> Big Mac's Duty
>  by Damaged
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Stallion in White
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Applejack put the letter down, blanching. "Ah can't believe it. This just ain't right!" She stomped a hoof on the paper resting on the table. "They have no right taking away honest folk from their homes just so the Princess can have an army!"

Big Mac sighed. The letter was addressed to him, and he knew it would come eventually. "Eenope." He looked down to his sister, trying to put all his emotions into his expression. It wasn't working nearly so well as he hoped so, instead, he stepped into his sister's personal space and hugged her. "Gotta do it."

Surprised by her brother's expansive words and gesture, Applejack's fury crumbled and she leaned into the big red stallion. "You know Ah'll miss you, right?"

"Eeyup." McIntosh squeezed a little harder, he knew his sister could take it. It was all that stopped him from crying. "Be strong." He surely didn't mean physical strength—not only was he known for being the pinnacle of physical shape, but his sister was too. 

"Be together, Ah would say more." Applejack buried her snout in her brother's mane and inhaled. He smelled of stallion, of hard work, and of course apples. That smell had meant so much to her for so long, wherever he was, was her home. "But she is ripping us apart… five years…"

"Eeyup." Big Mac sometimes hated that word, like right now. It was implying agreement with the world, when all he wanted to do, in his heart, was scream and rage against it.

"What'n tarnation're you two doin'?" Granny Smith hobbled into the room. "Cryin' all over each other…"

Not ready to let go yet, Applejack held tight to her brother and gave a sniffle into his thick mane. Mac, however, lifted one huge hoof and pointed to the table, and the note thereon. He didn't need words, and he was thankful, he had a feeling that soon he would be required to use far more than he would ever want to.

Hobbling on rickety legs, Granny squinted at the letter, finally pulling out eyeglasses to read it. "Mandatory service? Ain't you still too young fer that?"

"In a week he'll be o' age, Granny." Applejack had to fight from actually bawling like a filly right then and there. A week, then her brother would be gone for years. "What'll Ah tell Apple Bloom?"

Granny's eyes narrowed at the two siblings. "Yer don' tell 'er nothin'." She glared at each of the pair in turn. "Ah'll tell 'er, this ain't goin' ta pass muster, no sir-ee."


~~~~~+++++~~~~~


"Big Mac!" Apple Bloom raced into the kitchen. "You can't go!" The filly hobbled the big stallion, wrapping her little form around one of his huge forelegs. "Nothin' can split us apart… family," she sniffed back a sob, "forever."

Mac lay down, carefully putting his weight on his unencumbered leg; it gave the filly the chance to let go and hug him properly. "I gotta do it." He curled one foreleg around the back of his little sister, letting her squeeze at her own pace, but keeping a little pressure on her. "If Ah don't…"

"What? They will make you?" Apple Bloom looked up at her big brother, her cheeks stained with tears as surely as his mane would be. 

"Eeyup." He lowered his snout down, pressing it to Apple Bloom's mane. He wanted to remember, to take the important things with him. He fumbled in his mind for what Cheerilee had told him, about 'old factory' senses being the strongest. He wasn't sure on that, but he always remembered smells.

"They couldn't take you, you are too strong…" Apple Bloom knew the problems with that. The Royal Guard were known to be half unicorns and half pegasi, of course they could overpower an earth pony with magic and numbers both. "I'm going to miss you so much, but… we can come visit?"

"We'll see about that. They're comin' tomorrow ta bring yer gear." Applejack found her brother and sister embracing and hated herself for even thinking that she wanted to join them. Let 'em have their moment, AJ. She sighed.

Apple Bloom sat up suddenly, tears staining her eyes, but fire was blazing in her heart. "You will be the best guard!" The words, the fire, hit Big Mac hard. He had never thought about that aspect. On the farm, he was a cog in the machine that took in food and spat out apples. He did the jobs he was best at, naturally best at. Reaching to be best at something else seemed odd to him. Odd, and interesting. 

"Eeyup." Mac lifted his chin, imbued and invigorated by his little sister's fire. "The best!" He looked up to see surprise on Applejack's face, surprise and support. "Gonna sleep in the barn tonight."

"Me too!" Both Applejack and Apple Bloom looked to each other as they exclaimed it. Both grinned widely.


~~~~~+++++~~~~~


A rooster crowed, calling his delight at another false-dawn, echoed through the barn. The siblings might be a little slow to rouse, but they were farm-bred earth ponies, long days were in their blood.

Apple Bloom yawned, lifting her head from her brother's shoulder. She grinned as she realized she had literally used Mac as a mattress. She got a kiss on the cheek from Applejack. "Morning!" Her heart soared, she drew in more of the lovely clear air. She had her family with her and… It is going to be broken up.

Seeing her sister's face fall, Applejack reached out and poked the filly. "Don't you dare wear that face for him today." Their brother slept still, or so AJ hoped. "He needs us strong today, Bloom." It hurt Applejack to tell her sister, but she saw shock and surprise in Apple Bloom dive into acceptance. The filly nodded.

"We can cry tomorrow, right?" Apple Bloom saw her sister nod and smiled. "Then I can be happy for him and me, we have him for today." Of course, with a squirming filly on top of him, and with talking going on, Big Mac was not destined to sleep much longer. 

"G'morning." McIntosh yawned widely before being attacked. His siblings were both wrapped around his neck, but he moved and stood up. It was an old game.

"Ah got his head!" Apple Bloom exclaimed, clinging and hanging from Mac's neck. "You get his back!"

"On it!" Applejack swung herself over, landing on her brother's back; if the stallion noticed the weight, he did not show it. "Ah don't think it's workin'!"

"We need to squeeze!" Apple Bloom giggled like a little fiend and snuggled herself into her brother's neck tightly, even as he clomped out of the barn on legs that were almost bigger around than she was.

Applejack was at a loss, when they were foals she would do this with Mac, and he would let her win, but she couldn't hope to bring her brother down, even with double her strength. Grabbing a coil of rope from the door as they passed it, she started to work a lariat out of one end. "Ah got this…"

Big Mac felt the rope grab on his left-front leg, felt the noose tighten. Clever. He went to take a step and nearly yanked the rope from AJ's grip. Another plodding step, then when he lifted his trapped leg again, he found putting it back down… impossible. "Oh," was all he said as he started to fall.

"We got him!" Apple Bloom swung under her brother's neck, landing on his shoulder as the big stallion hit the ground. Her sister was quick and very good with rope, soon getting all of Mac's legs bound, hog-tying him. "We win!"

"Uh, ahem!" A new pony cleared their throat. "Big McIntosh?"

"He fits the description."

Apple Bloom looked up, seeing two unicorn Royal Guard ponies. "No, he's ours! We caught him!"

"Bloom, what'd Ah say?" Applejack started untying her brother, freeing his legs and coiling the rope back up. "It's him."

The second unicorn took in the sad moment and almost recoiled back. "It's not so bad as all that, you get used to-"

"Shut up, Evening." The first unicorn glared at his companion. "You are the first on today's run… would you rather Big or McIntosh?"

"Big Mac, or just Mac." McIntosh got up, one hoof reaching over to rub Apple Bloom's mane. "Where is the armor?"

It wasn't that her brother had spoken a lot of words, he had done that before, it was how casual his use of them was. Apple Bloom had to fight a losing battle to not cry, only to be rescued when Applejack picked her up and pulled her into a hug.

"So quick? Well, you have been assigned white, pegasus." The first unicorn was inspecting a floating clipboard. "Don't worry about size, I promise, one size fits all." He half-grinned, clearly it was a bit of a joke; to him at least.

"You are such an arsehole, Afternoon." Evening tried to give the red stallion a look of compassion, but he could see some other hurt. "You wanted unicorn? I am sure we-"

"We can't change the armor, you know that. The Princess would know…" Afternoon shook his head. "You can put it on now, and we can pick you up on the evening train back, give you some time to get used to it." Afternoon gestured to a train that was sitting in the station, in the distance.

"Eeyup. Let's go." Big Mac started to plod forward, trying to be as enthusiastic about it as he could, if only so his sister's would be happier.

"I want to watch." Apple Bloom surprised even herself when she jumped from her sister's grip and started trotting alongside her brother.

"Me too." The words came from Applejack, the mare finding her legs moving too. "Ya ain't going ta rob him of this without us bein' there."

Mac stared at his sisters, fighting not to cry. Suddenly he wanted them at his side, no matter what it would take.

"Don't you dare, Afternoon. They can watch us steal their brother." Evening glared at the other unicorn. Part of him resenting that they looked so much alike that they could be twins. "Have a heart."


~~~~~+++++~~~~~


Big Mac looked at the heavy armor. Gold-bronze plates that lay over each other down the neck, a faux mane of blue; even the tail-clasp. "Ah gotta wear all of it?" Both unicorns nodded at him. He sighed. He knew that even though he couldn't see it, that armor was laid with so many spells and enchantments it would give a unicorn a headache. He reached for the helmet first.

"I… I would suggest the chest-plate." Afternoon actually looked embarrassed at his caution. "Trust me, it will do most of the work. If you put on the other bits first, it will leave you feeling… worse."

There was compassion and a little embarrassment in Afternoon's expression. Big Mac nodded to him. "Thanks." He put the helmet back down and picked up the plate. It would be heavy to any pony who lifted it; but not to Big McIntosh. He could see how it was opened, how it would buckle closed, taking a deep breath he put it over his shoulders and onto his back.

The magic took hold. Applejack and Apple Bloom gasped as they watched the wave of white pour out from where the armor sat, it was like paint staining a canvas. Big Mac lost a little of his bulk, but gained a sleekness to his features he had lacked. The stallion felt as he was reshaped by the enchantments in the armor, his red mane recolored to blue. But it was the physical, muscular and skeletal, that really shocked the stallion.

Big Mac screamed as his new wings pushed out, wings he had never had before, wings that he didn't really want all that much. It didn't hurt, but it was a twisting of everything that was 'him' into something else.

"Stop it, it's hurting him!" Apple Bloom rushed forward, gripping the leg of the white pegasus. "Take it off him!"

"Bloom." Mac was fighting with that disfiguring wrongness, he reached down and nosed at his sister. "It… It's okay…" A muscle spasm caused him to jerk a back leg as his heavy muscles toned down into a more sleek and compact strength.





When Applejack slammed into her brother's side, she felt him shift a little more than normal. She wrapped her forelegs around his more refined neck. "Ah'll find a way to get you out of this, Mac."
> Stallion in Black
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Ah'll be okay." McIntosh hugged his sister, even as he felt the straps of the armor snaking over his back, buckling themselves tight. More and more it fastened itself until he felt constrained by it, trapped within the enchanted grip.

"The helmet will… uh, help with the extra bits." Evening lifted the helmet in his grip, levitating it over to Mac. Ducking his head under it, the blue-brush adorned headgear pulled itself onto his head. There was a tingling fuzziness, Mac shook his head as new memories rushed into empty places in his head. Of growing up with wings, of learning to fly. "I was an earth pony too, you will get used to it, just focus on your memories, your real ones."

They gave him more pieces, finally getting the hoof covers and the tail-cinch. Only the helmet and the chest-plate had immediate effects though, and that was fine by Mac. He wanted to go, to leave his sisters in peace so he could get back to them sooner. That was a joke, of course. "Don't forget me." His voice had lost a bit of the drawl and a lot of the shyness McIntosh was accustomed to, and clearly surprised Applejack too. 

" 'sif Ah could do that. You goin' now, then?" Applejack reached down and tried to disentangle Apple Bloom from their brother. He nodded. "Then Ah'm goin' to Twi's castle…" That gave Mac a surge of hope, his sister was best friends with a Princess, after all. Applejack took a deep breath and turned. "Ah ain't gonna cry, dangit." Her words were lost to Mac, but he knew the tone.

"Bye, Bloom." Big Mac's words shattered the filly's dam, she was bawling as AJ led her away. "How do I get to Canterlot the fastest?" Mac turned on the two stallions who had delivered his fate.

"Are you kidding? The fastest way is on your back, ye're a pegasus now." Afternoon laughed and turned back to his checklist. "Dodge City is next, right?" 

Big Mac was already turning, looking at the castle far away. "Eeyup." White wings spread, Mac gave them a flap and all the memories that the helmet had 'gifted' gave him information on how to use them, he grew up with them after all. One beat, two, he was in the air and, if it wasn't for his fate, he would feel amazing.


~~~~~+++++~~~~~


"Twi!" Applejack stalked through the castle. "TWILIGHT!" Doors were slammed, her heavy hooves clopped on the floor. She didn't find her friend.

"What's going on?" Spike scratched the side of his cheek as he walked out, eyes heavy with sleep. "You looking for 'her royal highness'?" His voice dripped with sarcasm.

Applejack just narrowed her eyes at the young dragon, she didn't answer and in that moment, Spike became aware of just how quick the mare could spin around and dump both back hooves into him.

"Canterlot!" Spike stepped back. "Princess summoned her for… duties." He shrugged.

"She would have. I don't know why we put up with that…" Applejack bit her tongue, the Princess had ears everywhere. She spun around, but not to give Spike the kick she thought he probably did deserve.

"Where you going?" Spike would have to report this, like every boring thing that happened in this hick town.

"Canterlot, Ah ain't gonna let my brother be in that varmint's clutches." As Applejack left the castle, she made sure to buck the outside door closed so hard, she hoped the dragon's head would be ringing for a year.


~~~~~+++++~~~~~


Big Mac searched his memories for landings and, while he was busy doing that his body had him land smoothly; right at the front gate to the castle.

"Oh, I smell new blood…" It was only late morning but a dark shadow suddenly cast over the courtyard before the capital of Equestria. Luna stepped into sight, her form practically flowing in the dark shadows, each step speaking volumes for the mare's grace. "Definitely new blood and… familiar blood."

He knew who it was, oh boy did Mac know "Lusty" Luna. His armor was his defense, though, and so McIntosh stood straight. "Eeyup." The word was out of his mouth before he realized it, the game was up before he even began it.

"Mac? Big Mac?" Luna's sultry voice lifted a touch. "Sister finally got her hooks on you." Stepping around the stallion, Luna inspected the handy-work of the enchanted armor. "Oh, look, there is a second level of enchantments. I know what we can do, Mac, we can play a game. You see, your service is five years, how about I say, instead, two years in my private guard?" When the stallion was quiet a moment, Luna touched her magic to one of the enchantments.

Big Mac felt that blue tail of his pulled, lifted, hoisted up high so it made an arc. Just like a mare's. He trembled, knowing his plot and, likely, his balls, were now on clear display. "Nope!"

"Aww, how about I just lock this enchantment on… there we go." Luna hadn't, only her sister could punish her stallions in that way. "Oh, here is another one… I wonder where it will go. Three years in my guard." Her offer was getting less palatable, but Mac wanted to fight this, he wanted to fight everything the cursed leaders were likely to do. Magic tingled and he couldn't stop a kick as his shaft was being rubbed, stroked, brought to full hardness. "Still no?" Luna leaned in, one hoof stroking Mac's chin. "Four years or I lock all this on for the rest of your time here. I promise to get this armor off you."

He was hard, on display, and it was terrible. At the same time something actually really felt good. "Eee," Mac cursed himself for what he was going to do, "yup." The pressure at his tail, on his shaft, it eased and he could relax. Straps were being unfastened.

"Good stallions get their rewards right away. Don't challenge me again though, not unless I ask you to." Luna worked at the magic of the armor, peeling back strap after strap and, finally, shoving away the enchantments to lift both breast-plate and helmet free. 

It wasn't the same "snap" that had been the change to pegasus. Mac felt his wings twitch and start to… to shrivel. He locked his legs in shock as magic twisted and worked at his body, restoring to him the vitality it had stolen earlier that morning.

Luna watched as the white fur and blue hair receded, leaving the red stallion behind. She reached out a hoof to gently rub Mac's back where the wings were pulling back into, a scattering of feathers cast loose from the superfluous limbs. 

Mac was breathing hard by the end of it, his head hung low. If he hadn't locked his knees, he would have been squirming on the ground. A mirror floated, gripped in cobalt blue magic. He was himself again and, for a moment, the stallion would have kissed Luna. "Now," breathing was still tough. The sense of magic around his plot stole his focus and he looked back, seeing Luna removing the last part of the enchanted uniform, "now, what do you want me to do?"

"My guards wear armor too, but it is not quite so… stifling as my Sister's." Luna gestured at the hoof-coverings. "Those aren't enchanted, you can kick those off yourself, come on, Mac." Luna turned, drawing her darkness in around herself as she marched into the castle. Big Mac had no alternative but to follow. "You know, if you had worn that armor for a day, the form gets locked on much more securely, we are lucky I found you so early."

Each step reminded Big Mac of his true self, of how he really moved. The pegasus shape of the enchanted armor was a facade, one he was glad to be rid of. Following Luna down a hall, Mac felt darkness close in around him again, but it felt… safe. He stopped and looked at the transition point.

"This is my wing of the castle, these stones have never seen the light of day, even when I was… away, this wing was boarded up and my magic protected it from Sister's element." Luna reached a forehoof back, rubbing under Mac's chin. "My armor will change you more, and less."

"How, more?" Mac followed when Luna led again, the two soon reaching a room that had many solid ponequins around the outside, several still draped with the dread, dark armor of the the more militant side of her guard.

"Well, you are going to have wings, and your shape will be reduced, but I can promise you, Big McIntosh, you will lose not an ounce of your strength, nor will they affect your thoughts." Luna gestured around. "These were all made for the first of my guard, they carry the essence of their forms, choose one and feel her strength in you."

Big Mac was a little confused by the talk, something about what Luna said sounded important but… he walked around the room, stopping by one of the suits. There was something about it, not only was the armor sized bigger than the rest, but it felt… it felt like home. "This one."

Luna walked over to the armor. "Well, put her on." The way the alicorn said it had Big Mac suddenly suspicious, then a lot of odd things started adding up.

"It will turn me into a mare." It wasn't a question, McIntosh now knew that is what Luna had been alluding to. "Three years."

"The deal was made already!" Luna practically bounced up and down, she so wanted to see what the big burly stallion would become. She noticed, in her excitement, that he looked more stubborn than a rock. She calmed. "Four, but you get regular leave to visit home."

Big Mac sighed, it was a better deal, on the surface, than what the Royal Guard offered. He looked at the armor again, feeling an odd pull toward it. "Regular is monthly?" Luna nodded to him. "Deal then." He didn't wait for Luna to help him, this would be on Mac's terms.

Watching the stallion reach out, Luna was tingling with excitement as she watched him lift the dark armor. "It is a lighter burden than what my sister has her stallions wear." As Mac lifted the saddle-like armor up he certainly found that, as well as more layers to it. Setting the saddle aside he lifted the deep blue blanket that was under it. Casting it to his back, he couldn't help but inhale the scents from it. Night Reign, Big Mac blinked, the words were not his own, but they were in his head.

"Night Reign?" The blanket was small for him, but it made mac feel safer, more secure about himself. "This is different to the other armor."

"Talkative aren't we?" As soon as Luna said it, she got a slight blush into the stallion's cheeks. "Night Reign was one of my first guard. She created her armor and part of her still lives within it. She was a great mare."

Mac gulped, he knew full well what Luna was here to see. Without wanting to think too much on it, he lifted the saddle again and set it on his back. Unlike with the Royal Guard armor, there was no sudden twisting of his shape, no changing of muscles. It felt… it felt like it wanted his permission. "Thank you." Luna knew, as well as Mac did, that he wasn't talking to her. His words and a sense of acceptance was what the armor wanted, and got. It was slower, Mac was certain, the world got a little bigger around him as he lost stature.

Her eyes glued to Big Mac, Luna watched as he lost some physical bulk first, Night's armor stripping him down slowly to what it wanted. As his hefty muscles seemed to reduce down, Luna knew full well that they weren't fading completely. McIntosh would lose no strength to the armor, it merely made him more lithe and compact.

Big Mac couldn't help but squirm as he felt his body being adjusted, changed. "Feels…" Luna waited for the stallion to finish with bated breath. "Feels okay…" It really did. Mac turned and looked at himself; if the changes stopped right now, he would be an effeminate stallion, but he could still be considered one. His hips twitched, then again. Something deep inside him was changing. Big Mac felt his organs shift a little, adjusting and rearranging, making room for a new intrusion. 

Luna peeked toward Mac's belly, she saw his shaft had fallen free of his sheath, but it wasn't hard. She grinned as she saw it shrink. "Are you ready, McIntosh?" As the alicorn said his full name, Big Mac got trapped in her gaze. He thought through those words, remembering what life would have been like in Luna's sister's guard. He nodded.

The feel of his shaft pulling inwards, followed by his gonads and all the skin that supported both, shocked Mac. He trembled a little until a dark wing circled around him. Big Mac's gaze was caught by Luna's, once more. "I don't know about… about this." He stumbled in his words as the new shape inside him breached his flesh, opening up and making Mac a mare. Luna's eyes widened, drinking in the sight of the big, masculine stallion, emasculated. Without a word, she lifted the helmet up in her magic and offered it to Mac.

Panting, trying to keep her focus, McIntosh leaned forward and offered her head to Luna. Changes still worked in her body, the last twists on her shape that would make her "mare" and not "feminine stallion" making her squirm a little. She felt her snout twitch and move, then a wave of warmth started from where the blanket was over her spine. Mac gave a low sigh as the helmet came down over her head at the same moment that wave reached her snout. She saw the customary red of her nose change into a deep blue, almost black. Night Reign.

"You wear her well, Big Mac." Luna admired the mare, but she knew more was to come. "But Night was more, you know what is coming?"

Mac looked up at Luna, the wing that had extended out to her gave a twitch. "Wings." Mac braced for the wings, it hadn't hurt before when they had extended from her, but it had been shocking. Just as the tension started to grow, that feminine sensation calmed Mac, relaxed her. She gave a sigh as the leathery wings pushed free, twisting muscle and bone as they extended. Mac smiled, but it wasn't for Luna. "Thank you, Night." The feeling she had started to associate with the armor's "spirit" seemed to swell a little, Mac felt it shield her from more changes. Her ears twitched a little as they grew a touch longer, then the world seemed to tremble and shift, growing brighter and more focused.

"You prefer my way, now?" Luna lifted a hoof to boop the now fully bat-winged pony on the nose. Mac sneezed and got a giggle from Luna. "How do you feel, Mac?"

It was the hardest question in Big Mac's entire life, to answer. She looked up at Luna, knowing that for the alicorn this had been a lot more sensual than she herself had felt. Part of her had enjoyed it, Night Reign wasn't a bad pony, and the essence she had left in her armor cared deeply for its wearer, for Mac. She nodded. "I feel… good." She flapped her wings, the knowledge of how to use them apparently not just shoved into her head. "It is certainly different."

"You are." Luna beamed at her newest guard. "There are more parts to the armor, they won't change you any further, however. But before we get too bogged down in ceremony, you need to learn to fly."
> Mare in White
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Where'n tarnation is my brother?" Applejack was not relaxed, or calm; the journey to Canterlot on the Friendship Express had been an exercise, by the conductor, in trying to minimize damage. The Royal Guard, unused to any real hostility, tried to put up a good front but many just dropped their spears and fell back from the wrath of an earth pony on a mission. "If'n you don't let me in Ah'm gonna buck down the door."

"Let her in!" The voice was loud, commanding, and came from inside the royal hall. Glad to be out of the line of fire, two guards moved forward and opened the huge double-doors.

Applejack looked in. The room was practically empty, there were only two ponies and she had been looking for both. "Twilight." AJ's eyes narrowed on the purple alicorn, bound in a corset and wearing the silliest pair of stockings ever. "Molestia." Her eyes focused on the white alicorn sitting on a throne, a black leash running down to a collar around Twilight's neck. "Ah knew Ah'd find her here. You just gotta take and take and take, don't ya?"

"Applejack! Delightful, now if you just come over here and put this other collar on-" Molestia quickly put on a happy face, there was no harm in trying for the best scenario, right?

A loud crack was heard as Applejack lanced out with her hooves. One of the huge doors slammed closed, the other broke in half. "Ah'm here for my brother!"

"Big McIntosh?" Molly purred, her hoof reaching down to rub Twilight behind one ear. For her part, Twilight looked a little torn in her allegiance, and Applejack could at least give her the benefit of the doubt. "What of him?"

"Whatever you got him in, Ah want him out." Applejack calmed a little, amazingly enough, Molestia seemed to be level-headed about this. It wouldn't last, AJ knew, but she had to hope.

"Oh, well, I did need the stallion for my guard, but if you were, say, to take his place…" Molly grinned widely, her hoof trailing around Twilight's mane and rubbing her horn. Twilight's legs started to wobble and she went cross-eyed, blushing.

"In yer horse-apples, harem of a guard?" Applejack glared at the white alicorn, her anger and frustration coming to the fore. "An what'd be my 'duties'?"

"You would be in the Royal Guard. You would be strong and, let me tell you, that armor would be wonderful on such a spirited mare. You could even serve in my private guard." Molestia kept rubbing circles around Twilight's horn, keeping her completely subdued.

It was the kind of demand that AJ had expected. "Ah figured it'd be somethin' like this." She closed her eyes, remembering her brother, and how he had stood tall and accepted his fate. "Ah'll do it. Ah'll serve in yer blasted guard for as long as Mac would've. But y'gotta let him go, he is not yer's."

Applejack could swear she heard the alabaster alicorn purr. "This suits me, I accept. Your word and your honor." Molestia grinned as, just then, the single door still clinging to the arch fell down, Luna beaming in. "Oh, perfect timing. Sister, how are you doing?"

Luna saw Applejack and immediately felt avarice. Big Mac was a jewel she would treasure for the duration of his stay with her, but if she could get the stallion's sister too it would tickle her pink. "Applejack," her ignoring of her sister clearly didn't go unnoticed, "before you discuss anything with my sister, I have an important proposition for you."

"Applejack?" Big Mac had been waiting outside with the Royal Guard, but seeing her sister in the throne room made her clop forward on her much more lithe legs. "Good news, I got out of serving in the guard!"

"Mac?" Applejack and Molestia both stared at the night guard who trotted in, the female night guard, that is. 

"Exactly what I was here to gloat about, dear sister. Now, before you snare Applejack up in anything, let me… just…" Luna saw the huge grin reform on her rotten sister's snout. "Oh you didn't?" She spun around to Applejack. "Did she?"

"Ah… Ah promised…" Applejack's anger and fury were disarmed completely by her promise. She ran over the words, repeating them again and again in her head. "Ah promised her…"

Mac wrapped her dark, leathery wing around her sister, squeezing Applejack. "Buck her, come and join me in Luna's guard, she… she promised me only four years."

Something hit Applejack, her brother was speaking more, and more eloquently, than she had ever heard him talk before. "My promise was to her."

"Guards! Fetch the finest white unicorn armor we have!" Molly had even surrendered Twilight's horn as she rubbed her forehooves together in glee. "The special one, you know what I mean!"

"I claim her for my guard." Luna glared at her sister. "There, you can't have her."

"Ah promised it to her." Applejack wanted an "out" as much as anypony, but she lived and breathed honesty, and what was more honest than keeping your promise. "Ah'll hold you to my promise, Your Highness. If Mac enters your service during my time here, you'll release him immediately."

"Done and done. The defense of Canterlot is vastly more important than petty squabbles, as long as I have one Apple, I will keep my word." Molestia practically drooled; this wasn't just the regular armor, which wasn't nearly good enough for her private guard, this was the special stuff.

A clanking sound approached and it was clear it wasn't the armor on the guards making it, when they brought in a large ponequin with specially stylized armor hanging off it. "Your Highness!" The unicorn carrying the armor in his magic set the ponequin down and stepped back.

"What's it good fer? Looks heavier than normal armor…" Applejack stepped over to it and heard it rattle a little. A dark form suddenly pushed her back from it. "Mac?"

"Princess Molestia!" Big Mac flared her wings a little, trying to keep her sister from a what could be a worse fate than she herself.

The armor rattled more, Molly noticed. It wants to be worn. "Yes?" She leaned across, to the side of her throne that Twilight was on, tugging the leash and guiding the smaller alicorn up, tugging the mare's head down to the folds of flesh between her back legs.

"No head games. AJ wears it, but no headpiece." Big Mac stomped her dainty-looking hoof, but left a crack in the huge stone under it.

Molestia melted as her pet began her work. "The deal was to wear all the armor, what would you give me to remove that requirement?"

"Mac, Ah can fight my own battle." AJ stepped forward, finding her "big sister" every bit the rock of muscle that her brother had been. "What's it gonna do?"

"For the years after you wear it, you will be my stallion. Body and mind." Molly reached a hoof down and played with Twilight's horn while she worked. "You will want me, you will want to be mine."

"After her time is up," Luna liked Mac enough to want the mare to like her back, so she interceded, "you let me take the armor off her, unlock all the enchantments."

Molestia was annoyed again, and it was only the pliant tongue of her student that kept her at all in the negotiation. "And what, little sister, will make me inclined to do that?"

Luna reached a hoof out to Mac's back, to steady her guard. "It isn't a deal. Her term is five years. I am telling you, sun-butt, that I will free her after that." Both Mac and AJ turned and looked at Luna, seeing a fiery strength in the dark mare.

"Sometimes," Molestia used Twilight's horn to guide her, "you really annoy me, Lulu." 

"Is it safe?" Mac looked up at Luna, feeling she could trust her princess more and more. Luna nodded, leading to Mac turning to Applejack. "I will be waiting, I promise."

AJ couldn't and wouldn't hold back. She rushed forward, wrapping her forelegs around Big McIntosh. "Ah love you, big brother. After I put that on…"

"Yeah, I know." Mac wrapped two dark wings around her sister and squeezed. "You hold on to yourself."

Above the two embracing mares, Luna and Molestia had a little staring match. Each got what they wanted in this, and it seemed to gall each that the other did. "When you are ready." Molly held still as Twilight worked on her, it was a hard life, but it had some benefits.

Applejack let go first. "Ah sent Brae a message that the farm needed some help, if'n you could send him another to explain… this."

"Eeyup." Mac put her best "stallion" impression into the word, but it just felt wrong. She watched as her sister stepped around the ponequin, lifting up the heavy body-portion of the armor, lifting it back behind her, it leaped out of her hooves and onto her back.

"What-" was all Applejack managed to get out before the heavy armor grabbed hold of her. Straps and buckles pulled around her body, but oddly, it wasn't tight at all. "Ah think this is the wrong size."

"You will grow into it." Molly watched intently, leaving Twilight to work on her. 

The tingling started in Applejack's legs. She looked down and saw her hooves seeming to grow, stretching to be a little bigger than even her brother's had been. Her legs slowly changed as well, muscles rippling and growing, stretching and bulging more and more as the change spread up her legs. 

Applejack turned to her brother… sister, "Ah think it is working…" Mac nodded to her, just as the changes flowed up to her body. Her shoulders and hips grew first, suddenly able to support a lot more pony than they were. She fell to her knees, then belly, as she suddenly couldn't keep herself upright. AJ kicked feebly as her body changed, feeling like it was starting at the outside and working in. A part of herself she had never really thought to, before, felt like it was shrinking. Of course she knew what it was, she grew up on a farm. I am going to be a stallion...

A dark, feathered wing, wrapped around Mac and pulled her in closer to Luna. "You have my word I will undo this, my word." The world around Mac shrunk and she suddenly felt safer beside Luna, no matter how the alicorn had tricked her into becoming a mare, she had been the one to agree in the end. Her sister had no such option.

The filling sensation paused for Applejack, hanging on an indefinite precipice, an event horizon. Then something fell down, pushed out. AJ felt his shaft grow, pushing free of his sheath and swelling forward, surging. Rolling to his side and kicking at the strange sensation between his back legs, 

Mac's eyes widened, her sister wasn't just growing a little, she… he, was huge. She saw Applejack kick her big back legs as a huge shaft started to jut out from between them and hated the feeling in her body the sight brought on. "Night Reign, please…" Mac's words drew a chill from the spirit that shared her armor, quelling the sensations. "Thank you, Night."

Luna blinked at Mac, her attention dragged away from the big stallion squirming on the floor. Her other guard never talked to the echo in their armor, but here she saw Mac doing just that. Special. She would have to handle this carefully, she did not want to push Mac away.

Feeling most of the changes made, his body calm, Applejack started to turn, to regain his legs. The pressure started on his back and forehead at the same time. Each place was suddenly pushing out a new part of him. A horn on his forehead, a pair of wings on his back. He knew that there were a very few in the guard that resembled this, he had heard rumors.

Molly got up to her hooves, pushing Twilight away. She ignored the purple alicorn's cry of surprise to advance down toward her new guard. "Applejack." Molestia grinned at the big stallion. "Applejack? Put your helmet on, dear." She lifted the helmet up in her own magic, her grip sending it over and dropping it down, just as the sea of white spread out from the armor.

"Yes, Your…" Applejack's eyes went wide as the helmet landed. Like the armor, it grabbed his head, straps pulling it down tight. "Your Majesty…" Fire erupted in his groin and Applejack lifted his head to stare at Molestia. The fire became a burn, the heat rising from his shaft and balls, spreading through him. Applejack gritted his teeth and resisted the urge to just mount Molly right then.

"Five years." Luna held Big Mac to her side.

"Let's go." Mac realized then that she would do whatever Luna asked, if it would mean one less day her sister would be in Princess Molestia's service.

"Ah got this."

Mac was already starting to turn when she heard the deep words. She spun around, seeing Applejack's face, the one she knew was behind her the white stallion's, smile at her. "Eeyup." If anypony was stubborn enough to resist that armor, it was Applejack.
> Princess in Love
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"She is… a problem." Luna walked back through the hallways, Big Mac at her side. "But there is not much we can do about her yet. But I promise you, Mac, we will both work to make Applejack's life a little easier. Do you think he will break?"

"Nnope." Mac found herself strutting a little at the thought. "Used to be I was the most stubborn, not once that filly learned to dig her hooves in." He thought about it a bit more. "But I worry about her."

"Not used to quite that level of… things, I gather." Luna led the way right back to her own bedroom. Opening the door with her magic she gestured inside. "You need to get used to a more nocturnal sleeping pattern. Some of my guard stand watch during the day, but we are most active at night." Luna yawned widely as she walked into her room.

Still standing at the door, Mac clamped her jaw shut. She wrestled with the ache, the need. When her eyes started to water she finally opened her mouth wide, yawning and squishing her eyes closed. I hate how good that feels.

"Come on, Mac, if you are that tired you can just sleep in here if you want. I promise you, no shenanigans today." Luna climbed down onto her huge bed, patting the soft covers and then purposefully turning her back. 

"But… my armor?" Mac took one step, then another. She jumped a little when the door pulled closed behind her. "Don't I have to let it…"

"The armor is fine to wear to bed, Mac, it is soft and forgiving." Luna looked back over her shoulder at the worried mare. "Your choice where you sleep, but the bed is comfortable, and you have my… my…" Luna yawned again, tilting her head back and flopping down on the bed. "Word."

This is silly. She saved us from… well, she has her own ends, but she seems a lot nicer than Princess Poopy. Mac giggled at the name for Celestia. Putting one delicate hoof before the other, she advanced on the bed and carefully laid down on it. "Thank you, Princess Luna…" Mac let the words out, intending it to be a big heartfelt moment, but got a snore from the alicorn in response. Settling down on the bed, despite the giggles that threatened to overwhelm her, Mac closed her eyes just once and was instantly asleep.

"Mac. You are such a strong stallion, but I think you are a stronger mare. I can teach you how to care for Luna, but you have to accept all of me." It was Night Reign, and Mac knew that full well. The dark mare was an exact copy of her. "Right now, you have my body and enough of me to not keep tripping."

"Ah just wanted to help my sister…" Mac slumped down, looking at her forehooves, no longer the huge ones she had possessed most of her life. His life… This is confusion.

"You have too much heart for a stallion, Mac." Night stepped closer and spread one dark wing and pulled herself beside her twin. "And we will work to help her, but we need allies."

"Princess Luna." Mac lifted her eyes up to look at the amber slits that Night's—and probably Mac's too now—were. "Can I really trust her? Look what she did to me!" She waved a hoof down at her body.

"Things are more complicated for you, now, is that the problem?" Night didn't try anything, just hugging her doppelganger. "That is why I am here for you. I have been worn by others, some I could barely whisper to, most I could ease into their duty. Big McIntosh, you are the first pony I have actually been able to do this with." Night Reign was smiling, flashing her fangs. "You have come further than anypony before you, but you can go further."

"Not now…" Mac huddled against the other mare, pressing her body against her side. She needed to help Applejack, but she sorely needed help herself. "What can you do?"

Night lifted a hoof and gestured upwards. "Flying for one. You have wings, you need to learn to use them. I can make the easy stuff… easier. You were strong, Mac, you still are. Luna will expect you to be able to defend her against mundane threats, I can help with that too."

Mac felt there was more, something she wasn't being told. "What else would Luna have us do?" She was intrigued and a little worried.

"I won't lie. She will have us tease Molestia. She trained me herself…" Night blushed. "I was a soldier first, but Luna found my softer side, trained it."

"S-S-Softer side?" Mac wasn't sure, but the mare seemed quite comforting still. "I am not sure I want to do that."

"Not even for Applejack? If you think Molestia is going to stop from bending your sister until he breaks, you have a lot to learn. Molly takes conquests, she will push and push until AJ breaks. When he breaks, he will be tossed away." Night wouldn't and couldn't lie to the once-stallion.

"Ah'd do it for AJ and you know it." Mac sighed and lay down. Night joined her on the soft ground of the dream-scape. "So how do we do this?" Mac felt her own wing reaching out to cuddle up to the only pony that seemed to be able and willing to help.

"Just do what we are doing now, relax, Mac, let me help." Night just settled in with the other mare, the ghost of the long-gone bat pony slipping into Mac just a bit.

"McIntosh? Mac, it is time to wake up." Luna's voice stirred Mac from her sleep. She looked down at herself, realizing that she was very much still a winged bat pony. "There you are. Did you sleep well?"

"I talked to Night Reign." Mac squirmed a little on the bed, her armor not feeling odd at all. "She wants to help me." Freezing, Mac looked to the shocked princess. "What's the matter?"

"She spoke to you? My little Night spoke to you?" Luna pushed up close to Mac. "Was she in your dreams?"

"Uh… eeyup." Mac fell back on her old ways, her voice not the best at making the long drawl, but she improvised. "She wanted to teach me things."

Luna blinked and smiled widely. "McIntosh, you surprise me more and more. You can stay in my guard as long as you want, just name your price." Luna gave the other mare some room and stepped over to the ornate set of pipes that led to the huge bath in one corner of the room. "The sun falls soon, Mac, come and relax with me." The alicorn just stepped down into the pool, taking the steps easily.

"My armor…" Mac looked back at the light plate.

"Take it off, if she is in your dreams she is no longer bound to the leather, and neither should you be." Luna clopped the side of the ground-inset bath.

Trotting over, feeling a little self-conscious, Mac sat down where the princess had indicated. She gave a little sigh as the straps, gripped in dark blue magic, began to unfasten. Stepping up and backwards, the body armor and helmet, both, lifted free. After that, Mac stepped around the bath back to the stairs. It feels good to be free of the armor, to be able to just move and… I walk differently. She stopped, then looked back at herself and did another little walk.

"You don't need to show off for me, Mac." Luna's voice was practically a purr. "Stop blushing and get in!" If Luna had done anything but yell it and laugh, Mac might have balked, but as it was she seemed more making fun of herself than him.

The water flowed up around Mac's legs, then belly and, as she settled into the deeper water, it flowed up and over her back. The black-blue mane that spilled out into the water surprised Big Mac. She held still a moment and looked at her reflection.

Luna wanted to squirm and giggle at the mare seeing her own reflection in the water. Without the armor on she was still the image of Night Reign. "Would you like help, Night?" Luna froze the moment she had slipped. She blushed and tried to hide under the water. Please don't have ruined all my chances with her...

Mac looked on as the princess try to hide, badly. She studied the blush in Luna's ear-tips and gave a smile. "Might have ta ask you to use my real name," Mac looked over her shoulder at her body, "but that don't mean I'm not going to say yes. Ah got no clue…"

Her head shooting out of the water in surprise, Luna suddenly reminded Mac of Apple Bloom on hearths warming day as she found her presents. Is it so bad to let her remember a little? Mac wasn't sure if it was her thought or Night's. No sooner did she think it than she realized Night was a little more distant. "Ah'm going to need my armor on after this… Night is…"

Luna moved in on the slightly out-of-sorts bat pony. A curry-brush floated over in dark magic and, with a squirt of shampoo, Luna began working. Mac let out a soft, happy groan at the feel of the brush at work. "You don't go enjoying this too much, McIntosh." Luna applied more shampoo as the brush started to run short. 

"Too late." Mac melted under the attention. She squirmed a little as Luna worked the soap into her flank. Then it hit her and she half-spun in the water to check her side. "What…" She blinked at seeing the shield on her flank. A closer look revealed there was a heart in the middle of it. "That's not my apple!"

"Calm down, it isn't Night's cutie mark either, hers was a spear laid over a helmet. You are protection tempered with a big heart, Mac." Luna ran a hoof down the bat pony's spine, again, and again. Mac's panic eased.

"It's not my apple…" Mac couldn't stop the stroking from soothing her if she tried. "Why isn't it my apple?"

"Would an apple be suitable for my guard?" Luna kept up the stroking, also returning to brushing the mare. "I am sure your apple will be back when you return to your farm, Mac."

It helped Mac relax further. "Ah never talked so much in my life as Ah did… is it still the same day?" She turned as a hoof gently pushed her, letting Luna work on her other side. "It is, isn't it?" Luna nodded to Mac. "Are all days going to be this confusing?"

"Maybe a few." Luna hadn't stopped in her ministrations, working down Mac's tail. Just like Night. Her heart ached. Slow, Lulu, slow. "But if we work at it, things will get easier. I have called on a friend to help out." The alicorn grinned fiercely. "A lovely young mare who I helped once or twice, who has been itching for a chance to step on Molly's hooves."

Mac snapped out of her trance just as Luna finished on her tail. She blushed red hot when the soft plume was lifted and the softest of soft touches began gently cleaning more tender places. Eyes wide, she stared at the wall until Luna set her tail down again. "T-T-Thank you…"

"You are welcome, dear. There are some tricks to being a mare, particularly one without a horn. Always clean upwards, dear, trust me on this." Luna swapped ends, now washing Mac's mane. The brushing of it completely redeemed Luna's attentions as Mac once again relaxed. "This is glorious, Night always kept her mane cut short, close-cropped." Luna washed, rinsed, and repeated the attention until she had Mac practically gleaming.

Realizing it was time to depart the water, Mac started walking up the steps when dark cobalt magic wrapped her. She gulped and held still but as quickly as it had come the magic left. "Uh, what was… I'm dry?" Mac smiled and continued getting out of the bath. She closed in on her armor and then saw movement to the side. Night's instinct cut in and Mac was already diving at the mirror before she even realized it was her.

"My brave guard." Luna repeated the spell for herself as she slipped out of the water. "Maybe one day you can defend me from even your own image, today is not that day."

The words were background noise to Mac. She stared at the mare in the glass and realized how… perfect, she looked. The armor floated above her, she watched in the mirror as the form-fitting plate settled over her. Deep blue magic began fastening the straps. She loved me, Mac. Big Mac nodded to the mare in the mirror, she almost looked like she was crying. 

Luna was even closer to tears. She fitted Mac with the armor, strapping it on, preening and brushing her mane and getting her ready to be one of the most stunning of the night guards. She is the most stunning, she always was.

Mac felt the helmet fasten itself, then straps around her tail and the girth strap under her. She breathed deeply, as she felt she needed to, to test the girth. "Thank you, Princess." Call her Lulu, please. Mac paused at that. She felt there was a path that would be walked, or flown—she tested her wings in the armor—and if she called the Princess "Lulu" it would put her hooves, put her wings, on that path. "Lulu, how do I look?"

Luna froze, like a statue. Her heart raced as she stared at Big Mac, at Night Reign. "You look amazing." Tears, laughter, panic, and the need to hug the mare all warred in Luna, she wanted to do all of them, and none of them.

"Then let's go face the night, together." Mac relaxed, she wasn't sure why, but she felt a lot better about where she was and what she was doing. Next step, make AJ just as comfortable.
> Guardpony at Work
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Eeyup."

Applejack couldn't help but smile, watching his big… big sister, walking from the room. It grounded him, it reminded him of watching the sturdy stallion marching tirelessly before the plow. The smells of his farm wafted to AJ then. He closed his eyes and was there, bucking down apples, watering the trees.

"Harder, pet!" Molestia's command broke Applejack out of his daydream. Eyes narrowing, he saw his friend, Twilight, acting as the Princess' "pet". At that moment, it almost looked like Twilight was trying to climb into the white alicorn. "Oh Bodyguard?" Molly's eyes rolled over to Applejack and he straightened a little at the hungry look in them. "We need to get some things very straight… yes, firm and straight and hard." Each word elicited a slight raising of Molestia's eyebrows. The Princess made a "come hither" gesture with a hoof.

Putting one hoof before the other, Applejack marched up before the horrible ruler. He didn't speak, but the scent coming from both the mares were having an effect, and he knew that Molly knew it.

"Let's start with the basics, that body is about as perfect as a stallion could be, I expect you to keep it that way. You will guard me, and service my every need. If I want you to bounce, you will bounce." Molly lowered a hoof to Twilight's head, gripping the smaller mare's horn and using it to guide her. "I have so wanted a stallion of my own to play with for a while, you understand I would have just picked a random guard, but knowing it is you… it makes using you so much better."

"Nnope." Applejack smiled, the horribly delicious scents were doing what the Princess intended, he was at half mast and growing harder, but his mind was more clear. "Ah agreed to be a guard. If'n you wanted a sex slave, ya should have asked." He cocked a grin. "Or just put this damn armor on Twi." Twilight's head was pushed back as Molestia leaned forward, glaring at the defiant "alicorn" guard.

Molly's rage at the defiance quickly cooled, but from white hot to simmering was still not "cool". "Very well, I will hold you to that. You will do all the training the other guards do, however." Her horn lit and she activated parts of the armor on Applejack that the new stallion would likely come to dread. "Go, spend the afternoon marching, see to it. Return before dark, Bodyguard."

Nothing made AJ happier than hearing that. He gave a bow and turned, taking a step. The big hoof wobbled as it slammed down, a sensation of squeezing accompanying the mere action of stepping. Oh, this is her game, is it? He took another step, panting now, then another, and another. Walking had him at full mast, there was no way a stallion could deal with this kind of attention and not be hard as a rock. 

"Hey, newbie?" the new voice registered in AJ's ears and caused him to give a loud wuff of expanded air. "Yeah, you. I heard the order, come on and I will teach you to march." Applejack was sweating and he had only crossed the throne-room floor. Following the other stallion, he tried not to think of Molestia, tried to work his mind onto anything else at all. "Never seen armor like that before, doing anything odd to… to…" 

Bright Sunshine saw the huge shaft under the new stallion's belly. His mouth went dry. "What's the matter?" Applejack's voice was deep, betraying the physical size of him.

"Uh… we normally try to hide… uh… that." Bright blushed a little. "My name is Bright Sunshine, by the way." 

"Well, Bright, the problem is this armor is… special. Right now every step feels like somepony is rubbing me." Applejack was still flicking his hooves as he lifted them. "I don't think she wants me to be able to hide."

Bright was more than a little shocked at the sight. He gulped. "Okay then, so you were told to learn marching." The two walked out into the main square where the guards trained. "Always lead with the right forehoof. Always stop after stepping with the left rear." He took a few marched paces forward and then halted, just as he had explained it. "Turning is trickier, let's get just straight marching right first." Applejack nodded, this was "work", even if it wasn't the work he was used to. "Forward, march."

Leading with his right forehoof, Applejack started to walk. He glimpsed other guard doing similar things and caught on quick. Each step, was agonizing bliss. Marching seemed to encourage the armor to be even more familiar with his body, Applejack marched the full length of the training area, then was told to turn and then started the march back. A slight daze set in, AJ's mind wandered, images of mares coming to him. What jolted him from his daydream was that one was his sister, Mac, spreading her wings and… "Sir!"

"What is it, cadet?" Bright had been keeping pace, actually finding just marching one edge of the quad as fairly relaxing.

"Sir… this armor it…" Applejack swallowed. "Is there something I can do while we march, to keep distracted from what it is doing?"

It only took a slight glance and Bright saw the "problem". He took a deep breath. "Yeah, we can start with rules and regulations." Bright saw the bigger stallion smile. "You can use these, you know. They were made before Princess Molestia's time, she has to obey them as we do. And don't call me sir. 'Lieutenant' is my rank."

"Lieutenant Sunshine… thanks." Applejack already felt a little better; the prospect of not getting lost in lusty thoughts was a good one.

"First rule of the guard, we are the shields. Forward march. We are the armor that stands between Equestria and its enemies." Bright stepped forward once more, his legs matched in perfect sync by Applejack's.

AJ braced against the onslaught as he began to walk again, but the words of the Lieutenant held his attention. He floated along, legs in perfect beat, until he felt the massage push him right to the edge. His hooves faltered and everything stopped. "Cadet, are you okay?" Bright suspected the problem, not understanding quite how insidious the armor was.

"No, not really…" Applejack still couldn't lie, not even about this. "But Ah can probably move again in a little."

Again and again the pleasure rose and then cut off. Applejack was treated to the worst torture he had ever felt, and it was all the worse simply because of how good it felt. It was late evening and he had marched up and down, then in little squiggly lines—once he had learned to turn—even the rest of the guard seemed to be packing things away. "That's marching. You are welcome to come and practice anytime, I am in charge of drilling new recruits and, at least so long as she doesn't have her hooks completely in you, that is what you are."

Applejack stopped as his lieutenant did, halting exactly as he was supposed to. "Thanks… Liu… Liute…" He couldn't get his words out, he was panting hard and it wasn't from the work. Need burned in Applejack, he felt the flashing images of mares threatening to come back.

"Cold shower, right now Recruit. Keep the armor on, I doubt either of us could get it off at the moment anyhow." Bright reached out one of his wings and gave Applejack's back a buffet. Then he realized the bigger stallion wouldn't know the way. "Uh, come on, this way."

AJ followed on autopilot. Each step wasn't an agony anymore, it was torment. It was need. It was an ache that he couldn't stop. His brain didn't quite work right until the stinging, icy-cold water hit him. "Oh…" The sound was like the deep hiss of a fire doused, Applejack closed his eyes and trembled as the fire inside him was quenched not with what his body wanted, but what his mind needed.

"You're always welcome here, recruit." Bright had his own, warmer shower; although the pegasus took his sans armor. "If you need to, slip away, come down and ask for me. Honestly, though, nearly any of the guard will help you out. The Royal Guard stand together." Applejack could finally think again and looked over to the stallion. Blue mane half crowded his vision, but the farming pony nodded.

"Thank ya kindly." Part of Applejack didn't want to move, didn't want the icy stream to end. Duty, however, won out. "I gotta head back, she ordered me." He reached up with a hoof and yanked on the chain to disengage the shower. Turning, he took the first step and felt that slow stroking start again.

Drying had been simple, step over a spell-enchanted mark and boom, feathers, fur, and armor all on one blast. Applejack missed the cool water already. Marching back towards the main part of the castle, he realized his legs kept the constant rhythm now, automatically. He realized, almost despite the machinations of Molestia, Applejack had enjoyed himself. 

Reaching the throne-room again, Applejack just took up a position, quietly, beside the door. The Princess was alone now, apparently Twilight did get some time to herself still. Holding absolutely still, AJ just gazed ahead, now realizing why the guards took that pose. Are they all trying to avoid her?

A loud thumping woke AJ from his daze. Staring ahead, he heard the big doors open and a strong, unfamiliar scent hit his nose. When Luna walked right past him, Applejack felt a little put out. I really am just part of the furniture. "Howdy, little brother." Mac's voice stole all the composure and focus AJ had retained, he turned his head with a big smile on it.

"Mac." Applejack instinctively reached a wing out and wrapped it around the sleek and compact—well, compared to him—mare. His head snapped up to check that the two princesses were busy before he continued. "How has it been?"

Blushing a little, remembering the bath, her words, Mac leaned into the big stallion a little. "You wouldn't believe. As soon as we got back to Princess Luna's quarters, we…" Mac blushed a little. "Well, I might be a little nocturnal. The moment it was a little dark in there, and she yawned, I couldn't stop."

"You slept?" Applejack stared at Mac, caught her nod. "All afternoon?" Another nod. "And now what, yer gonna be workin' all night?" He already knew the answer, Mac was Luna's guard, Luna watched the night and needed guardians that did that too. "Well, Ah guess it's fair enough then." He squeezed the mare a little tighter and got a whiff of "her".

"So what has Princess Fussyflank done with you?" Mac honestly didn't care if Molestia heard her, she felt Night within her head, practically giggling at her and egging her on. She caught the oddest stare from her brother. "AJ?"

"Sorry, Mac. You have changed so much…" Applejack lifted one huge hoof up and thumped it into his forehead. "Ah don't mean physically… although you have that. Ah mean, listen to you, you sound totally different."

"Night…" Mac's eyes went wide and she reached for the mare who, until the last few moments, had seemed so happy and relaxed. "Night what's wrong?" You, McIntosh. Your brother is keen and clever, he sees this," Mac felt Night in her head, felt her slipping out into "Mac", "I am a full package. Ponies can wear soul-bonded armor, and never feel more than a hint of the original wearer. "But Ah don't." No, you accepted me, you welcomed my thoughts. You are more alert, you can practically tell what somepony is going to do before they do, but you get "me" with it. I don't want to change you, Mac.

"Who're ya talkin' to?" Applejack looked at his sister. "Are you okay, Mac?" The image of a presenting mare was shattered in AJ's mind, family values, protecting kin, blew away any hope of Molestia's magic binding the siblings in that way.

"Night Reign." Mac smiled at the thought of her name. "Night, come back… a little. Ah need ta talk more clearly." Are you sure? Night could feel her wearer's assent, and slid back a little more. "AJ, Night Reign was the first mare to wear this armor. She… she is still in it, maybe just an echo." Mac smiled a little at the thought that the long-gone mare still lived.

Applejack blinked at the odd information. "An why's that make you talk so much?"

"She is… she is more there than anypony else would think. Even Luna doesn't realize how much of her is…" Mac was having trouble explaining everything, even with all the vocabulary that Night was lending, or the loosening of her tongue. "Her instincts for guarding, her readiness for danger," Mac ruffled her leathery wings a little, "a little of her love for flight. It all seeps into me, helping me adjust better. But there is more of her than that, and she… I fit well with her."

Waiting for his sister to add more, Applejack realized that Mac still had that within her. "But you get more from her. She a talkative filly?" Mac nodded, trying to hide the cutest grin AJ had ever seen. "Expressive too. Ye're lucky, this-here armor is a mite… trying." Applejack shifted a little. "Princess Slutty-butt had me marching all afternoon, an each step Ah took… Ah felt like somethin' was rubbin' me."

A dark wing reached under the big feathered one, Mac drawing the big stallion closer. "It was bad." Both of them knew it wasn't a question.

"Yeah, one o' the guard helped. Had me marching around mindlessly, reading me rules and regulations." AJ felt a little glow of warmth when he thought back to Bright. Then an odd thing happened and he thought of the lieutenant as a mare. AJ jerked up straight, his brain quickly trying to reorient and stop such crazy thoughts. The windows of the room were dark and as he gazed over to the two princesses, he could see Luna flicking gazes back to the two guards. 

"You okay, AJ?" Mac gave another little squeeze with her wing before drawing it back.

"Ah got this. You worry about yer own problems, Mac." Applejack, too, drew his wing back from the other. Luna gave a tiny nod.

Mac looked up at her brother. "Eeyup."
> Guardpony at Play
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Luna sat proudly on the throne and Mac felt a sense of rightness; day had transitioned into night and now every nerve the mare had, was alight. "Be strong." Mac looked at her brother and reached her leathery wing up to rub AJ's big snout. A soft murmur from the door caught both their attention and before Mac realized, her brother had swapped positions with another stallion.

Just as Molestia was turning back to the door, she saw movement there and noticed "her" stallion wasn't there. "Where is Bodyguard?" She glared at the pegasus guard that stood straight and tall beside the light night guard.

"It is late, Your Highness." The pegasus wore a grim look.

Outside the door, Applejack looked in shock. "Bright Sunshine?"

"You know my rank, recruit. Use it." Bright did smile though, the surprise on the new guard's face was as priceless as it was cute. "Now move that plot of yours, we need to get out of here before Her Highness comes looking."

AJ lifted his hooves and followed. Immediately the ache between his back legs started, pulling a sharp wuff from his throat. "Lieutenant, I am going… going to need another shower." It was just ten paces to get him hard and ready, but AJ had the sand to maintain the march.

"Figured, come on, move it now… quick, MARCH!" Bright didn't want to look at the stallion, the smell of him was enough to cause his own desire to rise. Maybe we both need a cold shower?

For some reason Applejack trusted her commanding officer to guide him, hooves moving with practiced precision, but they weren't going to the showers. "Uh, sir?" The barracks too, they passed. "Sir, where are-"

The perfect, constant pace had been all to Bright's advantage. He stepped three paces quickly and turned his head, catching Applejack clear on the lips. Both stallions froze like that and Applejack felt a tremendous ache below him, perfectly accompanying the burning in his lips. But he is a stallion! Applejack blinked, then again. He is just the kinda stallion Ah like. The kiss broke. "Bright? Where can we go?" It was just like back on the farm, if AJ had a stallion home for the evening. Don't look like there is a barn here… pity.

"I'm an officer, but not right now. I have my own bunk." Bright's lips burned, along with another part of him. He spun around and led the way, their marching forgotten as the two stallions galloped to the officer quarters, slipping inside and into his own room. 

Inside the small room, the smell of "stallion" was heady in Applejack's nostrils. "Bright, what are we going to do?" If either of them was a mare, Applejack could think of plenty of things, but what stallions did together was an absolute mystery.

"You can't be… are you a virgin…" Bright suddenly blushed. "Before I ask that, I really should have your name."

Applejack cringed from using his real name, then he remembered what Princess Thunder-flanks had called him. "Bodyguard… Body Guard then?"

"I heard her say that, good a name as any in the guard. So, Body, are you new to this?" Bright leaned up to the bigger stallion, nuzzling his cheek.

AJ nodded. "Well, from this point of view. Ah… Ah was a mare before…" He saw the shock on Bright's face. "If'n ye don't want-"

Bright silenced Applejack with a kiss, another deep one. It melted all kinds of resistance in AJ, brought him to a much more relaxed place. Without the cool night air, and with the stimulation of the kiss, neither stallion lost any hardness to the delay.

"I guess that answers that. Well, being big butch stallions, we are supposed to forsake softness, weakness… but I love to cuddle. Normally, having another big stallion in me would be a delight…" Bright leaned to the side, bending his neck down so his snout was mere inches for what AJ had to offer. "Body, you are too big for me; but I am not a stallion unused to size. On my bunk, Body, and on your back."

The bed didn't look nearly big enough, but AJ decided to just go with it. Climbing up, in all his armor, he rolled to his back. Bright moved quick, was "behind" Applejack, catching his back legs with his own forehooves. "What are you going to…?" His question tapered off as the other stallion dipped his head down, Bright pressing his tongue to the base of Applejack's shaft and licking all the way to the tip. Words failed the former mare.

Bright drew back down and gave "Body" another long lick. "Musky, I guess the Princess really did want you for herself, after all." He licked again and again, feeling his partner quiver and tremble. At last, though, he licked the shaft from base to tip and instead of pulling back, he pursed his lips and pressed down around it. Knowing how to treat another stallion well, Bright's hoof gently began to rub and stroke around the two heavy balls that were on offer.

Applejack threw his head back, eyes wide in shock. Marching all day, then marching down again earlier had put him on edge, but he held back the wave of pleasure. Barely. Bright was on a whole new tack, slurping down over the huge shaft. It is bulging his cheeks, oh my I can see his throat bulge when he goes down. Bright's angle meant that he could only keep one eye on his partner, but he could see that he had done good letting Body see his throat swell. 

Having no experience in a male body before, Applejack never knew what was coming until a tightness gripped his balls and squeezed them. Rolling his eyes back, AJ felt the squeeze rise up, flowing deep into him and up into his shaft. "Ughh…" The first shove of his hips was met by a gasp from Bright. Clamping his snout tight around the huge shaft, he worked it to his throat and then tried to relax. The flood of seed came, forcing straight down into his belly.

The other stallion was holding on for dear life, but all Applejack could feel was wave after wave of release, glorious, blessed relief. The whole day being pent up meant nothing anymore. He knew his face would look silly, all stallions looked silly when they lost themselves. Seen enough myself to know that. But he didn't care. With his lips around AJ's length, Bright felt his belly swell a touch before he started to pull back. The huge flood had already abated and now all he got was a nice, musky spray into his mouth. Waiting until the new guard stallion had let off his last, Bright slumped forward, resting his full belly against AJ's lower belly and setting his cheek to the huge stallion's barrel.

"Ah gotta tell ya." Applejack felt his nature, even in this odd form, biting at him. "Applejack." It felt so good to say his name, to confess it—it hadn't been much of a lie, but giving the false name still felt like one. "Muh name's Applejack."

"Figured. None of the guards who were there when you were put in that would say it, one of the unwritten rules." Bright reached a hoof along AJ's side, pushing armor aside to rub soft white fur. 

"Ya don't care?" Applejack was shocked, more than that, startled. "Ya like colts, don't'cha?" He reached up to the other stallion's ear and played with it.

"Yeah, and you are a big one." Bright arched his body, his own rock-hard shaft making itself acquainted with AJ's plot. "You like stallions too, right?" The question seemed a little shocking and fitting, all at once. Applejack nodded. "There we are, this will work great."

AJ was about to ask something, but his brain blanked the moment he saw Bright reaching to a little pot of something on the desk beside the bed. Popping the top off, Applejack knew immediately what this was. "Grease?"

"Kinda." Bright lifted himself up, pulling back. "A little less nasty than regular, but this stuff has its uses." Rubbing one hoof down around Applejack's tail-hole, Bright watched their face intently.

"What… oh…" The meaning sank in, thankfully before any actual "sinking in". "Uh… I never… well… even as a mare…" Applejack took a deep breath. "Ah'm gonna regret not trying. Go ahead, Bright."

"I'll go easy, Body." Bright rubbed the stallion's plot with one hoof, giving a big smear of the grease into his hole with the other. Applejack groaned, surprised at how good it felt to be rubbed there. There was the sound of Bright's hoof getting another dollop of the stuff but this didn't land on AJ.

Then there was something pressing to Applejack's rear, trying to go in somewhere nature only intended to be an exit. Trying to relax, AJ let out a soft groan as Bright had his way with "nature" and the back-door both. Pushing inwards, the hot depths of the other stallion grabbed and gripped at Bright, trying to deny him further egress, but the lube did the job quite perfectly. 

AJ wanted to buck, wanted to pull, wanted to be able to do anything but, on his back, he had given the other stallion all the control. When Bright's belly pressed against Applejack, both stallions let out a soft sigh. "Yer gonna start the buckin' now, right?"

"Bucking? Who have you been with?" Bright drew back slowly and then, just as slow, pushed in. "A gentlecolt goes just as fast as is needed." It was taking a boat-load of self control, but Bright lived up to his promise, bringing slow thrusts, driving deep into Applejack only to pull nearly free again.

Applejack was rock hard again, his eyes staring upwards, but something made him dip his head. Looking down, he spotted Bright's gaze, hungry, needy. "Faster now." He saw the other stallion grin and immediately he shifted gear. The thrusts came faster, but they still weren't "bucks". "Darn you, I want you to buck me yer colt!"

The words were the first and last straw in one. Bright started driving hard, letting his strong leg muscles deliver his shaft into AJ, in what both could only describe as a bucking good time. Bright caught the other stallion's eyes again and he beamed in delight. The tightness inside him grew and, before he knew it, Bright was losing control and bucking madly, finally sinking himself deep and unloading.

With heat blossoming in his plot, Applejack trembled in bliss. It wasn't an orgasm, not really, but the sensation that your lover had been repaid for their services already rendered. When the weight of the other stallion flopped on his lower body, AJ reached down gave a little tug at Bright. 

"Hold on, Body." Bright drew back a little, pulling himself free before climbing up and onto the crowded bed. He didn't care if AJ was in their armor or not, it was time for some cuddles.

Molly screamed at the scrying mirror. "How dare he! How dare he… my Bodyguard's first orgasm!" Pillows and cushions flew in her magic-fueled rage. "Come here, pet!" Twilight raced over, remembering herself enough to step in beside Molestia's legs and pressing her shoulder gently against her.


~~~~~+++++~~~~~


Mac stood easy, normally she would be walking around, pulling or pushing heavy things; but there was a strange weight that being constantly alert had. Halfway through a quiet night, another guard stepped in through the door and touched her with a wing. Mac didn't flinch, she had known the fellow Night Guard was coming before she had even touched the door. "Change in shift?"

"Yeah. It's your first night, but even we wouldn't leave a sister to stand watch all evening." The other mare's voice was warm and Night already whispered to Mac the name of the mare who resided in the armor. 

"Thank you." Mac gave a stretch, finding her wings reaching up and out as she did so. Night's influence on her body was a subtle one, just as subtle as her changes on Mac's speech had been. Long Glide. She was the finest flier in the Night Guard. Brave but not strong. She looks like she works on Long's weaknesses. Mac nodded and left the great hall.

There were more bat ponies in the hallway and Mac felt a little lost suddenly. Cave, Soot, Deep, Sharp. The names were not useful to Mac, but an urge in her caused her to wave. "Hi."

"The new mare speaks." The stallion that Night had labeled "Soot" gave her a smile. "Sooty Rose." He held up a shod hoof and Mac lifted her own, clopping the boots together with a slight clang.

"Night." Mac's voice caught a little. Sorry, I thought you would want to keep your own name a secret. "Night Reign." Mac added the full name herself, trying to warm up Night in her head. "Still getting used to all this."

"Oh, you are fine, Night. Every one of us was disoriented at first. Nopony knows why Princess Luna chooses the armor for each of us opposite our real genders… confusing is what it is." Sooty looked down at his own hoof. "Better than the alternative, right?"

"Eeyup." Mac grinned at being able to use his favorite word. Agreement and acceptance all in one, "eeyup" really covered a lot of ground usually, although of late things had been a little different. "Do you all name yourselves after your armor?"

Four sets of slit eyes suddenly focused on Mac. "Deep" was the first to open her snout. "What do you know of it? I… when I put the armor on, I got a sense of a name, felt a little different too." There was a little mumbling of agreement. All of them refocused on Mac again.

"Yours was different?" Sooty stared at Mac, making her think that the stallion could actually see Night within her.

"Uh…" Mac took a deep breath.

"Stop, hold on, we are being horrible. She has been through a lot, and if she knows a little more than us that is great." Sharp smiled at Mac. "Somehow, I get the idea you know my name is Sharp already?"

"Eeyup." Mac replied without hesitation, the tension smashed by the mare named Sharp. "Night Reign… she is inside my armor, since I put it on, she is inside my head. She told me your names… Sooty, your name was just Soot, right?"

Sooty blinked at Mac. "Uh…" He blushed. "I thought it was a little too… stallion. I wanted it a little softer. Sooty sounds nicer."

Mac had been on watch for half the night but felt restless. We could try flying, or go for a run. "I'm going out." She started walking and then realized she had no idea where she was going. I don't know this part of the castle. "Uh, where is 'out'?"

"Down this hall, then left, then straight on to the main gates. We're all off as soon as our shift-change arrives, we could all head out somewhere?" Sooty's eyes gazed around the mares in his presence.

Obvious, but he is a nice stallion. Mac froze at the thought. I like stallions and mares, Mac, sorry. "Eeeeeyup…" Mac's mind couldn't handle normal words, or even Night's words, all he had was his own staples.

"Great!" Sooty smiled widely, unable to help admiring the mare. 

"Guess it can't hurt, show the new mare around." Cave gestured down the hall. "And here come our replacements now. Can you fly yet, Night?"

She's talking to you. Night's voice in Mac's head broke her from a daze and she realized that she would have to get used to being addressed like that. "Oh… not really… no, actually." She gave a sigh.

"Then after lunch we could show you the basics, enough to get you in the air." Cave's voice held a hint of something that Mac didn't pick up on. "Well look, it's a perfect mix." 

Two stallions and two mares arrived. "About time!" Sooty trotted up to the replacements, giving each a hoof-bump. "Got the new girl to show the ropes to." Mac could clearly see good-natured camaraderie. Ushered along by Cave and Deep, she had no alternative but to follow along with their little group. "Four gorgeous mares to have lunch with? The Night Guard really is heaven!"

"You wish!" Sharp bopped Sooty in the shoulder with a hoof, the pair trading light blows. A shrouded figure was moving up the hall, layered in cloaks and dark clothing. They were also being escorted by two Night Guard.

When the procession had passed, Mac turned to the others. "What was that?" She looked, watching as the stranger left sight. "Was it even a pony?" I know not.

"Got me." Sooty shrugged. "Why don't we go to that new fruit bar?"
> Guardpony at Lunch
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was easy to amble along with the other bat ponies, Mac just felt comfortable with them; Sooty's continued come-on's were at first a little odd, but she finally realized that the other mares just ignored them.

Big Mac did freeze when they first left the castle, however. Looking out over Canterlot, she was amazed at how beautiful it looked, how clear, even at night. It's bigger than the trumped-up village I remember. Night's thoughts had a measure of pride in them that was infectious. Mac had to quicken her pace to catch back up with the other ponies. "What is this place we are headed to?" It felt more than a little strange to push back into a conversation, but Mac shoved away the odd feeling.

"You are new to the 'tufts and slick-wings' club, right?" Deep moved in close to Mac, spreading a wing over her back and gesturing up into the air with the other. "Imagine bananas… mangoes… even peaches…" Mac noticed the mare was drooling and, oddly, so was she. "Now imagine a place where you can relax, just ignore the world and not worry about princesses, standing guard… just a mare and her fruit."

"Deep! Down girl." Sharp tried to free Mac of the other mare's wing. "Let her experience this herself, I bet you're hungry?" Eventually getting the wing off Mac, she gestured to a building ahead with muted light coming out the windows.

Mac was unusually sensitive, suddenly realizing that she had been hit on now by both a mare and a stallion, each within about five minutes of the other, and more crazily, neither seemed to mind that the other was interested. Partly my fault, sorry. Your form is mostly my own, but you blended your own strength into what you are now. They see a strong and sleek mare, one who keeps to herself.

"You coming?" Sharp hung back from the group, waiting at the door. While Mac and Night had been thinking together, the little group had moved on. "She wasn't lying, fruit really is a lot better as a bat pony."

Mac trotted forward. "Thanks." She blushed a touch, ducking past Sharp and into the common room. Their little group wasn't the only bunch of bat ponies out for the evening, not even the only guards. Suddenly frozen, Mac stared at the bar. There was fruit on display, as well as fruit-based drinks, but something made her heart beat a little faster. Somepony. Whoa, that might be my fault… sorry.

Tearing her eyes away from the stallion behind the bar, she spotted her group, every one of them giggling and looking right at her. "What?" Mac steps over to the table they had acquired.

"Somepony has a crush!" Deep and Sooty sang together, their giggles raising in pitch sharply.

He was cute. Mac shook her head, but couldn't get the image of the stallion out of it. "Ah was just looking at the fruit."

"All together now or are there more of you coming?" A smiling bat pony mare, clearly a waitress, looked around the little group. "Can I start you off with some drinks?"

"Apple juice!" Mac cut in before the others, the thought of a long glass of the stuff had her wings flicking a little in excitement. "Uh, please, I mean…"

"She is new." Sooty explained away the bad manners with a shrug and a rolled hoof in the air. "I'll have a mango smoothie, thanks Rake." A chorus of "me too" rounded the table, but Sooty got the server's attention once more. "And a mango each, to start."

"Got it all, shouldn't be long, my brave guards!" Rake trotted from the table for the back room of the bar.

"She seemed nice." Mac watched the mare's plot until it fully retreated. That was me again… I think. The mare let out a snort and shook her head.

"There, it happened again!" Cave giggled. "Night Reign… I mean the older Night Reign, she talks to you and you get an odd little look on your face. You can reply to her if you want, we won't feel left out."

"Yeah, what did she say? Was she chiding you for checking out Rake's plot? Or her son?" Sooty, it appeared, wanted all the gritty details. "Come on, have you ever seen wings like that? They are huge!"

Deep giggled along with her companion. "And you know what they say about the size of your wings and the size of your-"

"Nope!" Mac yelled the word. Should have just let them keep going.

"There, again." Cave leaned in close to Mac. "What did she say? Please…"

"She said I should have let them keep going rather than yelling and losing my cool." A deep sigh escaped Mac's throat, despite herself, however, she was actually enjoying this. Probably me again… "Stop." Mac closed her eyes. "Night, stop that. I don't hold it against you. If it is you, or me, does it matter? Can we stop it?"

The whole table was quiet as the mare talked to herself, or seemed to.

But I don't want to change you. "You already changed me, you made me into a mare, a bat pony. Night, if you don't help me adjust to this then I will be in a lot more trouble." Mac tried to imagine a copy of herself in front of her. So… you aren't scared of me? The former stallion laughed. "Of course I am not scared. You are… you are different, strange. But you sound nice, you mean well, and I didn't really have a choice."

"You didn't?" Sooty suddenly had three hooves bopping his nose to shut him up, but the damage was done—Mac opened her eyes and blushed.

"Sorry!" Big Mac knew her cheeks were flushed, she wanted to hide and run, then run and hide some more. Her snout, however, told her that "here" was exactly the right place to be.

"Here we are," Rake set the glass of cider down before Mac, then a curious yellow-orange fruit, "you had the apple juice, the rest mango smoothies, then a nice ripe mango for each of you." 

Mac reached with a hoof, lifting the glass up and taking a long pull from it. She was just setting it back when she realized all four of her companions were staring at her still. "What? Oh, right, Night… she…" Mac's attention kept getting stolen by the hefty-looking fruit before her. Would you like help?

"And again!" Cave giggled but was hushed by her friends.

"Yeah, what do I do?" Mac leaned forward and inhaled the scent of the mango point-blank. First, you try to calm down a bit. You pick it up with your wing-claws, use one fang to score down the flesh. Mac did as instructed, carefully lifting the fruit up with her wings and running one fang down the skin. Now you cup your snout around it and blow, hard.

"Where did she learn to do that?" Sooty blinked as the mare used a crazily efficient way to get at the fruit.

Three shrugs accompanied the question, but Cave giggled. "Night is telling her, look at her eye twitch every now and again."

Now peel the fruit, use your teeth, transfer your grip to the inner portion. There is a big seed in the middle, stab into it if you need to. Mac was almost in a trance, performing the actions that were not just reinforced with Night's voice in her head, but with the ancient thestral's own memories. Now eat it, carefully. There is a lot of juice and it will be the best thing you have ever tasted.

The four companions watched on in amazement at how daintily Mac ate the mango. As she nibbled at the fruit, Mac grinned widely. "This is delicious!" 

"You were supposed to make a mess for them to laugh at." The stallion from behind the bar was behind Mac, whispering to her. "At least smear a little on your cheeks…" Focus or... Mac accidentally lost track of her snout and the fruit, the former pushing into the latter and smearing sweet juice around her nose and cheeks. "Perfect, now you have the hard task."

Mac turned to the stallion and blinked. "Uh… what… what is that?"

As the stallion leaned forward, Mac froze like a deer in the light. His lips are soft. It was what Mac wasn't trying to think about as the unnamed stallion was kissing her, his tongue gently lapping around her lips. Really soft, and cute. Mac blushed as much as she could in defense.

"The trick," the stallion disengaged their lips, smiling, "is keeping another hungry bat from cleaning you up. Jade Sight." Mac noticed how the stallion got his name, his eyes were a brilliant green. "If you don't mind, later, could you show me how you did that?" He pointed at the mango, still pinned between Mac's wing-claws.

"Oh… uh…" Mac fumbled for what to say. Tell him yes. "Eeyup." Close enough. It was easy to smile, Mac had a mare laughing in her head and she felt… she felt tingly. She opened her mouth to say something else, but Jade had already left to return to the bar. 

"Night Reign!" Cave reached a wing over. "You totally got a date with the hottest stallion in the guard!"

"Date?" Confusion reigned supreme in Mac's head, she blinked at the other mare. "It… is it?" Something inside her actually felt okay with the idea of "date". "Huh… anyway, I want to eat more of this." She took another bite of the mango, her tongue slurping the juices up this time, then swirling around her snout. He tastes nice too. Mac's blush was destined to never fade.

"I would give all my pay to know what she just said then. Look at her blush!" Cave sighed and tried to repeat what Mac had done; lifting the mango between her claws, she ran her fang down it. "I totally got this…"

"Now you gotta blow into it, like Night did." So focused was Deep on Cave's attempt to eat the mango, that she left her own alone. When Cave pressed the mango to her snout and blew, all she got was an orange snout as a pile of the fruit sprayed out. 

Sooty waggled his eyebrows at Cave, walking around the table. "You wouldn't dare!" The mare was in high spirits, giggling like a loon before the stallion dove at her. Any kiss, or sensual moment, was lost as the stallion soon had his snout covered in as much mango as Cave seemed to start with. 

It was easy to forget herself, as Mac laughed and giggled at her friends, it didn't come as too much of a shock that she thought of them as friends.

"Can you do mine?" Deep offered Mac her own mango. "Just peel it, and… could you teach me how to do that?" Mac looked at the offered fruit and smiled.

"Eeyup." Remember how I told you. Nodding to her inner friend, Mac picked the mango up in her claws again. "You need to hold it steady, then start your fang off just below the top of the fruit-" Mac froze, realizing not only was her own friends paying close attention, but anypony at nearby tables had stopped to watch too. Nerves attacked. Relax, this is good practice. Once I have you up to speed, you are going to be training guardsponies yourself. 

"What next?" There were nods around the table as Deep asked for more instructions.

"Okay, purse your lips like this." Mac did so and quickly jerked back, a grin plastering her snout as she narrowly avoided a kiss from Deep. "Missed!" Mac laughed with glee. "You should have said if you didn't want your mango!"

"I'll behave…" Deep pulled back. "Missed my kiss, not missing my mango." The mare's pout got more laughs, but she was focused back on Mac.

"So you blow in, as hard as if you had a huge cake of candles to blow out, but not like your life depends on it." Sparing a glance to Cave, Mac blew into the mango. Not a hint of the flesh came out. Perfect, it doesn't take too much, just enough to separate the skin.

Deep looked at the fruit as Mac passed it to her. "That's it?" She used her wing-claws to hold the mango while her teeth peeled back the skin, revealing the perfect fruit remaining. A cheer went up around the bar.

"Can you do mine next?" Jade was back, beside Mac. A glance revealed the stallion was carrying a most perfectly ripe mango in his wing-claws. "Actually… Mom! Let's get everypony a mango to try this with." A great cheer went up around the bar and, sure enough, Rake started bringing out piles of mangoes.

Mac felt a desire to draw back, to hide. I can help, if you want. I can push. The thought needed some poking. Mac looked around at all the ponies clamoring to talk to her. "Ah…"

"Come on, they can work this out on their own, it will be funnier." Jade was suddenly between Mac and the other patrons, his wings slightly spread. "Everypony, this delightful mare needs a break! I assure you she will be back tomorrow to judge the best mango-skinner."

The cool night air brought relief to Mac, as she was hustled out of the bar. "Sorry about that, you looked… well, ready to panic. From the country?" Jade just walked beside Mac, not trying to put his wing around her at all. "Also, after saving the fair mare from imminent destruction, I require her name."

Mac gulped. "Uh…" Use your own if you wish. "Night Reign." The words came easily to Mac. "Before… this. I was just McIntosh, Mac."

"Which would you rather I use?" Jade gave Mac the room she needed to be able to feel comfortable, or so he hoped.

"N-N-Night, is fine." It was simple reasoning for Mac. If everypony called her "Night", then she could just act like Night. She smiled up at the stallion without realizing what she was doing, then dawning comprehension hit her. She was smiling because he seemed nice and had helped her out of a bad situation. "Thank you, Jade." The words were training, in particular trained into him by Granny Smith. A fine bit of training it is.

"So where do you live? In the barracks?" Jade had them on the path back toward the castle, even if it was the more "scenic" of the possible ones. 

"Not… not really." Mac closed her eyes, following along by the sound of Jade's hoofsteps. "I have only been… well, like this, for a single night now. Yesterday, Princess Luna had me in… her bed." The last two words came out so quiet that they were almost a whisper.

Jade raised an eyebrow. "Spoken for already? And by Princess Luna?" He whistled between his fangs. "Sorry, I can't compete with her." The sound of the stallion's voice cut to Mac in a way she knew well; it was like telling Apple Bloom "no".

"Ah… well, that is…" Tell him. "Thank you, Jade Sight, for saving me." Before Mac could think more, she leaned up and kissed the stallion, pulling back quickly. "Sorry!"

Mac's hooves lit up the stone path, her sudden gallop stretching all her muscles; well, all of them but her wings. Don't even think about it. You need to learn to fly before you can… he is catching us. Mac swung her head to the side, saw the flying stallion. Rather than dive and corner her, he flew past with a wave of a hoof. "Tomorrow night!" The stallion's voice rang in Mac's ears, but he was gone again before she could answer.

Jade's wings carried him away from the mare. Something fluttered in his chest at the thought of her. "Tomorrow night…" He grinned, the expression of the silly in-love colt he felt like.
> Princess at Rest
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"L-L-Luna… Princess Luna!" Mac was a touch tongue tied, in her head Night Reign was doing a giddy little dance at the thought of "having a date" with Jade.

"Ah, Mac." Luna deliberately used Mac's original name. "Welcome home, I heard you started quite a revolution at a local bar?" The Princess of the Night smiled and was in the process of removing her regalia.

The relaxed greeting did more to calm Big Mac than anything else. "Eeyup." Mac smiled around the word, her eyes glinting. Take me off, Mac. With a blush Mac nodded to the thought and carefully started removing her armor. With the last straps of the gear unfastened, Luna helped her by lifting Night Reign from Mac, leaving the former stallion feeling oddly naked. 

"Did you learn any flying today?" Luna gestured to the bathing pool and walked forward, her hooves clopping softly on the stone floor until she reached the edge. Down into the depths, she sank.

"I didn't, your High-" Mac didn't get any further with the title, her snout was clamped closed with blue magic.

"You are not to use that around me. Night didn't teach that to you and I don't intend you to start. In public, McIntosh, you may call me Princess, or Princess Luna." The pressure eased up from his snout as the alicorn fluffed her wings out into the bath. "But in here, you can call me Luna."

The hint of female laughter echoed in the back of Mac's mind and she had to see the mirth in it herself. "Yes, your Luna-ness." Oh now you have done it. Mac stepped forward only to have a spray of water hit her in the face. "Lunacity?" Another came, and by now Mac was wet enough that she didn't care. "Luninance?"

"Ahem, well. Morning baths are all well and good, for waking up, but you are going to find that these," Luna's magic gently lifted one of Mac's wings out, carefully unfolding it, "will need to be cleaned very regularly, and a mare should take care of them every night." Luna's eyes traced the large, leathery wing, noting the stain of juice on the prominent claw.

Stepping down into the water, Mac gave a soft sigh as her weight was supported and she just felt, relaxed. "When Ah get home, Ah'm gonna end up taking two baths a day, even if it drives AJ mad." She ducked her head down, swirling the water through her mane and around her face.

Luna beamed at this, glad that Mac was enjoying the finer things. "How is Jade?" She watched as Mac's face betrayed raw confusion, but with her wing still in Luna's grip, Mac had little chance of getting away. "Oh don't give me that. Relax, he is a good stallion, he will be taking his place at my door when the shift changes. You understand what that means, Mac?"

She trusts him with her safety. Mac nodded. "You trust him." When the princess smiled, Mac continued. "I don't know. Night likes him, he seems like a nice guy but… I don't really know him." She blushed and tried to hide it by sinking her snout back in the water.

"Sounds like a date is perfect then. If you don't want to go any further, he is also a good friend to most of the guard." Luna stretched Mac's wing further. "But we aren't here to discuss cute stallions. Wings," Luna stepped closer, her hooves working the bottom of the bath slowly, bringing her near, "are easiest serviced if you are a pegasus, trust me." Luna spread her own wing, laying it atop Mac's.

Mac felt confused. "But aren't there more things to do with feathers?" It was the first time Mac had really thought about it, she leaned in and looked closely at Luna's feathers. She loves to clean wings, be smart, but when it comes to cleaning our wings, act dumb. The instructions left Mac a little confused, but she looked as Luna pointed to one badly layered feather.

"Magic will keep feathers mostly together, part of how pegasi use their natural magic, but sometimes they will still sit wrong, or need a little oil." Luna leaned back and across, using her teeth to gently work the feather back where it should be. "That was a primary feather, if a pegasus has too many out of place, or missing, they are not going to be flying."

Luna tilted her wing a little closer to Mac and, right away, the bat pony saw another feather out of place. She is offering to let you preen. Mac gulped and nodded, leaning down and very carefully using her teeth to move the feather, straightening it and folding it under the next one. Good, you do learn fast.

When Mac pulled back, Luna inspected her work. "Very good, did Night help you with that?" Mac shook her head. "Very, very good. If you do my other wing, I will show you how to do your own." Luna turned a little, offering her other side to Mac.

Now she knew how to do it, Mac was about to move in for the first she noticed. Wait, don't do that. Start at one end and do all her feathers, give her the full treatment. Mac pondered the advice and didn't overly mind. She spotted three out-of-place feathers right away, but ignored them and moved for the first big feather, nearest Luna's body. She gently teased the feather with her fangs, working it gently.

Luna's eyes widened at first, but by the time Mac was on the third feather, all effort to encourage Mac to move on and do the job ahead of her was preened away. With each feather, she felt sharp but careful teeth adjust and wriggle, then smooth it back down. By the time her whole wing was done Luna was practically floating in the water, a silly-happy grin on her snout.

Mac slid back from the princess, shocked at the change in her. She could see now, where Luna had been tense, where she had been on edge. She was neither now. It didn't matter to Mac that this might seem a little personal, she had a debt to Luna, for not only herself but for standing up to her sister for Applejack. Moving around the mare, making as few ripples as she could, McIntosh found the alicorn's other wing and got to work.

As the bat pony got to the last feather on Luna's big wing, she felt her own calm flooding her head. Mac smiled. "How was that?" She didn't even see Luna's ear twitch, but the alicorn did give a happy sigh. "That good?" Mac felt some of Night blending in, coloring her words. Being close to Luna had done it, but it was hard to really care. "How close were you and Night?"

The question pulled Luna from her doze, but not enough to actually give herself away with any startled movements. "Why don't you ask her?" Luna didn't so much as move her wings.

We were lovers, Mac. I was Princess Luna's mistress, although she never had a husband. Mac thought on this. "You both want that again?" Night was quiet a moment, as was Luna. Yes.

"Yes." Luna realized it was nearly impossible to hold back from answering truthfully. "I won't lie about this to you."

"Give me time to adjust." Mac started walking for the stairs out of the bath but a blue glow gently gripped her tail. Turning, she saw a grinning Luna, looking like a much younger mare, all excited about something. 

"Your turn!" Luna beckoned Mac back into the water and gently teased a wing out. "Bat pony wings are a lot more care, as I said. Any clever pony with teeth can do a halfway good job on feathers, but your wings are sensitive and prone to getting covered in things. Things like mango juice." 

Mac's head snapped around, looking at one wing-claw, then the other. "This was a setup." Possibly. Princess Luna is viciously clever.

"Of course it was, like you could resist a mango once it was put before you. Now, the careful thing with bat wings is not to put any pressure on the part where your bones are, you need to roll the flesh to one side, then the other." Mac's eyes half closed at the gentle teasing of her wing membrane. As Luna kept working, Mac lost any strength at all and floated in the water, her wings spread wide, her eyes closed.

The magic worked over every inch of her wing, never too hard, never too soft. Once Luna was done with one, she moved on to the other. Mac had been so far away, in a private dreamland, that she hadn't noticed when Luna had finished.

"How about a deal, McIntosh?" Luna stepped around in front of Mac, spreading her wings to show off the perfect alignment of her feathers. "You preen my wings, and I will ensure yours are always relaxed and clean."

Luna's gentle hoof under Mac's chin drew the bat pony from her floating position, got her legs under her so she could lift her neck more. "Yes Lunalicious." Mac's smile was contagious, her giggles jumped from her own mouth to Luna's and both of them were soon laughing and splashing in the bath.

"Come on, Mac, time to sleep." Luna got another splash over her back but just laughed and didn't return it. "Enough games." She kept her tone light, avoiding any hint at "talking down" to the other mare. She watched, her eyes drinking in the sight of Mac… of Night Reign, stepping from the water, of her body sheeting droplets. "Hold still."

Mac did as instructed and felt her wings and her fur warm, then her mane and tail too. She closed her eyes and basked in the magical heat that warmed and dried her. Even as it faded the heat lived on in her coat, in her wings—that she quickly folded down to her sides—and in her mane and tail. "Thank you, Luna." Mac watched Luna's ears perk and turn, she didn't try to hide the smile the sight inspired. She is pretty, I know you think so too. Mac could do nothing but blush at that, because it was right.

"You can have the left side, Mac." Luna stepped daintily over to her big bed. "If you need something, anything, tell me." The princess flopped sideways, the bed's ability to stand up under the flop was a testament to the builders.

"What about the moon?" Mac stopped, realizing it had still been dark out when she had returned to the castle. "Don't you need to see your sister? To lower the moon?" When the princess didn't seem to lift from her spot, Mac shrugged and climbed onto the bed too.

"The moon grows tired most nights, she, like me, does not wish to see each morning. She slumbers already, as I am about to." Luna yawned and adjusted her pillows with some magic. "Sleep well, Big McIntosh Apple."

"Thank you, Luna." Mac stretched and pushed herself so her back touched the other mare. "For helping me, for caring for me and my brother… for calling me by my name."


~~~~~+++++~~~~~


"Body? Body Guard?"

Applejack wanted to kick at the nonsensical words. He did so, sending a hoof at the speaker, intending to press it to their snout. "Mmm, go 'way, still dark out."

"Which is why, Body Guard, you need to be up. The Princess is going to want her toy and that means you need to be up, showered, and ready to look pretty." 

Bright's voice finally percolated through AJ's head. "Ugh, this isn't the farm… I get it now, no need to keep prodding me!" Applejack fell sideways out of the bed, shoving his big hooves down and lifting his big form up on them.

"Okay, now you are going to try to leave me speechless. If Princess Molestia only did one thing right, it was knowing how to build a stallion's body." Bright watched in awe as the big stallion shook, the armor on him trembling at the movement. "So, before this, were you a pegasus? Unicorn?"

"Nope and nope." Applejack looked in the mirror, then had to stoop a little to see his mussed up mane. Ah might not have been a vain mare, but this is atrocious. Then he took a step for the door. The tightness came, his shaft aching just like yesterday, but not like it had been toward the end of the day, more like just moments after the enchantment activated. "There any way to block this thing?"

"Taking it off?" Bright laughed. "Which the Princess won't let you do until you are fully imprinted with the form and, likely, broken to her will. Whoa, calm down, I ain't the only stallion who watched you march today, I just was the lucky one who was on duty." He reached a leg over to nudge AJ, not that the big stallion acted like he had been shoved by a big royal guard.

Both stallions turned when a knock came at the door. "Sir?" The voice was muffled, from outside.

Bright stepped forward, opening the door with a wing, revealing another Royal Guard standing outside, sharply at attention. "What is it, Private?"

"Princess Molestia demands the attention of her bodyguard and Lieutenant Bright Sunshine immediately!" The private saluted and took off, bolting for the nearest exit.

"She knows." Bright gave a sigh. "There is only one thing for it." He gave a wide smile and trotted outside. 

"What're we gonna do?" Applejack was still getting used to his voice, it almost dropped lower than Fluttershy's when she got affected by poison joke. 

"We weren't here, you see. There are always guards going out on patrol, let's give her a day to sweat it." Bright tilted his head and looked up at the shocked Applejack. "What, you look like you have never played hooky in your life!"
> Mare in Air
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Ah ain't never played hooky… well, maybe when Ah was a filly…" The moment AJ mentioned his normal gender he expected Bright to say something, but the stallion was clearly distracted. "Why don't we go?"

"She is going to punish both of us. Probably has your armor enchanted so she knows when you get off, might have even watched it." Bright reached his wing out to AJ. "Look, you can go back to her if you want, but I count you as a guard, so you should do guard work, right?" It made sense to AJ, her contract had been to join the guard; Bright clearly spotted the resignation in AJ. "Right, so let's go be guards."

Applejack could neither fight the logic nor the enthusiasm, but he could make some protests. "Won't she want to punish us more?"

"Her? Body, she has the attention span of a deranged goldfish. She might not even remember you exist come nightfall." Bright led the way to the armory, picking up his own gear. "Brighten up, by this time tomorrow I promise you will be flying… as for this thing, however," Bright reached a wing tip up and flicked AJ's horn, "I have no idea how to work with that. Or even if it will work. Got some guard already that the armor did 'the whole package' on, most can't use their horns better'n a foal could."

"Wait!" One of the guard at the armory tossed an odd-looking strap over to them. The sight of it caused Bright to grin.

"Hold still, Body Guard." Bright pulled the device up and under AJ's shaft, pulling the strap up and over his armor and tying it off. "There, try that."

Applejack gave a snort and took a step, it rubbed him, a little, but no worse than regular walking did. "Ah think that'll help. Thanks." 

It was good for both ponies to get out of the castle and walk the streets, the sun was bright in the sky and not a cloud was in sight. "Spread your left wing." Bright marched up on AJ's left side. Once Applejack had it out, he began to inspect the feathers. "This is good, at least you have all your primary feathers…"

The touch of a snout, of questing teeth, surprised Applejack but before he could respond Bright had adjusted the out-of-place feather. "Whoa, aren't I supposed to do that?"

"Leave that wing out, let's see the other, and no. Every new guard gets somepony assigned to show them how to look after their wings." Bright found four feathers on the right side that needed a nibble and a nuzzle to sort out. "Right, give them a flap for me… no!" Bright reached over with his own wing, adjusting Applejack's left wing before he even had a chance to bring it down.

"Ah swear, my friend don't go through all this." Applejack waited for the correction to be made.

"Well, how long has your friend been flying for?" Bright moved and tilted AJ's wing angle to match the other. "She a pegasus, right? Flying since before she could walk, probably knows flying better than running."

Thinking of Rainbow Dash brought a smile to Applejack's snout. Despite the ache in his shaft, he was intent on enjoying the day. "Yeah, she was. If you could get her to walk more than four steps, you were lucky." 

"Okay, now think of her wings, did they ever 'just' flap up and down?" Bright brought a wing back, tucked his primaries and slammed it down on the other stallion's rump.

AJ flapped his wings, not realizing he was even in the air before turning around and glaring at Bright. "What'n tarnation did… did… am Ah flyin'?"

"Hovering, both easier and harder than flying for two reasons. Try to guess them before you hit the ground." Bright had a treat, he watched the huge stallion's big wings working, pumping hard.

Letting the wings take care of themselves for the moment, Applejack racked her brain. "Uh, well there is side-to-side…" Bright nodded. "And Ah guess it is easier because Ah don't have to worry about crashing into others?"

"Close. The advantage of hovering this low is it gives you a good work out and, if you get tired… stop flying." Bright grinned as his student did just that. AJ crashed to the ground, landing firmly on all fours. "See?"

"That…" Applejack's delight bubbled over and he rushed the smaller stallion, feeling the slight twinge in his shaft, but ignoring it. "The armor didn't activate while I was flapping." He squeezed Bright tightly, but got as good as he gave.

"So, you want to learn more?" Bright surprised AJ by kissing his nose. For a moment the guard lieutenant thought he had gone too far, the other stallion blushed, but then he got a tighter hug back and felt Applejack nuzzled in against his neck.

"You bet. I think I might survive this yet." Applejack realized his speech felt a little less strained, and realized what it was. He was relaxed, possibly for the first time since getting to Canterlot. "Okay, so how is flying different?"


~~~~~+++++~~~~~


Mac felt a presence in the room, it was Night's senses that were straining, feeling something that was just, barely, hidden. She struggled not to breathe fast, whatever it was, it was a big presence that moved dead silently. Timing herself, she drew slightly more and more deep breaths until she got a good lung-full of air.

Kicking with her legs, Mac launched herself up. Or at least, that is how it was meant to go. The restraints on her fetlocks yanked hard and Mac realized she was immobilized. She opened her snout and screeched, her piercing scream waking Princess Luna immediately.

"Who is there?" Luna got to her hooves and flared her light. Standing beside the bed, a bridle floating, held in her magic, was an alabaster mare. "You."

"Of course me." The mare strutted, swinging the bridle around in the air, making sure the light of the princess caught some gems studded on it. "My Princess, my Mistress, sends word. She will arrive in four days, at night of course."

Mac realized something suddenly, Luna was not ready to fight. She was an inch from relaxing when that bridle swung closer to her, the gems in it twinkling. It was more than obvious they were enchantment gems.

"Release her." Luna clopped her hoof. "Enough of your games, Chrysalis. Your Mistress and I are allies in this, as you know."

"Still, can't blame me for wanting to add to Mistress' herd. She does prefer alabaster mares, but I think a dark little bat would be sporty." Green magic flared from Chrysalis' white horn, unfastening the restraints from Mac's hooves; the moment they were off she pushed back across the bed, eyes locked on the intruder.

"You have no right to claim in my realm, in my quarters." Princess Luna reached a wing out and over Mac's withers. "I trust you have not poached the guards outside? You know the laws, you would be mine, if you did."

"They are unconscious… well, with a little extra something, it will wear off. What are you staring at?" The last was directed to Mac, who tried to put back up the most neutral look she could. "Come on, out with it."

"Y-Y-You are a changeling!" Mac's voice was an accusation.

"Was, Mistress found a better use for me. She prefers white toys, you understand." Chrysalis looked to shudder. "Mistress is more powerful than you realize, Princess Luna. She feeds her empire, and it feeds her."

"Is that a threat?" Luna stepped forward, her magic pouring out and around the room, the walls, floor, ceiling, all fading into a sea of stars and darkness. "I do not take threats."

Mac witnessed the white, former changeling, fall back. Looking at her more closely, McIntosh could see little things, her horn was still jagged, there were still holes in her legs, and all over her was a bridle and strap-harness, pure white.

"Four days, Princess." Chrysalis bowed deeply, mockingly, and ignited a circle of green flame. A moment later she was gone.

"Did she put anything else on you?" Luna was suddenly at Mac's side again, examining the mare. "Tell me she didn't touch that bridle to you?" 

Luna's voice invoked worry in Mac. "What was that bridle? What… what would it have done to me?" A chill ran down her spine. It would have ended me, it would have become your master, you would have had no choice.

"You don't want to know, but if she ever tries that again, fly, Mac." Luna ran a hoof gently over Mac's head, ruffling her ears. "We should check on the guard."

Without her armor, Mac felt almost naked… metaphorically speaking. I am still here, we are bound close. "Ah know that." Mac smiled. When Luna opened the door with her magic, the smile faded from the bat pony. "Jade?" She rushed forward, looking down into the stallion's face. Both he and a bat pony mare were laying unconscious. "Luna, what is wrong?"

"A light poison, it will wear off… soon. They are unfit to stand guard now." Luna pressed her power outwards, lifting the two ponies up with it and carrying them into her bedroom. "Mac, how much do you really like Jade?" Luna set the stallion on the bed.

"I… we only just met. Why?" Mac wanted to shrink back, but something, some odd curiosity, inspired her to stand tall and watch the stallion. "What did she do to him?"

"He was poisoned with something that will… he will be insatiable when he wakes." Luna looked down on the stallion. "Two choices are to leave him with a mare, or lock him in a room on his own."

Mac trembled and shook her head. "I… I can't." It is the right choice, Mac. McIntosh's ears stood up straight. "You… thank you, Night."

Luna beamed at Mac. "But you do care for him?" She raised an eyebrow.

I do. Mac nodded, the stallion had stepped in and saved her, when she had felt so very out of her element.


~~~~~+++++~~~~~


Applejack flapped his wings, flying around the little plaza. He felt free, free from the worries of what Princess Molestia would do, free from the confusion of being a stallion. "Rainbow was right…"

"You can come down now." Molestia's voice, from far below, resonated in AJ's ears and, despite his new-found freedom, the stallion started to circle lower and lower, just as Bright had taught her.

Dropping down the ground with a hard thump, Applejack stared at the princess. "Your Highness." He didn't give a bow at all.

"Please, Princess Molestia," Bright was staring straight ahead, trying not to make eye contact, "the rookie here and I were out on patrol and I thought it prudent he learns how to fly." It was a line of horse-apples, and everypony knew it.

"That as may be, I have some new changes to make to my Bodyguard's new armor." Molly grinned wide, showing off her perfect teeth. Lowering her head, she aimed her horn at AJ and let go a blast. "This will help you with your flying lessons… well, so long as you don't get too distracted."

An odd tingling flowed up AJ's wings and he ruffled them without thinking. Nothing seemed to happen so he spread them, and flapped. An ache of pressure grew, but it wasn't pure pleasure like walking, it was… a sense of fullness, of part of himself now filled right past capacity.

"As for you, Lieutenant, your punishment for all this is a simple one. My Bodyguard's shaft is now tuned to you, and me. Only within our bodies can the poor Applejack get relief. Mouths don't count."

Shooting a glance at the smaller Stallion, Applejack gave a little whine. Ah don't want to hurt him.

"Come on now, Bodyguard. There is work for you to do."Molly turned and spread her wings, leaping into the air and leaving the two bewildered.
> Mare in a Daze
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Are you awake yet, darling? Really, you sleep in longer and longer every day."

Moon Dancer groaned and poked her snout out from under the covers. She could smell the bright sunlight outside. "Ughhh, what time is it?"

Hoofsteps coming closer gave the nerdy mare warning, but nothing could prepare her for Rarity yanking back the covers. "It is nearly nine in the morning. Come on Moon Dancer, you should have been at work nearly half an hour ago."

"I work in your shop!" Moon cracked her eyes open a fraction; and regretted it. "And my workbench is on the other side of that," she waved a hoof blindly, "wall. Okay, okay… just… if you value my sanity, make me some coffee…"

When Moon opened her eyes up, the alabaster "slave-driver" had left. "Oh thank Molestia… where is that spell…" She fell to all fours and walked, with more than one wobble, to the mirror. Flipping open her personal spellbook, she began to follow the instructions and, when the spell cast, she looked up and stared into her own eyes. The instant her pupils focused down to pinpricks she felt all the anger and rage at being woken up early, fade. "Oh that is the stuff. Now Moon Dancer, you are going to be the best employee ever, you are going to be nice to Rarity and," the blank stare the mare gave her own reflection curled up a little into a half smile, "do absolutely everything Rarity tells you."

It was agony, amazing agony, to lift her hoof up. With the powerful hypnosis spell in its "programming" mode, she shouldn't have been able to move, but the signal to the spell, to enter activation, was the stomping of a hoof. Moon strained and struggled but in the end it was all for naught.

Rarity walked into the room again, levitating a mug over to the mare. "Here you go, Moon. Drink this and you will have all the energy you need to last you the whole day."

"The whole day…" Moon's mind rushed around in a panic, Rarity had caught her in quite a vulnerable moment.

"Yes, darling, and when you are done making each enchantment," Rarity walked forward, knowing just what state her employee was in, "you will cream yourself with pleasure." She lifted her hoof and stomped it down.

Moon blinked, forgetting all the commands—consciously anyway—that she had been given. "Oh, coffee? Rarity, you are a goddess!" She sipped at the drink and her mind melted with delight. "Okay, bring on the day!"

Rarity snorted with delight and closed Moon's book, following her worker out into the store. "We have some big orders today. That cluster of gems for Cheerilee." Rarity giggled at that one. "I think that was a whole lot of 'hush' enchantments."

"Yeah yeah, single enchantment on a gem is easy. What are you mounting the gems on?" Moon Dancer plucked up her copy of the work order, spotting the mass of little gems at the top. "Don't you have that dancing costume for Sapphire Shores?"

"Oh come on Moon, it isn't cheating for a mare to have a little extra… focus." Rarity flipped through her list to find that particular one. " 'single mindedness' and 'intense focus'… you could put that on a headpiece?"

Moon, hearing the first half of her boss's words, felt an odd tingling and grinned. My spell is working, I can't even contemplate that as cheating now. "Headpiece? Yeah, make sure to use the good silk for the band, I can weave easier onto those."

Rarity levitated up the box of little gems and floated them over to Moon's desk. "I am sure you could do these as fast as you can." 

"Thanks, and of course I will, why wouldn't I?" Moon opened the box and, as if to show off how easy the "hush" enchantment was to perform, she planted it rapidly into the gem and then- "Oh my…" Moon's eyes went wide, she lifted one hoof and crammed it into her mouth and screamed into it. Her body trembled and she had to cross her back legs at the rush of pleasure that pushed her all the way to orgasm in moments. She opened her snout and pulled out her hoof, groaning. "What… what did you do!"

"You were struggling to bang your hoof again." Rarity stepped over to the best enchanter in Equestria. "I gave you a few extra commands, then finished the spell for you." She smiled, giving Moon Dancer the most intensely dominant look the nerdy unicorn had ever gotten. "Now, keep working."

"Yes, Rarity." Moon almost came again just from how good it felt, she pondered lowering a hoof to stroke herself a little, but rejected the idea immediately. Best employees don't do such things. She grinned as she picked up the next gem, setting it into the holder. As she poured the enchantment into the little stone she groaned and squirmed. Picking another she quickly swapped them and enchanted gems again and again, her brain having more and more trouble focusing on anything that wasn't strictly required to "be the best employee."

Moon struggled, fighting her desire again and again with the iron grip the spell had on her. Her attention was dragged away from the last little gem, however, by a huge pink diamond landing on her desk. "That… that is amazing!" She looked up to see Pinkie Pie, grinning widely.

"Is it? I found it in a rock." Pinkie looked at the little pile of gems that Moon had beside her. "What do these do?" She picked one up and held it in her hoof and opened her mouth to start talking. The universe itself almost seemed to shake—no sound came forth—until the tiny gem shattered. "… and then I want it in my… oh…"

"Pinkie!" Moon sighed, realizing she was going to have to make another of the little enchantments. "Okay, Pinkie." A pony had to, after all, just accept Pinkie. "What do you want on this gem?"

Pinkie reached for another of the "hush" gems, but her hoof was quickly blocked by Moon carefully protecting her work. "Well, you know how much I love that toy you made me, I want another of those, but bigger!"

"Another vibrator, that last one was made from magic-bonded steel! What did you do to it?" Rubbing her hoof against her head, Moon didn't realize what she had done until it was too late. She now had a cow-lick from the decidedly damp hoof.

"I squeezed too hard…" Pinkie looked sad suddenly. "Well, you know how it is, I grew up on a rock farm, if you weren't strong you couldn't grow up on a rock farm, you would just fall off to the side and not break any rocks."

"What did you squeeze it with?" Moon Dancer knew what the answer was going to be, even as Pinkie started to turn around, her tail lifting up and to the side. "NO! I get it! Right, stronger. This gem though, it could have a swarm of enchantments on it." Moon looked at it wistfully, but then another landed beside it, just as big. "What is… where are you getting these?"

"Here and there, mostly not here, but not over there." Pinkie pointed to the other corner of Rarity's boutique. "So, that one is for the enchantments, and that one is for payment." Pinkie pointed between them, grinning.

Just as Moon opened her snout to say something, Rarity rushed over. "Of course, darling. That will work fine. If you ever want to buy other things, just bring more gems." Her eyes were locked on the two huge diamonds. "In fact, I owe you a dress for this." Rarity couldn't bring herself to cheat her friend out of the gem's worth. "I insist."

Pinkie wrapped Rarity in a big hug. "You are the best!" She squeezed the unicorn until she got hugged back. "Can I pick that up tomorrow?" She looked back to Moon.

Examining the diamond, Moon pondered her options. "It will be tight…"

"Oh, I hope so." Pinkie grinned widely.

Moon blinked a few times. She is Pinkie, you have been here long enough to be used to this. "Err… uh…" I will never get used to this. "The day after, I want to make sure I get this one harder than ever."

"Two days! What will I do?" Pinkie bolted for the door and was soon out in the street. 

Closing the door behind her friend, Rarity gave a sigh. "Probably Big McIntosh Apple, if he has recovered since last time." She tilted her head over and gave Moon Dancer a wink.

"You're the worst, you know that?" Moon was giggling though. "Got another small blue gem? Pinkie… 'Pinkied' the last one." She put the one unenchated gem she had back on the cradle and started enchanting it. "Oh damnIforgot!" One forehoof jumped up into Moon's mouth to silence herself, the other rubbed her vulva vigorously. The taste of her own musk rushed over her palate, leaving the delicious orgasm to rifle through her body with extra gusto. 

"Give me your collar." Rarity's voice was focused, aimed right into Moon Dancer's ear. "Unbuckle it, you can remember you wear it for the next ten minutes."

Moon's eyes went wide. Her trembling hooves reached up, finding the collar she could never remember she wore. Unbuckling it, she slid it off her neck and down on the table. Realization rushed in on Moon Dancer, Rarity had offered her the collar, it helped her focus and think. "Do I need to add more to this?"

"Yes, darling." Rarity kissed Moon's cheek. "And I think you know what-" Rarity's lips were suddenly locked in a passionate kiss with Moon's. Neither mare held back from the embrace and the intensity of the moment. But it passed. "You need to add a short term enchantment, you need to be able to forget the next two hours."

"Why?" Moon kissed Rarity again, breaking her lips free just as suddenly. "What am I doing?"

"You are doing work for our mistress, and then you have to go to Canterlot and deliver it, but also another creation for Molestia." Rarity nuzzled Moon's neck and cheek.

"One day, when we are free…" Moon lifted the collar up and set it on her little stand. She began to channel the short-term enchantment into it, part of her hated the collar, but another part knew it was required. The moment Moon was done, however, she opened her eyes and drew in a deep breath to moan.

Pressing her lips forward, Rarity kissed Moon, carrying on the touch longer and longer, even lowering her own hoof down, stroking her lover. Rarity didn't stop kissing and stroking until Moon Dancer had found another release. "Okay, relax Moon. Once mistress is done we can forget this stupid collar and you won't have to put on a charade to hide your real actions from that damn princess."

Moon Dancer reached out and lifted the collar back up. The thing was made of the finest silk, the richest dyes and, of course, had the most powerful enchantments known to ponykind. "No, you can make me a new one to wear." She closed the collar around her neck, feeling as the spells to hide their relationship settled back on her. Just before they finally took effect, she grinned. "For Luna."

"For Luna." Rarity repeated the words, then saw her lover's face adjust back into the normal mask. "We have a new order, Moon."

"What is it?" Moon had a feeling she was under a deep enchantment, but at the same time was the feeling that it was something she consented to.

"An enchantment banisher." Rarity placed a small staff of dark wood on the bench. 

Moon whistled. "That is certainly the right wood for it, bespelled and from the Everfree. You really have authorization to make this?"

"Of course, from Princess Luna." The name of the alicorn echoed a little in Moon Dancer's head.

"Princess Luna authorized? Wow." Gathering up the magic needed for the spell, Moon tilted her head up one more time. "This will drain me, you know. For the rest of the day."

"I know, Moony." Rarity smiled at the mare and then blushed, realizing she had used a much more familiar name. "I am sure we should go to the spa after this."

Moon was already weaving the enchantment, burning her magic quickly to build and bind the thing. It took the better part of ten minutes to finally implant the staff with the enchantment, but it was successful. Lips pressed to Moon's just as the wave of pleasure slammed into her. She bucked and squirmed, blue magic gripping her and holding her in place as her boss kissed her. 

Rarity pulled back from Moon, seeing her wide eyes slowly melt closed as the temporary enchantment stole time from the mare. Watching Moon Dancer waken from the "dream", Rarity asked, "So, we are going to the spa now, as I told you!"

"Ooh, I could really use a soak." Moon got up, a cool sensation in her nethers revealed her plot to be quite damp.
> Mare in Deep
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mac opened her eyes and yawned. The leg draped over her shoulder didn't surprise her, Luna had been getting a little "huggy" for the last two days; it had been a week since Mac had joined the Lunar Guard.

"You have a date tonight, don't you?" Luna spoke the words right into Mac's mane, sending a warm shiver down the smaller mare's spine. "Your second, isn't it?"

"Yeah." Big McIntosh stretched, pushing her back into an arch and shoving her legs out hard. Even as her back pressed against Luna's belly, Mac gave a nod. "He is nice, easy to relax with and just… talk."

"Have you thought more about us, too?" Luna didn't want to spook Mac, just held still and let her precious butterfly squirm and slip away.

"I asked you to take it slow, Luna, and you have." Mac smiled at the princess and began walking for the bath. "So 'us' is a thing, I guess." She slipped down into the water, giving a happy sigh. "Coming?"

Luna melted at the glance Mac gave her, she knew the mare didn't mean to do it but it had her breath catch in her throat. "You bet I am." It was a less elegant dismount of the bed, but Luna didn't care. With her eyes fixed on the dark bat pony mare, she gave a soft sigh of happiness.

Mac drifted over to Luna, barely swishing her wings in the water for propulsion. "Anything exciting happening tonight?" She leaned down, pressing her snout to Luna's wing and, when it spread for her, Mac began arranging the alicorn's primary feathers appropriately.

"Oh, we have a special visitor, she will be dropping off something very important." Luna almost flopped in place, the attention to her feathers relaxing her completely. "Princess Cadance, too, will be arriving."

Mention of the "Empress of the North" got Mac's attention. "About that. There was a raffle, the guard… we all had a raffle for something."

"Did you win?" Luna looked at Mac, having trouble keeping the silly-happy smile off her snout. When Mac nodded, she lost a bit of the smile. "That raffle was to see who would 'accompany' Cadance's retinue. It is a tradition that the guard on duty offer the visiting dignitary all the honor of their homeland." Luna gave a suffering sigh.

Mac stopped her preening task. "Their homeland? But that is the Crystal Empire, they-"

"Keep pleasure slaves, yes." Luna leaned down and finished off her primaries. "You know what happens if we refuse?" She looked to Mac and saw the mare shake her head. "Cadance would 'leave', then return during the day. Who do you think Princess Pudgy-Plot would assign?"

"My little Apple." Mac sunk her head under the water, wanting to be away from the world. It is a new thing to me, too. The Crystal Empire was not… the way you see it now. Mac lifted her head out and shook her mane. "What will they want me do?"

"Depends who she brings, if she brings Shining and Chrysalis, try to get Shining." Luna used her magic to float the mane shampoo over to Mac, working it into the mare's dark mane. "They are not allowed to use anything permanently enchanting on you, but they may… try to talk you into it."

"So I just have to stand at attention and tell them 'No'?" Mac reached up with a wing, rubbing her mane and working the shampoo through it. 

"You will need to oblige them. They are going to want to play with you, Mac." Luna reached out her other wing and started preening the feathers. "They will be arriving later in the night, however. You have your date with Jade first."

Mac stopped and turned to look at Luna. "If you are trying to tell me something, please spell it out." She is suggesting you share Jade's bed, so your first time isn't with one of Cadance's guard. Mac froze what she was doing. "I will have to sleep with them?" Mac felt an anger rise, an anger that wasn't her own. Mine, sorry. Hearing Night Reign's voice, so soft in her head, cut the anger back.

"They will not be allowed to demand it, but they will use tricks to encourage it." Luna's enjoyment of the bath had ended. "She is… an ally, where Equestria lacks any. Sister… has not lifted a hoof to run things since shortly after I left. Captain Night Light keeps his guards as ready as he can, but without our shining star, Twilight Sparkle, we are nearly defenseless. We need Empress Cadance to side with us."

Blue magic grabbed hold of a cane by the big map of Equestria on the wall of Luna's chambers. "Before I… was sent away, all of this was Equestria." Her magic rolled back time on the map, taking away the lines and markings of the other nations. "Sister ruled, albeit in a little odd way, but ponies were happy." The marks around Manehatten once more changed it to a city-state. "Then Manehatten claimed independence of her twisted rule. Seeing weakness, the dragons pushed in." Luna added more marks. "And in the last few years, the Changeling Collective, the remains of Chrysalis' leaderless hive, took our southern cities."





"I know… okay, I didn't know it was all Equestria." Mac studied the odd map critically, she had never seen one so old, modified to modern times. She climbed from the pool, letting Luna worry about running a towel over her body. "So this," Mac brought a hoof up to point at what she had always thought of as "not Equestria" on the mainland, "used to be Equestria?" It would take at least two strong armies to do this. One to defend, one to strike. "Cadance has an army?"

"She has two, Mac." Luna joined McIntosh at the map. "She has her Crystal Guard, and she has an army of changelings. She could take Manehatten… retake it that is." Smiling at the map, Luna showed little flashes and then showing Manehatten becoming part of Equestria again. "We could then push down, block off the dragons and drop a hammer from Cloudsdale." She motioned on the map, showing the two huge "bites" out of Equestria fading.

"And then we push on the Collective?" Mac brought a hoof to the changelings in the south.

"No, they," Luna lowered her head, "they are mostly at peace. We don't officially like how they are treating ponies, but reports have come from there, the ponies are alive and well." Luna inhaled, it was the one sticking point of these plans. "Despite being fodder for the changelings."

There is more, she is holding back. "What aren't you telling me?" Mac studied the map, military thoughts pouring through her head, courtesy of Night. "There is another player, another piece to this puzzle."

Luna froze, she hadn't expected Mac to figure that out. "Night is helping?"

I am not! You are just learning from me, you are not a silly filly, Big McIntosh, not by half. "She is." And you play games with my lover. Don't break her, Mac. "She helps me with this, but her guidance is only that. If we had both these armies together, why not retake the south? Either there is something missing, or you don't want whatever army Cadance provides meeting with them."

"Either army would have changelings in it, don't doubt it. And no, I don't want her establishing any ties down there. But there is more, Mac. More that I cannot tell you about." Luna turned, started drying them off properly. "You will know about it all by the time you are leading my army."

"Leading?" Leading? Mac and Night both were shocked.

"Leading. By the time these plans move forward, you will be the best hope Equestria has. But that is some years ahead." Luna smiled. "You can't go on a date looking like that."

Mac groaned as Luna set to work, fitting her mane with all kinds of clips, getting it flowing down her neck and withers. 

In no time, and with no talk, Mac's mane and tail were both primped and, despite having been a stallion most of her life, it felt nice. "Is he on door duty again?"

"Jade? He should be." Luna grinned and gestured forward with a hoof. "If you would, my guard, please see me out to the hall."

Mac snapped off a salute and opened the door. She saw Jade and boy did he see her back. Her heart raced a moment and she gave him back a smile.

"Jade, Night, you are dismissed for the evening. I expect you back, Night Reign, around four." Luna  used her magic to give Mac a little push to ward the other bat pony. "Lead on, Sooty Rose."

"You okay, Jade?" Mac noticed the stallion acting a little odd.

"Fine… just a little out of sorts still, from that drug I was slipped." Jade leaned closer to the mare and inhaled deeply. "Something about you is just… amazing, Night."

It isn't me he likes, silly, he likes you. Mac smiled and gave a little nod. "Tonight was dinner?" She reached her wing out and brushed it against Jade's. "Where are you taking me?"

"Not to the fruit bar, you deserve something nicer." Jade spread his wings and looked to Mac. He laughed when she did the same and with a jump and a flap they were into the evening together. 

Mac followed Jade's lead, tilting her wings as she had been shown. I really love flying. "I do too." Mac's words were lost to the wind, but of course Night heard them loud and clear. Not sure if that is me or just you. You are flying well considering you just learned how.

"Did you say something?" Jade turned his head to watch Mac flying at his "four." His target was just below them now and he slowly spiraled down to land lightly. "Here we are!"

Mac's jaw dropped open, it was one of the classiest restaurants in Canterlot. A million thoughts rushed into her head, she knew not all of them had to do with Night, but some did. The one about wanting to wear a nice dress for this isn't me, I hate dresses. Mac blushed a touch, her own little bent exposed… at least within her own head. "You should have told me we were coming here, I could have dressed up." She deepened her blush just admitting it, but it felt nice. 

"But then I would see less of you." Jade's eyes danced in the evening light. "Come on, I reserved us a table." Jade led the way, opening the door for Mac and guiding her inside. "A table for two." He beamed at the maitre'd.

"Of course." The unicorn bowed and led the way into the fancy place.

Mac couldn't help but prance a little, she had been done-up by a princess, after all. When offered a seat, she took it. There was literally a table and a single candle between her and Jade and, somehow, they seemed closer than when she had brushed his back with her wing. "The food here is… good?"

"Yeah, the owner is… well, they like us bats. Some of these sorts of places wouldn't even take my booking." Jade tried to relax but something kept prodding his senses, poking him into excitement at having Mac to himself. "Sorry, Night, I need to… to freshen up." He got up and trotted for the little colts room. Inside he gasped and felt the "ache" ease. "What is going on?"

Mac blinked as her date seemed to gallop away from her. "What was that about?" Beats me, he seemed to have a problem walking straight, too. It came to Mac first, what the stallion's problem was. "Oh…" It was impossible not to blush when thinking of a stallion having a "seating issue" because of herself.

"Would you wish to order? Or would you like to wait for your dining guest to return?" A waiter had arrived and it suddenly occurred to Mac that some time had passed.

Getting up, Mac ignored the waiter and headed for the little colts room too. "Jade?"

"Night Reign?" Jade's voice held strain, ache. He could smell her more than hear her, his body ached, reminded him of a few nights earlier. "Night please… go."

Mac opened the door to the stall Jade was in. "What's wrong? Are you-" She cut off mid sentence, Jade was laying over the receptacle, one hoof under him and stroking. "Is it that drug again?" The stallion nodded and gave a whimpering groan. "I'll get help." Mac turned to leave, she got out into the main area of the bathroom before she felt a wing-claw grab to her flank, almost pulling her off balance. "Jade?"

"Night… I can't stop it, you smell so good…" Jade leaned forward, pushing his snout up and under the mare's tail. Bliss overcame the stallion for a moment, all the need that boiled in him was fulfilled for a split second. "Night, you are… estrus…" His mind tried to shout, to tell him that this was some holdover from the drug.

Stopped dead by the brush of the stallion's snout against her vulva, Mac heard the word. "Jade, I," she squirmed in place as a tongue ran up the length of that private place. "Jade," Luna's warning rang in Mac's head, "be gentle." I don't know as he can hear you, Mac.

A weight fell on Mac's back, she felt Jade's wings wrap around her, gripping her belly. Something inside sparked with excitement at the feel of him. Not me, that is all you. "Don't care." Mac felt her body become still more complicit, she cocked her tail to the side and leaned back. 

He didn't hit his mark first, or even second, but Jade was suddenly so determined to mount his mare that he was lent the persistent stubbornness of a donkey. Finally, his mark was made and Jade grunted. His shaft pushing just inside the mare at first, he adjusted his back legs, gripped a little tighter and pulled the mare back and around him.

Mac's eyes flared wide at that first penetration, but fluttered closed as he pulled her back. She didn't need Night's help to know that pushing back was going to help. "Jade…" The word trailed off, it came from deep in her throat and felt like it never left. The stallion pulled and pushed, soon pressing his groin in against Mac's plot. He was huge, monstrously so, at least so Mac thought. With the huge shaft, came waves of pleasure.

Jade pulled back and slammed forward again, repeating the action, then again, driving himself into the mare. Grabbing at her body, their wings seemed to tangle a little, so he leaned forward and grabbed hold of Mac's mane with his teeth. Bucking, driving himself into the mare, Jade felt everything else in the world slide away.

"Wait, estrus?" The one word sank into Mac, but not as far as the stallion did. She felt him give two more fast bucks before the hot swelling started. It was enough to cause all those banked-up waves to suddenly rush in, crashing around and causing Mac to grind back, shoving against the ejaculating stallion to make sure she could claim all of him. Lightning strikes blast all through Mac and she felt amazing, but then the worry returned, along with that word. "Estrus…"
> Mare out of Nowhere
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Big McIntosh's whole body felt flush, on fire with the heat that Jade had put into her and with the shock of what happened. Are you okay, Mac? "I'm okay, Jade?" She turned her head in time to see the stallion slump off her back and fall onto the floor. "Jade?"

"I'm so sorry," Jade fell to his plot and stared up at Mac, seeing her tail still raised sent another pang of need through him but, with the act complete, he had a little respite from what the poison had driven him to. "Night, please, I didn't mean to-"

"Jade, stop. It wasn't your fault, this was nothing like you." Mac felt anger, it poured to her from the parts that had joined with Night Reign. "Are you okay?"

"Me?" Jade stared up, unable to think of the angry face Mac wore as anything but for him. "You are asking me if I am 'okay'?" He shook his head and scooted along the floor to the corner of the bathroom. "I just raped you and you-" A dark hoof was pressed to his snout.

"You didn't rape me. You were poisoned and… okay next time, you go slower and more gentle." Mac blushed all kinds of crimson. "But first, before we point hooves, let's get the buck out of here." Luna, get word to Luna. Or the guard.

When the hoof left his snout, Jade Sight looked up at the mare standing over him. He tried to focus on her eyes, on her face; he wasn't ready to smile yet, but he stopped frowning.

He is looking in your eyes, he loves you. "Okay, how do we contact Princess Luna?" She looked around the room, struggling for the effort to pull her vision away from Jade's. Stepping over to the door, she opened it and looked out into the restaurant. 

The waiter noticed the distressed-looking mare poking her head out the door of the gentlecolts. Finishing what he was doing, he trotted over. "Madame?"

"Please," Mac's tone immediately got a twitch of sympathy from the waiter, "my coltfriend has had an accident, is there another way out of here?" 

"Madame, you and your friend are members of the Lunar Guard?" When the waiter got a nod from Mac, he smiled. "Then please, allow me to help. What do you need?"

Something to carry Jade. Somepony to help carry Jade. A way out of here that doesn't involve going past the patrons. "We need a tablecloth, somepony to help me carry him, and a way out that," Mac gestured at the diners.

"I understand, please lock the door from inside and give me a moment."

"Okay, lock the door." Mac pushed the door closed and, using her hoof, slid the little bolt across. "Jade, can you walk?" As she walked closer she saw the stallion's lip curl, his nose working. "Jade?"

"Back, please…" Jade tried to pull further into the corner.

"My estrus?" Mac suddenly put the clues together. "I am going to squish that bug so hard…" She backed away from Jade. "Help is coming." She tried to force a smile for her coltfriend.

A gentle tap on the door startled Mac and she spun around to open it. "Madam?" The waiter passed through a tablecloth and started to push into the room. "Your friend is-" Halting his words, the waiter narrowed his eyes. "This had better not be a prank."

"No, he got poisoned and," Mac would have bitten her lip if she didn't want to avoid any mistakes with her fangs, "and we just need to get him up to the castle, to the Lunar Guard… to Princess Luna." After a moment Mac thought to add, "And I can't go near him."

The waiter's horn lit and opened the small window set into the wall. "Let me get you out of here first, then you can see about getting up to the castle." In moments Jade had the white tablecloth wrapped around him, hiding his sweating body. "Monsieur, up you go." 

Mac trotted up to the waiter. "Give him a moment to get away from the window… okay." Mac studied the waiter's face. "Thank you." She was shocked when, giving a wink, the waiter stole a quick kiss and lifted her out the window and after Jade.

Staring at his fillyfriend, having scuttled to the opposite side of the alley, Jade huddled under the sheet. "I… I might be able to fly."

"Then let's fly, you up front and me behind, should be able to keep your nose free." Mac spread her wings and watched Jade pull out from under the tablecloth. Bundling it up in his forehooves, he spread his wings and took off.

Tilting her head up, Mac got a good view of "Jade." Sure is a stallion, now flap your wings before you go blind. She blushed at Night's urging but took to her wings. Dinner was left behind her, Mac winged her way above Canterlot, chasing the stallion she really liked. 

"What'cha doin'?" The familiar voice made Mac nearly fall out of the sky, she suddenly flapped her wings to get under control again. "Whoa, sorry to scare ya with my awesomeness…"

"Rainbow Dash." Mac gave a long-suffering sigh. "Lunar Guard business. Jade was poisoned." She suddenly had no idea why she actually said what was going on, it would make the Wonderbolt-mad mare just more interested. "Just trying to get him-" Mac cut off. "Dash! Come back!"

"Don't think of the cute mare behind you Jade, Night…" Jade's body trembled at the thought of her name. "Just get back to the castle and Princess Luna can put me back in that cage again." The thought of it didn't bode well for him.

"Hi there." Rainbow Dash flew in beside the bat pony stallion. "Got poisoned? Shouldn't be flying, that makes it spread faster."

Jade's eyes were wide, but to his relief Rainbow Dash didn't seem to be triggering the same reaction that Mac had. "Please, can you leave me alone, I just need to get back to-" Jade stopped talking, realizing they were over the castle. Circling, he headed to the landing area that led to the main hall, where his princess would be holding court. 

"Rainbow Dash, he is sensitive to mares in… well, estrus." Mac blushed as she tried to hover down-wind from the platform; bat wings were made for gliding, not hovering.

"Really?" Rainbow looked to the hovering mare. "Got it, we are going to the princess." Straightening up, the cyan pegasus started stomping forward. "Everypony, out of the way. Element bearer coming through!"

Jade blinked in shock, watching as at least some Lunar Guard did back away. He slunk forward, trying to keep as far from the retreating ponies—particularly the mares—as he could.

"Jade?" Deep Dive took a step forward and froze when the stallion shrank back from her. "I'm not going to hurt you." She trailed off.

"Excuse me." Rainbow Dash stepped between Jade and the mare. "But you know that when a pony says 'Mango Midnight,' you need to listen, right?" Jaws hit the floor as all the bat ponies froze and stared at Rainbow Dash, not the least of which was Jade. "Good, now make a hole, need to get this… Jade was it?" At a nod Dash grinned a little wider. "Need to get Jade through to the Princess."

"Not supposed to ask how you know that phrase, but you do so." Deep stepped to the door and opened it. She threw the door open, startling Princess Luna and the inside guard. "Princess Luna!"

Luna lifted her snout, looking to the end of the hall where the interruption to her meeting with Moon Dancer was. She was all set to ask what was going on when a mare she recognized marched brazenly in. "Rainbow Dash?"

"Yup, got one of your bats here." She looked back in time to see Jade rush into the room and find a spot as far from all the ponies present as possible. "He was flying back with a friend… here she is." The doors closed behind Mac. "Poisoned or somethin'."

"Night Reign? Jade Sight? What is the meaning of this?" Luna looked from one to the other. Carefully, she re-wrapped the item she was taking from Moon Dancer.

"The poison isn't out of his system." Mac blurted. "He seemed fine at the start, but then-"

"She is in estrus, Princess. It must… it must be triggering that stuff." Jade let his shoulders slump, then the rest of him. "Please, Princess Luna, put me back in the cage."

"No!" Mac stepped forward, avoiding Jade's direction so as to not torment him.

"And what do you want instead, Night Reign?" Luna stroked her hoof over the collar adorning the arm of the throne.

"I take it," Moon Dancer looked between the two bat ponies in question, "that it is a drug to enhance his arousal?" A nod came from the Princess. "Well a simple enchantment to bind his body and put it in the hooves of one pony should free him from it."

All eyes, and indeed ears, were focused on Moon. Luna gave the mare a smile. "That would be wonderful, Moon. How long would it take to make that? What will you need?"

Moon looked at the stallion, then closed her eyes to do the math. "A gem, or something of a quality enough to hold the heavy control enchantment. Some time to work. A day. Maybe two." Moon Dancer gave a nod. "Such an enchantment is illegal except when sanctioned by a princess."

"Please, buy whatever you need to, make it as soon as possible." Luna turned to Jade. "But that doesn't help you right now, does it? Night, you are in charge of his incarceration. Is this okay with both of you?"

Mac gulped and nodded. "Your Highness, is this likely to wear off?" She looked over at Jade and gave a soft whine. He doesn't deserve this, what are you going to do?

"It should have worn off by the morning after. That it still affects him days later is not a good sign." Luna mulled over the problem. "Jade, come here please. It is not my time, relax." She passed Moon Dancer's collar back to the mare and waited for Jade to walk up to her. Using her magic, Luna reached out to the stallion and started to press sleep into his mind. 

Recognizing the sensation, Jade beamed up at Luna. "Thank yo-" His head pressed against his hooves and his eyes grew too heavy to keep open. 

Working magic over the stallion, Luna poked and prodded his "magical self," searching for the problem. "The drug is gone from him, but it changed him." She pushed past the barrier of the world and into the stallion's dream. Luna wanted to blush, she knew she probably was in the waking world. "Jade? Are you more comfortable like this?"

Jade was in a dream, a very naughty dream. Night Reign was under him and he had the stamina of stud stallions of days long past. "I don't want to hurt her again!" He shouted so hard the world around him wavered.

"Again?" Luna flicked her perception, seeing the ponies arranging to move Jade in the real world. "Night is a strong mare, do you think she would have followed you, if she felt hurt by you?"

He didn't stop, Jade couldn't stop, but his brain processed the question. Just then the dream world snapped, Jade was pushed from his dream and was once more awake. He first recognized the cage, the one Luna had put him in the previous week, when he had been affected by the poison the first time.

"You're awake." Mac lay by the door to the cage. "Jade, I hope you can realize that I really like you."

Jade's eyes went wide. "Night Reign, you-"

"Mac. Jade, call me Mac." Mac smiled at the stallion and got up. She walked closer to him, reaching down with a hoof to him. "I think you can find something to do while Luna's friend makes the bridle for you."

Aching, Jade stood up and stepped around the mare. Planting his snout under Mac's tail he inhaled. Mac had been in full control this time, Jade pondered why she would do it for a few more seconds, then the effect the drug imparted on him took over.
> Mare in the Shadows
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Night Reign? Jade Sight?" Moon Dancer stepped into the old prison area. The smell hit her immediately and she almost gagged. Stallion and mare, rutting and estrus, it all merged into a heady stew that she really didn't want anything to do with. "Are you in here?" 

"H-H-Hello?" Mac lifted her head, about the only action she was capable of. "What time is it?" She felt groggy and tired.

"Night Reign." Moon Dancer stepped closer to the caged door. "It is early afternoon, nearly a full day after you came down here. I worked as fast as I could on a bridle." She held up the little case. "But… I have to warn you, both of you."

"Warn us what?" Jade got his forehooves under himself and lifted up into a sitting position. He blinked at Mac as the mare got up and walked over to sit in front of him. "Uh…"

"Covering for you." Mac had seen he was in a state most stallions had in the morning, only a little more so because of the state they were both in. "What do you need to warn us about?"

"This." Moon Dancer opened the case to show the two the bridle she had made. The thing was midnight black and the hardened, compressed-fabric it was made from looked of a similar quality to the Lunar Guard armor. "Once fitted, it will bind the wearer's libido."

"Bind it? I don't want to bind it, I want to control it." Jade got "things" under control and stepped up to the bars. "And if you think I will put that on and give you or anypony else control of 'me,' you have something else coming."

"You know of this enchantment then?" Moon lifted an eyebrow. "Then you know how important it is who puts it on you." She looked at the stallion and shrugged. "I don't care either way. I had permission to make this masterpiece, it is one of my best works." She closed the case and slid it through the bars, then turned and left.

"What's it do?" Mac finally got her tongue in order. "Binds? We don't have much of this kind of stuff in Ponyville, except for Rarity and Moon making it, of course."

"The pony who wears it loses control of their arousal, the thing binds it to the control of another, typically whoever put it on them." Jade stared at the case. "They aren't legal… I only know about them from work." He paused a moment. "And it all makes sense now, they want you to put it on me."

"What?" Mac blinked. Would you? She shook her head. "Jade, I can help now, it… well, it was fun." She blushed up a storm, her brain shoving memories of their time together. Leaning closer, she pressed against the stallion.

Jade's wing moved without his directing it, reaching out and around the mare. "Mac, that isn't fair on you." His heart beat faster at the thought of it, however. "Wait, you aren't affecting me!"

Of course you aren't. You were in estrus, you spent a day screwing. What does he think happened? "Jade?" Mac closed her eyes, trying to work out how best to explain it. "I like you," she lifted a hoof when she opened her eyes and saw him about to interrupt, pressing it to his snout, "you know how this armor works, so you know I was a stallion. I care less and less about that by the day."

Jade lifted his own hoof up and gently nudged Mac's aside. "But it isn't going to just be when you are in estrus." He leaned forward, pressing his lips to Mac's. Both ponies closed their eyes, the closeness of their day spent together expressed in the gentle closeness the simple show of affection was. Jade drew back. "It will be every mare. I won't be able to work in mom's bar, guard work will be done for." He looked at the bridle case. 

Mac watched the stallion walk over to the bars, standing over the black case. "I'll do it. Princess Luna will understand. If I am with you all the time you can just take me to a back room and deal with your need."

They both knew it wouldn't work.

"I would love nothing more than to spend each day like that, Mac." Jade tasted the name, found he liked it. "But it isn't fair to you, you are a pony with hopes and dreams." His snout pulled into a half-smile. "And an alicorn princess who really likes you sleeping in her bed."

"So what do we do then?" Mac tried to put the feelings regarding Luna aside, it wasn't easy. She watched the stallion reach down and open the case with his hooves. "Jade?"

Lifting out the enchanted bridle, Jade looked at Mac. "Put this on me. Princess Luna judged this well, she knew I wouldn't accept anypony controlling me." He stepped closer to Big Mac and held the bridle between them. "Except you."

"This… this is too quick, we barely know each other." Mac took the bridle from Jade and looked at it. "I can take it off you again, right? It isn't one of those crazy ones that never comes off?"

"You can take it off me." Jade leaned forward, closing his eyes. "I couldn't." His heart beat three times waiting for the first touch of the bridle. It was shaped perfectly for him, slipping up and around his face.

Mac wasn't completely sure on how to fit the thing, but her hooves seemed guided, pulling a strap over his ears and then feeding another through a buckle. Once it was tight, she felt a tingling rush. "It's on, Jade." Mac leaned against him, using Jade for support. 

"You need to test it now, silly." Jade nuzzled and kissed Mac again, paining her cheek with nuzzles and smooches. "Make me horny, just think it at me."

Laughing, Mac managed to catch his lips in her own kiss. "You already are horny. But I think I know how to test this." She turned and took a few steps away from Jade. You are a naughty mare, I can't believe you are doing all this.

"You get an odd look sometimes." Jade had noticed Mac's slightly far-away look from listening to Night. "Are you alright?"

"Night Reign is my armor." Mac had lost the moment, the initiative. "She… she is with me a lot more than the others tell me theirs is. She talks to me." The stallion's head lifted a little more, gazing at Mac. "She does, Princess Luna told me I am not going crazy. When she talks, apparently I get an odd look." You probably do, this is the second pony who has noticed. "Like that."

Jade blinked and thought about the information. "I guess that explains why you would rather your own name. Mac?" The mare nodded to him. "Well, tell her I-"

"She can hear you." Tell him he is sexy and do what you were going to. Mac blushed. "Jade, she thinks you are really sexy," Cheat, "and she… and I, want you to see this." And with that, Mac adjusted her stance so she was facing away from the stallion and blushing, feeling butterflies take flight in her belly, Mac lifted her tail.

Jade's heart beat faster, the part of him that had woken up happy was happy again, but there was something lacking, he just… "Are you stopping me?" Mac nodded to him. "It's work-" The rush of heat was fast, the slight scowl Jade had been wearing faded as his lust roused. He stepped forward, just as Mac stepped back.


~~~~~+++++~~~~~


Luna sat on the throne and adjusted her position. She watched as Mac—assisted by the other Lunar guard—carried Jade from the throne room. The room was empty of bat ponies. "What do you think?" She didn't turn, she was having to spend a little focus keeping Jade in the dream.

"About using the super special password? We needed it." Rainbow Dash shook out one of her wings, leaning over to preen a feather straight again. "If you mean about the poison, this was one of the two affected by Princess Cadance's flunky four nights back?"

"He was." Luna turned her head to look at the blue pegasus. "She assured me it was a temporary thing. I know well what they used, it is always short term, less than a day; never more than two."

"Then there are three possibles." Rainbow Dash stretched both her wings. "And I think, as the best Shadowbolt ever, I can tell you what they are." She strutted around to the other side of the throne. "So the first possibility, it is all just a mistake, he had a bad reaction. That would be nice, neat, completely a misunderstanding."

"Go on." Luna smiled.

"Second one is Cadance wanted you off balance. She did something to the drug, slipped something else in it. Now she may or may not have told bug-butt, but that doesn't matter, the intent does. If this is the case, we have to question all her offers." Rainbow Dash stepped in beside the throne, on the platform just beside it. "The last, is that ol' cheese-legs took some initiative, she did something more, or modified the poison. If she did this without the Princess' say-so, we are in almost as good a position as the first one."

"So what do we assume?" Luna leaned to the side, avoiding the sticky patch her sister had left. "What do we do?"

"That had better be the 'royal we,' I haven't gone this long and built my reputation this far just to be revealed as your Shadowbolt." Rainbow looked up and grinned wide to her Princess. "Blame Cadance, hold her responsible. Make sure that whatever small inconvenience you apply is just annoying enough that she has to punish pod-breath. If she sends her home, we let her know we are playing ball, but won't accept fouls. More importantly," Rainbow Dash flicked her rainbow mane, "we get rid of bleached-bod in case it was a malicious act by her."

"Announcing Their Royal Highness, Empress and Princess, Cadance." The yell came from the guard outside. Luna acted fast, she energized her magic and pushed the room into a midnight motif. The power flowed down from the ceiling of stars, fell around the floor and, importantly, hid Rainbow Dash. 

Blue magic surrounded the doors and eased them open. Cadance stood in the middle of the doorway. To each side of the alicorn stood pristine and white mares wearing equally white bridles. "Aunty!" Cadance pranced in, her hooves rising and falling in great arcs. "I love what you have done with the place." There was magic everywhere, bathing every surface of the room.

Luna smiled serenely. "Niece, you know you are always welcome in my court. What is it you are here to discuss today?" Luna closed the doors behind the three ponies.

"This and that. Maybe war. Oh," Cadance lifted one hoof to half cover her snout, "not with you, of course. It is just I have a swarm of changelings who really want to do something new. But first, before any business, where are the ponies who will entertain me and mine?"

"They aren't coming." Luna noticed the twitch in the pink mare's eye. "You see, two of the four you had requested, that were all prepared to accept their duty—and your honors—had a little problem." The tale was everything, and Luna knew it. "You see, they were special someponies, and when a foreign envoy paid us a visit, nearly a week ago now, she used some kind of poison to subdue my guards."

"That isn't nice, I hope they are okay?" Cadance's eyes flicked to her right, the side that Chrysalis was standing on.

"Honestly? No. The stallion had a bad reaction to it, he is being cared for by his fillyfriend right this moment. I do hope he is able to wake in the morning." Luna layered it on thick, she made extra sure not to look at the former changeling queen. "And with them in such a… state, I find myself unwilling to extend the usual graces," Luna's dark eyes turned and fell on Chrysalis, "particularly with his poisoner present."

"I sent you to deliver a message, my bug." Cadance's words were soft, full of love. Anypony who knew the mare knew that either a blessing was coming, or her wrath. Some counted them as one and the same. "All you had to do was come here, announce yourself, then see Auntie in court." Cadance turned to look at her second wife. "Go home now. Think about what it is to serve."

"Bu-" Chrysalis froze in place, realizing her Mistress was deadly serious. "Of course." She pulled up her magic, boiling flame around herself before falling from sight.

"We are about to enter into a very cozy agreement, Auntie, I trust with my over-reaching filly gone we can relax and discuss things?" Cadance liked playing with new ponies, the loss of that had her on edge, but she understood Luna's side of things.
> Stallion in Deep
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Luna was playing with a snake and she knew it. "Chrysalis is a dangerous mare, when she isn't kept on a tight leash. I would ask that in future you find other messengers." She avoided looking anywhere in Dash's direction. "But, let us not dwell on that," it hurt to brush off Jade's attack, "we have serious plans to discuss."

Brightening, Cadance smiled. "We do! To begin with what do you offer the Crystal Empire for its part in this? Trade? Land?" The Princess of Love grinned wide at "land," with two armies to support and only the frozen north to support them, actual farm land was quite a tempting thing.

"A contract, was my thought." Luna lifted her hoof and made a map of Equestria manifest in the air. "We have a lot of coast line, a good chunk of it will be bordering seas where the dragons roam. We are going to need an army to guard us, and I am sure we can pay well for that."

"We wouldn't even need to farm it? We could watch your borders and you would tithe us food?" Cadance was bright with excitement. "Maybe we could even expand a little?" She waved a hoof at the island off the coast of Manehattan.

"That would be for you to do. But if you do this, if you free Equestria for me, you will be rewarded. Take back Manehatten and all our east coast to the badlands and I can assure you that the deal is yours."

"This sounds like a lovely plan, but there is one little problem." Cadance stepped around the map, coming right to the base of the dais that the throne stood on. "Your sister."

"My sister is a lunatic who doesn't know if it is night or day sometimes. She actually forgot, one week, that we're even locked in this cold war." Luna shook her head in dismissal. "Let me worry about her, and the nobles," at mention of the noble families Cadance perked up even further, "you know they still hate you for what you did, but freeing Equestria from this splintered state and the dragons would go far toward mending that gap."

"Shining Armor came to me willingly, you could see for yourself that her bridle does nothing to her mind." Cadance turned to the mare she loved. "She would, of course, be leading this army. My Shiny is still the best military mind in all Equestria."

"That is now debatable." Luna smiled so widely at the look of shock on Cadance and Shining's faces. "What? You look panicked? Is it so unbelievable that I would find a pony with a head for war tactics and bring them into my guard to train them?"

"And when do we get to meet this new commander?" Shining spoke up, asserting her role as leader of the Crystal Empire armies.

"Your envoy poisoned her stallion, I think she is allowed a little time to take care of him?" Luna loved it when circumstances came together in her favor.

"Touche." Cadance laughed and turned for the door. "With your leave, it has been quite the journey. I assume my normal suite is prepared?" At the nod Cadance made for the doors.

Luna waited for the other princess and her companion to leave, then unloaded another blast of magic to upset any possible scrying. "And now we see the truth."

"You think she was telling the truth?" Rainbow Dash was visible again and lifted up on her wings, flapping them slowly to just hover. "I admit, she seemed genuinely upset with Chrysalis, but that could have been for something else."

"You worry me sometimes, Dash. But I am very happy you accepted my offer to be a Shadowbolt." Luna found herself having even more to ponder about the conversation.

"Wonderbolts were cool too, but their kind of fighting doesn't really challenge a mare." Rainbow arched an eyebrow under her rainbow-colored mane. "Not like this does, it's like flying, but everypony in the air is a problem."

"Am I a problem?" Luna squinted.

"The biggest and best problem. That is why I work for you." The cocky pegasus made her way for the door before offering a, "Your Highness," over her shoulder.


~~~~~+++++~~~~~


Applejack startled awake. He lay in the bed, another stallion pressed to his back. A warm spot had grown in AJ, for Bright; a warm spot that had developed despite Molestia's meddling.

"You okay?" Bright reached one wing over AJ's big body and gave the other stallion a squeeze. "Regular armor today."

"But I have to wear the other stuff." Applejack was neither flying nor walking, he could just relax with his lover. "I can deal with it, even if I can't get relief." He turned in the bed, the poor frame groaning under his weight. "Maybe even liking it a little…" AJ blushed hotly.

"You like getting worked up without relief?" Bright Sunshine leaned in to nuzzle at Applejack's chest. As his snout touched the alicorn he pushed the rest of himself forward, bracing his wings and pressing against his lover. "I could help that, if you like?"

"You are such a tease." Applejack liked being with Bright, he was warm, nice, and didn't mind doing hard work when it was called for. He leaned down and buried his snout in Bright's tousled mane.

"Thought you just said you liked teasing?" Bright had missed the signs at first, but knowing who Applejack was before now made much more sense to him; like why he snuggled like a mare would. 

"Different sort of thing. How long until we are on duty?" AJ nuzzled around Bright's mane a little, finally finding an ear and mouthing at it. When he didn't get a response at first, Applejack let the ear drop from his mouth. "Bright?"

Bright was a little conflicted. He liked Applejack quite a bit, but part of him just wasn't sure about him being a mare, despite what he had told her. "Sorry, just thinking."

"Heavy thoughts." Applejack looked down at Bright. "Want to share them?"

"You are a lot of fun, AJ. You are great but…" Bright hated the "but," despised it even. "I thought I could ignore that you were a mare, that we could just have a little fun and then go on our ways."

"Ya can't?" Applejack tilted his head a little. "Ah thought we were having fun?" The other stallion muttered something and AJ poked his snout into Bright's cheek. "What was that?"

"I said I think I am falling for you." Bright couldn't believe he had said it, had admitted it.

"And?" Applejack used his snout again, urging the other stallion to explain.

Bright gave the deepest sigh of his life. "I was living happily, calmly. Molestia's guard is not the most glamorous part of the military, but we fill an important role. Fact was, I can see I was in a rut now." Bright leaned in and tucked his head into AJ's neck. "I had convinced myself that nopony mattered, that they were all just having fun too. Then, a week ago, you came along."

"Is it because I am a mare?" Applejack made a guess at the problem.

"No, that is an excuse. The problem is me, I am a little set in my… rut, and I don't know what will happen if I leave it." It was a scary prospect. "What happens if I become more attached? When you leave, you aren't going to want to be a stallion anymore. You even say 'I am a mare'."

"Ah…" AJ closed his mouth. "We can't just see how it goes?" His voice was almost teetering on worry. The problem for Applejack was, he could see where the stallion was coming from. "You want me to promise somethin'."

"If we keep going, if I am going to commit to this, I need you to as well." Bright looked at Applejack. "Would it be so bad to keep this, without all the stupid enchantments?"

It was a question that shook to AJ's core. He opened his mouth to reply twice, but found no answer each time. Applejack closed his eyes. "Ah need some time to think on it."

"Good. I don't want you making a blind promise that you will stay, I want you." Bright felt his heart burn, but it was touched with melancholy. "And talk to your friend in the Lunar Guard. You knew her before all this, I take it?"

"My sister." Applejack pressed his snout back into Bright's mane, pressed his body against the other stallion's enough to feel his heart beating. "Night Reign is my sister."

"Brother, you mean… okay, this is getting confusing. How are you dealing with it?" Bright looked up, seeing only the curve of AJ's neck above him; for a moment he had forgotten how big the other stallion was.

"Ah think the armor did something to make me accept it. But it is strange. She… Night was my brother, my big brother that is—that made it even more confusing—but she is still him, still the loving brother Ah always loved. Yer right this is confusing, but as long as Ah still have friends," Applejack squeezed the other stallion with his forelegs and a wing, "and as long as my sister is close, Ah'm okay."

"Good. No matter what AJ, I will be your friend." Bright was glad Applejack couldn't see his damp eyes. "But before we get… closer, I want to know if you are in this. Into 'us'."


~~~~~+++++~~~~~


Rainbow Dash marched into the workroom where Moon Dancer was working dutifully on the bridle. "Hey, Moony, what's up?"

Moon Dancer didn't take her focus from the step of enchanting the bridle. "What you want, Dash?" She vaguely knew the pegasus from the various enchanting jobs she had done for her. "You need another 'mane color' enchantment?"

"Pfft, of course not, Moony." Rainbow walked around the room, giving the unicorn time to finish her work. "Gotta say, you do the best work." Just as she saw the unicorn relax, Rainbow Dash reached up and released the catch on the collar.

The world rushed in around Moon Dancer. Her eyes narrowed to points. "Uh, Sir?" She looked back in embarrassment at Rainbow Dash, all her memories still with her.

"Time is just about here, Moony." Dash grinned and lifted the collar away. "Once you have done this you can go home, no collar needed." Rainbow Dash had amazing reflexes, but they could not save the pegasus from the laughing unicorn.

"You mean it? No more collar? I can be 'me'?" Moon Dancer was almost bouncing in place, she wanted to scream from the top of the castle that she loved Rarity. "Please Sir, don't mess with me."

"A deal. You climb off, you finish making that little thing up for Princess Luna's guard. You deliver it and take the train out of here, and I will tell you it is all true." Rainbow couldn't help the grin plastered on her face, nor the happy feeling that filled her. "You saved a lot of ponies, Moon."

Waving for a moment, Moon gave a deep sigh. "I won't say it was completely terrible, I still got to be with Rarity, and she knew; but I don't want to do this kind of thing again. I quit."

"Nope." Dash squirmed to the side but had a hoof clop down firmly, pinning her again. 

"What do you mean, 'nope?' " Moon's voice rose with each word. "Haven't I given enough? Do you really need me for more?" Rage was rising, insomuch as Moon Dancer could really get angry.

"You aren't leaving the Shadowbolts, Moon." Rainbow lifted her forehooves up to ward off the angry unicorn's glowing horn. "Whoa, slow down. You aren't going to be an active member, fine. But I will still count you as a sister in all this. Equestria deserves better than what it has, and you gave a lot to make sure it could have it." Rainbow saw the wrathful mare suddenly stop. "So you are still a Shadowbolt, but apart from some enchantments, I hope I never have to ask you to do anything again."

"You 'hope'?" Moon Dancer climbed off Dash, walking back to her desk. "What do you mean you hope?"

"Things will get crazy, soon. Everypony will be affected, even in quiet little Ponyville." Rainbow got up, adjusting her wings and mane with a flick of her shoulders. "Take care of Rarity for me, she is one of the best friends I have known." 

"Where are you going?" Moon Dancer caught on to the tone the blue pegasus was using. "What is going on, Dash?"

"As I said, crazy." Rainbow took a deep breath and let it out. "And here I am, stuck in the middle… I am flying out to see two different 'allies' tomorrow. I hope they really are allies." Dash was suddenly wrapped in a hug by the overly emotional mare.

"Take care of yourself, Rainbow Dash. Equestria only has one of you, and what would happen if you weren't in charge of the 'bolts anymore? Ugh, they might pick me!" Moon gave her friend and co-conspirator a hug.
> Mare on a Trip
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So good to finally let her free." Dash sauntered along the street, twirling the collar she had taken from Moon Dancer. As she trotted, Rainbow reflected on who her two targets were to visit. "Gonna need my wits about me, and my wings. Probably best to train there and save my feathers for an emergency." 

It was a moderate walk from where Moon Dancer was staying to the station, but Rainbow got a train bound north east. There was normally not one taking the old line to Manehatten, but for official business one could be arranged. "How long will it take to get ready? Her Highness, Princess Molestia, wishes few delays."

"Of course, we should have a train ready to go inside the hour." Princesses making demands was not the worst thing the poor stallion working at the station had to put up with. Writing out a request for a new train, he stuffed the note in a little cylinder and dropped it in the pneumatic tube. "You will be waiting, I take it?"

"Well, yeah." Rainbow Dash cocked her head. "That a problem?" She eyed up the stallion, trying to get a read on him. 

"Of course not!" The stallion blinked and looked to the side. "Sorry, you just…"

"Don't seem like the sort to work for the Princess?" Dash saw shock blossom so fast on the poor stationmaster's face that she knew she had hit the money. "Don't sweat it, I am not going to go blabbing to her." The stallion looked to relax by miles and Dash decided it would be best to let sleeping diamond dogs lie. 

Within the hour, as promised by the stationmaster, Dash was on a train heading down the mountain and then north-east. It wasn't far for her to go, but far enough that she would be tired if she had flown… well, a little. The tracks leading on to Manehattan were avoided and soon the train with just one carriage slipped into the dark forest that was part of the reason the dragons hadn't pushed deeper into Equestria's north.

"Begging your pardon, we don't go all the way to Hollow Shades anymore, Ma'am." The conductor looked nervously out into the forest. "And… uh, do we need to wait for you?"

"Wait two hours, no more." Dash got up, stretching her legs and wings. "How far are we from the old town?" She walked casually toward the end of the carriage, opening the door into the early morning air.

"Not far, you could see the town from here, if there wasn't that last corner that curved into the station." The conductor was already talking to empty air, a trail of rainbow mane and tail launched from the train.

Weaving and ducking around overgrown trees that now encroached on the railway, Dash soon caught sight of the green glow that dominated Hollow Shades. Shedding speed, she was gliding toward the edge of town when she felt a tingle in her mane. "Whoa, stop with that!" Rainbow dropped to the ground, but kept her wings ready. "You know who I am, cut out the magic!"

"You understand why we are cautious?" A soft voice in the trees to Dash's left side proceeded the shape of what looked like a pony, a green glow coming from its horn.

Dash knew better. "Yeah, yeah. Did Empress Lovebutt work out where you are yet?" Rainbow approached the figure and, when close enough, she lifted her hoof in greeting.

"Are you here with news or has another pony decided to let us decide their fate?"

As Rainbow's eyes adjusted to the dim light, she saw the cloaked pony, or what had once been a pony. "Come on, you actually have ponies willing to come out here and join you?"

Flipping back their hood, the pony revealed a horn on their forehead, bearing holes that looked almost terrifying. The black chitinous hood covered a grinning face. "A few. Not all of them knew what we offered. I could ask them all to come out, they will tell you that they love their new lives."

"Are all of them like you now?" Rainbow stepped back a little, giving the strange changeling room.

"Ha, of course not. Not everypony is made of the right stuff to be a technoling. Come on then, I can get you a nice cloak to wear, if you like?" The strange changeling gave a devious smile to Rainbow.

This close, Rainbow Dash could see the tight mask the changeling wore. The mask was part of a full-body suit, and that was the sum total of Dash's knowledge on the things. "I think I am fine being a pony." She followed the odd changeling all the way into the town. Rainbow felt her protective enchantments flare again and again—repelling changeling magic—but she had to relax, no horns were lit this time, it was just their natural "tasting" of a pony.

Guided to the town hall, Rainbow Dash entered after her guide. Nearly all of her protective enchantments went off. "Okay, seriously, stop with the magic. You can't affect me with it at all."

A single creature sat on a dark throne, their body covered in the ubiquitous suit that all the technolings wore. Turning her head, the strange creature smiled at her new visitor. "The Great and Powerful Trixie has a new supplicant? Does this pony wish to become food or does she aspire to be a technoling?"

"Trixie, cut it out." Rainbow Dash felt her defenses tingle in her mane again. "I am here to tell you, two days and the plan goes ahead. Understand?"

The technoling flicked back her hood, revealing the tight suit covering her head to be covered in green-glowing patterns, almost like squared off veins tracing all over her. "Trixie thinks you would be the perfect agent for such an assignment." Trixie's horn lit green, but despite her best efforts not a single bit of magic could grip the rainbow-maned pony. "You are no fun."

"You gotta back off on all this stuff when you join Equestria, you know?" Rainbow looked up at the mare, remembering the blue showmare she had once known. "You really are great and powerful now, but are you still a pony?"

"Trixie is the best pony, but she is also much more than that now." Trixie stood up and a few clicks were heard as what looked like cables fell down from under her cloak. "You have protection against magic, or you would already be gladly putting on a technoling suit. The Curious and Inquisitive Trixie wants to know how you are doing this?"

"Back off now Tri-" Rainbow froze. The two big blue eyes of Trixie's had changed, patterns forming in them, flowing, swirling. 

"Just relax, Rainbow Dash. Let Trixie worry about things." Trixie had engaged her hypnosis systems. "Normally this would work much better, with magic, but since you are oddly resistant to that I am simply going to do things this way."

The words confused Dash a little, they were big in her head, crowding out her own ideas. Ideas like "escape" and "fight." Rainbow Dash gave a sigh as the patterns in those blue eyes seemed to change, pushing at her mind and nudging it around. 

"You can just be calm now, can't you?" Trixie smiled as she watched the mare nod. "You have to talk to Trixie, tell her what you know she wants to hear from you."

"I can be calm, Trixie." Rainbow Dash struggled for a thought that was her own but the patterns that her eyes were glued to seemed to seep into her head, crowding her head, making it hard to focus. But her thoughts were only part of Dash, she had driven her fanatical devotion to Luna into her body too. Standing straighter, flaring her wings, Rainbow Dash wasn't even sure why but she was about to run, fly, get away from the lovely pattern that held her vision and mind in its grip.

"Slow down, relax. Your legs are getting heavier." Trixie watched the skittish mare seem to wobble. "So heavy, very heavy. How you can even walk on them Trixie knows not."

Dash's attempted escape was arrested by lethargy. "What… what are you doing to me, Trixie?" She couldn't look away from those amazing eyes.

"First, Trixie would like to know how to are resisting our magic. You wear no enchantable equipment and you are not a unicorn. Not that that would help." Trixie changed the pattern playing through her eyes, adjusted it to something more imposing and intrusive.

Rainbow Dash fell slowly to the floor, folding her legs under her and staring upwards. "My mane and tail. Lots of threads of silk are woven in, bonded-" Dash froze, one such thread sent a spark and arced to life. Blinking and shaking her head the blue pegasus got her legs back under her. "I am leaving, Trixie. I am going to recommend to Princess Luna that you not be accepted into Equestria." She started to turn.

"Trixie is… Trixie is s-s-s...."

The apology halted Dash's turn. "You can't just go attacking ponies like that, Trixie." She looked at the mare, confident that her activated defense was protecting her. "What is going on?"

"Trixie is not just a pony anymore. This," Trixie gestured to her outfit, "makes me more, made me more. Sometimes Trixie doesn't even know if she is a pony anymore."

"Fight it, Trixie. Fight to control this… stuff. It is part of you but you don't need to let it win." Dash got to her hooves and stepped closer to the suddenly repentant mare. "You are about to do all of Equestria the greatest favor it has had in a thousand years. If you can get hold of your urges, you will be welcome to live in the Equestria we are building."

Taking a deep breath, Trixie nodded. "Trixie will still do this, if only because it makes Equestria better. It also provides technolings with energy… all the energy. We will release all ponies still captive." She looked at Dash.

There was the sense that the strange changeling wanted something. Dash lifted her hoof, holding it out to her. The speed at which Trixie's covered limb raised, and her hoof clopped to Dash's was astounding. "I don't know why, Trixie, but I trust you with her. You will take good care of her?"

"Trixie and her friends will take the best care of her. We will make sure she is so very happy." Trixie grinned. "Then maybe you will show Trixie how to make those strands?"

"Maybe, Trixie."

Rainbow Dash looked the mare in the eyes. "I need to go, there is another group of changelings I need to meet before my work is done, and I really hope that goes as smoothly as this did."

"Trixie is s-s-s… Trixie wishes she hadn't tried to trap you. We will do as Princess Luna requires but… the Princess can still do what is needed?"

"Princess Luna will have things under control, you will see." Dash grinned at Trixie. "No more converting ponies against their will. No more hypnotism."

"But…" Trixie gave a deep sigh. "Trixie will promise she won't. Other technolings…"

"Trixie!" Dash clopped a hoof on the hard floor. "None of you, you must not do that. You have your target, get into that room, grab her, get out." Dash turned and walked from the room. "Don't screw this up, Trixie. If I have to get others to do this, then our deal is not valid."

"The Great and Powerful Trixie will do this, for her hive." 

Rainbow Dash spread her wings and took off, flying back out of Hollow Shades. "Moon Dancer, I owe you so much for what your protections did today. Let's hope they hold up again." Spotting the train, Dash glided in and landed beside the carriage. "Ready to go?"

"You bet, no way we are waiting around here any longer than we need to." The conductor gave a signal to the driver to start them rolling again. "Back to Canterlot?"

"No, Ghastly," as Dash was telling the conductor she could see terror in his eyes, "Gorge. Don't worry, we aren't going into the Collective's lands." She took a deep breath. "Only I am going."

"Ma'am!" The conductor stood straighter. "Whatever it is, it had better be important. I have never heard of a pony coming back from the Collective."

"Well, there is a first for everything, right?" She had to try to boost the stallion's hopes, after all, she needed to boost her own. "All I can tell you is that the fate of Equestria rests on me getting in and getting my message to the changelings in control of the place." A deep breath steadied her. "Getting out is preferred, but as it stands my mission doesn't require it."

Dash didn't want to discuss things anymore and walked down to find a seat in the middle of the carriage. "Princess, you have me playing a dangerous game, but it is the best game ever." Bravery and dedication swirled together inside Rainbow, the element she embraced burning hot inside her.
> Mare in a Grip
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The short train didn't even stop in Canterlot; Dash ordered them on to their destination. She watched the landscape fly by, then they sped through Ponyville. "Everfree…" It was an amazing sight, the old, dark forest was growing bigger every day; urged and cared for by Rainbow Dash's best friend and fellow Shadowbolt.

Ahead, a fort formed the last station on the southern tracks out of Canterlot. The stone building had the dark forest resting right beside it, but the forest loved ponies—they helped it grow.

"This is as far as we go, Ma'am." The conductor was waiting by the front of the carriage as the train started to slow. "I don't know what you are doing in there, but good luck."

"Thanks, but I won't need it." Dash had her part to play, she might be the sneaky and clever right-hoof of Princess Luna, but to the public she was practically a playmare with the whole of Equestria as her playground. "Like they could hope to catch the Rainbow Dash." She struck a pose and winked to the conductor.

The conductor looked on, aghast. "You might have made it in and out of Hollow Shades in one piece, but these are changelings."

"I know, but somepony has to do this." Dash marched to the door of the train. "And I wouldn't send anypony to do something I wouldn't do myself." Spreading her wings as she dropped down from the train, Rainbow flew into the fort and looked around. There were guardsponies training, some standing guard on the wall that would be standing watch over Ghastly Gorge. "Hey, anypony official around?"

"No civilians are allowed here." A stallion had clearly heard Dash and trotted over. A member of the royal guard, he looked just like every other unicorn in service to Equestria. "You have to leave."

"Just about to." Dash grinned at the stallion and was able to see his face turn from annoyance to confusion. "Any tips for making it back out?" The confusion settled into incredulity.

"You can't go past… that is the Collective in there…"

Dash let the stallion babble a little in shock, waiting for somepony a little more her style to arrive. When Rainbow spotted a Lunar Guard, she trotted around the pontificating pony and walked right up to him. "Hey, it takes two to mango." If the stallion had looked bored a moment ago he didn't show it now.

"What… how did… sorry, what do you need?" The bat pony stared at Dash with equal parts shock and admiration now.

"Information mainly. When I go in, how is the best way to get back out if I have friends following?" Rainbow would leave the grittier details of her escape to the moments when they were happening.

"Keep low and fast. Under twenty feet but above ten." Unable to keep a feral grin off his snout, the bat pony half-spread his wings. "I would tell you to do it at night if you can, makes it harder to judge your height, but they will have more trouble spotting you."

"Anything else I should know?"

"Yeah, if you are going to go in, grab one of the decorative bridles we keep here. The bugs won't realize it isn't one of theirs at a distance, they might just ignore you. If they want to fit you with a new bridle, don't let them. Once they put one on you, you are theirs." The stallion gave a sigh. "You really going to go in there, Ma'am?"

"Yeah, no choice. Somepony has to. You got a bridle I can use?" Rainbow gave the stallion one of her "trademarked" lopsided grins.

The stallion gave a nod and turned for the barracks. "I have, give me a minute." 

Rainbow waited for five before he returned. Closing her eyes, she leaned forward; every sense tuned to the threads of silk bonded into her mane. Even as the straps pulled around her head, there was no warning tingle from her anti-enchantment gear. "Hey, this has clips for a bit," Dash gave the stallion a saucy look, "is this for fun and games?"

The comment earned a blush. "Yeah, yeah it is. Bring it back."

"What's your name?" Rainbow looked at her benefactor in his tightly slit eyes.

"Dawn Glider." The stallion reached out one leathery wing. "Fly well."

Dash gave a laugh and launched into the sky, pumping her wings and arcing over the walls of the keep. Turning her height into speed, Dash dove and flew along the old bridge and had to pull up. There was the better part of thirty changelings waiting for her, the creatures having been rocks scattered around. 

"Halt, pony!" One of the drones was charging its horn.

"Whoa, calm down. I am coming with a message for the Collective." Dash waited until the last second, when the horn was just starting to lance magic toward her, to bank and avoid the spell. "Calm down I said, I am not going to fight you!"

Watching Rainbow Dash closely as she landed, the changelings moved to circle around her. "Remove the fake bridle, I claim this pony by rights of capture." The drone that had fired on Dash seemed uninterested in hearing what she had to say.

Rainbow felt one of the drones grabbing at her bridle with their magic, felt one of her enchantments first tingle then flare. "Back off, I need to speak with one of your leaders; this is important."

The drone that had tried to remove Dash's bridle turned to look at what was obviously their commander. "The pony seems insistent and… I can't touch them with my magic, it hurts."

More tingles, more rebuffing of magic. Rainbow Dash bucked sharply when one drone got too close behind her. "Just take me to whoever is in charge."

"Ugh, do what it says." The leader of the drones shook their head to clear the slight pain of trying to use magic on Rainbow. "They have some kind of magic protecting them."

Dash struck a pose, as was required by her sense of style. "Right, now to get this message delivered. You guys have some kind of train?" Dash had a moment as all the drones started buzzing their wings to get ready; spreading her own, the pegasus lifted off the ground in the middle of their loose formation.

The day wound on to mid-afternoon before they reached the former town of Appleloosa, where Dash came face to face with what the Collective was about. There were ponies walking around town, every single one of them with a bridle on. Oddly, each pony Rainbow saw was smiling and seemed happy. Her escort turned toward a building and led the way inside. It took Dash's eyes a few moments to adapt to the dim light, but the moment they did she saw that the house was a front for an opening to a tunnel that led down into the dark earth. "Whoa, your leaders are down there?"

Not a single changeling replied, urging Dash to stop where she stood. "Move, pony."

"Are your leaders down there?" Rainbow Dash looked at the drone and stared him down, or she hoped she did.

"They are." It was clear it cost the changeling face to actually reply to Rainbow.

"That's all you needed to say. Lead the way." Rainbow started walking down the cave, using what little green light there was to guide her hooves. "What, are you coming?"

"Crazy pony…" The changeling guards moved to take the lead and pace Dash once more.

"Cute changeling." Rainbow saw the slight blush of green on the drones face and knew she had scored. It would have been easy to get lost in the caves, Dash was trying to keep track of side tunnels and measuring body-lengths between them, but even that was stretching her efforts. At last the cave opened out into a cavern and Rainbow could see a larger than normal changeling reading through papers. "Hi." Rainbow started pushing to get past her escort but was blocked physically.

The bigger than usual drone lifted their head from the pages they were reading. "Why do you bring me food? I thought I told you, I only want honey."

Dash's escort looked up at the larger changeling. "Chancellor, this is-"

"Rainbow Dash, Emissary of Princess Luna's." Rainbow finally managed to shove at the changeling ahead of her enough to jump past them. "And I have an offer for you."

"Why is it talking to me?" The chancellor looked to the drone who had brought Dash as if they were getting smaller by the second. "Wait, did it mention 'Luna'?"

Rainbow Dash had a calm, peaceful expression for maybe two heartbeats. "Look," Spreading her wings she flew from the startled drones up to the Chancellor. "Look, I am a pony, get over it. What I am bringing you is an offer. Things are about to change in Equestria and my Princess has an offer for you."

The bigger changeling looked right at Rainbow Dash for the first time. "State it."

"Princess Luna offers you a peace, a real peace. No more skirmishes, no more encouraging the Everfree to grow into your lands." Rainbow had baited the hook. "But it won't all be one way."

"We will not give up our ponies." 

"It would be great if you did, but my Princess thinks that is a ways off. I didn't see you mistreating anypony upstairs," Dash gestured back the way they had come, "so there is no huge rush. What we ask is that you relax on the 'grabbing everypony you can' thing, and consider a new food source."

"New food?" The question was accompanied by real interest, the big changeling rising to its hooves. "What food would you offer?" The drone's wings chittered a little. 

"Dragons." Dash flashed a smile. "What if we worked with you and helped you catch dragons."

The changeling rushed forward and was suddenly right before Rainbow, its head inches from the pegasus' forehead. "You would want to swap trained ponies for unbroken dragons?"

"Not directly. They invaded Equestria a long time ago now, but word is they are stirring to hit us further. We have things anchored from Canterlot, and are poised to… encroach on them." Rainbow looked around. "You got a map in here?"

"Fetch one." The Chancellor gestured to the other drones. "Equestria will invade? With what?"

"Nothing that will weaken our defenses. The Everfree is even now being urged to calm down." Dash looked up at the hungry-looking changeling. "All we want is a promise. Stop pushing us, stop taking new ponies and, in the future, consider talks with us."

"We need more ponies, we need more food." Despite the hungry look, the Chancellor looked intrigued. Just then the drones returned with a big map. "Show on the map where you are attacking."

"No. I won't show where we are attacking, but I will show you where you should attack." Rainbow Dash brought her hoof over, showing the short strip of land that bordered the dragon lands and the Collective's. "You have spies with them, probably more than we do. Wait for our strike against them and hit hard. Grab every dragon you can and we will meet in the middle. Honor your agreements and you can keep the land you take; with one exception. Baltimare and the train line to it will be ours."

"Expansion. You offer us expansion?" The Chancellor turned their hungry look onto the map. "It has been too long since we gained new lands. I think I can honor this deal."

"Great, I'll just be go-" Dash halted as the Chancellor's horn lit. She felt a grip around her face, grabbing the bridle and unfastening it.

Removing the mundane bridle, the Chancellor held Dash steady in its grip. "But I need a special kind of promise, one that only kin can make." 

"K-K-Kin?" Rainbow tried to fight. Her threads of enchanted silk were flaring in her mane and tail, fighting the powerful magic. "Just let me go, you have my word, and my Princess' too!"

"Not enough. Only a changeling's word matters." The grip didn't lessen one bit; but to Dash's horror a dark black bridle floated up from where the Chancellor had been resting. "And this ensures we get a changeling's word."

Rainbow expected the thing to be hard and rough, but the soft grip of the bridle pulling around her face surprised her. "Let me go!" She tried to squirm and slip away, but the big drone pulled the bridle into place despite her struggles. 

"There you go, little sister." Fastening the bridle on with magic, the Chancellor ensured there were no clasps or buckles to be undone. "Now, make the promise again that you will ensure this is all true and will be as you say."

The magic in the bridle pushed past all the defenses of Dash's mane and tail. Every strand of her mane struggled just as much as she did; but in the end none of it helped her. She stared up at the big changeling. "It is true, get this thing off me!"

"Good. You can go now, our sister." The Chancellor wore a wide, fanged smile as Rainbow Dash spread her wings and sped for the exit.

"Should we stop them?" The changeling Dash had called cute watched the retreating tail of the mare.

"Follow her, you are her escorts now. When she is fully changed, you and she will be our ambassadors to Equestria."
> Mare with a Friend
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Oh gosh, oh gosh, oh gosh, oh gosh…" Dash pumped her wings hard, rocketing out of the cave and smashing through the window of the house. Landing on the ground and rolling, the mare looked up and around. Everything had stopped; ponies in their bridles stared at her, and curious changelings blinked in her direction. "Geddit off!" She jumped to hooves and then wings, pushing into the air and pumping again for height.

Spilling out of the hive entrance, a whole group of "Rainbow Dashes" looked up at the mare, watched her fight with the bridle on her head. "After her, if she gets hurt it will be our chitin on the line." Spreading their wings together, they launched after their new diplomat.

The fastenings were clearly not a weak point, and after struggling with them for a few moments Dash tried instead on the longer lengths of the stuff. "Get off, get off…" A pressure was building in her head, she could feel the bridle seemingly squeezing and then suddenly a wave of power rushed through her. All the warning threads in her mane and tail screamed about something as the power rushed down and into Rainbow's legs. Before her eyes, her hooves turned black and the dark color spread up her forelegs. When the holes appeared in them, she screamed.

"Have you ever seen the Chancellor put one of those on a pony before, Dark?"

Dark Thrust shook his—or due to his looking like Rainbow Dash right now, her—head. "Never. It is a high honor for a pony." Squinting, Dark looked at the mare, watching as changeling magic started turning her into a drone. "Strong, stubborn… that looks painful."

Rainbow Dash gulped hard. Her legs hurt, her brain was going crazy with how to stop what the bridle was doing to her. She kicked and snarled at the thing on her face, always pumping her wings harder and harder. 

Squinting, Dash could see the border fort in the distance and threw everything she had into speed. She launched herself at the height she had been told to maintain and held it, but not a single changeling—and there were many dotted along the ground—challenged her with magic. Up and down her spine the warning tingles continued until Dash reached the gorge. The bridle seemed to squeeze again and Dash let out another scream as it sent a pulse of green fire into her. More of the mare's extremities changed, her tail felt different, strange, her head seemed the right size for the bridle at least but she doubted it was a good thing. Launching herself with the last of her energy, she arced over the walls of the fort and landed in the courtyard. "DAWN GLIDER!"

It was long past his shift, but Dawn's head snapped up at the yell. Moments later a guard pony belted on the door to his barracks. "Ugh, coming… what is up?" He didn't bother with his armor, figuring if it was a problem the guards on duty would deal with it. Opening the door to his barracks he squinted sharply at the bright afternoon sun. Moments later his eyes widened a little again. "Boss?" He trotted out just in time to see the bridle around the pony-changeling seem to squirm and tighten, magic pushing out of it in a wave pushing a long pair of fangs free of Rainbow Dash's snout. "Get that thing off her now!"

"Sir?" One guard—like the rest—had his spear leveled at Rainbow Dash. "If you say so…" Stepping a bit closer, he reached out with his magic and grabbed hold of the bridle and pulled hard. "Help me here, it won't let go!" Horns lit all around him and suddenly, as they all pulled at once, the bridle ripped and tore free of the mare's head.

"Canterlot, you need to take me to Canterlot!" Rainbow Dash stared up at Dawn, reaching one hole-filled hoof toward him.

"Us too." Dark landed amid even more guards aiming spears at him and his squad of drones. "We are the escort for the new diplomat of the Changeling Collective." The words were disgusting to have to say, particularly to ponies. 

"Lock them up, bring her." Dawn Glider gestured to the train. "Taking them all to Canterlot. I don't know just what this was all about, but I have never heard of the bugs doing this to a pony before." He leaned down to Rainbow and reached with a gentle hoof to check the mare's eye. "Still your own, good. Your eyes are too damn pretty to turn into one of them things." Dawn noticed the pupil narrow at his words and laughed. "Come on, get up and lean on me."

Rainbow struggled a moment, her body feeling very strange. Her tail didn't flare out behind her. She started to turn her head but the stallion at her side used a wing to hide her view. "The buck was that thing? Worst I expected was they would try to claim me as a slave…"

"Ain't life just full of surprises?" Dawn turned his head to one of the guards. "Grab that bridle thing up and bring it, too."

"Thank you." Dash barely had the energy to stumble along at Dawn's side. "Rainbow Dash's my name…" She stumbled up to the side of the train, with help. "Don't… don't leave me alone… please."

"Not going to. The pony who gave me the highest security password I know told me to stay near her." Dusk leaned his head under Dash's belly and lifted, pushing the mare up to where she could scrabble into the car. The train jolted as something thumped into the back of it; Rainbow started to fall before a strong bat-wing wrapped her back and held her tight. "Thanks, Dusk. Can you get me a mirr-" She froze and realized the thing partially reflected in the mirror was her. Her face was mostly her own still, but shaped different. Like a changeling's head. She gulped. Stepping a little closer and turning, Dash sighed in relief at seeing her wings still her own.

"You got some of that 'greeny' color in your mane, look." Dawn reached up and gathered Dash's mane in a foreleg, drawing it to the side and showing it to her. "And some black too. It's odd… it wasn't like that before we took off the bridle."

"I'm still changing… just a lot slower." Rainbow stared at herself more. Her black, chitinous legs stopped mid shoulder and hip. She reached a hoof out and felt that it seemed like the fur itself had reshaped into the hard covering now on her limbs. "Canterlot… Luna…" Dash felt her strength giving out as she slumped down.


~~~~~+++++~~~~~


"Long hours." Luna stepped from her bedroom, having spent the day missing having Mac at her back. She stepped out into the brightly lit hall.

"Your Highness, it is late afternoon." Sooty Rose was at her door, flanked by Deep Dive on the other side. "If you wish more sleep-"

"Long hours. Things are happening that require my attention." Luna repeated and gave a little more insight; but not too much. "Please escort me to the throne room, I wish to see my sister before she retires for the day."

Flanked by her guard, Luna made her way through the halls and to the throne room. "Have something brought up for breakfast, make it something sweet so Celestia…" Luna's throat jerked a little at the name, "my sister, can have some too." Coming up to the doors, Luna reached to them with her magic and opened the great things.

"Ah, speak of the darkness and it appears." Molestia was reclining on her throne with Twilight Sparkle beside it. When Luna and Twilight's eyes met each gave a slight bow. "You still show her respect? I guess she did make you what you are and all."

"She did. You cannot stop me from owing Princess Twilight Sparkle a great debt, along with the rest of Equestria. I will pay that debt." Luna strode in and left the doors open. "How has the day been, Tia?"

The old nickname took all of Molly's attention, she focused on Luna with an intense gaze. "The day has been just dandy, Lulu." It was only fair, or so Molestia thought, to use an old nickname back. "I made three guards climax just by putting on a show with my pet here." As if it were an afterthought, she let go of Twilight's leash. "You did well little pet, go."

Giving Luna a look of thanks, Twilight Sparkle walked from the room with all the grace of a full alicorn princess, her leash dragging along beside her.

The only pony left in the room now, apart from the princesses, was Applejack. Standing impassive, the stallion ignored everything going on until it was his duty to open the door. Looking into Twilight's eyes he saw a determination that shocked him. "Twi…"

"Go, you too. I would speak with my sister alone." Luna half turned her head and gave AJ a meaningful glare from just one eye. "Go and show your friend to her room."

Relieved of duty, Applejack turned and used his horn to yank the big doors open. "Your Highness." He gave the smaller mare a lopsided grin. "Ah think Ah know the way to your quarters." Every step he took was an agonizing bliss that he now had learned to keep contained—centered.

Leaving the great room, the pair fell in together, Applejack leading the way and Twilight following. Halfway to Twilight's room both were startled by a bat pony leading a strange sight.

"Your Highness! The guards said Princess Luna is in court with Princess Molestia, I thought I should bring her to you." Dawn Glider drew Twilight and Applejack's attention to Rainbow Dash.

"That… that isn't possible!" Twilight watched as her old friend's mane tinted a little more toward being entirely green as the yellow in it succumbed to the change. She rushed to the other side of Rainbow, her horn flaring to work diagnostic spells.

"Yeah, you tell me that." Dash lifted her head, looking drunkenly up at the alicorn. "How you doin' Twi, AJ?" Her smile was irrepressible, even in the face of losing herself. " 'S not so bad, only hurts to-" She cried out as a searing pain started in her forehead. Something was pushing out and in.

"It started with this thing." Dawn reached into his saddle bag with one prehensile wing-claw, pulling out the bits of shredded bridle. "They put it on her and told her she would soon be a changeling. We ripped it off but all it did was slow this down."

Twilight tilted her head a little. "What about her has changed since you removed the bridle?" As she spoke she ushered Rainbow Dash and Dawn toward her rooms. "Applejack, can you carry her?"

The doors in the throne room were huge and his friend looked so very small to him. "Wait a second." Lighting his horn—just how he had been practicing—Applejack lifted Rainbow up with ease. "Yeah I got her…" He followed after Twilight, able to actually see the fine magics his friend wrought on the pegasus. "Ah'm sorry too, Twi. When all this started, Ah might have blamed you a little."

"This is all kinds of messed up, Applejack. You will see, things will be fixed soon." Twilight spared a glance up at the big stallion guard and gave him a smile. "Get the door please." The last she directed to Dawn and in moments they had the transforming mare in her room and set on her bed. "Whatever it was in the bridle it was also steering the change. What parts of her changed before you got it off?"

"Tail, legs, fangs, her head-shape was the last." Dawn secured the door behind them.

"Figured. Now she has a queen's horn, the mane of a queen… the bridle was meant to force her to be a drone." Twilight withdrew her magic and watched as the change claimed another of the colors in her friend's mane. "I need to turn it back on itself… Applejack, whoever taught you to use your horn, did they teach you spell-combining?"

"Uh, Twilight, I can lift things, sometimes heavy things." AJ gave his head a shake. "This is way above me."

"Well, I need more power than I have, so crash course time. I will be bucked if I leave our friend to this fate." Twilight's eyes flashed as AJ had not seen them do since her friend ascended. "Start pulling on your power, build it up and hold it in your horn." Twilight waited and, when she felt the magic swirl she latched on to it with her own. "Now push it down into what I just put there."

The heat of magic almost made Applejack dizzy; he adjusted his stance and called on part of himself that had always been "him." Applejack braced his body like an earth pony who did not wish to be moved. Centered, supported by that old sense of support, he pushed.

"There, good work, more though… a lot more." Twilight started taking off her own bridle as she spoke, unclasping the leash from it and directing AJ's and her own magic into it. "Luna has a friend who normally does this stuff, I wish she were here…" 

Applejack couldn't believe how weak he started to feel. Memories of his friends—of Rainbow Dash in particular—steadied him like a rock. "Just do what you can, Twi."

The magic was completely mad, or so it looked to Twilight. This was changeling magic, working on principles she would never attempt to emulate; but she began to pull the new bridle over Dash's face. It was dainty, it had easily undone clasps, but it was superb manufacture. Twilight found the part of the magic that was boiling away within her friend, she didn't so much tweak it as hit it with a hammer, a hammer she then bound in the bridle.

Dash's eyes flew open wide, looking a cross between changeling blue and her own cerise, she saw in a mirror on the other side of the bed as the blue part changed, turning green and flowing around where her whites normally would be. It felt like that corrupting thing inside her was twisting around, not aiming at her anymore.

"Can Ah stop now?" Applejack had felt the drain on his magic lessen, but he wouldn't stop completely until Twi had told him so.

"It… it is working. The bridle is making the corruption attack only the parts it had already changed." Twilight bounced in place, delight filling her. "Look, her eyes had gone blue, now they are looking a little like Chrysalis' would!"

The news was better than nothing, Dash smiled up at Twilight. "Two days." Consciousness fled her.
> Princess in Suspense
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Big Mac had been with mares before, but being a mare for a stallion was something entirely new. There were new feelings, new sensations—and that was just her physical body. He is a good stallion, can you deny it? Mac sighed and lifted her head to look around. "Okay, this time we will manage to leave." She leaned over and nudged Jade.

"I heard. Can you turn me down a little?" Jade rolled to his back, showing the erection he sported to the air and Mac. "You leave me set to simmer and I may just have to come all the way to the boil. Uh… that's all I got, pun wise."

He wants you to lower his- "I know what he wants, Night." Mac thought about Jade as being more relaxed. "How is that?"

"That is like ice water… a little more warmth, please." Jade was clenching his teeth a little. A fraction of a second later and a mild warmth flowed in. "Oh, there we go." He rolled over and climbed to his hooves.

"We both need a bath." Mac couldn't believe how matted and dirty Jade's fur was. Don't look in our mane, trust me. "Right now." On her hooves, Mac barely slowed for the door and led Jade out and down hallways until she got her bearings. Luna's bedroom was Mac's Target and she didn't care who or what got in their way. It wasn't until she got to the doorway that Mac realized she had reins in her mouth. She froze and looked to Jade, eyes tracing the reins to his bridle. 

"What?" Jade grinned. "Oh stop giving me the shocked look, you liked taking my reins. What are we doing here? The guard rooms are-" He was cut off as a blushing Mac yanked on the reins and pulled him into the royal suite of the Princess of the Night. "You can't be serious, we could wake…" The bed was empty, yet the night-attuned glass ceiling showed barely the softest glow rather than the moon's bright light. Jade barely had time for all this to sink in before he sank in, Mac yanking him by the bridle into the huge bath.

Mac started fiddling with the flow knobs in one corner of the bath, getting the gunk that was starting to leech out of their coats and hair out of the bath as quickly as possible. "Your fillyfriend has a few perks, one of which is the royal bath." Mac froze suddenly as a lot of things sank in. You… we, are his fillyfriend. We are also Luna's. Is it really a problem? "I guess not." Mac closed her eyes and took a deep breath; then she coughed. "Luna's name we are stinky."

Jade watched Mac start sorting through various bottles to one side of the bath. "Night talks to you a lot, doesn't she?" He lowered himself down deeper into the water, finding it oddly relaxing to just spread his wings to cup some air and just float, neck and head above the surface.

"I guess she does, but there is more to it than that." Mac selected two bottles, paddling over to Jade. "She became a part of me… a good part." Mac carefully popped one bottle open and poured the thick goop inside down into Jade's mane. "Up you get, let's get you pristine and clean. Luna wouldn't forgive me if I got her bath dirty and didn't at least get you clean for it."

Surprised at the turn of events, Jade adjusted himself and pushed his wings down, floating high enough that his mane and back were out of the water. "Just 'Luna' is it?"

Realizing her mistake, Mac blushed. "Force of habit." Kiss him, go on, you know you want to.

"She just spoke to you, didn't-" Jade didn't get any further, Mac had her lips pressed to his and all he could do was press against her. At least he tried to, but with both of them floating they ended up parting ways. "Hey, silly water, I was enjoying that!"

"So was I." Mac paddled a little to get to Jade's back. "But we are here for a reason." Cupping her wings down, Big McIntosh reached up and set her forehooves to Jade's spine. "Just hold still." Her hooves worked the goop in and spread it out. "Come on, up into the shallows."

Jade Sight found himself quite enjoying the attention, found it just as nice to return it and scrub the funk and dander free. "Uh Mac," Jade was working the second shampoo into Mac's tail when he found a little more than he bargained for, "how long have you been a mare?"

So relaxed was Mac that she barely noticed the question, but deep in her mind something gave her relaxed consciousness a poke. "Huh? What? Oh, almost two weeks." She looked back over her shoulder and blushed at where Jade was looking. "What? What is wrong?"

"Nothing, relax." Jade began sluicing water over Mac's plot. "You need to talk to Princess Luna about… ahem, grooming." He couldn't keep the blush from his face any more than he could keep the feeling of pride from his chest. Mac was leaking.

"I was a stallion." Mac felt about as comfortable as she could, the stallion with her knew everything about her new life. "It… it was not easy, at first. Night Reign is inside me, part of me. She helped ease me into this." You big softie. "It is just so comfortable doing things as a mare, and I have her to thank for it, but sometimes I stop and realize how things have gone, how quick it has been."

"In those moments, how do I make you feel?" Jade was using one wing-claw to hold Mac's tail up, sluicing her plot down.

With a little focus Mac drew one of those moments over herself, but it was less covering and more revealing. Her body felt odd still, she was too small and everything in the world just a little too big. "Come up here." 

Dutifully, Jade let Mac's tail down and waded through the shallower water to stand before her. "Here?"

"No, turn sideways." Waiting for Jade, Mac looking into his eyes and saw something amazing there. "Turn more…" She watched his lines—his not-a-mare physique—as he turned. It was not what Mac would have been completely into as a stallion, but Jade had something that made her insides tighten. "I like it. I like how you are a bit sleeker than I was, built for movement and grace."

" 'Sleeker'?" Jade's eyes widened and he turned back to look at Mac. "I will have you know I am big for a stallion."

"Nope." The word felt good to say, tying Mac into her old self and pulling the corners of her snout higher. "I was big, Jade." Lifting a hoof, she pressed a hoof to Jade's withers. "Your height," the hoof raised, and raised and raised, "my height."

Jade's eyes were about as wide as he could get them. "Your brother? You were as big as he is?" It was hard to believe, but there was no reason he could think of for Mac to lie.

"Eeyup, nearly as big as Princess Luna herself." Mac drew her hoof back down and dunked herself in the water. Squirming as the water sluiced off, she stepped fully clear of the bath. "She… she made a pass at me once, when I was a stallion. I think it was more play than a real attempt."

"Princess Luna does like games, but I have never seen her like this with a pony before. When you are around she looks brighter, happier." Jade mimicked what Mac had done, rinsing off and stepping from the water. "Just how I feel…"

Ask him to say it properly; if he says it right, tell him you love him too. Mac blinked. "Jade, say it properly." She wasn't completely sure about what Night Reign meant until she looked into Jade's eyes and saw a bared soul.

Jade was trapped in Mac's gaze, she demanded the truth from him and he wanted more than anything to say it, but he couldn't. Then part of him bucked that restriction and his mouth was opening,"I love you. I can't help it, I can't stop it, I can-"

Mac cut in on the stallion. "I love you too." There, and I didn't have to push you.

"Did she tell you to say that?" Jade's heart was teetering over a precipice, he didn't know if falling would be good or bad.

"She… Night did, but I ignored her." Like you always do. "Like I sometimes do. Jade, I don't know if I can pick between you and Luna…"

"Then don't." Jade laughed. "We need to go to Princess Luna, together." He tilted his head up and saw soft, silver light filtering through the magically night-tuned glass ceiling. "And she holds court now."

"We can't go yet," Mac lacked the spells of a princess, and reached for the towels that hung near the bath with one wing, "we aren't dry."

It wasn't long before two bat ponies were dried off, their manes and tails worked with brush and comb until they shined. Mac pushed open the bedroom door and led the way out. Turning back to Jade she saw his bridle was gleaming, the reigns hanging back over his withers.

Luna pushed you to him, you love him, and her. Mac gave a small nod. I am not sure just how much Lula has changed since I… was imprinted, but I don't think she will begrudge you Jade. "Are we really discussing this, Night?" Of course we are, your heart is important.

"Night!" Sooty's voice was clear in the hallway. "Nighty night! Get over here and tell me everything." Sooty looked up at Jade. "I guess it is 'congratulations'?"

A hoof landed squarely in Sooty's side as Cave shoved Sooty over. "I told you to leave them alone, Soot." She turned a bright smile on Mac and Jade. "Going in to see Her Highness?"

"Yeah, I… we, need to talk about things." Mac looked across to Jade, but movement in the corner of her eye pulled her gaze down. "Cave, bite."

Cave Spin yelped as Sooty wrapped his snout around her foreleg and closed his mouth. "Get off!" She jerked her hoof up and almost brought it down on Sooty before realizing that her shod hoof would do real damage to his face. "Ugh, just get back up."

"Yes dear." Sooty got to his hooves, head bowed and stood like a chastised foal. "Sorry dear, I promise not to make a fool of us in public again, dear."

With each saying of "dear" Cave's face blushed brighter and brighter. "You little… I told you to keep quiet about it until after-" Cave's forehooves flashed up to cover her own snout as she turned whiter than a sheet.

"Congratulations." Mac patted her mollified friend on the shoulder as she advanced on the big doors. "Come on Jade, I am sure Cave wants to pound Sooty pretty hard after that." Mac! She giggled at how indignant Night sounded in her head.

"Coming, dear." Jade gave Sooty a wink before following Mac to the door.

The big doors opened and Mac walked forward only after Jade had reached her side. Within the room Princess Luna sat atop the throne of Equestria and wore the biggest smile anypony had seen on her snout in a long time. "McIntosh, Jade. Please come in."

Jade shook his head, still trying to get used to the bridle that was his tight companion. He turned to look at Mac and the awkwardness of being bridled was gone. Walking as evenly as he could at her side, he stopped at the bottom of the dais. He saw the problem quickly, Mac had frozen up. "Princess Luna," Jade puffed out his chest, "I wish to state my official intent to pursue McIntosh's hoof."

"Jade!" Mac spun to face Jade.

"Wonderful, I was hoping you two would work out." Luna beamed at Jade, then tilted her head to Mac. "McIntosh Apple, Night Reign, I give this my blessing of course. However, I too intend to seek her hoof." Luna looked at Jade again. "How does this sit with you?"

"Luna!" Mac blinked. Calm down, they need to go through this. You love them both. It wasn't a question, Mac realized. She gave a sigh and nodded to Night.

Jade leaned a little to the side, until he touched Mac's shoulder. "I think there are three ways for us to progress." He grinned grimly. "You give up your claim, or I give up my claim. Or we share."

Mac gasped. Oh stop, they are posturing like young stallions over you, this is pretty awesome. "Over us…" Fair enough, us.

"Sharing? You expect the Princess of the Night to share?" Luna stood up in the throne, spreading her wings wide and her power wider. Resplendent and mighty, the Diarch smiled and then settled back down. "Okay!"
> Mare Delighted
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mac kept her mouth shut, she was trying to think about what implications this had for her. Princess Lula is your mare, Jade Sight is your stallion. I don't think you will get both together, however; Lula never really had a thing for stallions.

"She is cute when she is listening to Night." Jade had Luna standing beside him, they were both watching Big Mac's "far away" look that she got when Night Reign spoke. "What did Night sound like?"

Luna grinned. "Night had the most amazing voice, I confess I made her use it a lot." She nudged Jade for effect. "I can offer advice, if you want."

Jade was trying to be comfortable with an alicorn princess, HIS alicorn Princess, suggesting ways to please the mare they were both interested in. He eventually came to a realization, Princess Luna was a different mare to this "Luna." He shook his head, "If it's alright, I would like to spend my time with her learning just what things could coax Mac's voice."

"Hey, I'm standing right here." Mac lifted a hoof up and bopped herself on the forehead. "I can't believe it. What is wrong with you?" 

Luna and Jade looked to each other, grinned wider and then looked back to Mac. At the same time, both shrugged and said, "We love you." And both broke into giggles.

Mac strode forward, feeling at last a little sure of something since the recent change in her life. Stepping between the bigger alicorn and bat pony, she pressed her snout forward, offering each a cheek. "I love both of you, in different ways." She couldn't believe she was saying it, but there it was.

"Tell us." Jade nuzzled Mac's cheek, rubbing the strap of his bridle against her, reminding her how much he belonged to her; how much he trusted her.

Luna was no less interested in showing her love for the former stallion. "Yes, tell us both." She only rubbed her cheek once, but kept her head pressed to Mac's.

A thump at the big double doors broke the moment. All three ponies' eyes flew open and each turned to see the door. Luna moved fastest, her horn lit with dark cobalt magic and all three of them suddenly displaced with a POMF.

Seated on the throne, Luna had two of her Lunar Guard at her sides. Both Jade and Mac stared up at Luna, marveling at the amazing magic she casually wielded, each saw her grin and point to the doors. Both bat ponies turned to face the entrance.

"Enter!" Luna's words held the full power of the Royal Canterlot Voice.

It was a shock when Twilight Sparkle was leading the way, but the real surprise came when the mare hobbling along behind her sported not only a lot of changeling aspects, but also a rainbow-like mane. "Rainbow Dash?" Luna was off the throne and striding forward, Mac and Jade suddenly struggling to catch up.

"Your Highness, I did what I could." Twilight stepped aside. "She kept asking to see you. Muttered something about 'two days.' I enchanted this bridle to protect her for now, but it cannot undo what the… what the changelings did."

"What did they do?" Luna's anger was building. "Attacking my envoy is inviting war."

"Whoa, slow down." Dash blinked up at her Princess with a half grin that now showed off fangs. "I am pretty sure they didn't really mean this as an attack." When she got a solid glare from Princess Luna for nearly a minute, Rainbow figured it was time to continue. "They seemed to… well, they think changelings are better than ponies. I think they did this to me as thanks…"

Luna's jaw almost, figuratively speaking, hit the floor. "They did it as 'thanks'?"

"She was wearing this before the guards at the border got it off her." Twilight fetched a small jar from her saddlebag, setting it before Luna. "Near as I can tell, it was controlling the change, making her become a drone. With it off she seems to have continued on becoming a queen instead. I couldn't stop it, but I could make it feed back on itself."

"So the drone parts will become queen parts?" Luna was still perplexed by what her Shadowbolt was reporting. Reaching out with her magic, she slammed the doors closed. "I need to know everything."

Twilight continued. "The bridle controls and slows the changes for now. It will make the drone parts slowly into queen ones, but I have no idea if it will stop once the targeted body-parts are changed, or if it will keep going, searching for new targets."

"Pfft, I am sure you will sort it out, Twi." Rainbow Dash smiled at her old friend. "I really don't think they wanted a queen, but turning me into a drone was… well, I think they considered it an honor, like it was raising my status in their eyes and would make you happy. Drove me bonkers when it started. I like my wings, buck it."

Luna had her temper under control again. "Okay, this is annoying, but… wait, you have a horn!" She stared at the jagged horn that was pushed out of Rainbow's head. "Can you use that?" She immediately turned to Twilight. "Can she use that?"

"There is… well, there were some drones with her. One of the Lunar Guard took them into custody." Twilight couldn't stop herself from leaning slightly against Rainbow, whether it was for her friend's or her own support, she couldn't work out. 

"Perfect, they will teach her their magic. Don't get me wrong, Rainbow Dash, if we can undo this we will, but if it is here to stay, or if you are destined to fully change, I will make sure you will have full use of your body." Luna stepped closer and wrapped Rainbow in her dark magic. "Did they accept the offer?"

"Pfft, they practically jumped on it." Rainbow had only bowed once to Luna, and that was when the alicorn had sworn her into her service. "Trixie is still fighting the urges of the technoling equipment. If anypony has an ego big enough to resist that stuff it is her. In the south the Collective… they tried to make our offer of dragons to feed on as something below them, but we both knew they were drooling at the thought of podding dragons. The ponies… I didn't have a chance to talk to any, or inspect their living conditions, but they looked happy."

"Happy wasn't something I expected, but we can talk more with them once they are beholden to us." Luna wove her magic into Dash's slightly odd mane, tickling each of the strands of enchantment. "Some of your enchantments aren't working, head to Ponyville, have them replaced. I want you in top form for the big event."

Dash lifted a wing and sketched a perfect salute. "Yes, Your Highness." She spun on a dime and marched, on hole-filled legs, for the doors.

"Rainbow Dash!" Luna called, "Don't forget to take one of those changelings with you, I am sure there is something you can learn from them. Take a guard too if you think you need it." She opened the big doors for her head Shadowbolt, letting Rainbow Dash leave the hall.

"Big Mac?" Twilight, without Luna dominating the situation, spotted Mac standing behind and to the side of the Princess of the Night. "Ugh, don't worry, when this is all over I will turn you back myself, you and Applejack."

"Uh, eenope." Hearing Twilight using her name brought back memories, and with them speech patterns. "I mean, no. I think I am fitting in a bit better." She stepped forward and reached up with one dark, fleshy wing.

Twilight blinked in shock, seeing Princess Luna turn to Mac, as the smaller pony hugged the Princess with a wing. "Uh… but… wait… I don't…" She stopped, shook her head, and started again. "Applejack, then? She wants out right?"

"You need to ask him, but I think he does. My Princess is a little more… a lot more, everything." Mac was suddenly at a loss for the right words to use. "Besides, this is my place. I walked so far for so long on the farm, pulling a plow and never getting anywhere. Every time I step here, I feel like I am walking my future."

The reply was a lot more than Twilight had expected. She had to stop to think about it. "Uh, but your farm?"

"Our cousin, Braeburn, has taken over working it, I trust him to do right by the place. Apple Bloom… when she is big enough, if she wants to, she could visit me. Ah miss her, but I promised Princess Luna that I would serve her; an Apple never breaks a promise."

Twilight knew that kind of stubbornness, she smiled at the streak of "Apple Family" that ran wide in Big McIntosh. "I have never known one to yet." Twilight stepped over and lifted a hoof up, getting a surprisingly firm clop back. 


~~~~~+++++~~~~~


Rainbow Dash stepped out of the throne room and spotted Dawn Glider immediately. "Hey, Dawn." She stepped over to the stallion. "Got another job for you." She started walking past him, reaching out with a wing to snare him away from chatting to the fellow bat pony mares. "Sorry girls, he's mine."

Dawn blinked at the implications, looking back to Sooty Rose who, among the mares, was the stallion he was actually chasing. "Sorry, you know how it is when a pegasus gets possessive…" He trailed off to leave the implications of his words to run riot. When they were around the corner from the others, he turned back to Rainbow. "So what is the job, and why am I 'yours'?"

"The job is escort. Prisoner will be coming with me to Ponyville, want to make sure there is somepony besides myself to keep an eye on them. One of the changelings that came with us." Rainbow Dash turned toward a wall and pressed her hoof against it at an odd height. The wall slid inwards silently.

Dawn's mouth was wide open, but he followed Rainbow Dash into what was apparently a real secret room in the castle. "This… this is awesome… who are you?" He turned as the door slid silently closed again behind him.

"Rainbow Dash." She turned on the stallion, flashing Dawn a smile. "What? Not enough?" Giving a sigh, Rainbow tossed her mane to the side. "What if I said I was Captain of the Shadowbolts?"

"I would call you a liar-" Dawn froze, remembering the pass-phrase she had used, then the way Princess Luna had apparently just let her in to talk. "You aren't lying, are you?"

"As one of my best friends would say, 'eenope.' " Dash grinned. "So, I wasn't lying when I said you were mine. Your old job seems… not really worth it, want to do something more exciting?" She began gathering up some odds and ends, not the least of which was a heavy collar.

"More… look at you, you are turning into a changeling and you think this is exciting?" Dark clopped a hoof on the floor. "This is crazy, you're crazy. Shadowbolts—when anypony talks about them… you, at all—are normal ponies who hide in the shadows and pop out like monsters. I am a bat pony, I work for Princess Luna already, everypony will… every…" He was staring at a wider and wider grinning face. "Buck you are good at this."

"I learned from the best. Princess Luna is playing games a dozen times more complicated than what I am doing, I am just one piece of her games." Rainbow puffed her chest out. "A big piece, but I don't have to deal with the Crystal Empire, or the dragons, or any of that other stuff… for now. So what about it?"

"My old position?" Dawn knew what was coming.

Rainbow Dash didn't disappoint. "Gone I am guessing. What were you out there for?"

"Found a hunky stallion in the Royal Guard. Got caught bucking in Molestia's bedroom while she was in day court." Dawn grinned. "Sent him to Cloudsdale, me to the fort. They basically put all of Equestria between us."

"You meet up with him again?" Dash weighed a null-grenade in her hoof, pondering the weight before stuffing it into her saddle-bag.

"Honestly? It was just a bit of fun. And who else can say they banged another stallion on Princess Molestia's bed?" Dawn Glider lifted his chin up and gave a grin.

"So you love doing crazy stuff. You in?" Rainbow Dash studied Dawn's eyes.

"Yeah, I'm in. I am bucking crazy, probably stupid… not to mention gullible; I am in." Dawn lifted his hoof and got a solid clop back from what was, apparently, his new captain. Hole-filled legs and all.
> Mare in Command
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbow didn't do anything slowly, but she found both her companions were slower than her "normal" speed. At last, however, they arrived in Ponyville and she dropped down at the castle. "Right, if you are going to be teaching me to use this thing, I want it to be somewhere safe." She gave the front door a good kicking.

"Go awa-" Spike froze as the door flew inwards. "What the… Twilight isn't home." Sullenness coated his words, he hadn't seen the mare who had raised him for far too long.

"We know, Twi sent us." Rainbow strode into the castle, looking around. "She happy that you let the place go so much? I thought it was your job to clean it, squirt?"

"What's the point? She can't come home." Spike turned his back and walked off. "Do whatever you want, just don't wake me up, okay?"

"A bit surly." Dawn pushed the changeling drone ahead. "Alright you, down into the dungeon… this place has a dungeon, right?"

"Uh… we should probably check that." Rainbow looked around the ground floor but couldn't find anything leading down. "Well buck, I guess being the Castle of Friendship means unfriendly things aren't stored here. Well, you get to come and meet a few friends of mine." She looked at the drone. "Hey, changeling, you got something less… stand-out, than that?"

"My name is Dark Thrust." The changeling drone drew himself up as tall as he could and flared his magic.

"Really? An alicorn? Eh… kinda growing on me. Keep it." Rainbow Dash smiled at the drone who now resembled a mint-colored alicorn stallion with vibrant orange mane. "I know one of my friends is going to love the colors." Dash gave a grin that could be described by a lot of ponies as "evil." Dark looked both a little startled at the mare's acquiescence and a little worried about her final comment.

"You are really going to let him go out like that?" Dawn gestured to the disguised changeling with a wing claw. "Well, I guess the best disguise is the outlandish one nopony will believe. Besides, you aren't exactly inconspicuous yourself."

Rainbow Dash laughed and trotted for the door again. "Okay, let's head over to Carousel Boutique, Rarity is going to love this."

"R-R-Rainbow Dash?" Derpy "landed" close to the odd little group as they made their way through town.

"Hi Derpy, like my costume?" Rainbow turned from side to side, showing off her odder details. "Just need to get something from Rarity to really make it shine."

"OH!" Derpy flapped her wings a little. "A fancy-dress party, I was confused for a little while there."

"Yeah, Princess Twilight is holding a special party in Canterlot in a few days, I wanted to get this outfit looking perfect. Better go, though, Rarity is waiting." Rainbow gave the gray pegasus a wink and turned.

They were almost to the door of the amazing boutique before Dark stopped Rainbow. "You lie better than a changeling, is… how is that?"

"Just that awesome. But mostly practice. That was one question, now I get to ask one. Is this kind of thing," Rainbow gestured to herself, "common?"

The disguised changeling grinned widely. "I have never seen it done before." Dark clamped his snout shut lest he ask more questions but at last said, "This game can go both ways, if you ask me something I will expect a question back."

"Fair enough, you aren't that bad for a bug." Dash opened the door and strode into Carousel Boutique. "Hey Rares, Moony, you two home?" The sound of gasps from the back room were followed by stumbling and, finally, the door opening.

Rarity stepped out into the main room. "Darling, I was just telling Moon Dancer how much I have missed you." Rarity batted her eyelashes at the three strange ponies. "I love the green and black contrast to the normal rainbow, but Darling, I really think you may be overdoing it."

Moon Dancer stepped out of the back room next, her main quite rumpled. "Cap-" She cut off quickly before saying more, but smiled at Rainbow Dash as widely as she could.

"It's cool Moony, these two know." Rainbow turned her attention back to Rarity. "I had a bit of a run-in with the changelings, they talked so smoothly they got all the way under my skin." She stretched to show off her form. "The biggest problem is, though, they shorted out a few of my enchantments."

Moon Dancer almost pushed past Rarity to get at Rainbow Dash. Flaring her horn to life, she started working through Rainbow's mane. "You did more than a few. Over half of these are burned out!"

"There is more." Dash turned to pull her mane away from Moon Dancer, trying to make the unicorn look at her face. "Come on, you have to spot this one." 

Forced to confront Rainbow head on, Moon Dancer finally noticed the bridle on her head. "What is that? Fashion?" She knew better, and had a way to probe it. The moment her magic touched the thing she jerked back. "Who enchanted that?"

"Guess." Rainbow was unmoving, her grin challenging Moon Dancer.

"Alicorn, only an alicorn could do an enchantment that powerful. Princess Luna is not this skilled—or she wouldn't have recruited me—Princess Molestia might be, but her touch in an enchantment is like a hammer." Carefully reaching her magic out, Moon Dancer felt along the lines of the powerful magic. "That leaves either Empress Cadance, and I reasonably sure she wouldn't do anything you would like; or Princess Twilight Sparkle. But I have not encountered any of Twilight's enchantments, I wasn't aware she was allowed to work such magic?"

"You got the maker, it was Twilight. I can't wait until-" Rainbow blinked and stopped talking. "Never mind that, can you work out what it is doing?"

"Dark magic, mixed with light. It is subverting part of your nature against itself." Moon, having poked around the bridle enough now, was confident in her words. "What is it doing to you? No, wait, let me work this out." 

Moon began looking at more than just the bridle, she started turning her examination on Rainbow Dash herself, examining her aura before exclaiming, "You're turning into a changeling! Wait, I don't mean like that, I mean still, it is still happening, and by Luna it is powerful. This bridle is modifying the effect, changing it so it targets itself? No, that isn't right… it is making it target a lesser change already on you."

"See, Dawn? I only recruit the best." Rainbow Dash ruffled her mane. "Big question though, Moony-"

"I hate it when you call me that." Moon Dancer, despite her protests, knew there was no way to make Rainbow Dash stop calling her "Moony."

"Okay, Moony. But can you work on this thing without taking it off me?" Rainbow pointed to her bridle. "Twilight said that it is working fine now, but when the last parts of me that are 'drone' become 'queen,' it will start in on the rest of me."

"Work on an enchantment while it is still functioning? That's mad. I would have to take it off." Moon Dancer shook her head.

While the two argued about the enchantment, Rarity sidled closer to the "alicorn stallion." She looked him up and down in contemplation. "You are a most interesting pony. I would say you were one of those odd royal guard stallions with the special armor, but it doesn't make anything quite like you."

"Err," Dark Thrust suddenly regretted his decision to throw horse-apples in Rainbow Dash's face, "it's a bit complicated…" he glanced toward the rainbow mare that had gotten him up to his crest in ponies. "Easier to show you." With that, he dropped his disguise.

"Oh, a changeling." Rarity gave a little sigh and looked around quickly. Her magic lit and pulled a little couch closer, positioning it just-so. Then she fainted onto the couch.

"What did you do to her?" Dawn rushed between the downed unicorn and the changeling. "Captain, your pet is misbehaving!"

"What?" Rainbow Dash had been ignoring all the goings-on, but turned her head to see what Dawn Glider was yelling about.

"No! Don't move…" Moon Dancer threw her hooves up. "How can I work like this?"

"Whoa, whoa! Calm down Dawn, Rarity does this all the time." Rainbow shook her head, getting more complaints from Moon. "There is only one way to wake her, you have to give her love's true kiss."

"Don't you dare!" Moon and a suddenly recovered Rarity both yelled at the same time.

"Rainbow Dash, you know my fainting is always impeccably timed, both the faint and the recovery." Rarity tossed her mane. "It was simply too much, realizing that such an exquisite example of alicorn-hood was a changeling." She paused for exactly three heartbeats before turning to face Dark Thrust. "Please change back, I simply must make you an outfit to match!"

It was certainly not what Dark had been expecting, so much so that he blinked and did as requested, going back to the green alicorn stallion. A blur of magic summoned a white measuring tape and soon he was being carefully checked and counted, numbers scribed into the crazy white unicorn's notes. "Wait!" Dark tried to move away but found the tape measure chasing him. "I said stop!"

"A changeling is no match for Rarity with a tape measure." Rainbow Dash gave a snort.

Giving a glare at Dash, Dark turned back to Rarity. "I am a changeling, not a doll!" He flared with green fire, becoming his natural shape again. "And besides, if I wanted clothes I have only to think about them when I disguise." And once more he changed, this time becoming the stallion, covering in a perfectly tailored shirt and dinner jacket.

"Well now that is hardly fair. Take it off and let me measure you properly." Rarity glared at the changeling. She watched him puff himself up, then shift back to his alien-like natural form. "Are you done? This will only take longer if you don't do what I say."

Dark stood aghast at Rarity. "Changelings don't take orders from ponies! Ponies are fodder!" He never saw the slap come, never even felt it until the sharp sting of Dawn's hoof connected with his cheek.

"Talking to guard is one thing, but you don't talk to a mare like that. Not a second time." The threat was obvious as he stood staring at Dark.

Rarity's heart beat a million miles a minute, she would have swooned if her fainting couch was just a little closer. "A real gentlecolt, oh my…"

Looking to Rainbow Dash, Dark saw the mare's profile, the long jagged horn, almost-green mane hanging, something triggered a subservience he hadn't felt since Chrysalis left the hive. "My Queen-" Whatever else he was going to say died in Dark's throat. Both forehooves flew up and covered his snout. The sound of hooves heralded Dash walking right up to him. "I mean…"

"If you mean that, if you really mean that, then you follow every order I give." Rainbow Dash too, had something come over her, a sense of control and a need to seize power. "If you teach me how to use whatever magic I have, you can call me your queen."

Dark was in awe, the aura of a queen was unmistakable, but they were still half pony, and the half that was changeling was only half queen itself! "M-M-M…" He couldn't say it, instead just lowering his head. "Please."

Dash pressed a hole-filled hoof to the drone's head, not pushing down, just holding him steady. "Rarity, Dawn, my drone will not be struck again."

The trembling in Dark's heart eased, there was something very visceral about pledging yourself and then being protected by your liege. He chittered and chirped softly, wings vibrating.

"And Dark Thrust, if you ever say that to anypony else I will pull your wings out, you got that?" Rainbow flared her own wings, as if to reinforce her words.

"Y-Y-Yes… my… my Queen." Dark wasn't even sure how it happened, how he had been lain-low so quickly.
> Mare in Solitude
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"What do you mean she won't come out?" Luna glared at the Royal Guard stallion. "She is co-ruler of Equestria, she must stand her position!" Something broke in Luna, an idea formed and she changed her tack. "Wait, never mind." She turned and trotted off, a little prance in her step.

"Uh, Your Highness?" Mac let Night's instincts guide her steps as she turned to follow Luna. "You… you gave in a little fast there."

"I did, Mac. But you know what, I think it is time my sister was shown just how little Equestria actually needs her. Never know, she might actually take an interest again." Luna trotted all the way to the small suite of rooms Twilight had for her own use, when she wasn't otherwise occupied. Lifting a hoof, she knocked on the door.

Twilight opened the door and peered around the corner of it. She blushed hotly. "Oh, Princess Luna!" She beamed widely, the hint of blush fading. "Is Rainbow Dash okay now?"

"I sent her to Ponyville, for Moon Dancer to take a look at your work." Luna cocked her head and sniffed lightly, a smile coming to her lips. "But it is for more important business that I come. My sister has decided that she cannot bear to work today. Would you wish to take her place for the day?" Everypony stopped and stared at Luna, she kept her mask of "polite inquiry" firmly on.

"M-M-Me… running the day court?" Twilight's eyes were huge and started shifting side to side. "I need to make plans, I need to prepare cue cards, I need-" A touch came up beside her, a familiar touch that had her relax a little.

"Little Apple?" Big Mac stared at her brother, standing tall beside Twilight Sparkle. She inhaled deeply and got a big snout-full of just what they had just been doing before Luna arrived. "Uh…" she looked up to Luna, then back to her brother and Princess Twilight, "you need a bath, both of you. Come on."

Luna stepped back, letting Mac through as she set about herding the two ponies into the room. "She is right, you need to clean up a little." She wore a smug smile and turned. "Mac, when you have Her Highness, Princess Twilight Sparkle ready, please escort her and her guard to the throne room."

Mac blinked, but Luna was already gone. Inhaling, she caught just a whiff of her Princess, but still had a lot of her brother and her brother's "best friend." Spreading her wings, she flapped them to shoo both inwards. "Where is the bath in this suite? Both of you in this instant!"

Twilight led the way. "It isn't really what it looks like, Big Mac." She pointed with a wing for Applejack's benefit. "We just wanted a little fun."

"Harmless fun, and it wasn't so little." Applejack leaned against Twilight, nearly pushing the slightly smaller pony over. "We were just talking about things, I apologized for marching into Twilight's castle and blaming her, then we talked about other things and how we both wanted to put the wind up sun-butt."

"You had sex just to tease the most powerful alicorn in Equestria?" Mac was more than a little dismayed. "At least tell me you used protection." She slipped past the pair, got the water running in the huge tub.

"Well, we didn't need to." Twilight blushed and gave her wings a little flap. Stepping over the edge of the bath, she climbed in and settled on her belly. "I only let him take my-"

"Stop. Stop right there." Mac shook her head. "Way more than a sister ever needs to know about her brother's sex life. Just promise me you two will be careful?" She reached into the bath, taking one of Twilight's wings and stretching it out carefully.

Applejack watched as his sister started gently preening Twilight's wing with the utmost care. "When did you learn how to do that?" He climbed into the bath as well, the thing now half-full with water. "Not that I mean ta pry or nothin'."

Mac finished with the first wing and reached to shut off the water. "Both of you get to work on each other, come on, you both have horns." She moved over to her brother, the scent of stallion reminding her of Jade. "Wing out." She caught it and started on Applejack's primaries.

"Big Mac, quick, look at AJ's expression!" Twilight had the giggles, pointing at her friend and lover. Of course, as soon as Mac stopped the preening, Applejack schooled his features. "Aww…"

"I can't help it, alright? Damn Princess made me… made me horny all the time. Now I have a sexy mare in the bath with me, and my sister preening my wings…" Applejack let out a little groan as said sister returned to work. "Sometimes life isn't fair." When he had an alicorn kiss his lips, it startled AJ from the down mood. He looked up at Twilight and saw her devilish eyes, and then returned the kiss.

"Hey, hey. No making out while your sister is here. AJ!" Mac finished the wing and reached up, pushing Applejack's head under the water. "No horsing around. We need to get Her Highness all cleaned up and ready for court."

"Court!" Twilight started trying to summon scrolls and quills to make lists, but then Mac found her other wing and she gave a happy sigh. "You have no idea how good that feels." She barely managed to lift a scrubbing brush to work on Applejack's fur. "Who have you been practicing that on? Rumor around the place said you were dating another bat pony."

"You said who she was hugging just before!" Applejack laughed and splashed Twilight with water. "Muh little sister went and bagged herself a princess and a Lunar Guard!" He froze then, looked at Twilight, and gulped.

"Runs in the family, then." Mac reached a leathery wing over and bopped her brother on the head. "So, did you two at least refrain long enough to talk about changing back?" With her question asked, Mac dipped down and started on AJ's wing.

"That is sort of where we stopped." Twilight smirked at the siblings. "I called Applejack in to ask him about what Princes Glowbug did, and asked him to show it all to me. He did… he showed me everything…"

"And then she sucked on me!" Applejack sounded shocked in Twilight, but there was an edge of mirth in his voice. "Me, with all these enchantments making me super horny. Well, there was the problem that I just couldn't climax, and after she finally stopped I explained what it was. She bent the enchantment to herself. I can only cum in Twilight's re-"

"Stop. I don't need to hear this, please." Mac gave a more-than-strictly-gentle bite on the tip of Applejack's wing. "Now, stand up and rinse off. Please tell me at least his undercarriage is clean?" She looked to Twilight, who nodded while blushing. "Ah! No, I don't need to know HOW you know." Mac reached up for the adjustable spray and began sluicing water over the pair, cleaning away the nasty messes each had left in the others fur.

When Mac turned to get a towel, Twilight leaned in and kissed Applejack again, loving that she had to lean up slightly to meet his lips. Just as the other mare started to turn back they broke apart, each wearing a silly grin. Trying for her most innocent smile, Twilight looked at Mac. "What?"

Mac leaned forward. "You be nice with my brother, Twilight Sparkle. I don't care if'n you are a princess, if you break his heart I will hunt you down." She lifted a dainty hoof and booped the Princess of Friendship. "Now get out of the tub and dry off."

Applejack looked at Twilight, his eyes dancing with playfulness. "Ah think, Yer Highness, that there is one pony here who ain't got as clean as she could be."

Twilight tittered and dipped her head. "Then my first decree for the day is… soak Mac!" Both of them swept their wings through the water, spraying it at Mac and soaking the mare.

"Wait, what are… oh, that's it!" She grabbed the sprayer again, turned it up to maximum and started hosing down the two. "Nopony beats me in a bathtub!" She reared up, planting her hooves on the edge of the tub and sprayed both ponies down again, getting plenty of water swept back at her for her trouble.

Not one to surrender, Applejack even channeled magic and dumped a whole bucket of water over his sister's head. "Give in!" He laughed as the spray caught him in the face.

"No, the mare's of Canterlot will never surrender!" Mac's eyes danced and she gave Twilight a significant look. Together, Twilight and Big Mac dumped tons of water on the stallion, laughing like fillies.

"Okay! Okay darn it!" Applejack jumped out of the tub, not that that saved him. "I give, we are clean gosh-darn it!" He lifted his wings to shield against more water.

"See, there is nothing a princess cannot do without her guard to help!" Twilight tried to strike a mighty pose, but was foiled by the fact that she was mostly soaking wet. Realizing her mistake, she charged up her horn with a drying spell.

Mac knew what was about to happen and closed her eyes, spreading her wings a little. A brush of warm air was all she felt and then she shook. "Much obliged. Your Highness." She trotted around the bath. "Do you have anything to put on, to make you look more officially 'princess'?"

"Look for yourself." Twilight led the way, finding an odd kind of silly mood at sharing her wardrobe with Big Mac of all ponies. "But Princess bright-butt won't let me have anything but…"

Opening the wardrobe, Mac saw the dilemma. "Bondage gear? Bridles… what is this?" She lifted out something that made her blush a little.

"That goes between a mare's back legs, the hole is for her tail. It clips on to a saddle and its girth strap." Twilight gave a little shrug. "It has been… an education."

"None of it will do. Not a single bit." Mac slammed the doors of the wardrobe closed and turned on the alicorn. "Now, what scents do you prefer?" She was already gathering a brush and spotted some fur oils Twilight kept in her room.

Applejack watched in shock as his sister acted like she was born to being a mare. His mouth hung open a little as Big McIntosh Apple began brushing oils and conditioners into Twilight's fur, mane, and tail as if she had been doing it for years. "Uh… Mac?" He stepped a little closer, not wanting to interrupt. "Ah gotta be on duty, mind if you-" He didn't get to finish.

"You are next." Mac gave her brother a calculating look. He would be best in something strong and musky, the scent a stallion should wear is… hold on, Princess Twilight won't have any of those.

Twilight giggled but let the other mare tend to her, but every now and again her eyes caught Applejack standing to the side. It made her heart beat a little faster each time she glanced at him and she closed her eyes and shook her head. "No, bad Twilight."

"Hey, I am brushing your mane!" Mac sighed, she had seen Twilight glancing at her brother, and had no doubt her brother was looking back. "Okay, done with you. AJ, get over here so I can deal with you."

Applejack's eyes traced Twilight's movement in a way he had never felt a need to before. When he had been a mare, mares were just mares. But now Twilight had gone and made them a lot more for him. "What's all the fussin' about anyway. Just brush out my mane and tail, tie them up, and-"

"No. Look at you. When you were a mare your fur might have been neat and easy to upkeep, but it is almost like Princess Molestia did this on purpose." Mac lifted her wing up to show her brother some of his long, fine coat.

"Ah don't get it, your coat was thick… when it was red…" Applejack inspected his sister now, finding her to be quite exotic indeed. Lifting one huge hoof, he gently rubbed back some fur on Mac's shoulder. "Huh, that is quite short compared to mine."

"Eeyup. Means it takes more work. You should see Luna's fur, it is almost as long as yours and I have to brush that for ages to get it straight." Mac worked away, not seeing the grin Applejack and Twilight shared at the statement, Twilight going a little further and raising an eyebrow. "Okay, you are as neat as a stallion guard needs to be. Now both of you go, let Princess Luna know I will be in our bedroom."

" 'Princess' Luna this time? And your bedroom as well, sis?" Applejack couldn't help but strut a little as he walked over beside Twilight. "It's okay, Mac, I'll tell 'Luna.' " He had to dodge the brush thrown at him, but laughed on his way out of the room, Twilight at his side.

The black one, it doesn't show any hint of enchantment, and we both know Luna will love seeing you in it. Mac nodded to Night's assessment, slinking back to Twilight's wardrobe and grabbing the dark bridle and reins. She gave a little shudder and hid it under one wing. "We do, it might be nice if she buys something like that for us." Mac trotted from the room, blushing more than normal.
> Mares United
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mac trotted up to the doors to Luna's suite and smiled to both the guard who stood on watch. "Is our Princess in?" She saw both the stallions, unfamiliar to her, shake their heads.

"Still at court, or so I understand. I heard she was in a bit of a bad mood earlier, her sister," the bat pony stallion's opinion of said sister was evident in his slight sneer, "didn't want to work today."

"Oh, I heard." Mac warmed up to the two a little more. "Right about now the fun should really be starting in the throne room. If you get a chance to, I would suggest heading there a bit later." She saw the burning hunger in the eyes of the guards. Tell them, they might just leave their post to find out if you don't. "There will be an Equestrian princess sitting the throne today."

"T-T-Twilight?" Both of the guards' slit pupils were almost round in shock, one even dropped his spear.

"Princess Twilight Sparkle will sit the throne today." Mac slid past the two and into the darkened quarters. The weight of the night spent working drew a yawn from Mac. Stretching her wings up and out, arching her back, she opened her snout and relaxed every part of her body she could. "Keeee." The moment the sound came from her throat, high and sharp, she froze. "I guess bat ponies really do that…"

I could have told you that. Usually a sign of either extreme stress, or extreme relaxation. Mac mused on the information and continued her stretch. "Time to clean up in here." She gave a nod and set about cleaning up the room. It was simple work, work she could do and not worry about her friends and family; when the door opened—spilling light into the quarters—she lifted her head and spotted Luna.

"You really don't have to do that." Luna closed the door behind her. "And that was just about the most fun I have had in a long time. You did a wonderful job with Twilight and Applejack."

Mac blushed in the dim light. "We need to get clean before bed." She turned, slipped her saddlebags off and walked toward the bath.

Luna's eyes were stuck, trapped. She watched the bat pony's swaying plot all the way to the water and even as it sank down into the dark pool. There wasn't a question about if she would follow, Luna lifted off her peytral and shucked out of her shoes. Mac was slowly turning in the water just as Luna started to slip in. 

"Luna, thank you." Mac made her way over to Luna, pulling her wings forward and wrapping the alicorn with the soft leather. "You rescued me from what… what she was going to do. I don't care that you laid a trap for me, you told me it was a trap and I stepped into it myself."

Luna brought her own wings up and wrapped them around Mac. "You still think this was a trap?" She leaned her snout in, rubbing her cheek along the bat pony's neck.

Mac made a soft sound in her throat, leaning into the caress. "As long as you still have that timer running on my service it is-"

"You are free to leave, McIntosh Apple. Tell me and I will part you and Night Reign." Luna didn't let Mac finish her words. "Is that good enough? Is it no longer a trap?"

Tears stung Mac's eyes, she pushed out her tongue and gently licked the fur of Luna's deep blue neck. Will… will you take it up? You can go home, you can take care of Apple Bloom. You will be free. "Luna, what happens when a pregnant mare is released from the armor, and turns back to a stallion?" Mac eased back and gazed at Luna's face, the movement divesting her neck from the alicorn's attention.

"Uh…" Luna stood staring at Mac, stricken dumb by the question. Rallying her faculties after a few moments, she shook her head. "You're pregnant? How? When?"

"How… Luna, do you need a demonstration?" Mac realized what she had said just moments after her brain had fed the words through her mouth. "I mean-" Her words were stolen by a kiss, a firm and hungry kiss. It was as if a barrier between them had fallen and Mac pushed back.

Luna expressed her hunger for Mac by extending her magic around each of them, lifting from the water and into the air. Her mind completely dropped all the intrigue and cunning, all the spying and positioning. All she cared about right now was that she had given Mac her freedom, and the mare had stayed. She wrapped her wings around McIntosh and didn't want to let go. 

Mac was sure she would feel unstable, but wrapped in Luna's magic and hanging vertically, she felt nothing but safe. Their lips broke apart, then touched again. Repeating the kisses over and over until both giggled at the same time. "Fun as this is, I have a better gift, and a surprise." Mac leaned in and nuzzled Luna's cheek.

"A gift? Whatever could it be?" Luna carefully turned them both, bringing her wings back and letting both their hooves settle to the floor. A quick brush with her magic and they were both dry. "I intend to finish that bath when we wake."

Mac walked slowly, exaggerating the sway of her hips from side to side as she went. When she reached her saddlebag, she moved it, spotting the bridle she had pilfered. "You have to look away." She tilted her head, watching Luna deliberately turn away. It turned out that fitting a bridle to herself, without magic, was a bit beyond Mac. She thought she had it right, but the bit was sitting between her eyes. 

"Can I look yet?" Luna was bursting with curiosity and for a moment she was going to peek. Then she heard a yelp and did. She blinked a few times at Mac, with a bridle inside-out and upside down, badly fastened around her head. "You… uh…"

"A little help?" Mac couldn't work out how the fastenings undid and, leaning forward as Luna approached, put herself in the Princess' care. When the fasteners were released, she sighed in relief.

"Where did you get this? It isn't quite your shape." Luna removed and reversed the tack, then inverted it. "Look, it is for a shorter snout, it might rub a bit." She looked at Mac, the bridle hovering just before the bat pony's face.

"I saw how you looked at the bridles on Twilight and Jade." Mac smiled a little. "I will try wearing it tonight, if it is nice then maybe you could find me one that fits better?" She looked at Luna, wanting to do this one little thing for her.

Luna almost stumbled, her heart speeding up. "You would… you want me to?" She moved the bridle closer to Mac's face, watched her close her eyes and push forward into the bridle. She pulled it back, drawing it up and around the mare's face. "Open your mouth."

Mac opened her mouth, feeling the odd-shaped bit push inwards and press down firmly on her tongue. A few clicks later and the bridle was fastened. Mac reached up and back with her wings, taking the reins and flipping them over her head and toward Luna.

"You heard what I did, when I came back from the moon?" Luna almost panted, taking hold of the reins and giving a little tug. She saw Mac nod as she moved toward the bed. "I am going to do all of that to you, tonight. I am going to make you drool until you go cross-eyed." Luna kissed Mac on the lips, feeling her teeth still slightly parted by the bit.

What did she do when she came back? Mac thought back to what she had heard about the incident, the rumors that a few of the six friends had shared. She… she double… and whipped… and… wow… Mac smiled and shook her plot a little. She jumped back and flared her wings, head tugging at the bridle.

"Oh, a willful filly?" Luna almost vibrated in place at the game Mac inspired. "Let me see if she can handle the might of Nightmare Cuddles!" She cheated. Luna hefted Mac up in the air, flipped her upside down and set her down on the bed.

Mac panted, she had wanted to do all the naughty things, to let Luna do it all, but she was staring up into a caring face. She gave a soft whine around the gag. Luna leaned in and kissed her nose again.

"Nightmare Cuddles doesn't despoil pretty mares, she does much nicer things than that." Luna flopped down beside Mac on the bed, making it wobble just a bit. Leaning in, she started with a nuzzle, spreading a wing over Mac's belly. "But Nightmare Cuddles, once she starts with a filly, will never stop." The nuzzling increased, Mac's neck-fur getting more than a little moist.

Mac tried to shift, but each time she attempted to get some control, Luna's magic would flare up again, put her back to rights. Mac poked Luna in the side with one wing, then gestured to her snout.

"Something the matter?" Luna used her magic to remove the gag, pulling it free. Suddenly Mac lunged up and kissed her, causing her to moan into the kiss and do just as she had promised, cuddling the other mare tightly.

"I don't think I like gags. Was quiet most of my life, now… now I like to speak more." Mac kissed Luna, nuzzling against her snout. Her heart fluttered at the feelings coursing through her. She turned, no longer bound by Luna's magic, and wrapped the other mare in her wing.

The moment stretched on, both cuddled together and relaxed after the bath, but Luna made the first move. She started kissing and nuzzling, working her way down Mac's neck, each pause to kiss earning another hungry little sound from Luna.

Mac's eyes widened, she looked down at the Princess and decided some help was in order. "Wait a second." She turned, working herself over and soon landing back belly-to-belly, but this time their heads were at opposite ends. "Is this bet-" Mac's eyes fluttered closed, her voice raised into a happy sigh as Luna's tongue snaked up along her vulva.

Luna lapped at Mac's rear lips again, giving a little nuzzle at the base, as she went. Mac's little noise made the alicorn grin wide and keep working, keep licking. 

Trying to focus on Luna's body, Mac just couldn't get it together and return the favor. She curled her hooves, she flagged her tail again and again, and when Luna pushed her tongue just a little too far Mac moaned and bucked, whimpering and clinging to her lover. The lightning-storm boiling through her stole what few faculties remained, the only thing she could focus on through the intense physical release was her love. Jade. Luna. Night's voice in her head galvanized Mac, dragged her back up above the storm. She rode on the lightning now, still feeling herself squirm, but she managed to shove her snout forward and nuzzle.

Luna wouldn't have minded just pleasuring Mac, she knew the mare was inexperienced, but when she started giving back Luna gave a pleased groan. Reaching her big wing over Mac's flank, she started stroking, rubbing at her. When the first stroke of the other mare's tongue came, Luna started nuzzling and licking at her teats.

The pleasure was almost blinding again, but Mac centered herself with Night's support. She didn't ignore the pleasure Luna's mouth was wreaking, she embraced it. The nub, right there, suck on it for just a little bit. Mac didn't even think about the instruction, she followed Night's suggestion. The moment her lips closed, her tongue curled, Mac knew Night was so very right. Luna gripped her tightly, grabbed as hard as she could. Let go now, or you will push her over. Mac refused this time, gently rolling the oversensitive organ in her lips, feeling Luna's body pushed beyond what it would normally take. Oh you naughty mare.

Lost in the simple joy of giving and taking pleasure, Luna left off Mac's little teats, her brain almost losing focus from the repeated stimulation of her clitoris. She clung to the smaller mare, she set her mouth to Mac's back leg and clamped down tightly. She felt as the "inexperienced" mare pushed her all the way to release. Luna knew paradise.

She is done, slow down, ease back Mac. Let her ride it. Mac listened this time. The softest cry that Luna gave, as he body trembled against her, told Mac that she had given as she had gotten. But she didn't want to call it quits there. She waited for Luna to calm, pressed her cheek against the alicorn's inner thigh, and waited for her to calm down. Then she licked again.

Luna's eyes snapped open, she moaned loudly, a wide smile on her face.
> Mare Contained
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Luna knew what was coming. She didn't plan to avoid her sister's wrath any more than she had over a thousand years ago, she just hoped a little of Celestia was still in her sister.

The evening had started well, she had met Twilight in the throne room, the big double doors had been left open. There was life back in the seat of Equestria.

"LUNA!" Molestia stormed through the open doors, furious all the more because she didn't get to smash them down to enter. "Where is she? What did you do to my pet!"

"What was that, sister?" Luna was so done with games, charades, and didn't care what wrath her sister would bring. "Did you just say you owned a pony, in a day and age where such provisions are still not completely legal? Perhaps you should move to the Crystal Empire?" Luna watched her sister sputter a little. "Oh calm down, Molly. I punished her for playing with your toy. You would not believe the horrible thing I had her doing all day, now she is recovering."

Molestia froze, she hadn't heard her sister use her "new" name once since Luna's return. "What did she do?" Her mind latched onto the fact that Twilight had needed punishing.

"You didn't hear?" Luna gestured with a hoof toward Applejack, who had taken up position at the double doors. "She 'played,' " Luna made very sure Molestia knew what was being inferred, "with your 'toy.' Oh don't look so shocked, you have him so worked out I think he was about to start having sex with his own pillowcase… probably did." Luna rose slowly from the throne and stretched. "All yours, what happened yesterday? Too many stallions?"

The topic change was an appropriate one for Molestia, she practically glowed with happiness. "Oh yes, five at once!" Molly trotted up and took the throne. "And so big…" She didn't see the tears Luna shed as she walked from the throne room. 

"Oh, sister? Would you like me to punish him too?" Luna gestured to Applejack, licking her lips.

Molestia's eyes narrowed. "I will have him in hoof by the time you take the throne again." She gestured at the long windows, a glow starting to come through them as she lifted the sun.

"Your loss… and his." Luna forced out a laugh as she left the throne room, with the big doors still open, she gestured to the Lunar Guard still on duty. "Come my fillies and colts, leave the big white monster to play with the Princess." The doors behind her thudded closed and Luna relaxed. "I really hate this game." The touch of a body at each side surprised Luna, she looked to her left, spotting Mac, which made her turn to the right. "Jade?"

"Your Highness." Jade was more than a little surprised with himself, but seeing Luna almost crumple as she left the throne room nearly broke his heart. "If you don't mind me saying, the moon was lovely last night."

Luna reached up and out with her wings, curling one over each of the bat ponies at her sides. "No sleeping today, today is important and I need everypony ready." She didn't get more than ten steps before Molestia's first supplicants arrived. Nearly six ponies, all wearing heavy hoods.

Each of the strange ponies lowered their heads, in perfect time, to offer a bow to Luna. "Princess." Only the first spoke.

Luna didn't slow down.


~~~~~+++++~~~~~


"Announcing Trixie Lulamoon!" Applejack was half-bored. He knew that Molestia wouldn't do anything until she herself got bored, and Trixie and her new friends looked very un-boring.

As soon as the heavy doors clanged closed behind her, Trixie flicked back her hood. There was barely any blue fur visible, black and green tubing and plating covered most of her features, but there was no mistaking the jagged pattern to her horn. "Now." She flicked her forehoof out, the tiny ball rolling right up to the throne and puffing out a wave of green magic.

Molestia's eyes flew wide. "What… what is going on? Guards!" The green stuff seemed to seep through the room like smoke, and as the other supplicants rolled their own out, it was quickly apparent that it was an attack. "G-G-Guards!"

Applejack watched as the two stallions at his side fell to the floor, rubbing their bellies against it and groaning. The green smoke-like stuff reached AJ's snout and he couldn't stop himself inhaling it. A surge of need filled him, an ache for relief that should have stopped him in his tracks; if somepony hadn't been training him to fight such. "Stop!"

Trixie flicked her eyes briefly toward Applejack, but then turned and grinned at the alicorn sitting on her throne, masturbating with a hoof for all she was worth. "The Great and Powerful Trixie has chosen this as the time and place to reveal her changelings to the world." 

Molestia ached, she ached to the core of her being in a way that shouldn't be the case the day after spending every waking hour with at least two stallions in her. "P-P-P-Please…" She had both hooves between her back legs, stroking and rubbing herself, desperate to find the pleasure her body demanded.

Puffing out his chest, Applejack charged. The cloaked ponies were like skittles, falling to the sides as he barreled through them to reach the downed Princess. "Back off, I might not have the best magic, or be the best flier, but any o'y'all want to find out how I buck?"

Trixie backed up a little. She felt a sudden ache, a need she had been fighting. It wasn't her own body, it was the machines that were part of her. "The… the Princess said only Molestia." She watched as two of her drones advanced to her sides.

"Somepony help!" Applejack bellowed, half-turning to lash out at the advancing machine-enhanced ponies. "Get back from her!" Something suddenly tightened around the base of Applejack's shaft, an ache suddenly running through his hard length. 

"I… I need you… I… my Body… Guard." Molestia needed what was bobbing before her, Applejack's shaft. She watched it wave around, mesmerizing. So she reached out with her magic, laying claim to what she knew was hers. "Fill me…"

Gritting his teeth, Applejack spun around the opposite direction, connecting with one of the technolings and knocking it clear across the room. "Gah, get it… stop it please…" He couldn't stop one of his back legs from jiggling in the air, his shaft throbbing.

Trixie watched as her best drones were repelled by the huge stallion. Despite the drugs he seemed able to function. "We must capture him… he would… he would rule the hive…" The machines inside her pumped thoughts into her head, stimulated her body to drive its commands home.

"Come… come here… fill me." Molestia crawled up behind Applejack, her horn lighting again as she shoved magic into the stallion. The jiggling hoof stopped as her target fell sideways, landing on the floor before her. Crawling up, she nuzzled the huge balls that she had waited to claim. The world went dark, something pulled down over Molestia's head, and further.

"She undid you." Trixie stood over Applejack, reaching a hoof to gently stroke the stallion's mane. "She doesn't deserve you. Trixie will have you instead."

AJ struggled on the floor, watching as two of the drones rushed past him, pulling some kind of full-body outfit over the Princess. "What? Of… of course she doesn't. Ah'm only doing this fer my bro… sister." His back legs both kicked, again and again, trying to shove whatever was "inside" him out.

Molestia felt the suit pull down over her wings, her hips, finally she hoped the strange creatures were going to quench her need, but all they did was seal it around her plot. She squirmed in the suit, but noticed the smell was changing.

Trixie watched as the struggling princess slowly seemed to relax. "There, she belongs to Trixie's hive now, but you…" Trixie leaned down and pressed a small black and green plate to Applejack's chest. The thing started sizzling and burning at the armor, burning through the metal that had corrupted Applejack in the first place. "You will rule Trixie's hive, eventually."

When the burning in the front of his armor stopped, Applejack looked down. The green and black, chitin-like metal seemed to be pressed firmly to her chest. The feel of it, as it pushed things into him, had AJ's strength surging again. The armor enchantments ceased just as Trixie pulled something over his head.

Applejack tried to thrash around, to struggle, but the more he did the more the bag-thing pulled around him. The strange ponies pulled the armor from him, yanking it free so they could pull more of the suit over him. A memory flashed, of what Molestia had looked like in a similar outfit.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie believes that we shouldn't be here any longer." Green lights flickered under Trixie's cloak, the pulsing light flashing around her body as her drones moved to follow her. Among them stood Molestia, trapped in the suit, her brain already being fed drugs to pacify and placate her.

"No!" Applejack shook his head, feeling the outfit bind around his entire body, sealing him in completely. Green flickered over the suit as it tightened. "You can't take her-" he saw Trixie extend a hoof toward the unique shape of Molestia, and watched a burning green glow pour from the Princess into the cloaked pony, and then out into a circle of fire. "No…"


~~~~~+++++~~~~~


Applejack opened his eyes, a soft green glow the first thing he noticed; oddly though, it was only in one eye. "Ugh…" He felt terrible, like something had-

"He's awake!" Mac leaned over. "Hey, you okay?" She reached forward with a wing toward the dark-looking pony on the big bed.

"What 'n tarnation happened?" Applejack's chest felt like it was throbbing, but as more and more awareness returned he shot up in bed and struggled to untangle from the covers. "The Princess!"

"Gone." Luna stepped into the big room, over to the bed where Mac was trying to calm down her brother. "But we are looking for Trixie and her cohorts."

"You are looking for them?" Applejack stared at Luna before his eyes took in more details around him. It was clearly Twilight's room. "I… I fought as hard as I could." He slumped back on the bed, letting his sister relax. "But she-"

"Princess Celestia," Luna stressed the name, "was overcome with some kind of gas. She couldn't control herself and activated your armor." 

AJ nodded up to the Princess, then squirmed a little. "What am I in, this… this is the thing they put on me?" It sure felt like it to him, the outfit clinging to his shape, hiding the odd plate Trixie had pressed to him. "What is it?"

"I have examined it as best I can, all I can tell is that it is enchanted heavily." Luna leaned a little against Mac. "I have sent for Moon Dancer. If anypony can make sense of this," she gestured at the outfit around Applejack, "it is she."

"Is Twilight okay?" Applejack blinked, finding the green-tinted eye seeing something more than what his other could. Closing his "good" eye, he realized he could see auras around Princess Luna's horn.

"Princess Twilight Sparkle," Mac managed a bittersweet grin, "took control of the situation. Ordered you cared for and took the throne." She felt Luna lean a little more and had to prop herself against the Princess. "Do you think you can walk?"

"Ah can." Applejack turned and tried to slide slowly from the big bed. He still couldn't get over how much bigger than his little sister he was. "What is it doin' to me?" He stretched, feeling a slight pull in his chest and somewhere just behind where the thing had been attached. Putting one hoof in front of another, he started to walk for the door. 

Mac moved to support her brother but got a glare from the eyes of the suit. "I just want you to be okay…" She hated seeing Applejack so weak.

"Ah'll be better once I see Twi is alright, better yet when Ah get all this… out of me." Applejack took a few more steps toward the door, finding his footing better and better. 

"Wait, out of you?" Luna froze. "What do you mean 'out of you'?" She rushed over to AJ, trying to inspect him through the enchanted suit.

Lifting one big forehoof, Applejack tapped his chest. "Trixie put some kinda doohickey on me, here. Ah think it pushed stuff into me." He gave a shrug. "And my eye seems strange."

"I hope Moon Dancer arrives soon, this doesn't sound good." Luna watched Applejack move, studied the lines of his body under the outfit. 
> Equestria in Flux
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"The doors are open again?" Applejack's legs were solid under him now, the initial dissociation he had experienced with his limbs had faded. The petitioners all parted and made room, primarily for Princess Luna, but AJ was happy enough to capitalize on it.

"Princess Twilight does things a little different to how my sister and I do them." Luna held no reproach, smiling at the idea. "It is humbling and refreshing, and I think Equestria needs it. Their ruler is open to them, standing before them. Look at her."

And AJ could. He gazed up at his best friend, marveling not only at how much presence she had in the room, but also at the aura his oddly tinted second eye showed. "She… she's beautiful…" The play of colors radiated out, touching every pony near Twilight. 

"Hey, make room. Important ponies comin' through!" Rainbow Dash, without having a princess to lead the way, was making a hole through the crowd by dint of looking more like a monster than most things the ponies had seen. "Well, I think we found your patient, Doctor Moony."

"Applejack? Rainbow Dash?" Twilight's voice cut through the crowd, ponies parted between her and her friends. "Please tell me Moon Dancer is with you?" She stepped down off the dais, approaching the little group.

Luna, able to look down on most ponies, spotted Moon Dancer. "It is as you asked, Your Highness." Though she smiled at her little joke, it was tinged with worry still. "I had my best agent on the task, right?"

Rainbow Dash strode up to Luna, wearing the bridle that kept the transformation under a modicum of control. "Of course." She lifted her hoof—full of holes—and got a solid clop back from the mare who she had followed. "So what do you think, Moony? Just rip this nasty suit off?"

Moon Dancer stepped up toward the big stallion. "Oh, uh…" Lighting her horn, she started with examination spells. The room was silent while she worked, nopony daring to interrupt her. She located the main enchantments on the suit, but they were almost completely unfamiliar. "What… what made this?"

" 'What,' not 'who'?" Twilight grimaced in realization. "So I was right, this wasn't made by ponies? I took a look at it earlier, but couldn't work any of it out."

"Technolings." Rainbow Dash cut in on the scholarly conversation. "A species of changeling that were created by another changeling." All eyes turned to her, Moon Dancer even stopped her examination. "Well, near as I know, they take ponies, wrap them up in a suit and either make them into a constant food supply, or put their tech into them. It will slowly spread."

"How do you know all this?" Twilight shook her head. "Never mind that, what can we do about this?" She pointed to Applejack.

"Hey, don't look at me. I know what they are… kinda. I don't know all the magic stuff." Rainbow Dash held up both forehooves in her own defense. "And I really don't know about how they make more of them, just that they do."

"Does that mean they are going to turn Princess Molestia into one of them?" Twilight was posing the question more philosophically, but was surprised when Applejack shook his head.

"Ah don't think so. They were talkin' as if she was going to be food." AJ took a few extra steps and stopped right in front of Twilight. "Yer Highness, if'n you don't mind, ah'm gonna kiss ya." He didn't wait, Applejack leaned forward and pressed his lips to Twilight's own, feeling them still for a moment, then start to return the kiss.

"Uh, somepony want to explain why they are…" Rainbow Dash felt a tingle run through her, like she was standing near a heater. "Oh… never mind. Hey Dark!"

A pony pushed their way through the crowd, a garish alicorn stallion that looked so out of place made his way up beside Rainbow Dash. "My Queen?"

"Yeah yeah, keep the queen bit down. Do you know any more about this sort of stuff?" Rainbow gestured to Applejack, who was just pulling back from his moment with Twilight. "All I know is that it is technoling stuff."

"Slaves!" Dark's disguise dropped, revealing his changeling shape to all the ponies around. "There seems to be something in his eye, and look, the glow there." He pointed at AJ's chest. "But he is wearing their trapping suit…"

"So how do we get it off then?" Moon Dancer was working her spells again, trying to examine Applejack again. "Wait, it is moving, inside him!" She checked and double checked. "Actually… growing."

"Can you get it out of me?" Applejack looked directly at Moon Dancer. "And why aren't I a mare again, if that old armor is broken?" He froze and turned to look at Twilight. "Uh… well, Ah suppose that last bit isn't so bad…"

"I can try." Moon steadied herself and began to build her magic up. She was startled, however, when a torrent of power joined hers, thundering into and through her.

"You don't even have to ask." Twilight stepped up beside Moon Dancer. "Just tell me if there is anything else I can do?"

"Just push when I need it." Moon Dancer started fastening her own magic to the enchantments in the odd bodysuit. The suit itself started to pulse and flare back, throwing off one of her spells and, to her shock, latching on to another. She sliced the spell off, let it fade, then brought another around to stop the enchantment from spreading further. "This… this is built to resist removal."

"More power?" Twilight looked at the interplay of colors from Moon's spells, watched how quickly she moved them, adjusted them.

Moon Dancer shook her head. "It is feeding off the power of our magic already. I am trying to cut off the feeding enchantments, but it is almost like it is-"

"It is modifying its enchantments in reaction to you. Each time you use a spell on it, the suit will adapt and be able to eat that spell the second time you use it." Dark looked on in amazement, watching how fast the unicorn worked, but he could see it was a losing battle. "You should pull back, before it grabs hold of your magic."

Tightening her grip on the enchantments she had already choked off, Moon kept fighting, using the information the changeling had given her to mix up each spell. It seemed to work, struggling against the flow of the enchantments, but then one latched on to a spell it shouldn't have been able to. "What-" She didn't get another word out, suddenly all her spells were failing and the enchanted magic swam up her own flow, rushing toward her like a hungry timber-wolf.

A flash of green illuminated the struggle, fire wrapped around the head of Dark Thrust and he shot forward. Cutting through the flow of magic, he pushed both Moon Dancer and Princess Twilight away from Applejack.

The room erupted in panic. Guards rushed in to protect the Princess from harm. Rainbow Dash rushed to her drone, and seeing him much the worse for the encounter stood over his downed form. "Back off! Keep back from him. What the buck just happened?"

"Protect the Princess!" The guards that charged in to surround Dark suddenly realized they not only had Rainbow Dash to deal with, but Applejack too.

"Stop this!" Twilight's voice carried over the noise. "STOP NOW!" Her wings flared out as she glared around. "Okay. Moon, are you alright?"

"Not really…" Moon Dancer lay on the cool floor, her head pressed to it, feeling like her brain was a few sizes too big. "Ugh… what are you doing to that changeling? Dark saved us." She waved a hoof toward the downed changeling.

"What do we do?" Twilight looked to Applejack, not daring to even try to probe the suit clinging to him.

"Well we ain't gonna to try that again." Applejack looked down at the drone who was slowly coming to. "Ah don't think we have been introduced. Ah'm Applejack."

Dark looked up, spotting his queen standing over him. He shivered a little at the determined and concerned look on her face. He focused on the stallion addressing him. "Dark Thrust…" It felt so wrong to be among so many ponies without owners. A huge hoof came down, covered in the black suit AJ wore. He took it and got to his shaky hooves.


~~~~~+++++~~~~~


"I think this is the first time this many princesses have been together without an orgy." Cadance sipped her drink, looking between Luna and Twilight. "A little refreshing, I can have orgies anytime I like, but this… this is interesting. So what exactly happened to ol' sun-butt? The rumors are flying."

"No more orgies. Not here." Twilight pushed the map over to Cadance with her magic. "You get the contract Princess Luna offered, in exchange for lending us an army." The words stung Twilight's throat, she hated the idea of sending ponies to fight; if there was one thing being Molestia's whipping colt taught her, it was that sometimes the results are worth a harsh price. "How is Shining?"

"The deal is done. Your sister fares well. She rules my household, you know, won't even let me go out and have fun." Cadance gave a deep sigh. "She is happier now, than-"

"I know. The nobles don't, but they are over the moon that I am on the throne." Twilight looked to Luna, suspecting something, but unable to bring herself to ask it. "You should visit more, Cadance. Mom and Dad are always asking after Shining, I would love to be able to take you both to visit them."

"I…" Cadance paused and thought about it. "That might be both nice, and terrible. Everypony thinks I stole her away, tore up her roots and stained her. I can be the bad-pony for them, if it means there is peace." She looked at the map, a progression plan of the war Equestria was about to be thrown into. "We stop short of the badlands, why?"

"There is a deal. All you need to do is follow the plan." Luna's eyes flashed. "We will, of course, have our own General to lead this."

"A general? Might I know who will be leading my poor 'lings into this?" Cadance turned her full gaze to Luna, trying to gauge what her full game was.

"Mac!" Luna called, a wide smile on her snout. "Bring in your adviser."

Big McIntosh pushed the doors open, stepping into the room. Her belly had a slight rounding to it, showing signs of life from within. "Your Highnesses."

Rainbow Dash took up Mac's left side. Standing taller than Mac, almost as tall as an alicorn, she had all the ego of her pegasus-self mixed with a changeling queen; plus a good helping of the audacity of both too.

The shocked look on Cadance's face made Luna almost jump for joy. "Is there a problem, Empress?" 

"You never said you had changelings living in Equestria." Cadance stared at Rainbow Dash, taking in the features that were still very much pony. Wings, a few streaks of color in their mane and tail, even the mare's snout still hinted at a pony origin. But it was Rainbow Dash's eyes that really caught Cadance's attention, cerise and slitted, they looked hungry in a way that put her off her guard.

Trying to rally herself and avoid thinking about Equestria having changelings—let along a hive—of their own, Cadance pointed to Manehatten. "I hear they have a new leader just taken office." She looked between the interested expressions on Twilight and Luna's faces. "No real information on her, but my drones got her name. Starlight Glimmer."