant and officially overdue, she was quite ready to have this baby, thank you very much. 

“Errrrrghghghghgh…” Velvet struggled to sit up so she could scooch to the side of the bed. Her burgeoning womb was like an over-inflated beach ball, heavy and enormous and taking up all of her lap. “Help me up. I wanna walk.”

Night’s aura enveloped her in a gentle glow. Velvet hefted her weight up with his help, getting to her hooves with a grunt and a sigh. This foal was certainly a healthy one—it’d only dropped this last week, and the width of Velvet’s barrel was now hanging even lower between her legs. They’d thought she’d looked huge two months ago, but apparently she’d had a good bit more to grow...

“Whoa…” Velvet staggered from a sudden headrush.

Night held her steady. “Easy.”

Velvet’s labor window with Shining had been two weeks. A common estimate for firstborns, and he’d arrived right in the middle of it. Twily had been born eight weeks before her labor window, but she’d been induced. This third foal didn’t seem to be falling in either of those categories.

Velvet blinked to make the spots fade from her eyes. “I got it, I got it... I’m fine…”

But Night didn’t relax his hold just yet. He waited until she stopped swaying , watching her like a hawk as she yawned and shook herself. “Do you wanna walk down the hall?” he asked. “Or just in here?”

“Just in here.” She began a slow, measured trot across the length of the room, her glorious hips drawing his eye. “I keep getting creepy-crawlies in my legs.”

Night’s eyes were glued to her as she moved—her steps in pace with the glorious sway of her silvery barrel. The last two months had had certain… benefits, but always needing to be ready to rush to the hospital on a moment’s notice wasn’t exactly a picnic.

“Ergh...” Velvet grit her teeth. “Here comes another one…” She stood in place as a tightness seized her, her inner muscles cramping up. “Dammit… dammit, dammit, dammiiiiiittttt…”

Night winced. While false labor contractions at this point were good, they still didn’t look fun. “When did they say they could cast Celestia’s spell on you?”

Velvet stamped her hoof. “Not—fucking hell—until my water breaks! ERGH! Hurry up, you stupid medicine! WORK ALREADY!” 

Night glanced at the clock to find it was a little past eight in the evening. The nurse had given her the meds around two, and from what she’d said, they could take up to a day to kick in. 

A particularly nasty wave of pain gripped Velvet. “SONNUVA—” Heat poured off of her in searing bursts. “COME! THE! HAY! ON!”

The edges of Velvet’s mane and tail flickered and snapped. Night double-checked that the room’s fireproof charms were intact as sparks popped off of Velvet’s steaming form.

“ERRRGH!” Velvet erupted into flames. She flung a wave of magical rage at the wall, a sweltering inferno exploding out like napalm. 

WUMPH

Night made no comment as the fiery blast washed over his forcefield. The door and windows rattled, the air buzzing and pulsing, thick with a whooshing magical hum.

“Greh… zeh…” Velvet stared daggers at the wall, which didn’t even sport a scorch mark. Her eyes glittered and waved like candle flames as an inferno swirled around her in a vortex. “Burn… burn it all… burn everything…”

“Even me?” Night asked.

Velvet whirled. “ESPECIALLY you!” 

But Night just gave her a grin. “Awww, but I thought I was your partner in crime.”

“YOU are the cause of my suffering!” Velvet waddled over, her wild flames licking and dancing across his shield. “How about we swap bodies and YOU have the next kid, huh?! See how you like it!”

Night feigned surprise. “Next kid? Why honey, who says we’re having another one?”

Velvet poked a sizzling hoof at him. “YOU’VE been all over me ever since all this started. I’m suddenly supposed to think you can control yourself the next time I go into heat?! You can’t even resist me anymore, you horndog!”

Night waggled his eyebrows. “Takes two to tango, hot stuff.”

“SHUT UP.” Velvet slapped her blazing tail against his shield. “I’ve been a mess of hormones. You don’t have that excuse!” 

Night sighed and leaned back in his chair. “Honey, we’ve been married thirty-two years. If I actually couldn’t control myself during your heat cycles, we’d have a lot more than two kids. Three. Whatever.”

Velvet scoffed. The pain was finally bleeding away to leave only pangs behind. “Oh, you say that now. Remember after Shining was born? You were all up in arms against having a second, but then lo and behold you got drunk one night—”

“We got drunk.”

“—and suddenly you’re balls-deep in me without a condom—”

“Because we didn’t know you’d gone into heat early,” said Night. “A whole month early.”

“IT’S STILL YOUR FAULT!” Horn blazing, Velvet hurled a searing fireball at his junk. “YOU SAID YOU WERE GOING TO PULL OUT!”

Night watched the blast strike his shield. He was quiet for a time as his wife snorted and scraped the ground, a pregnant avatar of fury.

“Imagine,” he said in a quiet voice. “If I had.”

Velvet paled. Her rage was snuffed out as she cringed and looked away, her gaze falling to the floor.

“I... I don’t think I want to,” she murmured.

Silence fell. Night retrieved his paper, and Velvet continued to pace back and forth, the vague scent of ash in her wake. The only sound was the steady clack of her hooves on the floor set by the ticking of the clock.

“...It’d ease the pressure a bit,” Velvet eventually said. 

Night glanced up. “Another foal?”

Velvet put a hoof on her belly. “At the very least, the two of them could relate to each other, you know? Have somepony around their own age to vent to. Shiny and Twily had that dynamic, maybe that was part of the formula.”

Night pursed his lips. “Maybe… maybe.”

Velvet sighed. “Maybe, maybe, maybe.” She picked at the ID bracelet around her leg. “So many maybes…”

Night’s eyes grew unfocused. Jokes and dirty talk aside, they’d been seriously discussing the possibility for months. They still weren’t any closer to a decision.

“Would we be happy with a fourth?” he asked.

Velvet rolled her shoulders. “We know what it’s like raising two. We handled it well enough.”

Night frowned. “That’s not what I asked.”

“I don’t know, Nighty!” Velvet came over and sat beside him, hugging herself. “I can’t even decide how to approach this with Shiny and Twily gone! Does it count as numbers three and four when we barely see the first two anymore?! We may as well be starting over!”

Night exhaled out his nose. Part of him echoed the sentiment, but...

“It’s like we pressed a reset on our foal-rearing years,” Velvet muttered, half to herself. “Certainly feels that way.”

Night put a hoof around her and began rubbing her back. “It does… and it doesn’t.”

Velvet closed her eyes, leaning into him with deep, measured breaths. “I enjoyed raising Shiny and Twily. Didn’t you?”

“You know I did.”

“So why do you keep—”

“Because we’re not raising Shining and Twily again,” Night said. “This foal, and any ones after it, are going to be their own ponies. We may find we can only handle one more, or that we can handle having a foal every year. This is a whole new adventure.”

Velvet slumped. “I just… wish I knew what to do.”

Night stroked her mane. “You be there for me, and I’ll be there for you. Everything else, we’ll take as it comes. Sound good?”

Velvet nuzzled the crook of his neck. “Alright...”

Knock, knock, knock.

Not moving, Night opened the door a crack with magic. The pony outside took the cue and walked in.

Well, more like ducked in. Princess Celestia was a little tall for most doorways.

“Sorry for being going so long,” she said. “The doctor was in the middle of another delivery.”

Night shrugged. “You didn’t miss much.” 

“Our little bundle of joy still doesn’t wanna come out of Mommy,” Velvet growled without opening her eyes. “I’m about ready for a c-section.”

Celestia’s eyes were soft. “I’m sorry. I’d hoped that this wouldn’t be hard on you.”

Velvet let out a dry laugh. “Not hard, Celestia. Just… drawn out. This is nothing compared to Twily.”

Celestia nodded. “The perfect storm of misery, you called it.”

Velvet shuddered.

“Velvet’s body just didn’t agree with Twily’s,” Night said. “The doc insisted we induce at forty weeks, and everything about it was fast—the induction, the labor… Twily was born in hours. ”

“And we fully expected her to be a demon child,” Velvet muttered. “But lo and behold, she was a calm, low-key baby! I was even was able to nurse her.”

Celestia furrowed her brow. “Really?”

“Was even more mellow than Shining,” Night said, nodding. “She didn’t like sleeping at night, but she was down for the count if we let her stay up late. Meanwhile, Shining…”

“Would not sleep for more than two hours at a time.” Velvet rubbed her temples. “We finally had to have my mother come stay with us so Nighty and I could get some sleep.”

A smile tugged at Celestia’s lips. “Is that when you got ‘Dipper’?”

Night and Velvet laughed. 

“Still don’t know why he latched onto that bear so hard...” Velvet said. “He had tons of stuffed animals! Why that one?”

“Kinda hoping his firstborn’s a fussy sleeper.” Night’s thoughts turned to Cadance, who was only about twelve weeks along. “Then again, they’ll probably just get a nanny to help them... lucky ducks.”

Idly, Celestia plucked the medical papers off the back of the door and scanned them over. “I did say I’d be happy to arrange the same for you.”

Velvet shifted her weight, the hefty mass between her legs fighting inertia. “I’m… still not sold on that. Qualified or not, I’m not comfortable letting a stranger care for my baby.”

“We might consider it if we’re getting overwhelmed,” Night added. ”But for now, we’re good.”

“Very well.” Celestia put the papers back and looked down at them. “Velvet, the doctor said now’s a good time for me to cast my little spell on you. It won’t help you go into labor any faster, but it should—”

“DO IT,” Velvet all but shouted.

Celestia didn’t waste time. First she dimmed the lights, then she produced a pair of dark glasses and gave them to Velvet. “A side-effect of the spell is eye dilation,” she explained. “You don’t have to wear these now, but we’ll need to raise the lights once your labor starts, and you’ll definitely want them then.”

Velvet took the glasses. “Alright.”

Celestia motioned for Night to move aside. She chanted out a string of soft words, a ribbon-like stream of gold swirling out from her horn and enveloping Velvet. A tingling pressure built in the air, everyone’s ears popping as the hairs on their napes standing on end. The magic focused in on Velvet’s head and seeped into her skull, almost like it was massaging her brain.

“Oh.” Velvet’s posture sagged. The aches in her paunch flickered, then shifted altogether as if a switch had been flipped. “Ohhhhhh…”

More ribbons enveloped Velvet to coat her in a soothing glow. The stabbing, shooting pains became replaced by strange pleasreful jolts that made her squeak. She’d been feeling so tight and sore from the cramps, but now that tightness was being unwound, and a familiar, throbbing need was surfacing in its place...

Velvet’s pupils grew huge. Her head tilted to the side, her lips slowly parting. The spell completed with a fading hum as the magic raced through her veins.

Celestia studied her. “How does that feel?”

Velvet barely heard. Residual, tingling pinches of pain pleasure were echoing through her body from far away. Her head felt spacey, as if the world had been dunked in fog, and everything looked like it had an afterimage.

“Wow.” Velvet’s voice was throaty and low. “Wowwwwwww…”

Celestia laughed. “That about sums it up.”

Night chewed on his lip. He’d think Velvet had just been pumped full of morphine if he didn’t know better. “How long does this spell last?” 

“Twelve hours,” Celestia said. “There are six unicorns on staff here that are trained in the spell, so you’ll be fine if it needs to be recast. Just flag down a nurse and tell them.”

Velvet tried to shake her head clear, but the syrupy fuzziness remained. The room didn’t seem so dim anymore… did they turn the lights back up? “I liiiiiiiike thisssss...”

Celestia patted her shoulder. “I have to leave now, but I’ll be back tomorrow evening to check in. Luna will be in sometime around the early morning.”

Night helped Velvet back into bed, adjusting it so she could sit up instead of lay down flat. “Have you heard from Shining or Twily at all?” he asked.

Celestia’s ears drooped. She produced a pair of scrolls, one folded like a snowflake, the other with singed edges. “I’m afraid Twilight is away in the Smokey Mountains trying to stop a clan war. Shining and Cadance are also busy, in Yakyakistan working out new trade negotiations. They won’t be here for several days.”

Night and Velvet hung their heads.

Velvet watched the convex curve of her stomach rise and fall with her steady breaths. “And before long, this one...”

Celestia chewed on her lip. She shuffled back and forth on her hooves, wings fluttering at her sides. “Velvet—” 

“Thank you for everything, Celestia,” Night said without looking at her. “You and Luna have kept your end of the bargain. If you’ll excuse us, now...”

Celestia’s face fell. “...Of course.” She headed for the door and walked out. “I shall be back tomorrow evening.”

Velvet and Night held each other’s hooves in silence. Velvet’s thoughts swam through the spacey sensations, the pleasant tingles her only solace.

“Ten years,” she whispered. “Ten years... and then whisked away to one boarding school or another, put on some accelerated learning program. We’ll be lucky if we even see them on holidays.”

Night said nothing. He merely scooched closer and squeezed her hoof.

“Is it wrong,” Velvet murmured. “That part of me hopes… that this foal won’t be anything special? So we have one… just one, that we don’t have to share with the world?”

Night sighed. “If it is, then I don’t want to be right.”

Velvet’s breath hitched as a fresh wave of warmth built inside her. “We sent them off so young, Nighty... It wound up being the right decision, but... d-do you think they resent us for it?”

Night shook his head. “They wouldn’t be so protective if they resented us. For Pete’s sake, if any poor bastard ever tries to attack us...”

There was a dark, twisted pride in that. A part of Velvet almost wanted it to happen, to see some scumbag fall prey to the onslaught of arcane traps and spells, only to then face the wrath of an enraged alicorn archmage and a military-trained S-Class unicorn.

Night nuzzled Velvet’s fetlock. “This might just be our lot in life, hun. Maybe… maybe being the parents of heroes is our way of serving the country.”

Velvet snorted. “Now THERE’S something I never imagined growing up. Perform a civil service by getting knocked up! Who knew?”

Night grinned. “I guess the future of Equestria depends on us having lots and lots of sex, dear. We can’t let the nation down.”

Velvet giggled despite herself. “I can’t believe I married you.”

“I can’t believe you did, either.”

Velvet pulled him closer. “Kiss me, you goof.”

And so he did. His touch was like a spark on dry parchment, and it wasn’t long before Velvet was wrapping her hooves around his shoulders. Night let her take lead, matching her fervor as his eyes fell closed. He welcomed her tongue snaking into his mouth, and soon, the hot, wet blast of heat signalled the start of the old dance.

Velvet let out a throaty hum. The tingling ratcheted up a notch to crash over her with greater strength. She kissed Night harder, her hooves resting on his shoulders, the tips of their horns grazing.  Helium filled her chest as familiar flutterings resounded in her womb and mixed with the throb in her groin. Soon a heavy blush was in her cheeks as she smelled her own excitement, her twitching tail waving back and forth.

Night felt a familiar magic pawing at his groin. He made no move to stop it, and so Velvet grew bolder, enshrouding and massaging his sheath in her aura. His member swelled and slipped free, pulsing with every beat of his heart. He shivered and groaned into their kiss, resting a hoof on her oversized belly and rubbing it gently. He also slid a magic tendril of his own into her cunny, tickling her soft walls and exploring her wet depths.

Smek… smek… smek… Their kisses rolled into one another as they leaned into each other’s touch. It was almost leisurely the way they fanned each other’s flames, but never going over the edge. Velvet felt her muscles tightening and relaxing, flexing with a dull, clenching burn. Sensations ran through her in a fevered myriad, confused synapses firing off, hormones flooding her addled system in a rush. Her nethers ached as she squeezed around Night’s tendril of magic, and she moaned loud into his mouth, needy and lewd.

Velvet pulled away. “Nighty…” Her dilated eyes were wide, her breath coming in pants.

She licked her lips as another wave of warmth crashed into the shore of her mind. “It might... kickstart the labor… if you…”

Night privately noted they’d been trying to ‘kickstart’ the labor like that for weeks. Then again, considering Velvet was on the inducing medicine now…

Night glanced at the hospital bed. It was a bulky thing on wheels, and it had buttons, switches, and adjusters on the sides. Not exactly the ideal spot for sexytimes.

“How you wanna do it?” he asked.

Velvet’s horn flickered. “Pick me up.”

Night got the hint. Calling on his magic, he enveloped Velvet in his blue aura and lifted her with ease. She hung there as if she were in water, legs tucked in at her sides, her tail flicking.

“Spin me around,” she directed from her vantage point. “And you get in the bed.”

Night could see where this was going. He followed her directions, hopping in beneath her and adjusting the bed to be flat again. He now lay there atop the covers, his erect dick a virile spire, his pregnant wife looking down at him like a fertile angel.

“Bring me down,” she said. “Slowly.”

Night obeyed. Velvet descended at a snail’s pace, her hips aligned with his. They never left each other’s eyes the whole time, a giddy tension building, his foot-long stallionhood slick, thick and throbbing. His productive balls were churning and bloating up with fresh seed, and his sack sank lower and lower until it rested on the bed, his nuts sloshing and full.

The hum of Night’s magic was the only sound as their sexes touched. His dick wasn’t quite lined up at first—the angle had made it hard to see. His flat head slid along her labia and coated her lips with pre, until at last he eased her down, her folds parting to accept him...

“Nightyyyyyyy~” Velvet went cross-eyed. His girth spread her wide, filling that yearning emptiness so blissfully well. The foal kicked, hard, the side of her womb distending before returning to its maternal shape. Foaling was going to make Velvet loose for a while, no real way around that, but right here, right now, she was tight...

Night fought hard to keep control. Velvet’s cunny was swallowing his length inch by inch, her silky muscles sucking him in, squeezing him in slippery softness. Her warm, slippery juices ran down his dick and soaked his base—her tunnel drenched in preparation for labor. The caged beast inside him, the one called Lust, it kept throwing itself against the bars of its prison, but still, Night kept steady. His breath came in short gasps as more and more of his cock sank into Velvet’s pregnant pussy, that incredible coiled spring winding up inside him.

Velvet felt herself spreading even more. Night’s medial ring was pressing it’s way in, filling her… FILLING her. Her rear hooves were on the bed now, and she was settling more of her padded weight atop Night. The wet, fleshy sounds of their joining overshadowed the hum of his magic, and she groaned and raised her head to suck in a breath through clenched teeth. Soon Night’s thick ring was stuffed inside her, so big that it left a bulge before disappearing, and she wiggled and pressed down her hips, taking the rest of him at a deliciously slow rate.

At last, their hips met. Night’s magic faded as Velvet sat atop him, his cock deep inside her, her milky teats and heavy womb on his chest. Her maternity now took up the bulk of Night’s vision, and the sight made him twitch. They both took a moment to relish the shared sensations as their hearts beat as one.

Night placed his hooves Velvet’s cutie marks. Blushing, he looked at her with soft eyes. “I love you.”

Velvet rested her hooves atop his. “How much?”

Night thrust his hips. “Nnnngh, b-beyond words...”

She shivered. He’d been using that cheesy line for decades, but damn if it still didn’t make her swoon...

“M-My...” Velvet shifted, his dick sliding still deeper inside her. “Mmhhh… My Night Light…”

She hefted herself up, more sticky, fleshy sounds making them groan. She got just under halfway, his medial ring still snugly inside. At last she let herself fall, impaling herself fully on his meaty cock—

POP!

The muffled sound was like a water balloon bursting. A torrent of fluid gushed out of Velvet to soak both their crotches.

…

…

...

…

…

...

“...Doctor?” Night finally said.

“Yeah,” Velvet said distantly. “Doctor...”



++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++



CTRL + F xplrz to skip this portion.



++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++



Velvet felt like she was burning up. Heat radiated out from her abdomen as a deep pressure built in her gut. 

“Breathe,” Night said. “Forget everything else. In and out… keep it steady… that’s it—

Velvet’s taut barrel went rock hard.

“FFFFFUCK!” Velvet gripped Night’s hoof. She thrust her hips in the air, her pelvic muscles clamping down on nothing. Goosebumps erupted on her skin to prickle beneath her sweaty, clammy coat.

Night looked to the door again. They’d used the call button to get the nurse (after a hasty cleaning spell), who’d rushed off to find the doctor. She’d wisely not asked why Velvet’s AND Night’s back halves were soaked and matted, or why the bed sheets had been taken off... or why Night had the most impressive boner she’d ever seen...

“Ergh!” Velvet adjusted the dark shades on her face. “This feels so weird…”

Night could tell. “Intense?”

Velvet grunted. “That’s a good word…” 

It was hard for Velvet to focus. Her belly kept tensing, the muscles heaving and clenching without warning. The foal’s head was right up against her cervix, and with every contraction, the bottleneck widened bit by bit.

“Guhhhhhh...” Another wave of... sensation... spread out from Velvet’s core, its current threatening to pull her under. Celestia’s spell prevent her from telling if the sensations were agonizing, amazing, or anything in between! All that was definite was the intensity, which kept feeding into her emotional state, and with her emotional state currently being ‘aroused’...

It was out of curiosity more than anything else. Cautiously, Velvet’s free hoof wandered down to her nethers, tracing her outer lips and peeling them back—

Her tunnel convulsed with a MIGHTY squeeze. 

“MotherFUCK!” Velvet arched her back with grit teeth, lifting her hips up high as intensity ripped through her like a lightning bolt. The heat in her belly kicked up another notch, making it feel like she was pregnant with a furnace!

Night bit his lip. He wasn’t sure whether he should say anything, but the way Velvet’s voice had cracked there...

Velvet panted like a saint bernard on a summer day. Her legs were weak and shuddering, the air thick with her musk, and the pressure kept on building deep inside her, her vagina stretching, stretttttching—

The door opened. The doctor and nurse walked in wearing in scrubs and masks, not so much as batting an eyelash as they made a beeline for Velvet. 

“Move, please,” the doctor said to Night. She looked Velvet over while muttering to the nurse. “...brought scrubs for the father? Tend to him, I’ll find how dilated she is… Yes, the NEAR spell should already be in place… Princess Celestia cast it herself… No, I’m not kidding...”  

The doctor cleared her throat. “Hello, Twilight Velvet! I think it’s about time to get that baby out of you! What do you say?”

Velvet smiled goofily at the doctor. “I just came from a contraction.”

The doctor chuckled. “Quite an experience, eh?”

Night was pulled aside by the nurse, who presented him with his own scrubs and a mask. Nostalgia swept over him as he recalled having to do the same for Shining and Twily. 

The doctor cast a few diagnostic spells, humming to herself. “Nine centimeters… Looks like you're moving right along! I saw on your that records your secondborn was foaled within a half hour of inducing—seems like this one’s following the same trend.”

Velvet gave a jerky nod. The creepy crawly sensation was back in her legs, tickling and sweeping through her like a brisk wind. “H-How soon?”

The doctor took a moment to examine how Velvet’s vaginal muscles were tightening. “That depends. From what I’ve seen with other mares, the more you stimulate your vaginal muscles, the more supple and pliable they become. The NEAR spell—Neural Elasticity And Rerouting—has two functions. The first is the dampening and rerouting of the body’s response to pain, which you’re currently experiencing. The second is a temporary alteration of your reproductive muscles and tissues, allowing them to stretch and flex while also enhancing their ability to resume their original shape.”

She looked up at Velvet with a pointed gaze. “In other words, if you want that foal out of you fast, I’d suggest using mental stimuli to bring yourself to orgasm. I’m sure you’ve noticed how sensitive you are—I’d expect simply fantasizing will get you going. The sensations of labor will do the rest.”

Velvet gulped. That first orgasm had been one of the most powerful she’d ever had. What the hay was foaling going to feel like? “That’s really… unnhh...  the f-fastest way?”

The doctor was indifferent. “It’s a tossup speed-wise, but it is preferable for all parties involved. Unless you want to do all that pushing and straining, giving yourself hemorrhoids and likely shitting yourself in the process…”

Well, that certainly made the choice easy. “I’d, uh… rather skip that part, thanks.”

The doctor nodded. “You know what to do, then. You can even have hubby help so long as he stays out of the way. Have him give you ideas and whatnot.”

Night, who’d just finished suiting up, perked up at this. “I’m doing what, now?”

The doctor pointed at the bedside chair. “Sit there, Mister Night Light. Your job is to do whatever your wife tells you.”


“Can do.” Night sidled into the chair and took Velvet’s hoof in his. She beckoned him in closer so she could whisper in his ear.

“Talk dirty to me,” Velvet said in a stilted whisper. “Tell me… t-tell me all the things you… unnnngh… always say to… g-get me going…”

Night raised an eyebrow. He’d only been half-listening to the doctor—the nurse had been yammering on while helping him with the scrubs. “Seriously?”

“S-Seriously.” Velvet could already feel another contraction building, the sensation making her voice squeak. “Go on…”

Night smirked. In a flash, He darted down and licked Velvet’s neck, his wet, raspy tongue sliding across her throat.

“OHHHH!” Velvet’s whole body went stiff. Her belly went hard as a rock, her inner walls slick and slippery, a stream of fluids leaking out her flower.

The doctor sighed. “I always get the kinky ones.”

Night kissed and sucked on Velvet’s neck without pause. He felt her pulse pounding like a jackhammer against his lips, and he planted love bites beneath her jaw, tugging lightly on her skin. “Who are we kidding…” He ran his snout against her cheek, then back up to her ear. “We’re not gonna stop at three! This little one’s gonna have a sibling within a year’s time… and then another… and another… and another… and another...”

Velvet gripped the bed. Her inner muscles were rippling, flexing on their own. The heavy mass deep inside her, it was slipping farther down, stretching her tunnel from the inside. Her eyes rolled back as a mighty sensation seized her, commanding her to PUSH.

“HNNNNG——OOHAAAAAAHHH!” An orgasm hit her the moment she tried.  A gush of marecum squirted out as the foal’s head slid into her birth canal.

Night looked over at the doctor, who nodded for him to continue.

“Get used to being pregnant, love.” He nibbled the edges of her fluffy ears, his hot breath punctuating his words. “How’s about we look into fertility drugs for next time, hmm? See if we really CAN get lucky with twins… or triplets… or more...”

Velvet was beyond words. Her body was on autopilot, squeezing more than she ever could. Gripping, rigid sensations kept shooting through her to prolonging her high, and the foal was halfway out of her womb now, its head beginning to crown. 

“We’re gonna be needing a bigger house,” Night growled. “One with LOTS of bedrooms and bathrooms. We’ll fill it until there’s two in each room, then once they’re all grown up, we’ll add a few more rooms and start all over again...”

Velvet saw white. A third orgasm came hot on the heels of her second, the coiled, explosive feeling her entire world. Her hips strained as her vulva parted wide, a huge SOMETHING straining, struggling to get free. Distantly, a mare’s voice was instructing her to breathe, and so Velvet inhaled, a great, shuddering breath that she had to force back out. In, and out… in, and out. It was all she could manage as a storm of pleasure was raged through her, and she revelled in it ALL, riding the top of every wave.

Night stopped at the doctor’s behest. He chewed on his lip as he held Velvet’s hoof, the fantasy still in his mind. If what Celestia and Luna had told them was true, they could literally keep having kids for centuries. The world was a big place, and beyond even more so...

At last the cries of a newborn foal filled the room. Night smiled huge as he saw his third child for the first time, the doctor and nursing tending to them.

Night winced at the shrill noise. “Good set of lungs, at least...”

There was a few minutes of activity, the doctor and nurse doing routine things. An injection, clearing the eyes and face, a hoofprint, an ID tag, all speedily done with care. They probably could’ve done it in their sleep.

“Congratulations, Twilight Velvet!” the doctor said. “You did well. Very, very well.”

Velvet barely even registered the doctor’s words. Her head lolled back and forth, her tongue hanging out her mouth, her dark glasses askew, her eyes half-closed and dreamy. Aftershocks and flutters still coursed through her like feathers tickling her beleaguered mind.

There was a few minutes of cleaning, examining, and follow-up, for both Velvet and the foal. It was a gentle process, but a speedy one, too. Finally the nurse dimmed the lights back down, letting Night take off Velvet’s dark glasses proper.

“You did it, honey,” he said. He kissed her cheek and nuzzled her. “It’s over.”

The doctor took the babe and placed them on Velvet’s shrunken abdomen. The nurse covered them with a fluffy blanket, keeping them nice and warm.

“...back to remove the cord in a few minutes,” the doctor muttered to the nurse. “...give them a bit to recover…” 

Night barely paid heed to the duo stepping out. His attention was on his youngest child, who’d stopped crying for the moment. They looked a little pale at first. but more color seeped into their coat and mane with each new breath.

“Hey there, you.” He touched his muzzle to theirs. “Nice to finally meet you. I’m your daddy.”

That was when Velvet came to with a jolt. The first thing she noticed wsa that her insides felt empty… hollow. She didn’t like it. “Wh-Where...?”

And then she suddenly became aware of the warm weight atop her belly. She looked down, and there, swaddled in the blanket, was a pair of big, innocent eyes locked dead-on with hers.

Slowly, Velvet smiled. “There you are.”



++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++



xplrz 



++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


Later-

It was around seven a.m. when Night felt a familiar presence touch his mind. Blearily, he snapped awake, the dark hospital room greeting him. He shook off the dregs of sleep and got up from his cot, glancing back at the bassinet by the window before stepping out into the overly-bright hallway.

“Good morning—yawn—Luna.” Night gave himself a shake, his eyes watering a bit from the light. “Sorry we didn’t stay up for you... think you’ll understand why, though.”

Luna was all smiles. “I wanted to come the moment I heard the child was born! Congratulations!”

Night snickered. “Thanks.”

Luna tilted her head at the door. “It went well, I hope?”

Night yawned again. “It was slow until the labor started. Then it was all lightning quick.”

Luna gave Night a knowing look. “That so?”

But Night was undeterred. “Hey, you gotta do what you gotta do.”

Luna just smirked.

Night tilted his head at the door. “You wanna go in? They’re both asleep right now, but if anypony knows how to be quiet, it’s you.”

Luna shook her head. “I’ve already seen the little one through their dreams. This is a time for family.”

Night raised an eyebrow. “Uh… yeah. Hence why I asked.”

“I—” Luna faltered. A faint blush rose through her navy coat, her face scrunching up. “Night Light...”

Night gestured once more to the door.

There was a heavy pause. Finally, Luna dissolved into a starry mist, flowing inside via the crack beneath the door.

Night took the free moment to go get some water. When he returned a few minutes later, Luna was outside once more, waiting for him.

“You brought my dreamcatcher,” she said, an impressed note in her voice. “No wonder they sleep so soundly.”

Night grunted. “That thing’s gonna see a lot of use, trust me.”

Luna preened at that. “Perhaps I’ll make you a spare. A precaution, should you misplace the first.”

Night fidgeted in place, his thoughts wandering. “You... do know that we see you as family, right? Just as much as Celestia.”

Luna rubbed her foreleg. “Y-Yes, but… Tia, e-erm... mentioned how discouraged you and Velvet were by the news the absence of your eldest. I feared you might blame us in part for...”

...Oh.

Night looked past Luna to gaze down to the end of the hallway, watching as doctors and nurses trotted by. “That’s not something either of you can control. If there’s anypony to be blamed for that, it’s… well, fate, I guess. It’s just a sore spot for us because this isn’t the first time it’s happened.”

“Ah.” Luna clicked her tongue. “I… suppose we should have realized that.”

Night sighed. “We know it’s always going to be this way, but… yeah. Like you said back at Velvet’s foal shower, ‘Such is the burden of the crown’, and all that. Just sucks, that all...”

Luna put a hoof on Night’s shoulder. “Perhaps this won’t mean much, but always remember, there’s a difference between inability, and lack of desire. Shining Armor, Twilight Sparkle, and Cadance would be here if their duties allowed. You’ve my word on that.” 

Night was tempted to say the outcome in the short run was the same regardless. He refrained, though. “But how long until the one in there’s the same way? Do we send them off to school early at the first sign of greatness, or do we hold on to them so we can nurture their spark ourselves?”

Luna shook her head. “How you raise your foal, Night Light, is completely up to you. No other couple has raised two ponies that have risen to heroism and royalty. In this, you and Twilight Velvet answer to no one… not even the Crown.”

Well, that was certainly a vague answer. Understandable, but frustrating all the same.

They talked for a few more minutes before Luna took her leave. Night watched her go, then stealthily made his way back inside. He watched Velvet’s sleeping form a moment, then looked over at the bassinet. 

In a few hours’ time, they’d all be up and about, the first day of a new life.

Night eased himself back down on the cot. He had no idea what the next few years would bring, or what challenges the three of them would face. There’d be good times and bad times, happy and sad, proud, angry, difficult, easy, and everything in between.

But sun, moon, and stars above willing…

“We’ll face them together.”



The End