> CRISIS: Equestria: After Hours
>  by GanonFLCL
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> 1. Pinkie Pie/Rainbow Dash: Relieving Tension
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbow Dash stared at the ceiling of a tiny little room on the second floor of the so-called Checkpoint building, which had been assigned to her and her alone for resting up for the night. There was a small bed for sleeping, a small dresser to put her clothes if she’d wanted to change—she didn’t see the point since the flight jacket she wore was perfectly comfortable—and not much else, really. 

There was no private bathroom, but there was a shared one down the hall. There were no windows to look out at the Wasteland that she wouldn’t want to look out on anyway, since there was nothing out there but air and dust. A little ceiling lamp barely kept the room lit, at least.

She let out a grunt. “This sucks,” she said to nopony in particular, but mostly herself. She just needed to get that thought off her chest. 

She rolled over onto her stomach and let her wings stretch a bit and thought about the situation she and her friends were currently in, putting ticks in boxes to try and determine how screwed they were and if there was anything that could be done about it, specifically if there was anything she could do about it.

Fluttershy had very nearly died to some venomous insect the size of an ox, but at least she was recovering now. Was it awful? Check. Was there anything she could do about it? Well, she’d help make sure Fluttershy wouldn’t be a burden to travel with while she recovered—the venom had practically paralyzed her—even if that meant carrying her herself. Wouldn’t be the first time she’d had to take care of Flutters.

The traveling party was way, way off course from where they were supposed to be going, according to Tick Tock, who she was trusting less and less every day to know anything at all. Was it awful? Not really, not if Tick Tock was being truthful about them suddenly making good time along this secondary route, which she doubted. Was there anything she could do about it? Well, she’d argued for going this way in the first place. So… a win for her?

She didn’t trust that Lockwood guy alone with Fluttershy, not one bit, and still suspected he was just waiting for the right opportunity. Was it awful? Check. Double check, actually, since Rarity seemed to feel the exact opposite that Rainbow did and trusted him implicitly. Was there anything she could do about it? Well, she could sneak into the jerk’s room and smother him in his sleep. Nah, wishful thinking. She’d only do that if she had proof he’d been fooling around with Flutters. Nopony’d argue with her.

And now, a bunch of new mares showed up with cool superpowers and agreed to help them go south. Was it awful? Not at all; in fact, it was awesome. That Grayscale Force was super cool, too. Not the kind of cool Rainbow oozed from her every pore, but the kind of cool that knew they were cool but didn’t show they were cool. Like the opposite of somepony trying too hard. Sunglasses-at-night cool, that’s what Gray was. Was there anything she could do about it? Uh… no? Why would she want to? Gray and her sisters were rad.

Rainbow’s thoughts were dashed when all of a sudden she felt somepony climb into bed with her. “Heya, Dashie!” chirped Pinkie Pie.

“Hey Pinks,” replied Rainbow. 

She paused a moment, then sat upright and glared at Pinkie, who wasn’t wearing the clothes she’d been traveling in and in fact wasn’t wearing anything at all. That didn’t bother her—they walked around naked at home all the time—but this world had some weird taboo about it and it just bothered Rainbow that she had to even think about clothes now.

Rainbow then glanced at the still-closed, still-locked door which showed no signs of entry. “Wait, how’d you get in here without opening the door?” she asked.

Pinkie stuck out her tongue, a typical non-answer.

Rainbow rolled her eyes. She was used to Pinkie being able to just appear from nowhere when she wanted to at times. Like from inside a potted plant. Or under a perfectly flat rug. Or behind a lamp post too thin to possibly hide behind. So, she didn’t press that question any further.

“What’s up? What’re you doing here?” Rainbow asked.

Pinkie smiled. “Wellll, I figured you were getting restless thinking about everything that you think’s going wrong, so I thought I’d come keep you company and get your mind off of all that negative mojo.”

“And how do you know I’m doing that?”

“Because I know you, Dashie, and I know that when things don’t feel awesome, you don’t feel awesome, and that makes you grumpy.” Pinkie curled up next to Rainbow and nuzzled her neck. “Sooo, I’m here to cheer you up.”

“I am not grumpy,” Dash huffed.

“Uh huh. Says the mare that just stared up at the ceiling and said, ‘This sucks’,” Pinkie said in a perfect imitation of Rainbow. 

“Wait, how long have you been in my room?”

“Nevermind that. It’s okay if this whole situation we’re in is making you upset, Dashie. We’re all upset. And I don’t want any of you to be upset. Get it?”

“Yeah… I get it, Pinks. Thanks.” Rainbow’s mouth curled in a little grin and she nuzzled Pinkie’s ear. “So… how’re you intending to cheer me up, huh? Sneaking into my room in the middle of the night? Gonna tell me a bedtime story?”

Pinkie giggled and booped Rainbow’s nose. “No, silly, that’s for little fillies. We’re gonna get frisky.” To emphasize her point, Pinkie pulled Rainbow in for a kiss.

Rainbow gladly participated in the kiss, knowing that Pinkie was right and that she needed some relief from all this stress and tension. Pinkie was the best fillyfriend Rainbow had ever had: attentive, caring, funny, and with the best ass Rainbow had ever seen on a mare, like a heart-shaped bowl of pink gelatin that bounced to and fro with the slightest movement.

And most importantly, Pinkie knew just what Rainbow liked and how she liked it, so she didn’t resist as Rainbow roughly shoved her tongue into her mouth and kissed her like her life depended on it. Traveling with everypony for so many days straight without any privacy made it impossible for the two to be intimate, but nopony was here right now to make any remarks, so Rainbow allowed herself to indulge.

Rainbow rolled onto Pinkie and fiercely made out with her marefriend, one hoof digging into Pinkie’s mane while the other ventured down Pinkie’s stomach to reach her nethers. Pinkie let out adorable little squeaks and gasps as Rainbow groped her; it was just one more thing that got Rainbow so hot for the pink confectionist: those cute-as-hell noises she made when she was turned-on.

“Wait wait wait,” Pinkie suddenly said, pushing Rainbow off her just enough to look her in the eyes. “I have an idea.”

Rainbow smirked. When it came to sex, she always loved Pinkie’s ideas. For Pinkie, sex was like a private party, and nopony in the world knew how to party like Pinkie Pie. “Yeah?” Dash asked. “What’s that?”

“Okay, so actually, two ideas,” Pinkie said, pressing her hooves together. “So you know Red Velvet, right?”

Rainbow quirked an eyebrow. “Yeah?” 

Of course she knew Red Velvet, what a silly question. Red was Gray’s sister and traveling partner. And of course Pinkie knew Rainbow knew her, because Red looked just like Pinkie fresh out of the bath, what with the long, straight mane and tail. She even had a nice pert ass, too, which Rainbow had mentioned to Pinkie earlier today, being sure to add that Pinkie’s ass was way bigger and better so she didn’t get jealous.

“Well, I know you think she’s hot,” Pinkie continued with that same devilish grin, “and I was wondering if maaaaybe I could go talk to her and convince her to, y’know… be our Player Three?”

Rainbow was given pause for two reasons.

First, she was surprised Pinkie was even suggesting bringing another mare in to join them for an evening of raunchy fun. Not that Rainbow minded at all, because as she said, Red was hot as hell. The fact that she looked exactly like Pinkie made it hotter. She’d had that dream once, of having two Pinkie Pies to play with, and had needed to change her sheets the following morning.

Second, and unfortunately, she knew that it wasn’t going to work out. Dash had subtly noted to Grayscale that she thought Red was hot precisely because she was planning on asking Pinkie if they might be able to convince Red to join in. Maybe once they had a chance to rest and relax later rather than tonight. 

But Grayscale, in her own subtle way, made sure that Rainbow knew that Red Velvet was all about stallions. Like, super into stallions. The phrase “craves cocks” hadn’t actually been said but Rainbow knew that was exactly what Grayscale was insinuating.

So, Rainbow let Pinkie down gently. “Sorry, Pinks, but I have it from a reliable source that Red Velvet craves co— stallions, not mares. Sucks, I know, but hey, that’s life.”

Pinkie pouted, her lip trembling in exaggerated sorrow. “Awww. I thought it might be fun to boink my doppelganger. Phooey.”

“Well, what’s the other suggestion?”

“Oh! Ooh ooh! I haven’t dressed up in awhile, so I was thinking maybe I could, y’know…” She leaned in and whispered huskily into Rainbow’s ear, “Do some sexy cosplay for you?”

Rainbow grinned. She loved when Pinkie put on her little cosplay outfits in the bedroom. To this day she had no idea where Pinkie got all of those wonderful costumes that were perfect matches for their favorite characters from games, movies, and cartoons, nor any idea where she kept them all—she’d seen Pinkie’s closet and none of them could be found—but that didn’t matter. What mattered is that Pinkie looked hot in a costume—even when playing male characters—especially since she always picked the right characters to play.

But Rainbow had to sigh and shake her head, for it was not to be. “Pinkie, how’re you gonna dress up? This is a completely different world, and we’re a long way from home. You don’t have anything here.”

Pinkie grinned. “Never you mind, Dashie, never you mind. You just give me an idea of who you want me to cosplay as for you tonight, and let me handle the rest. Trust me, you’ll be pleasantly surprised what I can do when I put my mind to it.”

Rainbow rubbed her chin. “Hmm…”

“Oh, and keep in mind that this scene takes place during a chapter that was written in March of 2012, so… y’know, nothing that came out after that.”

Rainbow blinked. “Huh? Chapter? 2012?”

“I mean, my first thought would totally be Tracer, because I know you’d love her and would love me dressed up as her—seriously, her costume would make my butt look amazing—but she won’t technically exist for four more years, so—”

“Babe, focus. I have no idea what any of that means.”

Pinkie giggled into her hoof. “Oh, yeah, sorry. Ignore all that. Just, uh… tell me who you wanna bang tonight, honey.”

“That’s better.” Dash resumed rubbing her chin in thought, then came up with an idea. 

She whispered into Pinkie’s ear exactly who she had in mind, and old favorite that Pinkie hadn’t done before but that they both knew she was saving for a special occasion. And what was more special than tonight?

Pinkie purred and kissed Dash’s chin. “Oh ho, nice. Breaking out the gold standard, huh? You got it. Now, you just sit right there, and I’ll be riiiight back.”

And with that, Pinkie leapt off the bed, opened the dresser's top drawer, and leapt inside all in one fluid motion. Said dresser bounced and shook as though it had a mind of its own, spitting out clothes that definitely weren’t already in there, all of which disappeared before Rainbow could blink. Rainbow was left baffled as to how any of this worked, then shook her head, reminded herself that this was Pinkie being Pinkie, and that it was better if she just relaxed and didn’t ask any questions.

A handful of minutes later, Pinkie leapt back out of the drawer and landed on the foot of the bed, standing tall and proud in her new cosplay. “Ta da!” she said with a brief flourish of hooves.

Pinkie had dressed herself in a tight-fitting white sailor uniform, complete with a wonderfully short blue skirt, one pretty red bow on Pinkie’s chest and another right above her tail, and little red boots on her rear hooves. She’d even styled her mane so it was in a long, thin, twin-tail style rather than her usual poofball. A small, gold tiara even rested on top just to complete the image.

“I am Sailor Pink,” Pinkie declared, standing on her hind hooves and striking a pose, “the champion of justice! In the name of the moon, I will right wrong and triumph over naughty mares… and that means you!” she finished, pointing right at Rainbow with both hooves.

Rainbow gulped. “Sweet Celestia, Pinkie… you look… damn.”

Pinkie giggled, then got back on the bed and straddled Rainbow. “I’m glad you like it, Dashie.”

“How’d you even manage this?”

“Well, I had to really focus to get this to work, because I know you love when I dress up for you so… I figured that if it makes you happy, I would put everything I could into making you happy, and… ta da!” She flipped her skirt a little bit and adjusted her bow. “Y’know, I bet if I really worked at it I could do more than just the costume…”

“Huh?”

“Nothing, just having an idea. Not relevant until at least next chapter.”

“Well, whatever. You’re too good to me, babe. Come here.” Rainbow pulled Pinkie in for a fierce kiss, one hoof behind Pinkie’s head with the other on her ass. “You make me happy just being you. The cosplay is just… frosting on top of my favorite Pinkie Pie.”

“You’re corny when you’re horny, honey,” Pinkie giggled, booping Dash on the nose.

“Yeah yeah, whatever. So, what’re you waiting for, Sailor Pink?” Rainbow spread her hooves out in a come-and-get-me gesture. “I’m the evil villain. Triumph over me.”

Pinkie waggled her eyebrows, then cleared her throat and put on her game face. “Aha, Queen Rainbow," she said in her best dramatic voice. "I’ve come to vanquish you in the name of the moon. Now your reign of terror will finally be at an end.”

Rainbow put the pastern of her hoof to her head. “Oh no, Sailor Pink!" she said in her best dramatic voice, which was decidedly less impressive. "My arch-nemesis, come to battle me. Whatever shall I do?”

Pinkie tittered and pinned Rainbow to the bed. “That’s right, villain! Now, prepare yourself for my ultimate attack… Pink Spiral Tickle Strike!”

Rainbow jumped in surprise as Pinkie’s hoof rubbed the underside of her wings, right where she was most ticklish. “H-hey! No fair tickling!” she laughed as Pinkie relentlessly attacked her. 

"Aha! Are you ready to give up, evil-doer?"

Between laughs while rolling on the bed, Rainbow managed to blurt out, “Think again, Sailor Pink!”

Rainbow then grabbed Pinkie’s side with her forehooves, and with her hind legs she casually—and carefully—flipped Pinkie over, then pinned her on the bed.

Pinkie let out a mock gasp of shock. “Oh no! You countered my ultimate attack!”

“Aha!” Rainbow said with a triumphant laugh. “Fool! Now I have you at my mercy. You’re simply not strong enough to defeat my awesomeness.” She licked her lips and pressed her nose against Pinkie’s. “Now… what should I do with you?”

She roughly kissed Pinkie on the lips first, earning a squeak of surprise, then moved down to Pinkie’s neck. When she got to Pinkie’s chest, she yanked at the ribbon that kept her top tied closed, revealing the luscious pink fur beneath, which she then set to kissing and teasing with her teeth.

“Ahh~” Pinkie cried, her hooves pawing at the bed sheets. “You’re too strong, Queen Rainbow~”

“Hmm hmm, you were so naive to challenge me and think you could win,” Rainbow chuckled as she made her way down. “Now you must pay the price for your… uh… insolence? Is that the right word?”

"Yeah, that works."

"For your insolence! Ha ha!"

She lifted up Pinkie’s short skirt and found that Pinkie was wearing a thin pair of white panties, if only to complete the costume. She casually pressed her hoof against the thin fabric, rubbing Pinkie gingerly through it and being rewarded with another whimper of enjoyment. She could see that the fabric was already damp with Pinkie’s excitement.

With a grin, Rainbow continued rubbing her marefriend through her panties, bringing her face up to Pinkie’s mouth to kiss her again. “Are you ready to submit, Sailor Pink?”

“Never~” Pinkie cooed. “I will defeat you, in the name of the moo-o-o-n~”

Rainbow had just slid her hoof inside Pinkie’s panties to fondle her folds. By now, the thin fabric was totally soaked—when Pinkie was wet, she was wet—and practically useless.

“Ha! The once mighty sailor scout is now a quivering mess within my hooves,” Rainbow growled in Pinkie’s ear. “Submit now, and perhaps I’ll let you enjoy this.”

“N-never!”

“Go on… tell your new Queen what you want.”

“I’ll… never submit… to an evil like you-u-u~” Pinkie whimpered as Rainbow’s hooves flicked her clit. “Ahh~ S-stop that~”

“You’re stronger than you look, Sailor Pink,” Rainbow chuckled. “Perhaps it’s time I use my ultimate attack.” Her hooves went to the bands of Pinkie’s panties and yanked them down, tossing them unceremoniously aside; they landed on the floor with a damp squelch.

Pinkie gave Rainbow a mock look of fear, which secretly meant that it was okay for Rainbow to continue.

Rainbow licked her lips as she got a faceful of pink crotch. “Ultra Rainbow Swirling Tongue!”

She put both her hooves on Pinkie’s plump ass—lifting the skirt as she did so—and buried her muzzle right in Pinkie’s pink, puffy pussy.

“Eep!” Pinkie squealed. “You fiend! Not so rough~”

The complaint wasn’t real; Pinkie loved it when Dash took things hard and fast, which Dash always did because that was how she did everything. Dash knew that. Pinkie knew that. But Pinkie still made the comment because it sounded hotter to Dash when she acted like she didn’t like it when clearly she did.

And Dash knew Pinkie liked it because the party pony was letting out those adorable squeaks and gasps every time Dash’s mouth and tongue moved, whether it was licking Pinkie’s outer folds, piercing her tongue inside, sucking on her clit, or giving gentle nibbles to any of the above.

Part of it was Pinkie just being over-excited no matter what and not knowing much about restraint, so anything that made her feel good would get a reaction. The other part of it was that Dash was intensely proud that she knew how to please a mare with her tongue, and had the experience to prove it. Pinkie was hardly her first fillyfriend, but she was that one that Dash had serious feelings for, so it just made her feel better that Pinkie enjoyed it so much.

“D-dashie~” Pinkie whimpered out-of-character, her hooves grasping desperately at the bed sheets to steady herself. “I’m gonna… gonna cum~”

Dash didn’t relent, and if anything doubled her efforts.

“Dashieee~” Pinkie cried as she bucked her hips against Dash’s muzzle, cumming all over Rainbow’s tongue.

Rainbow clamped her mouth down hard so that she could catch all of Pinkie’s juices as she came. She loved how Pinkie tasted. Other mares all had pretty similar tastes that weren’t particularly special or sometimes even pleasant, but the party pony was different; she tasted like flavored sugar. The flavor was somehow never the same twice, either, but was always dangerously sweet and tangy on her tongue, like those candy packets she used to eat as a filly. 

Tonight, Pinkie tasted like blue raspberry. Sweet, yet sour, but all-around delicious.

Pinkie practically collapsed onto the bed as her orgasm wore out. The costume’s tiara fell off her head and rolled off to the side, causing Pinkie’s mane to poof out again. “Oh my goodness, Dashie, that was… sooo good~”

“I bet. You’ve been pent up as much as I am, Pinks, admit it. You needed that,” Rainbow said, moving up the bed so they were face-to-face again.

Pinkie groaned and nodded. “Yeah… I did. I needed my Dashie. Holy moly did I ever. But you need some release too, honey. C'mere.” She leaned up and gave Rainbow another intense kiss, which she then interrupted after a few seconds, licking her lips. “Ooh, blue raspberry!”

Dash groped Pinkie’s ass again, running her hooves under the short skirt. “Don’t get comfortable. We’re not done yet.”

Pinkie growled in approval and gladly let Dash pin her beneath her. “Gee, Dashie, what’ve you got in mind?”

Rainbow grabbed one of Pinkie’s hind legs and lifted it up onto her shoulder, then scissored herself in so her and Pinkie were joined at the crotch, pink against pink. Pinkie’s skirt did nothing to hide their union, but the fact that it tried and failed tickled Dash’s fancy just right.

Typically, this would be where Dash would whip out one of the many toys they had and would just go to town on Pinkie, but all of their equipment was at home and she wasn’t about to ask if Pinkie had a dildo stashed away in her mane somewhere. Mostly because she was worried Pinkie did.

So, au naturale it was, as she figured Rarity would say.

Dash was no stranger to doing this with Pinkie, either, so the party pony knew just what to do to help Dash scissor her better, shifting her weight and using a pillow for leverage to properly angle herself. Seeing her marefriend so eager to please just made Dash's pussy twitch with excitement.

She didn’t waste time bumping and grinding against Pinkie’s pussy, brushing clit against clit every few moments but otherwise keeping to a nice, steady pace and using all of the space available. Pinkie’s thick thighs felt great to rub against for Rainbow; Rainbow’s muscled leg did the same for Pinkie.

Rainbow took one of Pinkie’s silky boots in her teeth and stripped it off her, giving her a chance to kiss the sensitive frog of Pinkie’s hoof and getting a groan of approval in response.

And neither of them left idle hooves to do nothing. Dash’s free hoof—the one not holding Pinkie’s leg up—stimulated Pinkie’s slit and rubbed her stomach, which Pinkie enjoyed immensely. Pinkie’s free hooves either rubbed her own clit, Rainbow’s, or groped Rainbow’s tight, athletic ass, which Rainbow definitely liked. 

All the while, Pinkie let out her cute little squeaks and moans while Rainbow grunted and groaned, thrusting herself against Pinkie like she would if she were wearing one of the many strap-ons she usually employed. It wasn’t quite the same but Dash knew Pinkie loved the sensation either way so she gladly did it.

Rainbow found that the bed here wasn’t as stable as the one in Pinkie’s room at Sugarcube Corner, since it shifted and creaked with every movement, its metal springs groaning in unison with the two lovers. She hoped these walls weren’t too thin, or else everypony in the hall would be able to hear them. Hell, Grayscale was right next door, so she might be able to hear them anyway.

But then Rainbow thought, Hell with it, let Gray hear us. If there was anything cooler than making her marefriend cum her brains out, Rainbow had never heard of it, so Gray would probably approve. Rainbow wondered if maybe the other pegasus was enjoying hearing this, maybe even rubbing herself to the sounds of the love-making next door, and that excited Rainbow, making her all the rougher and louder.

As usual, Pinkie came first, letting out a hearty, deep moan and twitching even as Dash kept moving. Dash always lasted longer and didn’t blame Pinkie for it—Dash was just that awesome that she could make Pinkie cum so hard and fast—but that didn’t mean she was going to let up. 

It was only when Pinkie was able to collect herself enough to pull away from Rainbow that Rainbow knew it was her turn and she just let it happen. Pinkie was quick to pounce on Rainbow—almost knocking her off the smaller bed—and bury her muzzle in Rainbow’s crotch, tongue hungrily lapping at Rainbow’s clit. Rainbow put her hooves on Pinkie’s head, threw her head back, and let Pinkie finish her off.

When Rainbow came, it was fantastic. She’d gone longer periods without a good orgasm—mostly before she met Pinkie, who just meshed with her—but this wasn’t because of the time. All of the stress and tension and frustration and outright anger just flowed out of her in that one, brief moment when Pinkie sucked on her slit and drew out an explosive, head-clearing climax.

Rainbow panted and heaved as she rode out her orgasm, running her hooves through Pinkie’s mane gently and staring up at the ceiling. Then, Pinkie’s head popped into view, and Pinkie wordlessly gave Dash a deep, tongue-filled kiss. Rainbow could never really describe her own taste, but Pinkie—ever the expert on flavors—said it was like fresh dew on grass in the early spring morning, which was way too poetic for Rainbow to ever say aloud and which she suspected Pinkie stole from one of Rarity's trashy romance novels.

“Feel better?” Pinkie asked as she broke the kiss.

Rainbow nodded. “Much better. Like I said, you’re too good to me Pinks. Way too good.”

Pinkie set her head on Dash’s chest and sighed. “I just want everypony to feel better and forget all the bad things that have happened. If I could do this with everypony—”

“Heh, I'd pay to see you get Rarity or AJ to agree to this,” Rainbow teased. "You might have a chance with Flutters, though. I'm like... ninety percent sure she's bi."

Pinkie rolled her eyes. “Not what I meant, silly. I didn’t mean I wish I could bang all my friends. I only have eyes for you.”

“And Red Velvet, remember?”

“Eh, not anymore. That fleeting fancy has come and gone, like dust in the wind…” Pinkie said, gently moving her hoof through the air. “What I meant was, I wish there was something I could do to make everypony feel better, but… with everything going on, I don’t think anypony’s in the mood for a party…”

Rainbow hugged Pinkie close. “Don’t worry, Pinks, you’ll think of something. And hey, y’know what? Now that Gray and the others are around to help us, I think things are gonna go a lot smoother on the road ahead.”

Pinkie grinned. “Yeah, you’re right. I think the worst is behind us.” She pulled up to kiss Rainbow again. “I love you.”

Dash smiled. “I love you too, babe.”

Rainbow set her head down on the bed and took a deep breath, then closed her eyes and tried to get some sleep. 

Yeah, things were looking up. Considering all that had happened already, there was no way things could possibly get worse.
> 2. Rarity/Zircon, Part 1: Long Goodbyes
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rarity couldn’t get over just how beautiful Zeb’ra’den was, especially at night. From up here on the battlements of the royal palace where she could see most of the city, she gazed out upon a whimsical white wonderland dotted with the lights of oil lanterns in the windows of zebras still awake at this hour. It was terribly late, incidentally, an hour where no pony or zebra should realistically want to be awake, but Rarity was restless, and she was fairly certain she wasn’t the only one in her group that was. 

She and her friends were supposed to be getting some much-needed beauty sleep before tomorrow, when Tick Tock assured them they’d be able to return home at long last, but Rarity’s mind was on other things.

Or other zebras, rather, namely the one that walked beside her along the battlements: Sir Zircon, nephew of the zebra king, knight of an order of guardian protectors of the zebra kingdom, and all-around honorable warrior. Ever since they’d met, the two hadn’t been apart for more than a few moments at most. Part of it was Zircon’s duty to her, as he’d sworn to remain by her side until she returned home; part of it was Rarity’s fascination with him.

“It is a beautiful night, isn’t it?” she said to him as they walked along the battlement, looking out over the snow-covered rooftops. She was rather reminded of the Crystal Empire, only with stone and wood rather than crystal.

Zircon smiled gently and nodded. “Aye, m’lady, ‘tis a fine night, the moons so full and snow so white. ‘Tis like thy coat, the snow out there,” he added, briefly taking Rarity’s hoof in his, a familiar gesture. “Though such a contest is not fair, for thy coat puts the snow to shame. Thou art the victor, I proclaim.”

Rarity tittered and batted his chest playfully. “Really, darling, a coat whiter than snow? That’s a mite poetic even for you, my gallant knight.”

“Perhaps, but ‘tis true in mine eyes. This tongue of mine speaketh no lies.”

This was the game they played, this back-and-forth flirting, and had been playing for some time. She, Twilight, and Lockwood had been in Zeb’ra’den for a few days now, and had been on the “road” here for a few days as well from Utopia, so she’d gotten a chance to know the zebra stallion.

She was a little worried, though, since he was rapidly ticking all of the boxes on the little list of things that she was looking for in a romantic partner. As they spoke and walked and looked out over the city, she mentally calculated just how Zircon measured up to the standards she had—and adjusted them so that he fit just a little bit better.

Ruggedly handsome with an untamed mane straight off the cover of one of her romance novels, Rarity considered Zircon, to be blunt, a dish. Or would hunk be more appropriate? She’d always found herself more attracted to a “prettier” sort of stallion, such as the dandy Prince Blueblood—who turned out to be less-than-perfect—or the svelte Trenderhoof—who she’d been a fan of for years and was eager to meet someday—but would never deny that the rugged sort had its own appeal. Zircon certainly encapsulated that appeal with every fiber of his being.

It wasn’t just his looks, either, and Rarity was almost a little ashamed to say that his good looks were the first thing she’d noticed about him. No, the other thing about him that she noticed was his charming personality. He had a way with words—poetic rhyme and meter notwithstanding—that Rarity couldn’t help but swoon over. 

She was loath to admit that part of the appeal was that he actually gave her the attention and appreciation she so wanted from a stallion. Not that she hadn’t had gentlecolt callers or coltfriends before, certainly—she was young, beautiful, and successful, so why wouldn’t she attract attention?—but with previous partners she’d always eventually realized that their words were just attempts to get her into bed; Rarity hated that it had worked on her more than once.

Zircon’s charm, however, felt genuine, his compliments heartfelt and sincere with no ulterior motives. If he were merely saying these things to charm her into bed with him, he'd have made his move by now, but he'd done no such thing. Either he had saintly patience despite knowing he didn't have the time to wait, or his words were honest and true and he had no other intention than to be a natural charmer.

The more she got to know him and to understand the culture of the zebras of this world, the more she got the sense that he did not say these things to just any mare, either. He didn’t need to, honestly; zebra mares throughout the city practically threw themselves at him because of his social standing and rank, and she’d consider herself an idiot if she thought that Zircon hadn’t indulged at least one of them in the past when he was younger perhaps. But when she and Zircon walked the streets together, he ignored them. All of his attention was on her and her alone.

He was well-read and well-learned—at least within the standards of his culture, which was the only fair way for Rarity to judge—and carried himself with a confidence and poise that Rarity found both admirable and alluring. Twilight had even noted that Zircon’s knowledge of things was enough to sate her desire for information on this strange world they’d been stranded in, and Twilight was notoriously hard to please. That Zircon was always so ready to share, a friendly smile on his face, proved to Rarity that he also wasn’t lacking in manners and etiquette.

But he wasn’t perfect either, which Rarity found to be all the more reason to find him so captivating. She attributed his flaws to the culture of Zeb’ra’den, for it seemed certain things were expected of a stallion in his position. 

He didn’t practice the finer parts of grooming and cleanliness, for example, at least not to the standards Rarity typically expected of a potential beau. He was a knight, not a lord, after all. He was expected to be ready to do battle with monsters or wander out into the frozen wilderness whenever necessary, not to be clean and neat to present himself at galas and banquets. But, she knew he also had to attend such functions and would make himself presentable for them when the needed arose.

Then again, Rarity found that his natural scent was... pleasing to her palette. He didn’t smell like flowers or trees or the ocean like the fancy colognes back home; he smelled like a stallion, caked in a subtle hint of sweat from his physically-active lifestyle. She’d watched him train and spar with others, so she knew he was no layabout or shut-in. If there was one thing Rarity appreciated, it was a solid work ethic. It was why even when she and Applejack had their occasional, sometimes heated spat over vast differences in opinion, the two were still solid friends.

Zircon was also quick to solve problems with violence—wielding his blade against the unarmed Insipid, for example, before he knew of her powers—but the lands surrounding Zeb’ra’den were supposedly harsh and inhabited by monstrous creatures of all shapes and sizes that warranted such caution. Then again, he did that out of a desire to protect Rarity from a perceived threat, as that was his duty and desire. Perhaps if Insipid weren’t so… well, uneducated and uncultured, Zircon might have been convinced to use his words instead.

He was also very much a stallion's stallion, a deeply masculine mindset ingrained in him from a young age. This translated into a chivalrous attitude that was, at least where she was from, a bit behind the times and out of place in a matriarchal society, but she couldn't blame him for it. He treated mares with respect and kindness, though, even as he insisted on handling things they could very much handle for themselves. Still... at least his heart was in the right place.

Still, none of those so-called flaws were so much that they detracted from his strengths, and that was why Rarity was worried. He possessed all of the qualities in a stallion she wanted, from looks to manners to the little flaws that kept a stallion from feeling unnaturally perfect. She should be happy that this zebra knight had ticked her every box. 

But she wasn’t. She wasn't because she knew that by morning she’d be leaving him forever to return to her own world. It really wasn't fair.

She knew there were only two possible options she had at this exact moment: she could either ignore everything she’d just mulled over in her head and depart in the morning without another thought on the matter, pushing her budding feelings aside forever and moving on with her life; or, she could press Zircon on the subject and see if he could tick those final few boxes she had, or even if she’d misread all of the signs and she could just write him off like she’d done with so many stallions before.

She chose the latter.

“Zircon, darling, might I ask you a question?” she asked, stopping suddenly as they descended from the battlements down into the palace proper.

The knight smiled lightly and gave her a nod. “Of course thou canst, dear Rarity. To what might I lend clarity?”

“Since my friends and I are set to depart in the morning, I know I won’t get another chance to ask this, but… well…” 

She paused, struggling to think on how to broach this subject. She prided herself on typically being subtle and careful with these sorts of things, but that was usually concerning the feelings of others towards others, and after messing up so royally—pun intended—with Fluttershy and Lockwood she wasn’t sure she was up to the task anymore.

Zircon raised an eyebrow, tilting his head in confusion. “Lady Rarity, art thou well? Dost thou need to rest for a spell?”

She took a short breath and shook her head. “No no, sorry about that. Just… thinking on what I wanted to say. This is harder than I thought. I wanted to be more subtle about it but… oh, to heck with it.” She stamped her hoof on the floor. “Zircon, darling, what are your feelings for me? Is this ‘thing’ that we’re doing—the hoof-kissing, the flirting, the poetry—just you and I going through some sort of motions that are expected of a lady and a knight in your culture, or… is there something else to it? I simply must know.”

Zircon was given pause, clearly not expecting such a blunt question, not from her, so it took a long moment for him to reply, and he did so without looking at her but out the window and up at the moons instead. 

“Since I first laid mine eyes on thee,” he said, “my heart hath swelled, dear Rarity. Thine elegance: it hath no peers that I hath seen in all my years. Thou art a lady, fair and true, a quality matched by so few. Generous, brave… a work of art. Thou hast taken hold of my heart.”

“I… I see…” Rarity said, her heart pounding. That was about as close as one could get to saying they were in love without using those words, and Zircon was both a master wordsmith and incapable by the nature of his social status in his culture of speaking so plainly. “Since you first laid eyes on me, you say?”

Zircon simply nodded.

Rarity knew what she had to do now. It had been a test of sorts that she’d given all of the stallions she’d ever been with, to see if there was a real spark between them. She didn’t hesitate as she stepped up to him, put a hoof to his face to draw his attention to her, and kissed him briefly on the lips.

It wasn’t a particularly deep or passionate kiss—this was just a test, after all—but Rarity felt the spark instantly, a tingle going down her spine as Zircon met his lips with hers. He hadn’t been expecting it and so he didn’t push forward or anything of the sort, and in fact reflexively almost pulled away in surprise. But it was clear that he felt it too; she could feel him tense up then relax into the kiss, no matter how brief it was.

When Rarity pulled back, her heart was pounding faster than ever. She’d kissed stallions before, and always felt a little shiver go through her when she did, but this was different. This wasn’t just a slight stirring of her nethers or a warmth spreading in her chest, this was a sensation that resonated within her very core. If the spark hadn’t been there, she had been ready to tell him that she found him attractive and that was all, nothing more. But this? This was all the proof she needed that the feeling was mutual.

She was in love.

They were in love.

“I feel the same, Zircon,” she said with a breathless confidence as she looked him in the eyes. “I’ll admit it wasn’t at first sight, but… I have grown to care for you and I enjoy your company immensely. You are… everything I’ve ever wanted in a stallion. I think I might just be in love with you, darling.”

Zircon said nothing, merely placed a hoof under her chin and kissed her again. This time, Rarity allowed it to become more than just a test, to progress to the point that the spark she’d felt before became more of an inferno raging in her chest. A few coltfriends she’d had before had been good enough kissers, but Zircon blew them out of the water entirely. His tongue didn’t need to force itself into her mouth, and it was so… well, the only word Rarity could use was “coordinated”, like it just knew what to do and where to go. He had experience. Talent.

So naturally, beyond the soaring feeling in her chest and the lightheadedness Rarity was beginning to feel, she also felt that familiar stirring in her nethers, stronger than she’d ever felt around Zircon thus far. Oh, she’d be a liar if she didn’t admit she was aroused in his presence just in general, especially when he kissed her hoof or called her beautiful, but this wasn’t arousal, this was a need like none she’d ever felt before.

She only had one night left in Zeb’ra’den, and damn it all if she wasn’t going to make the most of it.

Rarity pulled out of the kiss, and breathlessly said, “Darling, perhaps… perhaps we should take this back to my chambers, hmm?” To emphasize her point, she pressed herself up against him.

Zircon smirked and gave her a little nod. “As thou wishest, m'lady. I am forever in thy service.”

A lesser mare wouldn’t have noticed the change, but Rarity was no lesser mare. She raised her eyebrow, confused. “Hmm? Darling that wasn’t in your usual meter, nor in rhyme. Is something the matter?”

Her knight shook his head, taking her hoof in his. “Nay, nothing is the matter. ‘Tis tradition in zebra culture that, when two zebras hath forged a bond of love together, they may speaketh plainly in private. ‘Tis a showing of trust and companionship, for it doth eschew all semblance of rank and class. The two art simply zebras… and that is all that matters.”

Rarity’s heart stirred as that magical little word passed through her ears: love. “Marvelous. Even without all that, you certainly have a way with words, my dear.” She cleared her throat and pressed her hoof to his chest. “Now, let’s not keep a lady waiting with her request, though, hmm? We only have until morning after all.”

Zircon nodded, and led her through the palace halls towards where her chambers were located, and did so without being seen by anyone—pony or zebra—that might be watching, taking her through halls she didn't recognize and passages she was certainly only he knew. She wouldn’t mind much if any of her friends caught them sneaking back to her chambers at this late hour, since she was certain they’d be rather happy for her. 

However, the last thing Rarity needed was Briarthorn seeing her and Zircon entering her room together. The lout would probably ask if he could watch, or worse, join in. She shuddered in disgust at the thought.

After a short descent down some stairs and a trek across a hall or two, they’d arrived. Rarity’s room was comfortable and warm, with a rather large bed made of a wood she didn’t recognize, with plenty of matching furniture. It wasn’t overly fancy or extravagant by Rarity's standards, but then she didn’t want anything of the sort, especially now. No, a nice, humble room with a comfortable, large bed—one that didn’t make a lot of noise—was all that Rarity needed at the moment.

Zircon removed his cloak and draped it over a hook by the door, then stepped towards Rarity and wordlessly offered to take her own cloak. Rarity turned and allowed him to undress her—and odd consideration, but she reminded herself that this world’s standards on clothing were different from her own—before turning back to face him. 

He stood and marveled at her for a moment, a grin on his face as he started removing his armor. “Thou art more beautiful than the goddess Harmonia herself…”

Rarity smirked. “Flatterer.” 

She watched in rapt anticipation, subtly licking her lips as he stripped off his armor and revealed himself to her as well, feeling a hunger within her that she hadn’t before. He was well built as she expected of a stallion who did lots of physical work, not built like Big Macintosh was but with a chiseled, muscular robustness to him that tickled her fancy in all the right ways.

She naturally noticed the scars that marred his sides and back, some of them claw marks, others bite marks. He’d told tales of how he'd acquired them in his battles out on the tundra facing off against fearsome beasts. Seeing them with her own eyes was different, of course; they weren’t gruesome or anything of the sort as she’d expected, but added a touch of character to his well-toned figure.

She stepped forward and drew him in for another kiss, which he met with an equal fervor and need to her own. She could smell him entirely now, his natural musk no longer stymied by his armor, and only one thought crossed her mind: “To Tartarus with colognes, this is what a real stallion should smell like!” The scent filled her nostrils and stirred her loins in a way that she’d never experienced before, a truly primal instinct.

Rarity felt Zircon slowly taking them towards the bed. Her heart pounded harder in her chest as she allowed him to set her down beneath him, his kiss leaving her lips to move to her ear, then to her neck, then her chest. She squirmed as he kept going down her stomach, then let out a gasp as his breath passed over her nethers, her hoof instinctively grasping at the back of his head.

He took this as a sign to continue, and that he did, pressing his muzzle up against her delicate flower and sliding his tongue inside her with the same confidence and coordination as he did when kissing her on the mouth. Never before had Rarity met a stallion that willingly, no, enthusiastically went down on her. She was used to practically begging for it, and being asked to do all sorts of things in exchange for it from prior lovers, most of which she refused—she was a lady, after all, and there were certain things a lady just did not do or allow.

But Zircon was between her hind legs eating her out without even being asked. He just did it without so much as a warning, as though he knew she wanted it and wouldn’t argue. She couldn’t see why any mare would argue, not with his tongue and lips doing things to her that she’d never had done to her before, licking and sucking like he was some sort of damned professional. She had half a mind to tell him to start providing lessons to other stallions so that no mare would ever be without such bliss.

Her pants and gasps of pleasure were so sincere and well-earned that she was worried she was going to faint. Her hooves passed through his untamed mane in a desperate attempt to find something to hold onto for fear that she’d float away into the sky, never to touch the ground again. She bit her lip so hard she was sure she’d draw blood.

So naturally, Rarity was disappointed when he suddenly stopped pleasuring her nethers, and instead kissed his way back up to her neck. “Wh-why’d you stop, dear?” she pleaded, arching her back in an attempt to grind her wet slit against one of his hind legs. “I was so close…” She tried not to sound desperate, but knew she’d done poorly at the attempt.

“If thou didst enjoyeth that… then thou shalt truly enjoyeth this,” he grunted into her ear with a husky tone.

Rarity then felt something press against her stomach and she knew exactly what it was—this wasn’t her first rodeo, after all—but for half a moment she thought she was mistaken. Was he stepping on her somehow? He had to be, since the long, hard thing pressing against her simply had to be his leg. There was no way it could be anything else.

She glanced down, though, and her eyes widened when she saw she’d been right the first time: Zircon’s fully erect stallionhood had come out to play. “By Celestia…” she muttered to herself. “You’re… huge, darling…” 

She saw him grin at that because all stallions, even Zircon, clearly loved hearing compliments on their size. This was no compliment though, this was fact, and frankly it was frightening how true it was. A brief panic went through Rarity’s mind, as well as a few other thoughts. Zircon was bigger than any stallion she’d ever had before by a good amount, and for a moment she was worried if such a thing would even fit inside her tight, tiny tunnel.

That broadsword of his definitely wasn't compensating for anything.

Then there was the excitement of it all, because he was bigger than any stallion she’d ever had before—or seen, for that matter, in the various magazines she dabbled in and certainly didn’t subscribe to—and just the thought of such a monster rutting her senseless made her nethers twitch in anticipation. Would she be able to walk in the morning? Would she care?

And, of course, came the thought that even across worlds, what mares said about zebra stallions was apparently true. Very, very true.

That he didn’t even ask her to repay his earlier favor was frankly astonishing. Most stallions enjoyed having a mare pleasure them orally, did they not? Was something different in the zebra culture of this world that the stallions knew to pleasure a mare and yet did not ask for a blowjob in return? And Rarity thought she was generous.

“Shall I continue, m’lady?” he asked her, kissing her neck and rubbing that monster of his against her aching nethers, lubing it up for what was to come.

She’d repay him later. Right now, she wanted him inside her, and shuddered as his tip pressed against her entrance. “Yes! A thousand times, yes!” she pleaded.

Rarity was glad that Zircon was the gentlecolt she’d grown to know and love, because despite being able to break her in half with that monster, he was as gentle as the breeze with it when he pushed himself inside her. She’d be lying if she said it wasn’t a little uncomfortable at first, having never taken anything quite so large inside her before, but his slow, deliberate movements eased her body along in accepting his generous girth.

“Oh… my…” she breathed as he thrust himself in and out with a practiced pace. “I’m… I’m… cumming~”

Because of the earlier stimulation from his talented tongue, Rarity did not last more than a few moments before her walls clamped down on him and she shuddered out one of the most intense orgasms she’d ever experienced. She wrapped her hooves around him and pulled him close, biting into his shoulder and letting out a little mewl of pleasure because that was all she could manage at that moment.

Zircon stopped his thrusting as she came, letting her ride out her orgasm more easily, but probably because her contractions made it difficult for him to move. She could feel him tense up too, not in climax but probably because with how tight she already was around him, said contractions were probably squeezing him like a vice. At least that’s how Rarity imagined it must have felt.

When she’d finally stopped clamping down on him so tightly and could form a coherent thought, Rarity settled back down onto the bed and let out a breath. “That… that was… incredible…”

“I am glad thou didst enjoy it,” Zircon said with a titter of amusement in his voice. “But we hath more to the night ahead of us, hmm?”

Rarity smiled up at him knowingly; it wouldn’t be fair, after all. “Of course, darling. You haven’t finished yourself.”

Zircon smirked. “Not only that, m’lady, but thou hast only had a paltry taste.”

“Hmm?” Rarity, eyebrow raised, glanced down when Zircon shifted so that she could see better, and her eyes widened again when she saw that she had barely scratched the surface of his size thus far. “Oh my…” 

She suspected he hadn’t hilted inside her, since she saw how big he was and there was just no way he wasn’t going to reach further than he did, but she did not expect to see that his medial ring was just outside her entrance. He’d made her cum with only half his stallionhood.

“Well?” Rarity said, her smile turning into a smirk as she eagerly waited for him to finish the job. “Don’t keep your lady waiting.”

Zircon leaned down and kissed her as he returned to his brief, short motions from before, then with a slow push, shoved the medial ring inside her. Rarity hissed a little as it passed inside, and once it was in, she knew it wasn’t coming out until he was done. 

She shuddered and moaned as the ring rubbed against her insides as he continued pushing into her with slow, careful motions; she was used to former lovers just shoving their whole length inside in one go, but Zircon was so precise, and he just seemed to know that he was big enough to hurt her if he was careless.

And careless he was not. No, even as he pushed every last inch of that monster of his into her tight marehood, he was as sweet and gentle as ever. He had to lift himself up to get the angle needed to hilt himself inside her, and even then he wasn’t able to. Rarity groaned in pleasure as his tip pushed up against her cervix. If he were any bigger or pushed any further, he’d be inside her womb right now.

Zircon pulled out until the medial ring just threatened to escape her entrance, then thrust back in, his hot stallionhood completely dominating every last nook and cranny of her inner walls. She’d never felt so tight in all her life, and secretly worried if Zircon’s monster would stretch her out irreparably. 

That worry was replaced quickly by nothing but wicked desire and pleasure; she wanted him to stretch her out, to mold her marehood to fit him and him alone, to ruin the chances of any other stallion from ever making her feel this fulfilled again. Her body was his, in this moment and forevermore, to do with as he pleased, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

The room echoed with grunts and pants and whimpers of pleasure from both her and Zircon. She’d never been a particularly vocal lover, but then no stallion had ever made Rarity’s body ripple like he did. She felt it was unladylike to moan like some harlot out to make bits from her performance, but Zircon earned the right to hear her moan with pleasure.

After a few minutes or so of purposeful thrusting, Rarity began to feel another orgasm building up inside, bigger than the last one by a long shot. Zircon’s thrusting had quickened, his pace no longer than of a gentle lover but that of a stallion in need of release, and Rarity found that she loved the change.

“I am close, love,” Zircon grunted, his eyes clenched shut as if trying to will himself to last just a moment longer. 

He pulled himself out again so that the medial ring was pushing against her inner entrance again with a good deal of force, and Rarity realized he meant to pull out. 

That simply would not do.

Rarity’s hooves, already on the back of his head, pulled him closer so she could press her nose to his. “Don’t… even… think about it…” she huffed through clenched teeth. “You’ll… make a mess…”

Zircon paused for all of two seconds, then nodded and resumed his thrusting with more enthusiasm than before. In what little space Rarity had to think while having her delicate flower pounded so roughly, she was amused that Zircon became more eager when he knew he could finish inside her. She’d read that was the case with all stallions, and at the very least Zircon shared that quality.

Rarity knew when he was about to finish, because that’s when his thrusts became shorter, and when she felt the tip of that glorious stallionhood of his flare up and push against her cervix. The sensation was both a little painful at first, but then replaced by immense pleasure as she felt the first burst of thick, warm semen enter her womb; Zircon let out a groan that Rarity was used to hearing stallions make when they came, and from him it sounded almost bestial. 

The sensation of virile male seed filling her up was enough to drive her over the edge in an orgasm so strong it made her forget how to breathe for a moment; if her prior orgasm was one of the best she’d ever had, this one topped them all.

Rarity had never had raw sex or even considered it with a stallion until now—previous partners had always worn a condom at her insistence—but she knew she’d not had the option with Zircon. And she was glad she hadn’t, because this sensation, this feeling of having her most precious of places filled with the seed of her lover was, well… indescribable. Perfect, perhaps. And there was so much of the stuff, too, enough that Rarity was glad he was so big and she was so tight because not a drop of it spilled out. 

At least, not until he softened and pulled himself out, and even then he was quick to ensure there would be relatively little mess on her lovely coat or on the bed beneath them. The feeling of emptiness as his stallionhood vacated her entirely was almost distressing, as though somepony had detached some vital part of her body from her without her permission.

She knew then and there that if she ever took another partner after returning home, raw sex was absolutely out of the question. Her womb belonged to Zircon, as far as she was concerned. It was an uncouth thought, that anything of hers belonged to another in such a primal, vulgar way, but her body was screaming at her right now that the only stallion that she’d ever allow to impregnate her was—

Her eyes widened. In the heat of the moment she’d forgotten entirely about why she always made her partners wear a condom. “Oh dear…” she muttered. 

Zircon, eyes half-lidded as he came off of his out orgasmic high, looked down at her in concern. “What is wrong, m’lady?”

“You… you came inside me, darling…” she said, worried. 

“That… is what thou didst request,” he replied, slightly pale. “Unless I am mistaken?”

“No, that… that is what I asked.” Rarity pulled herself up the bed to grab onto one of the pillows she’d been resting on, holding it tight for security. “I should not have done that. I wasn’t thinking straight, I— What if I… what if—”

Zircon’s lips curled in a little, sad smile. “Thou art afraid that my seed may take, yes? ‘Tis no surprise to me. I am blessed to even lay with thee, but never didst I think that I was worthy to father a foal with a goddess.”

Rarity shook her head quickly, not wanting him to get the wrong idea. “Don’t… don’t say it like that. I’m not afraid, and you are more than worthy, believe me. I would honestly be happy to bear a foal with you. Many foals, even!” she hastily added, a small smile on her face. 

"T-truly?" he asked, dumbstruck.

She looked him in the eyes and pressed her nose to his. "Yes... truly. It would make me so happy to stay here and start a family with you. But I can’t, darling. I just… can’t.” She felt the tears in her eyes starting to well up. "I'm so sorry."

He paused, then nodded, and though he seemed relieved he was still sad. “I understand. Thou art returning home in the morning… and we may never layeth eyes upon one another again. ‘Twould be dishonorable, nay, reprehensible of me to sire a foal with thee and leave thee to raise it alone.”

“I love you, Zircon, with all my heart. But… yes, I will be returning home tomorrow and… our love is not to be.” She shut her eyes and sighed. “I wish it were, though. Oh, how I wish it were…”

“And I as well,” he said, hoof running under her chin. “Thou art the first mare to ever maketh my heart sing in this way… and it pains me that upon the morrow, we shall be forever apart. ‘Tis the way of the world,” he snorted. “For every boon one hath been given, a misfortune must also be endured. Thou art both a blessing and a curse, my love.”

“So… what are we going to do about… this?” she asked, rubbing her stomach. 

By Celestia she still felt so full that she was certain that if something wasn’t done she’d be a mother by next year. If this were back home she knew of a few possible solutions available to her to remedy this issue, at least according to the magazine advertisements. Even as an absolute last resort she was certain that Twilight could find some sort of contraceptive spell or something. 

Worry after worry started flooding her head. Would it be too late to wait until morning? Would she have the time to do anything before having to deal with resealing Discord? She could deal with a rushed conversation with Twilight, but what if the others found out? What if there wasn't a solution that would work in time? What would her parents think? Could she even manage raising a foal alone and trying to run a business on top of being needed for every single threat that seemed to accost Equestria these days?

She hadn't even noticed she was practically hyperventilating when her gallant knight leaned down, pulled her close, and kissed her cheek. "Please, my love... be still. Calm thyself, and feareth not. I shall go procure some Tears of Layk for thee immediately.”

Rarity took a few deep breaths as she tried to keep herself from panicking again. “Tears of... what, dear?” she asked, wiping her nose.

“Tears of Layk. ‘Tis a concoction—an herbal tea, rather—that will ensure that my seed doth not take within thy womb. So named because our goddess Layk is that of fertility, and her tears art for the foal that will not be born of our illustrious union.”

“That’s a rather dismal way to look at it…”

“Aye, but ‘tis the name it hath been given. Typically ‘tis used only for mares in unfortunate circumstances, or who pursueth a… particular career,” he said, coughing lightly into his hoof. “I would say our circumstance is most unusual… and unfortunate.”

“As would I…” she sighed and gave a solemn nod. “By all means, bring some of this back with you, please. It’s... it's not worth the risk otherwise.”

“Then I shall return shortly, my love,” he said, dismounting from the bed and moving to retrieve his cloak.

She could tell he was upset. She was too, of course. But she'd let her worries get the better of her for a brief moment and was now worried that she might have actually hurt him, and her was hurting bad enough with her leaving without her crushing his spirits like that.

That wouldn't do. Not at all.

“Darling!” Rarity called.

“Hmm?” he asked as he opened the door, turning to look at her.

"You... you're certain this tea or whatever it is works?"

"'Tis magical in nature, my love, and quite potent. In thousands of years of zebra history, it hath never failed in its purpose."

"Well, in that case..." She gave him a sultry smile and displayed herself for him; if this concoction was as he said, then there was no need to be cautious, right? “Don’t be long. I... I don’t intend on getting much sleep.”

Zircon paused in the doorframe, his mouth curling in a little smirk, then he departed without another word.

Crisis averted, Rarity thought.

Rarity collapsed back on the bed, her mind still reeling over what could have been a tragic mistake. Still, she had to admit, if things were just a little different, if she were a little more irresponsible or just didn't care about the consequences, she’d happily go home with Zircon’s foal in her belly, and damn anypony that gave her guff for it. But she couldn't do that to him or to herself. She could never bear a foal that would never get to meet its father, or deny Zircon the chance to be a father to his foal. She could never let Zircon live with the fact that he'd knocked her up and then just went back to his normal life; she couldn't live with that.

For a brief moment, she considered telling Zircon when he got back to forget that silly tea, and instead to come to her world with her, like she was sure Flathoof would be doing for Applejack. If it worked for him, why not for Zircon? She’d subtly hint for her gallant knight to propose to her shortly after arriving home, and then they’d be married shortly afterwards with nopony would be ever the wiser if Rarity bore a foal by year’s end. Would anypony judge her or even care? Maybe Applejack would grumble about the circumstances but she’d come around eventually.

But no, those thoughts were dashed away rather swiftly. Flathoof had lost his entire livelihood helping everypony escape from New Pandemonium, lost a foreleg saving Applejack’s life, and traveled across the entire planet just to ensure Applejack—and her friends, of course—made it home. He had family here, certainly, but his life—his heart—was entirely in Applejack’s hooves at this point, there was no denying that.

Flathoof would also have had the time to plan out his departure, even if nopony knew it yet. If Rarity were a betting mare, she’d wager that he’d likely been planning it for weeks now, setting things up with Lockwood and Queen Blackburn to ensure that his family would be taken care of. He and Applejack were so in love together that it was a wonder neither of them had said the words yet—Rarity knew they hadn't without having to ask—but it was plain as day that they were. Even Zircon could see it and he’d known the pair less than a day. Saying the words was a formality at this point.

Zircon, on the other hoof… well, the decision would be too sudden. She had only truly realized her love for him was genuine and real about an hour ago, and that it wasn’t just some fancy or a crush or something of that sort. He still had his duties, his family, and his role to play in Zeb’ra’den society, so she couldn’t just ask him to drop it all and come with her in the morning. That wouldn’t be fair to him, to force him to give up his entire life for her at the drop of a hat.

No, their love was not to be. They were just a pair of star-crossed lovers who'd met in the wrong place at the wrong time. So as Rarity rested on the bed and waited for her lover to return, her hoof on her stomach in absent-minded thought of a future that'd never come to pass, the only thing crossing her mind was that Zircon was right: 

Life was unfair.
> 3. Blackburn/Lockwood: Wedding Gift
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Queen Blackburn pondered how this evening had come to be, still perturbed and perplexed by how the entire past several days had gone thus far. 

In the span of less than a week, Blackburn’s emotional state and her life had gone through so many drastic ups and downs that she was convinced she would go insane from the stress and turmoil, and that nopony would blame her. She’d still had no real time to mourn the deaths of Gadget and Crossfire, but knew she wouldn’t be able to do so properly until she was able to have a good, long moment of privacy. There were still too many things happening, too many pieces moving, and too much to deal with and address; her loyal companions would understand.

Immediately after Twilight Sparkle and her friends had departed for home at long last, Blackburn decided to take advantage of the situation she’d been placed in. That is, she took advantage of being in Zeb’ra’den, capital of the zebra kingdom and home to King Zaratite. His nephew, Sir Zircon, who’d also been involved in the events surrounding Lord Silvertongue’s grand scheme, was impressed with the integrity and conviction of both Blackburn and Lockwood, and had agreed to arrange a meeting with his uncle.

King Zaratite seemed interested in a possible relationship with Hope’s Point once he heard of their exploits in the north: standing against a superior military force for decades, defying the dangers of the northern wastes, and of course Queen Blackburn’s own bravery and initiative in recent events and her concern for her citizens. He was more interested when he learned that Lockwood, the scrawny pegasus that had passed out at the prospect of dueling Zircon, was to be her husband and thus the future king of Hope’s Point.

The couple didn’t really know what to think about the gesture of hospitality that Zaratite had bequeathed upon them, but they weren’t about to refuse it. The zebra king had been quite supportive of their union, despite lacking much knowledge of either of them personally, and claimed it to be a zebra tradition to provide wedding gifts to visiting nobility and dignitaries. While he’d done so in the poetic, rhyming verse that was a hallmark of zebra society, his message could be condensed down to… encouraging.

So now, Sir Zircon himself personally escorted the royal couple to a private room in the Zeb’ra’den royal palace, and ushered them inside with a knowing smile and a friendly nod, wishing them luck in his own poetic, rhyming meter before heading off to be alone—to lament Rarity’s departure, Blackburn figured. It was a cruel fate that the zebra would be forever without his true love; Blackburn couldn’t imagine what her life would be like if she knew she’d never see Lockwood again.

“I can’t believe we’re agreeing to this,” Lockwood whispered to Blackburn as they entered the rather large chamber.

“Consider it your first act of diplomacy,” Blackburn replied in an equal whisper and a smile. “Rude to refuse; builds our relationship with zebras. Cannot think of any negatives here.”

“Yeah, sure, that’s all well and good, but this is a little… sudden, don’t you think? And, uh… awkward?”

“Believe Briarthorn gave you specific instructions on what to… do with me?” Blackburn said with a knowing smirk. “Are you refusing his request?”

Lockwood, red in the face, shook his head. “N-no, but—”

“Then no more to discuss.” She leaned over and kissed his neck. “Besides: have five years to catch up on. Looking forward to reigniting our relationship.”

“You don’t need to remind me how long it’s been, hon,” Lockwood chuckled.

The room was quite large and divided into two distinct halves. On the left side was a large bath pool surrounded by a marble floor, big enough to carry some twenty ponies—or zebras, rather—with relative ease; on the right side was a huge, comfortable-looking bed covered in purple satin sheets, bigger than even the bed in Blackburn’s royal chambers. A neat partition of cobblestones kept the two halves separate so that any spillage from the left wouldn’t disturb the right. The room was dimly lit by dozens of lanterns that hung from the ceiling.

Also in the room were a quintet of zebra mares, all dressed in loose-fitting ceremonial white robes and assorted bone and crystal jewelry, their manes tied in braids and filled with flowers. Blackburn noted they were all rather young and attractive with leanly-muscled frames that indicated a definite physical strength.

One of the five, slightly older than the others, also wore a ceremonial ceramic mask over the top half of her face, which was decorated with pink and green crystals and paints to give the appearance of a flowery field. This lead zebra cleared her throat and spoke to the royal couple as they entered.

“Welcome, honored guests, to the Shrine of Lifebearing, sacred shrine of Layk,” said the mare.

Blackburn noted her completely different meter compared to the other zebras she’d met, a haiku format rather than the iambic meters that Zircon used. Clearly this religious sect, which worshipped the zebra goddess Layk, were of a different class and thus had a different way of speaking than the others. It would take time to catalog all the different meters and rhymes of Zeb’ra’den society so she could quickly distinguish social standing and roles.

“Thank you for having us,” Blackburn said with a polite nod. “And you are?”

“I am Ziala, High Priestess of Goddess Layk. So, shall we begin?”

“What exactly does this entail?”

“We weren’t told much,” Lockwood added. “Only that we were expected to, uh… w-well… er…” He tugged the collar of his jacket. “Hoo boy. Is it hot in here?”

“King Zaratite explained this ‘wedding gift’ was meant to… ensure that my husband and I produced an heir,” Blackburn said, turning slightly red in the face. Teasing Lockwood about it was one thing, but speaking plainly to a stranger about the reproductive intention of tonight was a touch awkward.

Ziala smiled and gave a small laugh. “Our great Goddess Layk’s domains art Life, Love, Nature, and... Fertility.”

“Oh. Good. Sounds like we’re in the right place, then,” Lockwood noted with a little grin to Blackburn.

“Please, guests, be relaxed. We’ll take care of everything. Well… most everything,” she added with a smirk.

Ziala gestured with a clap of her hooves to the other zebra mares, who immediately moved to flank Blackburn and Lockwood and, without speaking a single word, began disrobing the couple. The two pegasi resisted at first, but the zebra priestesses seemed insistent and strong, though they were gentle and assuring in their actions. The couple eventually relented, and soon their clothes were folded neatly and placed on a receptacle in the corner were they would later be taken to be cleaned.

Ziala then gestured towards the large bath pool, and the other priestesses led Blackburn and Lockwood over with sweet smiles on their faces. As they gently escorted Blackburn in first, the two priestesses with her disrobed as well in a smooth, swift motion. Blackburn noted that her assessment was correct: these mares were very physically fit, able to easily overpower if they wanted.

The other two priestesses did the same with Lockwood, who was overcome with nervousness as he entered into the water; Blackburn could tell his fear of drowning wasn’t overpowering him, but that it must be taking a lot of effort to put such thoughts aside.

One of the priestesses with Lockwood eyed him curiously. “Good sir, please, thou canst relax here. What is wrong?” A variation of the meter the High Priestess used, Blackburn noted.

Lockwood gulped and made sure his head was above the water before speaking. “I, uh… I h-have a terrible f-fear of drowning. Even b-baths make me nervous…”

Blackburn frowned and quickly added, “A long story, very private. Is there an alternative?”

The priestess that had asked the question sidled up gently next to him in the bath, pressing herself against him closely. Blackburn would normally get a rise about a mare being so intimate with her stallion but she could see nothing in her expression that hinted at anything other than motherly affection. She wasn’t bothered. Much.

“Worry not, sir. I am here for thee. I will help keep thy head above the water. Hath no fear.”

Lockwood gulped again and nodded. “O-okay. Sure… ah… b-but um… wh-what are you doing now?” he asked when the mare’s hooves ventured beneath the water, which was so clean that Blackburn could see said hooves brushing along Lockwood’s stomach.

“Why, good sir, we must clean thee now. Please, relax.”

The couple were kept on opposite sides of the bath, far enough away from one another that they could not interact physically with each other but were still in plain sight. The priestesses procured several jars of creamy liquids from the side of the bath and, with gentle nods of acknowledgement to both one another and to the couple, they began to clean Blackburn and Lockwood of all the sweat, dirt, and dried blood that still dirtied their coats. But this seemed more than a physical cleaning, but also spiritual, as though the bath would cleanse the couple of their worries and stress all the same.

Blackburn knew that neither she nor her betrothed had had any true sensual stimulation in literal years. Obviously not with one another, but not privately either. Blackburn had had a particularly grating time as her heat cycles were agonizing; she had to contend with Briarthorn’s constant come-ons, and though Gadget tried her best to assist her with medicines and spells, Blackburn was intensely jealous that the other mare could freely find a stallion to deal with her own heats and that just made it worse.

Blackburn knew that Lockwood, on the other hoof, had never been one to notice that mares had been throwing themselves at him for years, and even if he had, he’d have never considered betraying Blackburn’s trust or his own moral code to take advantage of any of them. All the same, she’d never known him to take matters into his own hooves, i.e. masturbate, and though she’d understand if he did—she had to do so herself occasionally—she just knew he didn’t.

Now, though, these zebra mares were softly, thoroughly, and most importantly, sensually cleaning every inch of their bodies; it was embarrassing and exciting all at the same time. Blackburn had to suppress gasps and moans as the two priestesses used sponges and hooves to scrub not just her coat, mane, and tail, but also her nethers. Lockwood was clearly struggling equally as hard to keep his own excitement in check as the priestesses earnestly scrubbed his cock and balls.

Blackburn thought she should be annoyed that a mare other than herself was so involved with her stallion’s privates, but being here to watch it happen somehow made her… excited. Not because he was going to have sex with these zebra mares in front of her—so she hoped—but that they were preparing him for her.

The weirdest thing about it to either of them was the dedicated, diligent manner the zebra mares went about the cleaning; while for Blackburn—and Lockwood as well, she could tell—this was a very sexually-exciting situation, watching one another be touched so sensually, for the priestesses this was just their religious duty. They didn’t look bored, no, but they were definitely not in danger of enjoying this like the pegasi were. This was… work.

In the meanwhile, Ziala had disrobed as well, though she remained outside the bath on the other side of the room, and busied herself with other tasks: stirring a strange paint that glowed a subtle icy blue; using a mortar and pestle to mix together herbs into a fine green powder that she then mixed into a red, viscous liquid; lighting savory-smelling incensed candles around the bed and littering the sheets with flower petals.

Blackburn started breathing heavily as the scent of the herbal-infused shampoo entered her nostrils; it was an intoxicating smell she couldn’t recognize, but it made her feel lightheaded, comfortable, relaxed. This made it easier for the priestesses to attend to her more thoroughly, and Blackburn couldn’t tell if she was ashamed or not that she was letting these zebra mares arouse her so.

One of the zebras tending to her, whose hoof was rubbing a sponge against Blackburn’s inner thighs, glanced over at Lockwood, then back to Blackburn. She spoke with a gentle tone: “Please, tell me, how long has it been since thy last?”

Blackburn, normally very private except with her closest friends about this sort of thing, couldn’t stop herself from talking. “Five years.”

The zebra cooed sadly. “Oh, poor dear. A mare such as thee? What a shame.”

“Couldn’t help it. Separated from… from him,” Blackburn breathed, eyeing Lockwood as she said it. “I am his, he is mine. Would not have any other. Would never.”

“Neither would I,” Lockwood added from across the bath, clearly experiencing the same free-flowing lightheadedness that she was.

“Mmm, true love. Such a sweet feeling. Tell me more.”

Blackburn and Lockwood let their words flow together, giving a brief summary of the events that had brought them into their relationship. His kindness and generosity towards her; his willingness to sacrifice himself for her betterment; her vengeful rampage against those that had hurt him; the years they shared together; the years they spent apart; his journey to reunite with her.

One of the priestesses cleaning Lockwood, her hoof on a sponge currently cleaning his semi-erect length, murmured with appreciation. “This good sir earned his scars in battle. He is brave. The strong love that he has for thee deserves praise.”

Lockwood smirked and seemed to let himself relax a little more in the water, which made Blackburn glad. Maybe he’d be able to battle his fear via this… unique experience. “I’m glad somezebra thinks I’m brave, at least.”

A flicker of realization crossed the mare’s face. “Ah, that’s right, thou wast challenged by Sir Zircon.”

“Ehh… yeah, but… I guess that the other zebras didn’t think these scars were earned fairly?” Lockwood mumbled, flexing his injured wing as the other priestess gently cleaned his feathers.

“Sir Zircon will understand when he learns more. He is good; a brave zebra knight; noble heart.” The priestess let out a wistful sigh.

Blackburn recalled Lockwood mentioning that Sir Zircon had been clearly sought after by several zebra mares in the city, and wondered how they would react if they knew he’d fallen deeply in love with a unicorn mare. 

And, if she were a betting mare—she was, by the way—had likely consummated their love together just the night before. She had to wonder if Rarity had returned home expecting… well, expecting. The mare didn’t seem the type, but Blackburn never eliminated possibilities.

After several minutes of deep cleaning, the priestesses finished cleansing the couple of their filth and inhibitions, then gestured for Blackburn and Lockwood to exit the bath with them. The royal couple was then escorted to the center of the room and toweled off so that they were completely dry; this, too, was thorough, but the two pegasi weren’t as bothered anymore and allowed the priestesses to get into every nook and cranny that they needed, offering no resistance.

Ziala waited for them with her presentation of paints, which she gestured to with a smile. “This enchanted paint provideth great benefits once we hath painted upon thy bodies: stamina, stimulation, sensitivity. Please, remaineth still while we apply it to where thou shalt need it most.”

The zebra priestesses except for Ziala herself each grabbed a brush in their mouths, dipped them with the glowing, enchanted paint, then began applying it to Blackburn and Lockwood, who did their best to do just as they were asked.

The priestesses started with the couples’ faces: spiral patterns on their foreheads and a stripe from the bottom lip to the chin. The zebra mare currently applying it to Lockwood’s face was careful around Lockwood’s injured eye; he seemed surprised by the fact that she wasn’t bothered looking directly at it so closely, as many ponies had been. Blackburn chalked it up to them considering it an honorable injury, so they wouldn’t be revolted by it anymore than they would by a nasty scar or a missing limb.

Next, the priestesses moved to the couples’ forelegs, applying stripes that spiraled up from hoof to shoulder at a precise incline; the same was done to the hindlegs. Next were the couples’ barrels and backs: wavy patterns made with tight curves. Tree-shaped patterns were then applied to their flanks, directly over their cutie marks.

Until this point, it had been generally easy for Blackburn and Lockwood to remain calm and still, aside from the discomfort of the cold paint being applied to them in what was otherwise a warm room after a hot bath. But then the painters proceeded to the couples’ genitals, and this was where the exactitude of the painting finally ended, as they had obviously different anatomy.

Blackburn shuddered as the cool paint was brushed along the underside of her stomach, right over her womb, and trailed down with a flowing, spreading pattern—like a waterfall—over and around her vaginal entrance. Once her portion of the painting was done, Blackburn clenched her teeth and shuddered as the otherwise warm air of the room felt particularly cold around her nethers; the paint had definitely enhanced her sensitivity, as advertised.

It didn't help matters that Ziala physically inspected every inch of Blackburn’s body that had been painted over, including and especially the paint spread over her groin. It definitely wasn’t helping any that Ziala was very hooves-on in her inspection; the high priestess's hooves felt like magic against her folds, and Blackburn had to put great effort into resisting lifting her tail in excitement.

As for Lockwood, he had to endure a much more detailed and complicated procedure. The priestesses were, again, thorough, and the paints needed to be applied precisely. They started with the heft of his balls, gingerly painting circular spirals that encompassed each. The stimulation was clearly such that Lockwood, who had been miraculously at half-mast for most of the endeavor so far, became stiff as a rock. They weren’t finished yet, though. They first judged his size—unimpressive for a zebra, but respectable for a pegasus—then painted equidistant rings along his length, including a wavy one along his medial ring.

Then, the painting was done at last.

Next, Ziala gave both Blackburn and Lockwood a small ceramic vial of the sweet-smelling red liquid she’d brewed up during the bath. “And now, honored guests, ingest this special mixture, blessed by Layk herself.

“And what do these do?” Lockwood asked inspecting his vial; Blackburn had already pounded hers back like a shot of vodka, wanting to get this moving along as the cool air was making her crotch uncomfortable.

Ziala smiled mischievously. “You will see soon, sir. It will not take long at all. Now please, drink it up.”

Lockwood shrugged and did as he was asked.

Blackburn opened her mouth to ask a question as she had yet to feel anything, but then she paused as the most intense heat she’d ever felt in her life spread through her nethers like wildfire. She started breathing heavily in long, labored pants. She’d completely lost any hint of self-restraint, her tail lifting involuntarily and her pussy winking uncontrollably in anticipation. She looked to Lockwood with a crazed lust in her eyes as five years of separation from him came to a sudden head. It took everything she had to not race over to pin him under her right then and there.

The potion had induced estrus, naturally, but even in this state Blackburn knew it was more than that. It wasn’t an insatiable lust for mating in general as most mares experienced when in heat; it was a single-minded desire for him. She knew this was the first time they’d been able to be intimate since they separated all those years ago, and that after this, she’d have to spend so much time rebuilding and mourning and planning that it might be a long time before she had another opportunity. She didn’t just want him now; she needed him more than she’d ever needed anything before.

Lockwood, meanwhile, could clearly smell her heat as female musk wafted throughout the room; his nostrils flared, eyes widened, and he looked over to her in a stunned daze as the pheromones muddled his senses. She could see his erection stiffen further and his ball twitch and, dare Blackburn say it, grow. The potion seemed to be affecting his virility.

Ziala and the other priestesses then led Blackburn and Lockwood over to the bed, and it was at this point that the two broke formation at last, throwing themselves at each other with reckless abandon. 

It had been a long, long time since the couple had lost their virginity together, but the memories of that night now felt fresh in their minds and their bodies went through the motions now just as they did then, only now with both an experienced and a desperate lust that hadn’t been present that night. They’d had sex more than just the once, but tonight felt like their second first time.

Blackburn pushed Lockwood onto the bed roughly then climbed on top of him and buried her nose into his crotch to inhale his masculine musk. Even though he’d just been cleaned in a bath, his balls were already starting to sweat, and the scent was making her head swim.

She didn’t waste much time down there, though; he was already fully erect and her insides felt like they were on fire. She was worried that if she spent one more minute without impaling herself onto him she’d literally burst into flames. 

So, she clamored up to meet her mate face-to-face, his erection sliding against her chest and stomach as she did, and kissed him more deeply than she’d ever kissed him before, shoving her tongue so far into his mouth that he almost choked. With one hoof she steadied herself on the bed, while with the other, she started to guide his cock towards her winking, hungry nethers. 

She sunk down onto it slowly, letting out a hearty moan of pleasure as soon as the flared head of his cock pushed inside her. She felt a brief relief instantly as he stretched her out for the first time in five long years and she wondered if he’d actually gotten bigger since their last time together. 

The relief didn’t last long, though. She needed the fire inside her quenched now. Lockwood, meanwhile, let out a groan half of pleasure, half of surprise; he clearly hadn’t experienced this in just as long, and he’d certainly never felt her insides this hot before; her heats had never been this bad—at least while they were together—and they'd always used a condom before.

Blackburn didn’t waste time pushing herself further down onto Lockwood’s length, letting out a particularly loud moan as his medial ring pushed its way inside too. It was only a moment before she’d completely engulfed her mate within her, and it was here that she took a moment to breathe heavily and enjoy the fullness she felt.

But Ziala and the priestesses clearly expected and were prepared for the two pegasi to throw themselves in a frenzied lust, as it was perfectly normal given the circumstances. But they still had a religious duty to do, so they climbed onto the bed themselves to make sure things were done properly. They were, of course, clearly quite surprised that Blackburn was taking charge, perhaps not used to seeing the mare lead in their culture.

Blackburn felt herself pried off of Lockwood by the priestesses, which was clearly complicated for them as she was practically begging not to have Lockwood’s cock taken away from her for even a second, not after she’d felt so full. She struggled the entire way, just short of kicking and screaming like a criminal dragged off to jail. Her begging didn’t come so much via words as it did via pathetic mewling.

Eventually the priestesses managed to separate the couple long enough for Zalia to intervene and “help”—force, really—Blackburn into the proper breeding position: on all fours, hindquarters in the air, front down against the bed, presenting herself to her mate. While one priestess kept Lockwood at bay—seeing his mare on display like that was clearly too much for him to resist—two of the others forcefully kept Blackburn in position while Zalia made sure the Queen was all properly splayed out. 

Blackburn had never, ever, relinquished control in anything she did, least of all sex with Lockwood—who liked being dominated—but she was so desperate right now that she allowed it; resisting would make it take longer, she figured.

She could swear that Ziala actually enjoyed this aspect of her duties as high priestess, and perhaps the other priestesses as well. It was the only explanation for why they didn’t just allow Lockwood to move on Blackburn right then and there and just let nature take its course. No, this was intended to be a passionate, sensual affair, and Ziala apparently wanted to make sure the two knew that.

Ziala tended to Blackburn first. Black felt the High Priestess caressing her flanks with gentle motions, and acquiesced to her spreading her legs to give Lockwood a good, honest look at his mate’s winking vagina. She watched Lockwood fruitlessly struggle against the priestess holding him, but it was clear the other mare was stronger than he was; now Blackburn knew that priestesses of Layk had to be strong in order to restrain zebras several times stronger than Lockwood was in these exact circumstances.

Ziala gingerly stroked her hoof right up Blackburn’s slickness in a sensual motion, earning an illicit moan from the Queen, then suddenly stopped, nodded at the other two priestesses, and moved towards Lockwood. The two other priestesses continued Ziala’s earlier massage as Blackburn watched Ziala press her hoof right against Lockwood’s nose, letting the stallion breathe in his mate’s scent deeply; her other hoof gently rubbed along the length of his still-wet shaft, earning a tense shudder from him.

In the meantime, the remaining priestess procured a drum set and began to play a slow, rhythmic tune that matched Blackburn’s heartbeat. Zalia joined in with a low, gentle chant, then, with the help of the other priestesses, guided the stallion over to his mate; he wasted no time at all in approaching Blackburn and mounting her, instinct taking over completely by this point. 

Blackburn felt Zalia run her hooves beneath her to help guide Lockwood’s amusingly colt-like thrusts; Blackburn let out a loud moan when Lockwood found his mark and, thanks to her slick wetness and their earlier, brief engagement, slid all the way to the base without the slightest hint of resistance.

Zalia drew up behind Lockwood and used her hips and hooves to keep Lockwood’s thrusts in tune with the drum beats, while the two priestesses with Blackburn joined in with Zalia’s chanting; they no longer needed to keep Blackburn still, as she was doing just fine on her own, and instead took to caressing Blackburn’s neck and back to relax her.  The two pegasi were unique amongst ponies in experiencing this zebra fertility ritual, which was every bit religious as it was sexual and passionate and thus was treated with a great deal of procedure despite everything.

Lockwood was clearly unable to focus on anything but moving his hips in tune with the beat, his usual calm, polite demeanor giving way to impassioned, feral instinct that actually pushed Blackburn forward and made her bite into the pillow, something she never did with him. She had been reduced to little more than a puddle of sweat and moans by now, her typical unbreakable composure completely replaced by a drooling mess. 

What little coherency Blackburn had left told her that if either of them could see one another the way they were now, they’d be very, very confused: Blackburn a whimpering mess instead of a headstrong, take-charge leader; Lockwood a masculine machine rather than a sweet, sensitive friend to everypony.

The couple had made love many, many times in the two years they were together up north before being separated. This, though, this wasn’t making love, not by any stretch, not anymore. This was fucking they were doing, no, more than that: breeding. All that mattered to Blackburn right now was having her mate’s cock thrusting inside her until he drowned her insides with his seed and gave her a foal; all that Lockwood cared about was giving Blackburn exactly what she wanted. 

Thanks to the enchanted paint decorating his privates, Lockwood was definitely filled with more stamina than usual, and Blackburn was sure by now that it had actually increased his size as well. Despite the heat surrounding his cock as he plunged again and again into her tight depths, he was able to last longer than Blackburn had ever known him to. 

She definitely did not expect to feel his flared tip just barely graze her cervix, and she let out a gasp when he did. Yes he was absolutely bigger than normal if that had happened; before, he’d always been at least an inch away, even when completely hilted within her. And yes, he was hilted right now, not even a fraction of an inch to spare, but that was a depth he could never have hoped to reach before; it was kind of uncomfortable, and she was glad that he was relatively average in size most of the time.

Again and again he just grazed that deepest point, and Blackburn found her eyes rolling back as the new sensation pushed her to her limits. It didn’t take much longer before, with an uncharastically deep whinny, Lockwood tightened his grip around Blackburn’s flanks, thrusting as deep as he could and loosed his seed into Blackburn’s womb. Blackburn bit hard into the sheets of the bed, muffling her cries of satisfaction as the sensation of getting filled finally pushed her over the edge, her tunnel practically gushing as she matched his release with her own.

Lockwood practically collapsed, his body draped over hers as she milked him for everything he was worth. He could barely hold himself steady with one foreleg, the other lovingly moving to Blackburn's stomach. He was not a strong stallion, nor a heavy one, so the effort was unnecessary; Blackburn could support his weight rather easily.

Several eternal seconds passed, but, despite expectations, Lockwood’s erection did not even remotely go down. As he pulled himself out of her, Blackburn let out a groan of protest, the sudden emptiness almost painful. She let herself crumble to the bed, rolling onto her side with hot, heavy breaths as she tried to recover from the experience. Her pussy twitched as her climax wore off, inadvertently squeezing some of his warm cum out.

In the brief post-orgasmic clarity he had, she heard him ask a single, breathless question: “Is this… normal?” he asked, gesturing towards his still-hard stallionhood.

Zalia smiled and shifted her hoof underneath Lockwood to cradle his still-heavy balls, causing him to sharply inhale and shudder at the sudden touch. Blackburn tittered briefly, noting again that if any other mare were to be so forward with him it didn’t matter how strong they were, they’d regret it. But with these zebra priestesses, she felt more self-assured than anything. The gesture was for her—that is, Blackburn’s—benefit, not his or Zalia’s, to let Blackburn know he had plenty more seed to give her.

“Quite normal, young one,” the priestess cooed. “Magic paints for stamina, potion for stiffness. It ensures thy seed will take within thy mate’s womb; no fear of softness.”

Ziala then turned her attention back to Blackburn, who felt the combined fluids of herself and Lockwood leaking onto the bed sheets with every moment that Lockwood wasn’t inside her; Blackburn noted that there was a lot of semen present. A combination of five years of storing up plus the magical potions, perhaps?

“As for thee, my dear,” Ziala said, “if thou needest some respite, then please, sayeth so.”

Blackburn rolled onto her back, wings splayed beneath her. She’d given up any pretense at this point of doing things in the way she and Lockwood considered normal. The zebras had made it clear by now that, despite their normal dichotomy, Lockwood was to be the dominant one tonight. Between the paints, potions, and the passion she felt right now, she didn’t care; if anything, it turned her on more than anything that for once in her life, she wasn’t required to take charge. She didn’t need to hold back. She was allowed to indulge herself.

She barely managed to voice her opinion on the matter: “...keep going…”

Lockwood didn’t need to be told twice, and positioned himself over her, flared tip at her entrance. “As you wish, Your Majesty,” he said in her ear before kissing her neck.

He trailed his kisses up to her ear, then to her lips where he could kiss her fully. His hooves caressed her flanks, gently at first, then brusquely as he gripped her tight and thrust himself inside all in one go.


*****


Blackburn woke up several hours later, sorer than she’d ever felt before, but wrapped in Lockwood’s embrace; he was just waking up as well and seemed just as disoriented. A brief glance around her told her they were still in the private chamber from the night before, which had been cleaned of all the stink of sex and obvious physical evidence of the deed, both on the bed and on themselves; she wasn’t sure if they’d been bathed or not, but that was the only thing she could think of. She didn’t remember much.

A slight shift of her position told them that they were not alone in the bed; Zalia and her priestesses were present as well, surrounding the loving couple with the warmth of their bodies, still very nude, just as they were. Blackburn remembered little of the night apart from arriving in the room, getting bathed and painted, then mostly just a blur after that. The snippets she could remember were something she would always have in her mind, and a glance at Lockwood told her he thought the same; the passion they felt… no, the raw, unfiltered, unrestrained lust.

While the other priestesses slept soundly, Zalia was awake. She noticed the couple waking as well, and gave them a polite smile. “Ah, our guests now wake. I hope thy dreams were pleasant. How art thou feeling?”

“Sore…” Blackburn said with a roll of her neck. “Did… um… did the ritual… succeed? Am I—”

Zalia shushed Blackburn with a hoof to the lips. “Thou shalt know in time. Thou needest not worry, dear. This ritual is ancient tradition. The blessings of Lady Layk art now upon thee,” she added, pressing her hoof to Blackburn’s stomach.

Lockwood, red in the face, cleared his throat. “So, um… wh-what’s next?”

Zalia smiled. “I hath been told this: His Majesty hath allowed use of this chamber for all of the day. Perhaps thou needeth breakfast before we go on?” she added with a knowing smirk, gesturing for the paints and potions that were still set up at the center of the room.

Blackburn and Lockwood shared a brief look, an excited, breathless smile played across both their faces.

This was going to be a fun day.
> 4. Havocwing/Elusive: Passion for Fashion
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Havocwing woke up that morning with a single thought in her mind: today was the day. She wasn’t going to putz around any more; she was going to do it. For real. Nothing was going to stop her, because nothing ever stopped her from doing whatever she set her mind to. She was a bad-ass to the core!

So she got out of bed, stretched her wings, pumped herself up with a quick morning workout and a light breakfast, then headed into the bathroom to get herself ready. She'd gathered a few tips from Rarity—multiple Raritys, in fact—to know what she was doing and how to get do this just right.

Brushing her teeth was the most important of course, since bad breath would absolutely ruin any chance she had; she'd even picked out the cinnamon flavored stuff, having it on good authority it would add a few points. She made sure that she was all washed up and that she smelled her best, from the top of her mane to the tip of her tail; a little jasmine, apparently, went a long a way. She even styled everything just right as best as she could with her short mane smoothed back and her short tail brushed so it was silky smooth; the butch style wasn't important as long as it looked tidy and clean.

Yeah, Havoc thought as she checked herself out in the mirror, that’ll do just nicely. I look hot as hell.

Once she was satisfied with how she looked, she left her hotel room—Ponyville’s hotel was surprisingly roomy and vacant—and walked a few doors down the hall to Curaçao’s, gave it a brief knock, and waited. Curaçao didn’t keep her waiting, but seemed surprised to see her.

“Ah… 'Avoc?” Curaçao said, blinking and looking out into the hall as if expecting more ponies to be present. “Zis is a surprise, oui? Nopony else is ‘ere wiz you?”

“Nope, just me, sis,” Havoc scoffed. “Good morning to you too, by the way.”

“Ah, yes, bonjour indeed, pardonne-moi. You just surprised me, is all. I’m… not used to being surprised by anyzing. What can I do for you zis lovely morning?”

“Well, first, can I come in so we’re not talking out here in the hall? Sheesh, I give you one little surprise and you suddenly forget all your manners. Rude?”

Curaçao coughed into her hoof and nodded. “Oui, of course, come in.” She stepped aside and allowed Havoc to enter the room, then closed the door behind them. “So, to what do I owe zee pleasure of zis early morning visit, hmm? You look razer dashing, by zee way. And is zat... jasmine I smell? What is zee occasion?”

Havoc took a breath, then steeled herself for any potential ridicule and asked, “How do I get a stallion to notice me?” Straightforward and to the point, like everything she did. No wasting time with subtle wordplay for her, no sir.

Curaçao was given a clear pause by the question and blinked several times. “Ah… pardon? Say again?”

“You heard me, sis. How do I get a stallion to notice me? And not just any stallion, but the kind that you’d be into? A fancy stallion, I mean. Yeah, how do I get a real high-class prettycolt dude that would normally be into a fancy chick like you to notice a mare like me? Because I'm... pretty much the opposite of fancy.”

Curaçao paused again, then shook her head. “I am confused. Zis… zis is all completely out of nowhere, and you ‘ave no idea ‘ow odd it is zat I was not prepared for zis. So, zere is a stallion, a ‘fancy’ one zat you are trying to attract? I mean, a specific one? And you actually want to try and attract ‘is attention, not just oggle ‘im from afar as you usually do?”

Havoc rolled her eyes. “Holy shit, yes. C’mon, Curie, you’re supposed to be the smart one. I came to you because you’re good with stallions and stuff and you’re the only one I trust to give me good advice, and we’re totally into the same type of guys.”

“Ah, I am not so sure—”

"Oh, don't to play humble with me. I see all kinds of dudes hitting on you but you turn 'em all down, so you've clearly got super high standards like I do," Havoc said with a grin. "That's why I came to you, not Red. I'd ask her to give me some pointers, but she’s a cock-hungry slut and this guy I'm into is definitely not into that kind of mare. He’s got some class and panache, y’know?”

Curaçao chuckled into her hoof. “Ahaha, oui, but I do not zink our sister would appreciate you talking about ‘er in such a vulgar fashion, non?”

“Bullshit. She’d be the first mare in the world to say she’s a cock-hungry slut, especially if stallions are nearby that might be interested in an easy mare like that, of which I’m sure there are plenty. I mean, we’ve only been in this world for a week and she’s fucked like eight different dudes—”

“Zee number is actually… much smaller zan zat,” Curaçao noted.

“What, like six? Five?”

“More like one.”

Havoc was shocked. Shocked. “Really? Just the one? Huh… but she acted like she's been getting dick all week? You're sure just one guy?"

"Oui, quite sure. Our sister asked me for... permission, let us say?"

"Huh? Why?”

Curaçao smiled and shrugged. “As awkward as it might sound, I’m razer glad that it is zis world's version of my original zat she ‘as managed to dig ‘er claws into. 'E is trustworthy and will treat 'er right, non?”

Havoc was given pause now. “Whoa, no way. She’s fucking Applejack?”

Oh, that would be an important bit of information, wouldn’t it? Havocwing and her sisters currently found themselves in the world of Equestria-Cross, an alternate version of Equestria where all the males and females were of opposite genders compared to their canonical counterparts. It had taken some getting used to at first, but eventually the group had settled in rather well. Red Velvet most of all, it seemed.

“Oui, and ‘as done so more zan once, which is probably where your confusion stems. In fact she did not return to zee ‘otel last night, so I suspect it is now… nine times.” She shook her head. “I only ‘ope she is being smart about it. Our sister, ‘ow you say, craves zee touch of a stallion, and I know she isn’t irresponsible, but... I worry.”

“Ah, it'll be fine. I don’t think Red’s dumb enough to get herself knocked up while we’re still trying to work all this personal stuff out. You say she asked for your... 'permission'? Heh, how'd that conversation go? 'Hey sis, I hope this isn't awkward but I want to fuck the guy version of the chick you were cloned from'?"

"Zat... is actually exactly 'ow she said it." Curaçao shrugged. "I do not find it awkward, zough."

Havoc just shook her head and grinned. “Huh… well, good for her. He’s just her type: tall, strong, muscles, sweat, and all that jazz. Don’t know what he sees in her, though. Besides his dick, ha.

“But anyway,” Havoc continued, shaking her head, “like I said, I can’t ask her for help. She and I aren’t into the same type of guys. She likes ‘em big and strong, the kind of stallion that could probably rip her in half. I’m into the… y’know, sensitive type. Like you are. Dudes in touch with their feminine side?”

Curaçao raised an eyebrow. “And what makes you zink I am ‘into’ zat sort of stallion, hmm?”

“Uh… duh? Because you’re you? Ha, don’t tell me you’re into the big, muscular guys like Red is, because we talked about this and you know you’re not supposed to be lying to us. I mean, even I could spot that one from a mile away.”

“Ah, non, I am not, trust me.”

“See? So, what, you’re not into fancy guys then? Are you into like, I dunno, the roguish athletic type? Oh shit, ew, don’t tell me you’re into guys like Rainbow Blitz?” she blanched. “Yuck.”

Even across worlds she still had her rivalry with Rainbow Dash, and it didn’t matter if Dash was a dude or not even a pony. Most of the time the feeling was mutual, too, just something that clicked between the two that made them want to compete at everything, and not like how Rainbow and Applejack competed, but more… serious.

She usually enjoyed it in that sense, except for the few times it had made certain alternate Rainbows—Blitz included—think she was into them like that. She’d kicked Rainbow Blitz in the balls so hard yesterday that she would be surprised if he would ever walk again. 

Dude deserved it for trying to mack on me, Havoc thought.

Curaçao rolled her eyes, clearly impatient. “Non, zat is not—”

“Phew! Thank goodness for that. I’d have to disown you, y’know? Ugh, can you imagine what the kids would look like? Gross.” She cleared her throat. “So what kind of guy are you—”

Curaçao sighed and set a hoof on Havoc’s shoulder. “Sister… what I am about to tell you, you are zee first to know.” She paused. “Well, zee second, technically. Insipid already knows zis, but she figured it out all by ‘erself. You are still zee first one I am telling, zough. I was ‘oping to tell you all at once, but—”

Havoc snorted. “Ha, bullshit, Insipid couldn’t figure her way out of a wet paper bag.”

Curaçao gave her a serious glare that told her she’d crossed a line.

Havoc held up her hooves. “Right, right, sorry, no more calling Insipid stupid. I’m trying to get better. I am. My bad. Go on then, sis, spill.”

Curaçao took a breath. “I am not interested in stallions, 'Avoc. At all.”

“Ohhh, I get it. Kinda like Star? Wow, that’s gotta be disappointing for a lot of dudes.” Havoc shook her head. “I mean, not that Star’s disappointing anypony. I don’t think a lotta guys are into a mare who’s smarter than them and could vaporize them. Hmm… maybe Dusk Shine—”

“No, not like Star,” Curaçao interrupted. “She is, ‘ow you say, asexual and aromantic. She does not believe sex and love are important or necessary for somepony like ‘er and plans to live ‘er life wizout such zings. I am not like zat. I am very much of zee opinion zat sex and love are important to my life, oui?”

“Okay… so… I’m not sure I—” Then, Havocwing paused, mouth agape. “Ohhh. You’re into chicks?”

“Oui,” Curaçao said dryly, “I am 'into chicks’. I zought zat my coming out would be ‘andled wiz a bit more tact. Of course you’re zee first one I tell. Of course.”

“Oh, I’ve got loads of tact, sis. I ooze tact. So you like mares, what’s the big deal? You’re my sister, and I love you, and I don’t care what team you play for, y’know?”

Curaçao smiled. “Merci, ‘Avoc. Zat… means a lot.”

"How'd Insipid figure that out on her own, though? I mean, you said that none of us know but her, right?"

"Our sister 'as a sort of sixième sens about what a pony wants and desires, non? Well, she 'as noticed zat I 'ave been, 'ow you say, 'checking out' mares in some of zese worlds we 'ave visited," she said with a tinge of red in her cheeks.

"No shit? Huh. Like who?"

"Zat is not important right now, 'Avoc."

"Right, right. Well anyway, my prior statement still stands,” Havoc said with a shrug, pleased to have handled that so well. “You being into chicks? Disappointing for lots of dudes. Unless you let them watch or something. I mean, then hey, I think they can live with that,” she added with a shit-eating grin.

Curaçao rolled her eyes. “Did you want my ‘elp or not?”

“Right. Okay, so, yeah… I guess I can’t really ask you for advice on how to get a guy to notice me. Shit.” Havoc turned and banged her head on the wall. “Damn, damn, damn. Don’t tell me I have to ask Red for advice on this? I know Insipid’s useless on these things and Gray’s probably the same as Star is, so who else can I turn to before we have to leave?”

“Do not fret, ‘Avoc. I think I can still be of some assistance. Let me see… you are looking to attract zee attention of a ‘fancy’ stallion, hmm?” Curaçao smirked and set her hoof on Havoc’s shoulder. “Considering all zee effort you 'ave put in, I zink I know exactly who you’ve got your eye on. And let me say zat you ‘ave come to zee right mare if you want 'elp wiz 'im, oui?”

"R-really? You'll help?"

"Of course, 'Avoc, what are sisters for?" With a grin, she added, "Zough I must say, you cannot give Red Velvet any trouble for wanting to 'ave 'er way wiz zee male version of one of her sisters' originals, non?"


*****


“This is the stupidest plan I’ve ever heard,” Havocwing grunted as she strode her way up the walkway leading towards Carousel Boutique. “I can’t believe I let you talk me into this. He's never gonna buy it, it’s never gonna work.”

“If you want to attract zee attention of your fancy paramour, 'Avoc, zen you must know what to say and ‘ow to say it. I will guide you along, oui? Trust me, I only ‘ave your best interests at ‘eart.”

Curaçao spoke to Havocwing via the telepathic connection that she and her sisters shared with one another. Though it was weaker in universes outside of their own, it was only limited by range. As such, Curaçao had volunteered her afternoon to lend Havocwing all the assistance she’d need, and was already waiting stealthily outside the Carousel’s window hiding in a bush or up a tree, Havoc wasn’t sure which.

“You’re really sure that if I just spit out a bunch of fancy fashion words and shit that he’ll make a move on me?”

“Oui. Also, you will improve your chances if you don’t use such vulgar language’ in front of ‘im like zat, not while we are trying to ‘butter ‘im up’, so to say. Maybe later ‘e won’t mind, but keep it under control until zen."

"Yeah yeah, I've been working on keeping that toned down in public everywhere we've been. Suck that a bunch of snowflakes can't handle a few cuss words."

"Are you ready?”

“Yeah… as I’ll ever be.” 

“Zen, allons-y!”

Havoc took a breath, then knocked on the door.

“One moment!” came a luscious male’s voice from the other side.

Precisely one moment later, and the door opened to reveal Elusive, the stallion of Havoc’s eye. She knew he was basically just the dude version of Rarity, but that was exactly the sort of guy that she got totally hot for.

The only other stallion in this damn backwater podunk that could compare was Butterscotch, but since he was just the dude version of Fluttershy, and she was a clone of Fluttershy, Havoc just did not click with him at all. At least, not like that. Butterscotch was more like the brother she never had, and she wasn't about to fuck her brother.

Elusive, though, was the cream of the crop. He was pretty like a mare despite being a stallion, and had a trill in his voice that just screamed to Havoc that he was very much in touch with his feminine side. He had a svelte figure that Havoc knew would feel soft and smooth in her hooves. Best of all, he looked damn good in a suit, and had this amazingly pert ass that Havoc could just sink her teeth—

“Oh, hello there,” Elusive said, breaking her from her daydream. “Don’t I know you from somewhere? Ah! You’re… Havocwing, right? You and your sisters are new in town.”

Oh shit, he remembers my name! Havoc thought, smiling to herself. That’s gotta be a good sign.

“A very good sign, oui,” Curaçao replied, able to hear Havoc’s ‘out-loud’ thoughts through their connection. “Don’t keep ‘im waiting, respond! Just a simple ‘ello will do.”

“Uh… yeah! Hi! Havocwing’s me, that I am, yes.” Havocwing sputtered. Ha, nailed it.

“So… what can I do for you, darling?” Elusive asked with a smile that made Havocwing’s heart flutter.

“Oh… um…”

“Ouah, focus, ‘Avoc. Say you came to see ‘is selection of dresses.”

“Dresses!” Havoc blurted. “I, uh… came to see your selection of dresses. Yup, that’s me. The… dress enthusiast.” Havoc still couldn’t believe she’d agreed to this. Dresses and frills and lace were so not her thing. But if it would get Elusive’s attention…

“Oh, certainly,” Elusive said with a grin as he stepped aside. “Come on in, dear, take a look around.”

Havoc gulped and did as she was asked, stepping inside to look around the Boutique. It looked exactly the same as just about every Rarity’s Carousel Boutique so far, only a little taller to accommodate the stallion that lived here and with more stallion ponyquins than mares. The coloring of the walls and floors and drapes were all otherwise identical, so despite being owned by a stallion it was still very frilly and feminine in appearance. Which was just perfect, of course, because it meant he was just a little frilly and feminine.

There were also many, many more clothes fit for stallions as well, and only a paltry selection of dresses, all of which were so frilly and pretty and pink that Havoc was desperately worried she’d have to actually wear one in order to make this plan work.

“So, did you have anything in mind, my dear? A particular style, perhaps?” Elusive asked, eyeing Havocwing over. “Your figure definitely suggests a few things, if you don’t mind my saying. I might be able to make a suggestion if you’re hesitant or unsure.”

Oh shit he’s checking me out! It’s working! Havoc thought, consciously sashaying her rear a little bit for him.

“Okay, ‘Avoc, zis next part is very simple. Ask ‘im if ‘e ‘as anyzing of zee ‘Haute Couture’ style.”

“Ah… I was wondering if you have anything Haute Couture?” Havoc asked with a little smile.

Elusive gave Havocwing an appraising look and scoffed. “My dear, forgive me if this sounds… rude, but did somepony else tell you to say that when you walked in here? You don’t strike me as the sort to be interested in high-end fashion.”

Shit! Curie, you dumb blueberry, he’s onto me—

“Calm down, calm down. Zis is part of zee plan. Now you will tell ‘im you ‘eard it meant somezing zat ‘e made ‘imself—from scratch—and zat you are very interested in ‘is designs.”

Havocwing gulped. “Uh… w-well, yeah, but I heard Haute Couture meant something that you made from scratch yourself, and I was more interested in your designs.”

That gave Elusive pause. “Really? Hmm. Well, I apologize for my earlier statement then. I get a lot of mares who come in here asking about ‘Haute Couture’ just because they heard it just meant ‘high-end fashion’ and assumed they could get clothes from other designers. The number of mares who think I sell designs by Serendipity is just… ugh. I respect her as an artist, but our styles are completely different.”

“So, uh… do you—”

“Oh! Oh, right right, of course. Well… to be blunt, yes and no. I do have several dresses in my own style, but… well, sad to say none of them would be a good match for you, dear. Your coloring would clash horribly, and your figure is not quite right.”

“Oh…” Havoc said with a frown, her wings drooping and her heart beginning to crack.

“For those particular dresses, I mean!” Elusive hastily added. “You do have a nice figure, my dear. Quite nice, actually. Smaller than most of the mares I typically have as clients, but… hmm, no, that still sounds rather insulting. What I mean to say is, your figure is lithe and… aerodynamic. Yes, yes, that’s good. You surely must be an excellent flyer.”

“Oh. Uh… thanks,” she said, her smile returning. “Yeah, I’m pretty boss at flying.”

“Now ask if per’aps ‘e could make a dress especially for you.”

“Right so, uh… since you don’t have anything right for me now, maybe you could make a new dress just for me? Like… customized or whatever?”

Elusive thought on this. “Hmm… well, I must warn you that custom dresses are typically reserved for very exclusive clients and can get quite expensive.”

“I mean, money ain’t a problem,” Havocwing said with a grin. Her sister Starlight had ensured that the gang had more than enough bits to spend everywhere they went, though Havoc wasn’t sure how. Probably a counterfeiting spell or something.

“Oh, I didn't mean to imply you couldn’t afford it, darling, just that there are less expensive options that would likely be better suited to you. I could certainly make something exclusively to your tastes, but perhaps you should consider other options first, yes?”

“Okay, now ask if 'e 'as any recommendations for your figure.”

“In that case, do you have any suggestions? For me, I mean. My figure.”

Elusive hummed and nodded, circling around Havoc briefly and eyeing her figure carefully. “Hmm… yes, yes… perhaps. I think it would best if I take your measurements, of course, before I make any serious suggestions. If you’d give me permission—”

“Yeah!” Havoc blurted, her wings flaring out a little. “I… I mean. Yeah. Sure. Measurements. I’m cool with that. So, uh… do you want me to stand somewhere, or…?”

Elusive waved a hoof towards a station in front of several mirrors, where Havoc noticed some measuring tape, pins, and other things that she assumed were used in the task of measuring another’s figure. She stepped over to the indicated spot and stood where she was instructed, and watched eagerly as Elusive grabbed up all of the tools at once with his magic and set to work.

She simply stood there as Elusive began placing the measuring tape up to different parts of her anatomy, humming to himself all the while. The process was slow and precise, and Havoc found it somewhat uncomfortable to stand so still for so long. She was never one to be patient, and this was as bad as waiting in line for the bathroom at a concert.

“Stand still please, darling,” Elusive requested as he gently tapped the tape against her haunch.

“R-right, sorry,” Havoc muttered, snapping back to attention. “Not used to this kind of thing, y’know?”

“Mmhmm, I’ve noticed. So, Miss Havocwing, would you mind telling me exactly what it is you’re doing here?” he asked without stopping his measurement-taking.

Havoc froze up a little, completely caught off-guard by the question. “Uh… what do you mean, my dude? I mean... Elusive. What do you mean, Elusive? I’m here for a dress, duh. Like I said. Haute Couture?”

“Uh huh. Sure you are.” And still, he did not cease taking her measurements.

“No, for real, I am!”

“Listen, dear, at this point you’ve taken up a fair amount of my time with whatever game it is you’re playing, so I’d very much like to know why you’re really here. I’ve seen you out and about and know that you’re about as much interested in dresses as our dear Applejack is in fancy suits.”

“Uh… no way, man, I’m… I’m totally into dresses. Like… lace and… uh… silk? Satin? Um... hemlines? Those are all... dress terms... right?”

Elusive narrowed his eyes. Yet he still did not cease taking her measurements. “Please, darling, just... stop. Don’t embarrass yourself with needless fabrications. You obviously came here with some ulterior motive, and I'm not mad, just... curious. What is this all about?”

Shit! What do I do, sis? He’s got me dead to rights! Havoc thought in a panic.

She waited for Curaçao to respond. 

But Curaçao did not do so.

Curie? Sis? Where’d you… oh, you bitch, I swear to—

“Darling? An answer please?” Elusive asked again, clearing his throat.

Havocwing gulped and let out a breath. “Okay… okay, look. This was a mistake. You’re right, I’m not interested in stupid dresses or ‘Haute Couture’ or whatever that is, and I'd rather be dead that have to wear anything pink or lacy or frilly. That was all… just a front. To, uh… to talk to you.”

Elusive paused, now caught off-guard himself, but he still kept taking measurements like a professional. “I beg your pardon?”

“Look, Elusive… I’m gonna be totally honest with you here. You’re like… super fine. I did all this ‘proper lady’ stuff because I wanted to, uh… y’know… get your attention and maybe take an interest in me or whatever. ‘Cause I mean, I’m totally interested in you.”

“You… you are?”

“I mean… yeah? Like I said: super fine.”

“Huh. I wouldn’t think I’d be your type…” Elusive shook his head. “Hmph. I’m not convinced that somepony didn’t put you up to this to play a joke on me, not just yet. So, Miss Havocwing, what do you find ‘super fine’ about me, then?”

“Shit, everything,” Havoc said with a grin. “You’re… gorgeous, and I don’t use that word, like, ever.”

Elusive hummed and gave her a little smirk. “Well, I suppose I can’t argue with you there. I am gorgeous.”

“That and your ass is amazing,” she added, biting her lip.

Elusive snorted in amusement. “Aha. That’s… that’s a new one. Most mares don’t compliment my rear-end so readily. The gorgeous part I get, though. Often. From you though it sounds… well, like it has a little more ‘oomph’ to it. You’re right, you definitely don’t seem the type of mare to use that sort of word lightly.”

Havocwing laughed. “Right? But it fits you, dude. I mean, I bet you’ve got mares beating down your door all the time.”

“Hmm. Not exactly, but I appreciate the thought.” Elusive cleared his throat. “So what is this all about then? Are you looking to court me? Hoping we might start dating, perhaps that we get married in the future? I’m afraid to disappoint you, my dear, but—”

“Oh. Oh no no, my guy, marriage? I mean, wow, that’s not me at all. I ain’t nopony’s wife, or ever gonna be. I mean, look at me, do I look like I’m gonna be walking down any aisles in a froo-froo dress, getting rice thrown at me?”

All of that was pretty much true. Now, she wasn’t opposed to the thought of dating, especially not with a guy like Elusive, but she knew that she and her sisters were leaving in a few days to visit another alternate universe. That was why she felt she had to take this chance or she’d probably lose her shot forever.

“So what are you here for then?”

Havocwing bit her lip. “I was just kinda hoping we could, like… y’know… bang, or whatever.”

Elusive was taken aback, and yet he still continued taking measurements, though Havoc noticed a brief lapse. “My oh my, that's... so brazenly forward of you. You certainly don’t beat around the bush, do you Miss Havocwing?”

“I mean, yeah, that’s what I do. Or don’t do, I guess. Beat bushes.”

She noticed Elusive's little grin, which made her heart beat a little faster. "Well then, this is... quite interesting. Definitely not the first thing I thought you'd ask when you came in here. I'm flattered."

She also noticed the measuring tape snaking around her every which way, even in places she thought he’d already measured. She figured she’d started fidgeting again and he was trying to keep her still, and boy, was it working. She couldn’t even stretch her wings and fly away if she wanted to. Not that she wanted to, but pegasus instincts sometimes kicked in.

She gave a little shrug, hard as it was to do with the tape restricting her movement so much. “So, like… yeah, that’s why I’m here with all this tape all over me, I guess. I was just trying to see if we could have a little fun bumping uglies or something. Nothing serious.”

Elusive seemed to ponder this, and Havocwing was worried she’d been too forward.

Shit shit shit, guys like him don’t like mares who are like that! They like broads that play stupid little flirty games and shit, like giggling and playing with their manes and making them buy dinner. Fuck, I fucked up, I fucked up—

“So… no strings attached, then?” Elusive asked. “You’re just looking for a one-night stand, so to speak?”

It was Havoc’s turn to pause. “I mean… yeah?”

Elusive nodded. “Well, darling, I don’t see why we couldn’t partake in a little rendezvous if that’s what you want. We’re both grown adults, are we not? I'm beautiful, you're beautiful, so why not? We can make our own decisions.”

“Totally, yeah! Wait, you... think I'm beautiful?"

Elusive hummed, a little grin on his face. "As I said earlier, you have a wonderful figure, and I'd be lying if I said I haven't noticed the confidence with which you carry yourself. Nor did it escape my notice that you have just the most wonderful perfume; jasmine is my favorite. It's all rather enticing."

"I, uh... knew you'd like it," Havoc said with a little grin of her own. "So... wow, you’re… you’re really agreeing to this?” She shook her head and puffed out her chest. “I mean… yeah, of course you are. Why wouldn’t you? I’m awesome.”

Elusive tittered. “Careful now, dear. You’re sounding like our good friend Rainbow Blitz, and I very much doubt that’s somepony you want me to compare you to.”

“Oh, hell no, not at all. But like… you’re serious? We’re doing this?”

“I don’t see why not. I normally don’t do this sort of thing, but then I’ve never had a mare be so forward about what she wanted with me before. You’re certainly not my usual taste in a mare, but… that excites me a little, hmm? Perhaps I’ll give the wild side a little taste.”

“Oh, you’re welcome to give my wild side a taste,” Havoc said in the most sultry way she could manage. Shit, did that sound corny? Fuck me, did I turn into a dork right when I’m about to get laid?

Still, corny or not, it seemed good enough to make Elusive grin. “Well now, I do believe that was an invitation.” He circled around to Havoc’s backside and gave her ass a good once-over with both his eyes and his hoof. “Yes, I do think I might enjoy this. One moment, dear.” 

He trotted over to the door of the Boutique, flipped the Open sign to Closed, closed the blinds on all of the display window, then returned. 

“Can’t have any visitors intruding on our little bit of fun now, can we?”

Havoc’s wings flared, at least as much as they could wrapped up as they were. 

We’re really doing this, holy shit. I... I was not prepared for this. I have no idea what I'm doing.

“So, uh…” She was suddenly very much aware that the measuring tape had wrapped itself so tightly around her that she couldn’t move. “Mind untying me from all this tape? It’s kinda restrictive if we're gonna bang.”

Elusive looked her in the eye and gave her a sweet, innocent smile that sent a wave of fire through Havoc’s belly, then returned to his position behind her. 

“Oh heavens no, my lovely little firecracker,” he said. “I prefer you just like this for now, and I think you’ll enjoy it as well.” He used his magic to lift the tape keeping her held further up so that her ass was raised higher into the air. “There, that’s better. A wonderful view of your cute little tush.”

"H-hey, my tush isn't—"

Without another word, Elusive buried his muzzle right into Havoc’s nethers.

“Eek!” Havoc exclaimed. 

She was unable to turn her head to look anywhere but at her own reflection in the mirror directly ahead of her, the only thing she could see being the expression on her face, currently one of anxious excitement.

“Wh-whoa, you’re just… getting right into i-i-i-t~” she trailed off as his tongue started getting to work. “Okay, wow… this is… super weird. And awesome. You are much better than a hoof.”

Elusive chortled and drew himself back. “Thank you for the compliment, I think?” 

He then returned to eating her out, making Havoc squirm with pleasure.

The fuck was that? ‘Better than a hoof’? Are you a fucking moron? She thought angrily at herself. She then let out a gasp when his lips suckled on her clit slightly. Oh ffffuck, that feels good. Can't do that with a hoof.

Havoc’s wings continued to flare as Elusive’s tongue and lips pleasured her with all the delicacy and skill of an artist. This was a stallion that knew what mares liked and delivered with gusto. She squirmed and writhed against his muzzle with every motion he performed, hissing and panting as the burning sensation in her crotch built up and up until she was sure she was going to burst. Seeing her lust-filled expression in the mirror just made it all the better.

Then, he stopped. Quite suddenly in fact.

Havocwing forgot herself for that brief moment and let her frustration show. “The fuck?! Dude, I was about to cross the finish line—”

“Yes, yes, I could tell,” Elusive tittered as he stood back up and casually returned her to her upright position. “But it simply wouldn’t do for you to climax all over my clean showroom floor, now would it?"

Havoc glanced about as much as she was able. "Oh, yeah. I guess it would be kinda weird to fuck right here and make a mess."

"I was thinking…” He moved his muzzle to her ear. “We should take this upstairs…” he said in a husky whisper.

Havocwing’s pussy clenched in anticipation. “Oh. Yeah. Yes. Great idea. Bedroom. Upstairs.” She struggled in the grip of the measuring tape. “Just, uh… let me out of all this?”

Elusive snickered. “Of course.” 

His magic slowly unwound the tape bit by bit instead of all in one go, taking its sweet-ass time much to Havoc’s consternation. Elusive purposefully seemed to make it slide against her teats with every pass, drawing a hiss from her each time. All the while his hoof glided around her crotch, passing over her wet folds so fleetingly it was as though it wasn’t even there. The teasing was infuriating, and Havoc felt just about ready to snap.

When she was finally released, Havoc got right in Elusive’s face, a fierce glare in her eyes. “Let’s go. Bedroom. Now.”

“Right away, my little firecracker. Follow me.”

Havoc eagerly followed behind Elusive, who took his time trotting up the stairs in such a way that Havoc could not only get a good view of his sashaying ass—which was looking more like a snack every second—but so that she could see his balls and sheath as well. Havoc licked her lips greedily.

Oh, I’m gonna enjoy this.

Havoc had never been in any Rarity’s bedroom before and so didn’t know how Elusive’s would compare, but it wasn’t as frilly as she expected. There were still plenty of pinks and purples decorating the furniture but for the most part it wasn’t too girly. The bed was large and bordered by silk curtains, looking like it belonged in the royal bedroom of some prince or princess from a storybook. In other words, just perfect.

Elusive closed the door behind them as they entered, and made to lead Havoc over to the bed like a gentlecolt, but she was having none of that and bolted over to it in a flash, lying on her back and spreading her hindlegs open in invitation. 

“Well? What’re you waiting for?” she snorted, gesturing to her wet slit. “You gonna leave a job unfinished or what?”

Elusive chuckled. “Miss Havocwing—”

“Just call me Havoc.”

“Havoc, you are certainly not like any mare I’ve ever been with. I’m starting to find it rather entertaining... and arousing,” he said as he trotted over and straddled her so that they were nose to nose. “I'm used to leading, you know? You’re a mare who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to ask for it. There aren’t many like you out there.”

“Damn right,” she grunted. “So, are you gonna—”

She was surprised when Elusive kissed her full on the mouth, enough to forget herself for a brief instant and submit to it, before remembering she was Havocwing and she submitted to nopony. So, she roughly grabbed the back of his head with one hoof and forced her tongue into his mouth instead.

"Mmm, cinnamon," he said, licking his lips. "My favorite."

She didn’t notice his horn light up, but she did feel his magic start fondling the folds of her nethers, and let out a little groan into the kiss. She bit his lip gently as she pulled back, then arched her back up to press her groin against his. She felt his cock had revealed itself and was brushing against her belly, already mostly erect at this point, and that’s when she got an idea, and wonderfully devilish idea.

Without much effort, she was able to roll over on top of him so that she was in the dominant position, then she kissed him again for a brief moment before pulling back, breathing hard, face flushed, heart pounding, and without a second thought drew herself up to mount his muzzle. Elusive didn’t protest, merely grabbed two hoof-fulls of Havoc’s ass and buried his tongue inside her pussy.

"Oh fuck, you're good," she muttered as her hooves ran through his mane. "You're so fucking good. 

She bumped her slit against him, letting out little groans of pleasure as his magic continued tweaking and teasing at her outer folds while his tongue worked on her clit. She’d never felt anything close to this, and never imagined anything like it either. This wasn’t just knowing how to please a mare at this point, this was like a sixth sense for him.

“Ffffuck~!” Havoc hissed, finally reaching her climax and creaming all over Elusive’s mouth, grinding herself on his muzzle with every twitch.

So, that was two boxes ticked off so far, as far as Havoc was concerned. First kiss? Check. First orgasm from somepony else, not her own hoof? Check. A weaker mare would have swooned and declared they were in love. Havocwing wasn’t about all that prissy shit. As far as Elusive was concerned, he was her colt-toy for tonight and that was it. Not her beau or her lover or coltfriend or anything stupid like that.

Really, there was just one more box to check to call this a perfect afternoon: popping her cherry.

As Havoc settled back into straddling his waist rather than his face, she felt another tug at her twitching pussy, earning another hiss. “Mmph… dude, you’re… like a pro, or something,” she grunted into his ear. “That felt so fucking good.”

“I’m glad you liked it,” he said back, kissing her neck, his hooves groping her flanks. “So, are you ready to move on, or—”

“Not yet,” she said, pushing herself off of him.

At first she turned around to try a position where he’d have a view of her ass and slit while she got full access to his dick, but to her consternation she found she wasn’t tall enough to make it work, not without making Elusive break his neck just to kiss her ass. 

“Not that I don’t appreciate the view of that adorable derriere of yours, but… what are you doing?” he asked.

"Just trying to get into a better position for... fuck it, nevermind," Havoc grumbled.

Fucking bullshit, why'd I have to be so short?

With an annoyed grunt, she instead shimmied her way down the bed and placed herself between his legs so that she had a faceful of cock and balls.

“Um… darling, what are you doing down there?”

“Uh… I’m gonna give you a blowjob? You made me cum, so I’m gonna repay the favor, or whatever?”

“Oh. You don’t have to do that, dear. I could never ask a lady to perform fellatio on me. Why, it’s simply deplorable—”

“Okay, first of all, I think we’ve established that I’m not a lady,” Havoc said as she took Elusive’s cock into her hooves and started stroking it. 

Oh wow… so this is what a dude’s dick feels like? Okay… okay, don't fuck this up. Gentle… be gentle...

“Second, we’ve already established that I do what I want. So, shut up, lay back, and enjoy it. Let me be the generous one, yeah?”

“But—”

Havoc rolled her eyes. “Dude! Let me suck your dick!”

Elusive paused, then sighed and got comfortable on the bed, setting a few pillows under himself so he could watch her. “Fine, you’ve convinced me.”

Havoc pumped her other hoof in triumph. “Yes! Okay, here we go. Time to… suck your… dick…”

She paused a moment and stared at Elusive’s cock which, until just this moment, she hadn’t actually bothered to look at properly. She had absolutely no scale or standard by which to judge his size, but he certainly seemed big, big enough that she wasn’t sure how to go about sucking him off. For all of her bluster and bragging, she’d never actually given head before and was at a loss on what to do here.

Damn. Maybe I should have asked Red for some pointers, she thought. Fuck it. YOLO.

With all the patience and delicacy of a bulldozer, she hoisted her face up to the tip of his cock and took it in her mouth, suckling on it like a popsicle without even a remote idea what to do next. She’d only suggested this because it was something she’d heard Red talking about stallions liking, but the half-confused, half-amused expression on Elusive’s face told her he was liking this for all the wrong reasons.

“Um… are you alright down there, dear?” he asked with a coy grin.

She pulled her mouth off his dick and glowered at him. “Yeah, fine! What of it?”

“You just seem… well, lost. Is this your first attempt at performing fellatio?”

Havoc scoffed. “So what if it is? It’s your first time getting your dick sucked, so maybe this is what I’m supposed to be doing, Mister Expert.”

Elusive held up his hooves and chuckled. “Fair point. But, um… if I might be so bold as to make a suggestion? Try taking it slowly. Put some passion into it, like I did when performing on you. You seemed to enjoy it very, very much.”

Havoc considered this for a moment, then nodded in understanding. “Yeah… yeah, okay. Take it slow, lots of passion. Yeah, I can do that.” 

She took a deep breath, then brought her head back down to the base of his shaft and ran her tongue up along the length. Her tongue trailed up along every vein on Elusive’s cock as she moved her way back up to the tip, and her much slower pace allowed her to breathe him in and savor his taste. 

She figured he was the sort of stallion that bathed and groomed every day and his pleasant aroma and flavor didn’t disappoint in that regard. She’d tasted faint remnants of blueberry pancakes on his tongue before—must've been his breakfast—but his cock tasted like watermelon, clearly from whatever lotion or shampoo he used.

Okay, now I see why Red likes it.

When she reached the top she took his cock into her mouth and gave it a slow suck for a brief moment before moving her mouth down to take more in. A glance up at him told her all she needed to know: he was panting and biting his lip, so she must have been doing a good job. He looked adorable with that expression on his face; she wanted more.

Enthused, she forced more of his length into her mouth, running her tongue along every vein she could find. Unfortunately, she took too much of him in her mouth at once and, distracted by his eyes, forgot to breathe through her nose. She coughed when his slightly-flared tip hit the back of her throat and almost gagged right then and there, but managed to pull herself off him to catch her breath again.

Fuck, I almost choked my dumb ass to death. How does Red do it to make it sound so easy?

“Everything alright?” Elusive asked, concern and sensitivity in his voice that told her she was in good hooves.

Havoc groaned. “Sorry, sorry. I mean… this is my first try, I don’t know—”

“You don’t need to apologize,” he said with a grin as he sat up again. “You’ve done quite enough.” He moved to her and pulled her in for another fiery kiss. “Why don’t you lay on your back and let me take it from here, my dear?”

Havocwing considered this for a moment, then nodded. She decided that since this was her first time, she’d let Elusive take charge and show her the ropes. So, despite a part of her brain lambasting her for daring to be submissive to anypony, she did as she was asked and got on her back on the bed, using one of Elusive’s outrageously comfortable pillows to support her head.

She watched Elusive open up the drawer next to his bed and fish out a little plastic wrapper, from out of which he pulled a purple condom that he then slid over his shaft with his magic. Havoc scolded herself for not even thinking about that, especially after talking about Red taking precautions not to get knocked up, but was relieved that Elusive was just the sort of guy to think of it himself. A perfect gentlecolt.

“Are you ready?” Elusive asked, the tip of his cock pressing up against Havoc’s entrance.

Okay, this is it. This is it, you’re gonna get laid, Havoc. Go on, let him know how you feel! Let him know you’re ready to fuck!

Havoc meekly nodded. “Y-yeah.”

What the fuck was that?! You sounded like Fluttershy you worthless piece of—

To Elusive’s credit, he seemed to notice her loss of bravado and did what any gentlecolt would do with a nervous mare: he was slow, and he was careful. He entered Havoc with a gentle thrust that pushed all the way up to his medial ring, earning a shudder and a gasp from her that completely drowned out the angry voice in her head.

"W-wow..." Elusive groaned, pausing for a moment. "You're so... warm. It's like an oven."

Heh, you don't know the half of it, she thought.

He then pulled out and thrust back in up to the same point, again, and again, earning louder groans and grunts from Havoc, who couldn’t contain herself whatsoever. This was so much different than a hoof that it was hard to really comprehend, the warmth and pressure inside her like nothing she'd ever experienced. It was no wonder now that mares like Red Velvet wanted cock so badly.

Then came the medial ring. Havoc shuddered as it pushed past her entrance and firmly lodged itself inside her, but was disappointed when he stopped moving.

"Everything okay, firecracker?" he whispered, kissing her ear.

“Fffuck, dude~” she groaned, reaching her hooves up around his neck, the stimulation feeding a resurgence of confidence in her belly. “Don’t stop. Fuck me good.”

“Don’t you want to take it a little—” He started to say, looking her in the eyes.

“Fuck. Me. Good,” she growled, finally back to her normal self. "Fuck my fucking brains out."

Yeah! Tell him, girl!

Elusive smirked, nodded, and shoved the rest of his length into Havoc. 

This made her throw her head back and groan again. “Oh ffffuck~!”

As Elusive started thrusting in again and again, pulling out just to his medial ring before thrusting back in, Havoc moaned and panted, her rigid wings splayed out on the bed beneath her. Her lifted her head so her muzzle was resting on his neck, if only so that as every thrust added more and more fuel to the raging inferno in her pussy, she could bite him—gently, of course. If it hurt him, he didn't show it.

A few moments was all it really took before Havoc’s inner inferno prepared to explode. “Mmmph! Elusive! I… I’m gonna—”

“Me too,” Elusive grunted, picking up the pace in his thrusts. “I’m so close~”

Havoc pulled away from his neck to look him in the eye. “Kiss me when you cum.”

Elusive nodded swiftly, thrust a few more times, then paused and hilted himself inside her before kissing Havoc with fiery passion. This drove Havoc straight over the edge, and she clenched down on Elusive’s cock—hard—as her own orgasm exploded out of her. Her tongue dove into his mouth and claimed it for its own, her hooves pulling him onto her on the bed so that they were locked as one.

The pair remained stuck together for a long moment, kissing passionately with Elusive’s softening cock still inside her. It wasn’t until Elusive needed to breathe that he pulled away, panting heavily like he’d just run a marathon. Havoc let out a groan of disappointment as he pulled his cock out of her, and watched him dispose of the condom in a nearby waste bin, though he'd tried to do so discreetly.

“Damn… that was amazing…” Havoc breathed, staring up at the ceiling. “You did not disappoint…”

Elusive snorted and smiled. “You weren’t bad yourself, my little firecracker. I haven’t had such an intense climax since I was still in high school.” He rubbed his neck where she’d bit him. “You might have left a hickey, though. Another thing I haven’t had since high school.”

Havoc frowned. “Shit. I’m sorry, I was just—”

“No no, don’t worry about it. It’s my little badge of honor,” Elusive said with a sultry grin. “The boys are going to ask me about it for certain. Never you fear, though, I shan’t begin bragging about our lovely little rendezvous. A gentlecolt doesn’t indulge in such rotten things.”

She let out a breath of relief, hoof over her heart. “Good, thanks. The last thing I need is Blitz knowing anything about this. To be honest, you don’t need him to find out either. He'd give you shit for it for sure.”

Elusive got back into the bed and relaxed next to her, their heads both resting on pillows. Havoc allowed him to hold her close to him and enjoyed every second of it. She'd been looking forward to a little post-fuck cuddling with him almost more than the fucking itself, but would deny it if anypony asked.

“What is it about the two of you that gets you both so... hostile?" he asked. "To be honest, I’m rather surprised, really.”

“Surprised about what?”

“That you’re attracted to me and not him. Most mares of your sort—that is, tomcolts—seem to prefer the ‘bad colt’ type that Blitz just loves to cultivate about himself.”

Havoc snorted. “Please. ‘Bad colt’? He’s a fucking joke, not an ounce of bad-ass in his body. Nah, that’s not my type at all. Why would you even think I was?"

"I just figured that the competitions and such were sort of like... a dance of sorts. Showing off your skills for one another to attract the other to you." Elusive considered that a moment, then chuckled. "Like a... mating ritual."

"Ugh. Gross, dude. No, I compete with Dash— I mean, Blitz, because he's able to give me a challenge. Did you know we had a race yesterday?”

“I only heard that Rainbow pulled his groin racing against 'some punk' who cheated… which I guess was you, then?”

Havoc snorted, amused. “Pulled his groin, huh? Nah, that's not what happened. After the race—which, yeah, I lost, so no, I didn't cheat—we went to the locker room to clean up, and that dickhead tried to get fresh with me, so I told him to fuck off. He thought I was just playing hard to get. So I played real hard to get and kicked him in the balls.”

Elusive winced, hoof moving to his groin, then rolled his eyes. “Blitz has always been a little too forward with mares, but most of them are rather receptive of his advances. Allow me to apologize on his behalf, because he certainly won’t. It’d wound his ego.”

“Right, right, his ego. Anyway, I like guys like you. Y’know… pretty, classy, that sort of thing. The kind that knows how to treat a mare right.” She blushed and snuggled into him just a little bit. "The kind that, uh... likes to cuddle after fucking."

“And yet, you don’t like being pampered or wearing the sorts of clothes fellows like me would appreciate. Contradictory, don’t you think?” 

"I guess? I dunno, that's just my thing. My sister Red's the one that might go for a stallion like Blitz—I'd kill her if she did—but that's not me."

Elusive shrugged and smiled. “Well, far be it from me to judge your taste in stallions. I myself am typically attracted to more sensitive mares with an understanding of fashion and the high life, but here we are sharing my bed together after some rather vigorous love-making.”

“I didn’t hear you complaining when you were balls deep,” Havoc chuckled as she pressed her ass against his crotch.

Elusive grinned and nodded, hooves running along her flanks. “Not at all. But I normally don’t do this sort of thing, you know?”

“No, I don’t imagine you do. You're the kind of guy that wants fucking to mean something...” Havoc rolled on top of him and kissed him again. “But hey, I’m glad you made an exception for me. This was… this was fucking great. You’re, like… amazing. I bet you're gonna make some fancy broad really happy someday. Especially if you fuck her like you fucked me.”

Elusive smiled sweetly. “Well… thank you. That’s… that’s an awfully nice thing to say, even if it was a rather uncouth way of saying it." He paused, then stroked her face gently. "I guess that means you’re serious, then? About not wanting anything… more from this?”

Havocwing paused, then plopped down on his chest. “I mean… if things were different, yeah, I guess I’d be down to try something, y’know… serious. Like dating and shit, or whatever. But I don’t think it’d work out the way things are.”

“Oh? Do tell.”

“My sisters and I aren’t exactly planning on sticking around forever. I think we’re leaving this weekend, actually.”

“Ah… yes, that’s right. Applejack mentioned that Miss Velvet had been complaining about that."

"Yeah, hey, what's that about, anyway? What does he see in her?"

Elusive shrugged. "I haven't the foggiest, but Applejack has certainly been more... relaxed, as of late." A little smile formed on his lips. "Bubble Berry's been giving him guff about hooking up with a mare that could be his long-lost twin sister."

"Ha! You don't know the half of it."

"Pardon?"

"Nothing, nothing. You were saying?"

"Yes, back to my earlier question, hmm? Where are you and your sisters going, if I might ask?”

“Oh, uh… y’know. Someplace far, far away from here,” Havocwing said dismissively, half because she couldn’t be entirely truthful and half because she legitimately didn’t know. “My sister Starlight handles all of the travel stuff and tends to keep things a surprise. So yeah, I just don’t have the time to do anything more than indulge in a little… y’know. This.”

Elusive seemed to consider this a moment, then wrapped his hooves around Havoc in a hug. “You know… I’m free tonight. Would you like to have dinner with me?”

Havocwing stared at him like he’d gone crazy. “What?”

“I mean, if it’s not too forward of me to ask, of course? I know this lovely little restaurant on the north side of town that serves the most amazing hay fries. My treat.”

“Are you… are you asking me out? Like… like on a date?”

“Why yes, indeed I am asking you out on a date.”

Havoc’s mouth curled in a little grin. “Dude, absolutely. When are you gonna pick me up? Or should I pick you up? I don’t know how these things go.”

Elusive chuckled. “I think each of us needs to get a little… cleaned up, before we go, hmm?”

Havoc turned her head and sniffed under her wing, wrinkling her nose. “Oh. Yeah. I didn’t realize sex would smell so... uh, smelly. I'm ripe.” She hopped out of the bed and rolled her shoulders. “So, uh, yeah, I’ll head back to my hotel and get all showered up—”

“Orrr…” Elusive said with a sultry grin. “You could just take a shower here with me?”

Havoc’s wings popped out suddenly, and from the look on Elusive’s face she could tell he was dead serious and quite amused. “Yeah… yeah that sounds amazing.”

Elusive rolled out of bed and gave Havoc a little peck on the cheek. “Then come along, my little firecracker, and let’s get all the stench of sex off, hmm?” In a sultry whisper he added. “Don’t worry, I’ll be very thorough.”

As he headed towards the bathroom, shaking his gorgeous ass just for her, she couldn’t help but ask, “Why are you doing this for me?”

“Hmm? Beg pardon?”

“You said it yourself, I’m not the type of mare you’re into. So… why are you doing this? It’s not because you’re in love with me or anything, so what is it?”

Elusive seemed to consider his next words carefully. “I believe you said that I’m the sort of stallion that knows how to treat a mare right. Well… I can tell that our little rendezvous was definitely a new experience for you. Be honest with me, dear: were you a virgin before you walked into my boutique?”

Havoc balked. “I… w-well… yeah.” She hung her head. “Yeah… I was. Sorry I was so… awkward…”

“Heavens, darling, perish the thought. There’s no need to be ashamed of this being your first time. I’m rather flattered you thought me worthy of the honor. And more than that… I think I was your first kiss, too?”

Havoc scuffed her hoof on the floor, embarrassed. “Yeah…”

“Well, that settles it then. I’m not the sort of stallion to deflower a mare and then just… just tell her to ‘get out’ and hope I never see her again.” Elusive approached Havocwing and put his hoof under her chin. “You are a beautiful mare, Havocwing. You deserve somepony in your life that can give you all that you want. And since apparently you and I can never be… then I feel it is my duty, nay, my privilege to let you experience something wonderful.”

Havoc just looked at him, her heart pounding in her chest, then smiled. “Wow. Y’know… when I met you, I thought you were, like, the perfect stallion. Just now, you proved it. I don’t know what to say…”

“You don’t need to say anything. It’s my pleasure.” Elusive gestured for her to walk with him. “Come along, then. Let’s get cleaned up and go get dinner.”

Havoc smirked, then nodded and followed along.

This day just keeps getting better and better, she thought.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it, sister,” came Curaçao’s voice in her head. “And you doubted my plan. Tut tut, for shame. Remember ‘oo it is zat you are dealing wiz. My plans never fail.”

Curaçao?! Where the fuck have you been?! You totally left me to fend for myself—

“Ah ah, I merely set zee groundwork for you, dear ‘Avoc, and I knew zat was all zat you needed to snag zee object of your affection. I’d say you ‘andled yourself… quite well after zat, non?”

Well… I mean, yeah, but— Havoc’s train of thought suddenly crashed at the station when she glanced at the nearby window. Oh. Oh fuck. Were you spying on me while we were fucking?!

Curaçao didn’t respond.

Curaçao? Curie?! Answer me you blue bitch!
> 5. Bluebolt/Sweet Symphony: Sweet Release
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was particularly late that night at the Goldridge Checkpoint building, and Sweet Symphony was just a touch exhausted. Day after day of marching, climbing, and running through snow-covered fields, rain-drenched mountains, and deep, dark caverns and ruins had left her sweaty and tired. She was desperate for a good night’s sleep in a soft, warm bed in a safe, warm house.

First, though, she had the chance to take a much-needed bath to clean the days-old sweat, dirt, and grime off of her. Since there were so many others who needed a turn she’d volunteered to go last; apart from Weaver, who as a stallion had a separate bathroom, hers was the lowest social rank as far as she could tell, so it was only proper manners in her eyes. Nopony else would've agreed with that assessment but it was the truth: Flurry Heart and Bluebolt were royalty, Apple Bloom was Bluebolt's aunt, and Rarity was technically an aristocrat or nobility, given her role of political advisor to Twilight Sparkle. 

Symphony was just a guard. Personal guard to Princess Bluebolt, sure, but a guard nonetheless.

To be honest, she’d have rather saved the time to share a bath with Bluebolt. The Princess would’ve argued with the others that it would save time for two ponies to share a bath, but Symphony knew that’d be a lie in their case. They’d be focused on more than just getting clean, after all. Bluebolt knew that. Symphony knew that. Everypony knew that.

So, once her solo bath was taken and she’d gotten herself all clean, neat, and smelling like a rose instead of a locker room, she made her way down the hall towards her and Bluebolt’s room, one towel around her mane—only her horn poking out—and another around her flanks. Nopony else would be awake at the moment that would see her or comment on what she was or wasn't wearing, and she wouldn’t care if they did. 

She opened the door—it wasn’t locked—without so much as a knock, and turned on the light.

“Enjoy your bath?” Bluebolt asked.

Symphony smirked as she looked over at her fillyfriend, who was resting there on her stomach on their bed with one hoof under her chin, a come hither look in her eyes. She knew that she herself was eager to spend some intimate time with Bluebolt again after so many days traveling with the others and unable to enjoy one another like they usually did, but this was still a surprise.

“Yup,” Symphony replied as she finished drying off her mane, taking the towel and setting it in the laundry hamper near the door. “I don’t need to tell you how good it feels to scrub a week’s worth of dirt and filth off. I feel like a new mare. Sono rinato—I am reborn.”

“I’d much rather have scrubbed it all off you myself,” Bluebolt cooed, biting her lip and giving her wings a little flap. “Have I ever told you you look hot in just a towel?”

“Quite a lot, pecha.” She looked Bluebolt over and grinned, knowing full well what BLuebolt wanted. “So… I figured we were gonna get a good night’s sleep for once and save this for tomorrow night. Guess you can’t wait, huh?”

Bluebolt shook her head. “Nope. I was doing just fine until we saw Aculeata transform earlier, but that was too much for me to handle. I’m horny as hell, songbird.”

“Yeah… yeah, me too,” Symphony admitted. “I wasn’t expecting to run into any changelings, especially not one that hot. I’ve got that pert ass of hers burned into my brain,” she added, motioning with her hooves the exact shape of the changeling queen's luscious rear-end when she demonstrated one of her pony form. "I mean, damn. Thicker than my mom's lasagna."

“Right?”

Symphony stripped off the other towel and tossed it into the hamper as well, then crawled into bed with her princess and set her cheek and hooves on top of Bluebolt’s firm butt, gently rubbing her hooves on it. “Still… I’d rather have your gorgeous ass any day of the week.” She kissed said gorgeous ass. "Mwah, delizioso."

Bluebolt giggled. “Thanks.”

“You’re sure you wanna do this now, though? Maybe it’d be better to wait until we’re rested up and have more energy? I mean, we could always wake up a little early, have a little… breakfast in bed?” She punctuated that last remark by gently licking the base of Bluebolt’s left wing.

That earned a shudder from the pegasus. “Mmph, I thought about it, but… I need you tonight. Like, right now. Especially if you keep that up.”

Symphony smiled and pulled Bluebolt in for a kiss. She’d never complain about kissing Bluebolt, never ever, but it was much nicer kissing her after they’d both brushed their teeth. She wasn’t self-conscious about that sort of thing at all, but she knew Bluebolt was. Bluebolt was self-conscious about a lot of things, really, and constantly worried about whether she was living up to her mother's expectations.

It was just part of their upbringing. Bluebolt was born into royalty and raised to be heir to the throne of Hope’s Point; Symphony, despite being born into a rich, well-connected family, was passionate about swords and combat and had always considered herself incapable of being the high-class sort of mare that her sister was, or that she’d been expected to be when she was just a filly.

She wouldn’t have it any other way.

“You’re sure you want this now, then?” Symphony asked as she pinned Bluebolt beneath her.

“Yes, I do,” Bluebolt said, kissing Symphony’s chin. “I do, I do, I do.”

Symphony smiled, and directed her attention over to one of their bags near the dresser, one of the bags they hadn’t taken with them on their trek through the wilderness. She fished out of it a black, faux leather collar, which she affixed around Bluebolt's neck. The collar had a little gold tag on it, which read: Property of Sweet Symphony.

“As you command, Princess,” the unicorn purred.

Symphony kissed Bluebolt again, roughly this time, shoving her tongue into Bluebolt’s mouth and claiming it for herself. Bluebolt moaned into the kiss, the sort of deep, primal kiss they hadn’t shared in weeks, and wrapped her hooves around the back of Symphony’s head.

The kiss didn’t last long, though, and Symphony broke it off rather abruptly, leaving Bluebolt gasping for air.

Moving up the bed, Symphony then straddled Bluebolt’s face and brusquely shoved her pussy into her fillyfriend’s muzzle. “Go on then. Get started.”

Bluebolt nodded and without argument darted her tongue out to lick Symphony’s folds.

This was how things were between them. In public, Bluebolt was the Princess of Hope’s Point, destined to be their Queen, a leader of ponies with all the confidence, determination, and fire in her heart that they wanted and needed in a ruler. She was meant to take charge of every situation, to give orders to those beneath her, to command the attention, respect, and love of everypony who followed her. She bowed to nopony.

And Symphony, of course, was meant to be her shield and her sword, to protect her from any threat physical or otherwise, to advise her, to support her, and to be her eyes and ears when the situation called for it. She’d sworn an oath to be her knight in shining armor, her golden protector, her loyal guard dog, and she knew she was meant to follow any command her Princess gave her. Her oath was such that even Bluebolt’s mother Queen Blackburn herself couldn’t command her without Bluebolt’s permission.

Behind closed doors, though, when they were being intimate, the situation was entirely the opposite. Symphony was in charge without question, and Bluebolt was willing—very willing—to do whatever the unicorn wanted. She submitted herself to her fillyfriend’s every whim and desire, no matter how depraved it might be. Symphony could talk down to her, degrade her if she wanted to, and no hole was off-limits.

It was great.

Ironically, this was Symphony following Bluebolt’s orders, because the princess wanted things this way. She wanted to completely give up control to Symphony when they were in their most private, because it allowed her to relieve all of the pressure and stress of having to be a leader the rest of the time. She'd said it was the only time she was allowed to be… her.

Now, Bluebolt was not a natural when it came to eating pussy, seeing as she and Symphony had only ever had sex with one another. But Symphony was, true to her namesake, a maestro that directed her charge to hit all the right notes, and subsequently make her hit all the right notes. Over the past few years, Bluebolt had progressed from a sloppy amateur to a practiced professional, one who served an exclusive client and served her well.

So, as Bluebolt’s tongue darted in and out of Symphony’s slit, lips suckling on her outer folds and clit, the young unicorn slowly bumped and grinded her hips against her lover’s muzzle, letting out groans and hisses of approval.

But she, too, was a generous lover, and did not let herself enjoy the experience alone. With her horn aglow, she used her magic to tease Bluebolt’s teats, pulling and twisting them roughly enough to cause pleasure, not pain. After all, Bluebolt wanted more than just being subservient to Symphony in the bedroom; everypony back home coddled and pampered her, and she wanted quite the opposite from Symphony, who was happy to oblige.

Symphony’s magical field then shifted down to tweak Bluebolt’s clit, earning a sudden jump from her fillyfriend. “You like that?” she cooed, placed her hooves behind Bluebolt’s head to push her muzzle harder against her crotch.

Bluebolt groaned and nodded her head.

Another tweak from Symphony earned another jump and groan from Bluebolt.

“That’s right you do. You love it, you little slut.” Symphony growled in pleasure and bucked against Bluebolt’s mouth again. “But let’s add a little something to it, huh?”

Symphony used her magic to fish out of their bag a short, silver vibrator. She left it off for now and brought it over to her lover’s slit, earning a surprised hiss; the cold metal had surely been a shock.

Symphony slipped the device up and down along Bluebolt’s pussy without actually inserting it, just teasing for now. The princess whimpered every time that the vibrator just brushed against her entrance; Symphony would just barely push it inside only to withdraw it a second later.

Then, Symphony turned it on, and continued teasing Bluebolt with it.

“Anh~” Bluebolt groaned, pulling herself away from Symphony’s pussy. “Mistress, please~!”

“Huh? Did I hear something?” Symphony teased, pushing her crotch back against Bluebolt’s muzzle while simultaneously pressing the vibrator’s tip against Bluebolt’s clit.

“Mmph~!” Bluebolt replied, unable to get any words out with a mouthful of her fillyfriend’s slit.

“Well, it must’ve been the wind, then.” Symphony smirked and looked down at the pleading look in Bluebolt’s eyes. “Mmm… I love it when you look at me like that. You want this bad, don’t you?”

Bluebolt nodded, wincing when Symphony used her magic to twist her teats again.

“Yeah, I bet you do. 'Cause you're nothing more than a thirsty little slut. If it weren't for me, you'd be spreading your legs to any stallion you could find, wouldn't you?”

Bluebolt groaned and nodded.

"Then say it."

Bluebolt paused. "Mmmfmf?"

"Don't talk with your mouth full." Symphony snickered and got off of Bluebolt’s face so that her fillyfriend could breathe. She didn't relent with the vibrator or using her magic on Bluebolt's teats. "Go on. Say it."

"I'm a... thirsty little slut..." Bluebolt whimpered.

"And?" Symphony pressed, twisting a teat roughly.

"...and... if it wasn't for you, I'd spread my legs for any stallion I could find." The princess twitched in excitement. "Anh~ What did I do wrong?"

Symphony had teased the vibrator just inside her fillyfriend's pussy folds. "Nothing. I want to hear what you'd let those stallions do to you."

"I... I'd... let them use me! Like a whore!"

Symphony pulled on Bluebolt's clit with her magic. "You'd let them stuff your little royal pussy full of filthy, unwashed cock? One guy after another?"

"Yes!"

Another pull, harder this time. "You'd let them pump you full of their dirty, smelly cum until your womb was so full it could burst?"

"Yes!"

This time, she twisted. "You'd taint your family's legacy by getting knocked up by a bunch of total strangers?"

Bluebolt didn't respond immediately, just whimpered in excitement. From the way she was shaking, Symphony could tell she was about to cum.

So, Symphony shoved the vibrator up to its base into Bluebolt's pussy.

"Yyyessss~"

Symphony's eyes flashed with delight, her mouth curling in a devilish grin as Bluebolt came. The princess looked like a totally different mare when she was convulsing with pleasure, as though possessed by some sort of deranged beast. Gone was the straight-backed, fiery spirit of royalty, replaced by the unadulterated feral lust of a bitch in heat.

While Bluebolt rode out her orgasm, Symphony lifted herself the rest of the way off her fillyfriend's muzzle then leaned back against the bed’s headboard, propping herself up with some pillows. Then, once Bluebolt could breathe properly, Symphony tapped her hoof on the bed between her spread legs. 

“Come on, then,” she cooed. "That's a good girl."

Bluebolt crawled over to Symphony and hungrily buried her tongue in the unicorn’s slit again, looking up at her fillyfriend’s approving face. Symphony meanwhile continued to stimulate Bluebolt’s slit with the vibrator, gently pressing the tip inside her, but not deep enough to really quench the craving that she knew the princess was feeling right now.

"Yeah, that's nice," Symphony cooed, rubbing the back of Bluebolt's head like she was a cat. She then set a hoof under Bluebolt’s chin and pulled her away from her pussy. “Up here, slut. Now.”

Bluebolt did as she was asked, crawling up the bed to come face-to-face with Symphony. The kiss they shared was rough and purposefully sloppy, tongue’s lashing against each other in open air and inside mouths in equal proportions, each time with Symphony’s taking complete control.

At the same time, Symphony brought the vibrator up and placed it between the two of them, bucking herself upwards and wrapping her hind legs around Bluebolt’s waist to keep them locked together. She ignored the sudden rush of cool metal—warmer now that it was slick with Bluebolt’s juices—brushing her slit, then cranked up the intensity.

Bluebolt broke from the kiss to howl in pleasure, bucking against Symphony in turn.

Symphony then tapped her horn with a hoof. “Ahem?”

Bluebolt licked her lips and nodded, leaning up to take Symphony’s horn in her mouth. Now, while Bluebolt had needed coaching on how to please a mare with her tongue, she turned out to be a natural at hornjobs. Symphony hissed as Bluebolt’s tongue dug itself into every little groove along its length, brushing her teeth gently against the tip. Symphony had been looking forward to this, in particular, for days.

But the unicorn was more than capable of keeping her attention spread out—her magic, too—despite the sexual excitement she was feeling. Years of training to fight with two weapons gave her the focus she needed in combat, and if she could apply it to the bedroom too, well, that was just a bonus.

She managed to keep the vibrator between her and her lover, though she slowed its movements a great deal. That was because her magic was busy fishing something else out of their bag of toys.

In this case, it was a good-sized strap-on. The toy was made of black silicone rubber, covered with artificial veins, and included a realistic medial ring and even a flared tip. The harness was equipped with a vibrator attachment on the inside so that its wearer—always Symphony, natch—could turn it on to stimulate herself as well. It had cost Symphony an entire month’s salary to buy it; she hadn’t told Bluebolt about it until she whipped it out as a surprise for their anniversary two months ago.

Bluebolt loved it. It wasn’t particularly big—Symphony had no idea what qualified as “big” anyway—but it was big enough to drive the pegasus wild.

Symphony brusquely shoved her fillyfriend off of her, but not hard enough to push her all the way over and onto the bed. No, she wanted to maintain this position for what came next. She made Bluebolt watch in eager anticipation as she strapped the new equipment to herself, setting the silver vibrator aside for now.

The princess seemed to lack any sort of control at the moment, perhaps because Symphony had teased her too much, or perhaps because she was desperate after going so many days without release. She immediately leapt on Symphony and tried to shove the rubber cock inside her on her own without so much as a word.

Symphony was having none of that, and used her magic and her hooves to catch Bluebolt and keep her from doing so. “Ah ah ah, what do you think you’re doing, slut?” she asked, giving her best look of disappointment to her fillyfriend.

“Mistress, c’mon, stop teasing me already,” Bluebolt whimpered as she wrapped Symphony in a hug.

“Teasing? Oh, you mean like… this?”

She pressed the tip of her false phallus right up against Bluebolt’s entrance. The pegasus tried as hard as she could to shove herself down, but Symphony was too strong both physically and magically for that to happen.

“Mistress, please!” Bluebolt cried.

The unicorn slapped Bluebolt's ass. “Please what?”

“I want it! Please~”

Symphony leaned up and nibbled Bluebolt’s ear, hard. “Tell me what you want. Use your words. ”

Bluebolt groaned. “I want… I want you to… to put it in me.”

“Nope. Not good enough,” Symphony tutted, drawing the tip back about half an inch so that Bluebolt wouldn’t even be able to feel it.

“No! C’mooon. Please, Mistress, let me have it!”

“Tell me what you want, slut, or you’re not getting anything.”

“I want you to fuck me!” Bluebolt whimpered, struggling in Symphony’s grip. “Please! Fuck my slutty pussy!”

Symphony smirked and slapped Bluebolt’s pert ass again, harder than before. “That’s a good girl.”

Without warning, she let Bluebolt out of her grip and thrust upward, burying the strap-on into Bluebolt up to just past the medial ring in one swift motion. 

Bluebolt’s eyes rolled back into her head, and she let out a throaty groan as her tongue rolled out of her mouth; Symphony knew her beloved had just cum, and cum hard. Even if she couldn’t feel Bluebolt’s pussy clenching tightly on the rubber cock, she could see Bluebolt’s body twitching and slick juices practically pouring down the shaft.

Times like these made Symphony wish she’d been born a colt, so she could feel her fillyfriend’s pleasure all the better as she clenched around her cock, so that she could be the one filling her with cum, so that she could be the one giving her a foal. They'd probably have at least two by now, actually.

Symphony gave Bluebolt only a brief moment to shudder out the remainder of her orgasm before she gripped Bluebolt’s ass tight and thrust in the rest of the way. She turned on the vibrator feature of the strap-on, shuddering as her clit was hit with the sudden sensation, but not ceasing her thrusts one bit.

“Yes~!” Bluebolt cried out. “Yes yes yes~!”

Symphony loved it when Bluebolt got loud, which wasn’t very often unless she was getting fucked particularly well, which just meant that the princess had been craving this more than Symphony had thought.

But this was nothing. Symphony knew just how to get Bluebolt to get really loud. Wake-up-the-neighbors loud.

With a subtle grasp of her magic, she managed to find the discarded vibrator from earlier. While one field of magic kept it steady—and off, for now, so that it wasn’t moving—another hiked up Bluebolt’s tail to give easy access to her tight little butthole. She didn’t say a word as she carefully positioned the silver toy just right, and lifted Bluebolt up enough so that the strap-on’s medial ring was barely inside her.

Then she shoved Bluebolt down onto the rubber cock at the same time that she pushed the vibrator into her ass all the way up to the base.

Bluebolt threw her head back and let out a guttural groan of pleasure. “Ffffuck~”

“You like that, slut?” Symphony said, looking up at her fillyfriend’s sweat-drenched face. "You like it up the ass, don't you?

Bluebolt could hardly keep her tongue in her mouth, and she was starting to drool. She could only manage a tiny nod.

Damn that’s hot, Symphony thought, biting her lip. “How about this?” she said with a grin as she turned the vibrator on.

Bluebolt quivered in Symphony’s grip like jello, sinking down onto her fillyfriend as if all life had just suddenly drained out of her.

Symphony took that as a sign to continue, and lifted Bluebolt’s body up and down on her rubber cock with a firm, machine-like pace. The little vibrator rubbing her own clit, combined with the weight of her fillyfriend shoving the harness against her entire crotch, was driving her wild. She wouldn’t last much longer at this rate, but Bluebolt wouldn’t either.

With a grunt, Symphony used her magic to stimulate herself a little further as well, pulling on her own teats to try and keep up with Bluebolt’s impending third orgasm.

And, just as Bluebolt let out another howl of pleasure and started twitching again, her orgasm rocking her body, Symphony allowed herself to burst as well. She shoved her rubber cock in up to the hilt and let out a groan of her own, bucking her hips against her lover as her own orgasm flowed through her.

The pair rode out their climax together, twitching and panting all the while.

When Symphony was able to breathe again, she first turned off the vibrator in her lover’s butt, then she brought a hoof up to Bluebolt’s chin and looked her in the eye. “How was that, pecha?” she asked with a soft, tender tone as she gently removed Bluebolt's collar; they were done, now, so things were back to normal between them.

Bluebolt shuddered. “Amazing… you’re amazing, songbird…”

“Satisfied?”

“Very. That part about tainting the family legacy? Dynamite. Wow.”

“Yeah, I thought you'd like that.” Symphony smiled and touched her nose to Bluebolt’s. “You’re so beautiful right now…”

“Mmm… you’re not so bad yourself…” Bluebolt whispered, bringing her lips to Symphony’s.

Just then, the door swung open, and Apple Bloom tumbled into the room, her face bright red.

The three mares just stared at one another for a moment as they registered the situation, which Symphony realized must have been absolutely embarrassing for Bluebolt, given the position she was in: wings splayed out, face flushed, tail hiked up with a vibrator up her ass—though Bluebolt was so surprised that she squeezed it out—and a rubber strap-on hilted into her pussy and dripping with marecum.

Wow, that’s gotta be quite an eyeful, Symphony thought. Ooh... next time I'll remember to bring a camera.

Apple Bloom spoke first, barely able to do so she was so tongue-tied. “Oh gosh, I’m so, so sor—”

“GET OUT!” Bluebolt shouted, grabbing a pillow from underneath Symphony to throw at Bloom. “GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT!”

“Right, right!” Bloom sputtered as she got to her hooves and stumbled towards the door, taking a pillow to the face for her trouble. “Sorry! I didn’t mean ta—”

“JUST GET OUT!”

While Bloom was shutting the door, she and Symphony locked eyes for just a brief instant. Symphony winked, and she was sure that Bloom turned just a little bit redder.

Bluebolt, growling like an angry dog, then turned her attention to Symphony. “You forgot to lock the door!”

Symphony huffed and shook her head. “Yeah… that’s my bad, big time. Huge security oversight on my part,” she said, berating herself. “Merda, what the hell is wrong with me to get me so distracted? I’m not usually forgetful like that…”

Bluebolt sighed and nuzzled Symphony’s neck. “It’s alright, songbird. It’s alright. We’re safe here, I’m just… embarrassed, is all. Bloom just saw, like… all the goods. The full package. I mean, I know I said I wanted to get to know my extended family better, but that wasn’t what I meant.” She paused, eyes wide. "Oh shit, do you think she heard all the stuff we were saying too? Ugh, how do I explain that?"

Symphony flattened her ears. “I’m so sorry, Princess. I don’t have any excuses for it, I just—”

Bluebolt put a hoof to Symphony’s lips. “Hey. It’s okay. I’m not mad. Not at you. Bloom’s the nosy one, spying outside our door like that,” she said, loud enough so that if Bloom was still there, she’d hear it. “I’m gonna give her a stern talking to tomorrow, let her know there’s a thing called ‘knocking’, first of all, and second of all, that our room is off limits after dinnertime.”

Symphony paused, then kissed Bluebolt’s hoof. “Thanks, pecha. I’m still sorry your aunt—”

“Cousin,” Bluebolt corrected with a little heat in her tone, obviously still upset.

“Your cousin barged in on us like that. I mean… yeah, I’d be pretty embarrassed too if Jewel walked in on us banging. I mean… she’d probably get a kick out of it, knowing her, but—”

“Not the point.” Bluebolt finally lifted herself off of Symphony’s fake phallus with a low groan; with a grin, the unicorn helped her pegasus fillyfriend take the vibrator out of her butt. “Damn… that really killed the mood…”

“Yeah… it did.” Symphony pulled the princess in for a hug. “C’mon, pecha… let’s get some sleep, huh? Mood’s ruined, might as well make the most of what time we’ve got.”

Bluebolt yawned, nodded, and curled up in Symphony’s embrace. “Yeah… probably for the best…”

As Bluebolt drifted off, Symphony glanced at the door briefly, locking it with her magic, and wondering just what in the hell possessed Apple Bloom to spy on the couple’s late-night love-making. Whatever it was, Symphony was gonna get to the bottom of it.
> 6. Sundial/Weaver/Aculeata: Try, Try Again
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sundial sat alone at the bar of a small lounge in the cafeteria at Hope’s Point’s royal palace, her only company a small cup of half-finished coffee and a plate of biscuits that she’d barely even touched. She was used to dealing with hangovers after a few years of what some might call irresponsible drinking, so it wasn’t the mild headache that bothered her, or the bright lights of the cafeteria, or the distant clinking of silverware as guards and servants enjoyed their own breakfasts at proper tables.

No, it was the events of the night prior that were bothering her now.

She mulled over the events in her mind for the fifth time since she’d woken up that morning. She recalled taking Weaver out for dinner and a few drinks after being of some service to Queen Blackburn by giving her all sorts of information to better prepare her for the coming threats from up north. The pair then returned to their shared room at the royal palace. Sundial could recall the sorts of things that they’d discussed, about their friends and their plans for the future. She also distinctly remembered deciding, when her inhibitions were suitably lowered and Weaver was suitably relaxed, she was going to make her move.

That… had been a mistake.

Oh, not actually making the move, no. If Weaver’s reaction was anything to go by, Rarity’s advice had been sound and Sundial knew that the two of them had a mutual physical attraction for one another. 

Her timing, though, could have been better. They’d both been so drunk that they could hardly move or think properly, and so what was supposed to be an evening of good shagging amounted only to… nothing. Weaver had fallen asleep less than a few minutes into her sloppy, drunken attempts at foreplay, and she’d joined him a moment later, too tired to care.

That wasn’t even the worst part. She’d hoped that come morning, she’d be able to talk with him about it and maybe they’d have another try. But, to her disappointment, they’d been woken up by one of the palace’s servants as Weaver’s presence was requested by Queen Blackburn for a follow-up to their meeting… and she’d specifically asked that Sundial not be present. Oh, Sundial had given the servant an earful about that, but she couldn’t go against the Queen’s wishes when they needed her to get across the sea.

And that’s how Sundial found herself where she was now. Alone with her thoughts and filled with regret. Last night was supposed to be special, and the only thing she could think of was how badly she’d fucked it up by allowing herself and Weaver to get too drunk.

Her thoughts were interrupted when a pretty, silver-coated earth pony mare with a lovely blonde mane, wearing a button-up white shirt with all the buttons undone, took a seat at the bar next to her. She just lifted her head from the table to glare at the intruder, who didn’t even look at her at first, just got the bartender’s attention and ordered a few maple donuts. The mare looked like she'd had a wild evening, given how disheveled the shirt was.

At which point she shifted gently and gave Sundial a sunny smile. “I’ve found that I like the maple ones the best,” she said matter-of-factly. "The donuts, I mean."

Sundial just stared blankly at this mare, eyes half-lidded from both exhaustion and confusion, then licked her lips to get her mouth ready to move. “Do ye mind, lass?”

“Hmm?”

“I’m trying ta have a moment alone here, if ye couldn’t bloody tell,” Sundial grumbled.

“Oh, I could tell,” the mare said with a smile. She thanked the bartender as he brought her the donuts, then took a hungry bite from one. “Ooh, that’s tasty," she said with a satisfied moan. "These must be fresh out of the fryer.”

“Lass—”

“I can tell that you’re having a moment alone, but I really don’t think that’s helping anypony, do you?” She shook her head. “I hate seeing ponies so distressed.”

Sundial narrowed her eyes and lifted herself off the bar counter enough to give the mare a look of indignation. “Who the bloody hell do ye think ye are, eh? Mind yer own business.”

“Oh, I would, but the well-being of those important to me is my business, hmm?” The mare turned to Sundial, a mouthful of maple donut, and smiled. In that moment, her eyes changed from a lush green to a fierce red with black slits for pupils, then shifted back again.

That gave Sundial pause. “Aculeata? What the bloody hell—”

The other mare held a hoof up to her lips and swallowed her donut.

Sundial nodded briefly. “But… what’re ye doing traipsing around all… incognito? I thought ye were a guest here?”

Acuelata shifted her head back and forth in thought. “Certainly, but I don’t wish to coop myself up in my guest quarters, luxurious though they may be. Queen Blackburn fully understands my need to stretch my legs and observe the city that is to be my new home, but naturally it is wiser to do so in the guise of another, hmm?”

“Aye… I suppose it would.” Sundial gave a little smirk. “Have ye found a donor for your next clutch yet?”

“Yes, indeed I have," Aculeata said with a smile as she tenderly rubbed her stomach. Sundial knew what that meant: the changeling queen had already collected from some lucky stallion.  "I will not bore you with the particulars, but I believe that my next clutch will come from quite excellent stock. This city has a veritable smorgasbord of potential mates.” She then gave Sundial a knowing look. “However, I am aware that you did not fare so well last night.”

Sundial froze up and gulped. “Ye… ye do?”

“I do, and it distresses me so.” Aculeta looked up at the ceiling in contemplation. “I felt the spark of joy between you and another the night before, for yours is so rare that I recognized it instantly. Then that joy progressed to lust, and I prepared myself to feed upon the rush of raw emotion. But then… nothing.”

“Aye… nothing indeed,” Sundial grumbled.

“Might I ask what happened, my friend? Never before have I witnessed such a thing, to feel such a strong emotional impulse just suddenly cease.”

Sundial sighed and explained everything to Aculeata. The changeling queen didn’t seem surprised that Weaver had been her partner, and Sundial didn’t feel self-conscious about saying that he was. Not to her, at least.

“I see. That is most unusual,” Aculeata said, stroking her chin. “Do you intend to make another attempt tonight?”

“Aye… I was hoping ta give it another try while we were sober, but… I dunno…”

“What’s wrong?”

“When he left this morning, Weaver didn’t seem… interested. I know part o’ that is him just… not understanding how these things work, but… it still worries me. Did I bugger this up?”

Aculeata set her hoof on Sundial’s shoulder. “My friend… my dear friend, please, do not think that way. Trust me when I say he feels the same. I could sense it. I think that Weaver is unfamiliar with sexual experiences and doesn’t know how to express himself properly yet.”

Sundial grumbled and set her chin back on the counter. “Aye… and I’m not much better, ta be honest.” 

Aculeata hummed, tapping her chin. “No, this will not do.”

“Huh?”

“You are my friend, Sundial, so it does not sit well with me to see you unhappy. And that is besides the fact that your disappointment tastes… bland and unsatisfying,” Aculeata said with an uncomfortable gulp. “No, you are my friend, and the well-being of my friends is second only to the well-being of my hive.”

“Well… uh, thanks for taking such an interest in this, I guess?” Sundial said, eyebrow raised. “So, what’re ye trying ta tell me? Do ye have advice or something on how I can salvage this?”

Aculeata turned to Sundial and her eyes briefly flashed their normal color. “Oh no, my friend. Much more than that.”


*****


Later that evening, Sundial sat on the edge of the bed in her and Weaver’s room, so many thoughts, worries, and concerns flitting about in her head that she was starting to get a headache. One thought, though, dominated most of the others:

I can’t believe I’m doing this.

She turned to look at the nearby sofa, which Queen Aculeata lounged upon in her natural form. It was rather surreal seeing the large, sharp body of the changeling queen, what with all of its fearsome insectoid components, seated gently on a dainty, fancy sofa that wasn't really meant for more than one pony at a time try to support a creature of her size and shape. How the sofa didn’t break under the queen’s weight was astounding.

The queen had only arrived minutes before, having spent the day tending to her children. Sundial had spent the day since breakfast agonizing over whether or not Aculeata’s plan was the best decision, but had decided that at this point, she didn’t have much to lose. At worst she'd have to finish herself off with her hoof tonight, and that wasn't exactly alien to her.

When Weaver—dressed in his skin-tight uniform—arrived a few moments later, he entered the room without knocking, as Sundial had left the door unlocked. “Oh,” he said as he walked in and saw Sundial first, seated on the bed. “Hello Sundial. Forgive me for not being in contact all day—”

“It’s alright, Weaver,” Sundial said with a slight smile, glad that he was concerned about that sort of thing. “Queen Blackburn kept me in the loop, so I knew ye were going ta miss our dinner plans. So? How was having dinner with the queen o’ Hope’s Point?”

“Interesting,” Weaver said, as always keeping things short and sweet. “We spoke at length on the nature of my powers and how they work. I have heard she was smart, but… well, I believe that is an understatement. Her intelligence and cunning dwarfs any pony I’ve ever known.”

“Aye, she’s got that kind o’ reputation.”

Weaver turned and gave a short bow to Aculeata. “Your Majesty. I did not think we would see each other again until we returned from our mission.”

Aculeata chuckled into her hoof, her voice reverberating in the air. “Weaver, you don’t need to bow to me. My title of ‘Queen’ is not one of noble blood or royalty, after all, but of my biological role.”

“Ah. It must be different between yourself and Queen Blackburn, then. Interesting.” Weaver tilted his head and looked between Sundial and Aculeata. “I am confused as to why you have come to visit us, though. Did I forget a meeting we had planned? Not that I don’t enjoy your visit, it is just unexpected.”

Sundial smirked. “Och, don’t sound so bloody formal, lad. Friends can visit friends when they want, aye? Well, Aculeata is my friend—yours too—and she decided ta pay us a wee visit.”

“Oh. Yes, that sounds nice.” Weaver smiled and gave Aculeata a brief nod. “It is good to see you, Your Majesty. How is your hive faring here in the big city?”

“Very well, thank you for asking,” Aculeata said with a smile as well, showing off a row of fanged teeth. “Queen Blackburn has been very accommodating to myself and my children. I know little of the fierce reputation she has with most ponies, for I have only heard of her from Tick Tock’s stories and she presented her as a generous, compassionate ruler.”

“Aye, just one that’d be willing ta kill ya if it kept her ponies safe,” Sundial added with a grin.

“A sentiment I share and understand completely.” Aculeata cleared her throat. “But I am not here to discuss myself, Weaver. The intent of my visit is to assist you and Sundial is some…” She clicked her mandibles. “Deeply personal matters.”

Weaver quirked an eyebrow. “Huh?”

Sundial tapped her hooves together, unable to resist the blush that came to her face. “Uh… Weaver, how much do ye remember from last night? Starting from when we came back after drinking.”

Weaver tapped his chin. “We snuck back into the palace at a late hour, just past two in the morning according to you. I remember coming into our room, and we talked and made jokes… though the exact words of our conversation I don’t recall,” he said, a little sheepish. “Sorry.”

“That’s alright, lad, I don’t remember the exact conversations, either.” Sundial averted her eyes from him for a moment and ran a hoof through her mane. “I, uh… I do remember ye asking if I’d let ye come along with me ta travel the world after we finished this mission down south.”

“Yes,” Weaver said, a smile creeping on his face. “That I do remember. I wanted a chance to experience what the world has to offer now that I have my freedom, and I very much wanted to travel with you.”

“Aye…” Sundial looked to Aculeata briefly, who just bore a little grin on her face, then back to Weaver. “Anything else?”

Weaver raised an eyebrow. “I recall you asking me to take off my clothes so we could sleep together in a different fashion, then us trying to get comfortable for several minutes during which you spent an inordinate amount of time touching my groin.”

Aculeata chuckled into her hoof, earning a sharp look from Sundial.

“I know we fell asleep soon after that. So… did we sleep together the way you intended?”

Sundial rubbed the back of her head. “We… tried. But, uh… I think we might have been a wee bit too drunk ta actually, y’know… do the deed. Ye fell asleep before I could get anything done, and I… I didn’t do much better. So, uh… no. We didn’t.”

Weaver paused, then nodded. “But you wanted to.”

“Aye.” Sundial paused, then coughed into her hoof to avoid looking at him. “Aye… I did.”

“Then I am sure that I did as well,” Weaver said matter-of-factly. “I very much enjoy your company, Sundial, and that sort of experience sounds new and exciting. I am sorry that there was a problem last night.” He looked to Aculeata. “Is that why you’re here? To help with our ‘sleeping’ problem?”

Aculeata let out another laugh, which reverberated in the room. “Nothing gets past you, does it?” 

She looked to Sundial, who couldn’t meet her gaze and looked anywhere in the room she could but at Aculeata or Weaver; one tile on the ceiling was very interesting right now. 

The changeling queen rose off the sofa and approached Weaver. “As you know, I am acquainted with the sensations of every emotion and feeling there is. Tell me Weaver, do you find Sundial…” She clicked her mandibles as she searched for the word. “Attractive?”

Weaver tilted his head briefly, then considered the ground for a moment much as Sundial was with the ceiling. “I… is that what that feeling is? Attraction?”

“Describe it to me.”

Weaver paused, but did not look up from the ground when he replied. “Whenever Sundial and I are alone together, at times I find myself looking her way and there is a… tingling? Or an itch? There is a sensation in me that I do not understand. I only know that I feel it whenever I spend time with Sundial… when I speak with her, look at her, or touch her.”

“And Sundial, do you—”

Sundial threw her hooves up in exasperation. “Yes, dammit! For the past month, every time I look at this bloke lately all I can think about is how fucking good-looking he is! I mean… just look at him! He’s got such a cute face, and so many muscles, and I never thought I was attracted ta scars but here we bloody are!”

Aculeata gave Weaver a brief once-over, a sultry smile on her face. “I had at one point considered requesting for him to be my new clutch’s donor. It was only your feelings for him that stopped me, my friend, for I could never do that to you.”

Sundial blinked, caught off-guard. The changeling queen thought that Weaver was good enough stock to breed with? That was rather surprising. Not that Weaver was good enough, no, but that Sundial felt she was good enough to even have somepony like that. No stallion had ever paid her much attention, so she just figured...

“Ah… w-well, thanks for that then?”

“But yes, Weaver, to answer your earlier question, I am here to assist you two with your ‘sleeping’ problem. I have come to understand that neither of you have been with a mate before, and what kind of friend would I be if I let you too just… thrash about in bed and call it a night? No no, that simply will not do. These things need to be done properly.” 

Aculeata took Weaver’s hoof and drew him over to the bed so that he could sit beside Sundial. 

“Over the many years living in Goldridge, I admit that I have not repaid the generosity of Tick Tock and Pewter adequately, for the opportunity has never presented itself and… I will likely never have the chance before they return home. So, I will consider this a task I can lend my particular… expertise to,” she said, clicking her mandibles. “It will still not be enough to repay those two for their generosity, but I see assisting their ward as a start.”

Sundial glanced briefly at Weaver, then blushed and turned away, not sure why this whole situation was making her feel so nervous. To her surprise Weaver seemed equally nervous, at least from what she could tell.

“So, friends, let us proceed. I shall guide you both in this night of passion, if you will allow me.”

Sundial nodded briefly. “Aye, yeah… if ye insist…” She still couldn’t believe she agreed to this and something about it all was making her very uncomfortable. Was it the way Aculeata was looking at the two of them? No… it was the way Aculeata looked at the moment. It was unsettling.

Weaver also nodded, but didn’t speak up.

Aculeata looked between the two and rolled her eyes. “This is going to be harder than I thought, isn’t it? Oh dear. What seems to be the problem?”

Sundial quickly coughed into her hoof again. “D-don’t take this the wrong way, Aculeata, I… I appreciate this, I do, but… well, it’s kind o’ hard for me ta get in the mood when ye’re au naturale.”

Sundial gestured towards Aculeata’s body, causing the changeling queen to glance down and observe herself: the armored carapace that could stop an anti-material shell from airship-mounted weaponry; the scorpion tail that carried a lethal venom that could kill a pony in less than a day; the pointed limbs that could pierce through solid steel; the rows of razor-sharp fangs hidden behind mandibles; the dragonfly wings that glistened in the room's dim light. 

Sundial didn’t need to say much more, really; Aculeata was a killing machine in her natural form. Some might consider that a turn-on. She, however, did not.

“Ah. Forgive me, I had forgotten that this form is… disconcerting for most in this sort of environment,” Aculeata said, clicking her mandibles. She didn’t seem upset in the least; Sundial knew the changeling queen would be the first to agree with the assessment. “Then I shall take another form. Since this is your evening, perhaps you two have a suggestion?”

Sundial pondered this for a moment, trying to think on somepony she would find appropriate. It would have to be somepony she felt comfortable around, particularly in an intimate sort of environment. Not only that, but Weaver would need to be comfortable with them in such an environment too. That didn’t leave a lot of options. 

Bluebolt? No, Sundial would feel fine with it—the princess had supposedly had a crush on her when they were younger—but Weaver wasn't particular close.

Apple Bloom? She was just distant enough from the two of them that it might be okay, and they were all on pretty good terms. But no, just being on good terms wasn't good enough.

Not Rarity or Tick Tock, no. Rarity had already given Sundial so much advice on making this work that if she was going to have Rarity join them she'd just ask the mare herself. And Tick Tock, oh no, Sundial wouldn't dream of having the mare she considered a mother sharing a bed with her like that.

Weaver then spoke up. “What about Flurry Heart? I would feel comfortable having Flurry here to help me with another new experience. She has always been there for me.”

Sundial was about to object, then stopped herself when she realized that Weaver was onto something. She and Flurry were very close at this point, close enough that she dared to consider Flurry her best friend; Flurry was also close with Weaver, as she and Flurry were entirely responsible for liberating him from slavery to the Overseer. The trio were also not shy around one another when it came to things like nudity; hell, Flurry didn’t even need to wear clothes in the world she was from.

“Yeah… I think that’d work. I mean… I’d love ta just ask the mare herself ta do this, but, uh… I don’t want ta scar the lass, y’know?" Sundial chuckled. "Besides… maybe ye could just be a little… I don’t know, ‘off’?”

Aculeata seemed to weigh the suggestion heavily, then gave a slow, understanding nod. “Typically I do not take the form of another, but I can certainly get around that with some differences. Very well, if you think that would put you both at ease, then I shall take the form—”

With a brief flare of magic, Aculeata’s shape changed into an exact copy of Flurry Heart. Every last detail was precisely perfect, from the curves of her legs to her height, down to the precise shape of her muzzle. Only a few details were different: when Aculeata opened her eyes, they weren’t Flurry Heart’s but her own, complete with slit-like pupils; she didn't have a cutie mark at all; her horn was different, bent with a curve halfway; the other was her missing wings, but Sundial knew Aculeata didn’t know that was an inaccuracy, since she didn’t know Flurry was an alicorn. Naturally, she was naked, but then Flurry wouldn’t be bothered by that in the least.

“—of Flurry Heart,” Aculeata finished in a perfect imitation of Flurry’s voice. "With a couple of changes, of course. I would feel awful if I was a complete duplicate given what we are prepared to do."

Sundial smirked and shook her head. “She’ll bloody well kill me if she ever finds out. First because we didn’t ask her… then because we didn’t ask her. Heh.” She cleared her throat. “So, uh… are we all good to go now?”

Aculeata-as-Flurry nodded. “Yes, very much so. So, let’s begin, hmm? I think the first order of business should be obvious: getting undressed, yes? I believe I have already done so.”

Both Sundial and Weaver nodded and did as asked, stripping off their clothing before returning to the bed. The two shared a few glances at one another without it being awkward, seeing as they’d not only seen each other naked plenty of times. They’d even cuddled together in sleeping bags and beds and such without a problem, so why have one now? Sundial even let her mane down just for the occasion.

“Seeing as this is all about first times and such,” Aculeata-as-Flurry continued, “I think we can skip a few things here and there in order to get to the step I know that Sundial has been craving since Weaver walked into the room.”

“Hey…” Sundial grunted.

“Oh, don’t argue with me, dear. You’ve been eager for this since last night, and I’ve sensed the lust growing in you all evening. Particularly when I mentioned that I’d considered taking Weaver as my clutch donor. Does knowing your chosen partner is worthy of breeding the changeling queen… excite you?”

Sundial blushed and tried not to meet Weaver’s gaze when he looked her way. 

"Well? Does it?" the queen teased, putting her hoof on her stomach. Her horn had a dull pink glow. "Ah, yes it does. You're excited at the thought that your mate was worthy of breeding me, and that he will instead be breeding you. Not an uncommon fetish—"

“Yes! Dammit, yes!" Sundial blurted. "Forgot ye could sense that shite."

"I think I missed a part of this conversation," Weaver said, tilting his head. "What's all this about me breeding—"

"So, uh, how do ye want us ta do this?” Sundial interrupted, ignoring him.

Aculeata grinned. “Well, I have always been of the opinion that foreplay is important to any sexual experience, but I think we should ease you both into that. Hmm…” The changeling queen hopped up onto the bed with the two of them, moving up towards the pillows by the headboard. “Sundial, come here.”

Sundial shrugged and scooted her way up the bed.

“First—” Aculeata plopped Sundial’s balmoral hat back onto Sundial’s head. “—keep this on. You look adorable in it and that will add to the experience.”

“Uh… if you say so?” Sundial said, adjusting her hat so it was comfortable on her head.

“Now, I want you to present yourself to your partner. Like so.”

Before Sundial could even shift herself into the proper position—she knew what Aculeata meant—the changeling queen demonstrated the precise pose that she was expecting: hind legs spread apart, hindquarters way up in the air, forelegs bent slightly, tail hitched over her back, and face resting gently on a pillow.

Sundial was tempted to make a comment, but she was distracted by the fact that it wasn’t Aculeata’s body doing this, but Flurry Heart’s. She’d commented to the alicorn princess that she was incredibly attractive, expressing surprise that she hadn’t so much as kissed a colt or even, stars forbid, held a colt’s hoof. Flurry’s father was apparently… over-protective to a degree that surprised Sundial, having never experienced anything like that herself.

So seeing Flurry Heart bent over in such a lewd pose gave Sundial pause. Not because she was attracted to her in any way—Sundial wasn’t into mares—but because it was just so… enticing. Like forbidden fruit, in a sense. How Aculeata knew what Flurry’s pussy looked like or if it was of her own imagining, Sundial didn’t know, and she wasn’t sure which was better. A glance back at Weaver told her that he felt much the same, since he was averting his gaze, as if it was wrong to look at Flurry that way.

Sundial briefly chuckled to herself, noting the absurdity of it all, then got into the same pose as Aculeata-as-Flurry. “Alright, now what?”

The changeling queen shifted out of the pose and clicked her tongue. “Hmm… almost. Allow me to make some adjustments.”

Sundial was about to argue when Aculeata just proceeded to make her adjustments on her own. Her horn was alight and tugged at the pegasus in certain spots to position her just right while her hooves did the same with larger bits. Sundial felt like a foal’s action figure being posed just so in preparation for being put into a display case.

“Aaaand, there,” Aculeata said with a wide grin. “Perfect. Comfortable, is it not?”

Sundial paused, then nodded slightly on the pillow. “Uh… yeah, actually. This isn’t bad. Feels kind o’... natural?”

“Of course! This is the natural breeding position that many ponies and kirins tend to take from my experience.” Aculeata dropped down to Sundial’s ear and whispered, “I have taken many partners just like this. You’re going to love it.”

Aculeata then clapped her hooves and turned to Weaver. “And now, our stallion! Weaver, come over here.” She tapped the bed just behind Sundial’s leg. “Don’t be shy.”

Weaver nodded and did as he was asked, crawling onto the bed and seating himself just behind Sundial’s raised butt. Sundial found herself suddenly very conscious of the fact that she was presenting herself for him.

Sundial then felt Aculeata’s hooves each take hold of one of her flanks and, like she was opening a book, spreading her open enough that Weaver got an unobstructed view of the goods. The queen’s magic even hiked Sundial’s tail up just to be sure.

“So, Weaver,” Aculeata-as-Flurry cooed, “your mare is presenting herself to you, but before you can mark her as yours, you must prepare her for what’s to come.”

Sundial was barely able to glance behind herself enough to see what was going on behind her, and saw Weaver tilt his head, confused. Bless the lad’s heart, he has no idea what’s going on, she thought. 

“Mark her as my own? How would I do that?” he asked, both curious and innocent in his ignorance.

“We’ll get to that, my eager friend,” Acuelata added, giggling into her hoof. “Now, your partner’s entrance must be wet in order to make what comes later easy and comfortable for you both. She will become wet when she’s excited, so we will have to excite her, won’t we?”

Sundial rolled her eyes. “Yer Majesty, ye don’t need ta talk ta him like he’s a foal in school, aye?”

“Perhaps,” Aculeata said, and Sundial could just hear the smirk on her lips, “but your chosen mate is the sort who listens to and follows directions like a professional, so I am merely ensuring that he receives the best instructions he can. But I understand what you mean. I will be more… to the point, if that is to your liking?”

“I appreciate that, Your Majesty,” Weaver said with a nod.

“So, to the point it is. Weaver, a stallion has more than just his penis to use to stimulate his mare. He also has his hooves, though I have found that most mares much prefer tongues.”

Sundial gulped and prepared herself for Weaver’s tongue.

To her surprise, though, Aculeata next said, “Allow me to demonstrate.” Then, she leaned down and ran her tongue along Sundial’s folds before diving inside.

One thing Sundial noticed immediately was that it was not Flurry’s tongue that had just entered her. Not because she paid much attention to what Flurry’s tongue looked like, no, but because Aculeata-as-Flurry’s tongue was much too long and had a definite fork at the tip. If Flurry’s tongue was this long, Sundial was sure that she’d be making somepony very happy someday.

The other thing that Sundial noticed was that this felt good, so she couldn’t exactly stop herself from letting out a sudden gasp of excitement. She definitely didn’t expect Aculeata to continue for some ten seconds or so. It wasn’t enough to get Sundial terribly excited, but it was enough to make her miss the changeling queen’s long tongue when it was gone.

“Now, your turn,” Aculeata-as-Flurry said to Weaver.

Sundial watched Weaver nod, lean forward, breathing heavily as he neared her snatch— the air rushing over her folds felt exciting—then mimic Aculeata’s exact movements. Though his tongue was not as long as the changeling queen’s, it was certainly wider and rougher. This was its own thing entirely as far as pleasuring the pegasus was concerned. While Aculeata’s tongue reached deep, Weaver was able to brush along the entirety of Sundial’s pussy with no trouble at all.

The pegasus couldn’t help but whimper and groan as Weaver pleasured her orally, and was pleased that he was such a quick learner. Maybe she was too quick to chastise Aculeata’s training technique.

“That’s very good,” Aculeata said, stroking Weaver’s mane; Sundial figured the changeling queen didn’t need verbal confirmation from Sundial that he was doing a good job, since her moans were enough. “You’re a natural.”

“Mmf frf,” Weaver said without drawing his mouth away; the act of trying to talk with a mouthful of mare made Sundial quiver, both from how goofy it was and from how it reverberated against her folds.

“But foreplay is more than just about the actions performed,” the changeling queen continued. “It’s about the sensations—the sensory experience. You can tell Sundial is feeling good, right? You feel how wet she is around your muzzle?”

Weaver nodded gently, earning another quiver from Sundial.

“Good. But what about your other senses? What does she smell like? Taste like?”

Weaver pulled away and seemed to be giving it some thought, leaving Sundial with a sudden lack of pleasure that she found very annoying. Annoying enough to make her forget how self-conscious and embarrassing it was that Weaver was being asked how she smelled down there. Sure, she’d bathed hours ago, but still.

“Oy! Can we save this part for after—”

“Hush hush,” Aculeata-as-Flurry said, batting Sundial’s ear. “This is as much for his enjoyment as yours, my dear, don’t rush things.”

Weaver paused for a moment then gave a slow shake of his head. “She smells… pleasant. Um… kind of sweet. Like molasses? That’s good, right?”

Sundial squirmed a little. “Bloody hell, can we not talk about how my cunt smells?"

Aculeata grinned. “And the taste?”

“Also kind of sweet. Like… old cookies? Biscuits?”

“And do you like that?”

Weaver paused again, then gave Sundial’s pussy another long, slow, and deliberate lick with his tongue, earning a little yelp from her. Then, he nodded. “Yes.”

Sundial put a spare pillow over her head so the others couldn’t see how red her face was. “I regret everything.”

Aculeata-as-Flurry giggled and gently rubbed Sundial’s back. “Don’t worry, Sundial, you’ll have your chance in a moment. Speaking of which—”

Sundial heard Weaver give a sudden grunt of surprise.

“—there we go. My my…” Aculeata said with a trill of excitement. “Sundial, dear… I must say, you’ve made an excellent choice. You're very brave.”

Sundial raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know what that means.”

“You will.” She cleared her throat. “Weaver, now you will present yourself for your mare. Come around front here. That’s a good colt.”

Sundial felt Weaver’s weight shifting the bed as he crawled up towards where her head was located. She still had her head buried between two pillows so she couldn’t see, but she knew what was going on.

“Okay now take a seat right there and— really, Sundial, there’s no need to hide,” Aculeata huffed. Sundial felt the changeling queen yank one pillow off of her head. “Your partner is ready for his turn.”

Sundial snorted. “Yeah, I get it. It’s only… fair… bloody hell…”

She’d seen Weaver naked enough times to “accidentally” catch a view or two of his sheath, and last night she’d managed to almost coax him out of it before the evening was ruined by snores, but now was an entirely different story. Now she had a full view of Weaver’s fully-erect cock and swollen balls right in her face, and she was… well, a lot of things. Excited, certainly; her wings were fully extended, something she’d not dealt with since she was a teenager. Impressed, probably. Scared, maybe. But mostly, she was surprised.

Sundial didn’t have any sort of scale by which to judge if she was supposed to be impressed with Weaver’s size, actually, but she knew how big she was and how big he was, and knew that a blowjob was going to be difficult, and that full-on penetration might be more so. The dark brown color was a pleasant contrast to his lighter brown coat and only made it stand out more.

“Hmm hmm, it would seem you are quite transfixed, my friend,” Aculeata-as-Flurry whispered in her ear.

“Huh?” Sundial muttered, not looking away from her prize. "I'm sorry, I wasn't listening."

“I said that preparing your stallion is much the same as preparing a mare: his shaft must be slick and well-lubricated to minimize any difficulty in penetration.”

Sundial gulped. “R-right, makes sense.”

“Much like a stallion, a mare also has hooves and a mouth and tongue with which to pleasure their partner. Allow me to demonstrate.” And with that, Aculeata-as Flurry took Weaver’s cock and used her long tongue to lick him from the base all the way to the tip before taking it all into her mouth in one go without even the slightest bit of discomfort.

Sundial had earlier felt that watching “Flurry Heart” present herself to Weaver like she was in heat to be something so strangely out of place that it was arousing. That was nothing compared to watching “Flurry Heart” take a cock like Weaver’s deep down her throat like it was no big deal, as easy as breathing; the damn thing didn’t look like it even had any right to fit. It was arousing. Very arousing.

As she’d done with Sundial, Aculeata-as-Flurry did not suck Weaver’s cock for more than ten or so seconds, and when she drew her head away, she didn’t even seem to need to take a moment to catch her breath. “Now it’s your turn, my friend. Though I must warn you to be gentle and take it slow; Weaver might be too much for you at first, but—”

Sundial growled, hating it when anypony told her what she could or couldn't handle. “Just… move aside!” 

She slowly rose from her position, following the changeling’s example to lick every inch of Weaver’s cock, caressing every vein, running over the medial ring, and even encircling the tip. Then, she took his tip into her mouth and proceeded to force it into her mouth. 

She was slow and careful, making sure to take deliberate, deep breaths through her nose, but even so, Weaver was big enough to make it difficult to do anything but go at an agonizing pace. Her throat clenched up as if trying to get this massive choking hazard out, but she resisted the urge to gag. How the changeling queen could take it so far without stopping was just… unnerving.

“That’s it, breathe,” Aculeata cooed, stroking Sundial’s back. “But don’t focus entirely on what you’re doing. Take a moment to look into your partner’s eyes. To see his enjoyment.” She paused and chuckled. “Or… in this case, concern. Hmm… that’s a new one.”

Sundial glanced up to see that Weaver’s face was a mixture of conflicting emotions. His red cheeks and labored breaths were enough that she knew she was doing a good job and that he was enjoying this, but his eyes flickered with the concern that Aculeata has mentioned. Was he worried for her? That she couldn’t handle it? 

Just you bloody watch me!

She made sure to keep her eyes locked with his as she kept going, faster and farther than before, until she managed to reach the medial ring. Then she pulled up so that just his slightly-flared tip was in her mouth, then dove back down again, faster this time. And again. And again. All the while keeping her eyes locked with his, a fierce expression on her face.

Aculeata chuckled. “Interesting.” She gave Weaver a little smile. “I think your concern is wasted on your mare, Weaver. She’s got a fighting spirit.”

“Y-yes… she does…” Weaver groaned.

Sundial pulled her mouth off Weaver's dick, letting a thick glob of saliva loose from her mouth in the process. “Damn right I do, and don’t ye bloody forget it! Just who the hell do ye think ye are, giving me those doe eyes, eh? I’m not a little princess that ye need ta coddle. Not in a scrap, not in conversation, and not in bed. Got that?”

Weaver just stared at her, then smiled and nodded. “Yes.”

Sundial snapped her head to Aculeata. “So, can we move on now?”

Aculeata smirked. “How does he smell?”

Sundial paused and considered this, realizing she hadn’t really taken in his scent while she had the opportunity. Determined to get things moving, she lowered her muzzle down to Weaver’s balls and inhaled. Her nostrils were met with the musk of a stallion that had been doing physical work all day while wrapped up in a skin-tight uniform that sealed everything in, and who hadn’t bathed before he returned to the hotel room.

In other words, Sundial shuddered and let out a satisfied groan once she’d breathed him in. “Like a stallion~”

This got a laugh out of Aculeata. “Well put, Sundial, well put. He does have a certain musk, doesn’t he?”

Now it was Weaver who seemed a little self-conscious. “Is that bad? I did not have time to bathe—”

Sundial took another nose full of his musk. “No, it’s not bad at all, lad~” 

She made a mental note to tell him that the next time they did this, to make sure that he didn’t bathe immediately beforehand. Afterwards, sure, whatever, but getting rid of this scent was… it was criminal. She wasn't supposed to go into heat for at least another month but his scent made her feel like she was.

“Um… okay?” Weaver said, blinking with a complete lack of understanding.

“One more question, Sundial,” the changeling queen asked.

“Hmm?” Sundial said, still enjoying the lingering scent in her nose.

“How did it feel having your partner inside your throat? Describe it.”

Sundial turned red. “I… I don’t know what you mean?”

“Sucking on a stallion’s cock is a profoundly different sensation than, say… sucking on a popsicle. What made it different, in your mind?”

Sundial blinked. “Och… wow, okay. Well, for one, he’s bigger than any popsicle I’ve ever had before.”

The queen laughed. “Yes, obviously, but that’s not what I meant. Your partner was clearly enjoying the experience, though. How could you tell?”

Sundial paid, then gulped. “I… felt him twitching in my throat. I thought I was gonna choke for a couple o’ moments.”

“And did you like that?”

Sundial looked Weaver right in the eye and grinned. “Aye.”

“Wonderful!” Aculeata-as-Flurry said, clapping her hooves briefly. “Well, I think I’ve trained you two well enough on foreplay that you can figure out your own personal touches in the future. But for now, let us proceed to the step you’ve both been waiting for, hmm? Sundial, please return to your original position, if you would?”

“Oh, right.” Sundial did as asked and returned to the stance she’d had before, which had gone lax while blowing Weaver.

Aculeata then took Weaver by the hoof and wordlessly guided him behind Sundial, and positioned him so that his forelegs were square on Sundial’s back, right next to her wings; he didn't push his weight down, but he could still use her for leverage. She could feel his erection slap against the crease of her ass and rest there like it was a pedestal. Otherwise, he didn’t move a bit.

Sundial then felt his cock shift, not due to Weaver’s movements—the bed wasn’t moving so it couldn’t be him—but due to Aculeata’s magic. It lifted it from its resting place atop Sundial’s ass and positioned it right and Sundial’s slick entrance, where she could feel it slide up and down to get just a little more lubricant before going further. Sundial then felt the tip of his cock press against her pussy.

“You may want to take a deep breath,” Aculeata whispered in her ear.

Sundial did just that, then braced herself.

Weaver pushed into her slowly at first, and she let out a wince as his semi-flared tip stretched her pussy lips around it. Sundial had just a brief moment to breathe before he shoved another few inches in, this time allowing the medial ring to enter her. There was little in the way of thrusting, just slow, outward pulls followed by slow, inward pushes; not so much thrusting as scraping.

Nevertheless, it felt amazing. Her tunnel was intensely tight around his shaft, to the point that she understood the slow pace. It was like trying to force one’s leg through a sleeve of a shirt that was too small, but somehow making it work. Sundial felt a rush of… something building up inside her, ready to overflow at any second.

Without warning, Aculeata-as-Flurry roughly slapped Weaver’s ass. His natural reaction was to thrust himself—all of himself—forward.

The sudden thrust drove the air straight out of Sundial’s lungs and turned it into a hearty groan. Sundial felt almost the entirety of Weaver’s cock—medial ring and all—slam in as far as it could go; the flared tip of his cock was kissing her cervix already.

Sundial, who’d been on edge since Weaver’s tongue had lapped at her pussy, and who had come dangerously close to falling over when she took a whiff of his masculine scent, didn’t stand a chance once he thrust inside her. Sundial felt like a dam had just burst inside of her; she couldn’t help but let out a long and loud moan, her vaginal walls clamping down on Weaver like a vice, her body twitching like mad. She could dimly feel fluids dripping down her lower lips. The only thing she could do to stabilize her being was to bite so hard into the pillow that she tore the fabric.

It took a moment for Sundial to recover, panting and eyes half-lidded as she tried to look around the room. “B-bloody hell…”

“Wow,” was Aculeata’s one-word response. She sounded a little out-of-breath herself. “I haven’t felt an orgasm like that in years.”

Sundial has enough coherent thought to manage to say, “Huh? You came too?”

“Me? Oh no no no, not me,” the changeling queen said, licking her lips. “Your orgasm. I could feel it in the air. I feed upon emotions like lust, remember? Orgasms are simply when lust reaches its peak. So that, my friend… was a three-course meal and dessert.”

Sundial let her head rest against the pillow and grunted. “We’re not done yet, though. Right, Weaver?”

Weaver—poor, innocent, unknowing Weaver—took a moment to respond. “I guess not?”

“Of course not, my dear,” Aculeata cooed as she stroked his mane. “Your partner may have climaxed, but you have not done the same. A proper sexual encounter encourages both participants to achieve orgasm before it can be considered done.” With a grin, she added, “And that’s not even getting into the concept of multiple orgasms.

“But I digress, your partner has clearly exhausted herself, so the proper way in this situation to finish you off is via oral means. So I’ll just help you withdraw—”

Sundial snarled. “No.”

That gave the changeling queen pause. “Hmm?”

“Let him keep going. I’m fine.”

Aculeata-as-Flurry paused a moment, tilting her head, then gave a little grin. “You never cease to amaze me, Sundial.” She turned to Weaver and patted his flanks. “You’ve shown remarkable restraint not to keep thrusting all this time, Weaver. But you heard your mare, so… give in to your instincts. Mark your mare.”

Weaver—whose breathing Sundial noticed was extremely strained and whose hooves had shifted up to her flanks—then did exactly what any stallion’s instincts would be telling them to do.

He fucked.

Sundial had to put all of her weight into her front hooves so that Weaver didn’t just shove her straight into the headboard. She’d known Weaver was strong—she’d fought him, after all—but she hadn’t been expecting so much. On one hoof, she was glad that even though he’d been engineered he still had biological urges and instincts that made all this possible.

On the other hoof, as his powerful pistoning thrusts caused her ass to lift up further into the air and spurred Weaver on to pound her pussy like a jackhammer, she was wondering if she’d be able to walk tomorrow.

Sundial barely noticed Aculeata pacing around them, watching the two of them fucking like rabbits and tilting her head every which way for what reason Sundial didn’t know. The changeling queen’s horn glowed an intense white the entire time, and there were little particles of the same color fluttering through the air into it.

After a few moments of intense pounding, Sundial heard Aculeata say. “No, no, this won’t do.”

She then felt a very sudden shift, as if the world had just been flipped upside-down. Weaver seemed just as surprised as she was and for a brief moment stopped his primal thrusting; Sundial was both relieved and annoyed at the sudden cessation of activity.

After a moment to register what had happened, Sundial realized that she was now on top of Weaver. Their positioning relative to one another was practically the same—her back to him—but otherwise had completely changed.

“What the bloody hell—” Sundial started.

“There, that’s better,” Aculeata-as-Flurry said as she took up a comfortable, relaxed position in front of them. “You may continue.”

“Wh-what’s going on here?” Sundial blurted as she tried to hold herself up from sinking down onto Weaver’s cock. The attempt was misguided and actually did exactly what she was trying to prevent, which felt amazing of course but was incredibly distracting.

Weaver, to his credit, seemed interesting enough in the answer not to resume fucking Sundial senseless just yet.

“Well, I have noted that the sexual experience is a sensual one, haven’t I?” Aculeata-as-Flurry asked as she lounged onto her back so that Sundial could get a good view of the unicorn’s gorgeous body. “It’s all about enjoying how one’s partner sounds, smells, feels, tastes, and of course, looks. And in your prior position, well, I was deprived of the sight of this… intriguing copulation.”

Sundial grunted. “Ye could give a little warn—” 

She stopped when a sudden shift in her weight caused her to slide down further onto Weaver’s cock, which now curved just slightly and hit completely different spots inside her. All irritation she felt towards the changeling queen vanished into sexual bliss as she let out another moan.

Aculeata tilted her head towards Weaver. “Go on, Weaver. Don’t stop on my account.”

Weaver clearly didn’t need to be told twice.

Sundial threw her head back, mouth open to get as much air as possible, even as Weaver humped upwards and hit the tip of his cock against her cervix again, this time with what felt like another good inch worth of himself inside her due to their positioning.

Weaver’s hooves shifted as well, moving down Sundial’s body to grip her sides, just by her stomach. Sundial, panting and groaning all the while, set her hooves on his. She managed to glance downwards to see the fruit of their union, and wasn’t really surprised to see that a small bulge rippled across her stomach with every thrust; he was so big and she was so small that he could barely fit.

It was enough that Sundial came again, letting her head slink back and letting out a hearty moan. Years and years of frustration and anger and disappointment with her job and her life, plus suppressed heat cycles due to Chronomancer magic, had built up a blazing bonfire in her gut, and this orgasm—her second one of the evening—had thrown gasoline on it. Now she wanted nothing more than for Weaver to douse that fire with everything that had in him.

Sundial barely registered Weaver’s voice behind her. “S-something… something’s happening…” he groaned. “I feel… f-funny…”

Sundial knew what he meant, and eagerly waited for the coming storm.

It came a few moments later, when the tip of Weaver’s dick flared fully and slammed as deep as possible. She was so tight around him that she could feel his entire cock pulse, and she was surprised she didn’t get jettisoned into the ceiling as the first powerful blast of Weaver’s spunk exploded into her womb. Then came another. And another. And another. The poor stallion was so pent up that Sundial knew this was years worth of virile seed pouring into her.

Sundial glanced down at her stomach, where she could see the little bulge of his cock against her skin was throbbing slightly. She expected more, to be honest—for her stomach to have stretched further—but saw that there must’ve been such little room inside her that his spunk was practically gushing out of her, along with her own cum.

Sundial also saw that Aculeata had come over and, to her surprise, wrapped her long, forked tongue around Weaver's balls, licking him clean of spilled seed as if it were a crime to waste a single drop. A hungry expression played on the changeling queen’s face—no, Flurry’s face—as she looked up into Sundial's eyes. The white glow around her horn was bright enough to illuminate the room completely.

When Weaver was done, he practically collapsed into the bed, breathing heavily. To his credit, he didn’t let go of Sundial at all, allowing her to lean back against him comfortably. “W-what was that…?” he asked, his eyes locked on the ceiling.

“That was your climax,” Sundial said, out of breath. “I didn’t know ye had it in ye.”

“Well… now it’s in you, I guess?” he said, a light smile on his face.

Sundial managed enough strength to slap his chest. “Shut up.”

Aculeata tittered from her position on the other side of the bed. “This was… quite an experience. You two are certainly well-suited for one another.” She sighed whimsically. “I feel so full. I will have to transfer most of this to the hive for storage, or I’ll end up engorging myself.”

Sundial grunted and pulled herself off of Weaver, a slick noise issuing from her crotch. “I suppose we have you ta thank for this wonderful evening, aye? I don’t know if it would’ve been the same without ye.”

“I very much doubt it would.” She set a hoof on Sundial's stomach. "And never fear, I will help watch over your foal when the time comes."

Sundial waved her hooves in front of her face. "Oh no, don't ye worry about that, aye? In my line o' work they put charms on all the mares so that we don't go getting knocked up. I'm not having any foals o' my own 'til I retire and the charm gets removed. If I didn't I'd have made sure the lad pulled out or I'd bought some condoms."

"Oh? Hmm. Well, I suppose that makes things easier for you, doesn't it?" Aculeata shared a brief look between the two, then chuckled. “Sundial, I find that most stallions rather enjoy when a mare cleans him after he has been spent. I believe that should be easier to do when he is no longer erect, hmm? And it would do you well to get a taste, in case you decide to finish him with your mouth in the future.”

Sundial glanced at Weaver’s cum-drenched cock, then nodded. “Aye, yeah. Good idea.” 

She brought her muzzle down to Weaver’s crotch and took the head of his cock into her mouth, savoring the newfound taste—salty yet a little sweet. She managed to get it in up to nearly the base without much effort, whereupon she inhaled his musk, different now that it was mixed with semen and marecum but no less intoxicating. It was actually rather easy, now that he wasn't fully erect.

At least, until she felt him start getting hard again. She jumped as the tip of his cock nudged the back of her throat and pushed further beyond that, forcing her up and off him to gasp for air lest she choke.

“No bloody way…” She looked at Weaver’s slowly stiffening shaft and huffed, amused. “Lad, I thought ye were a pony, not some kind o’ bloody machine.”

“I… I can’t help it…” Weaver said, clearly both embarrassed and struggling against his own body. “I was engineered for... stamina and endurance, but I didn't know it would affect this too. Sorry, I didn’t mean—”

“Sorry? Sorry? Lad…” Sundial licked her lips as she shimmied over and made to straddle him. “Ye’ve got nothing ta be sorry about.”

Aculeata, from her spot on the bed, simply fluffed her pillow and watched with rapt attention. “I do love a good encore performance.”
> 7. Rarity/Zircon, Part 2: Reunion
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It would be twenty-one years before Rarity and Zircon saw one another again. 

When they did, the moment was truly magical, the sort of fairytale reunion filled with sensations that defied explanation. Time stopped for Rarity as she and Zircon locked eyes from across the snow-covered camp in the middle of nowhere, only returning to normal so that they could move to embrace one another again once she was assured that what she was seeing was real and not some figment of her imagination brought on by exhaustion.

All of her senses were completely dominated by him, as she’d wanted for so many years. She delighted in seeing her love’s handsome face once again, with hardly a wrinkle in sight; in taking in his strong, masculine scent, the sort worn by a stallion that never stopped working; in feeling his strong hooves wrap around her in an embrace, pulling her so tight she wanted to cry; in hearing his sultry baritone in her ears, pounding like a drum; and in tasting his lips upon hers, which carried just the hint of some wine he must have been drinking.

And Rarity knew that she owed everything about this moment and every moment to come to Flurry Heart—Cadence as well, but it was Flurry that had served as the real catalyst—and resolved to repay the mare with every fiber of her being when they returned home. Oh, the dresses she would make! Flurry would never go without the highest quality gowns and accessories for any occasion, the peak of fashion; mares everywhere would envy her, and stallions would desire her. Yes, that would be perfect.

And so, after a brief chance to reconnect together, and a chance for Zircon to meet the others in Rarity’s traveling party, the two were left alone again to do with their night as they wished. And after being apart from him for so long—being unsatisfied for so long—Rarity’s thoughts were on one thing and one thing only.

“Zircon, my love, I have just one question for you,” she said, pulling herself closer to him and looking him in the eyes.

“Yes?” he asked, pulling her into an embrace.

“Your tent. Would you say you have a great deal of privacy in there? Such that nobody—zebra, pony, or otherwise—would disturb you for, say… an hour or so?”

Zircon paused, then smiled and nodded. “Yes. Yes I would.”

“Good.” Rarity leaned up and kissed him again. “Very good.”

And so that was how they ended up moving to Zircon’s tent, which was a rather small affair with little in the way of accoutrements. There was a simple bed with only a couple of pillows and a warm blanket—barely big enough for one, let alone two—a single oil lamp for light, and a rack for hanging cloaks or armor on. There was no floor, just cold dirt that had been cleared of snow. There wasn't even the slightest source of satisfactory heat.

If this were any other stallion she was with, if this were any other situation, she would have wrinkled her nose and made some much-needed critiques about how anyone could expect to take a lady to such a droll little tent for even as simple as a pleasant conversation.

As it was, Rarity thought it was perfect. It was so him—so humble and rugged—that there wasn’t anything more she could ask for.

When the two entered together through the tent flat and found themselves out of sight of the rest of the camp, all pretense of being even remotely restrained around one another completely disappeared. Twenty-one years apart had made the two of them hungry for one another, desperate even. Rarity was a pony who had been lost in the desert for ages; Zircon was her oasis.

Oh, she’d shared her bed with a stallion or two in the past two decades, but that was it—just two—but neither of them had been able to hold a candle to Zircon, not by a long shot. The second of those two had even been more than eight years ago, and the only carnal pleasures Rarity had had since then were brought on by her own hooves or the assorted toys she’d collected over the years. 

It just wasn’t the same.

So, Rarity knew it had taken her an enormous amount of restraint not to just leap on top of Zircon and demand he make love to her out in the open where everyone could watch, to rut her senseless until she couldn’t walk or breathe or cry, to take her like a stallion and mark her with his seed, and all sorts of other unladylike things that she'd never say aloud to anyone but her gallant knight.

And, as she stripped off her winter coat and helped Zircon remove his armor, she knew that he too had been practicing the same amount of restraint, because the moment they were unclothed he drew her over to the bed and kissed her with such passion that she was afraid she’d melt like snow. Had he taken a lover in the past twenty years? She wouldn’t judge if he did, but his heated fervor gave her an indication that he was as desperate for real release as she was.

There was no room here and now for declarations or emotions. Those could wait. This was a time for raw, primal energy between two creatures who loved each other, who needed each other.

She hadn’t forgotten what it felt like to have Zircon dominate her mouth with his tongue, but it had been so long that it felt brand new. That was how she expected this whole experience to go, actually: reigniting old feelings and sensations that her body hadn’t dealt with for a long, long while, growing accustomed to his strength and vigor.

Zircon didn’t waste any time in moving his kisses down from her lips to her neck, then her chest, making his way down towards her nethers. Rarity knew what he was doing and shifted away from him briefly, teasing him as he tried to follow by pushing his head down and away.

“What is wrong, my love?” he asked, sounding as disappointed as a colt who’d had his favorite toy taken from him.

“Nothing, dear,” she replied with a coy grin, "but how about we trade places, just for a moment?"

Zircon tilted his head, then smiled, nodded, and kissed her again as he lay on his back. "Pray tell, my lady, what thoughts dwell in thy head?"

Rarity straddled him briefly so that her marehood brushed against his semi-erect shaft; she was glad to see she'd already had such an effect on him, much as he did for her. "You can service me later, my dear knight. But for now, let your lady treat you right," she purred. She paused, then giggled. "Oh, just listen to me rhyming like that." 

Zircon growled, shifting his hooves to her rear and giving it a firm squeeze.

She gasped, then gave Zircon a sultry look. "Ooh, does my rhyming excite you, dearest?"

"I couldst listen to thy rhymes all night. Thou hast a talented tongue."

"Oh, just you wait~"

Without hesitation, she kissed him as he did her, first upon his lips and then his neck, down to his chest and then further below. He was breathing hard by the time Rarity's lips grazed the tip of his member.

"My lady," he said, raising an eyebrow, "surely thou dost not wish to—"

"Oh yes indeed, darling, I wish," Rarity growled as she kissed along his length and approached his sack. "Our first night together, you treated me like a queen. It wouldn't do for me to allow you to service me so without giving something in return."

She buried her muzzle into his groin, breathing in the scent of a true stallion; just one whiff was enough to ignite a fire in her gut that she couldn't ignore. The sensation was very much how she understood estrus to function: a primal, carnal, biological need to mate. Was that what this was? Mares from her world didn't go into heat likes mares in his, but she wouldn't question it if her biology had changed to acclimate to the new environment.

But those questions could wait.

She trailed her tongue along his meaty pole with a slow, deliberate pace as she found every vein and bulge on every inch of him, all the way up to his tip. She kissed his tip gently, running her tongue along that as well, never once taking her eyes off of his face.

He watched her with rapt attention, taking short, deep breaths. 

But she wasn't done yet. Her horn lit up with a dim blue light, and a ring of magic grasped the base of his member and slowly made its way up to his medial ring, then went back down. Then back up again, then back down. Faster and faster each time it went, until it was moving at a smooth, steady pace.

It was enough that she kissed and licked his shaft with an admittedly-novice-but-eager skill; she'd only given fellatio a few times and that was when she was much younger, and she never really practiced since. He seemed to be enjoying her half-oral, half-magic work on him, considering that he was practically out of breath at this point, barely able to even meet her gaze. One hoof was on the back of her head, even, lovingly running through her mane.

"M-my lady—" he grunted.

She didn't need him to finish the thought. She brought her lips up to his flaring tip and set her mouth over him; her magic worked his shaft more strongly now, tightening its grip. She took a deep breath.

His hips bucked on instinct, shoving his tip up past her lips; Rarity relaxed her throat so that she could take more of him, which took a substantial amount of effort. He was, after all, bigger than any stallion she'd ever had; she had to remind herself of that.

"Rarity!" he groaned.

Hearing her name like that was music to Rarity's ears, but she hardly had the time to think on it when a thick blast of hot zebra spunk launched into the back of her throat. Then another, and another. Rarity had to focus all of her attention on breathing through her nose so she didn't choke or inhale her lover's seed down the wrong tube.

She had no idea a stallion could produce such a prodigious volume, and she had to gulp it all down quickly before the next batch was loosed, lest her mouth not be able to contain it. After all, a lady always swallows; a lady never makes a mess.

She did have a moment to relish the taste of him, and she couldn't think of a word to describe it; other partners had been salty or bland, the texture either greasy or slimy. Zircon's seed was... well, she hated to be trite and say delicious, because that was hardly the case, but it was certainly pleasant as she rolled it around on her tongue.

Once the last spurt of his semen was past Rarity's lips, she gulped it all down and drew herself up and off of Zircon's shaft, sucking in a breath of air as she did so.

Zircon twitched, his member softening, and let out a sigh of pleasure. "By the gods..."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it, love," she purred. She drew herself up to him and gave him a fierce, hungry look as her eyes met his. "Now... my turn."

Zircon smirked and rolled on top of her, kissing her neck as he did so. He trailed kisses down her chest and stomach again, moving down in eager anticipation of what was to come.

But again, Rarity stopped him, teasing him as she pushed his head away from her nethers.

The look of hunger and disappointment on Zircon's face made Rarity laugh. "My lady, please—"

"Now now, dear," she tutted; she'd never heard him beg before, and it made her clench up with excitement. She turned over so that she was on her stomach, hindquarters raised, displaying herself for him and giving her derriere an inviting shake. She looked back at him and gave a sultry little grin. “I just thought you’d enjoy a different view.”

Zircon smirked and shifted up so that he was right behind her, then buried his muzzle into her nethers, his hooves on her flanks. He quickly returned to his original intentions, his tongue and lips working on her marehood with all the practiced skill of a professional. Twenty-one years had not only failed to dull his talented tongue one bit, but he still seemed to remember every little spot that drove Rarity wild.

The only moment of protest came when she heard him breathe in her scent. She remembered to her great embarrassment that she hadn't bathed properly in three days, and that over those three days she had been marching non-stop alongside an army that took few breaks and didn't stop for fashion designers that couldn't keep up.

She could tell he hadn't had a proper bath recently, either, but that was different, and she'd already acknowledged his pleasant musk earlier; it wasn't the same for a lady.

"D-darling, don't do that," she groaned as his nose tickled her rear. "I smell simply awful. It's been days since I had a proper bath."

Zircon gave a low growl that sent a shiver down Rarity's spine. "My love, whether thy scent is that of the freshest jasmine in all the land or like the sweat of a hard day's work, it maketh no difference to me, for 'tis thy scent." To emphasize his point, he made a grand showing and pressing his nose right against the spot right between Rarity's pink folds and her tailhole.

Rarity groaned again, shuddering in excitement. The fact that he didn't care was just so dirty and raunchy and... well, hot. He loved everything about her even at her worst.

"I love every inch of thy body," her knight said, kissing the tender spot he'd just inhaled. "Thou art a delicacy." Then he licked her from the bottom up, grazing her tailhole and not drawing back whatsoever. "A dish I hath not sampled in so long that I feared I wouldst forget the flavor."

Rarity moaned into the pillow. "Then don't stop, dear. Devour me."

He did as his lady commanded, his mouth returning to her nethers to suck and lick her glistening slit like a starving pony who'd just been given a wedding cake.

Between her knight's oral machinations upon her precious flower, the new, pleasant sensation of his cold nose unashamedly pressing against her puckered tailhole, and two decades of not having a real stallion between her legs, Rarity didn’t last long before she was mewling with pleasure, moaning his name and panting and hissing as her orgasm began to build.

But Zircon was ever the tease, and he knew exactly when Rarity was about to cum. That’s when he stopped working his magic on her nethers with his mouth, and prepared to do it with that monster stallionhood of his, which was back at full mast. She didn’t even have to ask why he’d stopped, she knew what was coming. 

She’d been looking forward to this the instant that she found out Zircon was alive and well; having his love was more important, absolutely, but part of the package was, well, having his prodigious package deep inside her, quenching the absolute need she had for him.

So, Rarity lifted her luscious derriere up to give him a better angle, grabbed onto one of his pillows to both rest her head on and to grip onto, and turned her head towards him. With a flutter of eyelashes and a sultry grin, she said, “Take me. No need to be gentle.”

“As thou wishest, my love,” Zircon grunted as he mounted her.

She felt the familiar sensation of his huge member rubbing against her entrance, lubricating itself with her juices, and she decided to lend a hoof—or rather, her magic—to the cause. Her horn ignited dimly and she parted her folds open to ease his entry inside, not because he was unskilled or inaccurate, but because he was so big that he needed all the help he could get to push inside Rarity’s tight slit. It had been awhile, after all.

And as that monstrous weapon of his pushed its way inside her, Rarity arched her back and let out a hearty and rather unladylike moan of pleasure as he stretched her out just a little. Twenty-one years without anything so big inside her had rendered Rarity’s body unaccustomed to such girth—even her largest toys didn’t match Zircon's mighty blade—and she knew it would take a moment to become reacquainted with the only stallion that would ever—could ever—touch her like this again.

Neither Rarity nor Zircon wanted to take things slow. They had two decades worth of emotions, stories, and experiences to catch up on together, and if everything went as planned Rarity knew they’d have many years to make up for every last second that they spent apart. Tonight, they had two decades worth of longing, lust, and loneliness to deal with, and they were going to do just that.

So yes, Zircon was purposeful and careful with his thrusts as he pushed inch after inch of heavenly raw stallionhood into Rarity’s tight tunnel, but between Rarity pushing herself backwards to meet him and Zircon’s clear urge to take his mare like she’d demanded, he lacked the resolve take his time as she’d remembered him doing their first time together. They knew each other’s bodies now better than they did then, even so long apart; he knew what she could take, and she knew he would never hurt her.

She let out another groan of pleasure as his medial ring forced its way into her, stretching her to her limits, then another as he shoved the rest of his length as far in as he could go, the tip of his tool kissing her cervix. Oh, how she missed that sensation. When Zircon pulled out until the medial ring just threatened to escape from inside her, she bit into the pillow like her life depended on it, preparing for the powerful thrusts that followed.

Her knight was a strong stallion, she knew that, and she’d expected some degree of lustful energy to manifest in him as they made love tonight. She was surprised at just how primal he was, pistoning himself into her like a machine on overdrive, or rather, like a stallion half his age. The last time a stallion had been this overeager with her, she was still earning her business license and hadn’t even met Twilight Sparkle, and that poor colt was not the physical specimen that Zircon was in any sense of the word.

If she hadn’t been wanting—needing—this just as badly as he did, she’d have accosted him for being too rough with her delicate flower and treating a lady like some sort of harlot. As it was, she just wanted him to pound her senseless, a want that he was delivering on exceedingly well. Rarity had to use every last ounce of willpower not to cum all over her lover with every powerful thrust. She desperately wanted to cum together with him, to cement their bond, but knew that Zircon had an enviable endurance and that she'd never last without... interference. 

So, since clenching her vaginal walls on him would only slow him down, she did the only thing she could actually do to usher his own orgasm along without interfering with his pace: she used her magic to stimulate him. Her magical field, as hard as it was to maintain with Zircon plunging into her, managed to latch itself onto the hefty orbs that dangled between his legs. She was able to stay focused enough to be delicate as she fondled them, rolling them around in her magical grip and giving them a gentle tug.

Zircon clearly wasn’t expecting this and let out a groan of pleasure, his pace quickening all the more. He was close, Rarity could feel it because he started to pull out, much as he’d done before all those years ago, his medial ring forcing itself against the inside of her slit’s entrance in an attempt to escape.

And, much as she’d done then, Rarity ensured that he couldn’t, this time using her magic to slide up along his shaft and stroke him roughly, while also pushing her rear back against him. “Don’t you dare pull out,” she hissed, trying not to sound desperate but failing miserably. “I’ve waited twenty years for this! Make me yours!”

Zircon didn’t hesitate or even acknowledge her decision. He just thrust himself back into her depths as far as he could go, again, and again, and again, until Rarity felt him tense up. He threw his head back and let out a long, throaty groan as he buried himself all the way inside, and she felt his tip flare against her cervix and spurt thick blasts of his hot seed into her womb. Rarity came just before he did, letting out a throaty groan of her own that was very unladylike.

It wasn’t much of a surprise to her that Zircon still had a lot of stored up semen to flood her with, but it was still surprising that there was so much especially after he'd already cum once. Rarity set a hoof to her stomach, where she could feel every spurt adding to the load inside her, and was thankful it wasn’t causing an unsightly bulge. She used her magic to push his testes up against her nethers so that she could feel them pulse each time another load of zebra spunk was released.

She didn’t care one bit that as Zircon pulled out, their mixed sexual fluids leaked out of her entrance and dripped all over the bed, making a veritable mess. She still quivered and shook as she rode out the last throes of her own incredible climax, unable to clench herself shut to stop the flow and not really putting any effort in to try. 

In her state of orgasmic high, she set a hoof beneath her to catch the dripping liquids in a horribly futile attempt to prevent a mess. Finding that impossible, she brought her cum-drenched hoof up to her lips to give it a taste. Even though it was somewhat unpleasant—there was definitely some three-day-old sweat mixed in, definitely hers—it might as well have been honey. 

She collapsed onto her stomach, completely spent, and Zircon descended on her with gentle ease. He wasn’t exhausted, she knew that much—he was the ideal physical specimen of a stallion and hadn’t just spent the entire day marching non-stop to get here like she had—but he lay with her like a true lover should when their partner was spent, kissing her neck and embracing her gently.

“That… was the most wonderful experience… of my life…” Rarity breathed, tilting her head so that Zircon could have more of her neck to kiss. “You… are terrific.”

“It hath been many moons since I hath experienced such pleasure,” Zircon breathed in her ear, his husky voice sending shivers down her spine. “Thou art an amazing mare, my love. My Rarity…”

Rarity groaned and pressed her hooves and his to her stomach. “Mmm, darling, I’ve missed you so much. I’ve missed this… feeling so full…”

Zircon paused as he looked to where their hooves were, then nodded in misunderstanding. “Ah, yes… I believe we brought some Tears of Layk with our supplies, in case the soldiers grew restless. I shall procureth some—”

Rarity abruptly grabbed him before he could get out of bed. “No, that won’t be necessary, sweetheart. Just stay here with me. Please.”

He raised an eyebrow. “But… what if—”

She rolled her eyes. “Darling, this isn't like before. Things have changed, here and at home. If I get pregnant after this, then I will be happy."

"Aye?"

"I told you before that I would be happy to bear your foals, if only I was not so young then, or that I would have raised them alone. Now… now, I am nearly too old, so I'd very much like to have a foal of my own before it's too late. Plus, I certainly hope not to be alone when I return home this time, hmm?” She gave him a look that she knew he would understand.

Zircon paused, then smiled and nodded. “Very well, love. But we must speaketh on that subject later, after this war with the wendigos hath been won.” He cozied back up against her and kissed her neck again. “And that talk we shall save for the morning. For now… let us revel in this moment… just the two of us, as things should be.”

She pressed herself against him and sighed, content to be in his embrace again after so long. “Yes, let’s.” She giggled lightly and whispered up in his ear, “You know, darling, I can’t help but notice just how much you filled me. More than last time, certainly, enough to make a frightful mess. When’s the last time you… released?”

“Dost thou mean hath I been with a mare?” he asked.

“Yes.”

He paused, then sighed, as though ashamed. “I hath lain with three mares since our time together, my love. My spirit was weak and my flesh eager, and I couldst not restrain myself in my darkest hours…”

Rarity frowned and set a hoof to his cheek. “Oh… oh, darling, no need to be upset. Neither of us thought we’d ever see each other again. It’s perfectly natural to have felt the… need for the touch of another. If I’m being honest, I also succumbed to the weakness of loneliness, and took two partners since you. Neither of them even held a candle to you, of course,” she added with a huff. 

“One was a photographer from a magazine that I was advertising my dresses in,” she continued, wanting to be honest and true with Zircon—they would never hide anything from one another, ever. “He was charming, I suppose, and good-looking, but… he just wasn’t you. My heart just couldn’t fathom the thought of spending the rest of my life with him, especially since he, ah... lacked certain physical qualities you do. 

“The other… well, I’ll admit he… ah… was an… escort,” she sheepishly admitted, pressing her hooves together. "I was in Las Pegasus for a fashion show and just had the most dreadful need to be satisfied and, well... word is that Las Pegasus has the best escorts in all of Equestria."

“Escort?” he asked.

“Yes, an escort.” Noting his confusion, she realized his culture didn’t call them that. “Ah. Um… a concubine, only male?”

“Ah. A whore.”

Rarity coughed into her hoof; she hated the term but then, it was the one his culture would use. “Yes, well… he was a zebra like yourself, and was certainly good at what he did but… there was obviously no love there, and he was too… clean. Not like you.” 

Noticing his look of confusion and slight offense, she shook her head. “Sorry, that wasn’t what I meant. I mean… you’re not the pampered sort who wears cologne and keeps your mane trimmed in the latest fashion. You’re… raw. You’re you. There isn’t a comparison between an honest-to-goodness stallion and someone that tries his best to appease as many mares' desires as possible.”

“Well… I believe that that was a compliment, then?” Zircon chuckled, breathing in her ear. “I am glad that thou dost enjoy my… rawness.”

“Very much so, darling.” She ran her hoof along his foreleg. “So? What about your three mares? Tell me about them.”

Zircon pressed his chin against her neck and sighed. “Three times didst I visit Utopia in these past twenty years. Three times didst I see the embassy where mine eyes first gazed upon the goddess that calleth herself Rarity. And three times didst my sentiment lead me to both remember thee and try to forget… with what thou hast called ‘escorts’.”

“Ah… I see. There’s no shame in that, darling. Our bodies need release, after all.”

“Aye, I suppose they do.” He nuzzled her neck and smiled. “All three mares were unicorns, like thou art. All three had coats of white, though none were whiter than the southern snows. All three had manes of purple or violet but not quite as regal as thy mane, in color nor in style. Worst of all, none possessed thy charm or etiquette. They spoke with harsh tongues, wielding language unbefitting a mare of thy stature. They were but pale imitations of a goddess… false idols."

"What sort of language?" Rarity asked. If they swore like it was going out of fashion, like dear Havocwing had been known to do when younger, then she could understand his dislike.

"Hmm... well, take for instance that thou dost refer to thy nethers as such, as 'nethers'. Or sometimes as 'flower'. These are terms fit for a lady. These other mares used terms that I would rather not share—"

Rarity rolled her eyes. "You mean like 'pussy', darling?"

"Well... yes?"

"Zircon, dear, I have lived long enough to hear plenty of mares and stallions use the term. I'm certain they complimented the size of your 'cock' or 'dick' or something of the sort?"

"Ah... yes, that they did. On both accounts."

"Oh, I'm certain they did, darling," she tittered. "Would you enjoy it if I—"

Zircon nibbled her ear. "Not really. Such vocabulary just soundeth vulgar coming from thy lips, my lady. Thou art elegant and refined; 'twould be unbecoming of thee. Unless... thou wouldst prefer—"

She smiled at that and snuggled tighter against him. "No, I think I can agree on that, but I figured I'd ask. If you and I are to be together, we must be open and honest with each other." She chuckled lightly. "Though you needn't take such measure to protect my ears from such off-color language, hmm?"

"Ha! Very well." He rubbed her hoof with his. "So thou art not unhappy that I hath been with other mares?"

Rarity smiled and turned to kiss his cheek. “Not any more than you seem to be that I was with other stallions. We were both lonely, my love. But now… we don’t need to be…” She shifted in his embrace so that they were closer together than ever. “I’m here now, Zircon. I’m here for you…”

“And I for thee, my Rarity.”

As they cuddled together for a long while, Rarity eventually felt a burning question rise up in her mind. She’d had this question many, many times, but for twenty-one long years, she’d never been able to ask it. Now she had a chance.

“Zircon… darling…?” she asked, turning so they were facing each other.

“Yes, love?”

“If… if things had been different… would you have come with me back then? Like Flathoof did for Applejack?”

Zircon went quiet for a moment, then set his chin against her neck. “My love… my Rarity. If thou hadst asked me then what thou asketh me now… then yes. A thousand times, yes. I would hath forsaken my vows to the Order and gone with thee to wherever thou desired. I wouldst fight e'ry zebra in the kingdom if they tried to stop me.”

She sighed. “I knew you would… even then, I knew you would.” She nuzzled his neck with her muzzle, kissing him softly. “But I could never have asked that of you. Look at all that would have happened if I did.”

“Yes… I suppose so…” 

He then abruptly pulled back from her and rose from the bed.

“Darling? Is something the matter?” she asked, concerned that she’d hit a sour spot.

He smiled and shook his head. “No, my love, ‘tis just a matter I wouldst rather discuss upon the morrow. I wisheth not to dwell on such sorrows at present, not during such a marvelous evening in thy embrace. We must think of joyous things, for our reunion is an occasion to celebrate.”

Rarity put a hoof to her lips. “Yes, yes of course. Forgive me, dear, I didn’t mean anything by it. But then, where are you going?”

“I am just going to procure a tub and some hot water for us, and some perfumes or incense if I can. I do believe a bath is in order, for… both of us, if I might be so bold to suggest it?”

She wrinkled her nose in understanding. “Yes, I agree. Your poor little tent absolutely reeks of sex and sweat. We reek of sex and sweat.” She put a hoof to her cheeks, embarrassed. "Oh my goodness, you sniffed my derriere, licked it even! Yes, a bath is definitely in order."

"Wouldst thou preferest me to pleasure thy derriere once it is clean?" he asked with a cocky grin.

"Absolutely." A moment passed. She froze, staring at him, unamused. "Ohhh, you must think you're pretty clever."

"I must be as Lord-Commander of the Order," came his simple, smiling reply. "But is thy answer 'aye' or 'nay'? I hath heard that many a mare enjoyeth the sensation, but I wouldst ne'er dream of doing so without thy blessing."

Rarity paused moment, her face red as she thought of doing something with him that she'd never dared consider with any other partner despite being asked a few times; each time, she'd denied them, for it simply wasn't proper. According to some ponies she knew—she'd never say who, but she shared a name with a popular confection flavor—it was an uniquely different experience than more vanilla vaginal sex and one worth trying with someone special at least once.

"Yes... that might be something we could try," she murmured, tapping her hooves together. She cleared her throat, then glanced at the stains on the bed and smirked. “Oh, and perhaps a change of sheets would be in order as well? I don’t think either of us want to sleep on our own, ah… secretions.”

“Naturally.”

“Oh, and some food! I’m positively famished. I shouldn’t have skipped dinner, but I was a little more hungry for you," she said with a grin. "Irresponsible, I know, but a lady mustn’t be kept wanting for the touch of her lover.”

“Of course, my love. Truth be told, I am feeling peckish myself, for I hath skipped my evening meal to meet with Lady Snowstorm on our plans for the morrow. ‘Twould be delightful to sup with thee again.”

“Hmm… in that case, perhaps you should find us some wine as well, if there is any? We should make a romantic evening of this.” She nodded, assured in her thinking. “Yes, some wine would be lovely, and some candles perhaps? Just a few. Ah, and maybe some roses?”

Zircon laughed. “As thou wishest, my lady,” he said with a bow. “As ever, thine every desire is mine to grant. But if there is nothing else my lady craves, then I must depart post haste to gather these things if we have them. The wine and candles, yes; the roses... perhaps not?”

“Hmm... right. I doubt there would be many roses in an army camp out in the snow…” Rarity pondered this a moment, then gave him a sultry look and crawled to the edge of the bed. “Well, you could give your lady a kiss before you leave, brave sir knight.”

Zircon leaned down and kissed her full on the lips, deeply, and she hungrily returned it. “Dost that satisfy my lady’s wishes?” he huskily asked as he pulled away just barely, enough that their lips still touched.

Rarity licked her lips and nodded. “Yes, I think so. For now. I shall be wanting more kisses, of course, and perhaps another round of love-making.” She bit her lip and shuddered in anticipation. “Or perhaps two… or three. So don’t dally good sir.” And she dismissed him with a wave of her hoof.

“Of course, my lady.” He set out to leave the tent.

“And darling?”

“Yes?”

“I love you.”

Zircon smiled. “And I, thee, my lady.”

And with that, he was gone from the tent and out into the camp, a pep in his step that made Rarity smile. She knew she was the only one that could make him that happy.

Rarity leaned back onto the bed and sighed, content at last, satisfied at last. She rubbed her stomach again, wondering if perhaps she was already pregnant. Well, she thought, if I’m not now, then we’ll just have to keep working on that, won’t we? Maybe then Mother won’t keep pestering me and Sweetie about wanting to be a grandmother.

Yes, that would be just the Best. Possible. Thing.