Canterlot royal duty summons are no joke - especially when they involve a foreign kingdom. Of course, a kingdom in desperate need of love will make sure the work is compensated.
Jac never expects much, and especially not when it comes to "things going his way". His best days are usually spent alone and un-bothered in his room, playing games or watching videos. He rarely enjoys going out with family, and he definitely doesn't enjoy going out for work. As such, a Canterlot royal summons was not a particularly heartwarming birthday present.
One short train ride to the Changeling kingdom later, Jac finds his expectations shattered in all the right ways.
Saturday. If Jac were still in school, this would be his favorite day of the week. It still is, albeit for no real reason at this point. Sentimentality, perhaps?
No, Jac was simply too lazy to pick a new day. Why mess with the status quo when the current one works well enough? Besides, any tiny change in Jac's schedule could backfire - he could screw up his sleep schedule again (not that it wasn't already inconsistent beyond belief), or lose motivation for something because it didn't feel like the right time for it, or- gasp! -forget that he changed it.
Jac pushed these silly thoughts aside and returned to his task at hand - anime. One of the few things Jac could always depend on, that would never betray him. That would never bait him with the false hope of freedom and escape from his troubles, only to-
"You've Got Mail!"
Jac jumped in his seat, frightened by the sudden appearance Equestria Online's new e-mail notifications. He groaned and returned the pillows to their rightful place beside him. Ever since Princess Twilight Sparkle was put in charge of Canterlot's technology and research department, the advances had been a peculiar mixture of unthinkably useful and unthinkably annoying - not to mention Twilight's bad habit of pushing out new ideas to the general public without particularly extensive testing first. As it stands, the e-mail notifications could not be muted, and the TV would continuously bleep every minute until the e-mail was read. He didn't have much choice.
With a groan, Jac paused the show barely before the opening theme could start. As his slightly archaic computer would take a hefty few minutes to fully start up, he went to obtain food.
Returning with a bowl of nearly-stale chips, he sat down at his computer and pulled out his keyboard.
SCREEEEEECCH
Jac sighed softly. His keyboard tray deserved to be pounded into scrap metal. Even though today had been going exactly the same as any other day, it was already getting on his nerves. He opened his e-mail.
IMPORTANT: ROYAL SUMMONS CANTERLOT ROYAL GUARD
You (JAC the PEGASUS, resident of PONYVILLE LAKES), have been selected by the Canterlot Royal Guard to attend a support party at THE CHANGELING KINGDOM to assist with the following tasks: Miscellaneous
You are to report to your local train station the following MONDAY. Guidance will be provided upon arrival and you will be escorted to your fellow party members on a private train car. Upon arrival to your destination, you will receive further instruction. This summons is not optional, and you may be fined up to 5,000 BITS if your presence is not recorded at the time of departure. You are excused from any work, public service, or other obligations for the duration of your trip, and may not be terminated or penalized by your employer on behalf of your absence.
This expedition will last THREE DAYS, and you will be accompanied by royal guards at all times for your safety. No dangerous circumstances are expected during this expedition.
Thank you for being a valuable citizen of Equestria. We stand proudly in Her light, casting the rays of sunshine across the world. - Canterlot Royal Guard
Jac quietly turned off his computer. These next few days will probably kill him.
Jac stressfully made his way towards the Ponyville train station, running through more than a few scenarios in his head. What if he messes up out of stress or anxiety, and he gets in trouble for it? What if the guards or the other ponies are mean? What if the return train never arrives? What if-
THUD.
"Oh goodness, I'm sorry!"
Jac took a moment to refocus.
"I was right in your way, my bad! Are you okay sir?"
As his vision returned, Jac found himself face to face with... somepony. Her voice was soft yet energetic, almost aggressively friendly.
"Excuse me? Are you okay?"
With a quick shake of his head to regain his senses, Jac forced himself to respond.
"Y-yes. Yes. I'm fine, I... sorry, I..."
Much to Jac's surprise, the pony- a unicorn mare with a soft purple mane and gentle pink coat -hugged him.
"It's okay, you're alive, I'm not angry. Are you here for the summons?"
Jac was finding it increasingly hard to speak, mostly from embarrassment but now also confusion, so he simply nodded.
"Well that's great to hear! And here I was thinking I'd be stuck with a bunch of boring nobodies. I hope you don't mind keeping me company, and don't be afraid to turn me down - I won't be upset. My name's Gummy Bear!"
Her eyes were a deep sapphire blue, which was made very apparent by how close to his face she was standing. Mostly because she was still hugging him.
Jac gently pushed her away, stiff with embarrassment. Despite what she said, he didn't think he would be able to handle turning anypony down - no matter how well they took it. Welp.
"That's... fine," he muttered. Gummy Bear smiled. She was pretty cute, at least, even though...
"Oh, let's hurry and get on the train so we don't miss it!" Jac could barely keep up as Gummy Bear half-skipped, half-sprinted to the boarding area. "I don't have that kind of money, hehe!"
"Cyclone, Pegasus."
"Right here, dude."
"Mud Bath, Earth Pony."
"Yee-haw!"
"Control your outbursts, please. Gummy Bear, Unicorn?"
"Present!"
"Jac. Pegasus."
"h-here."
"Speak up, sir, almost didn't hear ya."
As small and insignificant as this comment was, it was enough to send a stab of guilt through Jac's heart.
"Alright, everypony's here. Hope you nerds didn't have any weddings or funerals this week." The guard put his clipboard in a cabinet in the front of the train car. "I want you guys to behave, alright? Don't want any repeats of last trip."
It was fairly clear by everypony's expressions that nobody actually knew what he was talking about.
"The changeling kingdom is experiencing somewhat of a magic shortage, mostly due to the nature of how their magic works. According to Princess Twilight and King Thorax, all should be well once they've finished settling and constructing their kingdom, but for the time being they need a few extra hands and horns to get things moving. You guys could be doing anything from manual labor to bookkeeping to foalsitting, all depends on what they need and who can do it."
The guard began to walk down the aisle, his arms firmly behind his back. His uniform was relatively minimal - barely more than a shirt, vest and pants - but it projected his authority very effectively.
"Slackers will not be tolerated, but if you just suck at something, don't sweat it - we'll find something else for you. Optimally this trip should be fun, who knows, maybe you'll make a friend or two. Just stay with your assigned guard at all times and we'll have no issues. ETA is in about three hours, there are crackers in the back. Toilet's broken, but the windows aren't. And if you want to leave this train alive, I swear to Celestia, don't stain the seats like last time.
Jac was beginning to feel very, very uncomfortable.
"You've been awfully quiet, and still," Gummy Bear pointed out after what felt like an eternity of silence. The rhythmic bumping of the train was beginning to make Jac feel slightly nauseated.
"Do you want me to get you some water?"
"No," Jac stated quietly. He had not made eye contact with Gummy Bear since his initial encounter, and wasn't sure if he wanted to.
"I can leave if you want me to. Really, it's fine, don't feel ba-"
Gummy Bear's face drooped to an uncertain expression.
"Oh! I know!" Jac's head was forcibly jerked to the side, putting his eyes directly in the focus of hers. "You're nervous!"
Jac closed his eyes and pried her arms off of his head, feeling anxious as ever. "That's... putting it a little lightly."
Gummy Bear was not satisfied.
"Oh, you poor thing. Here, I'll give you some space for a while - but you can always talk to me if you change your mind," Gummy promised with a small kiss on the nose. "Hope you feel better!"
And she was gone. Thank Celestia.
Jac stared out the window, watching the boring countryside whiz past him, listening to the sound of the train against the tracks.
Ba-bump.
He already missed his home, his pillows, and of course, his computer.
Ba-bump.
He was going to miss the latest episode of the anime he was watching.
Ba-bump.
He was going to sleep in weird, uncomfortable rooms for the next three days.
Jac's eyes slowly slid open, and he quickly remembered where he was.
"We don't have all day, man."
Jac sat himself up, feeling immensely guilty for-
"You're okay! Oh, praise Celestia!" Gummy Bear's delicate arms surrounded Jac in a not-so-delicate hug. The rest of the party was looking at you, not with judgment, but... concern.
"I'm..."
Jac could not finish due to the ice-cold water bottle Gummy Bear gingerly shoved into his face. The guard placed his hands firmly on Jac's shoulders.
"You'll have to get off the train since it has to leave soon, but you can take it easy for today if you aren't feeling up to it." The guard leaned closer to Jac's ear. "Between you and me, if you were part of the Guard, I'd have your ass right now, but since you're just a one-time draftee I'll let you off easy."
Jac wasn't sure if he should feel supported or afraid. Naturally, his senses defaulted to the latter.
After that little spectacle, Jac was definitely not ready to start working with these ponies. They certainly seemed polite, but after making such a scene, it would be hard to escape the remnants of such a first impression. Positive or not, Jac would rather be treated as an irrelevant nobody.
The train station was, in reality, more of a "train area". Beside the tracks was a flat stretch of pavement with a few crude wooden stalls constructed around for whatever miscellaneous tasks needed to happen in a makeshift train station. Well, and a bathroom, of course. The only other outstanding feature of this environment was that nearly everyone here was a changeling.
The guard, whilst escorting the party towards seemingly nowhere in particular, began to debrief.
"I know most of you dorks have probably never seen a changeling before, so we've arranged a little meet and greet here for the next fifteen minutes. If you're gonna gawk and gape, now's your chance - after this, you're gonna work."
The party reached the end of the pavement and stepped onto the hard stone of the mountainous environment. A large cliff face loomed over the clearing below, which had been terraformed into a strange terraced structure with various buildings embedded into the walls, and extending from them. Changelings were flying through window holes all over the town, many carrying bundles of stone or building supplies. There was a distinct lack of magic at work for a species capable of performing magic, which was clearly the reason for this expedition.
Despite this limitation, the creatures seemed oddly excited for their manual labor. They talked excitedly among themselves whilst constructing walls or sharpening tools, laughing with each other as they conversed.
Jac was not ready for the loud whistle blow from the guard, which promptly caused his ears to ring painfully.
This got the attention of multiple changelings who were working in the ground level portion of the town, who immediately dropped what they were doing and excitedly hurried towards Jac's group of acquaintances.
"What's it like living in wood houses?"
"How do you get by without wings?"
"Do you also think love is delicious and tasty?"
"How big is your hive?"
"Can I feel your wings?"
Needless to say, Jac wasn't expecting the changelings to be four times as interested in him as he cared about them. Not that he didn't care, in fact this environment was honestly rather interesting, but nonetheless it wasn't what he expected.
"My name's Honeysuckle!" a particularly orange changeling exclaimed, shaking Jac's hand wildly. "You're cute!"
Jac blushed. He figured that changelings were much more open with their feelings, being such a love-based species... and something about this thought put his mind at ease. Maybe he'd stand a bit closer to the changelings most of the time.
"Y-you too."
Honeysuckle froze.
"OH. MY. GOSH."
Honeysuckle's hand dropped like an anvil, leaving her in a state of pure shock and awe.
"THE CUTE PONY THINKS I'M CUTE!"
Honeysuckle hugged the nearest changeling beside her, causing him to blush in panic and confusion.
"THE CUTE PONY THINKS I'M CUTE!!!"
Jac sighed. Sure are a lot of spazzes today... he thought. But this isn't too bad...
"Oh, don't mind Honeysuckle, she's a bit of a spaz. I'm Thorax."
Wait. What?
Jac turned around to see where this voice came from.
"Oh, do you recognize my name?" Thorax, in all of his mango-ey splendor, looked towards the ground. "Well, I guess you would, considering..."
"King Thorax!" the guard proclaimed, cutting off Thorax. "You snuck up on us, you blended right in with the rest of you!"
Thorax blushed. "You say this every time, Carbon. I try not to... put myself above anyone. I don't want to be a king, so much as... a leader, I guess."
"Well how are you supposed to be a leader if nobody can tell which one is you? You silly bug!" The guard gave Thorax a rough scratch behind the ear, causing him to blush profusely and explode into a wriggly mess of "Nggaaahhhhh!"
"Come on, show us what we can help with."
It took Thorax almost as long to recover as it did for Jac.
"Anyone good with heavy lifting?" Thorax asked, addressing the entire group. Two earth ponies raised their hands - clearly, they were no stranger to manual labor.
"Great! You guys go with Honeysuckle, I know she looks skinny but she has more than enough energy to move a mountain." Barely after Thorax finished speaking her name, Honeysuckle excitedly grabbed their hands and hurriedly rushed them away from the group towards... somewhere. The earth ponies looked back with an expression that conveyed a mixture of surprise and "help me".
"Alright. Now, this one's a bit more complicated, so it's okay if nobody can do this one." Thorax rubbed his neck nervously, as if he would be embarrassed if nopony were able. A slight hotness began covering Jac's face - something about Thorax was pushing Jac's buttons in some very concerning ways. He looked off towards the horizon to distract himself from these feelings.
"Is anyone here good with physics or architecture, to make sure our buildings are sturdy?"
To everyone's surprise, Gummy Bear raised two hands and jumped excitedly. "Ooh! ME! Me! I designed the houses for a whole neighborhood!"
Thorax blinked in awe. "Well, uh, alright then - that's wonderful. You can uh, go with one of your guards over to that clearing over there," Thorax instructed as he gestured towards what seemed to be a soon-to-be construction zone. "There should be two changelings with clipboards staring at the ground, don't be afraid to stop them if they don't notice you. They get really into it sometimes."
One of the guards - Jac honestly wasn't sure if he had seen this one until now; a light-gray and extremely burly pegasus - was excitedly yanked by Gummy Bear in an uncannily similar fashion to the previous group's departure.
Thorax studied the remaining ponies, his hand affixed firmly to his mouth - Jac could almost swear he was chewing on it. "So that leaves... five of you left, plus two guards, right?" Everyone looked around to verify his observation. Several nods and shrugs later, Thorax nodded in response.
The guard from the train - Carbon, if Jac remembered correctly - stepped towards Thorax. He leaned into the changeling king's ear, whispered something, and then pointed to Jac. Thorax nodded slowly, looking slightly confused. He scratched behind his ear with an uncertain expression, taking him a moment to respond.
"Okay, anyway... the next task will need four ponies. You guys will be taking care of the larvae, which will free up a few more drones for construction." The remaining group members didn't seem particularly thrilled that this is what they were (probably) stuck with, but they seemed to know each other by the casual expressions they exchanged, and they all raised their hands in tandem.
"Great! Changeling larvae are pretty low-maintenance but they are definitely pretty messy, so we'll make sure you have towels." Thorax glanced at the Carbon again, and then wordlessly motioned him to take them. Carbon gave a firm nod, and left without a word. This left only Jac and a single guard - a friendly looking unicorn, somewhat on the thicker side, with a pink coat and darker pink mane. He stood at attention proudly, yet didn't seem to be projecting his superiority or anything like Carbon - he was simply fulfilling his duty. Jac was definitely put at ease that the guard was the least intimidating of the three.
"So that leaves you, I suppose," Thorax said with a friendly gesture, beckoning Jac to step closer. Jac obliged, slightly nervous but otherwise without complaint.
"There's, uh, a couple things you could do, I guess, but I heard you had a rough time on the train." Thorax handed Jac a bottle of water. Jac wasn't even sure where it came from since he wasn't holding it before, and yet Thorax's soft and accepting expression put him at ease. Completely at ease. Excessively at ease.
"Carbon said I should give you something easy, but uh, I get the feeling you'd be the best judge of what you can do."
Jac looked at the water bottle - a rather common brand in Equestria - and opened it without much to say. After a couple quick sips, he finally spoke.
"I was just... nervous, is all. Frustrated, I guess. I just didn't want to have to deal with this kind of thing, but... it's okay. I'll be fine."
The changeling king tilted his head quizzically. "You sure? I'm just trying to make sure you're okay is all. You seem like... a really nice pony." He smiled softly. Jac nodded in reassurance.
Thorax's smile expanded as he looked into Jac's eyes. The smile quickly grew into a toothy grin, and barely a second later, the changeling king pulled Jac into a tight, friendly embrace.
"Ah-n-nnn-hhhhhaaahhhhhhh~", Jac breathed. His thoughts (and limbs) melted into a mushy goop of comfort and stupor, caught completely off-guard by the mango-colored leader's advance. While he wasn't exactly able to form a proper opinion on what just happened, much less any kind of coherent statement, there's one thing Jac did know - this three days would be absolutely fine.
Meanwhile, the water bottle Jac had been gifted fell to the ground and spilled pitifully next to them - to little acknowledgment. Truly, this was a tragic death of an unsung hero, without so much as a salute to put it to rest.
R.I.P., water.
"Jac?" Thorax breathed from around Jac's neck.
"nnnhhhh..." Jac responded eloquently.
"D- did I break something?"
Jac let out a small giggle, and pulled the changeling into an even tighter embrace in return.
"N-nggghhh!~" the mango returned.
Jac paused for a few seconds, simply enjoying the moment he was sharing with his most unexpected new friend. He felt Thorax's hand reach behind his mane and begin to stroke it gently, which sent tingles through Jac's entire body. A quiet moment passed, eventually broken by Jac.
"...not if I break you first!" Jac squealed in a childish, playful tone, and immediately began to tickle the not-so-regal king with the force of a thousand fillies.
The sounds Thorax made were pure enough to send anyone's mind into a pleasant bliss, including the nearby guard who couldn't help but put his hands to his chest and breathe "awwwhhhhh~" at the scene unfolding before him. But it didn't matter, because Jac was no longer counting the minutes until this trip was over. He was counting the seconds that the exchange lasted, hoping it would never end. The pegasus and the changeling hugged, tickled, and moaned in pleasant, childish delight, simply enjoying themselves in the comfort of each other's presence. The guard watched intently, holding himself back from interrupting because he didn't want to spoil the moment.
Seconds, perhaps even minutes later, their contact finally separated. Physically, that is. Their gazes were still locked to each other intently, filled with so many questions that didn't need to be answered - staring into each other's eyes provided the answers as clear as day. The first word to eventually break the silence...
"Well, um... that was fast," Jac stated bluntly.
Thorax began giggling once more, and the two unlikely companions embraced yet again. It would take them several more minutes to notice the soft pink glow surrounding the two of them, seeping into the ground and causing a commotion across the entire settlement; a commotion of motivation, productivity, and joyous applause.
"I'm sorry about all that," the mango king reassured. "I figured the last thing you needed was more unwanted attention..."
Truth be told, Jac didn't mind positive attention too much, albeit he did fear it may set some expectations he wouldn't be entirely able to fulfill. At least now, in private, he could push it out of his mind and focus on what mattered.
"It's okay, I'll live," Jac breathed. After a rather strange and unexpected applause from practically the entire Changeling kingdom, Jac and Thorax learned that their little episode had somehow created some form of "love energy", which spread throughout the rest of the changelings and provided them with a little spark of magic. As Thorax had explained, this is exactly what they had been lacking, and the reason Jac's party had been sent in the first place.
"Generally speaking, um, we're not entirely... 'used to' the whole 'sharing love' thing Twilight and her friends showed us," Thorax had explained. "We can do it, I guess, but it's just... not a habit yet, I suppose. Especially not with the new kingdom being half-built and all."
Jac and Thorax were now inside Thorax's hive-slash-home-slash-cave... thing. It was about as makeshift as anything else in the kingdom, but notably larger. And more lived-in.
Once reaching Thorax's bedroom, the changeling sat on his bed and gestured Jac to sit anywhere he pleased. Besides the bed, there was an Equestrian computer desk, a bean bag chair, and the floor. For an entirely different species, this bedroom was uncharacteristically... familiar. Not in the sense that Jac had been here before, but rather, it seemed like something straight out of someone's daily life. Not a palace, not a strange and alien hive, not a vast luxury suite... but a simple bedroom not particularly unlike his own. Aside from the walls being stone, at least.
At this point, Jac was pretty sure changelings (and especially Thorax) wouldn't mind sharing a little personal space - so he simply plopped right next to Thorax on the bed. Something about being able to do this so freely, without judgment and without question, was oddly... comforting. Liberating.
"I mostly just pulled us here to get away from the attention," Thorax explained. "I... get kinda nervous from that kind of attention too, honestly. In fact, I almost didn't want to be king at all, but Twilight didn't give me much choice when Chrysalis was defeated."
Jac had never expected to sympathize so much with a being of this much authority. Something about Thorax, king of the changelings, was just so... real. So personal. Like he was just as much a real, living creature as Jac or any other pony. And judging by Thorax's behavior, it seemed like that's all he wanted to be.
"Though... the things we did back there..." Thorax seemed to have trouble putting his words together. "Well, um, changelings are pretty open with love and touching and all, but that... was different."
He made somewhat of a dorky smile, as if he were admitting an embarrassing secret. Jac honestly didn't know how to feel about this, besides the comfort and safety in the presence of this unexpected character.
"I uh... I want to ask you something," the king eventually stated, seemingly trying his hardest to force the words out. "And it's... a little, different, I guess."
Jac perked his ears. doing his best to look accepting and understanding. To add to the effect, he nodded slowly.
"The reason that... thing, happened earlier... that doesn't just happen out of nowhere. Changeling love magic doesn't generate from just any old hug." Thorax seemed visibly uncomfortable and stiff, as if this entire discussion was making him feel vulnerable. "In other words, the reason that we... were able to, um, do... that, is, becaus-"
Thorax was worried he wouldn't be able to finish the sentence, but when Jac kissed him on the lips, he knew he wouldn't have to.
"MM- mmmmm!!~"
Jac had began to feel an enormous, powerful urge. And that urge manifested as a kiss - a long, deep, sensual kiss directly on the lips - which gave Thorax the answer to his question before he even asked it.
Yes.
Jac wasn't the best with words in emotional situations. He wasn't the best with anything, really; his emotions tended to take control of him once they got powerful enough. And normally, this was a bad thing. But listening to Thorax talk, listening to him struggle to express his feelings, seeing his stiffened movements and anxious shuffling... it reminded Jac of himself. It all seemed like a reflection of himself, and this perspective gave him a new understanding of himself. And he understood that he wasn't alone anymore.
The two slowly lowered onto the pillows, which were somehow much softer than their appearance suggested (which was already pretty soft). The two beings' heads rested on them, gently pressed into each other as well. Their arms worked themselves around each other's backs, subconsciously and automatically. It was like a spell had overcome the two of them, binding them to each other and connecting them in a manner neither of them had experienced before.
Despite being another species entirely, Thorax felt oddly similar to a pony. His shape, his movements, his expressions... the biggest difference from Jac's species was the color, and also probably the horns. But none of this mattered. It didn't matter if Thorax was a changeling, a pony, or even a fish - the feelings they shared would be the same.
The two laid like this for what felt like both an eternity and an instant. An unknown horizon twice as comfortable as home ever was. Two complete strangers to each other, and yet... they loved each other more than anyone else in the world.
"Thorax?" Jac finally breathed.
"mm?" he responded.
"Thank you."
For being here. For keeping him from being alone. For making him feel loved, and accepted. For being someone he could identify with and be comfortable beside. All of these things and more, yet none of them needed to be said. It wasn't telepathy, nor was it clairvoyance. The two simply felt the same emotions at the same time, and their expressions and movements communicated more than words ever could. All in an instant.
Jac wrapped his wings around Thorax, surrounding the two in a feathery cocoon of private, intimate emotion. Thorax let out a gentle moan, and Jac mimicked a similar sound in response. This went back and forth, the two creatures moaning in tandem as if they needed a reminder that the other was still there. To make sure they didn't leave.
Each breath and each moan was like a confession of a thousand lives, carrying the culmination of every memory they had ever felt, every emotion that had ever entered their psyche, and every location they had ever visited. Their entire autobiography conveyed with a breath, with each glance they shared, and with each and every touch of their arms, their hands, and their lips. Not a single word was spoken, but everything was shared.
In that moment, Jac felt like he knew Thorax better than any other before him. And Thorax... felt like he knew Jac better than he knew himself.
"Hey... uh," Thorax abruptly began, breaking the eternal rhythm of soft moans. Jac simply looked into his eyes intently.
"What's your name?"
And through the absurdity of this question, and the circumstances that lead them here... they laughed. They laughed like no pony (or changeling) had ever laughed before. They laughed so hard that their chests began to hurt and lungs began to wheeze, their emotions so powerful that they occupied more space in their lungs than the air they needed to live. Because, for this moment, simply being here together was even better than living.
In the time it took them to calm down, their embrace returned. And with it, their composure. Time was no longer perceived, for all they knew, each moment was simultaneously an eternity and a nanosecond. It didn't matter either way, for right now, they were together. And that's what mattered.
"Jac," Jac stated softly.
Jac felt Thorax's grip around him tighten, and the changeling pressed their foreheads together.
"Hey Jac?"
"...what?"
"I love you."
Oddly enough, this statement wasn't a very big impact to Jac. In his fantasies, Jac had always played this statement up to be the monumental turning point in a relationship, the magical key words to happiness... now he knew that they weren't. They were nothing more than a simple reminder, a reminder of something he already knew. Something he had known ever since their first hug, but hadn't been able to fully understand the implications until now.
Jac could do nothing but smile, more deeply and more fully than he had ever smiled before. Not a wide or cheesy smile, but simply a smile from deep in his heart. And it felt good.
"Um... Jac?" Thorax asked once more, but this time, he seemed unexpectedly concerned.
This shift in tone alarmed Jac slightly, and he braced himself to comfort Thorax with whatever problem he could possibly present. As if Jac were a shining knight guarding Thorax's happiness, he would do anything to keep Thorax happy. But he quickly realized his assumption was perhaps slightly off the target as he took notice of an odd touch against his left leg. And it was only at this moment that Jac finally realized that Thorax had been completely naked ever since they got here.
And Thorax's boner was right against him.
Thorax blushed so much he began to look more tomato than mango, and Jac could do nothing but gape in awe. Thorax... King of the changelings... had his penis right against Jac's leg, full mast and thick as could be.
Jac blinked. Several times. Jac was staring in awe at the wonder that had just entered his field of view, simply frozen with his mouth agape and eyes wide. It... was almost the size of Jac's entire forearm! But even thicker!
Thorax simply smiled nervously as the pegasus gawked in awe at his member, his cheeks flaming redder than a tomato. Jac could not bring himself to say a word, for he simply did not believe such a size were possible. Ponies were notorious among other races for having disproportionately large penises for their size, but... not like that.
"Did... is this, um... am... I... is this too, uhm... too far?" It was Thorax's concern that momentarily snapped Jac back to his senses, reminding Jac that he had a love bug to keep happy. He didn't have time for anxiety, because his king was concerned and Jac needed to fix that.
"N-no! No, Thorax! I... I..." Jac bursted in an attempt to comfort his newfound partner, eyes still affixed firmly on the prize. "I..."
As the mango king began to understand what Jac was feeling, Thorax's nervous grin slowly shifted into a more sinister, playful expression. Jac felt Thorax's hands gently press against his shoulders, startling him slightly and sending a small gasp out of the shy pegasus' lungs. The changeling set his gaze directly towards Jac, closing his fingers into a tight squeeze of Jac's shoulders, squeezing and releasing firmly and at a slow rhythm. Jac did not return the gaze, but he knew Thorax was staring directly at him. As a result, Jac's breathing stopped completely.
"Do you want it?" Thorax whispered softly into Jac's ear.
Jac remained motionless for several more seconds, only focusing in shock at Thorax's monster cock. This was the absolute biggest, thickest, and most absurdly delicious looking cock Jac had ever seen in his life. The gods themselves had sent a gift from worlds beyond, placing it right in front of Jac - and it was this penis. It began to twitch with the changeling's arousal, still resting against Jac's leg and sending small tingles up his similarly-sized appendage every time Thorax's blood pumped.
"N- no, I... I..." Jac continued, closing his eyes.
"I... need it."
Thorax would have smiled, but only if Jac had given him the chance. He immediately felt a warm, wet enclosure wrap around the tip of his penis as Jac made a beeline to service his king and taste his delicious citrus flavor. As he did so, Jac squeezed his arms tightly around Thorax's waist on either side.
"N-NNNGGGGGYYAAAAAHHHHHHHHH~!"
In an instant, Thorax burst out in a loud, sensual moan as the tip of his penis was treated to a soft, gooey heaven. Thorax's outbursts continued with each movement of Jac's head - a lick, a suck, a bob - creating a steady rhythm of adorable bug noises paired with the soft moans coming from Jac as he serviced his king. Jac worked his way further down the shaft, doing his best to push the king as far in as he could. While this ultimately did not get him very far, Thorax absolutely did not mind - his wings were buzzing rapidly, casting the love surrounding them into a fine dust behind him before seeping into the ground alongside the rest.
To assist himself, Jac began stroking the shaft with both hands as well, causing Thorax to buck and thrust into them forcefully. Despite these motions slamming the back of Jac's throat violently, it didn't matter to him - Jac had a duty to fulfill, and he would stop at nothing to do it.
Hearing the sound of Thorax's joy only increased Jac's determination, and by extension, Thorax's pleasure-driven movements as well. It was an infinite loop of arousal, cuddly moans, and love. And both of them knew this was only the beginning of what would rapidly become the best few days of their lives.
Jac's speed increased yet again, now a rapid-but-steady bob of unrestricted pleasure. Thorax's moans began to border on screams ("AAAAAgGGGhh!- HHHaaaAHHHH! NNGGGGGHAAAA!"), and his wings had begun buzzing so quickly they were practically invisible. The intensity of these sensations caused the mango king to subconsciously grab the back Jac's head and forcefully yank it closer to him - immediately thrusting the entire length of his monster cock into the pegasus' throat.
Not a sound could escape Jac; his throat was plugged with something larger than anything he had seen before. His throat bulged from the massive member inside it, extending all the way down to his chest - even the medial ring was clearly visible from the bulge. And despite the apparent danger to Jac's survival, Thorax continued thrusting, swabbing the entirety of Jac's throat with relentless intensity. What Jac lacked in verbal ability he made up for in movement and expression; he looked to the sky as if thanking the gods beyond for the gift he had been given, holding Thorax's rear and assisting his movement. It was a miracle such a situation didn't kill Jac, for surely his organs shouldn't be able to handle such stress - but they did.
Jac still hadn't noticed that he had already came.
Twice.
Cum had begun to stream from Jac's cock in an unending torrent, as if pre-cum, orgasm, and post-cum had all unified into an unending loop of continuous production. It was impossibly long, and impossibly pleasurable - Jac was shaking so violently that his involuntary spasms alone would be enough to stimulate the most resistant penis to orgasm in a minute.
His mind was in the heavens, lost in the unending feeling of changeling love deep inside him. The moans and screams lengthened, until Thorax was practically emitting a constant flow of the most beautiful sounds Jac had ever been blessed enough to hear.
Jac would never let go, he would ride this moment until the sun burnt out and the sky fell down. He would serve his mango king for all of eternity and more, for Thorax deserved the world. To Jac, Thorax was many things- a king, a lover, an adorable and sweet boy, a precious love bug, and countless others he wouldn't have the brain power to think of for ages. Jac promised himself, despite all that was happening, that he would protect this bug and make sure he was happy if it killed him to do it.
Jac knew what it was like to be alone, and he couldn't stand the thought of his precious love bug being condemned to the same fate. Not even for a moment. Thorax thrust in once more, ramming Jac's lips against his pelvis and extending his throat bulge all the way to his collar bone. The changeling king began to unload a seemingly infinite amount of seed, pumping with the force of a thousand pressurized washers. Jac felt like he could be filled no more, and then proceeded to be filled thrice as much. It was a meal fit for a king.
And it tasted delicious, because it was made with love.
Both an eternity and an instant later, Jac felt as if his entire body consisted of nothing but semen. He was pressurized like no pony had ever been pressurized before, and loved like no creature had ever been loved. He could no longer tell if he was laying on a bed or soaring through the ethereal void, for all sensations had been replaced with nothing more than the most fiery and intense arousal Equestria had ever known.
And it wasn't until Thorax's semen began to stream steadily from Jac's rear when the pegasus finally slipped out of consciousness. Thorax decided not to remove his penis, perhaps in fear that the poor pony had developed a dependency on it for survival, so the changeling merely sat there with his entire length deep inside the unconscious pegasus. Much like Jac, Thorax also found himself simply lost in the bliss of his first round with another pony, unable to think or perceive much more than the pleasure he had just experienced. The citrus-flavored love bug breathed and moaned - far more softly, this time - as his own semen puddled around the two of them on the bed, having been the entire way through Jac's body and now back towards the source it came from.
Even from within Jac's dreamlike trance, he could still feel the changeling king stroke him softly behind the head and scritch his ears. He could still hear Thorax singing a soft lullaby to him, about how precious and beautiful the sweet pony was as he slept. And he could still feel the precious love bug wrap his legs around Jac's shoulders and slowly begin to drift to sleep while still lodged deep inside him.
"You... produce love better than any changeling," Thorax whispered softly, amazed at the love both of them had produced together. "And this, Jac... this is the power of changeling love in its rawest and purest form, my sweet and beautiful boy."
Thorax leaned down and kissed Jac square on the forehead.
