> Out on a Limb > by Ankaru > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Chapter 1 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Moonbeam grumbled as she checked the stash of candy by the door, while Marina remained sprawled across the couch, surprisingly relaxed. The unicorn had told the Changeling several times that it was highly unlikely they were going to get any kind of visitors out here on Nightmare Night, but Marina had insisted that they get at least a box or two of candy, 'just in case.' Her reasoning had been that the Crusaders would at least probably come this way. Not that the Crusaders were really foals anymore. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo would probably prefer a shot of whiskey over candy, at least. And she was sure she had some dust-covered bottle of wine that Sweetie could take if she really wanted. That was tradition, right? Candy for the kids, drinks for the adults? Moonbeam shook her head, then she turned and gave Marina a dry look, but the Changeling – dressed up in some fantasy outfit over the form of the chocolate-colored unicorn she had given herself – was only drowsing on the couch, half-asleep. How could she already be half-asleep when the night had barely started? Moonbeam crossed her arms, walking towards the mare as she narrowed her eyes a little, her mane half-falling across her face. Here Marina had been so insistent on getting everything perfect for tonight: getting candy, getting the costume that barely fit her, decorating their little cottage and carving the pumpkins and all this other nonsense... Sure, okay, maybe it had been a bit of fun. She knew that Marina just wanted her to relax, to have fun, to enjoy herself instead of just sulking and grumbling and scowling the whole night away. She knew that Marina wasn't just able to read her emotions, she understood what she was doing when she lingered at the windows, when she watched the distant lights in Ponyville... And now here the silly Changeling was, sprawled out on the couch, half-asleep from all the bustling around she'd done all day. Moonbeam knew carrying her prosthetic limbs around wasn't quite as easy as she made it look. But she never complained: she just kept going, until she finally conked out here on the couch like she did most nights. It had been a busy week, and Moonbeam knew those limbs felt heavier when they were in need of a recharge. Considering the fact that Marina had been running around all week, Moonbeam was pretty sure that they were probably drained by now, which would explain why the mare was so tired tonight. She just could never think about herself, could she? Moonbeam shook her head as she approached the mare dozing on the couch, idly reaching down to run a finger over the metal leg haphazardly sprawled over the back of the seat. She smiled a little in spite of herself as Marina blinked a bit and looked up at her before she yawned loudly. “Sorry, Moon. I didn't mean to fall asleep on you.” The unicorn mare only shrugged a bit, eyeing Marina for a moment, and Marina frowned uncertainly before she sat up a little on her elbows. “Is something wrong?” “When was the last time you charged your limbs?” asked Moonbeam, and Marina blinked before she awkwardly rose one of her mechanical arms and studied it almost with embarrassment. “Oh, uh... the beginning of the week, I guess?” Marina said lamely, and Moonbeam rolled her eyes. The chocolate-colored mare started to sit up, but Moonbeam leaned down and firmly pushed her down with a single hand, making the Changeling wince a bit in surprise. Her emerald eyes rose up to meet the red of Moonbeam's as the blue unicorn replied dryly: “Just rest. Why is it so hard for you to remember to charge them every night?” “It's bad for the batteries.” Marina half-answered with an awkward smile. “And it's been a busy week, a lot of going back and forth. I'd get home and just want to fall in bed. Makes it easier to get up in the mornings, too.” Moonbeam glowered, and Marina cleared her throat before she started to sit up again, but then winced when the unicorn pushed her firmly back down onto the couch. “You need to take better care of yourself.” “I know. I'm sorry.” Marina said with a lame smile, and then she cleared her throat before carefully reaching up and grasping the mare's wrist gently, trying to tug her hand away, but Moonbeam only turned her hand and quickly grabbed Marina's own. Even through the gloves she was wearing, she could feel the hardness, the less-natural shape of the metal. Moonbeam squeezed that hand slowly, and Marina smiled a bit as she squeezed silently back: she was always so gentle. She told all these stories about how she'd constantly knocked things over or broken them, and Moonbeam found it so hard to believe with how gentle and careful she was that she could ever have had trouble controlling these mechanical marvels. She said they couldn't exactly feel, but she could feel through them: Moonbeam sort of understood what that meant. She was aware, but there was no true sensation: it was a phantom of contact. She slowly squeezed those metal fingers again, and then she gave a little sigh before gesturing at Marina, ordering: “Lie down. Rest.” “I'm resting.” Marina smiled a little more: a shy, warm smile. Moonbeam rolled her eyes all the same, resisting the urge she had to smile back. Moonbeam turned to walk away, and then she frowned when Marina leaned up a little and asked: “Has anyone been by yet?” “I really don't think we're going to get any visitors.” Moonbeam said dryly, giving the mare a dry look. Marina started to sit up yet again, and Moonbeam rolled her eyes before she grabbed the cover on the back of the couch and yanked it down over her, saying firmly: “Stay.” Marina nodded awkwardly as she pulled the blanket down a bit, kneading it between her fingers as Moonbeam walked down to the kitchen. She grabbed a set of glasses, then grabbed one of the lighter spirits from the little cupboard above the counter. Something gentler and nicer than the usual forget-the-night whiskeys she still had a bad habit of turning to now and then. Marina always said those tasted like cleaning fluid. She wasn't entirely wrong, but it wasn't all about taste to Moonbeam. The mare emerged from the kitchen and headed over to the couch, unsurprised to see Marina was sitting up. She was terrible at listening. The unicorn also noted that she was fidgeting a little in that way she always did when her prosthetic limbs were starting to bother her: it wasn't just because they were undercharged, but because she had likely been wearing them for too long, which put more strain on her body. Moonbeam sat down beside her, passing Marina a drink without a word, and the Changeling blushed a bit as she sipped at it gratefully, smiling a little at the mare. Moonbeam didn't look at her, taking a deep drink from her own glass, and they relaxed together for a few minutes like that. Marina absently pulled the cover a bit tighter around her body, and then she looked at the door, ears perking at a faint clunk. But Moonbeam barely looked up, sipping her own drink before she gave Marina a dry look when the mare asked anxiously: “Shouldn't you check? I mean... what if that's-” “It's nothing. Just the wind.” answered Moonbeam, and then she rolled her eyes when Marina started to get up, reaching out and grabbing her arm to yank her back down in her seat as she said dryly: “If you keep this up, I'm going to take your limbs off myself, just to keep you still.” Marina blushed at this and squirmed a little, and Moonbeam tilted her head towards her as Marina argued halfheartedly: “But... what if we get trick-or-treaters? I mean... my costume-” “I think a dismembered body is an even better costume than whatever you are now.” Moonbeam countered, and Marina cleared her throat as she looked awkwardly away. “I... well...” Marina flustered, and then she quickly adjusted her costume before she tried to divert: “Are the lights on out front? I mean, we don't have any windows and it might be hard for people to see and we should be ready for someone to come by-” Moonbeam took a slow drink, then narrowed her eyes when Marina awkwardly started to get up, the unicorn saying moodily: “Do you think I was joking about taking your parts off? I'm more than happy to if it'll get you to settle down.” Marina blushed, and while the Changeling was the one with the ability to read emotions, Moonbeam knew the mare well enough by now to understand what her different expressions meant. The mare gave the slightest of smiles even as she narrowed her eyes further, leaning in a little towards the Changeling with a silent challenge. They looked at each other for a few moments, and then Marina's ear twitched at the sound of the wind outside, and she fidgeted helplessly before starting to get up from the couch, blurting: “Just let me check-” “No. Sit down.” Moonbeam said grumpily, standing quickly up in front of Marina to grasp her shoulders and firmly push her back down in her seat. Marina winced a bit as she thumped into the back of the couch, and then she blushed deeply when Moonbeam grasped her face firmly, tilting her head back as she leaned down, her breath washing out across the mare's features as she said softly: “Sit, and stay.” Marina smiled awkwardly, then winced when Moonbeam pushed her firmly back before her hands stroked down her front, fingers trailing down over the cloth of her costume as the unicorn said softly: “You just can't listen. You always need to be ordered around. A firm hand.” Moonbeam squeezed firmly into Marina's shoulders, bearing down on her, and Marina gave a little noise: something between a whisper and a moan. Her mouth opened, then she bit her lip as Moonbeam pushed down on her, her steel fingers digging into the couch as she remained helpless beneath the grip of the mare. The Changeling licked her lips, then blushed and turned her face slightly against the touch of the unicorn, fidgeting a little but not daring to move or resist. She half-closed her eyes, breathing softly as Moonbeam studied her before she slid her fingers along her collarbone to the center of her chest, gripping into the fabric between the Changeling's breasts before her deft fingers slowly began to undo the buttons of her shirt. Marina hissed a bit through her teeth, but before she could argue, Moonbeam said softly but firmly: “You brought this on yourself. We're going to take those limbs off. But this comes off first.” Marina shifted a bit, biting her lip, making a soft 'mmm' through her lips: even if there was a hint of denial, it wasn't saying no. It was trying to resist the desire to be teased and touched and pushed and embarrassed, to resist her own strange, not-rebellious instincts: she wanted to push Moonbeam's buttons, not to upset her, but to give Moonbeam all the more reason to punish the naughty little filly she was... But what about Nightmare Night, and candy, and the possible trick-or-treaters? What if they were caught or seen or worse? Why did that make it feel all the sweeter? Marina tilted her head back with a soft gasp as she felt Moonbeam's cool fingertips slide down her belly through her shirt, as she pulled the last few buttons of her dress shirt loose. She reached her hands up a bit, but only grasped into Moonbeam's arms, stroking along them, kneading metal fingertips helplessly into smooth skin as she gave a soft gasp. Moonbeam smiled slightly as she watched Marina's fidgeting, before she slowly pushed her hands up her body, spilling the shirt open. Marina blushed a bit as her bare torso was exposed, her breasts covered only by a plain, unsexy bra: it wasn't like she had expected anything like this to happen, though. But that made it sweeter, Moonbeam thought. She started to speak, and Moonbeam silenced her with a single finger she pressed to the Changeling's lips, teasing softly: “Now, now. Don't go speaking out of turn and getting yourself in even more trouble.” Marina shifted away even as she gripped into Moonbeam's forearms with a soft breath, closing her eyes before she let out a quiet moan when the unicorn gripped into her face, tilting her head back and curling her fingers through her hair. Marina gave another soft, breathy sound when Moonbeam leaned down and licked up along the side of her horn, flushing, half-opening an eye as she trembled a little, gripping helplessly into Moonbeam's forearms as she murmured: “P-Please...” “Shh, shh, shh...” Moonbeam murmured, half an order, half a tease. She slid her hands away from Marina's head, leaving her hair a messy tangle before she gently gripped into one of her shoulders, other hand stroking slowly along the underside of the mechanical marvel, feeling the hard steel beneath soft cloth before she gave a slight smile as her fingers slowly worked the lock that secured the prosthetic on with ease of practice. Marina flinched as she felt the limb come unclasped, her fingers twitching before she gave a soft gasp as Moonbeam pulled the prosthetic arm loose with a twist of her wrist. The Changeling shifted, but Moonbeam was undaunted, putting it off to the side to lay at rest in the sleeve of the costume. Marina looked up at her with a blush, her remaining hand reaching up to rest on Moonbeam's hip as the unicorn stood over her, surveying the Changeling that had made herself helpless. Metal fingers rubbed slowly up and down her side, then teased downwards to try and slip under Moonbeam's sweater, but the unicorn quickly caught her wrist, squeezing into it as her other hand reached swiftly up to dig into the mare's shoulder as she said softly: “No, you lost the privilege of these, remember?” The Changeling blushed deeper, giving another little murmur, followed by a gasp and a shiver as Moonbeam undid the lock on this arm as well. Her back arched slightly before she felt both a strange freedom and a sense of helplessness part of her embraced when that arm came loose and was allowed to drop to the side, tugging slightly on the fabric of her costume as her shirt fell loose around her waist. She fidgeted, but Moonbeam only smiled slightly down at her before she reached down, purposefully ignoring the Changeling as she carefully moved her costume shirt and disconnected limbs from the couch down to the floor. Marina shifted almost anxiously, but Moonbeam continued to ignore her: to almost dare her to move, or speak, or to do anything else. Marina bit her lip, and then she gave a soft mumble, and Moonbeam snorted before she straightened and crossed her arms, smiling slightly. “Do you have anything to say for yourself?” Marina blushed deeply, then she mumbled again before she shivered as Moonbeam reached down and stroke a hand teasingly down her side. Those stumps of her shoulders flexed as she helplessly tried to reach up, but she had nothing to reach with, nothing to grasp. But Moonbeam saw it all the same, scolding teasingly: “Sit back. You know better.” She idly stroked her hands down to Marina's hip, feeling out the locking mechanism through the fabric of the skirt before she grasped and turned it, and there was a hiss from both the prosthetic and Marina as her leg loosened, before Moonbeam slid her hand up beneath the cloth of the skirt to feel out the secondary locks, unlatching them one after the other as she leaned down into the mare's face with half-lidded eyes. “Bad girls like you don't get to keep their toys.” Marina shivered a little as she looked up submissively into Moonbeam's eyes, before she let out a soft gasp when the mare pulled her leg loose with a distinct metal pop. She shuddered, her other leg kicking a bit, hips rocking before she twitched when Moonbeam grasped her other leg, stroking a hand up her hip and along her side as her other fingers tickled along the Changeling's thigh. She half-turned away, as much as her near-limbless body would allow, but Moonbeam reached up and pushed her back, pinning her against the couch and forcing her to look up at her. She bit her lip, flushed, looking up at the mare helplessly before she twitched when Moonbeam's fingers stroked up, brushing against her pantie-covered groin before they slid to the side and disengaged the safety lock on her remaining leg. “Moonbeam...” she gasped out, and Moonbeam smiled slightly as the unicorn blurted: “W-What about... what if someone shows up?” “That's not something you need to worry about. You're just going to be the helpless body on the couch, aren't you?” teased Moonbeam, before she firmly twisted the last of the secure locks on Marina's leg, and she twitched at the hiss of unsealing prosthetic before moaning and flushing when Moonbeam pulled it down, making her whimper again, helpless, her body limbless and almost immobile, shivering under the easy hold of one of the unicorn's hands, pinned to the couch and with only her bra, her skirt, her simple panties to cover her body. She twitched, then bit her lip as Moonbeam's hands slid up: her remaining stumps twitched and shifted helplessly before she moaned when Moonbeam pushed her down on her back and slid over her, pinning her by the shoulders, bringing her face down over Marina's. Flushed and helpless and trembling, Marina tried to kiss her lover, her mistress, but Moonbeam didn't bring her face down far enough even as her body ground gently over Marina's, teasing her, dragging her skirt askew over her hips. Marina squirmed on her back, and then arched her body slightly when Moonbeam's hands stroked down her as the mare slipped forwards: she felt the mare's groin rest against her, felt her leg connectors on either side of the mare's waist. She tried to clutch them to her, but without legs, it was almost impossible; Moonbeam felt it all the same, felt all of Marina's squirming and excitement as her hands gripped into the sides of her body before she murmured: “Aren't you eager? You keep complaining, but I haven't heard you say no, and your body is certainly saying yes, oh yes...” She accented this by grinding her body down slightly against Marina's, and Marina gasped out as her body rocked back, hips bucking and body trembling, her mouth working before she clenched her eyes shut with a deep flush as she whimpered out: “I j-just... oh, Moonbeam...” Moonbeam only purred low in her throat as she let her hands travel back up Marina's sides. She ground down against her, and Marina's body reacted by itself, shifting, grinding back against her. She felt Moonbeam lay her body over hers, and she buried her face against Moonbeam's neck, trembling against her with eagerness and need as she felt Moonbeam's hands slip around behind her and open her bra. She felt the bra removed from her body and tossed to the side to join the pile of limbs and cloth already on the floor, before she shuddered as fingers stroked down her belly to her skirt. Fingers hooked into her waistband, and she felt the scratching of cloth as it was dragged down her body, before her hips bucked slightly and she bit her lip as those digits hooked into her panties as well, tugging them slowly down, leaving her naked as well as helpless as they were stripped from her limbless body. Moonbeam tossed Marina's remaining clothes aside into the pile, then she slipped forwards to straddle the mare's waist, letting her weight settle on the Changeling. Marina fidgeted under her, then gasped out again when Moonbeam's fingers pressed down into her collarbone, then stroked down along her breasts, trailing over them. One hand continued to move down as the other settled on a nipple, pinching and twisting it teasingly to make Marina whimper. But that short pleasure-pain was overwhelmed by the tickling of fingers down her sensitive belly, the mare taking a helpless breath as her back arched before her head rolled back as Moonbeam's fingers teased along her groin. That helpless mare squirmed beneath Moonbeam, and she took more pleasure in it than she should admit. Her own hips rocked, her pants feeling too tight against her groin, her nipples scratching against the fabric of her sweater. She licked her lips as she let her fingers tease past Marina's crotch, just avoiding her clitoris before she slid her hands to her hips, rocking her own waist forwards, grinding against her as Marina squirmed under her helplessly with another gasp. As Marina arched her back and squirmed, Moonbeam sat back slightly and reached up to quickly pull off her sweater, tossing it aside. Then she leaned down, pressing her body over Marina's, loving the way she felt the mare react, trying to embrace her with those empty connectors, those lost limbs. Her breasts ground down against Marina's as she nipped the side of her neck, the Changeling whimpering before the unicorn trailed kisses up her neck and the underside of her muzzle to find her mouth, dominating her with the kiss, pushing down as her tongue forced down, wrestled into the other mare's mouth, as she rumbled low in her throat as her hands traveled across the quivering body of the chocolate-colored mare beneath her. Moonbeam shifted, rocked her body down against Marina's, and Marina rolled herself back against her, the stumps of leg connector spreading, her hips bucking. She let her head roll back as her eyes fluttered when their mouths parted, almost drooling, moaning out as Moonbeam kissed down her neck to her shoulder. Marina wanted to do a thousand things: to touch her, grasp her, feel her, hold her. But she wasn't able to: she was only able to squirm and grind, to try and move her helpless body back against whatever teasing or touching or anything else Moonbeam decided to do to her. It was a delicious helplessness: it pushed her to work harder to please all the further, made her lightheaded with the delicious frustration of it all. Moonbeam slipped back for a moment, and Marina moaned out for her, shivering on her back, clutching at her as best as she could, begging for that contact. Her hips rocked and her sex beckoned, her body begging for Moonbeam's touch, Moonbeam's love. The unicorn slipped out of her pants and her own panties, kicking them aside before she dropped herself over the Changeling, kissing her again, then again, her back arching, their bodies grinding deliciously together. Marina felt the mare's body pressing over hers, grinding into her, responding to every kiss and mouth, her body shuddering and doing everything it could to flex and grind back against the unicorn's. Their bodies moved together vociferously, their forms grinding, pushing on one another's as Moonbeam's hands stroked along and explored every inch of Marina's limbless form. She touched every sensitive spot, every needy place on Marina's body, felt every twinge and twitch as her fingers stroked along her spine, found the center of her back, rubbed along her hips and up the inside of those leg stumps and over her bosom. Moonbeam slid down over her, and Marina moaned as she felt the swollen sex of the mare press down against her own. She felt another's heat, another's wetness drip over her own, felt the lips of her sex spreading, felt her hips bucking instinctively as her clitoris peaked, her body flexed. Moonbeam ground down against her, arching her back with a low groan, and Marina rocked back with a whimper, her leg adapters kicking uselessly, her body twitching as she felt the unicorn's breasts pushing down against her own, felt their hard nipples pushing and rubbing into one another. Moonbeam breathed heavily, flushed with pleasure, her hands stroking up across Marina's body, then clutching down into the couch to better anchor herself, so she could rock her hips all the more firmly down into her, so she could grind her body and weight all the more effectively into the pillow of Marina's limbless form. Marina moaned and twitched, helpless, bucking back against her sex flexed, dripping and burning-hot and flexing powerfully: had she orgasmed? She wasn't even aware of her own body, couldn't control herself, couldn't feel anything but the desire to please: that innate need to serve coupled with her love for her lover, her arousal, her excitement... Moonbeam ground down against her, hips rocking, and Marina bucked back against her. Her head fell back, jaw gaping, gasping out in pleasure again and again with every buck and rock and grind of the unicorn against her. Her eyes rolled back in her head as Moonbeam leaned down over her, flushed and hot, gritting her teeth before she arched her back as she felt her body clench, as the heat grew in her aching loins from a needy simmer to a hot, overflowing boil. She cried out, arching her back, her hips grinding down: her blossomed cunt ground down into the eager, needy sex of the mare beneath her. She clenched her eyes shut as her whole body shook with the pleasure of her climax, her hips rocking hard with her release, her love's essence spilling down and coating the already-slick labia of the mare beneath her. Marina moaned out, shuddering, rocking back against Moonbeam with short, rough bucks of her hips, flushed and flexed as her own body reacted with Moonbeam's, filling with heat, feeling her sex clenching, her body shuddering with lust and love beneath the mare as her body ground itself as firmly as she could up into Moonbeam's. Moonbeam slowly settled over her, sliding her arms down around her, hugging Marina's body up against her as she rested her head against the couch. Marina buried her face into Moonbeam's neck, wanting to please, wanting to feel this love, this welcome use and usefulness forever. For a few moments, the only sound was their heavy breathing, and the rubbing of flesh: the shift of their nude bodies against one another, the faint whisper of their bodies against the fabric of the couch. Finally, Moonbeam straightened and gave a slight smile, looking down at Marina as Marina blushed and gazed back up at her with a small smile. They looked at one-another silently before Moonbeam lowered herself just enough that Marina could nuzzle into her, giving her the contact and affection she needed to show in the only way she could right now, without her limbs. Moonbeam didn't say anything, but they didn't have to talk. She laid herself back down over Marina, then shifted to roll onto her side with the mare after a few moments, and there was a comfortable silence between the two of them as they rested together in the afterglow. Marina nuzzled into Moonbeam as Moonbeam let her arms curl around the mare and pull her closer, as her fingers played along her back. “I guess you were right.” Marina finally admitted with a small smile. “No one wants to come out this far for candy, Marina.” Moonbeam shrugged, and then she smiled slightly before she said after a moment: “But I was a little worried. A little.” Marina laughed a little, and then she buried her face against Moonbeam for a moment. They were quiet for a little while, until Moonbeam pulled away, and Marina reluctantly let herself rest back, letting her eyes draw over the mare's body, admiring how pretty she was, how- There was a loud knocking at the door, and Marina and Moonbeam stared at each other for a moment before Moonbeam cursed and grabbed the cover on the floor, throwing it over the clothes and objects on the ground before she rushed out of the room. Marina squirmed on the couch wildly, then stared when Moonbeam came back in, dressed in a robe and carrying a sheet: she didn't have enough time to protest before Moonbeam flung it over her. She wasn't able to see, only to hear as Moonbeam opened the door, then the cry of voices she recognized as the Crusaders'. She heard grumbling, then shouting, then the sound of hooves before a curious voice asked: “What are you doing, Marina?” “Um. I'm a ghost?” Marina awkwardly rambled out. There was silence for a few moments, and Marina felt the realization and the awkwardness in the air before a throat cleared, and Moonbeam said dryly: “Go get your candy. We'll be a minute.” “Sorry!” rambled a voice awkwardly, and there was another thudding of hooves, then silence. Marina could sense Moonbeam still there, though, and she couldn't help but giggle a little. She felt Moonbeam's glare even through the sheet before she couldn't help but say: “I told you someone might show up.” Moonbeam rolled her eyes, then walked away with a shake of her head, smiling in spite of herself. Well, it wasn't like she hadn't warned her, she supposed.