> The Cycle of Kirin
>  by That One Strange Fellow
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> The Snatch
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The mare trotted along the white streets with wide eyes that sparkled, taking in every single detail of the capital. Not since the coronation had she visited. Banners donned the buildings on either side, ponies of all types traversing the streets. The rare other creature would show their head, but it was mostly ponies. Not surprising, really. It was the pony capital.

Few spared glances at her even though her smile passed over them. One of the friendliest cities in Equestria, a treasure trove of experiences unknown to her. What other wonderful sights were there to visit while she was in the city? How many other ponies would be willing to tell her everything she could ever dream of asking? Compared to her village, this city was legendary. Canterlot. The city on a mountain.

Her hooves took her straight to the gates of the castle, one of the royal guards stepping in her way. “What business do you have at the castle?”

“I’m here for a meeting with Princess Twilight! She’s expecting me!” Her grin turned up, the guard eyeing her from top to bottom before stepping aside, letting her continue down the castle courtyard. A patrol of royal guards passed along the balcony to her upper-left, their officer barking out orders to them, colorful trees adorning the sides of the road and all sorts of birds chirping in the trees. She arrived at the castle in short order, a guard using a small pin to open the door for her to enter. The scale of the room took her breath away, her hooves turning her in a circle as she made her way across.

The beauty never seemed to end. From the tinted glass to the carpets, oh, and the white marble columns! The guards pointed her in the right direction, leading her down a hall lined in stained glass windows depicting various events, including that enormous battle from a few years ago. The guards pushed open the doors at the other end. A group of six ponies engaged in some sort of argument among themselves before quieting down and smiling over at her.

“Autumn Blaze!” Fluttershy took flight to close the distance, Applejack standing to make a more casual walk over. The pegasus brought her into a hug, pulling back to grin at her with sparkling eyes. “Oh! I’m so glad you came! How have things been in the village?”

“A lot of chatting and arguing.” She let out a giggle, stepping up to Applejack to bring her in for a hug, pulling back to tilt her head to the side to peer around her. “Is everypony here?”

“Everypony who’s available.” Princess Twilight motioned her forward, the princess’ horn igniting to pop up a seventh chair for her to sit on. “Please, make yourself comfortable.”

“Don’t mind if I do!” Autumn jumped atop the chair, turning in a circle before plopping her rear down, grinning around to them. “So, what did you want to talk about? ‘Cause the village has had this crazy big argument going on for the past, gosh, the past four years? Nopony seems to agree on what to do and there’s been a half dozen nirik blazes that kinda burnt down a fifth of the village, and, well–”

“I think we get it.” Rainbow Dash cringed, eyes flicking to the two with experience with them.

“Autumn Blaze. We were hoping you could help us understand your kind a little more.” Twilight shifted in her seat before taking a breath. “We had another kirin come in to talk about what life was like in the village, but they weren’t able to answer several questions. I don’t know if you would know, but Applejack and Fluttershy trust you are one of the better informed members of the village.”

“Shoot! Whatcha need from me?” She laid back with a foreleg on the top of her seat, eyes moving between them even as Fluttershy’s face flushed and the others shifted uncomfortably.

“We noticed all kirin are female. What we were wondering was how your kind reproduces so we can make Equestria an even better home for the few that choose to come live here.”

Autumn blinked a few times, eyes again moving over them as her smile slowly fell. “Oh! You’re serious! Well, we reproduce a lot like other ponies! I mean, the totem goes into our cave and we jiggle it a bit until it bursts! I know about it, although I’ve never actually tried it out before except with those wooden stumps we sell for whenever heat comes around.” She tapped her chin, giving a great smile back over them. “How does it feel? Does the stuff that comes out of it feel weird inside you? I heard it has to soak in to make new babies. Huh, I wonder what that would feel like...”

While the mare tapped her chin, winces and cringes happened around the rest of them, even Twilight monitoring her breaths. “Autumn. Where are the kirin stallions?”

“Oh! We don’t have any.” She shrugged a hoof.

“Then how do you repopulate yourselves? Are you all immortal?”

“No, no! Nothing like that. I mean, Rain Shine is pretty much immortal, like she’s so old that it’s a wonder she’s even able to remember things.” Autumn gave a giggle to herself as the others adjusted. “Nah! We’re not like that.”

“So, how has your kind survived this long? Were there once males?”

“Hmm...” She thought for a moment. “I mean, some are male-like. Like, a good number are pretty strong and have deeper voices, but we’ve always been mares. Hey! How does it feel to have a stallion in you? I heard it’s heavenly to engage in the Rite of Sprouting Life!”

“The... rite?” Twilight flicked her eyes to her other friends. She thought something was off about the entire story of the last one. Them talking about how they never met a stallion before coming to Equestria, how they don’t really talk much about ‘the survival rites and rituals.’ “So... How does your kind keep going if you don’t have any stallions?”

“Oh, pfft!” Autumn waved her hoof through the air, sitting back. “We foalnap them!”





The village had all assembled, a sea of green, blue, pink, red, orange, some brown, and even a spot of gray among them. Stood high atop a stage, the kirina of their kind stood staring down between them. Some had an idea what this was about. It was rare for their kind to be gathered, the last of which being over four hundred lunar cycles ago. Those that were younger wouldn’t remember much of the last time, only the oldest of the group remembering the last stallion.

Rain Shine’s tail flicked as she considered it, wondering if there was another way. If they could just have one colt born, they could usher in a new chapter for them. Her mother would have killed thousands for a single sliver of hope for a kirin colt. But, as with many things in life, you can’t always get what you want.

“Everypony, settle!” She raised her hoof, the assembled kirin quieting down and turning their attention to her. “I know you’re all wondering about why I have you here today. Last night, Heavy Breeze sprouted flames and could not stop them.”

Several exchanged whispers between themselves, their leader preparing. “She is the first of us to suffer the Decay. Upon soaking her in the Stream of Silence, her flames remained unquenched and emotions running wild. As is tradition, we brought her to the Nirik Stones to prevent a forest fire and to live out the rest of her days.”

“Can we visit?” One member of the crowd shot up their hoof.

“Of course, but they must stay at the Nirik Stones. She is the first to suffer this condition in almost four hundred years. The Decay is fatal, and I fear her time is limited.”

The assembled village gasped, many shouting out questions before her hoof raised to silence them again. “With the first to suffer the Decay comes the Ritual of Survival. Many of you remember your father, the stallion who brought life to your generation. I am here to say the time has come again. We must secure a stallion to usher in the next generation for our continued survival!”

“B-But what does that mean?” Another shouted out.

“It means I require some volunteers. Winter Grass, would you like to talk a bit about the outer mountains?”

A pale blue and green mare trotted from the crowd to stand atop the stage, taking a deep breath in. “About a hundred lunar cycles ago, the Equestrians built a line of metal and wood that runs across the Plains of Sorrow. I have witnessed metal beasts move along this line filled with ponies. If I am correct, we will not need to venture across the Strait of Tears to claim our next father. These metal beasts should have one available to be acquired.”

“Thank you.” Rain Shine nodded down to her, the mare returning to the crowd as her eyes ran over them. “We require a team of five, four which must be adept at nirik control and another with knowledge of tending harm.”

Three kirin put up their hooves, Rain Shine motioning all three forth, her eyes glazing over the remaining crowd of four hundred until two more put their hesitant hooves up. With all five making their way to the stage, she could put on a small smile.

A new cycle of kirin begins.





“Check, check.” Honeydew flashed the shiny rock back at their companions down the tracks, receiving a sequence of flashes in return. She took in a breath to calm her nerves while Chilly Vine poked at the dirt with a hoof to draw faces into. If one of the metal beasts were to appear, they will be ready.

Down the track were the three responsible for identifying the segment of the beast to breach, but it was her job to do the snatch and grab. Well, her and Vine. Although, it seemed a little unnecessary to have so many of them. What could the Equestrians seriously have to hurt them?

A sequence of flashes came from down the tracks. “Here they come!” She jumped to her hooves and stretched out, her partner standing to issue a psalm of hatred, their nostrils flaring as they prepared. A cloud rose from down the tracks, the face of the beast coming into view as it moved along as fast as any nirik. “Hit me!”

Vine grabbed Honeydew’s mane and slammed their heads together, the pain sparking their magic. Both took off running down the tracks, every step of their aching heads adding to the sensation, speed increasing as flames sprouted from their mane and tail, spreading to their tufts. Wind flowed by, fueling the fire that made a trail along the tracks. Their fur sparked alight, consuming them in the fury of the ancients.

The head of the beast crept up behind them, Honeydew taking a glance back to see the other pair had selected one closer to the end of the twelve or so compartments, running at full speed to keep up with the metal monster. She slowed her pace, partially shifting herself closer to the passing edge of metal.

Ponies stared out at them from the windows, awestruck and afraid. As the connector reached her from behind, she wove into the area and jumped, clinging to the railing of metal attached to it, pulling herself over before reaching out her hooves on the other side. Vine came through to weave in and jump, catching her hooves to be pulled up over the glowing railings.

Her hooves forced open the doors, ponies screaming and scrambling as she rushed in. They spared each only a glance as the floor scorched and passengers cried, but she found one. She shot out to grab a young stallion from the side of a mare holding a foal; them calling out. “NO! DON’T TAKE HIM!”

The stallion screamed as she pulled him straight for the door without delay, Vine propping up on the railing and opening a leg. Honeydew picked him up to his horrific scream to throw into her partner, both tumbling from the connection while Honeydew jumped up and off, falling to the ground and rolling to a gradual stop.

The rest of the beast passed them, her anger fading to tiredness, flames putting themselves out. Hilly Creek and Rapid Flames both were at the side of the stallion and Vine, already put out and working on suppressing the flames on their catch. She got up and walked over, cringing at the soreness in one of her legs. Must have hit it wrong on the landing. As she got close, she saw how bad it was. Blood leaked from a gash on their leg, surrounded by burns much like the rest of him. His mane and tail were blackened from the fire, his cries pricking at her ears.

Hilly picked him up to sling over her back, getting all the boiling hide juices against her coat as she started their trek to the meetup. The pony had two odd appendages on their back, much like a bird’s wings. Oh, were they a bird-pony? Well, they didn’t have a beak, so maybe not. Could they fly? That could make things difficult.

“Nice pick.” Vine nudged her in the side with an elbow, their trek taking them into the nearby wooded area.

“They looked young, and, well, they seem healthy.”

“W-WHAT THE B-BUCK ARE YOU?!” they screamed back at them, tearful eyes looking between them before their appendages extended, taking them from Hilly’s back and into the air. Not fast enough before Honeydew pounced forward to tackle them back to the ground. “EEEYAAAHHH!”

She flipped them over to see the wildly flapping appendages. Her hooves went to the joint. *SNAP* “FFFBBUCCC!” And to the other. *SNAP* “EEEEYYAaaahhhEE!”

She stepped back for Hilly to pick them back up, the bent wings now hung limp at their sides as they whimpered and cried, none paying them mind for the rest of the way. When they arrived, the green and blue Damp Droplet sat with the bucket of balm at the ready, Hilly rolling the unfortunate pony onto the ground, them sending up another choked whimper.

“You couldn’t have been any rougher?” She huffed out through her nose, dipping her hoof into the bucket to take a glob of cream, coating the burns on the side of the shaking stallion.

“We didn’t expect them to be this flammable!” Flames crossed her forelegs, their sage rolling the stallion over to continue to coating. An unhealthy amount was rubbed into the searing burns, cooling their flesh and sterilizing it against infections.

“I’ll need twice as much when we get back! Look at them! They’re a mess!” Her work continued all over their body, applying the cream over the bleeding leg to seal it before using the rest to provide a light coating over the rest of them. “There! Let’s go!”

Flames took her turn to pick up the whimpering wreck of a pony, the team setting off once more into the forests. They made sure to stay away from the overgrown ‘hiking trails’ used by ‘tourists.’ Grass really should have told them more about what to expect of the outsiders. They were going in practically blind to secure a delicate catch. Honeydew snorted out as she led the group from the front, hearing Vine and Hilly giggling away at the rear of the group. In all four-hundred years of life, she never thought twice about her father. Wouldn’t claiming more stallions speed up the process? And be less risky?

“W-What d-do you want?” The stallion forced out from where he lay atop Flames. “P-Please, I-I haven’t done anything wrong.”

“Simple.” Droplet spoke, her voice firm and disinterested. “We need you, so you’re coming with us.”

“Please! I-I have a daughter, s-she’s just a filly, and a wife! I-I can’t leave them behind!” His tearful eyes turned back to the two trailing behind the group. “I-Is it money? A-Am I a hostage?”

“Sorry. Can’t let you go,” Droplet answered for the group, his eyes turning back to her. “You’ve seen us for what we are. I wouldn’t worry about it. You’ll be given a new home and a new family.”

“B-But I already have a family!” He choked out a sob, body trembling as a breeze passed overhead, causing waves of pain from his burns. The group arrived at a small ravine, Honeydew and Droplet jumping over to turn back and hold out their hooves. Vine came up beside Flames to grab a hold of the stallion and fling them across, him screaming out as he was caught on the seared hide part and dragged up top. The remaining three proceeded over, Vine taking him onto her back before they set off once more.

The trek into the mountains passed with little chatter except for those at the back of the group. As they passed from the rocky mountains into the first valley, Vine raised her voice. “What do you think the next heat will be like? Ooh! I can’t wait to try him out!”

“I bet he’s even better than a carved stump! Hey, did you ever try out the lumpy ones?”

“Never! Bloomer said they hurt!”

“They hurt in a good way!”

“Is there ever a good way to be hurt?”

“Lime Seed seems to think so.”

“She’s a freak! Of course she’s into getting hurt!”

Honeydew let out a sigh, encountering a short stream, moving through it to the other side. If they can at least get most of the way around the valley, they should have an easier time in the morning dragging him up the rocks. The short track would have been easier to reach, being far closer to the village side of the mountains, but it didn’t have the throughput that the long track did. They needed variety, and preferably a young one, to last them until their natural death.

She took a deep breath in to calm her racing thoughts. She’s played her part. The next generation will come about by the work of the five of them. Her entire body craved something more, something better. She knew it was her heat acting up, but he wouldn’t be healed for her to try him out this season. Another would have to claim him as their own first.

The day faded to night as they got to the base of the rock wall, Hilly and Flames moving off to collect leaves for their sleeping arrangements. The crying stallion was set down with Droplet for her to check him over. Would he be a gentle father, or a rough one? She heard the tales of old of a father who forced themselves on nearly every kirin in their time, and also of those who only did the rites as required. But what of this father?

With nothing better to do, Honeydew wandered into the woods nearby, finding a convenient bush and squat into. As she relieved herself, her thoughts returned to her. He was... special. At least to her and this generation. One of only two stallions they would ever meet. She never knew her dad, the poor stallion dying a year before her introduction to the village, so this was her opportunity to–

“GET BACK HERE!” Flames called out, the forest sparking alight as her anger took over, the scream of the poor male accompanying the light dying out.

“You’ll set the entire forest on fire! Watch the flames, Flames!” Droplet and Vine rushed over as the stallion was dragged back by the mare, Honeydew sighing as she finished her business and returned to the sleeping spots. Great, now Droplet was going to be extra miffed. Hilly returned with Droplet from putting out the small fires, their sage sitting with the whimpering captive to check the new burns.

“Ooo! I can’t wait!” Vine danced on her cloven hooves, letting out a light squeal as Hilly and Flames took their leaf beds.

“Hey, Honey. You’re in heat, aren’t you?” The latter of the two smirked her direction, her cheeks flushing.

“W-Well, yes, but–”

“Wanna give him a shot? You know you wanna!”

She mulled on it as she stared at his body, Droplet shooting her a brief glare as she picked out dirt from his new burns. “I... guess I could.”

Honeydew gulped as she approached, the other three shuffling close to watch. With the sage’s sigh, she flipped him over so he was on his back, drawing another choked whimper from him. “So how do I...?”

“That?” Droplet pointed at a leathery pouch on his lower half, right where the teats normally are. She knelt down, lowering her face to it to rub against, wondering if there’s something missing. Her nose stuck into the sheath, taking a sniff of the sweat and something the drove her heart wild before she pulled back and shrugged a hoof to their healer.

“Reach in and take it out!” Flames propped her head up on her hooves, watching with sparkling eyes. “I remember dad’s coming from something like that.”

Honeydew dipped her hoof into the area, feeling something soft and squishy. She pulled out an elastic piece of flesh that wanted to return, eyeing it up as the male’s sniffling took a pause. “W-What a-are you doing?”

“I don’t get it.” She let it go to slink back inside. An idea struck her, crawling up over him as his eyes widened. Her rear plopped down on the sheath, getting a squeal out of him before her waist moved back and forth. Her heat transferred to him, hooves on either side of his head as she ground at his lower reaches.

“What are you doing?” Vine asked, lowering her face to look between her belly and his body.

“I was told this was how to relieve myself in bed. I think I just need to keep doing this and something will happen.”

“Like what?” Hilly tilted her head. “Doesn’t his totem have to go into your cave?”

“I’m not sure what–”

“Look!” Vine pointed between them, their eyes going to the squishy part sticking free. “His totem is rising!”

“Sounds like that was some good advice.” Flames snickered to the side, the ride continuing. Honeydew lit up her horn to grab onto the totem, feeling it all around to give a gentle massage to it. Her eyes kept between their bodies, watching it grow with a twinkle.

“P-Please d-don’t do this.” He begged, his forelegs pinned down by Droplet. “I-I’ve done n-nothing! I have a wife a-and family! Please! L-Let me go a-and I won’t tell anypony!”

“Can’t,” Droplet said as plain as possible. “We need a donor.”

“F-For what?”

“To usher in the new generation.”

“WHAT?! I-I can’t- NO!”

Honeydew pouted at the shaft, humming to herself. It was pretty hardened at this point, covered in her stray nectar, but something- Oh, right, putting it in. Her rear raised up, magic straightening out the totem, before sliding down to force it inside. A breathy sigh escaped her lips as she felt it push back against her, shoving in to the middle lump that only pushed harder.

“PULL ME OUT!” He cried out, attempting to overpower the mare on him, kicking his one good back-leg to impact the body of Vine to knock her over.

“Ow! Hey, watch it!” She grabbed the leg to hold down, his whimpering getting worse as the mare atop him motioned her hips back and forth. Her insides were as hot as a burning flame, adding to the pain he was already in as she pleasured herself at his expense. The stallion shook and pushed back against the mares on him, squirming only drawing out more whimpers as his burns rubbed into the ground beneath him.

He felt her burning insides caressing his member with no trouble, every hump forward another that emptied her depths and every push back filling it back up. She hilted him inside her every pass, pushing him as deep into her as possible, and bringing his other head to kiss her inner barrier with his pre-cum.

“W-What the BUCK are you?!” He screamed back at them, feeling the worst feeling he could. It was pleasure, his own filthy, awful pleasure. He couldn’t enjoy this, he had to fight. The mare didn’t stop for him, only continuing at her moderate pace to push him closer to what she wanted. Her juices dripped down onto him, her sweet scent reaching his nose and turning up his stomach. He hated he was getting aroused by the monster. He hated her and her entire kind. Buck them! BUCK THEM!

B-Buck... He whimpered out as he felt his head flare, breaking a choked cry as his cum shot up into her, drawing out a sigh of relief from the mare. Every shot of his gluey spunk into her fertile womb forced out a sob from his mouth, every twitch another betrayal of his own body. “Oooh~! That’s what it’s like.”

“He flooded you?” Droplet asked, Honeydew nodding to her, continuing to ride him for every pulse.

“It’s like it takes your heat away from you.” She stopped with a deep breath, letting out her contentment. “Next season, you really need to try this out. I know I’m not stopping until I’m out of mine.”

The four others giggled at her, the mare pulling off and stepping aside for Droplet to flip their weeping prisoner back over to take all the dirt from his back burns.

“Think you’ll get pregnant?” Droplet asked with a coy smirk, Honeydew shrugging a hoof.

“Maybe. Guess we’ll see.”

“I’ll take night,” Hilly said from behind, Honeydew walking to a tree to lie down against, checking her cave entrance. A white fluid leaked slowly from it, her thoughts getting fuzzy as she considered if this was going to be the season of her first foal. Only time will tell how many she ended up having with this father. Not like there was any rush.

She had him for the rest of his life.
> The Whirlwind
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The morning simply didn’t come to Fleeting Chance as he thought it would. He thought he was having some horrible dream, that he’d wake up in Starfield with his wife by his side and filly crying in the next room, but instead...

“I think you’re right.” One of his captors said, humming as they looked around the area. “Vine, you want to get another one? I don’t think this is safe to do with only the two.”

“On it!” The mare carefully set the stallion against the rock-face, rushing off into the woods while the green and blue one huffed out, leaning on her hoof with a clear impatience for the climb. For him, it was only mildly agonizing to be half-suspended in the air by the forelegs. They were against a near vertical cliff-face. The blue one and the bucking bitch of an orange and yellow one were with him at the bottom to provide an initial boost whenever they got around to it.

Every part of him ached, but he knew fighting was futile. His leg was still messed up, the burns had weakened his resolve to where he only wanted to lie down and forget this nightmare was ever happening, and his wings were painful distractions. The double green one returned with a rope vine to start a climb of their own to the top of the cliff. They must have lived off the land for their entire lives, and now he was being brought into the wolf’s den. If there was a time to escape, now would be it, but he simply didn’t have the strength.

“You doing good?” The blue one put a hoof to his forehead like he was some sick colt and she was his mom, his eyes shifting onto her as his borderline scowl sent the reply. “We’ll be back at the village before you know it, then I’ll get you something to eat and drink, and tend to all these burns.”

“Buck you.” He spat into her face, the mare flinching but otherwise dropping the conversation. A vine tumbled down atop him, the orange one wrapping it around his chest under the forelegs.

“Clear! On three! One, two, three!” The three at the top tugged him up as he winced against the pain, a burst of magic from the bottom two helping to throw him up. It was rubbing right at a series of burns on his legs, a quiet grunt escaping him as they dragged him up the rocks to the top and pulled over. They set him on the grass, the three high-hoofing one another for a job well done while he was in his own private Tartarus.

“Nice work!” The orange one pulled herself up to turn back and give an assist to their last member, the fiery red one picking up Chance to throw onto her back, the group setting off.

“Hey, Honey, you think you’ll be his first?”

“I-I don’t know. I hope so.” She bumped into the green one, sparking up some giggles from her and the brown one. Chance tried to block out the conversation they were having, trying to keep track of the direction they were going. If he could escape and retrace his steps when he’s strong enough, he can hopefully make it back to the track and walk it back to Baltimare. But right now, he needed to know where they were going.

The number of twists and turns almost immediately caused him to lose track of their position. They were either taking the extra long way, or these partially overgrown dirt paths were horrible. After some time, possibly an hour or two, he heard what sounded like distant chatter. The center of this society of sociopaths. Were they cannibals too? While a grim thought, it was better than being used as some sex slave.

He braced himself as they stepped forth past the first residence, going into a small village built into the gargantuan trees, a fountain at the center and a small creek passing through. More of the monsters prowled around the market stalls, a quintet of them singing together atop a stone platform where a small crowd had gathered. If he was in a generous mood, he’d say they were living peacefully.

What few kirin they passed spared them curious glances, some seeming very excited while others were more fascinated. The group of five arrived at a shelter for the red one to set him down, the green and blue one moving forward to open the door and drag him inside with her magic.

“Tell us how it goes!” The green one called out before the blue one slammed the door shut.

“DAMN THEM!” she growled, flames licking up from her eyes and edges of her mane. “This is exactly what I didn’t want, but nooo!” The mare floated him over to a bed of leaves close to the floor, setting him atop as he groaned. “Just look at you!”

She wandered off, giving him the opportunity to look around. A tub of water - correction, two tubs - laid against the far wall alongside a tower of woolen towels. A counter surrounded a fair portion of the room, dotted by ceramic bottles and piles of natural ingredients from herbs, to leaves, to roots. His half the of the room comprised three leaf beds with some sort of bark divider laid against the wall, blackened from fire.

The mare returned with a bucket to go to the tubs, scooping up a helping of water before moving along the counter. She ground up certain ingredients to add into the mixture, working her way along until she stopped at the end to use one of the wooden spoons to stir it. Once satisfied, she brought it over to him to set down, dipping her hoof in to take out more of the strange white goop to rub on his burns.

The door opened as she worked; the creature entering to walk over and take a seat. On his roll back over, his eyes widened. The beast was twice as large as any of the other ones, her gentle smile beaming down on him as she stayed out of the way of the sage doing her work.

“I know this must be awfully confusing for you.” She said, her voice far more feminine than even he was expecting. “We thank you for coming. You–”

“BUCK OFF!” He snapped back at her, their odd grin falling ever so much. “You think I wanted to come here?! I’m stolen from my family, burnt to a crisp, have my wings broken, dragged through the bucking jungles like some bag of potatoes, raped by your bucking sociopathic buckers, then brought here to get molested by this bitch, and you think I’m not going to be bucking peeved at you?!”

The leader pursed their lips in thought, letting his emotions cool as he stared her down. “You must understand, we don’t have a choice. Your sacrifice is necessary for the survival of our kind. A handsome young stallion like yourself is needed to sire the next generation. You may disagree, but we–”

“You’re bucking monsters!”

“The worst has passed. Now, you will have a new family.”

“I don’t want a new family! I already have my wife and filly!”

“For the protection of our kind, we must remain isolated from the world. It may be hard to understand, but this is for the best. I’m sorry, but you will never see them again.” She shook her head.

Tears formed up in his eyes, his breath hitching on itself. “Y-You have to let me go! I have to get back to them!”

“We can’t do that.” Her grin returned to her face. “It is best to start making the most of your new home. I’m the Kirina, Rain Shine, the second Ducal-Governor of the Kirin. Our kind, the kirin, appreciate everything you will do for us. It will be hard, but I assure you, we will try to make this as much of a home to you as possible. Dear?” She brushed her hoof on the sage’s leg, getting them to flinch from their work.

“Hm? Oh!” She perked up to give him a nervous smile. “I’m Damp Droplet, your materna. You will stay with me for the rest of your life. Or mine, if, um...”

“Best not think about that.” Rain Shine nodded to her.

“Right.” She took in a breath, letting it out slowly.

“Please! L-Let me go! I’ll tell nopony you exist if I can just go back home!” Chance’s tears rolled down his face, seeing neither acknowledge his request beyond their smiles.

“What is your name, new father?” The big one asked, his eyes flicking between them as it settled in. They weren’t letting him go. He was their prisoner... for the rest of his life.

“F-Fleeting Chance.” He gulped, seeing her smile grow.

“Consider this a new opportunity, one that will only get better the more you immerse yourself in it. I remember every father going back to my own, and your name will be added to the Caves of Continuity for all to remember. I promise you, Fleeting Chance, that this will be the beginning of a bright life for you, one where you will always be wanted and loved. The best meals, sex anytime you want - including with myself if you so please, the adoration of the entire tribe, and daughters who will grow up to know how heroic of a stallion you are.”

“W-What...” His confusion only intensified. It was bucked up beyond all logic. He was a slave... that would be treated like a king. “What do you want with me?” was what he ended up asking.

“You may have noticed that the only kirin you have seen are all mares.” She tilted her head a smidgen. “We lack stallions of our own to reproduce. While it is technically possible to produce offspring among two of us by a very complicated ritual, it is unreliable and risks the offspring being born with severe issues that would render them infeasible. It could take decades of effort to produce a single healthy foal in this manner. However, a single healthy seed giver can impregnate the entire tribe, and bring in the next generation.”

“I DON’T WANT THIS!” He screamed back at her, his tears flinging off his face at the outburst. “I have a family! Friends! I-I can’t abandon them!”

“The choice is already made. I’m sorry.” She got up to her hooves, moving back to the door, pausing at the threshold to smile back at him before leaving, Chances raising one of his forelegs to cover his eyes as he choked out a sob.

“B-Buck...”

Droplet let out the breath she was holding. “I-I’m sorry, Fleeting Chance. If... Never mind.” She returned to rubbing more of the paste on his body, reaching for his covering leg to lift away and coat. His blurry, puffy eyes reopened to see the green and blue of his slaver. Her frown struck him as almost an insult. Fake pity, and for what? “Can you roll back over?”

He did as asked, rolling with her help so she could peel off the leaves that stuck to his back. “They shouldn’t have been this rough.” Her hoof touched his wing, drawing a whimper from him. “I’ll...” The mare got up and went to the counter, what sounded like her preparing something for a few minutes before she returned. She took his wing into her hooves to spread out and apply a gel over it. Next came a splint, and then the plant bindings. “Maybe we can...” She let out a frustrated groan, taking off the piece of wood to fold his wing back up, applying it again closer to his body.

Chance stayed quiet while he worked through the pain she was putting him through. “Damn them.” She grumbled under her breath, grabbing the nearby bucket to go prepare something else. He rolled over to watch her work, seeing a small flame trailing up her horn as she worked. Not even with the ‘nicest’ of them he was safe from being burnt by. She returned to put down the bucket, taking a breath before stepping over him and rolling him so she could access his other side, taking a hoofful of the jelly to rub into his burns.

While it hurt, it also soothed. She didn’t go hard or fast, taking her time to heal him. “It’s going to take months for you to be ready for the rituals.” She said, a distinct quality of disapproval in her voice. “Next time I see Honey, I’ll give her a piece of my mind. This... This is too much.”

“W-Why do you care?” He asked, sniffling back his emotions as she worked, the mare pausing a moment to sigh out.

“Because I have to. For the tribe, I have to. I’m your materna. It’s my duty to care for your well-being.”

“S-So what will you... y-your tribe, be doing to me?”

She took a few seconds. “Well, um, every time a kirin enters heat, you will be brought into the square to breed them. That happens every day until nopony else is in heat. Rain Shine told me you’ll be allowed... almost anything.” He felt her hoof halt on his shoulder burn, the mare letting out what sounded to be a shiver. “A-Anything you want, you can have it. Food, pottery, drinks, sex with any of us, the best bed in the entire village, priority treatment for any sicknesses or injuries, and are protected from most punishments. That means... if you want to have sex with one of us, and we don’t... we have to obey, or we’ll be punished.”

“W-What?! What kind of sick society is this?!”

The mare let out another sigh. “It’s what we are.” She got up and stepped back over him, laying down and rolling him onto her back with a grunt. “L-Let’s get you to bed.”





All he could think of was seeing his wife and daughter, his lover’s tear-filled eyes as she watched him be dragged away. The Royal Guard must have been informed of the foalnapping. They must be looking for him, right? He knew she wouldn’t give up until they found him, dead or alive. There beasts can’t get away with it.

It had been hours since they dropped him off in this room, the blue one... Droplet only coming by to check his burns and to give him something to eat. Fresh fruit looked to be his diet from here on out, and no alcohol to quench his aching emotions. Would she rape him, too? Or is she only there to help the others get the job done? Either way, he needed some sort of plan to escape. The door looked to be sturdy, and from the clacking whenever she left, appeared to be locked. The walls of wood were solid, except for a small slit against the one to his right. If he could fly, he could try seeing what was outside. If he could.

The sound of hooves in the hall pricked at his ears, a light discussion occurring between the two. The lock on the door undid, opening to Droplet and...

Of course, the orange and yellow one. His scowl reformed in an instant at her intrusion, Droplet closing the door after the monster had stepped off to the side of the room, uncertainty wafting off her. Her eyes darted from his, her hooves shuffled in place, every muscle one that had an unusual tension.

“Fleeting Chance?” Droplet moved up to beside his bed to have a seat, clearing her throat. “I would like you to meet somepony. She will be living with us.”

The other mare flicked her gaze into his, providing a sheepish smile. “Hi... So... I’m Flaring Honeydew.”

“What the buck do you want?!” He spat back at her, the ears on the mare falling back.

“A-As your first mate, I’m to be assigned as one of your major broodmares. My job is...” Her head wavered. “M-My job is to protect you and escort you wherever you go in town, until, well, until I’m too pregnant to do so.”

“Buck off, you vile whorse!”

“I-I’m sorry if you don’t like it, but it is something you’ll need to get used to. The breeding, that is.” She took in a breath, closing her eyes a few moments before opening them back up to him. “I really am sorry.”

Her horn lit up to pin down his legs, Chance fighting against her magic with all his strength as she walked over, crawling atop him to sit atop his sheath. “Get off me!”

“It’s a new day, and I’m in heat. We have to breed.”

“I don’t want to!”

“Sorry.” Droplet’s horn lit up, her magic enrapturing his balls and shaft, the tingling triggering a deep panic within him. “She must be impregnated. If you don’t resist, it will go much easier. We don’t want to hurt you, and I’m pretty sure you don’t want to be hurt anymore, so please accept her.”

“GET OFF ME!” He screamed at her as his head poked out and the cloven hooves of the mare jerked at it. “S-Stop it!”

“I-I was told your name is Fleeting Chance.” The rapist stared at his dick with a frown, doing her ‘best’ to get it extended for her. “Do you think we can–”

“GO AWAY! L-LEAVE ME ALONE!” He cried back at her, his entire body trembling. All four legs were pinned by the bitch, the magic of the ‘nice’ one stimulating his balls and producing a disgusting sense of arousal as they both stared at his stallionhood. “W-Why?! Why can’t you get laid normally?!”

“Rain Shine told us we must hide.” Honeydew raised her rear, a hoof leaning against him while the other positioned the hardened shaft for entry. Her entire body slid down atop it, drawing a whimper from him as he felt her burning insides again. She was wet from the entrance to the end, her body rocking forward to send tingles up his spine that drew out a heavy nausea from the deepest pits of him. He couldn’t enjoy this. He can’t. His wife would never forgive him. And he could never forgive himself.

“Shh...” Droplet brushed a hoof along his cheek as he stared at where the mare rode him, her juices sliding down his length as she took her time humping against him. He closed his eyes and laid his head back, trying not to think of it. She wouldn’t win. She couldn’t win. He had to resist, but they were too strong. No wonder most rapists were unicorns. It was as easy as pinning them down and having your way with them.

“It’ll be okay, Chance.” The monster whispered to him, her pace quickening. “Think about flooding my cave and it will be over before you know it.”

His mouth choked out a sob, that unfathomable, traitorous sensation spreading along his body. It was a sick satisfaction. His dick didn’t know or care if he wanted her. It was deciding for him. “Don't resist it. You'll only make it harder on yourself.” Droplet’s smooth voice caressed his ear, her hoof rubbing through his mane as he was pushed closer and closer to finishing. Her humming to the side was like he was some colt who had a nightmare and needed to get back to bed, a light purring (?) coming from her general direction.

They were sick. All these ‘kirin’ were disgusting, vile fiends. If he ever escaped, he would make sure everypony knew what they were like. Violent, sociopathic, deceptive rapists. His tears rolled down his cheeks as he tried to zone out the mare pleasuring herself on him. She wasn’t stopping, and his cock was gearing up to ‘flood’ her ‘cave.’ If she got pregnant by him...

How could he ever look his wife in the eye ever again?

A choked sob escaped him as he flared inside her, a rush passing from him into her to splatter her insides with his white ropes of cum, the mare slowing down her pace to take in the feeling. She let out a contented sigh, his member twitching inside her to send everything he didn’t want into her. She succeeded where he failed. If she didn’t get pregnant, it would be a miracle of Celestia and the moon combined.

The mare pulled herself off his wilting shaft, letting it pop out of her to flop against his chest as his sobs came rapid and stilted, every breath another labored as she moved off of him. “It’ll be okay, Chance.” Droplet kissed him on the cheek, all magic being taken off of him as the sets of hooves moved to the door. “I’ll be back in a few minutes, alright? Don’t want you to be all dirty. It’s not good for healing.”

He didn’t care that they left and locked the door, his entire body curling up on instinct to tremble on its own. This was his life now. There was no escaping the memories of these bitches using him for themselves, even if he somehow got out of wherever they were keeping him.

But that could wait. All he wanted to do right now was curl himself up and cry himself into the darkness.
> The Innocence
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eyes focused above, mind a haze and as scrambled as the small bits of hair and dust which floated in the beams of light cast inside from the window. There was nothing to do except stare at those pieces of debris continue on their unceasing journey. Other than the four times a day they came to give him the bare necessities - food, water, replacing the wooden bucket that served as a toilet, the rare chatter, stealing his semen - he was on his own.

Chance took in a deep breath of the choked air, hoping it would suffocate him and end the illusion. His caretaker... Droplet, right, that was her name. She was sweet and gentle, if still bat-shit insane. A part of him wanted to ask for her to stay, if only to give him something to do. The distant chatter of the other kirin came in through the window to taunt him, and if he was lucky, they would start singing. Today seemed to be another loud one, with - what he could only assume - was a town meeting.

At the very least, his burns were getting better. He learned that the leaves he laid on when he came in acted as a natural antiseptic, as on day... three (?) when Droplet came to apply them around the burns. No infections he could tell, although still hurt like Tartarus. She even had a solution to help with the pain in the form of a tea that made him sleepy and washed away his agony. Sweet Celestia, he couldn’t give in. She was still holding him captive and assisting the other one to rape him on a nightly basis.

A series of hooves came up the stairs to the residence, the door unlocking a few moments later for Droplet to stick her head in and grin at him. “Ah, you’re awake!”

“D-Droplet.” He gulped as she entered to move up beside him, giving a check over the leaves she wrapped on him, peeling them off in places to have a check. “P-Please help me. I-I can’t live like this.”

“Oh, it’ll get better. The pain will go away over time, though I’ve heard it itches still. Not sure where the rumor came from. Not like we can get burned.” She gave off a giggle, moving around to his other side to peel off more of the leaves.

“I-I can’t leave my family.” He croaked out, feeling her slow her pace.

“I’m sorry, Chance. This is your new family. We... We are.” She took a moment, as if in contemplation, before she continued to peel off the woolen blanket from his lower half. “It’s time we introduced you to the rest of the village. We have a second kirin in heat now, but they might miss their chance with you. If... Do you want to try getting to your hooves?”

Chance grimaced at the thought, sitting himself up with jabs of pain rocketing through his legs and back. The leaves still covered his injured back-leg, but the burns... the burns were in the open. He let out a sigh as he shuffled to the edge of the bed, setting down his hooves as she kept to the side. “Take it easy. If you don’t have the strength right now, I can take you out myself. I don’t want you to overexert yourself.”

He took in another careful breath as he applied pressure to his wounded leg, sensing the pain ricochet around the area. Chance resolved to push himself forward, getting onto his trembling legs as the agony consumed him from all sides. His entire body slumped into Droplet, the mare staying firm for him as he took his first step and toppled over. “AHH- BUCK!” He whimpered as he laid on the ground, the crash having made impact with his chest burns.

“Oh, um...” Her magic ignited to pick him up. “That’s alright then. You don’t need to walk for the introduction.”

Her magic floated him out into the hall, down the stairs and to the front door. The moment he passed the threshold, he winced at the light that blinded him. It was proper lighting, the assembled crowd practically a roar of excitement and curiosity. Chance forced open his eyes to see the group of kirin ahead part for him and Droplet, making way to a single stone slab surrounded by the sea of colorful neck-bearded mares. His eyes crossed Honeydew’s in the crowd at the front, the mare giving him a shy flash of her teeth, Droplet setting him down atop the stone before moving away.

He took the moment to look around at them all. Some... weren’t happy. Despite the majority having a foal-like wonder of the stallion now sat at the center of their town meeting, there were a few that were less than enthused. Perhaps the odd ones out, or perhaps they had other ideas.

The crowd shuffled behind him, his body straining to turn him back to see the big one make her way through. Now that he saw her with a reference, he was almost dead-on correct: she was twice the size of the average kirin. What kind of freak of nature event could have caused that?

Rain Shine stopped before him, her smile beaming down on him only a few seconds before she looked up to the others. “My kirin, please, let’s have some quiet.”

The chatter from the mob simmered down, her expression picking up. “Wonderful. For thousands of lunar cycles, I have guided our kind, offering my ancient wisdom on matters of all sorts to you so that you may avoid the mistakes of the past. Every father we’ve had since the foundation of our village has been one of the utmost importance. Their life-giving essence fills us, and in return, we are blessed by the Hiblinios to another cycle of life and love. As our savior, my grandmother Utodopilo Goghifla Twinilia once said, ‘it is the kirin who possess the answer, and it is the nirik who execute.’ So too shall our generation carry on the legacy of ages past.”

Chance was completely and utterly lost. Was this some sort of backward tribal faith? No wonder they were all so adamant about using his body. They were fanatics, driven by something untrue and loyal to a fault. “Today, I present the father to our next generation, who will usher in the next cycle. This stallion is Fleeting Chance, a pegasus from Equestria. He has been brought to aid us, and must always be remembered for his sacrifice.”

Rain Shine looked down at him, her horn igniting to spin him around to face her and get pushed back, dread forming on his face. The crowd stared in eager anticipation, an unnatural curiosity for what was about to begin. Chance shut his eyes as he felt the magic on his balls, that awful sensation returning to him. How could he ever get himself off after all this? Healthy sex seemed so distant. To feel his wife’s touch and kisses.

“Look upon his treasure, a piece of the gift he offers our kind.” He could feel his dick extending, loud whispers passing through the crowd as they watched it rise from its hiding place. “So that you may know when the time comes, today, I will be claiming the stallion for breeding. Each of you must watch and learn.”

The largest of them moved over him to block out the light ahead of his eyelids, them opening to see her above him, lowering herself onto his shaft as it straightened out. He slammed shut his eyes as he slipped in, but instead of the borderline painful burning, it was... normal. “His totem and sag are sacred. Do not harm them in the Rite of Sprouting Life. Do not proceed if you are upset, and never attempt to damage them otherwise. Should you harm him, it is punishable by nirik trial until death.”

The crowd gasped, the whispers picking back up. “His totem goes into your cave, and nowhere else. For the rite to work, it must be adhered to. The spell I have cast will be taught to you all for when the rites begin. However, for now, watch.”

She moved her hips forward; him trying to not experience what she was doing to him. There must have been two hundred or more of these kirin watching him be raped by their leader, every hump another that made him wish he was back in his room with the other one. His face couldn’t help but flush, his eyes watering as he fought back the urge to breakdown into tears in front of the entire village.

The mare atop him only picked up speed, gratefully reducing how long he had to suffer through this humiliation. He didn’t know if the heat was a good or bad thing anymore. It all blurred together as he forgot where he was and what was happening. All he wanted was for it to end. It rang in his ears alongside the giggles and wonder of the crowd, the body which moved atop him drawing out dabbles of pre-cum to help with lubrication. She had far more friction than the other one, his orgasm fast a-approaching a-a-and–

He half-whimpered, half-grunted as his head flared and shot a vine of fresh cum into her, his body trembling as the thoughts took him away. He didn’t want to focus on it, on the twitching of his cock inside her or the sperm he sent into a pony other than his wife. The nausea hit him in the following seconds, sending him to shiver on the cold stone. It was something he could never get used to, not physically or mentally. If he ever thought he’d actually enjoy this...

He may as well kill himself.

“When he is done, you will feel a cooling inside of you. This signals that he has flooded your cave with his seed.” Rain Shine pulled off of him, stepping back and moving in a circle with her tail flagged and flicked aside. “Never touch your cave when you are finished. His essence must soak within you for foals to be made, and failure to do so is punishable by stoning. Tomorrow, I will be teaching the spell to whoever wishes to watch. However, you will all need to learn and understand it to prevent damaging our new father. Thank you all for coming.”

Chance reopened his eyes to stare up at the sunlit sky, his breaths uneven as the others dispersed or went right back to their conversations. Two mares came to his side to help him up, Honeydew rubbing his unburnt back while Droplet offered him a cup of water. On instinct, he took it to drink, his eyes uncertain and lost.

“Hey! What was it like?” A brown and red kirin came over to beam expectantly in his face, another three coming over.

“Do you know what the metal beast is called?” “Um, can you breed tomorrow?” “What’s ‘Equestria’ like? What other types of ponies are there?”

“Shh...” Droplet hushed into his ear while Honeydew addressed the others.

“Sorry, but questions will have to wait, ladies.” She lit her horn to pick up the stallion, Droplet leading the way back to the residence. A few trailed along calling out questions for him as they returned, Droplet ushering him inside before closing the door and letting out a breath.

“That could have gone better.”

“You’re telling me.” Honey took Chance into a room with a couch and three sown sacks that may have served as sitting cushions, laying him down before brushing the tears from his face. “Hey, it’s okay. You’re home with us.”

Droplet’s humming flicked his already fallen ears into listening, the mare coming in with a wooden cup with a steaming liquid within it to pass to Honeydew; the mare helping him sit himself up so he could sip at the relaxing tea. Its sweetness snapped some part of him, getting him to pay attention to his surroundings. The mare had something resembling a smile, although they both knew it wasn’t cutting it all that well.

“Welcome back?” She looked around before getting up and going to a pile of folded blankets at the side, grabbing the second one from the top to bring over and hold out for him. His trembling hooves held out the cup for her to take into her magic, letting him grab the blanket to wrap around himself. Its embrace let his heart calm itself down, hooves once more grabbing the cup to stare into. “Do you need anything? Are you hungry?”

“N-No.” He said, his voice low and course. The tears returned as he thought of being before a crackling fire with his filly. Hearth’s Warming Eve. He was alone for half the day to watch the foal as she slept. If they didn’t rescue him before next winter, he’d miss her first birthday. His filly’s first... The tears dripped from his face into the cup. He wasn’t escaping. He was surrounded by magic users and kept a watchful eye on. What he needed was somepony to help him. Droplet? Or...

His tearful eyes turned up to the mare staring off at the floor as if ashamed, his throat clearing to snap her out of whatever she was thinking of. “H-Honeydew.” His words caught, trying to find the perfect way to broach the topic. The orange and yellow mare only sat grinning back at him, hanging on his every word. “I-I need help. I c-can’t stay here. I have a wife, Optic Shift, and a f-filly, Cornweave. Y-You have to understand I need to get back to them. They’re my family. I-I can’t lose them.”

The mare’s optimism slowly fell. “I’m sorry, Chance. This...” She halfheartedly motioned a hoof to the rest of the room. “We’re your new family. You’ll always be loved here. I know it–”

“You’re not my family!” He snapped back at her, causing the mare to flinch back and the ears fall back on her head. “You think I’d ever consider you family after you raped me f-for...” His head wavered, his anger running away with the thought. “H-How long? How long have I been here?”

“S-Six solar cycles.” She gulped, Droplet peeking her head into the room. “Every time I came into your room to... what did you call it?”

“Rape?”

“Right, rape. Every time I came in to rape you was a new day.” She offered him some sort of sheepish smile, as if she told him she was stealing cookies from a jar. “Probably has been quite the whirlwind the past bit, but it really hasn’t been that long.”

“I can’t stay here!” He shrugged off the blanket, Droplet stepping toward him. “I-I’m leaving, and I swear, if you so much as touch me, I won’t hold back.”

“You can’t even walk on your own.” Droplet proceeded forward with concern written on her face, Chance throwing his steaming cup into her face to soak her, the mare’s muzzle scrunching up as she stopped. Annoyed, but unharmed.

“Smooth moves, Damp.” Honeydew had a giggle to herself. “If you’re looking to get hit, you’re on the right path.”

“He’s just upset. Wouldn’t you be?” She moved forward as his scowl grew to bare his teeth at her, the mare getting close enough for him to lunge forward and push her to the floor. His hoof came down to impact her cheek, the next to make contact again. And another to punch her nose straight into the floor before the last impacted her horn to draw out a scream from her as flames licked all along her body.

Chance was floated off of her, his hooves swinging wildly to clip the nose of Honeydew before she grabbed his head and touched her horn to it, the entire world falling away.





Chance fluttered open his eyes to see he was back in his room, closing again. What... Oh, right, he attacked them. Buck them. Buck both of them up their asses and through their throats with a serrated dildo tipped in wasp stingers. He will never accept being kept as some sex slave to be used as breeding material. Kirin weren’t even ponies. They were beasts. Hairy, scaly, fiery monsters from the deepest pits of Tartarus. Probably were made by dragons raping ponies so they carried on the tradition.

The door to his room creaked open, the ‘mare’ entering to close it behind her, stepping around until she plopped down ahead of him. A hoof touched his singed ear, applying some of the sour smelling gel to it, his eyelids opening to see it was Honeydew rather than Droplet, the mare’s frown telling him how rough she’d be the next time she pinned him down.

“Good to see you’re awake.” She said, low and devoid of judgment. “Sorry about earlier, but I didn’t want her burning you or you hurting yourself anymore.”

“Buck. Off.”

“I... don’t understand. Is that some sort of cursed word?” Her mouth ticked up a bit, finishing molesting his ear to grab some more from the bucket that floated next to her, her other hoof pulling down the blanket to reveal his shoulder and neck for her to work at.

“It means ‘go away’ with as much hate as possible.” He clenched his teeth together, Honeydew’s curled lips slowly dropping.

“I see you’re still upset about it. Droplet is too. It took an hour for me to get her to stop crying.”

“Good.”

The mare sighed, continuing her work with no additional commentary. She wasn’t as gentle as Droplet, wasn’t as fast or as considerate. But she was here. Tending to him all the same. Because he attacked the one who offered him the most kindness. His eyes closed, letting the mare work down his body in peace. He didn’t need to be told when to turn over, doing so once she finished his back-leg.

Part of him wanted to apologize to Droplet. She didn’t deserve that, not as much as Honeydew did. If kirin horns were anything like unicorns horns, he effectively bucked her in the nuts. Buck, now he feels like an asshole. They all deserved it, or at least... Agh! Did she deserve it, though? She’s been the one to help him the entire six days he’s been their prisoner, the one to say when Honey was being too rough or to bring him more water, or to change his improvised toilet on command. If anything, she seemed as much of a slave to this system of abuse as he was. Stuck tending to his every whim, still trying to put on a hopeful smile, and to be somepony he can count on to take good care of him.

“C-Can I talk to her?” He asked, more under his breath than to the kirin tending him.

“I’ll tell her you want to talk,” Honeydew said, continuing with her work. The silence was one he hated about this place. Well, mostly silence. The chatter from the window always seemed to be there except during the night when the bugs were doing their mating calls, but this silence actually annoyed him. He didn’t know what the mare caressing his body was thinking, if she was as angry as he was or simply disappointed.

Honey let out a long breath as she got up and went for the door, leaving him alone. With his thoughts. Earlier today came back like a blur of activity, only the anxiety that crept up him telling anything was off about it. Shit, now that he thought of it, he was actually pretty hungry. It must have been most of the day he was out.

The door opened, the green and blue of his primary caretaker entering view to sit in front of him, frowning down at him. She didn’t speak, didn’t move anymore except blink, seeming to wait for him. The side of her face had a noticeable bruise from where he impacted her, nose only a little damaged. Chance took in a breath to settle his nerves. “I-I’m sorry.”

She gave him a curt nod, still keeping her silence. He continued. “I shouldn’t have taken it out on you. You’ve been the nicest kirin to me so far, and... it wasn’t right to hurt you like that.”

Her hoof raised to rub her cheek. “I-I’ve never been hit like that before.” She said with a distinct sadness. “Then my horn, and...” Her eyes watered up, reaching out a hoof to him. “I-Is that how it feels when we breed you? Is that why you cry?”

He let out a deep sigh, reaching out his hoof to grab onto hers, the mare’s tearing eyes letting go the first one to roll down her cheek. “Something like that.” He answered in the same tone.

“I-I’m sorry, Chance.” She attempted to let go, him holding onto her as her body shivered. “P-Please d-don’t hurt me. I-I didn’t mean to hurt you. Y-You can h-have me to breed, just p-please don’t hit me again.”

“Can you stay? Can we... Can we talk?” He tried putting on a smile for her, only getting a twitch of his mouth. “I promise I’ll never hurt you again. I only want somepony to talk to so I’m not bored out of my mind in here.”

She sniffled, her body trembling ever so much. “Y-Yeah. O-Okay.” Her expression reformed. “So, um... Lime Seed had an argument at her s-stall earlier. W-Want to hear about that?”

He let go a short chuckle. “Not like I have much to talk about, so sure.”

“Well... Apparently it started when Molten Branches was shopping for new seeds...”





The lock on the door slid aside as easily as expected, the mare taking a deep breath in. She knew she had to do this, had to set things right. It burned at her chest from her legs and made her horn tick ever so much. With a simple push, the door opened to the near total darkness of the room, illuminated by only a single window higher against the far wall. She stepped in, lighting her horn only a little to see where she was going. Once at the bedside, she took her time.

Her nose scrunched up as she set the bag down next to the bed, taking out the mixed nutty and chocolaty goodness to put down next to it. But it was the quiet words she wanted to speak that took the most effort. Every part of her fought to keep them in, but she knew she had to get them out there.

“I-I’m sorry.” She said in a whisper. “I’m sorry if I’m... I-If it hurts like that. I don’t mean to bring harm to you, but I have to. We have to survive. Maybe one day you’ll forgive me, or... m-maybe not. For taking you from your family, and for all I’ve done and will do. Maybe Droplet can be something more for you. I only hope you’ll give her a chance, if not me. Sleep well, Fleeting Chance. S-See you in the morning.”

Honeydew got to her hooves to leave the room, closing the door carefully and locking it back up before shedding the tears she was fighting. He would never know. He can go on believing it was Damp Droplet. At the very least, she’ll be like a new family to him, even if she never will. He can have her to love.

Back inside the room, beneath the covers, Chance let out a shaking breath. His eyes squeezed tighter together, fighting to hold that hate together. But for how hot it burned within him, for how much of a complete monster she was...

He couldn’t help but feel some part of him was wrong about her.
> The Rites
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Last night... What was that? For how awful of a time he’s been having since being imprisoned, to have the worse of the two halt their nightly ritual of forcing him to his bed was bizarre. It had become a worrisome thought. Why would she stop? Is she getting bored with him? Buck, why is he thinking about the why? Her stopping is something he wanted, and now it’s at an end. For now, at least. Given all the loads he pumped into her, she was almost certainly pregnant. And that was something he’d rather not think about.

The past three weeks had been a complete blur, sporadically broken up by his chats with Damp Droplet about the goings on in town. She... was something else. He couldn’t deny that the mare had taken a serious liking to him, even if she was still skittish after the incident two weeks ago. The strangest part - and what he couldn’t understand - was why she wasn’t trying to force herself on him. Out of the two, she had the most access, yet her hooves stayed away from his junk, even if her magic molested it for that first week.

Then there was Flaring Honeydew, the mare who couldn’t help herself from pinning him down to take his seed into her. No, that wasn’t right. She restrained to once a day and sometimes was even reluctant. Perhaps her conscience was getting to her, or maybe there was something else going on. Hard to tell sometimes. The weekly gifts were something he appreciated. Chocolate-nut bars, some sort of jam, and a vanilla-cinnamon-chocolate mound that looked like a turd but tasted like the stars themselves. And he was still keeping the illusion that he didn’t know who it really came from.

A part of him wished he could outright ask her, but knowing them, she’d lie her way out of it to spare her weak plan to get him to fall for her friend.

A knock at the door broke up his thoughts, his eyebrows creasing at the oddity. They came and went whether or not he cared. It unlocked and opened to Droplet peeking in; her smile picking up at the sight of him. “You all done your morning stretches?”

“About an hour ago, I think.” He took in a breath, keeping his eyes on his window to the outside. The stretches every morning helped to break up the tedium, one of the few things he could do on his own. That, and pace around his room like a mental ward patient.

“That’s good. Very good...” Her expression slowly dropped, Chance taking the opportunity to look at her. “Rain Shine thinks you’re ready for the rites. Your burns are healed enough, your leg can walk, and... you’re ready.”

He tongued the inside of his cheek as he tried assessing what was eating up at her so much. What were these ‘rites’ exactly? Him being forced to the ground and used? That was getting to the point of being standard here. Was it... public? While it twisted him up, it’s not like he hadn’t already been raped in front of all of them.

“What am I expected to do?”

“I...” Her head wavered a little as she seemed to fight back some explanation. “Rain Shine can explain it. Please don’t resist. It will go easier if you just...”

“Just what?”

“B-Breed them.” Her ears fell back on her head, his mouth twitching and nostrils flaring.

“So this is it? What you and them will do to me for the rest of my life?” He threw a hoof lazily toward the window. “Some ‘rite’ in front of everypony? Keep me locked away in this room for the rest of the time to get taken out and abused like some sex toy?”

“I-It’s not like that.” Her eyes dropped to the floor, his muzzle twitching into a weak snarl.

“Then explain to me how it’s supposed to look, because all I see is you asking me to betray my wife by willingly bucking one of you.”

“I-If you’re compliant, you get to leave the room more.” Her pathetic gaze raised to meet his, his anger fading at the tears in her eyes. “Please don’t make this any harder on yourself. Hasn’t the last month been hard enough? If you do this for us, you’ll get to experience more of what the village has to offer that isn’t... this.”

While his heart pounded at the idea of being allowed something better to do than live inside his prison, he’d have to throw away any sense of returning to normalcy if he was rescued or escaped. He could never look Optic in the eye and tell her he’ll never cheat on her and never has. He’d be saving his own hide and well-being while sacrificing his principles. Maybe she’d understand, given the circumstances, or maybe it would be just as hard for her to meet his own gaze. Assuming he could get back to her.

The worst part of it all was that part of him wanted to accept it and move on, as if the past four years of love meant nothing. It was always temptation. He couldn’t call himself a pure stallion if he failed even once. They were devoted to one another as they exchanged at their wedding vows. That was the promise he made to her when she came to him to say she was pregnant.

Chance let out a trembling breath, getting to his hooves to go to the door. Droplet backed up to enter a room to the side, letting him proceed ahead of her. He dragged his hooves as he took the stairs down onto the first floor and to the door. He hesitated at it, taking several intakes of air before pushing down the handle and opening it to the outdoors. The crowd around the square was positively brimming with energy, excitement heavy and chatter louder than normal.

Straight ahead of him, at the edge of the crowd, was Honeydew. The mare perked up at their exit, calling out over the rest: “Clear the way!”

Some got it immediately, others had to be ‘persuaded’ by a push of Honey’s magic as she led him forward and to the stone slab. Rain Shine stood ahead, her usual cheerful attitude gracing him even as part of him felt like it was wilting and dying from merely accepting being taken out here. Chance walked forward until he was atop the stone, looking back to see his two caretakers were staying in the front row but not going any further.

“Silence, please.” Rain Shine raised a hoof, the crowd quieting down save for a few scattered whispers. “For the past week, you’ve all dedicated yourselves to learn the Rites and Rituals of Survival, and today we get to see through the first of many in the coming decades. Our new father, Fleeting Chance, stands before us all today to usher in what we hope will be a member of the next generation. As is sacred, come forth, rite matrons, and bestow the ancient’s grace and beauty.”

A humming resonated through those assembled. “~In the heart of the mountains, across the glimmering seas~” A kirin stepped forth from either side with a series of flowery accessories in their magic as the rest of the crowd sang. “~To the home of our kind, free and prosperous please~” Both moved to Chance’s sides to put on the loops of flowers over his neck. “~It is by the ancestors’ grace and peaceful now~” They fitted stray flowers into his mane and tail. “~Our lives shall be devoted and under strength give our vow~”

A wreath went around his ears as he stared up at the grin of Rain Shine. “~Be it land or sea, we shall always wield our absolute certainty~” Both mares stepped back to bow deeply toward him, the leader motioning for him to turn. “~By the command of the empire, to the queen and to the all-being~” He turned to see a light brown and dull red one had stepped forward to bow to him, two other mares arranging the flowers on her. “~This is our true path, of the knowing and seeing~” Both other mares bowed to her, shuffling back for her twinkling eyes and beaming smile to turn up to him. “~Never will one suffer under our harmony~”

She moved forward to brush along his neck, working her way back. “~Never will the light be extinguished or the true done ill~” The mare’s tail stuffed into his nose to take in her scent as she rubbed her way around his stiff body. “~And never will the bowls of our foals lack fill~” She came around to brush up her head along his neck, a purring picked up by his ears as the horn caressed them. “~Because even should we fall and fracture~” The mare stepped passed to fall into a kneel, her tail moving aside and rear propped in the air. “~Our hopes shall live on, now, and forever after~”

Horns lit up among the crowd, hormones rushing through his body as he felt them give him a nudge to take her. The humming died out as he stared at her glistening rump. Her vulva gave a wink of her pink jewel, the song ending and an eerie silence descending as the crowd waited with bated breath. Chance looked back at Rain Shine, her nodding to him. “She’s yours. As according to tradition, you must mount her and complete inside her cave. If you wish to make this more difficult, she will be granted permission to make use of you inside your room.”

His vision returned to the mare, a deeply unsettling, creeping dread forming over him. There was no way out. His body - or rather his dick and balls - said yes, that he must do it, while his mind fought against itself. It didn’t stop him from stepping forward, a light scent of her sweetness hitting his nose and drawing another step forward. His uneven breaths continued even as he pushed himself up from her rear, a magic glow positioning him for entry.

Chance closed his eyes as he sunk into her blistering warmth. Like with Honeydew, the mare was hot from the inside out, his dick begging to pull out for the first several seconds of being in her before it had heated enough for it to get comfortable. He pulled himself back to thrust into her a second time, feeling his cock twitch within her. It wanted release from all the magical incentive it received. It wanted him to speed up.

With a careful inhalation, he pulled back and pumped her again. And again. And again... She kept mostly silent throughout the rutting; the crowd exchanging only whispers of awe as he bucked one of their own before their very eyes. All he could do was fight back the tears as he sped up, his balls slapping against her moistening, heated entrance and drawing the rare squeak from her. They weren’t easy to get off, that much was for certain. No matter how fast he went, she kept a level head.

The slaps of his body against hers filled the air of the square, making some part of him wish they kept humming that song. It would have been better to listen to than to hear his own oaths of loyalty crumble to ash with every pass he made into the mare. He made the choice. He chose to rut the kirin rather than to be raped by them. This wasn’t any better. No matter what he had to do it, the only difference was how much control he had.

And he made sure to push himself to orgasm without so much as a peep from his mouth. The flaring of his head finally sent a suppressed breath from his lungs, a sob escaping his throat as he felt the rushing of his semen flood from his other head into her depths, bottoming out in her as he caught his breath. Now there was no going back. He betrayed his wife, all for his own selfishness. The tears running down his cheeks in front of the village didn’t matter compared to that traitorous action.

His body trembled as he pulled out and backed away, falling to his rump as the mare got back to all four. Two more kirin came from the sides with each a necklace of some sort of white flower to put over the horn of the mare, her squealing with delight before hugging one of them. Some in the crowd cheered for her, others returning to conversations to fill the air with something that wasn’t the ringing in his ears.

Both of his mares came to him, Droplet wiping his face with her hoof. “That wasn’t so bad, now was it?”

“Don’t worry. There’s only one more thing to do before we go back home.” Honeydew put a hoof around his withers and pulled him to lean on her. “You’ve got us. Know you’ll always have us if you ever need to let go.”

Chance sniffled before pushing back against her, separating himself from her embrace to the drooping of her ears, Droplet standing to offer him a hoof. He accepted it back up, taking his time to breathe as he looked around at the rest. It seemed a sizable portion was moving off toward the area behind where Rain Shine was standing; the chieftainess smiling over to him from her place on the other side of the crowd.

One more thing... He let out a shaking sigh as he followed Droplet over to the crowd, them parting to reveal planks of wood with all manner of fruit atop it. There must have been every color of the rainbow on display. Many types he recognized at a glance, but some he’s only seen since being foalnapped. Two dozen different types were on offer, cut open if they had hardened shells, sometimes made into slices or artsy patterns with the others.

He took his seat as his mates took their places on either side to him, Rain Shine waving a hoof over what was on offer. “You receive the honor of picking the first.”

His trembling hoof grabbed one of the green melon slices, holding it before him to stare at in utter confusion before moving it to his mouth. He took a bite of the sweet, watery fruit before the others at the table cheered, many now digging into the feast. Not all stuck around, as there really were only about thirty spots at the boards, but those that stayed laughed and chatted with the others while he was processing what was going on.

“Fleeting Chance?” Rain Shine grabbed his attention, the mare offering her same gentle - almost mother-like - smile to him. “As you didn’t resist during the rite, according to tradition, you don’t have any breeding responsibilities tomorrow. Feel free to walk the village with your bonded ones. We all appreciate how much you’ll be doing for us and wish to show it.”

“See? We’re not all bad.” Honeydew nudged him in the side, floating up a vine of what he could guess were red grapes. “Want some?”

He accepted the tiny round spheres, taking one off with his teeth to chew and swallow. He was right; they were some sort of red grape. Droplet floated down some of the further fruits to make a small pile for him to try. His heart was a stark contrast to the mood around the rest of the table. Inside, he felt hollow. He bucked another mare by his choice. That was something he never could go back on. Her scent still molested his nostrils from the fluids she leaked onto his now-hidden shaft.

And now a piece of him didn’t want to return. What would there be left for him? He... He still had his daughter. He had to get back for her. Even if Optic hated him, even if he hated himself, he had to be there for his filly. No, he couldn’t give up. They couldn’t break him just yet. He’d fight them every step of the way, and when he escapes, he will leave all this behind him.

They wouldn’t win.





Chance sat himself up in bed, seeing the light trail in from the window, the chatter of the town beyond filling his ears. Another day. A day off from being forced to do things against his will. He could scout out the village, see what exactly this society was like when it wasn’t acting on tribal tradition. After a sneeze to start the morning, he took his time with the stretches. Droplet wouldn’t be by for another hour at least to give breakfast, and...

A series of hooves came up the hall, unlocking the door and looking in. “Hey, I thought I heard your bed creaking!” Honeydew entered to trot over and plop down ahead of him. “I was wondering if you’d like to go into town with me and Droplet. We were thinking of getting something for you to make it feel more like home here.”

He let out a sigh, his suspicious eyes looking her over. The grin she gave seemed to suggest something else, but he wouldn’t get the answer by asking. Was it much of a choice? He wanted to check out the town anyway, so perhaps using the excuse would be helpful.

“Where will we be going?” He asked, stretching out his damaged hind-leg, turning it to either side to get a good look at it. The scarring will never go away as long as he was with them, same with much of his body with the burns. The only good part was that it didn’t burn all of him, only the unimportant parts. Not his face, not much of his underside, not what the kirin were looking to use, and only minor burns on his head and neck. The pain lightening up was definitely an improvement.

“Well... I was thinking we take a stroll through the theater street to see what’s going on there. Then maybe go check out what some others have at the market. We have pottery, board games, sometimes there are stories...” She longingly stared off at the wall behind him. “Oh, there’s so much. I wish I could take you with me on my walks through the forests.”

“Why not?” He switched legs, feeling the strain on his muscles and pushing more to get it to stop whining.

“Rain Shine says she wants you to be more comfortable with the village before you’re allowed to go into the woods.” Honeydew returned her eyes to his, offering him her best attempt at a consolation. “Sorry.”

He took in a breath before flinging himself up to his hooves with a grunt. “We going now?”

“Sure!” She popped up onto all four, Chance leading her out and down the stairs to the main room where Droplet was mixing some sort of brew on the counter. “Droplet! Want to get breakfast while we’re out?”

She took a weary look back, sighing to push aside what she was working on, taking them out into the early morning light. Chance took in all the sensations. The cool morning breeze that smelled of the mountains, the sun’s gentle warmth that illuminated his burnt hide, the sounds of leaves rustling and kirin talking in the distance. They lived right next to the main square where the stone ritual slab was and where the fountain continued to spray water skyward to crash back down into the pond.

It was a naturist paradise. Minimal artificial constructs, no tall buildings to obscure the sun’s light, surrounded by others who lived simple lives without stressing out about affording enough to rent or eat. The trees above them were lined in a plethora of colorful fruits, with birds chirping among the branches. His blue mare led him out and over to a stand filled with orange balls, taking three into her magic to peel apart, passing one to him. He gave it a good whiff before cracking a small smile.

Oranges. He should have guessed so. While the other two could float the fruits along in their magic, he took his time eating his as they made their way toward one of the thicker paths. There were kirin to the sides who stopped and waved at their passing, or called out greeting them. It would be disingenuous to deny that they could be friendly when they weren’t stuck in their breeding protocols.

“Heh. Check it out.” Honeydew came up beside him to nudge him in the side, pointing off at a small gathering of kirin. The center of attention was the dull red one from yesterday having a giggle with the others. “Think she’s talking about the rite?”

“Probably,” Droplet answered from ahead, taking in a deep huff of air to her lungs. Chance looked her way before his eyes moved to her rear. While normally rude, he didn’t really care, and not like the others cared either. And it yielded the answer to why Honeydew wanted to take him. His first mate’s vulva winked right at him, eyes shifting back to the smirk on Honey.

“What do you say?” She lowered her voice, licking her lips. “She’s been dying to try you out for days. Since you’re free today, don’t you think it’s a wonderful opportunity?”

He turned back forward, trying to ignore the frustrated mare and the mischievous nuzzles of the other one. The group came to a pair of stages, one smaller than the other and surrounded by two dozen of the kirin while... Is that the double green one? He could have sworn that the mare atop the stage giving some sort of speech was from the team that foalnapped him.

“Never again, I say! And those scoundrels will not have a single quarter of our fair village! So long as the sun shines high, and the grass grows green, we will push them back to the mountains and beyond! Think of all the opportunities lost by them, think of the heartache we all go through.”

He didn’t really know what she was going on about, but it was the large stage they went to, Droplet stopping to turn back. “This is where we have our weekly plays. You’ll probably have a few–”

“Oh, pfft!” Honey interrupted, waving a hoof through the air as Droplet’s muzzle twitched. “He’s fine! He’s not a wimp. Hey, wanna check out the props?”

“I, uh...” His eyes moved between them, Droplet’s annoyance dissipating with his indecision on the matter. It was a trap. Honeydew wanted him to check the props, but what exactly she planned to do remained a mystery. “Okay?”

“Wonderful!” She motioned Droplet forward. The healer led them forth around the side of the stage to a set of double doors that led into a plank shelter, opening them up to show a few dozen scenery boards and boxes filled with cloth and velvet costumes. There were even ceramic objects, like helmets and masks tucked away in the corner. Droplet entered to motion around to it.

“This is where we keep what we need to put on plays. We’ve added to it over the years and sometimes have to replace the ones that breakdown, but it’s lasted us a long time. I think the–”

Chance was shoved into the barn by a push of magic, the door sliding shut behind him to throw them into darkness. “HONEYDEW!” Droplet’s horn lit up to illuminate the dark, rushing for the door to pull open. Other than the crack of light coming from the outside, it was sealed shut. “Come on! Don’t–”

“Thank me in an hour!” Honey giggled from the other side, Droplet trying to open the doors to be met with some sort of binding on the other side.

“An hour?! Don’t you dare leave us in here!”

No response came, Droplet’s body going rigid before she looked back at Chance still standing there staring at her, returning her efforts to manipulating her magic remotely on the other side. “W-What did you do, Honey?! Please! Let us out!”

“I think she planned this.” Chance took a seat, Droplet moving her tearing eyes back to him before going back to pounding at the doors.

“Somepony! If you can hear me, let us out!” She slumped against the door, taking her time with her breaths. “P-Please...”

“What’s so bad about waiting an hour?” He asked, laying on the ground, watching her. The horn’s light slowly dissipated, leaving her trembling. “Wait, are you afraid of the dark?”

“Damn it, Honey...” She closed her eyes, focusing on her breaths even as the horn’s light faded to only a simmer. Or rather, flames licked up from the base to cause only a light illumination.

Chance watched her glow, trying to assess if this was new or old. Eh, maybe she would say. “Has she done this to you before?”

“I hate her! W-Why does she have to do this to me every d-damn lunar cycle?!” The mare choked out a sob, the flames stopping altogether to leave only a thin part of her lit up from the crack in the door. “E-Every time...”

“How long have you two been friends?”

She sniffled. “S-Since we were fillies. I-I liked staying near the glowing crystals deep in the c-caves. She would always come by and tease me, and...” Droplet let go another weak sob. “W-Why? W-Why today? We c-couldn’t have a p-peaceful time without her s-screwing it all up...”

Chance felt his chest tightening as he listened to her feeble sobbing. A creature capable of catching on fire, being afraid of the dark... now he’s seen everything. “Why don’t you, uh, catch on fire?”

“W-What?” She stopped, her frail voice sounding more confused than anything.

“You can control when you catch on fire, can’t you?”

“A l-little... b-but we’re in a shed filled with wood! I-I could burn it down and get banished for a dozen lunar cycles! I can’t... N-Not with you...”

He let it sit, getting to his hooves to move toward her, feeling his way with a hoof ahead of him until he was at the door. Chance slumped against it, facing in her rough direction. “What else does she do to make you say you hate her?”

“I-I don’t hate her, b-but I hate it when she does this. L-Last time, she took me out on patrol late in the day and got us lost. Night came around and... I-I couldn’t get a f-fire made, a-and...” Her uneven breaths picked up, a whimper coming from her. As he listened, he fought back what he was about to do. She was as guilty as the rest of them, keeping him locked up like some pet only to be used for their own amusement. And she was also the only one who didn’t look at him like he was a wolf eyeing up prey.

With a deep sigh out, he moved forward until he felt her, getting a squeak from the weeping mare. “C-Chance?”

“I’m here.” He grabbed a hold of her to pull into his side, hugging her to his body as her breaths went wild. “It’s only going to be for an hour, and I’m here.”

Her hooves wrapped around him. He could feel her breath on his neck, how she shuffled to be even closer, until she slung a leg over his. And then pulled herself up so she was in his total grip, and at his total mercy. He could feel her trembling breaths, the warmth she gave off, and the smell of her heat wafting to his nose. He took it all in, trying to push it out even as his lower head extended on its own.

There they sat. His erection wasn’t going away, poking between them as she held onto him. For just a moment, he could forget about all the bullshit and let it go. This was a mare who still had a foalish fear of the dark and needed comfort. Not his enslaver, or his caretaker, but a gentle, loving, and...

Buck, that’s why she wanted them locked away. At the very least, it would only be an hour before she came back. Wait. Did they even have clocks? How do they even know what an hour is?

“Droplet. How do you get to sleep? Doesn’t your room get dark?”

“I-I have a g-glowing crystal I keep in there.” She said, her voice quiet enough for him to strain hearing her. “H-Honey broke into my place one time... s-several times and took it right before I went to bed. S-She’s always doing this to me.”

“Do you know why?”

“S-She wants me to get over it, b-but I can’t. It’s... too much.”

A hoof of his made its way to the back of her mane, petting her as he heard that purring from her horn. One hour. That’s all he needed to hold her for. But the longer it went, the more she sunk into his embrace, and the more he held her to him. With her scent assaulting his nose, his erection was getting to the point of painful, dribbling both their fur in his pre-cum as he tried fighting down the thoughts.

He’s already cheated on his wife for selfish reasons, and he isn’t going to make it a habit. His eyes closed as he settled in against the door, his thoughts dozing off. His eyes fluttered open later to find that the door had been indeed opened on one side, Honeydew staring at them with a light pout that suppressed a smile from forming on her face. He looked to the mare in his forelegs, her breaths even as she slept against him.

“Thought you’d get further, honestly.” Honey admitted, keeping her voice low. “Looks like she had a rough sleep last night, but you seem to be the perfect pillow for her.”

“Honeydew... Go buck yourself. You know she’s terrified of the dark.”

“Oh, pfft! She needs to get over it.” She waved a hoof around before stopping it, a smirk forming on her face before it was consumed in flame. “Oh, yeah, and we can do this too.”

“She doesn’t know how.” He maintained his glare on her, Honey blowing out the flame to stare at the gentle rise and fall of her fellow mate’s chest.

“She does. We all do. I mean, we all get taught what it is to be a nirik. Take all those bad feels and stuff them away for later.” She slumped forward to lean on her hooves, her satisfied smile staying on the other mare. “She just doesn’t like being alone in the dark.”

“Does it matter if she’s afraid to be alone in the dark? Why do you have to torture her like that?”

“Because we’re friends?” Her grin picked up as her eyes shifted onto him. “Why else? Don’t think she doesn’t do things that make me all annoyed, like not finishing her fruits all the way, or thinking I’m way too rough and whining to everypony in the whole village about it. You think she’s perfect? Pfft, yeah, and she hasn’t accidentally fallen into the Stream of Silence twice.”

“There’s a difference between giving a friend a panic attack and having preferences.” His eyes narrowed, a light hum coming from his fuzzy prisoner.

“Mmm...” She fluttered open her eyes, straightening herself up to nuzzle his neck. “Hm. Honey, where’s your...” Her vision trailed up to him, a heavy blush coming over her face. “C-Chance?”

“What else do you two have planned for me today?” He asked, letting go of her for the embarrassed mare to back away and get to her hooves, taking a few moments looking the other direction. Honeydew licked her lips as she eyed his stiffy, his eyes narrowing on her. “That preferably doesn’t involve raping me.”

“Oh, please. I’m not even in heat anymore.” She got to her hooves and stretched out. “I was thinking we introduce you to some others around town. You’ll be quite the mare magnet. Oh! We’ve got to take you to the sticky rock!”

“Please tell me it’s better than it sounds.” He cringed as she grabbed his hoof and pulled him to all fours.

“Hey, Droplet! You coming along?”

“Y-Yes!” She perked up and turned around, trotting out while Honeydew closed up the storage barn, sticking by his side while they were led onward.

She pawed at his leg. “It’s a lot better than it sounds.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.” He said under her breath, resolving to withhold judgement.

This time, at least.

Honeydew let go a light giggle from next to him, nudging him in the side. “Weren’t just a little bit tempted to breed that?”

“Honey!” Droplet shot a glare back, her muzzle all scrunchy before she returned forward.

“What? Looks like you could use it. You got some on your leg and–”

“HONEY!” She stopped, turning back to them. “You take the lead!”

She happily went ahead, leaving Droplet to stick by Chance’s side as they returned to the main square and went down a second, thick path that took them through a wooded part of the village. Baubles hung from the trees. Ceramic pots, little glowing crystals, thin ribbons of fabric, colorful beads strung together. They certainly put a lot of effort into beautifying their home from what he could tell. Trees had carved displays on them, colored engraved parts outlining both kirin and what he could only assume were the ‘nirik’ based on the flames and his unfortunate first encounter with them.

The three of them came out into a smaller square with a lumpy rock in the center, pieces of metal stuck to it in a configuration to make some sort of abstract art piece. “Huh.” He moved up to it, moving one of the loose pieces of metal along it and feeling the push-back. “It’s magnetic?”

“Yup! We always have somepony messing with it.” Honey’s horn lit up to move the largest display along the rock, the entire thing crumpling over into a pile atop it. “Well, if they can get it to stay.”

“Doesn’t the wind ever blow it down?” He walked around the object. There were forks, railway spikes, bands of metal, rings, chains, and even what looked to be a spear all mixed in.

“Sometimes, but there’s not much wind that passes through here. Only when the really big storms pass through does this thing get messed up.” Honeydew followed him around. “I’ve tried making something on this, but it never turns out right.”

“That’s because you aren’t using enough support on the pieces.” Droplet rubbed her head on their way back around, Chance stopping next to her.

“Where do you even get this stuff?” He motioned a hoof to the messy pile.

“Our outer patrol team sometimes picks it up.” His first mate provided him a shy smile. “I don’t know how they find it, though.”

“Huh.”

While the idea intrigued him, and the objects gave him an escape plan idea, he knew he couldn’t. They were all magic users. A spear wouldn’t be useful without being sneaky. And while he certainly wanted to believe he was adept at sneaking around, the truth was he didn’t trust it enough to not get caught in the process of getting the spear. If he could somehow make use of the metal to unlock his door at night, that could be an alternative.

But that would have to wait. With both kirin by his side, there was no chance of sneaking something into his mane or tail. There will be more opportunities to explore before returning to this.

If they were being truthful, he’d have a lot more time to learn about this society of crazies.