Fecundity

Chapters

02 - The Presentation
03 - The Paradox
04 - The Platoon
06 - The Poll
07 - The Preparations
08.1 - The Peers (Part 1)
08.2 - The Peers (Part 2)
09 - The Pampering
10 - The Pondering
11 - The Petorojen
12 - The Paladin
13.1 - The Pirate (Part 1)
13.2 - The Pirate (Part 2)
13.3 - The Pirate (Part 3)
14 - The Parents
15 - The Pig-Out
16 - The Procurement
17 - The Parallel
18.1 - The Presents (Part 1)
18.2 - The Presents (Part 2)
19 - The Pariah
20.1 The Presage (Part 1)
20.2 - The Presage (Part 2)
Interlude 2 - Bigger Macintosh
21 - The Proliferation
22.1 - The Prolonging (Part 1)
22.2 - The Prolonging (Part 2)
23 - The Protector
24 - The Party
25.1 - The Progression (Part 1)
25.2 - The Progression (Part 2)
25.3 - The Progression (Part 3)
01 - The Problem
05 - The Predicament

02 - The Presentation

The Presentation

——————————————————————————————

A Few Months Later-

“You want to do WHAT?!” Shining said.

Cadance ran a hoof down her face. Months of tireless searching had yielded no results, and so she’d had no other choice. She’d made some arrangements, practiced her pitch over and over, and now she was taking the plunge.

“I want to turn you into a mare, then bring my future-self to our era with a time spell, have him impregnate you, and use the Crystal Heart’s power to ensure the zygote remains fertilized when he goes back to the future,” Cadance repeated patiently. “Honestly, I thought I was pretty clear the first time.”

Shining snorted. “Oh, you were clear. I just wanted to make sure I heard that right before I called you bonkers.”

She’d sprung it on him right after he’d gotten home from drills. She probably could’ve done it at a better time, maybe waited until he was in a better mood, but honestly, there wasn’t ever going to be a good time to bring it up.

“I explored every other possible alternative before deciding on this,” Cadance went on. “Nothing I’ve read or found suggests that there’s any other way. It’s either this, or we wait at least a century before we have a foal.”

Shining shucked off his armor and put it on a stand beside the wall. “Look, Honey, I’m not making light of the situation here, and I’m not going to pretend that I know as much as you about Sombra, or Love magic, for that matter. But come on, this is pretty, well…”

Cadance raised an eyebrow.

Shining carefully chose his words. “Uh, drastic. I’m not saying you haven’t looked into alternatives, because I’m sure you have, but if you want to convince anypony of this, most of all me, you’re going to have to make one hell of an argument for your case.”

An odd smile crept up on Cadance’s face. “Oh, don’t worry… I came prepared.”

The door to their walk-in closet opened with a BANG, and dozens upon dozens of books, scrolls, and loose leaves of parchment suddenly flew out at Cadance’s command. On them were written diagrams, formulas, plans, equations, arrays, graphs, theories, theses, experiments, ramblings, musings, ideas, schemes, observations, postulations, engineerings… all written in Cadance’s neat, tidy script.

Shining blinked as the swarm of literature surrounded them. “Wat.”

“Twilight helped me with my research,” Cadance said proudly, gesturing to the veritable forest circling them. “It’s alphabetized, cited, cross-referenced, and we even had it verified by both the Crystal Empire, and Equestrian Arcanaeum. Would you like me to go into detail about all the avenues we’ve explored? Want me to tell you about the lengths we’ve gone to try and spare you from this? Do you need some time to go through our findings, hmm? I’m sure you’ll find it all fascinating.”

Shining opened his mouth, but then closed it again. He picked out one of the floating pieces of paper, going over it briefly before looking back up with a blank look.

“Mind giving me the abridged version?”

Cadance giggled. “I was already trying to, dear. The abridged version is that nothing else will work. However, if you want a little bit more, I think I can sum things up.”

Shining nodded. He put the paper back, and gestured for her to continue.

Cadance set the papers and research down on the floor in stacks. “There’s a biological and magical component to the process of pony conception. The biological component, of course, is the combination of reproductive cells within a supporting environment. The magical component, however, is the love one feels for their mate, which ‘orders’ the fertilized egg to begin the process of cell division. When these two components are present, the mother’s body is signaled to begin releasing the appropriate hormones for gestation, and a pregnancy begins.”

Cadance looked down at the floor. “The biological components in my body are all there. Ovulation is normal, I’m going in and out of season, and conception can technically go off without a hitch. However, since Sombra’s curse was powered by hatred—the antithesis of love, neither the fertilized egg, nor my body is getting the signal to do anything. The zygote just sits there until it’s absorbed into my endometrial lining, and then expelled through the normal menstrual cycle.”

“Hold on.” Shining held up a hoof. “Sombra is doing this?! How? He’s been dead for years!”

“We think it might be a side effect of a curse he was trying to put on me before he died,” Cadance said. “If that’s true, it probably would’ve done more to me, but the bulk of the spell was nullified by the Crystal Heart.”

Shining sucked in a breath through clenched teeth. He was pretty well-learned in magic himself, so he had enough knowledge of curses to connect a few dots from there.

“What’s the curse’s rate of decay?” he asked.

Cadance exhaled out her nose. “Half a percent a year.”

“And when will true conception be possible at that rate?”

She winced. “A century.”

Shining winced as well. “Ouch…”

“Yeah,” Cadance said. “It’s pretty bad.”

Shining rubbed his chin and thought for a moment. “Is there a way to amplify the Crystal Heart’s power? Maybe speed things up a bit?”

Cadance shook her head. “It’s already operating at maximum output. Any further optimization would risk damaging it, and we don’t exactly have a spare one lying around. And before you ask, yes, I could make another one, but I’d need around five hundred years to do so. It’s not like ancient relics grow on trees.”

“Unless they’re the Elements of Harmony,” Shining grumbled under his breath. He ran a hoof through his mane. “What about some kind of counter-stasis spell? If Sombra’s was powered by hatred, maybe we could just do the opposite with love—”

“If you think for longer than five seconds, you’ll realize why that’s a terrible idea,” Cadance said flatly. “Even if such a spell existed—which it doesn’t—I really don’t want to be in stasis for one hundred years. Our ponies’ morale would suffer, you’d be all alone, and even after all that, there’s not even a guarantee it’d actually work—”

“Okay, I get it,” Shining said. “You’ve clearly given this some thought. But I still don’t see why your solution requires me. If the issue is just magical sterility, why don’t we just recruit a surrogate? I know it’s possible to transplant fertilized eggs into others."

“Dr. Endo already did some tests regarding that,” Cadance said. “He found that the curse is bonded to my very essence. Even through a surrogate, the magic would still linger in my cells. It’s not something we can get around.”

And that’s when it all hit Shining like a freight train.

“Oh, Cady...”

Cadance’s eyes grew distant. “Like I said, Twilight’s been helping me with all this, and she’s the one who suggested the time spell. We summon my future self as a stallion from when the curse has worn off, he provides the genetic material, we bond it with your egg, then use the Crystal Heart to stabilize any temporal irregularities. Brilliant, really.”

Shining mulled all of that over. That certainly did solve the issue of the sterility, and he knew enough about time spells to understand that that could work. He didn’t doubt Twilight and Cadance’s research and findings, and the idea of having fun with two versions of her was certainly appealing, but...

“That’s all well and good, but I’m still getting hung up on the whole ‘turn me into a mare and knock me up thing’,” he said.

Cadance gave him a funny look, her eyes flickering down a moment. “Uh, Honey? I know for a fact that this idea has got you more than a little intrigued.”

Shining blushed. “That doesn’t mean—”

“Or are you meaning to tell me you’ve got a boner for some other reason?”

Shining was beginning to sweat. He didn’t deny anything, particularly not the reason why his stallionhood was free of its sheath and throbbing with his heartbeat, but he didn’t need to.

“No fair,” he grumbled.

“Nothing about this is,” Cadance replied. She glanced down at his cock again and licked her lips. “Though I’m happy your body hasn’t said no, at least.”

Shining looked away. “Fantasies are one thing; reality is quite another.”

“Twilight and I have found several spells that will help with the more uncomfortable parts of pregnancy,” Cadance said matter-of-factly. “And she’s agreed to help me cast them on you when the time comes. Nausea suppression, heartburn relief, malleable skin tissue, reinforced bladder, better blood flow, improved circulation, that sort of thing. Your pregnancy will be a cakewalk.”

“You’re asking me to abandon my bloody gender for a year!” Shining retorted. "My masculinity. My identity. A major part of who I am!”

Cadance sighed. “I know perfectly well what I’m asking.” She went to him and brushed her hoof through his mane. “Just a year of motherhood, that’s all. Once the baby is born, you can go back to being a super-macho stallion. Does twelve months really seem like that long a time?”

Shining didn’t react to her touch, but neither did he shy away. “You know, I didn’t think that swapping genders a few times to spice up the sex would lead to something like this.”

Cadance waggled her eyebrows. “Would you be mad if I said it’s been a huge relief? I’d still be frantically searching for a cure if you hadn’t gotten curious about the other side of the fence.”

Shining face reddened. “Well, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy our… ‘experiments,’ but this is way, way different. This is a home run when our little sessions have been hits to first or second base.”

“Oh, really?” Cadance circled around him with a coy look. “I seem to recall you saying several things to the contrary.”

Shining hesitated, but then shook his head, trying to will the memories away. “That was in the heat of the moment. I was just trying to get you riled up!”

“‘Do it inside, Eros!’” Cadance said in a deep, erotic moan. “Yes! I want it all! Give it to me! Let me have your foals!”

“Heat. Of. The. Moment,” Shining said through clenched teeth. His breathing was shallow, his erect cock twitching below his barrel. “Nothing more, nothing less.”

Cadance stopped in front of him and crossed her hooves. “I think the Princess of Love can tell the difference between sexual banter and actual desire. Whether you’re aware of it or not, there’s a part of you that very much wants this, and it comes out strong when you’re a mare.”

Shining swallowed hard. He was running out of things to hide behind, and it was clear that Cadance was ready for whatever excuse or problem he could bring up.

“What about labor and foaling?” he asked.

“Pain-to-Pleasure spell,” Cadance said. “We cast it once your water breaks, and your contractions suddenly feel like orgasms. Simple as pie.”

Shining bit his lip. “I thought that that spell was dangerous.”

Cadance smirked. “It is if a normal pony tries to cast it. But your sister and I aren’t exactly normal ponies, are we?”

Shining was sweating now. It all seemed insane, but deep down inside he’d pretty much already made a decision. His sense of duty had pretty much sealed the deal from the start, but he still felt the need to bring up some more points.

“What are we going to say to everypony? Especially the new recruits!” Shining adopted a mocking tone. “Hey guys, Shining Armor’s gonna turn into a mare and have a foal! Don’t mind that, though! Keep doing push-ups!”

Cadance shrugged. “We’re the heroes of the nation, Shiny. I’m doubt anypony is gonna care too much. Besides, it’s not the craziest thing that’s happened since the Empire’s returned. Remember the dafflewarks? Hmm? Recall that little escapade?”

“Yes, well… um…” Shining put a hoof behind his head, searching for something else. “W-what about the rest of Equestria?” He gestured out the window to the lands beyond. “They’re gonna have a field day with this!”

Cadance threw her hooves up the air. “Who gives a damn? They’re not the ones with the problem! They haven’t done the research! They don’t have a single clue what our situation is, so can go take a long walk off a short cliff for all I care! Celestia’s sake, if you’re so concerned about the rest of the world, I’ll handle the damn press myself!”

“But what about—”

“SHINING!” Cadance stamped her hoof, her eyes glistening. “You want a good argument for why we need to do this? I! Can’t! Have! Foals! No sons, no daughters, no grandchildren, none, nada, nil, zip, zero, zilch! Explain THAT to Equestria! Explain that to your parents! Your sister and I have tried everything we can think of to try and spare you from this, but the bottom line is that there’s no other way! The only way you’re gonna be a parent within the next CENTURY is if you either figure out a way to reproduce asexually, knock up another mare, or trade your Y for a second X and get knocked up yourself! Those are your options, so fucking pick one!”

“All right, all right, I get it!” Shining looked away from her piercing gaze and groaned. “You’ve made your point well enough. I guess… I’m just a little scared, you know? I wanted to make sure that you’d thought this through.”

Cadance snorted. “Somewhat extensively.”

Shining said nothing in reply. Instead, he walked over to a full-length mirror and examined himself. His muzzle was square and chiseled, his chest was broad, his legs were thick and sturdy, and his frame was tall and stocky. His muscles were firm and toned, his athletic body reflecting the long years of his successful military career. All of that would change. Everything he saw before him would be reshaped and modified for a completely different purpose, and it would take years to get back what would be lost.

Cadance walked up behind him. She kept her expression neutral as she put a wing around him and rubbed his back.

“It’s not for forever. You may get some funny looks for a while, but in the long run, nopony’s even going to remember that you did this. It’ll be remembered as just another heroic act you did, and before long, it’ll be overshadowed by the amazing things you continue to do.”

Shining clicked his teeth. Did he need more time to think about it? Maybe mull it over for a while? He supposed it wouldn’t hurt to go and get someone else’s advice, but the longer he stalled, the worse it was gonna wind up being. It’d already taken Cadance a long time to come up with this solution; it wasn’t going to help things if he started dragging his heels. Yeah, it was a huge commitment, but it'd be worth it in the end. It’d also probably be rather embarrassing, but considering the reasons for doing it in the first place, he doubted it’d do much to his image.

Shining turned and nuzzled Cadance’s cheek.

“You owe me big time for this.”

Cadance giggled and nuzzled him back. “Trust me, I’ve got a few things planned you’ll enjoy.”

03 - The Paradox

The Paradox

——————————————————————————————

One Month Later-

Cadance had already drawn up plans before talking to Shining, so it was just a matter of implementing them. Most of it went off without a hitch—including the announcement to the public—but Cadance had been oddly insistent that things be moved along as quickly as possible. Shining later learned that it was because the time spell had to be cast at a specific date and time, and if they missed the window, they’d have to wait a year to try again.

They managed to make the deadline, albeit barely, and the two of them now nervously stood in their bedroom finishing a few last-minute preparations.

“How long until Future-You gets here again?” Shining asked for the eighth time. He was still a stallion, though not for much longer, standing before a mirror with a forlorn expression.

Cadance didn’t look up from the long piece of parchment she was poring over. “Ten p.m. on the dot, Dear.” On the floor was an incredibly complex magical array filled with arcane symbols, and hovering in the center was a beautiful blue crystal, cut in the shape of a heart.

Shining looked up at the clock. “Uh… we kinda only have like five minutes, then. Shouldn’t we, you know, get ready ourselves?”

“In a minute.” Cadance scratched something out and wrote in something else in its place. “Ugh, Twilight, I love you, but you really need to work on your hornwriting…”

Shining watched his longer mane and tail swish back and forth. He’d never let them grow out this far. “Is she—er, future-you, I mean, coming as a stallion or a mare?”

“Dunno. Probably a stallion.” Cadance’s eyes flitted up and down Twilight’s writings. “The spell only gives us fifteen minutes to get the job done, so we can’t really waste time with preamble or prep... oh! That’s supposed to be the derivative of the value! Didn’t see the prime symbol… okay, that all makes sense. I think we’re good to go!”

Shining chewed on his lip. “Are you sure you don’t want me to cast the time spell instead of you?”

“We’re not going over this again,” Cadance said. “I’m doing it, end of story. Now come stand in front of me.”

Shining couldn’t help glancing at the mirror one last time before reluctantly going over to her.

“I just don’t want anything to go wrong,” he said. “I trust you, but this is pretty advanced magic.”

“Good thing I’m a pretty advanced magic user.” Cadance moved Shining over a little bit before lighting her horn. “But hold that thought for a minute. Let’s get the easy part out of the way.”

A cool wave of magic washed over Shining. He tensed up at first, but then relaxed and allowed it to envelop him. It teased and brushed along his coat, sweeping through him with a pleasant tingling as it took in the contours and functioning of his body. The same thing happened to Cadance at the same time.

The changes started internally. Shining first felt a slight twinge in the back of his head, followed by a sudden shiver that spread throughout the rest of him. His entire frame rippled and morphed in its wake—his barrel lengthened and became more compact, his coat softened, his legs shortened, his hips widened, his neck thinned, and he shed a significant amount of muscle mass. He felt an abrupt shortness of breath as his internal organs shifted slightly, and his muzzle itched as it shrank and rounded out. There was also a sudden, maddening tingling in his throat, but he kept silent for Cadance’s sake.

And then the most relevant change occurred. He was well-acquainted with what it felt like, so he didn’t react much when his balls and sheath abruptly went numb. However, he—or she, rather, did gasp a second later when her new marehood formed, and she accidentally brushed it with her tail. She blushed and ceased the motion before it happened again.

“All done, my little Gleaming,” a male voice said in a sultry baritone.

Gleaming Shield opened her eyes. Standing before her was a handsome pink stallion, tall and sure, looking down at her with twinkling eyes and a mischievous smirk.

Gleaming finally cleared her throat and chuckled, her ears twitching at her new silvery soprano. “You say that every time, Eros.”

Eros was definitely masculine, but not overly so. His muscles were firm, his wings were angular and sleek, his jaw was rugged, his flanks were slim, and his hooves were unshorn. His mane and tail still had Cadance’s telltale curls, but they were cut short to give him a more dashing look. There was a mysterious air about him, one both bizarrely alluring and enticing, and while it was certainly unique, it was also very reminiscent of Cadance.

Eros licked his lips as he looked his transformed mate up and down. “That’s because it’s true. You won’t be little for very long, though. Not if I have anything to say about it, at least…”

“Whoa there, lover-boy.” Gleaming tilted her head towards the circle. “We still have work to do.”

“It’s all done for the moment.” Eros stepped to the side and fully took in Gleaming's new form. She was lithe and curvaceous, with a soft, downy coat and a bright blue mane that spilled down her slender neck and shoulders. Her military training was still evident in her athletic build, most notably in her shapely legs, and deliciously toned flanks. She had the same calm, analytic demeanor that gave away who she really was, but even if didn’t, her bright, cerulean eyes certainly did.

Gleaming cocked her head. “What do you mean?”

“The only thing I needed to do for the time spell was lock in the point I want to come back to.” Eros came closer and nuzzled her withers. “Everything else is done on the time-traveler’s end.”

Gleaming shivered from Eros’ hot breath in her mane. “S-shouldn’t we wait, though? We don’t wanna ramp things up too quickly…”

Eros laughed. “Things are going to ramp up quickly, regardless. The book said it takes a few seconds to kick in, but you should be feeling it very soon.”

“Feeling wha—”

And then it all crashed into her. Her entire body grew warm, her heart rate picked up, her mind grew fuzzy, her mouth went dry, and her tail lifted of its own accord. A deep, throbbing ache developed in her nethers, and a sudden trickle of fluid ran down her leg.

“Oh, Celestia...” she groaned as she caught the scent of her own arousal. “I forgot that I’d be…”

“Yep.” Eros raised his head and inhaled deeply. “Mmm, you’ve got it bad, too.”

“D-damn it...” Gleaming flushed as the feelings intensified. “You should’ve reminded me of this!”

“What, and miss out on this reaction?” Eros laughed, his wings slowly extending. “I’m surprised you forgot in the first place, to be honest. It’s kind of a necessary component of the process.”

Gleaming's eyes were now glued to Eros’ groin. His long, thick stallionhood was slipping free, and fantasies of being stuffed full with that wonderful rod were dancing through her mind. “Nngh, I don’t know how long I can wait...”

“Don’t worry.” Eros looked up at the clock. “Future-Me should be arriving here riiiiight… abouuuut....”

There was a flash like lightning. Crackling sounds filled the room as a jagged tear in space formed over by the closet door. Multicolored light spilled out as the rift became taller and wider, causing both Eros and Gleaming to squint and shade their eyes. The silhouette of a stallion appeared and carefully stepped through the tear, and when he was fully through, the rift disappeared behind him with a crack.

The newcomer grinned. “...now.”

Gleaming blinked several times. Standing before her was a second Eros, identical in every to the first. Same body, same manestyle, same boyish smirk… even the same raging boner. He waggled his eyebrows before sauntering over, a familiar, hungry look in his eyes.

“Hey there, gorgeous.” He licked his lips much like Past-Eros just had. “Feeling frisky? Antsy? A little wild, maybe? We’re about to fix all of that…”

Gleaming bit her lip. Her marehood was now literally dripping. The haze in her mind was overriding her self-control, and the fire in her core kept getting hotter.

“Hey there yourself, handsome,” Past-Eros cut in. He gave Gleaming a teasing lick on the cheek before guiding them both into the arcane circle. “Ready for some fun?”

Future-Eros’ smile turned devious. “Oh, yeah.” He sniffed the air, and his wings snapped open, as well. “I’ve been looking forward to this for a while.”

“You’re good to go, right?” Past-Eros asked. “No problems?”

“None.” Future-Eros stopped at the edge of the array, giving Gleaming a teasing wink. “We can proceed as planned.”

Gleaming felt her knees grow weak. She was in the center of the ritual circle now, with two horny alicorn stallions circling around her like sharks. Every fiber in her body was screaming at her to lunge at one of them, but her willpower held her fast.

“Eroooooos…” she whined.

“Soon, Honey.” Past-Eros said. An enchanted glass vial filled with a clear substance suddenly appeared in his magic. “Can’t start without this.”

Gleaming's breath caught in her throat. “What is...”

Past-Eros lifted the vial up to examine it in the light. “Just a little insurance to make sure this takes. We only have one shot at this.”

Gleaming swallowed hard. “This is really happening, i-isn’t it… we’re really g-gonna do this...”

Past-Eros smiled. “And there’s nopony else I’d rather do it with.”

Gleaming's pussy winked. Her eyes unfocused as her breathing became fast and shallow. Past-Eros began casting the spell behind her, and the Crystal Heart above emitted a soft ringing sound that drowned out the pop of him opening the enchanted vial.

“Ah, I remember it so well,” Future-Eros said in a husky growl. “How happy you were the whole time, the serene smile on your face, how good you said it all felt. The entire time you kept going on about how full you felt, but somehow, all you wanted was more...”

Gleaming patience gave out. She tried to tackle one of them right then and there, but she found that her hooves were stuck to the ground. She looked down and saw that the lines of the array had started glowing, the light already up to her knees.

“Bastards…” Gleaming ground her teeth as the light fully enveloped her. “Double-teaming me while I’m—AAAHH!”

Her tail was suddenly yanked to the side. A tendril of liquid probed at her glistening entrance and slipped inside her, swiftly traveling up her passage. It entered her womb and became embedded in her walls, and as it did, the heat between her legs became an inferno.

“OHHHHH!” Gleaming wriggled and squirmed as hard as she could. The edges of her eyes glowed with pink energy, the Love magic taking hold. “THAT’S IT! EITHER OF YOU, BOTH OF YOU, I DON’T CARE! JUST GET OVER HERE AND RUT ME!”

Past-Eros nodded to his future self. They both entered the glowing circle, their eager stallionhoods bobbing as they advanced on their frazzled mate.

“Shhh,” Past-Eros said from Gleaming's left. He leaned down and began nibbling on her ear. “It’s alright, Honey….”

Future-Eros pressed a hoof into one of her cutie marks. “Everything will be fine…”

“We promise you’ll enjoy this…”

“Oh, very much so…”

“NO FOREPLAY!” Gleaming snarled. “JUST F-FUCK ME! FUCK ME HARD!”

Future-Eros snickered. “As our love wishes.” He positioned himself behind Gleaming and reared, settling on her small, sturdy frame. His eager cock slapped up against her as he adjusted himself.

Past-Eros kissed Gleaming's forehead and started licking the base of her horn. “One more thing before we start, Dear...”

Gleaming gasped and went cross-eyed from such a sensitive spot. “Unnnnngghh, whaaaaaat…”

“Mmm, It’s not something you’ll object to.” Past-Eros ran his tongue up and down the fluted length. “See, we’re using a spell just to be safe, but it’s going to you much, much more fertile than you would be otherwise. There’s a good chance that this will result in you having twins... triplets… or possibly even more.”

The gravity of those words were enough to punch a hole in the fog.

“You mean…”

Future-Eros leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Don’t worry. You’re gonna be a great parent.”

He pulled his hips back and plunged into her with a smooth, powerful thrust, and at the same time, Past-Eros took her horn into his mouth and started sucking on it. The Crystal Heart above began to hum, and Gleaming screamed her approval so loud and long that half the castle heard her.

Future-Eros only managed to fit himself halfway into Gleaming's snugness, despite pushing as hard as he could. He pulled back with a grunt and spread his backhooves a little farther apart, then shoved back into her with even more force. He sank another inch into her, and from there on he began moving back and forth like a piston, going in a little bit deeper in each time.

Past-Eros, meanwhile, was running his tongue all around her horn while bobbing his head up and down. He mostly kept his attention on her tip, which was now emitting constant sparks that tickled his throat. Occasionally, he’d tighten his lips and swallow the whole thing so he could properly suck on it, causing a torrent of sparks to surge out. He continued this pattern while gradually increasing his pace, and as he did, his hoof unconsciously strayed down his barrel, rubbing his woefully unattended shaft.

Gleaming was in heaven. The weight of a stallion on her back, the heavy scent of sex, the feeling of fullness and being stretched wide, the warm slickness of Past-Eros’ tongue, the lewd squishing and sucking sounds, their hot breaths in her ears. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t orgasmed already, but then remembered that the spell prevented that until the Crystal Heart was fully charged. The pressure in her loins was well beyond her normal peak already, but still it built and built, without any sign of stopping. Fortunately, both of Eros’ efforts to ravish her were gradually picking up in intensity, and as they did, the Crystal Heart above hummed louder and louder.

“E-Er—” Gleaming cut herself off with a low, throaty moan. She took a breath and tried again. “E-Eros, more... I n-need... more…”

Future-Eros started nibbling on her ear. “Try to relax.”

Gleaming suddenly squeaked in surprise. A tendril of magic was poking at her backdoor, gradually snaking its way inside her while slowly getting thicker. It quickly assumed the shape of a phallus and began vibrating, occasionally rubbing against the thin barrier that separated it from Future-Eros’ thrusting member.

Gleaming's eyes rolled into the back of her head, the pleasant tingling added to the roaring firestorm within her. The Crystal Heart was now shining with sapphire light, but even still, it wasn’t near enough.

“More!” she cried.

This time it was Past-Eros who complied. While still servicing her, he reared and put his forehooves on her shoulders, giving her a view of his rock-hard cock. She was about to yell again, but then saw that his stallionhood had become enveloped in a pink hue. The foot-long rod started to grow—thirteen inches... fourteen inches... sixteen… nineteen… slowly making its way closer and closer to her face. Her jaw hung slack as she realized what he intended, and she found herself drooling like a dog.

When Past-Eros’ dick reached two feet, she was able to stick out her tongue and lick his tip. It then continued to grow until it entered her mouth proper, quickly pushing past her lips and filling all of her maw. She sucked on it like a lollipop, swishing her tongue all around it and greedily swallowing his delicious pre. Past-Eros groaned and reciprocated by taking in the full length of her horn, wrapping his lips around the base and making his mouth as tight as possible.

The Crystal Heart was ringing now. The thick air sparked and crackled with energy, the magic swirling around the three of them like a tempest. Gleaming was drunk with pleasure and lust, lost in the sensations, like a tiny rowboat in a raging storm. The pressure just kept on building. The fire inside her just kept getting hotter. Future-Eros was fully hilted in her now, the rhythmic slapping of his relentless pounding filling her ears. His magic vibrator had reached a fever-pitch. Past-Eros’ twitching cock was completely filling her mouth. He yanked on her mane as he pushed deeper into her mouth, causing it to slide down her throat.

The three of them became fully enveloped in the Crystal Heart’s light. Pulses of magic were now radiating off the artifact, all of which was funneling into Gleaming. The pulses became faster and faster, and all three of them felt their climaxes approaching. Their efforts became erratic and frenzied, and with one final thrust each, the Crystal Heart released a shockwave of power with a clear, deafening note.

Gleaming's orgasm was mind-blowing—an explosion that felt like the hottest fire being extinguished with the coldest water. Her body shuddered and convulsed as her muscles clamped down on Future-Eros’ rod, which was now pumping her full with shot after shot of hot, sticky, virile, cum. She could feel the magic erupting from her horn and into Past-Eros’ mouth, and also his cock swelling within her own, his seed spilling down her throat. Both Eroses filled her more and more from both ends, and she felt herself swelling with their fertile essence. The torrent of magic and endorphins made her head feel like she was flying. It just kept stretching on and on—and Gleaming could only hold on for so long before she whited out.

The first thing Gleaming noticed upon waking was that she’d been moved over to the bed. The second thing she noticed was that she was on her back, and her hips were propped up on pillows. The third thing she noticed was that Eros was right next to her, nuzzling, cuddling, petting, and generally just spooning the daylights out of her, his warmth adding to the warm, tingling heat deep within her belly. She was about to ask if he was the past or future version of himself, but upon seeing her wake, he answered the question for her.

“Future-Me’s gone,” he said with a smile. “It’s just us again.”

“Ah.” Gleaming shifted her lower half so she was more comfortable. “How long was I out?”

“About forty-five minutes.” He kissed Gleaming's cheek and hugged her tighter. “I half expected you to sleep through the night. You absorbed some pretty potent magic, there.”

Gleaming's kissed him back and looked down at her own elevated torso. “Did it work?”

“Mmhmm.” Eros patted his lover’s stomach. “Congratulations, Honey. You’re pregnant.”

“Heh.” Gleaming leaned into his embrace. “I suppose I should enjoy sleeping while I can, then.”

“Oh, hush,” Eros said. “I already told you you’re going to be comfortable.”

“Yeah, but I’m still scared.” Gleaming hugged him tight. “I’ve never done anything like this before. I don’t know how to feel.”

“Shhh…” Eros began humming a soothing song, gently stroking Gleaming mane. “You won’t be alone. I’ll be here for you every step of the way.”

Gleaming kissed his cheek. “Even when you’re listening to petitions in court?”

Eros laughed. “Oh, now that’s going to be an interesting backdrop. Petitioners coming in with petty problems, only to be snarked at by a hormonal, pregnant mare. I can only imagine the reactions.”

“Hey, It might deter some of the whiners,” Gleaming said with a small smirk. “Heavens know we get enough of them.”

“True,” Eros said. “Although they’ll probably come back before long.”

Gleaming rolled her eyes. “Unfortunately.”

A silence formed between them. They cuddled for a while, but Gleaming's gaze was inevitably drawn down to her currently-flat belly. She focused in on the warm feeling of Future-Eros seed still inside her, and she let out a contented sigh. She was surprised at how calm she was about all this. She thought she’d be nervous or panicking, but in truth, all she felt was peace. She was doing something that almost all mares did, and Eros was going to make sure it was easier and more enjoyable than the norm. It shouldn’t be too—

Her thoughts were drowned out by her heat returning full force.

“Uh, Eros…” Gleaming said in a husky whisper.

Eros hesitated. “Hmm?”

Gleaming ground against him, her magic massaging his sheath. “I need you to fuck me again.”

Eros smiled as his dick slipped free. “I think I can do that.”

04 - The Platoon

The Platoon

——————————————————————————————

Two Weeks Later (Week 2)

“Ohhh, yes, yessssss…” Gleaming hissed as she lay pinned on her back, her legs wrapped around Eros in a lover’s embrace. “Eros! ErosErosErosErosErosErOSEROSEROOOOOOS!”

Gleaming and Eros typically liked to have a morning quickie to start the day. However, over the last two weeks, that morning quickie had extended into at least an hour of frenzied fucking. Gleaming’s heat had been petering out, though, thankfully, and today was going to be her first day back running the Guard.

Eros continued to thrust into Gleaming, moving at a strong, steady pace. “G-gonna need to…” He grunted as her pussy squeezed his cock. “G-get ready soon. You don’t wanna be late…”

Gleaming shivered and arched her neck. “Just… just keep going a little longer yet… Please…”

Eros briefly paused to kiss her, his tongue darting in and mingling with hers. She moaned happily into his mouth, their hips meeting with a wet slap as she was pushed deeper into the bed. Eros made out with her fiercely, dominating her while his hooves ran through her sweaty mane. They remained like that for a nearly a minute, making out and pushing each other back and forth, before Eros pulled back and resumed the task of rutting her silly.

“Things are gonna.... be picking up now,” he panted. “Gotta resume some routine… will be easier now… than later…”

Gleaming held him tighter and wiggled her hips. “Y-you’ve got this... all planned out… haven’t yooOOOOUUUUYESYESYESHARDERHARDERHARDER!”

Realizing he’d found her g-spot, Eros abandoned all pretense and started hammering her for all he was worth. Gleaming’s cries filled the room, and before long her walls were spasming around him once more. Eros grunted and finished shortly after, coating her tunnel with long ropes of thick, gooey seed.

He stayed inside her a little longer after that, hugging her close and rubbing her belly. Gleaming hummed at the warm glow inside her, then touched her horn to Eros’ and gently slid it down, their foreheads touching. “I still can’t believe it. I just really, really can’t… this is all so nuts...!”

Eros kissed her again. “Are you still scared?”

Gleaming nuzzled him. “...a little, but not as much as before. I guess I’m more just nervous, now.”

Eros smiled. “You’re gonna be great, I just know it. I’m here for you, and if you need anything at all, just tell me. I’ll do whatever I can.”

“I know you will.” Gleaming looked past him and up at the ceiling. “Now, let’s hope that everypony else is as understanding.”

Eros chuckled. “Well, we’ll never find out if we just stay in bed all day. C’mon. I’ve gotta turn back into a mare, and then we both need to get cleaned up. Let’s go.”

Gleaming let out a pitiful whine. “But that requires movemennnnnnnt…”

“We can fuck one more time in the shower if we hurry.”

“...I’ll get the towels.”

Gleaming felt the sweat forming on her brow. She paced back and forth in her office, trying not to pay attention to the clock on the wall. She was in her new set of crystal armor, custom made for her smaller frame (also with adjustable straps), and the damn thing was nowhere near as comfortable as her old set. She sighed and looked at herself in the mirror for the sixth time in five minutes, inspecting herself for any missed task of hygiene.

No such luck. Her coat was like new fallen snow, with neatly-trimmed fetlocks and a tightly braided mane and tail, all glistening with a healthy sheen. Her periwinkle armor was spotless, the fine etchings and runes flashing back at her with glints of powerful magic. Her styled sabatons were also new and resized for her, immaculate and free of any scuffs. The magenta star of House Sparkle was emblazoned proudly on her chest clasp, and her horn was expertly filed to a delicate point.

“Guhhhhhhhh,” Gleaming groaned with a bitter scowl. “This is gonna suck. This is really, really gonna suck...”

She paced back and forth for a few more minutes. Soon, she’d be in front of the greenhorn troops. They’d see her for how she now was, and it would be awkward as all Tartarus. They’d be stumbling all over their words, trying not to draw attention to the fact that their chief commanding officer was now a chick. Maybe she should just cast an illusion spell so that she looked like a stallion again. Save everyone all the damn trouble.

“Ergh. No, dammit.” Gleaming hung her head. “I forgot Cady already made the announcement. Shit…”

It seemed she was stuck with this, whether she liked it or not. A part of her knew that this was just going to be like ripping off a band-aid, but that didn’t mean she was looking forward to it.

“Gotta set the right example,” she muttered. “Yeah… newbies aren’t gonna respect me for shit otherwise. If I’m nervous and tripping all over myself, they will be, too. Gotta let ‘em know that I’m still me.”

She threw around a few ideas, each one having pros and cons. One thing for certain, though, was that she didn’t want to pussy-hoof around. These were military ponies; they’d jump on any sign of weakness. A strong start was required, to let them know that she was in charge, that she knew what she was doing, and that she was worthy of their respect.

“Hmph.” Gleaming raised a hoof to her chin. “Not gonna be able to take it back either way, and like Dad always said, there’s no kill quite like overkill. May as well go for broke.”

Gleaming stood still and closed her eyes. She centered herself and steadied her breathing, focusing on the gentle rise and fall of her chest. She called upon her magic, which readily responded with a telltale whum. She concentrated harder and delved deeper into herself, calling upon the vast wellspring of power that everypony in her family was blessed with.

The air began to shimmer and pulse around her, and the temperature in the room rose...

Inside the Crystal Stadium, a group of freshly-inducted unicorn recruits of the Crystal Guard stood in a small, disorganized clump. They were shifting uncomfortably in their new suits of armor, some exchanging nervous glances, others chatting casually amongst themselves. They weren’t exactly sure what they were supposed to be doing at the moment, but they’d been told that they were going to meet the Prince—er, Princess today. Supposedly she was going to be personally overseeing their next leg of training, but nopony had said what exactly that entailed.

However, the Princess was now fifteen minutes late, with nopony giving them any kind update. They were starting to murmur and crack jokes, the funniest one being that she was preparing a speech on losing your d—

The early morning silence was shattered by a deafening WUMPH.

In a terrifying instant, the recruits were all knocked off their hooves by a mighty rush of wind, accompanied by the sizzling of discharged mana. The cool northern air became hot and stifling, with the afterimage of a blinding magenta bolt still etched in their retinas. The ponies all cried out in alarm and scrambled to re-orient, but when the spots in their eyes cleared and they saw what’d caused the shockwave, they all froze like statues.

Standing before them was a terrifying effigy of power. It was a pony, yet all they could see of it was its silhouette, thanks to the scintillating waves of energy emanating from every inch of its form. It’s mane and tail were burning trails of blue flame, waving chaotically and giving off sweltering bursts of heat. If one squinted hard enough, you could make out the being’s eyes; incandescent, sparking with white contrails of magic. Resting atop its head was an intricate golden circlet, set with a gilded sapphire in the shape of a heart.

The recruits stood agape. Nopony moved, or said a single word. The Stadium was now like an oven, and they were all sweating like mad.

“AT ATTENTION, RECRUITS!”Gleaming boomed.

She may as well have cracked a whip. The ponies yelped like they’d been struck, and some of them fell over again. It took a few seconds, but they all regained themselves and formed into a straight line. They then waited with nervous, twitching eyes, trying to retain their composure.

Gleaming dialed it back a bit, just enough so that she could approach them without causing burns. Her mane and tail went back to normal, and her body could now be seen in full. They could now see that she was indeed a mare, completely and totally, and she waited for their reactions.

Widened eyes. A few sets of parted lips. A few of them blinked several times, but not much more than that. It seemed that her little shock and awe tactic had softened the blow. Good.

“Let’s start with addressing the elephant in the room,” Gleaming said. She let a little bit of power creep into her words, just enough so they were laced with a faint echo. “You all know who I am, why I look this way, and what’s going to happen to me in the coming year. For the purposes of your training, that is irrelevant. All you need to worry about is the regimen, and the tasks I set before you. I am still your superior, and you will treat me as such. Is that clear?”

“YES, GENERAL!” the soldiers all said at once.

Gleaming walked down the line of newbies, inspecting each one of them. She knew that they weren’t all troublemakers, of course. Most of them probably respected her regardless of what she did. But she also knew that one bad apple could spoil the bunch, and she would not tolerate that.

Speaking of bad apples, she was pretty sure she’d just found one. A mare in the middle of the line was glaring straight ahead, jaw clenched tight, her lips pursed like she was sucking on a lemon.

Gleaming calmly went over to her.

“Is there a problem, recruit?” she asked.

The mare didn’t meet her eyes. “Was the fire thing really necessary?”

Yep. Called it a mile away. She had to be careful with this one—push too hard, and she’d feel bullied. Give too much slack, though, and she’d walk all over her.

Gleaming raised her chin. “What’s your name?”

“Emeraldine, ma’am.”

Gleaming almost flinched at the address, but kept it together. “Would you rather I show up stammering and blushing like a little filly, Emeraldine? Sniveling and whining about how horrible, how terrible and traumatic it is not being a stallion anymore, sniffling and sobbing like a little bitch?”

Gleaming tapped into her magic a bit more, just enough to give her eyes a dangerous glint.

“Or would you have me give you a friendly reminder of who I am?”

Emeraldine gulped. She grit her teeth harder, but stood her ground nonetheless. “W-we already know who you are, General. You s-said so yourself.”

“You’re right. I did,” Gleaming said. “But maybe I was mistaken, Emeraldine. Maybe my head’s gotten swollen with some hot air. Why don’t you tell me, Emeraldine? Who am I?”

Emeraldine hesitated a few seconds, but then, she took a deep brief and met Gleaming’s eyes. “Shining Armor, Prince of the Crystal Empire, Leader of the Crystal Guard, Brother to Princess Twilight Sparkle and Firstborn of House Sparkle. Hero of Equestria, Defender of the Realm, and husband of Princess Cadance.”

Gleaming blinked several times. She… tended to forget all the titles and accolades she had. She normally wasn’t one for flattery, but she had to admit, her ego was preening pretty hard right now. Perhaps she’d let Emeraldine off easy.

Gleaming let her power ebb away. She stepped closer and spoke quietly, her voice no more than a whisper. “All correct, my little pony. So tell me, do I need to explain myself any further?”

“No, ma’am.”

“Good.” Gleaming stepped back and raised her voice. “And will you—will ALL of you, follow my instructions to the letter, without question?!”

“YES, MA’AM!” the recruits shouted.

“Will you use the spells you learn ONLY to serve and protect?!”

“YES, MA’AM!”

“Will you defend the Crystal Empire to your dying breaths, and make any blithering, scum-sucking MORONS dumb enough to attack our home regret the day they were born?!”

“YES, MA’AM!” the recruits thundered.

“DAMN RIGHT, YOU WILL!” Gleaming stomped her hoof with a burst of flame. “You are the sons and daughters of the Empire! You are its swords and shields! You are all that stands between your loved ones and certain doom! I’m going to give you the tools to survive, and you WILL use them to defend our land and lady! ARE! WE! CLEAR?!”

“YES, MA’AM!”

Gleaming hid her smirk. She could see it in their eyes now—the excitement, spirit and confidence she was looking for. They wouldn’t doubt her now, or at least, they wouldn’t so long as she put her money where her mouth was.

So it was time to get to work.

“Now, I’m first going to be educating all of you on the finer points of large-scale barrier spells,” Gleaming said. She pointed down the field with a slice of her hoof. “We’ll start by…”

That Night-

“How’d it go, Honey?” Cadance asked. Gleaming had just walked into their castle apartment, looking quite weary. “Did you have any troubles?”

Gleaming didn’t reply. She simply smiled, gave Cadance a kiss, then brushed past her with a swish of her tail. She then made for her armor rack and began taking off her gear.

Cadance hesitated. “Uh… Shiny?”

“Mmmhh…” Gleaming cracked her neck and stretched out like a cat. “I thought you were gonna call me Gleaming while I was like this… oh, Celestia, that’s better. The new barding’s stiff as all Tartarus. S’gonna take at least a week to break in…”

Cadance came over and put a hoof on her shoulder. “Hey, come on. How’d it go?”

“Huh?” Gleaming looked at her. “Oh, right. It wasn’t as bad as I thought! I just put up a strong front and rolled with the punches. The rest sorted itself out. They’ll be in good shape before long.”

“Really?” Cadance cocked her head. “It was that easy?”

“Well, I wouldn’t say easy.” Gleaming took off her circlet, levitating it over to a shelf. “I just took care things before they got out of hoof. They realized it was still me, and we went from there.” She shrugged. “Most ponies hold us in pretty high regard, Cady. They don’t really care what we do with our personal lives.”

“Huh! Would you look at that,” Cadance said with a sarcastic lilt. “It’s almost like I was telling you that the entire time! What are the chances?”

Gleaming rolled her eyes. “It’s not like I didn’t want to listen to you. I just had some nerves, that’s all.”

“And those nerves were unnecessary,” Cadance said, nuzzling her. “They’re not good for the foal. Try to stay calm for their sake, hmm?”

Gleaming laughed. “I think it’s a little early to be worrying about things like that.”

Cadance’s tone suddenly grew quite serious. “You’d be surprised. A lot of birth defects and disorders originate from things the mother did in the first few months of pregnancy. You need to be more careful.”

Gleaming mulled that over. She exhaled out her nose, then leaned over to rest her chin atop Cadance’s withers. “I… think I should probably read up on this.”

Cadance hummed in agreement. “How about we read up on it together, after dinner? That sound good?”

“Yeah.” Gleaming looked past her to out the far window, admiring the skyline and the setting sun. “Speaking of which, what are we having?”

“Seafood alfredo with parsnips and cranberry jelly,” Cadance replied. “Sound good?”

Gleaming brightened. “Wow, that sounds—”

She was cut off by her stomach doing a violent somersault. Her entire digestive tract abruptly began moving in reverse, and it was all she could do not to toss it all right there. Her face turned green, her cheeks puffing out a bit.

“HRK!” Gleaming jerked away and bolted for the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

Cadance looked after her in surprise, but then, she heard the loud, rather unpleasant sounds of vomiting.

She cringed. “Yeesh. So morning sickness really can happen at any time of the day. I’ll have to talk to Twilight about those nausea suppression spells...”

06 - The Poll

The Poll

——————————————————————————————

Five Weeks Later (Week 8)-

The sterile white walls of the Crystal Empire Central Hospital stared back at Gleaming as she sat alone in the ultrasound room. The unnaturally-bright lights above left an unpleasant glare in her eyes, and all the while, she was doing her best to ignore the pictures of mare and fetus anatomy everywhere. Cupboards filled with medical supplies lined the far wall, and in the corner, a complicated machine with wires and strange-looking wands was hooked up to a black screen.

Gleaming stifled a yawn for the fifth time. She didn’t understand why she’d been so tired lately. She probably would’ve dozed off already, but her bladder was keeping her awake. The ultrasound required her to drink a lot of water to provide a better picture, and it was all starting to catch up with her. The blasted nurse was taking her sweet time to come in, too.

“Damn it all,” Gleaming muttered. She felt jittery and on edge, and she didn’t like it one bit. She had half a mind to just run to the privy, and damn the consequences. She wasn’t used to being alone in a doctor’s office, either. She took a deep breath and let it out, but it did little to quell the butterflies in her stomach. Damn it, this was a simple, painless procedure. Why the hay was she so nervous?

Gleaming sighed and put a hoof on her stomach. She hated to admit it, but she’d been a bundle of nerves for weeks. She doubted it was going to get better any time soon, either. It was all she could do not to let it show. Being around Cadance seemed to help the most, but she couldn’t come with this time. Gleaming was on her own.

The door opened with a soft squeak. In stepped a bluish-green unicorn mare in nurse’s scrubs, holding a clipboard in her telekinetic grasp. She smiled as she met Gleaming’s eyes.

“Good morning, Highness!” She held out her hoof. “My name’s Aqua, and I’m the senior nurse working with Doctor Endo in obstetrics and gynecology. I’ll be the one conducting your ultrasound this morning! How’re you feeling?”

“Tired,” Gleaming mumbled. She yawned again as she shook Aqua’s hoof. “Don’t understand why, either. I got eight hours of sleep last night, and I still wanna crash.”

Aqua giggled. “Fatigue spells in the first months of pregnancy are common—especially in unicorns. It means your body is gearing up for things to come.”

“Mrghghghggh,” Gleaming sat back flat on the bed and stared up at the ceiling, her eyelids drooping. “Still sucks.”

“I know, honey.” Aqua examined Gleaming’s body for any obvious abnormalities, taking note of basic things like pulse and blood pressure. She jotted them down on her clipboard and went over to the machine by the bed. “So, let’s see. According to our records, this is going to be your first ultrasound with us. Am I right?”

Gleaming nodded. “Would’ve done it last week, but we had to reschedule.”

“Righty-o.” Aqua made a note of that. “So this’ll be the first time you get to see your foal! Are you excited?”

Gleaming didn’t know how to reply to that. A whirlwind of emotions ran through her as she stared up at the ceiling, her hoof idly stroking her abdomen.

Aqua watched Gleaming for a few seconds, then gently patted her shoulder. “I know it can be a lot to take in. The first child is always the scariest, but it gets easier after that. Heck, the whole thing almost becomes routine by the time you have your third!”

Gleaming’s eyes flew open. “Whoa, whoa, whoa!My third?! Hold on a sec! There’s no way I’m going through all of this more than once!”

Aqua snickered. “Like I haven’t heard that one a million times before.”

Gleaming frowned at her. “I’m a stallion, Miss Aqua. You know that I am! I’m only doing this because of special circumstances! It’s not something I want to make a habit out of.”

“The look in your eyes disagrees,” Aqua replied without missing a beat. “My special talent is to recognize the nurturing instinct in others, and because of that, it’s easy for me to see which mares only will want one foal, and which ones want more. I see it all the time in first-time mothers; both back when I worked in Canterlot, and now that I’ve transferred here.”

Aqua leaned a bit closer. “And Honey, you’ve got it bad. I’d bet good money you’re gonna be doing this again.”

Gleaming felt her insides flutter. A part of her really, really wanted to deny that, but another part of her stayed her reply. Being a guardian had always been in her blood, so much so that she’d made a career out of it. And her own special talent was in protecting others, so it wasn’t impossible to reason that it was mingling with her new maternal instincts.

“Yeah, well… we can’t do it again,” Gleaming finally said. “Like I said, there were special circumstances that allowed us to do this in the first place. It’s a one-time thing.”

Aqua shrugged. “There are other ways to become a parent besides having a foal of your own, you know.”

Gleaming’s ears twitched. “Like what? Adoption?”

“That’s one way,” Aqua said. “There are others, too. Surrogacy, in-vitro, thaumic cell manipulation, aether gene therapy, stuff like that. The foal in each of those cases wouldn’t be both yours and Princess Cadance’s, but it’d be better than nothing. It might be something for the two of you to look into down the road.”

Gleaming bit her lip. “We… have talked about stuff like that. Adoption and all that, I mean. We never really ruled it out, but it just became this nebulous thing that got left hanging. Cady loves kids, and I’m sure that if we did adopt or have a surrogate, she’d love the child just the same, but there’s a part of her—both of us, really, that wants our kid to be the result of her and me. She didn’t wanna give up on that, and neither did I, to be honest. And of course, I knew how hard she’d been working to make it a reality, so when she came up with this whole thing, explaining that it was the only option she could think of…”

Aqua started up the ultrasound machine and checked it over. “It is strange, I’ll admit. Most couples wouldn’t go so far to accomplish what you and Princess Cadance have done. But the desire you mentioned—for the child to be both hers and yours—that isn’t strange at all. A lot of couples feel that way, and that’s why it takes such a special couple to adopt. I’m not going to counsel you on what you should or shouldn’t do, mind you, I’m just saying you two aren’t doomed to just one child if you want more. You have options.”

Gleaming mulled that over for a bit. It was something she already basically knew, but it was nice to hear from somepony else. She gave a noncommittal grunt of acknowledgement, then yawned again and let her eyes fall closed.

The ultrasound machine started up without any difficulty. The room became filled with a soft hum, and a moment later, Aqua picked up long, thin wand with a rounded end, covering it with a rubber casing and slathering it with a blue, goopy gel.

“Er, you DO know what an early pregnancy ultrasound entails, right?” Aqua asked Gleaming.

Gleaming nodded. “You gotta stick it up in me, I know. Can you at least warm it up with a heating spell, first?”

Aqua giggled. “Already did. Won’t hurt a bit, promise.”

Gleaming spread her hind legs and and gestured at her nethers. “Have at it, then.”

Aqua came over and situated herself. She fiddled with a few settings on the machine, then slowly, gently, she pushed the ultrasound wand into Gleaming’s waiting marehood.

Gleaming failed to bite back a moan. The tool felt like a dildo, except that it was thinner, and was made of a harder plastic. Her heart rate picked up as inch after inch of the wand sank easily into her.

“Yeah,” Aqua agreed. “It feels pretty good.”

Gleaming felt her tension melting away. She let out a breath she didn’t even know she’d been holding, and relaxed further into the bed. The wand didn’t feel good enough to get her off, but it certainly didn’t feel unpleasant. She was suddenly very okay with all of this.

“Just a warning,” Aqua said after a moment. “I’m about to come up to your cervix, and I’ll be pressing the wand against it to try and find the foal. It’ll feel weird, but it shouldn’t hurt.”

“Mmmm...” Gleaming purred like a contented kitten. “Sure thing…”

Sure enough, a few seconds later Gleaming felt something hard come into contact with her innermost barrier. She tensed up a bit, but thankfully, Aqua was gentle. She felt a strange prodding sensation for a while as they both examined the black screen, trying to see what the scan might reveal.

“Gotcha!” Aqua said after a few moments. She pointed at a gray bean shape with a darker gray blur inside it. “There you go, Princess! There’s your baby.”

Gleaming blinked like an owl. It looked like a fuzzy blob, but the features of a pony could just barely be made out if you squinted hard enough.

“T-that’s… r-really?” Gleaming’s mouth went dry. “That’s really it?”

“Yep,” Aqua said. “Not much to look at, I know. Things’ll get more interesting in the coming months, though.”

Gleaming simply stared. She wasn’t really sure what to think. It didn’t really look like anything but at the moment, so she didn’t have any context. She thought she maybe saw a hoof? Or that could’ve been its head… or its tail.... okay, so she didn’t have a clue.

“Looks healthy,” Aqua remarked, examining the picture with a practiced eye. “Good size, and everything. Lemme see if I can move around a bit for a better angle.”

She moved the wand up a teeny tiny bit so she could get a different view...

...and when she did, the screen revealed a second bean shape, not far away from the first.

“Oh!” Aqua said with a small gasp. “Well, would you look at that!”

“What?!” Gleaming said. “What is it? What’s wrong?!”

Aqua chuckled. “Nothing at all, Highness. Just that it looks like you’re gonna be having more than one after all. Congratulations! You’ve got twins!”

Gleaming’s eyes shrunk to pinpricks. The world slowed to a grinding halt as she looked at where Aqua was pointing. Sure as day, there were two little bean shapes on the screen, side by side.

The realization hit her like a punch to the face.

“T-Twins…”

Aqua moved the wand again to better see the second foal. “Looks like you got lucky. Ooh, the second one is in a good spot, too. Not too close to the other one, not too far away. They both have plenty of room to grow.”

Gleaming just continued to stare, her eyes glassy and unfocused. It was a good thing she was already lying down, or she’d have probably fallen over. Her brain was still deciding on what emotion was best suited for this news, and not much was registering with her.

“Baby B looks good.” Aqua turned away a moment to fiddle with some settings on the machine. “Nothing out of the ordinary that I can see. Amniotic sac is a good size, and the umbilical cord is intact. It’s really a good thing you’ve been taking prenatal vitamins, though. That helps a lot in the early—”

Suddenly, an afterimage appeared behind the second foal. The bean shape became blurred and indistinct, the lines of its silhouette shifting and overlapping.

Aqua frowned. “What the…”

The uncertainty in Aqua’s voice snapped Gleaming back to reality. She jerked her head up. “Huh? What?! What the what?!”

Aqua didn’t reply. Her eyes acquired a hawk-like focus, and with utmost care, she tilted the wand around so that she could see behind the second foal.

That’s when they saw the other two bean shapes.

“Well, hello there,” Aqua remarked mildly.

Gleaming’s jaw dropped, and her voice turned into a squeak. “T-those are...”

Aqua clucked her tongue, her lips pursed as she moved the wand back and forth. She used several methods just to make sure, but there was no mistaking it. It was the real deal.

“Gotta admit, this is a first for me,” Aqua finally said. “In my nineteen years of nursing, I’ve never seen anything beyond a triplet pregnancy before. I think we’re going to need to call in some specialists.”

The world went dark as Gleaming fainted.

“FOUR?!” Cadance practically shrieked.

It was later that day, and Gleaming was back at home with Cadance. She’d been working on paperwork all morning and afternoon, and her haggard appearance suggested she hadn’t even taken a break.

“Atleast four,” Gleaming corrected her. She took a manila folder out of her saddlebags and floated it over for Cadance to see. “There’s only so much you can see with that kind of scan. We couldn’t count them by their heartbeats, either, so there could very well be more.”

Cadance took out the photos and looked them over, her eyes widening as she beheld the fuzzy shapes that’d been circled with a marker. The pictures fluttered to the desk as she looked up at Gleaming in mute shock, her lips moving soundlessly.

Gleaming snickered. “That was pretty much my reaction, too. Looks like we’re gonna have that big family we wanted, after all.”

Cadance fell back into her chair, her mane falling over her face. “The ovulation spell I used… oh, dear Celestia... it really DID make you… I didn’t th-think it actually would! I was just saying those things to get you riled up! Oh, nonononono… I never meant for...”

“Little late for regrets now,” Gleaming said. She went over to the dresser and picked up her bottle of prenatal vitamins. She took one of them, then pulled out a few new pill bottles and took some from those, as well. “What’s done is done. We’re having four kids, Dear. Deal with it.”

Cadance shook her head. “ME deal with it?! I’m more concerned about you! You’re the one carrying them! This is going to be insane!”

Gleaming rolled her eyes. “Glad you noticed. Seems like we’re gonna need to be making some changes in our plans.”

“Oh my gooooooooooosh,” Cadance’s voice rose to a panicked whine. She got up and began pacing back and forth, her wings fluttering. “I’ll need to make changes to the spells I was going to cast, and that means I’ll need to recalculate them, and Twilight had helped me with a lot of that and I’m not sure I can do it by myself!”

“So have her come up here,” Gleaming said matter-of-factly. “Been too long since she’s visited, anyways.”

“But that’s just the tip of it!” Cadance said. “We need more advice on what to do! We’ll need more books and reference material! We need to make sure you get the proper diet and exercise! We need specialists and increased protection on you and we need to build a nursery and hire nannies and helpers andoh sweet Luna we’re never going to sleep again are we—”

“Cady!”

Cadance jumped. She looked over at Gleaming, who was staring at her with a bemused expression.

“Here’s what I want you to do,” she said softly. “I want you to take all those things you just said, along with the million other things running through your head right now, and look at them all in a positive light. This is what we wanted, Cady, both of us! We’re going to have the family we always wanted! This is a good thing!”

Cadance’s mind was a whirlwind. She heard what was being said, but the shock was still too fresh. She stammered out some gibberish as her thoughts rebooted.

Gleaming continued anyway. “Think about it. We have the money to pay for all the expenses. We have ponies ready, and willing to help us. We even have the magic and resources to make sure this goes along smoothly! There’s really no cause to panic once you sit down and realize what we all have going for us.”

Cadance managed to find her voice again. “Y-You’re… wait, what? You’re… you’re okay with this? Really?”

“I already had my freakout.” She brushed her mane out of her face and took a swig of water. “I fainted when the nurse found the third and fourth foals on the ultrasound. But when I woke up, I got to thinking about how well-situated we are, and the resources we have at our disposal. I seem to recall you saying something along the lines of you and Twily coming up with a slew of spells to make this easier on me, right? Prevent nasty things like premature labor, and the pain of foaling?”

“Well, yeah but—”

“And you’ve already cast like, half of those spells, yes?”

“You know I did! That’s not—”

“So what’s the problem?” Gleaming said, shrugging. “We make some adjustments. We talk to some ponies. We make some announcements, come up with new plans, and we be a little more careful overall. We’ll be holding our four kids before we know it.”

Cadance was at a loss. She looked at Gleaming with uncertainty, as if she was unsure she was hearing her wife’s words right.

“I-I, you...” she tried to shake her head. “You’re taking all of this really well! Why?! You can’t possibly be okay with—you’re gonna be huge, you know that? Like, absurdly so! You’re gonna gain a lot of weight, and you may not even be able to walk by the time you’re at full term!”

Gleaming chuckled. “Doctor Endo said that ideally, he’d like to see me gain about ninety pounds. I’m supposed to start eating five full meals a day. I already sent word to the kitchens.”

Cadance winced. “How can you be calm about that? About all of this?”

“Because of why I’m doing it.” Gleaming came over to Cadance, picked up her hoof, and rested it on her stomach. “I saw our kids on that screen, and at first I was so shocked that I didn’t even know what to think. But then later, it registered with me—I’d just seen our children. We’re already parents, Cady! We don’t have to wait for them to be born! I want our kids to be as happy and healthy as they can be, don’t you?”

“Of course!” Cadance snapped, a little harsher than she intended. “I’m just confused why you’re taking all of this in stride!”

“It’s not that big a deal.” Gleaming waved a dismissive hoof. “I can get my figure back easily enough, and like I said, I wanna do everything I can for our foals. If this is the way I can help, it’s a small price to pay. Don’t you think so?”

Cadance tongued the inside of her mouth. She couldn’t help but be baffled, but it seemed to be a turn for the better, all things considered. She was still thrown for a loop about it all, but if Gleaming was seeing it as a good thing, she supposed that, well...

The new emotions bubbled inside her like a spring. A sense of giddiness overtook her, and before she knew it she was laughing and giving Gleaming a hug. “Yeah… yeah! You’re right! We’re gonna be having foals! Foals! PLURAL! We won’t be having just one… ohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshwe’rehavingmorethanone! EEEEEEEEE!”

Cadance did a happy little dance, then abruptly spread her wings and flew into the air. She sailed around the room in circles, cheering loud and long and giggling all the while.

“I’M A MOOOOOOMMMMM!” she yelled.

Gleaming couldn’t help but laugh. She watched Cadance for a little while, but then her gaze inevitably drifted back downward towards herself. With a maternal glow, she smiled a serenely and whispered softly to herself.

“I just hope one of you is a boy.”

07 - The Preparations

The Preparations

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One Week Later (Week 9)-

The Amethyst Platform was the primary train station for the Crystal Empire. Originally only a single building with barely any amenities or accommodations, the increased flow of travelers, goods, and railways had required the station to expand. A dozen platforms now stood amongst the grassy plains outside the city, and there were even plans in the coming year to build four more.

Cadance and Gleaming were snuggled together on a couch in a private room within the main station. It was mid-morning, and they were munching on snacks while pretending they weren’t watching the clock to strike the hour. Their normal retinue of guards was outside, and they were each reading a book to pass the time.

Knock, knock, knock.

Cadance and Gleaming perked up. With shared grins, the both eagerly got to their hooves.

“Come in!” Cadance called.

The door opened, and in walked Rex with all her usual stoic demeanor. A set of heavy-looking lavender suitcases were resting on her back, and she stepped to the side while clearing her throat.

“Announcing Princess Twi—”

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!”

A lavender blur sped into the room in a rush of fuzz and feathers. Twilight Sparkle ran for the royal couple like a purple missile and leapt into their arms, hugging the daylights out of both of them.

“Foalsfoalsfoalsfoalsfoalsfoalsfoals!” She let out a whoop and nuzzled their cheeks. “Yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes!”

Gleaming and Cadance chuckled and hugged her back.

“I take it you’re excited, Sis,” Gleaming said.

Twilight gasped at Gleaming’s voice. In a flash, she leaned back to take a proper look at her brother-turned-sister.

“Oh… my gosh, Shiny,” Twilight said. “You look like those old pictures of Gramma Starlight when she was young! You look great! And—-what the hay? Why is your coat so soft?!”

Cadance burst out laughing.

“Seriously!” Twilight starting running her hooves along Gleaming’s withers. “Ugh, and your mane, too?! No fair! Do you have any idea how hard I have to work to make mine like that, and you get it naturally?!”

Gleaming gave her a patient look. “Twily, I’m pregnant.” She blew a stray lock of her out of her face and held it up to the light. “Thick, healthy hair kinda comes with the package.”

Twilight blinked. “Oh, yeah… heh.” She put a hoof behind her head. “Forgot about that.”

“It’s great to see you, Twilight!” Cadance stepped in and gave her sister-in-law another hug. “It’s been too long.”

“Yes! It has!” Twilight said, nuzzling her happily. “I keep meaning to get some time to come up, but every time I try, there’s an event of some kind, or I have to attend some government thing or another, or Equestria’s suddenly on the verge of total annihilation…”

Cadance snickered. “Oh, don’t you just hate that?”

“Again, seriously!” Twilight threw up her hooves with wide eyes. “Why can’t the world just stay safe for a little while? All I’m asking for is one peaceful weekend! Is that too much to ask?!”

“Far too much, clearly,” Gleaming said with deadpan. “Clearly, you must be on guard and watch over Equestria twenty-four seven. No personal life for you! CONSTANT VIGILANCE!”

Twilight smirked at her. “Oh, my most sincere apologies, Princess. I’ll develop a spell immediately to monitor every pony in Equestria at all times!” Her horn glittered for just a moment. “Soon, no villain shall escape my sight!”

Gleaming smirked as well. “Truly, it is the only way! Sacrifices must be made! Equestria will be made safe! It must be done… for the greater good!”

“The greater goooooood!” Twilight echoed in a spooky voice. She waved her hooves back and forth in the air.

“Ooooooh!” Cadance chimed in, raising her hooves like a zombie.

The three of them burst out laughing and made funny faces at each other, completely disregarding all tact and propriety.

Meanwhile, still standing over by the door, Rex resisted the urge to facehoof.

“Royalty,” she muttered.

“But anyway!” Twilight said. “I’m here now! And I came prepared for what we need to do, so we’ll get that done quick, and then we’ll have the whole weekend together! It’s gonna be so great! I have all sorts of ideas to modify the spells for a multiple pregnancy!”

Her horn glowed, and her suitcases floated over in her aura. They snapped open with a sound like rushing wind, and dozens upon dozens of thick spellbooks poured out like a waterfall of literature.

A few seconds later, they were in the eye of a gently-spinning cyclone of books.

“Uh… Twilight?” Cadance said, warily eyeing the revolving tomes.

Twilight began speaking in a rapid tone. “I couldn’t decide which books to bring when you told me the news, so I just decided to bring every book on reproduction and anatomy I could find! Oh, and of course I brought the spellbooks to augment the spells we’ve already cast, but then I got to thinking, there might be some other spells we might think of when we start, so I brought my arcana section, too! And then of course I had to have some reading material for the trip, so I brought the first ten books of the Daring Do saga, but then I wanted to read the Ahuizotl Chronicles—”

“Twily.”

Twilight ceased her rambling. “Shiny?”

Gleaming gestured to the inter-spatial tear in reality floating within both suitcases. “A pocket dimension? Really?”

A faint blush appeared on Twilight’s cheeks. “Well… I thought it would safer if I just brought as much as I could. Besides, it’s not like it’s hard for me, y’know? I have all these books marked with spell tags. I can have them reshelved in seconds!”

Gleaming rolled her eyes. “We have libraries here too, you know.”

Twilight raised her chin with a hmph. “Do your libraries don’t have a copy of The Asclepius Journals, or the genealogy of our family going back ten generations? How about a manuscript of Starswirl’s notes on alicorn anatomy? One of your foals might be an alicorn, you know. Heck, they all might all be! We might need to give you a magic infusion of magic so that their magical fonts will develop properly! Do you your libraries have any information about that, Miss Smarty Pants?”

Gleaming opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She thought about saying quite a few things in reply, but wisely, decided not to. Instead, she conceded the point and looked over to Cadance.

“Thanks for covering our bases, Twilight,” Cadance said, smiling. “Especially with bringing all those rare books. I suppose with you coming up on short notice, it makes sense that you’d just grab a bunch of stuff in bulk.”

Twilight beamed at the praise. “I’m glad that somepony here understands my thought process.”

“Your ‘thought process’ once got you electrocuted back when we were kids,” Gleaming said flatly. “Remember that one?”

“One time!” Twilight snapped back. “One! Freaking! Time! And it wasn’t even that bad! The burns didn’t even leave marks or scars!”

Gleaming shook her head. “Can’t say the same for the floor… or the wall… the door… the ceiling... the tree outside your window…”

“Ugh, I swear.” Twilight’s horn flared again, and all the books flew back into her suitcase at blinding speed. “You have one little spell blow up in your face, and suddenly the whole world thinks you’re a madmare. Shoot the messenger while you’re at it, why don’t you.”

She closed the briefcase and floated back over to Rex, who took it without comment.

“Now, then!” Twilight said, rubbing her hooves together. She spread her wings with an odd gleam in her eye. “We have MAGIC to do! Come, my pink apprentice, and you as well, my precious pretty specimen. Let us be off… to the Secret Lab!”

She cackled maniacally and trotted out the door.

Gleaming and Cadance shook their heads as they watched her leave.

“Just think,” Gleaming muttered with a faux-wry note. “Our children have those genes.”

A thought suddenly occurred to Cadance. “You know, considering your family’s propensity to burst to flame, we should probably invest in some flame-retardant cribs.”

“Flame-retardant nursery is more like it.”

“I said stop fidgeting, Shiny!” Twilight said for the third time. She scowled at Gleaming from behind the trio of floating spellbooks in her grasp. “This spell needs to be precise! Keep this up, and we’ll have to start over!”

The three of them were in one of the alchemical laboratories adjacent to the Crystal Athenaeum. Originally, it was the one Twilight liked to use whenever she came to visit, but seeing as just about nopony else ever used it (and there were twelve others just like it in the castle) Cadance and Gleaming decided to restrict its use so she could leave things in it. Twilight had actually taken to this idea with gusto, and she’d requested they move a bed and other furniture into it so she could also use it as a guest room.

Add a few illusion and security spells to prevent somepony from just randomly stumbling in, and suddenly, you had something that could very well be called a secret lab.

The room was lit by warm crystal chandeliers that glinted with blueish-white light. The walls were lined with bookshelves filled with ancient grimoires and modern day textbooks, and tables with various alchemical instruments were neatly set up and organized in alphabetical order. The Crystal Mirror was off in one corner, dormant and plain-looking, and Twilight’s personal effects were up in a cozy loft just above.

Gleaming was standing (once again) in the center of a magical array with complex magical symbols, although this once was different in shape, design, and intent. Her sister’s soft, magenta glow was emanating from her entire body, and while this was expected, it also itched like mad.

“I’d like to see you try this, Twily,” Gleaming grumbled through clenched teeth. “It feels like ants are crawling on my skin! And through my insides!”

“Good, that means it’s working.” Twilight muttered something under her breath, her horn flaring a little brighter. “You’re gonna have to deal with it, or otherwise you’re gonna suffer through some very unpleasant things down the road.”

“Urghghghgghhh…” Gleaming ground her teeth as the tingling intensified. “Cadance, Honey, remind me of all the spells we’re using, here?”

Cadance, who’d been poring over a scroll that stretched all the way down to the floor, looked up from her work and cleared her throat. “Let’s see… the first is a modified version of the Irongut spell. It’s mostly just to help with the nausea and heartburn right now, but it’s also going to strengthen your bladder, cervix, intestines, and other internal organs. Twilight’s also making it so it helps with oxygenation and circulation, so you shouldn’t have problems with cramps, or swelling.”

Gleaming thought that over. That was all certainly neat, and it certainly explained the maddening itch in her chest and throat, but it was all still a little beyond her. She knew she’d appreciate all of it down the line, but right now, the magic just made her want to squirm.

“What else?”

Cadance hummed and went down the scroll. “Next is a combination of four spells Twilight found in the Aesclepius Journals. Their names are Old Equuish, but their literal translations are ‘body, to heal,’ ‘body, to stretch,’ ‘body, to refine’, and ‘body, to enforce.’ Basically, we’re trying to make your squishy parts stronger and healthier, but let them shift around when your skin and tummy stretch to fit the foals.”

Gleaming frowned. That one sounded complicated as all get out. Not to mention messy, if it was gotten wrong. Quite frankly, if it were anypony but Twilight trying to cast that, she would’ve teleported out of the array right then and there.

“Sounds like that book contains some pretty potent stuff,” Gleaming remarked.

Cadance looked to the side. “It’s normally in the Restricted Section at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. We got permission to use it when we told Aunt Celestia what we were trying to do. The Ovulation spell came out of there, too.”

Gleaming exhaled out her nose. “Lovely. Anything else?”

Cadance moved to the bottom of the page. “Those are the big ones. Although... I was meaning ask you; you’ve been eating five meals a day all this week, but I’ve noticed you’ve been having trouble getting through all of them. It’s a lot to eat, isn’t it?”

Gleaming made a face. Doctor Endo had given her a caloric minimum she had to meet every day, and it couldn’t be just any old food because there were nutrition needs to consider. It translated to eating a full-course meal every few hours, and while it was all really tasty, the bottom line was that the flesh was weak.

“We could do something about that, if you want,” Cadance said. “I asked Endo about it, and he thought an Appetite spell would help. It’d also coincide well with all the other spells we’re casting. What do you think?”

Gleaming didn’t even need to think. “Do it, please.”

Cadance set down the scroll she’d been holding and floated over a small tome with a bookmark in it. She opened it to the chosen page, then she began to softly chant under her breath.

“Yesssss, yesssss,” Twilight murmured in a sinister tone. “Good thinking, my pink apprentice. Your skill is improving greatly. Cast that while I finish these incantations...”

Cadance giggled. She adopted a raspy voice, hunching over slightly. “Yes, Master, thank you, Master. Soon, all will fall into place, and the specimen shall be ready...”

A soft, evil laugh escaped both their lips.

Gleaming sighed. She decided right then and there that next time they decided to play Mad Scientist, one of them would be the experiment.

“Are you sure everything’s gonna be okay?” Gleaming asked. “This kinda seems like a lot, even for you.”

At this, Twilight stopped her casting. She looked over at Cadance a moment, then turned to Gleaming with a very serious look. “Mind if I show you something?”

Gleaming hesitated. “Uh… sure.”

Suddenly, Twilight’s entire body shimmered. There was an exponential increase of ambient energy in the room as she flared her magic, and a wave of harmonious energy emanated out from her very core. Her hooves glinted with sigils in the shape of her cutie mark, and the tips of her wings shifted colors, so that they were similar to Cadance’s. A streak of yellow appeared in her mane and tail to give it four tones instead of three, and her eyes danced with raw, electric power.

“The power of the Elements was changed in the battle with Tirek,” Twilight said, her voice calm and sure. “And the way my friends wield it was changed, as well. The result, for better or worse, is what you see. We call it ‘Rainbow Power’, and while we can activate it at any time, a portion of it always leaks through, no matter what.”

Goosebumps ran all along Gleaming’s body as she beheld her sister, realizing she’d gone up another level in power. The difference between them was suddenly revealed in full, and as the pulses of light passed through her like a refreshing wave, she couldn’t help but stare in awe.

“Twily…”

Twilight closed her eyes and cut off her power, letting herself return to normal. “I probably wouldn’t have been comfortable doing something like this alone before. Or at least, not without the power of the Elements to help me out. But with the passive power boost I’ve gotten, well… let’s just say my confidence is at an all-time high. I would never, ever, ever try something like this on you, or anypony else without one hundred percent confidence in myself, and I tested everything out threefold on the way here. Trust me when I saw you have nothing to worry about, Shiny. You’re in good hooves right now.”

“So long as you stay quiet and let her do her work,” Cadance said with a meaningful look.

Gleaming was stunned. She’d heard reports of the fight Twilight had had with Tirek, along with the castle that’d appeared in Ponyville shortly after, but she hadn’t heard anything about this. It appeared that her dearest baby sister was more up to the task than she’d realized.

“Shutting up now,” Gleaming said simply.

Cadance and Twilight snickered.

It took the greater part of three hours for Twilight and Cadance to finish. Gleaming had had to stand completely still the entire time, too, and while she was used to such things from her days on guard duty, she hadn’t exactly enjoyed it. Fortunately, it was over now, and the three of them were now breaking for lunch in one of the smaller, more private dining rooms.

“Thank Celestia,” Gleaming said. Their food had just been served to them on a series of steaming silver platters, and she snatched three of the trays in her magic and brought them over to her plate. One had some kind of casserole on it, the second was piled high with wild rice and cooked spinach, and the third was mostly chilled fruits. She took ample portions of all three and eagerly started chowing down.

Twilight and Cadance watched her with interest. They each took portions of their own, but seemed content to just watch Gleaming eat for the moment.

“I take it the Appetite spell is working,” Cadance remarked.

Gleaming mumbled an affirmative through her current mouthful. Without even looking up, she magicked over a few more platters with nuts and cheeses and began loading up a second plate.

Twilight chuckled. “Glad to hear. Things should be pretty smooth sailing from here on out, hopefully.”

Gleaming wiped her mouth with a napkin. “You think so?”

She shrugged and nibbled on some raisins. “For eight or nine months, at least. There’s a few extra things we were planning on doing once you’re closer to your due date, but nothing major.”

“Like what?” Gleaming asked.

Twilight examined her spoon as it gently revolved in her magic. “Some things to ease the discomfort of foaling, mostly, which I think Cadance already told you about. Oh, and seeing as you’re gonna have four mouths to feed, I thought we’d use a Lactation spell so you’ll produce enough milk.”

Gleaming groaned. “Yeah… we thought of that a few weeks back, too. We’re thinking of using enchanted bottles to get and save as much as we can once my body, uh… kicks into gear.”

Twilight hummed thoughtfully. “There are variations of the spell depending on what will work best. Varying levels of strength, and such. We can decide which one we wanna use once we get closer to that time.”

“Fair enough,” Gleaming said. She eagerly resumed her eating. “I supposhe we can jusht use formula if we run out.”

“What about those magic infusions you mentioned, Twilight?” Cadance asked. “You said something about that if one of the foals is an alicorn. How soon do you think we’ll be able to tell?”

Twilight took a moment to think. “I’m pretty sure species development and identification of crossbreed offspring is generally done at twenty weeks. We won’t need to do anything until then, but as soon as you find out, you need to let me know, okay?”

“Sure thing,” Cadance said. “Any particular reason why, though?”

“Well, not only will this be the first record of a naturally-born alicorn in a long, long time, it’ll also require some additional safety precautions like those magic infusions.” Twilight took a deep breath. “Annnnnd… if that’s the case, I think I’ll need to be here full-time.”

Cadance blinked several times. “Full… time?”

Gleaming’s heart skipped a beat. “Wait. What are you saying, Twily?”

Twilight gave her sibling a calm, level stare. “Naturally-born alicorns are pretty much uncharted territory. The only documentation on it is from Starswirl’s manuscripts, and even that isn’t much. If you’ve got an alicorn in there, I’d really like the chance to learn more. Yes, Cadance can do the alicorn magic infusions, but in all honesty, I’d feel better if I was close by to help out. What do you think?”

Gleaming and Cadance’s eyes went wide. They knew that Twilight was pretty heavily invested in what they were trying to do, but this…?

“Of course you can come up!” Gleaming blurted out. “Yes! Do it! We’d love to have you!”

“Definitely!” Cadance agreed. “It’d be great for you to be here! By all means!”

Twilight giggled, her cheeks turning a faint pink. “This isn’t just about science for me, of course—it’s about family, too. I want to hold my sweet little nieces and nephews, and spoil the living daylights out of them. I promise, I’ll do everything I can to make sure you and them are safe through all this.”

“But what about your duties as Princess?” Gleaming asked between bites of food. “I hate to say it, but you can’t just drop everything to come up here. You have responsibilities.”

Twilight rolled her eyes with a very unladylike grunt. “I know, and I’m not planning on it. I’m not sure what I’m gonna do if push comes to shove, but I’ll think of something. We’re still talking hypotheticals, here.”

“I’m sure you’ll manage it, Twilight.” Cadance winked at her. “You’re good at figuring out problems like this.”

Twilight’s gaze fell to the floor. “That doesn’t make it easier, though.”

“Oh, don’t pretend like you don’t enjoy the challenge,” Gleaming said. She polished off her second plate and dove into her third. “We both know you’re not happy unless you’re solving a problem that’d make most ponies pull out their manes.”

Twilight snorted. “I guess I’m doing a civil service, then. I’m preventing premature baldness in the pony population. I’d seriously love to see the analytics of that if it was a thing.”

Gleaming smirked. “You would.”

“Yeah! I really would!” Twilight said. “It’d be really interesting! We could make a side-by-side comparison of the before and after, as well as the effects on the pharmaceutical market, the economy as a whole, and maybe even—”

Twilight stopped as she realized Cadance and Gleaming were looking at each other again, a shared smile on their faces.

“Uh…” Twilight cocked her head. “What?”

Gleaming turned to her with a soft laugh. “Never change, Twily. Never change.”

08.1 - The Peers (Part 1)

The Peers (Part 1)

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Two Weeks Later (Week 11)-

Entertaining guests. Not too unusual for a Princess of the Crystal Empire. For at least an hour every day, ponies of all kinds were invited to sit, chat, and schmooze with one of the Crystal Princesses. How better to strengthen the bond between subjects and royalty? Cadance had originally been in charge of handling the age-old tradition, but as there were now two Princesses, the job had been split down the middle. So now, instead of a Princess with years of experience in the art of social grace, visiting ponies had a chance to sit with Gleaming Shield, Her Crystal Highness. At your service.

“Great. Just great,” Gleaming grumbled as she walked down the halls. She’d grown to love her new duty over the last few months, but today of all days, her old Canterlot friends had dropped by to visit. Any other time, and she’d have been delighted to see them…

...but right now, she had sex on the brain.

It didn’t help that Cadance’s schedule had forced him to skip their morning quickie. Nor that her thighs were rubbing together as she walked, teasing her pussy with the ever-so-slightest of brushes. A consequence of her expanding hips, now that her pregnancy was progressing in earnest.

“Fantastic,” she muttered. “Just fucking fantastic. Of course I get slammed with hormones now. Ergh! Of all the worst possible times…”

Gleaming stormed down the castle hallways, trying her best to avoid the tingling in her crotch, and the cloudy haze in her mind. She could smell every stallion she walked past, and by all things holy she just wanted jump one of them. Heck, maybe all of them could take turns. Form a line to fuck the Princess, free of charge.

A particularly nasty flare in her loins made her wince. Her nostrils were flaring, and her tail was flicking from side to side. Anything even vaguely phallic-shaped was so very tempting to her, and she didn’t know how much longer she could keep it together.She didn’t know why she was so blasted horny right now, but it only seemed to get worse as she made her way down to the guest rooms.

Ugh. At least she wasn’t showing yet. She’d definitely been filling out though, gaining about a little over a pound a week, and it was starting to make her look… curvy. The firm muscle had given way to a more feminine shape, and because of it, she’d noticed that she’d been turning more than a few heads as of late.

Gleaming stopped when she got to the door. Here was the dreaded moment—what the guys would say when they saw her. They knew of course what’d happened to good ol’ Shining Armor, but turning into a mare was only half the story, wasn’t it? None of them could possibly know about all the hormonal rushes of pregnancy, or the contagious sex drive of the constantly-horny Alicorn of Love. She’d just gotten accustomed to ponies not staring at her, and now she was gonna have to do it all over again.

Gleaming sighed, standing warily at the doors to the guest room. “Here goes.”

She cracked the door slightly, just enough to air the room out…

...and was nearly bowled over by a gust of raw testosterone. Thick, hot, and musky, it was the natural result of cramming a bunch of stallions into an enclosed space for a while. She’d have hardly noticed had she still been a guy herself, but now…

Gleaming wet her lips. “Shit.”

Welp, too late to back out now. May as well roll with the punches.

She opened the door the rest of the way and put on a forced grin. “Guys! Great to see you!”

Three stallions looked up. Her friends, Cloud Runner, Celsius, and Bastion, were all seated around a long table wearing forced grins of their own. Their eyes widened a bit upon taking in her features, but they tried their hardest not to stare.

Celsius was the first to speak.

“Hot DAYUM!” He let out a wolf whistle. “You stark-crazy bastard! You actually went and did it!

Cloud Runner took in Gleaming’s appearance with a critical eye. “Solid eight-point-five out of ten... actually, scratch that. I’ll give you a nine.”

Bastion didn’t say anything, but his waggling eyebrows certainly spoke volumes. He nodded to the chair next to him, pulling it out with a beckoning gesture.

Gleaming bit her lip. There was a slight slur to their words she didn’t like. She glanced to the bar off in the corner, and spotted a couple bottles of spirits. And judging by the half-full glasses on the table…

“Jerks,” Gleaming said, smirking. “You know full well I can’t drink right now! Way to rub it in.”

Celsius held up a hoof. “Now, now, don’t get your panties in a twist. We know you can’t drink, but we got ya something special instead to make up for it.”

He motioned to Cloud Runner, who pulled out a sturdy-looking scarlet bottle with an old-timey logo.

“We thought you might like this,” Cloud Runner said, smiling.

Gleaming let out a small gasp. She took the bottle in her magic and floated it over.

“This is…”

“Sweet Apple Acres Special Reserve,” Celsius said, nodding. “Soft version, of course. Called in a few favors to get it.”

“It tastes like liquid heaven,” Cloud Runner said dreamily.

“You say that about everything that isn’t piss water,” Bastion droned.

“It’s true, though!” Cloud Runner pointed at the bottle. “That stuff is smooth as hell!”

Gleaming eagerly opened the bottle and took a sniff. The dry, crisp smell of apples transported her back to her college days, when she’d go bar hopping with these three on the weekends. The bottle was heated with a simple spell, and the liquid inside was deliciously hot.

“Mmmmmm,” Gleaming purred. “Oh, hell yes.” She summoned herself a glass and sat herself down in the open seat. She took a long drink from the cider, enjoying the feeling of warmth cascading down her throat. “Thanks, guys.”

Her friends smiled back. There was still some tension in the air, but at least it wasn’t as palpable as the smell of stallion. Her brain was a whole mess of confusion, and she didn’t really know what to think about anything. It hadn’t been that long since she’d seen these three last, but it was the first time she’d seen them since becoming a mare…

...and if she didn’t know better, she’d say the redness in their faces wasn’t just from the alcohol.

“How’ve you all been?” Gleaming asked, trying not to let any shakiness creep into her voice. “Guard duty as dull as ever?”

“Yup.” Cloud Runner said. “Just stand around and look pretty, just like always.”

“Drills, duty, and deskwork,” Bastion said. “The good ol’ three D’s.”

Gleaming noted that she was far more interested another kind of D at the moment, but kept that to herself.

“Suppose it could be worse,” Celsius said, shrugging. He took a pull of his drink and grimaced. Could be fighting for our lives in some foxhole against some Celestia-forsaken abomination. How about you, though? Enjoying your adventures in the frozen north?”

Gleaming’s gaze was on the table. She was trying hard to keep her breathing steady, and she had her front hooves folded so they wouldn’t stray down to her nethers. The air, if anything, was getting thicker and hotter, and her resolve was starting to waver. It took her a few seconds to register she’d been asked a question, and when she did, she looked up quickly with unfocused eyes.

“Huh?! Oh, yeah. Adventures! Not really much to report, heh… just legislature stuff and training up new recruits! Nothing too exciting.”

They all nodded politely, but then fell silent. Another awkward silence fell, and Gleaming felt herself looking between them with a furrowed brow. If this were only a few months ago, they’d be laughing it up and having the time of their lives, but now they were silent as the grave.

And silence really wasn’t good for her right now, because if she didn’t keep her mind occupied…

Gleaming took another look at her three friends. Cloud Runner, lean and muscled, with strong, wide wings and a clipped-short mane. Celsius, positively svelte, with a neat, well-groomed appearance and an expertly-filed horn. And Bastion, so… big. Everything about him, his body, his limbs, his eyes, all of it seemed larger than life. She’d seen him a few times in the showers, too, his bulging sheath barely able to—

“Mind if I open a window?!” Gleaming said. She fanned herself with a nervous grin.

She was up before they could even reply, all but sprinting over to the wall and lifting up the glass. The fresh air caressed her face, letting the coolness jolt her mind from its deviant track. She shook her head clear and took the opportunity to stretch herself out as well, anything to distract her from where her thoughts had just been.

“Ahhhh…” She crouched and stretched out her back with a loud pop, inadvertently lifting her tail and giving them a full view of her marehood.

Thump!

Gleaming whirled at the noise. Bastion, who’d been unabashedly staring, blushed fiercely and quickly looked away. He took another hearty pull from his drink, suddenly greatly interested in a spot on the wall. His legs were crossed awkwardly, and his whole body was now turned away from her.

Oh, no fucking way. He didn’t actually...

Gleaming looked at her other two friends. Both of them were blushing as well, their faces were twisted like they were battling their inner demons. They adjusted themselves in their chairs slightly—a subtle move, yet she knew it all too well.

Stars above, this was actually happening.

Her hormone-addled mind sized up the three horny stallions. A fierce debate abruptly broke out in her mind, but her logic was severely handicapped. She’d never even consider the possibility in almost any other situation, but damn it, this was just too good to pass up. She’d have to clear it with Cadance first, but if she and everypony else was willing, well...

The corners of her lips turned just barely upward. At the very least, she could mess with their heads.

“Well,” she said in a soft sultry voice. She closed the window shut, walking back to her friends with a sashay in her step. “It’s certainly been awhile since you guys last visited, hasn’t it?”

A trio of halfhearted grunts, none of them wanting to look directly at her.

“I’ve gotta admit, it’s been lonely without any of you.” Gleaming walked behind Celsius, brushing her luscious flank lightly against his back. She could barely suppress her laughter as he went stiff as a board. “Quite the shame. I haven’t had anypony besides Cady to do things with.”

She kept walking around with purposeful steps, making her way over to Cloud Runner. As she passed, she flicked her tail under his snout to give him a good long sniff. “And here you all are thinking of me like this? You really are the best friends a girl could ask for.”

Cloud Runner closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, his head following after her as she walked past. He stared directly at her glistening snatch, his wings snapping full attention immediately. She put a little more strut in her step for him and kept going towards Bastion, who was now eyeing her with a confused gaze.

Gleaming approached with confidence and moved past his personal space, stopping only when their faces were inches apart. “Tell you what. What say we do something special to mark the occasion, hmm? How about the four of us all settle in and have some… fun?”

She could almost see the sparks flying out of his ears. Sun and moon, it couldn’t really be this easy. She’d known the power a mare could hold over a riled-up guy ever since she’d met Cadance, but this? She’d barely done anything, and these three were already putty in her hooves.

The thought made her even wetter.

“Guys?” She waved at them, like she’d asked the most normal thing in the world. “Don’t you want to play a board game?”

All three of them snapped out of their stupor.

“R-right!” Cloud Runner nodded. “Sure thing, Babe—Shining!” Oooh, she had him good. “I’ve been, been practicing my skills at Monopony! Beat the others every weekend, since you left. I’m practically the new champ!”

“Ha! As if!” Celsius snorted, pounding a hoof on the table. “You cheat every damn time! Bastion knows I’m better than you are! Tell ‘em, Bas!”

Bastion seemed too preoccupied with keeping his dick bursting through the table to reply at the moment.

“Monopony it is,” Gleaming said. She sat herself back down at the table, wiggling into the cushion to get comfortable. And if the added friction helped satisfy the need between her legs for even a moment, that was even better. Lighting her horn, she unboxed the game and set up the board. “Hope you boys are ready to lose.”

Celsius narrowed his eyes. “Nope. You’re going down. Bring it on, mare-boy.”

Cloud Runner leaned forward, his wings flared and twitching. “It’s on.”

Bastion’s affirmation was a grunt.

Gleaming held up the dice in her magic. “I should warn you, though—if you lose, you’ll have to agree to a little… proposition, that I have in mind. I doubt you’ll refuse, but such stipulations should be mentioned in advance. Don’t you agree?”

All three stallions licked their lips, nodding eagerly.

Gleaming smiled innocently. “Game on, then.”

She’d play banker, of course. She always did when they played. She didn’t see any reason why they should change that now, and neither did they. The money was apportioned, and the pieces were chosen, the turn order was decided.

Game start.

It was the usual sort of game. The dice were rolled, pieces moved, and property bought. Gleaming played, but her mind was hardly on Monopony. While the others took their turns, she took the time to sit and fantasize about how she wanted to be stuffed full with a nice, long cock. She could almost imagine a pair heavy balls slapping against her, churning and swelling with thick, warm seed. A hoof drifted downward to stroke her dripping slit, the barest substitute for what she wanted, but it would have to do for now. She idly wondered how the three of them would compare to Eros, if at all. Probably not very well one at a time, but all three of them together…

The beginning of a moan escaped her lips, just before she caught it.

Cloud Runner glanced at her, a sly look in his eyes. They all could see what she was up to, where her hoof was at the moment. She didn’t care. All of them were doing more or less the same, and they were past trying to hide it.

On and on the game went, with quick, teasing strokes between turns. She was going to need to properly tend to herself eventually, but she could last longer than them. She could see their self-control fraying, their arousal rising faster than hers. The heavy air was filled with the scent of arousal, and everything was hot and humid.

“Oops!” Gleaming dropped the dice, crying in mock surprise as they rolled under the table.

There was a painful silence, none of the stallions moving an inch.

“Don’t worry! I’ll get them!” Gleaming ducked under, giving her rear a painfully obvious shake as it shot up in the air. She heard small groans of desire as her tail swished back and forth—music to her ears. Her pussy was warm and flushed now, streams of sticky fluid running down her thigh. She gazed hungrily at their throbbing hard-ons under the table, and it took a great deal of self-control not to just crawl forward and begin sucking.

“There we go!” She surfaced with the dice and hoofed them over to Celsius. “And here you are. Your roll.”

Celsius took the dice silently and stared anxiously at the gauntlet of Gleaming’s properties ahead of his piece. Yellow, green, and blue: the colors of certain doom. It’d take a miracle of a roll to get him through.

Celsius gulped. “Luck be a lady tonight…”

He threw the dice.

Nine.

“NO!” His piece fell square on Gleaming’s hotel at Canterlot Gardens. “That… that bankrupts me!”

Gleaming giggled. It didn’t matter how much she fantasized about stallion meat, she was still the master of board games. “Sure does. Pay up.”

Sheepishly, Celsius counted up his money, the notes taking on a slick sheen where he touched them. She smiled. She could hardly blame him if he’d gotten a little messy. Her own hoof was soaked.

“Sure you got these from a reputable bank?” Gleaming said with a grin, taking them up with her magic. “Looks like dirty money to me.” She gave them a hearty sniff… and then immediately regretted that. They positively reeked of Celsius’ need, and it made her horniness skyrocket. He wanted her badly, and she was only too happy to oblige. She was going to have him rut her until neither of them could walk straight, long, long into the night until the sun rose...

Yes... but not just yet.

Gleaming added the money to her own with a perfect poker face. “I’ll take it for now, big boy, but I’m afraid you still owe me more.”

Celsius blanched. “But, but… I’m already bankrupt!”

“Hmm. What a shame.” She shot him a positively smoldering look. “Guess you’ll just have to pay me back… another way.”

Celsius’ eyes went to the size of dinner plates. She could almost hear his pre hitting the underside of the table, and she idly wondered how much blood his brain was getting. If she had to guess, it probably wasn’t much.

In short order, the others fell. First Cloud Runner, then Bastion. Both of them were handicapped by a hoof on their dicks, but they weren’t really trying, anyways. Not that she blamed them. She took their money first, then made similar insinuations about how they’d make up the remaining debt.

By the end of the game, all three players owed her a lot more than Monopony money.

“Well, boys,” she said, clearing off the table and placing the game—sticky money and all—back in its box. “Looks like luck was a lady after all. It’s been fun playing with you, but I gotta get going. Still Captain of the Guard, you understand.”

Each of them nodded dumbly. Only natural. She practically had them hypnotized at this point.

“Yeah…” Bastion said. “We understand.”

“Good.” She trotted to the door (cider bottle in tow) and glanced back at them, her tail parted just so to give them one final view of her soaking-wet marehood. “Be sure to drop by my room this evening so we can get those debts repaid… in full.”

The door clicked shut behind her, leaving the three stallions alone with their boners.

Cadance was sitting at her desk going over the latest stack of petitions and other legislative procedures. This was the part of her job she enjoyed the least, and while she’d managed to make such a dent in the workload, she hated how tedious it was. She really wished she could just sign it all mindlessly without thought, but she needed to know what she was approving, and all that. It kinda sucked being a responsible, benevolent ruler sometimes.

She put her quill down a moment and yawned, taking a moment to look out at the setting sun. Her thoughts drifted to Gleaming, and what she might be up to. Her Canterlot friends had come up to visit, so she was probably doing something fun with them. A shame, really. Cadance knew them, too, and also would’ve liked to have spent some time with them. Well, maybe when she got all this done—

BANG!

The doors flew open in a magenta burst. Standing there alone with a glowing horn was Gleaming, mane frazzled, eyes unfocused, and pussy dripping. Her gaze swept over the room, searching for something, stopping when she finally locked eyes with Cadance.

Cadance leapt to her hooves. “Honey?! What’s wro—NNNNNNNNNNG!”

She was cut off by being enshrouded in magic and sailing forward like a hoofball. Her features became distorted as she flew, her limbs lengthening, her frame widening, mane shortening, and voice deepening.

Eros landed at Gleaming’s hooves, his eyes spinning.

Gleaming scraped a hoof on the floor, growling a single word.

“MINE.”

She pounced and teleported them to their bedroom in a flash, the doors slamming so hard that they rattled the hinges.

08.2 - The Peers (Part 2)

The Peers (Part 2)

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That Night-

Bastion, Celsius, and Cloud Runner walked unsteadily up the wide, ornate stairs leading to the castle apartments. They were escorted by Rex, whose stoic, stony visage remained an ever-constant, regardless of whatever questions were asked. All three of them had tried, of course, but they were so drunk that they were having trouble forming complete sentences. They’d given up after they realized their questions were falling on uncaring ears, and simply followed in silence.

There hadn’t been much chat after Gleaming had left, anyways. They’d all quickly excused themselves for some “alone time” following the game, and reconvened at a bar later outside the castle for more drinking. Rex came and got them a few hours later, and they were all pretty wasted at this point.

The four of them got to top of the stairs and walked down a hallway lined with beautiful paintings of forests and lakes. Rex led them to a set of double doors emblazoned with a picture of the Crystal Heart, then opened them to reveal the interior.

Cadance and Gleaming’s apartment was more spartan than one might expect of royalty. All the usual furnishings and trappings were there, and there were doors leading off to a bathroom, a kitchen, a balcony, and the bedroom. There were a few things around that the guys recognized as Shining’s—a worn bookshelf laden with Ogres and Oubliettes books, a giant, fluffy rug with his House’s insignia, a cushy beanbag chair, and some scuffed up end tables. Cadance’s touch was apparent, as well—little knick-knacks of the Crystal Empire here and there, a music stand with choir sheet music on it, paintings of forest landscapes that hung on the walls, and even a few framed pictures of her village home before she became an alicorn. The dominating colors of the apartment were white, magenta, and blue, and overall, the place had a homey, inviting feel to it.

Rex led the trio inside and seated them on the couch.

“Wait here,” she said. And then promptly left.

The three stallions exchanged unsure looks. They were essentially flying blind here, and while they trusted Shining Armor, they weren’t quite sure what to make of Gleaming Shield. This might be a giant prank for all they knew. Unlikely, but the possibility made them uneasy.

The three of them looked around with unfocused eyes, their minds pleasantly buzzing and humming. Bastion reclined a bit on the couch and settled in, his eyes fluttering with drowsiness. Celsius pulled a small flask out from his saddlebag and took a pull, grimacing as the strong aftertaste hit him. He wandered over to the balcony door and looked outside, admiring the city below. Cloud Runner stretched his wings and decided to take to the air, his flight pattern somewhat erratic, but steady.

After a few minutes, their suspicions were starting to rise. This whole thing might be a prank designed to make them all look like idiots, after all. They didn’t normally get reduced to blithering dolts at the sight of a mare with a pretty face, but this wasn’t any old mare, was it? No, no, no. This was—

Click.

The bedroom door opened, revealing a yawning darkness beyond. A sultry melody floated out that made the stallions’ ears twitch, and their nostrils flared at the scent of the cider. A different kind of buzz crept now into their minds, one that called to them like a summons, and while it wasn’t unpleasant, they did recognize it as a spell Shining liked to cast.

Bastion, Celsius, and Cloud Runner all grinned. That spell was how they would find each other back in the old days, and it always pointed to each other like a compass. Now knowing where their friend was, the they got up and made their way to the door, one by one stepping into the dark bedroom.

The room was dimly lit by hovering specks of magical light. The specks gently floated about on an unfelt breeze, giving the darkness a dreamlike-feel. The air inside was crisp and warm, and as the stallions’ eyes adjusted, they were able to discern two figures lying side by side atop an enormous bed.

Said figures were Cadance and Gleaming, both wearing red silk lingerie, complete with tight-fitting socks that emphasized their flanks.

“Hello, boys,” they said.

Three jaws dropped, and three dicks unsheathed.

“Mmm, it’s been awhile.” Cadance stretched into an exaggerated pose, then got up and approached the stallions from the left. “I don’t think I’ve seen you three since the wedding! Gleamy’s not the only one who’s missed you, you know.”

“C-C…” Bastion’s mouth was dry. He gulped hard and tried to speak again. “Cady… w-wow…”

“Can say that again,” Cloud Runner muttered.

Cadance smiled a genuine smile. “Nice to see you, too.”

“I told Cady about our little game earlier.” Gleaming got up as well, her tail swishing lazily as she approached from the right. “I thought she should share in the victory spoils. You all don’t mind, do you?”

“Hehe.” Cadance leaned in close and nuzzled Bastion, taking in his subtle, earthy scent. “I know I don’t. So considerate of you, Love.”

Bastion’s heart was thudding in his chest. It was a dream come true for him, and his mind was struggling to process what was happening.

“B-both of you?”

“Both of us,” Gleaming agreed, beckoning to Celsius with a smoldering look. “We can’t very well leave Cady out, now can we? That just wouldn’t be fair. We can do whatever setup you like, but there is one stipulation: you can’t stop until Cady and I are satisfied.”

Celsius slowly approached Gleaming, his eyes fierce with desire. He was panting, his shaft fully out and ready to go, and his legs were tensed, ready to spring.

“And what if we want to keep going after that?” he asked, a slight tremor in his voice.

Gleaming didn’t reply. She simply smirked, her expression not betraying the inferno simmering just beneath.

“Confident,” Celsius growled. He took another step forward. “Sure about that?”

Gleaming licked her lips. “Very sure.”

Celsius’ horn suddenly flared to life. “We’ll see.”

He muttered a few soft syllables, and an aura of azure magic enshrouded him. It vanished not but two seconds later, but the look in his eyes suggested a rather pleasant change. Gleaming was left not knowing, but the others saw the magic funnel into his balls, abruptly swelling them up to the size of grapefruits.

Celsius let out a low snort. “Game on.”

He darted forward and practically tackled Gleaming. He pushed his mouth aggressively to hers with a grunt, so much so that he pushed them both back and pinned her against the wall. He forced his tongue into her mouth and moved it all around, exploring every inch of her with wild abandon. Gleaming squealed in both surprise and delight, then wrapped her legs around him and kissed him back with equal fervor. She could feel Celsius’ hot, long shaft pulsing between them, and his pre quickly seeped into her panties and soaked both their coats.

“Hey, no fair!” Cloud Runner shouted. “I wanted Shining first!”

The only reply from Celsius and Gleaming was their passionate moans. Celsius began licking and sucking on Gleaming’s neck, his hooves feverously running up and down her full, voluptuous form. He felt her slightly-rounded belly and nickered, his arousal climbing from ravishing such a fertile mare, and Gleaming hugged him tight and raised her head to give him better access. She started grinding herself up and down along his length, her marehood swiftly dampening, becoming visible through her garment.

“Hmph.” Cloud Runner folded his arms and pouted, looking over at Cadance and Bastion. “Guess I’m gonna have to wait my turn. Mind if I join you guys?”

Cadance pretended to think, then in a fluid motion, she took her panties off and tossed them right onto his face.

“Only if you promise to put that silver tongue of yours to good use.”

Cloud Runner inhaled deep, the scent of her treasure becoming firmly lodged in his brain. His eyes took on a hungry gaze as the panties peeled off his face, and his vision narrowed until all he could see was her glistening cunny. “Yes, ma’am.”

While Cloud Runner moved behind her, Cadance turned back to Bastion’s still-dumbstruck face and put a hoof on his cheek. “I think it’s finally time to come clean. I know that you used to have a crush on me back in in the Academy.”

Bastion’s eyes regained their focus at her words. “W-What? You—ah, damn it all... Shining told you, didn’t he.”

Cadance rolled her eyes. “I’m the Princess of Love, Bas. I could sense your emotions the first time we met. I didn’t say anything because I was afraid if you found out, you’d get embarrassed. Or worse, start avoiding me altogether. Not everyone likes hanging around an empath.”

Bastion’s gaze fell, a heavy blush in his cheeks. “I… honestly forgot you could do that… and, I’m guessing that means you could tell, then? That it was just puppy love, and nothing more?”

Cadance’s eyes were kind as she brushed his mane out of the way. “Yes, you big goof, but even then, we still could’ve had some fun. I wouldn’t have said no if you’d asked.”

Bastion blinked, slowly looking up at her. “…what?”

Cadance nuzzled him again. “What do you say make up for lost time, hmm? Make some of those fantasies of yours a reality. From now on, let’s say that we’re friends… with benefits.”

That did it. Bastion nuzzled her back, then tilted his head and let their lips touch. He intended it to be just a quick peck, but then she hummed and wrapped her hooves around him. He growled and pushed eagerly into her, a decade’s worth of tension all bursting forth at once. Their mouths locked together fiercely, their tongues dancing and sliding against each other with soft sounds of desire.

Meanwhile, Cloud Runner gazed eagerly at the object of his own desire: the flush, pink pussy only inches from his muzzle. He’d had his own fantasies about this for years, burying his face in Cadance’s warm, tight folds and driving her wild. Shining had ultimately won the race, but now, it seemed he’d get a small consolation prize.

Cloud Runner stepped forward, feeling the subtle heat emanating from Cadance’s core. He closed his eyes and smelled her sweet, tantalizing scent, eager for his attention. He was all too happy to oblige. He started with her very edges of her labia, nosing them softly and running his snout all around. Then he took a lick along her right side—nice, long, and slow. Her sweet, tangy taste filled his mouth in a flood, and it was all that was needed to set him off. He began licking faster and faster, moving closer and closer towards her cunny, until his muzzle was firmly buried in her folds.

Cadance’s knees shook. She was close to falling over from being serviced from both sides, and the pleasure was coming in rising waves. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head, and she let out a loud, pleasured moan. The sound made Cloud Runner and Bastion all the more eager, and they devoted themselves to their tasks with more fervency, faster, and faster…

And that’s about when Cadance’s more lustful side awakened.

“MMMMmmmmm...” A wild look crept into her eyes. She pulled Bastion closer with surprising strength and dominated his mouth, her wings snapping out to envelop his giant form in a possessive embrace. He playfully fought her for a while, but he eventually submitted and let her take the lead. He let out a small squeak of surprise as she roughly pushed him over and straddled him, her tall legs allowing her to looking down on him with ease.

Cloud Runner was suddenly licking air as Cadance stepped forward, but the scene between her and Bastion was certainly one to behold.

“Whoa,” Cloud Runner said as he wiped his mouth. “Go, Bas.”

Cadance looked into Bastion’s eyes with a lascivious grin, her feathers teasing his body while the soft fabric of her socks caressed his chest. She slid herself teasingly along his twitching shaft for a while, but then paused a spoke in a calm voice.

“Cloud Runner?”

He cleared his throat. “Yeah?”

“Bastion is going to fuck me now.” She said it like it was the most normal thing in the world. “I’d like you to take my ass. Is that alright?”

Cloud Runner’s wings snapped out to full mast. “Oh, hell yes.”

“Good boy.” She swooped down on Bastion and stole another heated kiss. “Let’s move to the bed, shall we?”

Meanwhile, Celsius, already horny as hell from the board game, was through with waiting. He adjusted his hips a bit, then surprised Gleaming by ripping off her panties and plunging his glistening cock into her mound. Her eyes widened, but then went glassy and unfocused as he quickly began pistoning in and out.

“You… have no idea…” Celsius panted in between thrusts. “How long I’ve wanted… to do this...”

Gleaming’s response was something between a laugh and a moan. “Didn’t know—ah—that you—ohfuck—didn’t know you… were intoooooo—aaaaaa… Celsiuuuuuuuussss…”

Celsius kissed her, all the while fucking her hard and fast, adopting a steady pace and steadily going deeper and deeper. She helped him a bit by pulling him forward every time he pushed, and before long he was fully hilted, his thrusts wild and forceful while their tails yanked on each other.

“You are… so fucking hot...” Celsius grunted. He drove his twitching member in and out in fluid motions, his face buried in her mane. “So—ergh—fucking… so fucking hot… why are so fucking hot… s’not fair… stupid—ungh—sexy—ah—bastard...”

Gleaming was lost in a sea of bliss. She felt so deliciously full every time he thrust into her, with each one sending electric tingles up her spine. She nibbled and sucked and tugged on his ear, her whole body feeling warmer and warmer as the pressure in her core built up steadily. She couldn’t believe how enthusiastic he was, but it was turning her on just as much.

“Cum inside,” she said in a breathy whisper. “I need it... all you have... give it to me!”

Celsius shivered. His thrusts became slower, but stronger, each one going as deep as possible. He was utterly addicted to her scent now, and he tugged on mouthfuls of her mane as his balls swelled up even more.

“As… you wish—gah—Princess…”

She could feel him preparing to unload. His cock was flaring inside her, stretching her tunnel and filling her up so well. He pushed her even harder up against the wall, and she surrendered herself to and merely hung on as hard as she could.

“Celsiuuuuuuuussss…” Gleaming’s voice grew into a yell. “Celsiuuuuuuuussss! CELSI—AHHHHH!”

He came inside her with a mighty jerk of his hips. His throbbing cock flared and pumped load after load of warm jizz, quickly overflowing her cunny and spilling out to form a growing puddle on the ground. Gleaming felt the hot, thick essence deep inside her, stoking her core’s flames enough to explode her world into stars. She howled and went over the edge, shuddering in his arms as her inner walls spasmed wildly around him. He filled her over, and over, and over, and over, each load bigger than the last, and before long a waterfall of cum was gushing out between their legs.

Cadance led her two stallions over to the extra-large bed. She got up first with a graceful flutter of her wings, then lay on her side and directed each of them to nestle up on either side of her. They did so, with Bastion taking Cadance’s front, and Cloud Runner taking her back. She felt a thrill as their stiff, pulsing rods pressed in on either side of her, and her more carnal side was screaming at her to simply use them as fucktoys.

But she’d never do that… not unless they were into that kind of thing.

“Now then,” Cadance said in a husky purr. She pulled Bastion a little closer and wiggled her rear against Cloud Runner. “Think you’re up for filling me up with those long, thick cocks of yours? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve eyed them over the years…yours especially, Bas.”

Bastion met her eyes, greedily drinking in her beauty, burning this moment into his memory. Behind her, Cloud Runner closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of Cadance’s body, mane, and arousal. They took their time exploring her, deliberate and gentle, a forbidden fruit allowed to them at long last.

“Ooh, so you’d rather take it slow...” Cadance relaxed and allowed her lust to fade to a slow-burning flame. “That works, too.”

The two stallions began licking and kissing every inch of her, worshipping her lithe, perfect form. They moved to her appendages and began servicing her, Bastion sucking on her horn, Cloud Runner preening her wings. She nickered her approval and urged them on, Cloud Runner especially, as while normally Gleaming did a perfectly competent job, there was something about another pegasus’ touch that couldn’t be copied. He knew exactly how to tug her feathers with his lips, as well as how to straighten them. The little pulls and movements generated a heady buzz within her chest, and it was only amplified by the feeling of Bastion’s tongue running all along her horn.

Cadance let them take their time. Their movements were gradually becoming more intense, but never so much that they became rough. Soft grunts escaped them then and now, and they began grinding their stallionhoods on her, front and back. She reveled in the attention, their feelings of love mixing with the scent of pre, but she couldn’t help but wonder which one was going to crack first. Would it be speedy, sharp-witted Cloud Runner, always on edge and on the go? Or would it be calm, quiet Bastion, his old desire for her causing him to give in and ravish her?

It turned out to be both at the same time. They both paused in their actions with an odd look in their eyes, and with a look of silent agreement, they aligned their dicks with their respective targets.

“Ahhhhhh...” Cadance egged them on. She felt their tips brush against her entrances, causing a shiverto run through her. She pulled Bastion into another kiss, her hooves brushing through his mane, feeling the cords of his stout neck muscles. He kissed her back with fervor, and as his tongue pushed into her mouth, his stallionhood pushed into her delicate folds. He went slow and steady, savoring every sensation of her tight, silky walls, always pressing ever onward. Cloud Runner was gentle as well, but after finding that Cadance’s plothole was already lubed, he gained a little confidence and began pushed harder into her snug tightness.

Cadance was in heaven. She could feel both them inside her, separated by only a thin lining that allowed them to occasionally rub up against each other. They began an alternating rhythm of in and out, in and out, so that whenever one of them was pulling out, the other was thrusting back in. The fire inside her was steadily building more and more, and all she could do was moan her approval while she was double-stuffed by her friends.

“Bastion...” Cadance broke her kiss with him and raised her head. He took the hint and began nibbling on her neck, nipping just enough to send electric tingles through her. From behind, Cloud Runner took a mouthful of her mane and tugged, his hot, heavy snorts giving her delightful goosebumps. They rutted her from both sides like a well-oiled machine, neither side missing a beat, and all the while Cadance could feel the love they had for her, pouring steadily from their hearts.

FLASH!

Suddenly, Celsius and Gleaming appeared on the other side of the giant bed, still entwined in the throes of passion. They separated for just a moment to get into a different position, with Gleaming crouching low and presenting her dripping flower to Celsius. He mounted her immediately and wrapped his hooves around her barrel, filling her back up with his girth and resuming his fevered rutting.

Gleaming’s tongue lolled out of her mouth, her mind swimming in a cocktail of endorphins as she squeezed and clenched around Celsius’ throbbing rod. Her eyes focused for just a moment to see Cadance a few feet away with Bastion and Cloud Runner, and she couldn’t help but feel a flare of arousal at the sight. Cadance noticed Gleaming looking, and while moving in time with her partners, she silently mouthed one word.

“Ready?”

Oh, yeah. Gleaming had almost forgotten their little plan. She grinned and winked back, giving her reply in a long, lewd moan.

“Yesssssssss…”

Cadance’s horn glowed, and Gleaming felt a spell wrapping around her consciousness. There was a brief jumble of sounds and sensations, and a second later, she could feel Bastion’s thick, firm stallionhood stuffed inside her marehood. and Cloud Runner’s big, warm length wedged firmly in her rear. Meanwhile, Cadance could feel Celsius’ weight on her back, the slapping of his engorged balls against her rear, and the steady rivulets of cum running down both their legs.

They felt all this in addition to the sensations of their own bodies.

“OOOHHHHH!” Cadance and Gleaming screamed in ecstasy. They lost all control and thrust hard against their partners, howling and bucking their hips in time with the rising waves of pleasure. The three stallions were taken aback by the sudden frenzy, but they quickly picked up their pace, putting more force behind their thrusts.

The room became filled with the sounds of fevered sex. Gleaming was biting down on a pillow while Celsius rutted her into the mattress. Cadance was squirming and writhing in tandem with Bastion and Cloud Runner. They were going wild from feeling each other’s pleasure on top of their own, and the sexy cries of the mares made the stallions abandon all pretense and gave in to their urges. They kissed, licked, sucked, nibbled, bit, grunted, thrusted, and fucked each other for what seemed like an eternity, but then finally, one side began to reach their peak.

Bastion’s thrusts became erratic. The pressure in his loins boiled over and surged down his shaft, and with a loud shout, he erupted and coated Cadance’s walls with shot after shot of virile seed. Cloud Runner was soon to follow, his back arching as he buried himself in her backdoor, filling her with his thick, gooey spunk. Last of all was Celsius, although considering how much he’d come already, it was impressive that he still had anything left. But his magically-enhanced balls didn’t disappoint, and before long he was grunting and cumming, an entire quart of sexual fluid spilling out of Gleaming and onto the sheets.

The three stallions went limp shortly thereafter, staring off at nothing with dopey grins on their faces. Gleaming and Cadance let out joined hums of approval and extricated themselves, but then together moved to the far edge of the bed, kissing passionately while fondling and groping each other. Relentless, they ground their slippery, leaking crotches on each other and began scissoring, only hesitating when Gleaming floated over a double-ended dildo from the closet.

Celsius watched the two of them continue go at it with disbelieving eyes. “Seriously? You both still want more?”

Gleaming smiled at him as she stuffed herself with one end of the dildo. “What do you—unf—mean? That was just—ah!—the warm-up round. We usually go—nngh—a couple hours, at least.”

“I think our record is—oooh—eleven hours, twenty-six minutes,” Cadance added. She’d slid onto the other end and was already hilted, the toy now completely swallowed by their hungry marehoods. “Was a good honeymoon.”

The three stallions stared in stunned silence. They weren’t sure to be impressed, aroused, horrified... or all three at once. But one thing was transparently clear: they weren’t expecting this sprint to be a marathon.

“Princess of Love, indeed,” Bastion muttered.

Gleaming’s gaze turned to Cloud Runner. “Hey, you said you wanted—mmmm—a round, right? Go clean up and lemme know—hnng—when you’re ready to go. Do you care who’s on top?”

09 - The Pampering

The Pampering

——————————————————————————————

Five Weeks Later (Week 16)-

“Ergh!” Gleaming wiggled and squirmed, trying to fit the straps of her armor around her belly. “Come on, you stupid thing! Fit!” She tugged a little harder to get the strap to go all the way, but even with it so tight that it left red marks, it remained a few centimeters shy. “Oh, for Luna’s sake... I just adjusted this last week!”

“And it looks like you need to adjust it again,” Cadance said. She was on the couch enjoying the show, all the while fighting the urge to touch herself. “Both the flanchard straps, and the crupper, I think. Your hips look like they’re about to burst right out of that armor.”

Gleaming’s eyes widened. She turned her head to look at her rump, groaning as she now realized how tight the back pieces felt on her flanks. It was a wonder that she’d gotten them on at all.

“Damn it…” There was a hum and a FLASH as Gleaming teleported a few feet to the right, leaving her adornments behind to fall noisily to the ground. “I don’t have time for this! It’s going to take at least a half-hour for the armorer to refit me, and I need to go in a few minutes!”

“So go without it,” Cadance said. “Not much you can do at this point. Either that, or send word to Commander Spitshine to cover for you. I’m sure he can handle things.”

Gleaming’s jaw dropped. “Are you crazy?! Leave a lecture on the reactive adjustment of greater arcanometric pressures to that moron?! I had more telekinetic finesse in magic kindergarten than he does! He couldn’t even put a barrier around his own dick!”

Cadance bit back a laugh, trying to maintain her straight face. “I think that might be a little harsh, dear. I’ll admit he prefers bigger, flashier spells, but I’m sure he can explain the theory—”

“He’s a damned blithering idiot!” Gleaming snarled. She picked up her fallen armor pieces, angrily shoving them into her saddlebags. “Not to mention that he has less discipline than a crackwhorse at an orgy! You should’ve seen what he did just the other day—I specifically told him I wanted the recruits doing magic resistance training at fifty reps daily in order to strengthen their telekinesis, and how many does he tell them to do?! Forty-five! Oh, he says that they can’t handle fifty yet, so he’s trying to work them up to it, but I say I’m ready to shove a bayonet up his ass!”

Cadance pursed her lips. Several replies came to mind for what her pregnant mate was saying, but she kept them all to herself. Instead, she merely watched as Gleaming began pacing back and forth, spitting with fury while magenta sparks jetted from her horn.

“And holy hell, these recruits!” Gleaming shouted. “Fucking worthless, the lot of them! Slack-jawed, mouth-breathing, cowardly little bags of smashed assholes! They can barely maintain a level five forcefield, none of them are above a Class A in power, they ask me the STUPIDEST questions all the time! One of the little geniuses thought it was a good idea to use a Gamma rune instead of a Theta in their containment array, and their forcefield popped like a damn soap bubble after only two dozen boulders! That wouldn’t last for SHIT in a real siege!”

Cadance noted that it was getting warmer in the room, but she still didn’t comment. She folded her hooves and lay calmly on the couch, her eyes never leaving her partner.

“And Luna almighty, another couldn’t recite the formula for Starswirl’s Second Law of Abjuration when I asked them!” Gleaming growled with crackling eyes. “Never mind that that’s the fucking foundation of what I’ve been trying to teach them, oh nooooooo, that’s not important at all! They have no pride in their appearance, their techniques are sloppy, they never polish the brass on their uniforms, and I swear to Celestia I’m about ready to—”

“Honey,” Cadance said.

Gleaming whirled. “WHAT?!”

“You’re on fire.”

Gleaming blinked several times. For the first time she noticed the heat around her, as well as the shimmering in the air. She glanced back at the mirror and saw that her mane and tail were both bright blue blazing infernos, and her irises had shifted to pure gold.

Gleaming muttered a final curse and quelled her magic, reverting her body to its normal state. “Sorry...”

“I think you need a break.” Cadance got to her hooves and went over to her closet, pulling out the regalia and crown she wore whenever they left the castle. “Actually, scratch that, I’m telling you that you need a break. For the sake of everypony around you, I want you to take the day off.”

Gleaming curled her lip in a sneer. “A break?! I don’t need a break! What I need is a set of armor that fits me, a contingent of soldiers that aren’t morons, a second-in-command who doesn’t have SHIT for brains, and—”

Gleaming stopped. She repeated the words she’d just said in her mind, and for the first time in a long while, she felt a nasty wave of shame.

She hung her head and let out a sigh, taking off her saddlebags. “...okay, maybe I do.”

“Come on,” Cadance said. She gently guided them towards the door. “I know just the thing.”

“But the troops—”

“—can handle a day without their fearless leader,” Cadance said with a loving nuzzle. “You need this right now, and if anypony has a problem, they can take it up with me.”

“Mrrrgghh…” Gleaming grit her teeth, her cheeks turning pink. “I’m not used to… you know I’m not usually… I didn’t mean...”

“I know.” Cadance placed a wing around her, giving her a gentle squeeze. “It’s okay, really. I know this isn’t you.”

Gleaming slumped in defeat. “Stupid… body. Stupid everything. Fuck the world. I swear, if you weren’t so into all of this, I wouldn’t be able to deal with it.”

A small, giddy shiver swept through Cadance. She wrapped their tails together in an affectionate gesture, then leaned over and nibbled Gleaming’s ear. “And I assure you, I most definitely am.”

Gleaming rolled her eyes. “Such a perv.”

Cadance waggled her eyebrows. “You know you like it.”

“Never said I didn’t…”

They walked out of their apartment and down the hallway. Their usual escorts fell into step and followed silently, and together they made their way down through the castle, the guards and staff bowing and saluting as they passed.

“Dr. Endo took my measurements yesterday,” Gleaming muttered quietly to Cadance. “I’ve gained twenty pounds already, and my fundal height is measuring at twenty-eight centimeters. Do you realize what that means? I look like I’m seven months pregnant, and I haven’t even hit my first real growth spurt yet!”

Cadance giggled. “Oh, I know, dear. I’ve had a front row seat to it all, and I’ve loved every second of it. Were the tummy rubs I’ve started giving you not enough of a hint of that?”

Gleaming bit her lip. “I didn’t think that those would feel so good…”

“You’re getting big so early because of the spells,” Cadance said, smiling. “Normally your womb would push both inward and outward as it grows, squishing all your other organs and making you uncomfortable. We strengthened your insides a bit to avoid that, but as a consequence, the foals are going to be pushing out more. That’s why your skin has been so sore.”

Gleaming grunted acknowledgement. “I really like that coconut butter stuff you’ve been using. Smells good.”

“You’ve said that a few times, now,” Cadance said in a sly tone. “Though I probably could’ve guessed by how you’ve been putting a touch of it on your muzzle after showers.”

Gleaming didn’t try to deny it. Instead, she merely shrugged and changed the subject. “I just didn’t realize how fast this all would be happening…”

Cadance guided them down a set of stairs and towards the main door to outside. “Time does have a funny habit of slipping away from us. Though I did warn you that things were going to happen fast. Warned you that you were going to be huge, too.”

Gleaming let out a dry laugh. “Yeah, you did. I mean, I expected it and all, but it’s one thing to be told something, and another to experience it. I don’t wanna complain or anything; I know I’m having this a lot easier than it could be, but even still, I just… ugh...”

Cadance tenderly kissed her cheek. “You’re the bravest pony I know. You’ve amazed me time and time again, and I know that you’ll continue to from here on out. I love you so very, very much. Never forget that.”

Gleaming closed her eyes and leaned into the embrace. “Such a patient, understanding wife… what did I do to deserve you?”

“You were the first one with the balls to ask me out, you’re a demon in the sack, and you most importantly, you put up with all my crazy shit.”

Gleaming smirked. “Ah. Right.”

Ding-a-ling-a-ling!

The entrance bell gave off a pleasant sound as Gleaming and Cadance entered a little blue building on the edge of the city. Inside was a spacious waiting room decorated in colors of violet and cobalt, with long curtains of sparkling moss hanging from the ceiling like chandeliers. The clean scent of lilacs was in the air, and a harp-like instrument could be heard playing a melody from unseen speakers.

“Azure Mist Day Spa?” Gleaming read aloud the loopy cursive logo on the reception desk. “I don’t think I’ve ever been here before.”

“I’d have been surprised if you had,” Cadance said, waving at the pony at the front desk. “This is one of the best kept secrets of the Empire.”

“Princess Cadance!” The crystal pony mare behind the counter squee’d and clapped her hooves. “Welcome back! So good to—ohmygoshisthat—AHHHHH! You brought her! And she looks so cuuuuuute~! Welcome, welcome, welcome!”

Gleaming winced at the mare’s high-pitched, tinny voice. “Uh, Honey…”

“Don’t mind Azzy,” Cadance said in an undertone. “She gets excited easily.” Cadance cleared her throat and stepped forward. “It’s great to see you! How are you?”

Azzy tittered. “Oh, you know things never change around here. Business as usual, and nothing more. But what about you? I haven’t seen you in months! And I know I’ve never seen you here, Miss Princess-Consort. What’s the occasion?”

Cadance exchanged a brief look with Gleaming before merely shrugging in reply. “I just decided we both could use some R and R.”

“Of course, of course,” Azzy said. She trotted out with a clipboard and jotted down a few notes. “So, what would you like today? The usual, I assume?”

Cadance raised a hoof to her chin. “Well… I know there’ll be some things that Gleaming won’t be able to do, so we can skip on those parts. definitely everything else, though, and we’d like to do as much as we can together.”

“Righty-o.” Azzy circled a few things on the paper while crossing out a few others. ‘So that’s a nix on the aromatherapy, hot tub, and steam room, although... we can do a normal warm bath or a multi-spray shower instead. Sound good?”

Gleaming’s ears drooped. “No hot tub?”

“It’ll still be in one of the jacuzzis with the nice-feeling jets,” Cadance said to her. “I’ve seen them do it for other mares. They just turn down the temperature.”

Gleaming perked up at that. “That’s all?”

Azzy laughed. “Yep! Not hard in the slightest.”

“Oh! Well, in that case, that sounds really nice.” A small smile formed on Gleaming’s face. “Let’s do that.”

Azzy continued filling things out on her clipboard. “Let’s see… so facials, hooficures, horn filings, a wing preening and oiling for one, mild-scent soaps and shampoos, and of course, the massages. Deep tissue massage for you, Princess Cadance, and a neonatal for Princess Gleaming. You’re actually in luck—the only one in today certified in neonatal is Amber, and she happens to be free right now! She’ll need to know how far along in your pregnancy you are, though. What month are you in?”

“Fourth,” Gleaming replied, placing a hoof on her protruding tummy. “Just hit sixteen weeks.”

“Six—” Azzy did the smallest of double takes. “Right, right… you’ve got four in there... heh, that’ll be a new one for Amber... shouldn’t be a problem, though. Right then, all that’s settled. Do either of you have questions?”

Gleaming and Cadance both shook their heads.

“Fabulous.” Azzy turned and began heading for a hallway. “Follow me, please.”

The three of them made their way further into the spa. Azzy led them towards a quick-responding elevator, which opened and closed its doors with a gentle chime. It then began to take them down, which surprised Gleaming, but she kept her observations to herself.

Good thing, too, for when the doors opened again, she was completely floored by what she saw.

“Holy...”

It was a cavern. A natural, underground crystal cavern. It began as a wide grotto with high ceilings and smooth floors, with interspersed stalactites and stalagmites embedded with enchanted, luminous jewels. Crystal formations of all colors were everywhere, each of them meticulously chiseled and sculpted into artful shapes that glinted and glittered in the light. Gleaming could see that there were a number of pathways leading out of the main antechamber to other caves, and ponies wearing bathrobes could be seeing moving to and fro via these routes. The sound of running water could be heard from somewhere, the smell of perfume was in the air, and a thin blue mist floated throughout the place like a serene carpet.

Cadance grinned. “Not bad, eh?”

“How in the…” Gleaming turned to Cadance. “Why didn’t you ever tell me about this?”

“I did,” Cadance said patiently. “A few times, in fact! You said you weren’t interested in coming to a day spa.”

“You never said it was like this!” Gleaming waved her hoof at the natural beauty before them. “This is amazing!”

From just ahead of them, Azzy laughed. “Her Majesty approves of my little establishment? I’m flattered.”

“Your establishment?” Gleaming cocked her head. “Wait... you’re the owner?”

Azzy turned with a small flourish and bowed. “Azure Mist, at your service.”

It took a few seconds for Gleaming to find her voice again. “Why were you working the front desk?”

“Azzy likes being on the front lines,” Cadance explained, a note of fondness in her voice. “She’s not one for attending meetings, or talking about shares. She has other ponies do that so she can get a feel for what her customers want.”

Azzy winked. “Customer service is paramount in any business, my lady. If you have that sorted, then everything else works itself out.”

Gleaming didn’t know what to say. She tried a few times to form a reply, but nothing seemed like it’d hold against Azzy’s air of confidence. Her posture was tall and sure, her eyes never wandered, and her smile was an honest one.

“You must be quite the professional,” Gleaming managed.

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that.” Azzy beamed and trotted forward, leading them further into the spa. “I just happen to know what’s important, that’s all.”

They walked some way through the caves, passing by various implementations of the spa. There were pools, massage tables, steam rooms, and reclining beds, many of which were occupied by relaxing ponies chatting and unwinding in the mist. The employees that saw the royal duo waved and bowed as they passed, and while Gleaming noted that while a good deal of eyes were on her, they were looks of curiosity more than anything else.

Azzy took them out of the public parlors and into a more private area. She stopped at a set of doors installed into the very rock, emblazoned with Cadance’s cutie mark and set with a secure-looking lock. Azzy produced a set of keys and unlocked it, and they all went inside.

The rooms beyond looked like they could’ve been an extension of their apartment. The overall style and color scheme was the same, although the ceilings were higher, and were set with bright, shining jewels. A stone garden with flower sculptures was off in the corner, surrounded by a clean carpet of moss that looked as soft as heather. All of the features of the spa they’d seen so far were present, albeit a bit more luxurious-looking, and everything in the room was alicorn- sized.

Gleaming whistled. “Snazzy.”

Azzy motioned for them to make themselves comfortable. “Just ring the bell by the door when you’re ready to start. The staff will see to you.”

“Terrific,” Cadance said. “You’re the best, Azzy.”

“Of course I am!” Azzy said with a laugh. “Why else would you keep coming back to me?”

And with that she left, leaving Gleaming and Cadance alone in the suite.

“So…” Gleaming looked around a bit, still taking in the details of their new surroundings. “You’ve got a private room at a secret underground day spa. Quite the display of decadence.”

Cadance held up her hooves. “Hey, I didn’t have anything to do with the place being built! I didn’t even ask for this room! Azzy just gave it to me.”

Gleaming wandered over to one of the beds and examined it. “Aww, the crystal ponies like to spoil their pretty pink princess. How cute.”

Cadance laughed despite herself. “Yeah well, the pretty pink princess is now going to use it to spoil her pretty pregnant partner so she doesn’t kill somepony .”

“Heh. ‘Pretty pregnant.’” Gleaming looked down at her sizeable baby bump. She hadn’t had many issues with discomfort, but carrying so much extra weight was tiring her out more easily. Even the walk down here had left her feeling thirsty. “I’d say that that’s accurate.”

“And how.” Cadance took a few steps forward, eyeing Gleaming with an all-too-familiar look. “You look great, you know. I know I say it I lot, but you really, really do. I get hot and bothered every time I notice that you’ve grown a bit more, and I just wanna kiss and rub and lick every inch of you…”

A smile crept up on Gleaming’s lips. She slowly turned to her advancing mate, allowing a bit of her mane to spill over one of her eyes. “That so?”

“Mmhmm.” Cadance’s wings began to flare, extending to their full, impressive span. “I can barely keep my hooves off of you these days, and you’re not even at the halfway point yet. You’re driving me stark freaking crazy with that body of yours, and the only thing I can’t decide is whether to rut you as a stallion for hours, or eat you out until I can’t feel my tongue.”

“Hmph.” Gleaming pretended not to be interested and turned away, walking towards one of the massage beds with a bored look. But as she did, she put a small strut in her steps that emphasized her twitching tail, and beckoning cunny. “Promises, promises. I bet if you had your way, you’d keep me at home all the time so we could have that much more sex. Would we even leave the apartment at all?”

“I’d fuck you twenty-four seven if I thought we could manage it,” Cadance said, her voice low and sultry. “I’d make your desire and tolerance for pleasure endless so I could fill you over and over, and I’d alter your body so you could become pregnant countless times over. You’d become the most fertile mare in Equestria, and only get more so by the day…”

Gleaming bit back a moan. She quickly coughed and made it look like a yawn, but she knew Cadance heard. She wiggled her hips and dragged a hoof across the soft bed, trying not to pay attention to the fact that she was shivering. “But how would you manage that, hmm? That nasty curse of Sombra’s is why we’re in this situation in the first place. We can’t have any more children.”

“I’ll find a way,” Cadance growled. She was now only a few steps away from Gleaming, creeping forward in a low crouch. “By all that is pure and good in this world, I will find a way. That dead bastard won’t have the last laugh. So long as you’re willing, we will have more children than this. I don’t care what we have to do.”

That statement struck a chord for some reason. Gleaming turned and met Cadance’s eyes, who from her current position, looked almost like she was bowing. The thought made Gleaming stand a little taller, and she looked down at her wife with piercing eyes.

“Promise me.”

Cadance didn’t hesitate. “I promise.”

Gleaming held her gaze a long time, but Cadance’s resolve never wavered. That fiery spark in her eyes burned strong, driving away any sense of doubt.

“Hmph. Well, in that case...” Gleaming putting a hoof on her swollen belly. “I hate to say it, but I think that that nurse was right. Four kids isn’t nearly enough.”

And that was the last straw. With a burst of blue magic, Cadance picked up Gleaming and forced her hind legs apart. Gleaming suddenly found herself face-up onto the bed with Cadance seated at the end, and with a shark-like grin, she dove into Gleaming’s nethers, feverishly lapping away.

“OH!” Gleaming shrieked out her approval. “CADYYYYY!”

Cadance let out a lusty purr. She wrapped her hooves around Gleaming’s back legs and shoved her snout in hard, burying her tongue in Gleaming’s slippery folds and wiggling it around. The familiar sweetness of Gleaming’s juices filled her mouth, and she alternated between massaging her mate’s velvety walls and sucking on her clit.

There was a knock on the door.

“NO!” Gleaming snarled. She put a powerful barrier around the entrance and wrapped her legs around Cadance’s head. “I SWEAR IF YOU STOP…”

Cadance’s reply was to lick even faster.

“OOOH!” Gleaming threw her head back and pounded the bed. “THERE! YES! RIGHT THERE!”

Cadance was relentless. She ravaged Gleaming with her frantic tongue, lashing her love button without mercy and yanking on her tail. Then suddenly, she pulled back for a moment and lowered her head, and using magic to guide her, she plunged her horn into Gleaming’s slit and held it there.

“AHHHHHHH!~” Gleaming’s voice cracked as a mighty orgasm ripped through her. Her inner walls spasmed around Cadance’s fluted length, clamping down and shuddering in wild ecstasy. Cadance started channeling a spell through her horn, and the vibrations very nearly caused Gleaming to white out.

“My dear little sweethearts,” Cadance whispered, calling on her alicorn magic. She didn’t know for sure yet, they wouldn’t for another month at least, but a part of her told her that this was the right thing to do. A hot, syrupy essence bubbled out of her horn and seeped into Gleaming, imbuing her and the foals with divine energy. “Hush now… Mommy’s here…”

An inner light appeared from within Gleaming’s belly. It shone with a prismatic light for a few short seconds, and her navel, which had already been getting shallower and more sensitive the last few weeks, began to swell and throb. Gleaming cried out and thrust her paunch high into the air, and with a loud POP, her innie pushed out of its tight prison and became a prominent outie. The sensation was enough to give her another orgasm, and a shower of sparks shot out of her horn to fall down over them both.

Gleaming’s muscles went limp. She stared up at the ceiling and gasped for air, her whole body warm and fuzzy from the extended dual peaks. Cadance withdrew her horn with a soft shlick and looked her over, and upon noticing the changed bellybutton, she smiled mischievously and planted a kiss atop it.

Gleaming gasped as a pleasant jolt ran through her. “AH! Whoa, what… what was that?!”

Cadance raised an eyebrow. “Did that feel good?”

“Your Majesties!” A voice from beyond the door called. “Are you in there? Miss Azure Mist sent us. Could you let us in? The door seems to be locked!”

Cadance cringed and glanced at the still-blocked door. “Please tell me you soundproofed that barrier.”

Gleaming managed a weak laugh. “What do you... take me for? An amateur?”

Cadance pretended to think. “I dunno, your shield spells are pretty basic.”

“Pfft.” Gleaming magicked away her fluids and rolled to a more modest position. “Your face is basic.”

Cadance stuck her tongue out and cleaned off her horn. “Come on, let them in. We don’t want to start a panic.”

Gleaming hesitated. “You don’t want me to get you off?”

“Later.” Cadance went over to the other bed and sat down. “Right now, it’s pampering time.”

A small team of spa ponies came in to assist with the care of the royals. In a flurry of activity, the previously-vacant room became filled with the hustle and bustle of comings and goings, and they brought in a whole slew of tools, equipment, and items to see to Cadance and Gleaming’s grooming. The spa ponies explained that it was going to take them a bit to set up everything, so while they were waiting, one of the spa ponies adjusted the settings on one of the jacuzzis.

“Nice,” Gleaming said once it was ready. She stretched her legs and sauntered over to the hot tub, and after testing it with a hoof, she carefully stepped down and waded in. The warm, sudsy water bubbled and splashed around her knees and thighs, and when it got to her swollen belly, she let out a long sigh of relief.

“Mmmm…” She lowered herself in the rest of the way, submerging up to her neck and letting her mane spread out on the water like a blue-streaked island. Her legs became relieved of a good chunk of the weight they’d been carrying, and she just floated there for a few moments, enjoying the feeling of the water swirl around her. “Yeaaaaah, that’s goooooood…”

Cadance followed suit behind her. She stepped down into the water and gracefully swept past Gleaming, stealing a peck on the cheek as she went by. She sat on one of the bench seats and let her mane fall down into the water as well, closing her eyes with a small sound of satisfaction.

“Would your Majesties like to be washed while you wait?” Two of the spa ponies asked. In their magic was a small collection of soaps, shampoos, and brushes.

“Please,” Cadance replied. She fanned out her wings so that they could be cleaned. “Could you use the hazelnut oil today? I really liked that last time.”

“Of course,” the spa pony said. She went over to Cadance and began attending to her with a practiced ease. Meanwhile, Gleaming’s attendant came up from the side and bowed.

“I have some special shampoos for you,” the attendant said. “Their scents are mild, and are made specifically for sensitive skin.”

Gleaming smiled. “That is much appreciated. Thank you.”

The attendant began by taking out a pink, fluffy-looking sponge and wetting it in the water. There was a clinking of bottles as she chose among her selection, before eventually pulling out a yellow one with a label in slanted cursive. She squeezed out a healthy dollop of the sweet-smelling soap and began scrubbing Gleaming’s back, going about her task with finesse.

“Do your best to relax,” the attendant said. “I’ll handle the rest.”

“Will do…” Gleaming shut her eyes and leaned into the sponge. The attendant’s touch was like a feather, and apparently, she knew exactly how much force to apply without getting irritating. It was incredibly soothing, and Gleaming found herself falling into a trance, the rising steam of the water combining with the pleasant aroma of soap, and comfort of the gentle scrubbing.

Next, the attendant started washing her mane. Switching to just telekinesis, she began massaging a shampoo of rosemary and mint into Gleaming scalp. It felt pleasantly tingly, and Gleaming let her head fall forward a bit, allowing herself to enjoy the warm buzzing while the product sank into her roots.

“Don’t fall asleep on me,” Cadance teased, noting how low Gleaming’s head had dipped.

Gleaming made a small grunting noise. “Sleep is for the weak…”

“Is it?” Cadance said, chuckling. “Guess you must be pretty weak then, what with all those extra naps you’ve been taking.”

Gleaming stuck her tongue out at her. “You try eating five full meals a day without falling prey to food comas.”

Cadance leaned to the side at her attendant’s urging. “Speaking of which, I heard through the grapevine that you’ve been making a bit of a spectacle of yourself in the officer mess hall. What’s that about?”

“Oh, heh. That.” Gleaming idly pushed the water around a bit with magic. “The other officers have a bet that if any one of them can eat more than me in a single sitting, that pony won’t have to pay for drinks the next time they all go to the bar. Pretty silly, in all honesty.”

Cadance suppressed a snicker. “More like flat-out stupid. I’ve seen how much you can eat, and you’ve only been upping your portions lately. They don’t stand a chance in Tartarus.”

Gleaming snickered as well. “And to make the odds even worse against them, I’ve been using more magic in drills lately, so when I come in, I’m even hungrier. It’s getting to the point that they can’t even match half of what I put away.”

Cadance lowered her eyes, shivering giddily at the thought of Gleaming eating a group of big, strong military ponies under the table. She wasn’t entirely sure why that idea was hot to her, but she wasn’t kidding when she’d said a while back that just about anything involving Gleaming got her motor running.

The attendant finished with Gleaming’s mane, tended to her tail, then used a few other soaps on the rest of her. For her belly, she used a collagen-rich oil that smelled faintly of vanilla, which was probably Gleaming’s favorite scent out of all the things used. Then, after a few final touch-ups, the royals were notified that everything else was ready.

“So, what’s first?” Gleaming asked as she dried herself off.

“Massages.” Cadance rolled her shoulders and wiggled her wings, sluicing out the tiny droplets of water. It was actually funny to see her wings like that—like a pair of sodden, pink mats that dangled at her sides. They were certainly a far cry from the immaculate appendages they usually were. “You’ll be getting a different one than me, though.”

Gleaming nodded. “Yeah, ‘deep tissue’ doesn’t sound very appealing right now.”

They went over to the beds, where a duo of crystal ponies waited for them. Cadance went to the first and immediately began chatting away, while the second approached Gleaming with a slight hobble in her step.

“Good afternoon, Princess,” she said in a deep, smooth voice. “My name’s Amber. I’ll be giving you your prenatal massage today.”

Gleaming looked her over. Amber was a small, demure thing with a brown coat, an almost gaunt frame, wiry limbs, and a reddish mane and tail tied back in ponytails. She was an older mare, probably a little past middle-aged, and her eyes held a kindness that immediately set Gleaming at ease.

“Well hello, there.” Gleaming took Amber’s hoof and shook it, noting the hard, toned muscle of the masseuse’s leg. “I’ve a feeling I’m going to be in good hooves with you.”

“Hehe. I should certainly hope so.” Amber looked Gleaming over as well, examining her legs and frame with a trained eye. “Hmm… your body seems to be agreeing with the pregnancy so far. That’s good. Some mares aren’t so lucky, and I have to turn them down. Has your doctor said anything about not getting a massage?”

Gleaming shook her head. “He’s only said to avoid steam rooms and hot tubs.”

“Mmkay.” Amber led Gleaming over to the massage table and directed her to lay down on her side. “Any particular part of you that’s sore?”

Gleaming eased herself down onto the bed and got comfortable. “No, not really. Cady and my sister cast some spells to prevent that. The skin around my stomach feels a little irritated, though.”

Amber let out a dry laugh. “I wonder why.” She brought over a few pillows and put them beneath Gleaming’s shoulders and legs. “I’ll be sure to give your tummy lots of love as I go through the motions, so don’t worry about that. I can hydrate your skin with some special lotions, too.”

Gleaming’s ears twitched at the word ‘lotion’. “Do you… er, I mean, by chance are you planning on using coconut butter?”

Amber made an affirmative noise. “Among other things, yes. Why?”

Gleaming’s cheeks turned a faint pink, her voice turning quiet. “I really like the smell of it…”

Amber hummed thoughtfully. She turned around to a small basket of supplies she’d brought with her and rummaged around a bit. A few seconds later, she produced a silver jar and held it under Gleaming’s nostrils.

“What do you think of that?”

Gleaming took a sniff. A sweet, spicy aroma filled her nose, one that reminded her of fall days when the leaves were just falling, and the wind was still warm. It was also similar to the perfume her mother wore in autumn, meaning that Gleaming caught a whiff of it every time she gave her a hug.

“Wow...” Gleaming looked up at Amber with curious eyes. “What is that?”

“Coconut butter infused with frankincense and myrrh,” Amber replied. “It’s a little more fragrant than what I usually use in prenatals, but if you like it, we can give it a whirl.”

Gleaming nodded eagerly. “Yes, please.”

Amber moved out of Gleaming’s sight, and a moment later, she felt a pair of strong hooves spreading a slippery substance onto her back. The scent of the infused lotion wafted past her nostrils, and Gleaming relaxed further into the bed. She felt her mane being pulled to the side and tied in a rubber band so it wouldn’t get in the way, the cool air of the room tickling the swan-like arc of her neck.

“That’s really nice,” she murmured with a happy sigh. “Your Princess approves...”

Amber snickered. “You’re going to be putty in my hooves, aren’t you?”

“Mmm, probably…”

Amber started by pressing lightly along the base of Gleaming’s spine. She then began making her way up, gently kneading her back muscles and working out any kinks she found. She did this a few times, going back and forth in a methodical motion, and each time she pressed a little harder. She always kept her touch on the soft side, though, and it was never so much that it was bothering.

“You have very good muscle tone,” Amber observed. She twisted her hooves a little bit with her touches now, trying to loosen up the tight spots she found. “I can definitely tell you exercise regularly. Whatever you’re doing, keep it up. It’ll help support the extra baby weight.”

Gleaming felt like she was melting into the mattress. “Mmmhmm, s’part of the plan... these kids are gonna get big, so the stronger I can be, the better...”

Amber started concentrating on specific spots now, using both her hooves to squeeze and rub out the stiffness. “I can’t say whether I’m jealous, or sorry that you wound up with four at once. I know that a normal pony would have a near-impossible time of it, but you and Princess Cadance aren’t exactly normal, are you?”

Gleaming couldn’t help but laugh. “I suppose we’re not. I wouldn’t say that that’s a bad thing, though. S’made life interesting, at the very least.”

“For sure, for sure.” Amber switched positions and now started working on Gleaming’s upper back. She rubbed and worked Gleaming’s shoulder blades for a while, humming softly as she fell into a practiced routine. Gleaming’s eyes almost crossed from how good it felt, and a feeling of contentment was starting to buzz inside her head, like a dizziness that made her feel pleasantly loopy.

“Your pectoral and neck areas are tight,” Amber commented. She started rubbing just above Gleaming’s collarbone in little circles, steadily moving upwards before switching sides. “That’s pretty common in pregnancy, but you might want to consider wearing a maternity brace. It’ll help with soreness, and make it easier to keep your balance.”

Gleaming opened her eyes. “A maternity brace?”

“It looks kinda like a snuggie,” Amber said. “Helps distribute the baby weight, and keeps your bump from swinging all over the place. Might be something worth looking into, especially since your coat is white. Most ponies won’t even know you’re wearing it.”

Gleaming thought that for a moment. “Not… a bad idea. I’ll have to do some homework.”

Amber spent a few more minutes on Gleaming’s upper body, working out the tight spots and gradually coaxing out the kinks. Eventually she had Gleaming get up and lay on her other side, and after about ten minutes there, she moved down to Gleaming’s belly.

“All right.” Amber pressed a button at the base of the bed, and it started moving into a reclining position. “I’m gonna have you roll onto your back so I can get at all of you.”

Gleaming complied with a small grunt. As she did, she felt the pressure of her womb shifting against her insides briefly, but then things readjusted and normalized. Now settled, the swell of her stomach stuck proudly out into the air, and as Gleaming looked down at it, she couldn’t help but blush.

“Got an outie already, I see,” Amber said fondly, looking at the protruding nub. “Cute. Is it sensitive?”

Gleaming squirmed in place. “Ah... w-well, u-um...”

Amber snorted. “Let’s leave that area to your wife, then. Sound good?”

“Y-yeah,” Gleaming said. “Probably for the best…”

Amber spread out some more lotion onto Gleaming’s womb, kneading it in with a feathery touch. The slick, heavenly-smelling substance felt amazing to Gleaming, and the sliding of Amber’s hooves working it into her aching skin brought about a whole new set of wonderful tingles and flutters. Amber then started rubbing properly in a clockwise motion, starting at the base of Gleaming’s belly, slowly working her way upward.

“Oh, Celestia…” Gleaming held back a small moan as she broke out into goosebumps. “This should not feel this good.”

Amber smirked. “If I had a bit for every time I’ve heard that.”

“Mmh.” Gleaming started pushing into Amber’s strokes, trying to get her to push a little harder. Amber kept her force steady, though, staying focused on her task. She kept an eye on Gleaming’s reactions as to not go too far, but other than that she stayed quiet, letting the Princess enjoy her ministrations.

Gleaming felt herself starting to drift off. The feeling of Amber’s skilled touch was making her entire body feel warm and relaxed, and while she thought about fighting it at first, she finally just let mind sink into a floaty haze. She hovered in that place between asleep and awake, where time has no meaning, and everything feels like it’s underwater. She wasn’t sure how long she was like that, but at some point, she did feel Amber begin working on her legs a bit before finally stopping.

“All done, Your Highness,” Amber said in her ear.

Gleaming snapped out of her bliss. She was still staring up at the ceiling, although she’d never felt more relaxed in her life. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Amber was wiping her hooves off with a cloth.

“Whoa,” Gleaming said. “Didn’t think I’d doze off like that.”

“It’s par for the course, in all honesty,” Amber replied. “I take it as a compliment.”

Gleaming shook her head, trying to clear the fogginess a bit. “That was sure… something. I am definitely going to have to do that again.”

Amber bowed her thanks. “You know, I’d have to clear it with Azzy, but I could probably come to the castle for a session or two rather than have you come all the way out here. I imagine it’d be easier on you.”

“You’re hired,” Gleaming said immediately. “I hereby commission you for services as a Royal Masseuse. I’ll have the paperwork filled out by next week.”

Amber giggled. “I can’t very well refuse a royal request. Guess I’ll have to clear my schedule.”

“Damn straight,” Gleaming said, shaking her hoof. “And when you come, make sure to bring more of that coconut butter.”

A Few Hours Later—

“Feel any better?” Cadance asked.

Gleaming and Cadance were just walking back into the castle after finishing their appointment at the spa. They’d had the facials, horn filings, and hooficures all at the same time, and they’d both been so relaxed after the massages that they were both content to just let the spa ponies work.

“Yeah,” Gleaming replied. She and Cadance were both wearing makeup, had their manes done, and were wearing their finer sets of regalia. As a result, they were drawing quite a few stares from the guards and castle staff as they passed. “That really did the trick. Thanks.”

“Anytime.” Cadance patted Gleaming’s shoulder. “I could tell your nerves were shot.”

“These moodswings are driving me nuts,” Gleaming said. “One minute, I’m upbeat and I love life, then in a complete one-eighty, I want to watch the world burn. I could be having a perfectly normal day, then one little thing goes wrong, and I want to start crying. It really, really sucks! Not to mention it can’t be easy on the ponies around me.”

Cadance waved to a housekeeper they knew as they walked to the dining room. “That’s one of the reasons why I’ve been trying to get you to take things slower, hun. You’ll be able to manage your day better, and it won’t feel like you’re on a hair trigger. Take it from me, I know what it’s like dealing with a lot of stress while at the mercy of hormones.”

Gleaming sighed, but didn’t argue the point. “I’m just surprised that I haven’t gone off on you. I thought pregnant mares were supposed to hate their spouses.”

Cadance giggled. “Your spouse can sense emotions, as well as how ‘volatile’ said emotions are. I can tell when you’re at high risk of a moodswing, as well as when you’re just venting about something. I don’t take it personally.”

Gleaming leaned into her. “Thank you… I hate it when I run into somepony that doesn’t understand that. They think I’m attacking them, or something.”

They entered the main dining room, which was largely empty around this time of day. There were many places set up for eating in the castle, but this was the one most ponies preferred. Gleaming and Cadance were no exception to this, although they had a private room next to the kitchens to avoid bothering anypony. It was a small, quaint space with a crystal floors and a medium-sized table, decorated with transparent hexagonal crystals that allowed them to see underneath. A simple chandelier emblazoned with lavender stars hung from the ceiling, and a large window showing off the castle gardens was on the west side.

Gleaming and Cadance sat at their preferred spots and relaxed for a bit, enjoying the comfortable silence of each other’s company. It’d been quite a walk to the spa and back, and while neither of them were worn out, they were happy for a short rest.

Gleaming felt her stomach gurgled as she started to think about the things she wanted to eat. This was her third meal of the day, and she really wasn’t picky about eating certain things at a certain time. She pretty just went with whatever she felt like.

Cadance seemed to pick up on this. “What’cha you’re in the mood for?”

“Breakfast stuff,” Gleaming said immediately. “Pancakes, eggs, hay bacon, yogurt, granola, fruit, hash browns, muffins, scones, and cereal. Orange juice and milk to drink, please.”

Cadance took a few seconds to process all of that. “Were those all just suggestions, or do you actually want all those things?’

Gleaming licked her lips. “Well, I am a growing mare…”

Cadance’s eyes flickered to her wife’s swollen belly, and she had to bite her lip. Her eyes became half-lidded for an instant, but she shook her head and coughed.

“I’ll… send word to the kitchens.” She got to her hooves and walked away, her tail twitching from side to side. Gleaming watched her leave with a small snicker, taking note that her marehood looked a little flushed.

Gleaming zoned out for a little while Cadance was away. Her mind flitted from one topic to the next, never fixating on anything substantial. She raised one of her arms to her muzzle and sniffed, catching the sweet smell of lotion, and that perfume the spa ponies had used. She felt very much at peace, and it was the most mellow she’d felt in weeks.

Gleaming glanced over at her reflection in the window. A part of her still expected to see the bulky, buffed-out stallion she’d used to be, but instead she saw the very picture of femininity. Her face was slender and sultry, with bright, baby-blue eyes that shone and were emphasized by silver eyeshadow. Her three-toned mane was full and sleek, almost glowing in the light as it spilled around her graceful neck. Her pure-white coat was unblemished, immaculate as Celestia’s, and she smelled of mildly sweet spices. Her frame was filled out and solid, the built muscles adding to her curves for an almost buxom look. Her round, full belly stuck out proudly as a symbol of her fertility, and her soft, plush rump nearly spilled over the edges of her seat.

Gleaming examined herself for a few moments before whispering what’d been lurking in her mind for weeks.

“I really am a mare, aren’t I?”

“GENERAL!”

Gleaming jumped. Commander Spitshine was at the entrance of the private dining area, looking quite flustered and gritting his teeth.

“Where have you been?!” He marched up to Gleaming, his face twisted in a savage scowl. “You had a lecture with the troops at oh-nine hundred! I had to give it in your place and—what the... are you wearing makeup?!”

Gleaming narrowed her eyes. “I apologize, Commander. I had a matter of extreme importance that I had to address.”

Spitshine’s eye twitched. “Permission to speak freely, General.”

“Granted.”

“What the FUCK was so important that you needed to skip out on training the recruits?!” Spitshine looked like he was about to burst a blood vessel. “You’ve been on everyone’s asses for weeks, running these soldiers to their limits, and here you are looking like you just got back from a day spa? What the hell were you doing?! You may be knocked up, but you’re not a real mare, Shining Armor! Stop fucking pretending like you are!”

Gleaming swallowed hard. Even despite knowing that she outranked Spitshine, she was at a loss from this sudden outburst. It wouldn’t do well to say that she’d practically been foalnapped by Cadance, and her courage was suddenly absent, replaced by a knot twisting in her chest.

“I-I—

“Allow me to explain, Commander.”

Gleaming and Spitshine froze. They turned and looked to the kitchens, where Cadance was walking towards them with a steely glint in her eyes.

“Princess Cadance!” Spitshine bowed low. “I didn’t realize you were here, as well. I was just trying to—”

“Princess Gleaming and I were off getting prepared to make a public appearance,” Cadance said. She adjusted her crown before continuing. “We’re going to make another advocation for the B.R.E.A.S.T.S. program this afternoon, and we need to look our best.”

Spitshine’s face reddened at the acronym. “Y-You mean Princess Luna’s thestral repopulation plan? I believe I’ve heard about that, yes… you both are involved with its logistics?”

“We are.” Cadance took her seat and folded her hooves. “As you may or may not know, this endeavor is a matter of considerable importance to not only Equestria’s national security, but ours, as well. The longer we go without proper sentinels for our dreams, the greater risk we run of mass psychic attack. In addition, mental and psychic disorders have steadily been on the rise the past millennium, largely due to the thestrals being unable to do their jobs. This has resulted in greater government healthcare costs, which take away from things like military funding.”

Cadance leaned forward in her chair. “Princess Luna cannot be everywhere at once, Commander. She can protect us from obvious, large-scale assaults, but the subtle, smaller ones can and will add up. The Dream Guard has been comprised of interim officers for the last one thousand years, and none of them have been batponies, meaning we’ve essentially had subpar defenses all this time. The changeling attack on Canterlot happened because nopony noticed the psychic and emotional disturbance around Gleaming, or my imposter. Do you want to run the risk of that happening again, hmm? Would you like to be captured and imprisoned in darkness while some filthy parasite leeches off your loved ones?!”

Spitshine found himself at a loss for words. He looked between the two royals, but neither one held a note of jest in their faces. He mulled over what he’d just been told, the anger slowly draining. He blinked several times while he thought of how to reply, and when he began to speak, his voice was strangely sheepish.

“M-My apologies,” Spitshine said. “I didn’t realize that… I-I mean, I shouldn’t have assumed that—”

“You shouldn’t have assumed that your superior, the leader of our military and co-ruler of the Empire, skirted her duties to go play Pretty Little Princess in her own little drag show.” Cadance’s voice grew dangerously quiet. “Nor should you have tried to chew her out about it.”

Spitshine’s eyes went wide. “NO! I’d never… that’s not—”

“Do NOT lie to me.” Cadance’s magic pulsed at her command, and she stared him down as if he were a young foal. “I can see your emotions, Spitshine. The resentment, the scorn, the disgust you’ve developed for my beloved in her current state. I’ve let it slide because you’ve kept those feelings to yourself, but if it’s going to affect your performance, make you do something this out of line, then you need to take a furlough. You can come back when you’ve pulled your head out of your ass.”

Spitshine went white as a sheet, cowering under the force of Cadance’s power. He spluttered a bit for a while, but there wasn’t much of a counterpoint to be had. He fidgeted back and forth for a while, but ultimately, he gave up and hung his head.

“I’m… I’m sorry, Your Majesties. I really am having difficulty accepting the Prince as he is. I’m not sure why. I’ve been trying to push past it, but I’ve found myself frustrated at times…”

“MUCH more than that, I’d say,” Cadance snapped. “You didn’t just storm in here because you were frustrated.”

Spitshine didn’t deny that. Instead, he looked past Gleaming and Cadance with hollow eyes. “I… accept your order of a furlough. I promise I’ll do my best to come to terms with these feelings. Maybe I can nip this in the bud before it turns me bitter.”

Cadance’s eyes went soft. “It takes a wise pony to come to that realization themselves, Commander. You are relieved of duty until further notice. You will receive eighty percent of your regular stipend, but your benefits will stay the same. You will resume once Princess Gleaming has reverted to her original state.”

Spitshine’s posture slumped in defeat. “Understood.” And with a halfhearted bow, he turned and walked out of the dining room, his tail dragging behind him on the ground.

Gleaming watched him go, her mind utterly thrown for a loop. “That… came out of nowhere. Was he really…? I mean, did he actually…”

“Have that much of a problem with you?” Cadance sighed. “Unfortunately, yes. His emotions were starting to fester, too. It could’ve gotten bad if we’d left him be.”

Gleaming curled her lip. “I’ve been hard on him lately, and I guess he did seem a little on edge, but… geeze...”

Cadance fiddled with her fork and spoon. “Seems you’re going to have to find a new second-in-command, now. Sorry about that.”

“How many other ponies are like that?” Gleaming said, her eyes wincing. “I mean, there can’t be many, can they?”

Cadance watched as their food was brought in from the kitchens by the tray, the majority of it going to Gleaming. “As far as ponies in the castle, he was the worst by far.But as for the rest of the city… you’re never going to please everyone, love. You know that.”

Gleaming looked away from her food, suddenly not so hungry anymore. “I suppose we’ll actually have to make that PSA about Luna’s program now…”

Cadance nodded, a morose look on her face. “Yeah, I guess we will. Let’s do it after lunch.”

10 - The Pondering

The Pondering

——————————————————————————————

Two Weeks Later (Week 18)-

Gleaming couldn’t sleep.

It’d been one of those nights where she’d tossed and turned for no particular reason, unable to get comfortable, no matter which position she tried. Left side made her shoulder feel sore. Right side made her legs wiggly. Back? Never could sleep like that. Twilight and Cadance’s spells may have made it so she wouldn’t have her bladder squished, or be short of breath, but sleeping on her back still gave her muscle cramps. And as for on her stomach, well… that was out of the question for the foreseeable future.

Gleaming opened her eyes and looked out into the darkness. The bedroom was quiet and still, the only sounds being the buzz of a fan in the corner, and the deep, slow breathing of Cadance. Normally, Gleaming could just listen to the slumbering sounds of her spouse and get drowsy herself, but tonight was an exception. The embrace of sleep continued to consistently elude her, and she was basically just lying there idly while her mind ran a million miles a minute.

Sighing, Gleaming slid out of bed. She yawned and went over to the closet, pulling out a worn night robe to wear. As she tried to get it on, though, she discovered a bit of a problem. The robe was the same one she’d had for years (an old Hearth’s Warming Gift from her mother), and seeing as it was made for a stallion, it didn’t fit her so well right now. The cloth cinch barely went around her burgeoning barrel, and it felt uncomfortably tight around her hips, as well.

Gleaming fiddled with it for a minute to try and see if she could get it to fit better, but she was starting to accept that clothing was a very nebulous thing when pregnant with four foals. Finally, she gave up and put it back, instead floating over the maternity brace she’d gotten last week.

She looked the item over with a smirk. It’d surprised her how comfortable this darn thing was. It was a one-piece article that went over her head and slipped all the way down past her hips, with sleeves for all four of her legs to allow full range of maneuverability. The middle part was made of a stretchy, yet supportive kind of fabric, and the whole thing was white so as to blend in with her coat. Well, except for the back portion. That was enchanted to be transparent, allowing her cutie mark to be seen.

Shrugging, Gleaming put the brace on and zipped it up. Almost immediately she felt sturdier with the added support, but not stiflingly tight. She’d been told that she’d outgrow the thing in a few months, though, and when that happened, she’d need to get a custom one made. Personally, though, she suspected it might be sooner than that. She’d gained another five pounds in the last two weeks, and her last fundal height measurement had been thirty-five centimeters. She essentially looked nine months pregnant, and within another two weeks, she’d probably be the same size as most mares when they were about to deliver.

Heck, maybe bigger.

Gleaming took a few steps to test the brace. It was snug and secure, making so her belly didn’t sway back and forth. It did turn her stride into a bit of a waddle, but that was inevitable sooner or later. Cadance had actually mentioned that she liked the look, matter of fact. Said it gave Gleaming’s gait the heavy grace pregnant mares were known for.

“Mmh… Honey?”

Speaking of which...

Gleaming turned. Cadance had sat up in bed and had lit her horn with a faint glow, rubbing her eyes as she glanced at the clock.

“S’two in the morning...” she said groggily. “Wuz wrong?”

Gleaming gave her a sad smile. “Brain doesn’t wanna slow down. You know how it is sometimes. Think I’m gonna go for a walk, try and wind down. Maybe drop by the kitchens for a snack.”

“Mmm, y’sure?” Cadance mumbled. “Could just make somethin’ here. Dun need to go all that way…”

“I wanna walk more than I want to eat something,” Gleaming said. “I might not even go down that way. Don’t know yet.”

“Okay, if that’s what’cha want...” Cadance plopped back down and closed her eyes. “Dun’ be gone long. Sheets’ll get cold…”

“I won’t, love. I’ll be back soon.”

Cadance’s reply was a faint snore.

Quietly, Gleaming snuck out of the bedroom and left their apartment, nodding once to her slightly-surprised night guards. They made to follow after her as she walked down the hall, but she glanced back and shook her head. Reluctantly, they stayed at their post while she walked off, but as they did, they couldn’t help but sneak a peek at her supple, swaying rear.

“Dat ass,” the first guard whispered.

“Best job ever,” the second guard agreed.

Gleaming found herself wandering down the silent halls without any real purpose. There was a lingering fatigue in her mind, like a vague, stretched-out feeling, and it made her thoughts linger on random, pointless things. It was difficult to concentrate on anything meaningful, so she didn’t really try. But she didn’t have anything particular she wanted to sort out, anyway, so she just went wherever her legs carried her, enjoying the peaceful serenity of the night.

One wouldn’t know it from looking outside, but it was currently the third week of September. The Crystal Empire was locked in its perpetual state of Spring, as always, and there was very little fluctuation in their forecasts. In other places of the world, though, the signs of Fall were abundant: Orange leaves falling as the blustery wind picked up, steady rainstorms being moving in and out by bustling pegasi, near-constant overcast skies to allow the earth to shed the heat of Summer. Gleaming did sometimes miss the changing of the seasons, but she also couldn’t deny that the consistent balmy weather made scheduling things outdoors a lot easier.

She lingered in a stairway to look out a window at the city below. The streets were lit with twinkling lights here and there, creating a blend of grays and blacks that reminded her of a patchwork quilt. A specific patchwork quilt, actually, one that her father had inherited from his grandmother, and had kept out in the living room. Gleaming had many fond memories of falling asleep wrapped in the warmth of that quilt, all the way from when she was just a foal to her teenage years, and as these memories came to mind, she made a note to ask her father if she could be the one to next inherit it. She’d love it if her own kids could snuggle under it, as well.

Next, Gleaming stopped by the room just below their apartment. Originally just a spare place to store guard equipment and cleaning supplies, it was now in the midst of being renovated into a nursery and playroom for the kids. One of the walls had been knocked out, turning it into an extra-large space, and there were marks on the floor and ceiling for where a staircase to their apartment was planned. A decent amount of progress had been made on this room as of late, but it was still very much in the process of construction.

“Kinda like you guys,” Gleaming said, giving her womb a loving pat.

She walked into the unfinished room and glanced around, trying to imagine what it’d look like come next summer. Right now, the floor was covered in plastic sheets to protect it from scuffing, and the walls were bare and unpainted. Table saws, drills, workbenches, rolls of fiberglass, nail guns, extension cords, buckets of plaster, and other assorted construction materials were strewn about hodgepodge, along with various boxes all over the place. The ceiling tiles had been removed to do electrical work, and the place felt cold, listless, and empty.

“Not really much yet, is it?” Gleaming tried to remember what her own nursery had looked like, but found that she didn’t recall much. Only vague impressions, really. The walls were cream-colored. The carpet was soft. There was a rocking chair in the corner. Lots of assorted toys everywhere. Everything else was a blur. She did know a few other things Mom and Dad had told her after the fact, like that she’d had a mobile of the sun and the moon over her crib, but that was too early to remember.

Gleaming gave up trying to remember her own nursery, and focused on Twilight’s instead. Now that’s something she remembered with clarity. The walls were a pale mauve with swirls on them. The ceiling was painted to look like the starry night sky, and the carpet was a dark gray. Her crib was a simple thing that did its job well enough, there was a changing table next to it, and her blankets and diapers were all either indigo or purple. It was a very subdued, calming room that Twilight seemed to like, although she was always awake at odd hours regardless, and Mom and Dad had a lot of trouble getting to sleep as a result.

Gleaming tried to see what else she remembered. Mom had always liked to read to Twilight, and so there was a bookcase in her room filled with children’s books. Dad liked to put Twilight on the floor and watch her wiggle and crawl around. Then later, he started doing it again so he could play with her and her toys. Both Mom and Dad liked to rock her to sleep in Grandma Starlight’s old rocking chair. Oh, and there was a weird-looking baby monitor by the crib, which they kept on when they weren’t in the room.

“There’s so much to get ready for...” Gleaming chewed on her lip and sat on her haunches, trying to run through the list of things yet to be done. They had seven months to prepare, but that was going to pass by in the blink of an eye. Often times she’d make lists in her mind to make sure she didn’t miss anything, and all her friends loved to give her crap about it. But she couldn’t help it! There were a lot of things to account for, after all, and the amount of things she could help out with was going to decrease along with her mobility, and stamina. The ponies that they hired as helpers was going to be crucial, as the wrong individual may send everything spiralling out of control. Not to mention the ponies they hired to help them look care for the kids once they were born. The wrong pony THERE could be disastrous to their upbringing! And on top of all that, there was the consideration of spending enough time with the kids while balancing work, meal scheduling, schooling, what toys to buy, how to discipline them, and overall just maintaining a presence in the kids’ lives—

Gleaming rubbed her temples with a grunt. She’d continually had to remind herself that over-preparation and constant worrying wasn’t going to do her any favors, but even with that knowledge, it wasn’t something she could just switch off.

She wasn’t overly stressed out now, at least. Sure, there was a fair bit of responsibility that came with being a military general, and co-head of a government’s legislation, but she enjoyed that responsibility. And it was mostly routine by this point, anyway: Oversee drills, fill out paperwork, instruct the recruits, fill out more paperwork, hold court, even more paperwork, look over bill proposals (which was nothing but paperwork), et cetera, et cetera. She didn’t have as much free time as she would’ve liked, but it was a pretty cushy job, all things considered, and the hardest part was having to tell others to do things all the time. She was used to doing things herself!

Gleaming exhaled out her nose. She needed to stop worrying herself into a frenzy. Easier said than done, but it’s what everypony kept telling her, so maybe she should start listening to their advice.

Her thoughts contemplative, Gleaming turned and walked out of the room. Perhaps a midnight snack would do the trick, after all. Vanilla ice cream with salted caramel and raisins sounded good...

One Trip to the Kitchens Later-

“HALT!”

A pegasus standing by a heavily-locked door flared his wings. On these wings were a pair of wicked-looking wingblades, and he raised them in a very real combat stance. “Who goes there?!”

Gleaming stepped out of the shadows from where she’d been watching. “At ease, Lieutenant Steelwing. Just making some rounds.”

Steelwing’s eyes wide. “G-General!” He folded his wings and bowed low. “Forgive me, I didn’t—”

“—think top brass would be up wandering around the castle at night?” Gleaming adopted a playful grin. “Hey, I gotta make sure the Heartguard is doing their job, and not just laying around like sacks of shit.”

The Heartguard was a special task force assigned to guarding the Crystal Heart around the clock. It was comprised of ponies whose skills and talents were all different from one another, so as to minimize the effectiveness of an enemy attack. The details of said talents were a closely kept secret, and only a few ponies outside the Heartguard knew the specifics.

Obviously, two of those ponies were Gleaming and Cadance.

Steelwing stifled a snicker. “No laying around here, ma’am. Captain Deadeye would put an arrow through my cutie mark if I tried, and I don’t even wanna know what you’d do.”

The grin on Gleaming’s face turned sinister. “I’ll give you a hint—it would involve hedge cutters.”

Steelwing shuddered. “Y-Yeah… like I said.”

Gleaming gestured at the tightly locked door. “How’s the Heart?”

“Same as always,” Steelwing said. “Haven’t had anything go on in months. About the most exciting thing that’s happened lately is when you and Princess Cadance borrowed it some months back.”

Gleaming coughed a bit at that. “Yes… h-heh. I do remember that.”

“But it’s been quiet otherwise.” Steelwing stretched out one of his armored wings, inspecting the scythe-like blade that both protected his limb, and made for a deadly cutting weapon. The razor-sharp edge was on the outer portion, allowing him to parry and slash at lightning speed. “Usually only see the nightly patrols, cleaning staff... and the occasional lost cook.”

Gleaming cocked her head. “Lost cook?”

Steelwing laughed. “One of their new kitchen staff stumbled down here on her first day, exasperated as Tartarus and almost in tears. Took me ten minutes to calm her down, then ten more to give her directions on where to go. She was so grateful, she brings me snacks now when she’s on break.”

Gleaming watched Steelwing closely, take note of the fondness in his voice. “Sounds like you’ve made a friend.”

Steelwing shuffled back and forth, his lips pursed into a thin line. “I guess I have… hey erm, General, I know this is random, but… may I ask about something?”

Gleaming raised an eyebrow. “Sure.”

“What did you and Princess Cadance need the Heart for?” Steelwing asked. “We all felt the power surge when it was activated that night. Obviously it didn’t do any harm, but the Heartguard’s been going bonkers trying to figure out exactly what happened. They’ve even been taking bets on it.”

Gleaming thought about that. She and Cadance hadn’t made the knowledge of that night public, and while she wasn’t going to reveal the more… passionate events, she didn’t see the harm in divulging some vague details.

“Well…” Gleaming took a deep breath. “As you and the rest of the Empire know, Princess Cadance is completely barren. She will be unable to carry or conceive a child for a very long time due to a curse cast on her by King Sombra. This was a problem, as she and I both wanted kids, and we wanted the kids to be our own.”

Steelwing nodded. “I do remember hearing that much.”

Gleaming swished her tail a bit, noting (not for the first time) the weirdness of not having any male parts back there. “We eventually found a way to get around this little… roadblock, but in order to do it, we needed several things. One of those things was the Crystal Heart’s power, and another was my willingness to carry the child as a mare. We gathered all the other necessary things together, and once we were ready, we used the Heart to conceive.”

“But how, exactly?” Steelwing pressed. “What’d the Crystal Heart’s power do?”

Gleaming sucked on her teeth. That... was getting a little more detailed than she wanted to get into. Partly because it was a little embarrassing, and partly because there wasn’t an easy way to say that the Heart’s power allowed Future-Cadance’s sperm to fertilize her eggs and become whole new entities that wouldn’t get rubber banded back to the future.

“I’m afraid that’s classified, Lieutenant,” was all Gleaming said.

Steelwing’s ears drooped. “Aww...”

Gleaming rolled her eyes. “It’s not as exciting as you think; I’d just rather not talk about it without Cadance being present. It was more her brainchild than mine, and I’d probably wind up botching the explanation of it.”

Reluctantly, Steelwing dropped it and looked down the hallway with unfocused eyes. “Can I ask something else, then?”

“Shoot.”

The young guard’s gaze fell on Gleaming, taking in her slender neck, smaller frame, wider hips, and rounded belly. There was an odd look in his eyes, not of lust, desire, or derision, but of something else.

“What’s it like?”

Gleaming blinked several times. “Being pregnant? Or being a mare?”

Steelwing shuffled back and forth. “Both.”

Gleaming pursed her lips, contemplating the question for a few seconds. “Being a mare isn’t all that different. Aside from the obvious, the changes have been mostly in how ponies treat me. Some seem more willing to open up and express their feelings, others seem more awkward, a few have been downright hostile, and then there’s ponies like you, who are mostly just curious about the whole thing. I do get more passive-aggression directed my way at first, but most get over it once they realize I’m still me.”

Steelwing nodded. “And being pregnant?”

Gleaming’s eyes grew warm. “Heh. Let me put it this way. Do you enjoy protecting others, Lieutenant?”

Steelwing furrowed his brow. “That’s why I’m in the military, General. It’s also why I like being part of the Heartguard.”

“Imagine this, then,” Gleaming said. “There’s a pony, possibly even more than one, who is completely and utterly innocent—has done nothing wrong in any way. That pony is completely dependant on you for everything, and the bastion that keeps them safe is your very body. You have to watch over and care for them like this for an entire year, and everything you do, from the things you eat, to the amount of stress you’re under, to the kind of exercise you get, everything will have an effect on them. How would you feel about all that?”

Steelwing slowly tilted his head from side to side, giving the question careful consideration. “I’d feel… pretty damn important. I’d also be really self-conscious, and probably really nervous all the time. I imagine it’d be easy to get overly critical and micromanage everything I was doing... but knowing that I’m doing something that cool? Especially if the payoff is that the pony gets a chance at life because of me?”

Steelwing smirked. “I bet that would feel pretty fucking awesome.”

Gleaming patted his shoulder. “Good answer. Do me a favor and spread that attitude around a bit, would you? I’ve run into a few ponies lately that could stand to think like that.”

Steelwing saluted. “Will do, ma’am.”

“That’s what I like to hear. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to go in and take a look at the Heart. Could you do the honors?”

Steelwing straightened. “At once, ma’am!” He trotted over to the door and produced both a set of glowing keys, and a simple black disc. The simple black disc began to whir and hum upon being touched, releasing a quick burst of blue magic that filled the hallway.

FLASH!

“Registered users identified,” the black disc chirped. “General and Princess Consort Gleaming Shield, Unicorn, Female. No undeclared spells found. Lieutenant Steelwing, Pegasus, Male. No undeclared spells found. Declare Authorization Codes now.”

“Lieutenant Steelwing, authorization delta-five-six-nine-two-zero,”

“General Gleaming Shield, authorization alpha-nine-six-four-two-seven.”

The black disc let out a pleasant chime. “Outer security system disabled. You may now remove the locks.”

Steelwing unlocked the doors and stepped aside for Gleaming. She thanked him and walked inside, the doors closing behind her with a heavy THUD.

The Crystal Heart was only put out on display outside during the daytime. There’d been some deliberation about this when it’d initially been recovered, but it was decided that the courtyard beneath the castle was simply too vulnerable a place to keep the most the nation’s most important relic. The more conservative types insisted on tradition, though, so a compromise was made to have it out during normal work hours. The rest of the time, it was kept safe under lock and key.

It was a rather impressive system they’d set up. The outer portion was pretty basic stuff, just a device to detect concealing and mind-control magic, a powerful barrier rigged to an alarm, and an enchanted key that could only be used be a member of the Heartguard. That could all be circumvented, though, and both Cadance and Gleaming knew it. That’s why the inner portion was beefier, with rows upon rows of enchantments to prevent magical infiltration, and attuned to only specific ponies’ magical signature. In addition to this, there were the physical defenses—walls of impenetrable crystal embedded into the very foundation of the castle, and if any of them were compromised, it would trigger the alarm and defense systems.

The room was small, only about the size of a living room. Glowing runes covered the floor in intricate arcane patterns, and the only light in the room came from the Crystal Heart’s luminance. A set of stairs led up to its resting place, and the whole place held a solemn reverence.

Gleaming trotted past the enchantments and walked up to where the Crystal Heart was stored. It hovered serenely in midair like it always did, held aloft by its own magics between two pillars. This close, Gleaming could actually feel the magical energies flowing off the artifact, along with that the subtle, hypnotic hum that it always gave off, and it made her horn feel all tingly and strange.

“Hey, you,” Gleaming said. “Remember me?”

The Crystal Heart was an old, old thing. It’d been around since even before the days of the Crystal Empire’s first ruler, Princess Amore, and for as long as anypony could remember, it’d been a key component in protecting the northern lands from the forces of evil. Gleaming was aware that the Heart’s magic had some kind of tie-in with the future and destiny—hence why she and Cadance had been able to use it the way they had—but as to the specifics of how it worked...

“Cady told me you used to be able to show ponies the future.” Gleaming circled around the Heart, examining it with a critical eye. “Way back in the day, all ponies had to do was touch you, and you’d give them a glimpse of their destiny. But you haven’t done anything like that since we recovered you from Sombra. Why?”

She stared into the shining recesses of the azure relic, watching her reflection break up on its facets like a madmare’s self-portrait. It’s pure, radiant power washed over her and swept through her body, giving her features a faint, crystalline shimmer.

“I want to see my future,” Gleaming whispered, her voice lost in the hum. “No… I want to see their future. I want to know if they’re going to be alright. I want to there’s anything I can do to help them. I want to know if I’m going to be a good parent, and what role I should play in order to support them. I want to know whether or not Cady and I will have more kids after these four are born, and if so, how…”

The Heart gave no answers to her questions, no insight to her destiny, no comfort for her doubts. It just hovered there and radiated its ancient power, a wellspring of magic that had endured for millennia.

Holding her breath, Gleaming reached out and touched the Heart…

Tink

...but nothing happened.

Gleaming hung her head. She hadn’t really expected anything, of course. She wasn’t really sure why she’d come here in the first place. Maybe because she was bored, maybe because she was paranoid, or maybe it was because she just wanted to come and see the thing that’d helped make the four little miracles inside her. It could’ve been all of those things at once. She’d just gotten a feeling that this was where she was supposed to be right now, and she hadn’t really seen a reason why not.

With a small snort, Gleaming let her hoof fall and turned to leave—

thump

“Ah?!” She suddenly went stiff as a board. She’d just felt a… a… something tickle her insides, and it’d almost felt like… like... like there were butterflies in her gut! What the hay?!

thump... thump

There it was again! It was coming from her right side, near her belly button! She put her hoof on her stomach, and as she did, she managed to feel the faintest brush of something within her, shifting and wiggling about.

th-thump thump… thump.

It was the most peculiar thing she’d ever felt. It was kinda like the pressure from indigestion, except that wasn’t uncomfortable. This felt almost… pleasant?

Thump. Thump.

As Gleaming swivelled her neck back to look at her bulging belly, she caught a glimpse of a tiny little bump appear on her right side before disappearing.

And that’s when she realized what she was feeling.

It was a kick.

One of her foals, kicking.

Her children were beginning to move.

Gleaming’s eyes started to feel hot. Her throat gradually went tight, and she sniffled softly in the dimly-lit room. She made no effort to stop the tears that fell from her eyes, and she simply sat down and stroked her womb, watching and feeling her the first indication that the foals inside her were real.

“Th-thank you...” Gleaming didn’t know if gratitude was actually owed to anything or not, but in that moment, she didn’t really care. “Thank you, thank you thank you, thank you so much...”

The Next Day-

“There! Right there!” Gleaming said gleefully to Cadance. “You had to have noticed that one.”

Gleaming was laying on the living room couch with Cadance beside her, her head resting on Gleaming’s swollen belly. She was listening closely, carefully, trying to discern the soft movements within.

Cadance’s eyes flew open. “Th-That was a thump… a real, solid, honest-to-Celestia thump... they really are moving!”

Gleaming squee’d with delight. “I know! Isn’t it great?! I think it’s just one of them right now. I can’t even imagine what it’s gonna feel like when all four of them start wiggling!”

Cadance’s mouth quivered, her vision going blurry and unfocused. “Honey…”

Gleaming clapped her hooves, her eyes getting watery as well. “W-We’re parents, Cady! It’s really *sniff* happening! We’re doing it!”

Cadance pulled Gleaming into a passionate kiss, which then rolled into a second, a third, and a fourth. Gleaming wrapped her arms around Cadance’s neck and kissed her hungrily, their tears falling between their lips and onto their dancing tongues.

“I love you,” Cadance whispered once they broke. “So very, very much... thank you for doing this... thank you for being understanding...”

Gleaming wiped Cadance’s eyes with a fetlock. “Hey, what’re you thanking me for? It’s not like you were the only one pushing for kids. If anything, I think I was gunning for it more than you were.”

Cadance nuzzled her neck. “I don’t know about that. We were both pretty gung-ho for about a year there.”

“But I was the one who first brought it up,” Gleaming pointed out. “And besides, if I’d really been opposed to this idea, it would’ve taken more than a fifteen-minute presentation to convince me! I really am okay with this, Cady. You don’t need to feel anxious about it.”

Cadance played with a lock of Gleaming’s mane. “You... did agree faster than I thought you would. I thought it’d take at least a few days to talk you into it. I was actually a little worried that I came off as too pushy.”

Gleaming sat up a bit on the couch, adjusting herself so that she was laying on her side. “I had a chance to think about a lot of stuff last night. Remember when you said you could tell there was a part of me that was actually kinda excited about this idea?”

Cadance thought for a minute. “Back at the beginning, yeah.”

“Well, you were right.” Gleaming smiled and put a hoof on her tummy. “Look, it’s kinda hard to suddenly shake off the morals and role you’ve been brought up to follow at the drop of a hat. So yeah, my kneejerk reaction was ‘fuck no,’ but almost anypony’s would be. It was mostly because I knew how much change it would bring. I hate change. You know that.”

Cadance looked away. “I… do know that. I’m sorry, love. I handled that badly. I should’ve broken it to you more gently.”

“It’s okay,” Gleaming said. “The more I thought about it, the more I realized you were right. I’ve always been a little curious, and to be honest, being pregnant was one of the things I’ve wondered about the most. I’ve spent my life building up a masculine image, yeah, but I mostly did it because I thought I wassupposed to do that. It had almost next to nothing to do with my natural inclinations, and if things had been different, I might’ve turned out a very different pony.”

Cadance rolled her eyes. She put her hoof on top of Gleaming’s, a fond smile gradually creeping up on her face. “Listen to you, over-analyzing all of this, trying to psychoanalyze yourself. You’re so much like Twilight sometimes.”

Gleaming snorted. “More like Twilight and I are a lot like our mom. She’s the one who analyzes, micromanages, and makes lists. Oh, and on that note, I wouldn’t be surprised if one or more of our kids winds up following in the same vein. Be prepared for lots of checklists.”

Cadance shook her head in dismay. “Such a family of goofballs.” She put a wing around Gleaming and squeezed her tight. “What did I do to deserve all of you?”

Gleaming waggled her eyebrows. “Oh, hush. You know you like it.”

Cadance leaned in and kissed her again. “Never said I didn’t.”

Knock, knock, knock.

Both of them looked to the door. It was an early Saturday morning, and they hadn’t been expecting anybody to come visit them today.

Cadance and Gleaming looked at each other, then shrugged. They were both decent, so there was no reason to delay.

“Come in!” Cadance called.

The door opened, and in walked Rex, stoic, impassive, and curly as ever. She bowed to them both them both and stood at attention, her lips only twitching slightly when she saw them cuddled on the couch.

“You two are going to give me diabetes at this rate,” she said.

Cadance laughed. “Well we have to figure out some way to get you to crack a smile. Can’t have you being a Gloomy Gus all the time.”

Amusement danced in Rex’s eyes. “It’s a rare day that my mood resembles anything close to ‘gloomy,’ Princess. You of all ponies should know that.”

Cadance snickered. “Oh, I do. Why do you think I have you work so closely with us?”

“Hey there, Rex,” Gleaming chimed in. “How you doing? Everything alright?”

Rex cleared her throat and produced a sealed manila folder. “We’ve just received the final count of Crystal Empire volunteers for Princess Luna’s thestral surrogate program. I thought you’d want to see.”

“Ooooh! Gimme gimme gimme!” Cadance snatched the folder in her magic and floated it over.

She opened it and leafed through the packet inside, muttering to herself while Gleaming looked on beside her.

“Analysis of promotional marketing campaign… preliminary medical tests exclude twelve percent of initial subjects… national budget will need to be assessed… projected employee needs exceed current medical rosters… draw up proposals for facilities expansion and renovation… we knew all of this already,” Cadance said. “Where’s the final count?”

“Check the second page again,” Gleaming said. “I think I saw something there.”

Cadance flipped to the front and scanned it again. I took her a few seconds, but when she finally found it, she about damn near fainted.

“Buh…”

“What?” Gleaming said. “Did you find it? Where—oh, there it… is…”

“Care to share?” Rex asked. “I’ve been somewhat curious about this, myself.”

Cadance looked up at Rex with a dazed expression. “S-Six thousand, two hundred and ninety-four.”

Rex’s wings fluttered a bit at her sides. “Oh. Ah, erm… yes. That’s… quite a few.”

“Yeah,” Cadance said, her mind still reeling. “Quite a few volunteers… quite a few batponies...”

“So Cady,” Gleaming said nervously. “Heh heh… r-remember all those things I was saying to Apogee? Y-You know, building a facility, adding a new wing to at least one of the hospitals, all that stuff? I th-think we’re gonna need to honor that...”

11 - The Petorojen

The Petorojen

——————————————————————————————

Two Weeks Later (Week 20)-

“I still think it’s an even split,” Cadance said. “Two boys, two girls.”

Gleaming shook her head. “That just isn’t statistically likely. My bet’s on three girls, one boy.”

The ultrasound room hadn’t changed since Gleaming’s session three months ago. Same sterile white walls, same unnaturally-bright lights that left a nasty glare, same unnerving pictures of mare and fetal anatomy posted everywhere. The ultrasound machine didn’t look like it’d been moved so much as an inch, and while the place wasn’t dusty or in disrepair, she could tell it wasn’t used all that often.

At least the bed was pretty comfortable. Gleaming was already on it lying down on her side, and Cadance was sitting on a stool with wheels, scooting all around the room.

“Oh, phooey on your statistics,” Cadance said. She hadn’t been able to stay still since they left the apartment, and she’d been spending the majority of the time either fiddling with her mane, messing with her regalia, or playing with various things in the room. “I say we’re gonna get two of each! Call it a mare’s intuition.”

Gleaming raised an eyebrow.

Cadance giggled. “Whoops. Guess that one doesn’t work so well right now. But still!”

Absentmindedly, Gleaming ran her hoof along the edge of her lady bits. Even though she hadn’t had a sheath down there for five months, it still felt weird at times. “Suit yourself. I’m gonna stick with the odds, though.”

Cadance blew a raspberry at her. “What about species, then? We haven’t talked about that too much. What do you think they’re gonna be? Think we’re gonna get an alicorn?”

Gleaming chewed on her lip. She looked down at her belly, which had been growing at a rate of a little over half a centimeter a day. She’d been gaining about half a pound a day, too, and looked damn near full term already. It was kinda surprising how fast things had started to progress.

“We might?” she said slowly. “I don’t know what the odds are. Not even Twily did. Your guess is as good as mine.”

Cadance came over and began rubbing Gleaming’s side. “It’ll be a surprise for both of us, then. Have you felt anything at all? Any particularly strong kicks? Prodding too small to be a hoof? That kind of thing?”

Gleaming thought for a moment. “I’ve felt prods, pokes, and flutterings, yeah, but nothing meaningful. Unicorn horns don’t get hard until a few weeks after birth, and I’ve no idea what wings feel like. About all I can tell from them moving is how many of them are awake.”

Cadance snickered. “And do they like to be awake.”

It’d been a challenge trying to sleep lately. It seemed like at least one of them liked to squirm around at all times, more than one whenever Gleaming laid down at night. It’d gotten so bad that Cadance had started using love magic in order to pacify them.

Gleaming stifled a yawn and rubbed her eyes. “You’re telling me.”

Knock, knock, knock.

“Come in!” Cadance called.

The door opened, and two ponies came inside. The first was Doctor Endo, Gleaming and Cadance’s primary doctor and obstetrician. He smiled warmly as he entered.

“Good afternoon, Majesties,” he said. “How’s everything going?”

The second however, was a stranger. She was an old unicorn mare, thin, short and frail, with a snow-white mane done up in a bun and a faded, pale blue coat. She was wearing a worn pair of saddlebags, her cutie mark was a staff with a white snake wrapped around it, and her wrinkled face looked like it had been chiseled out of stone. Her expression was impassive as she bowed to Cadance, but as soon as she saw Gleaming in all her pregnant glory, her watery eyes lit up with a surprising vigor.

“My, you’re a big one!” she said in a dry, deep alto. “And here I thought Endo was exaggerating like always. You got knocked up real good there, didn’t ya?”

Gleaming blinked several times. “Wat.”

“Heh, lemme get a good look’atcha.” She limped over with a slow, awkward gait, pulling out a pair of half-moon spectacles. “How ya been feelin’ so far? Tired? Woozy? Light-headed at all? I’ll bet you haven’t gotten much sleep with all them kids kickin’ ya.”

Gleaming noticed that Endo looked thoroughly amused. Cadance just seemed confused, although… her eyes were glued to the old mare’s cutie mark for some reason.

“Your Highnesses,” Endo said, trying to keep the laughter out of his voice. “Do you recall our discussion about bringing in a specialist from Canterlot? Allow me to introduce my former mentor, Doctor Natal. She’s the most knowledgeable scientist alive in pony gestation and genetics.”

“Call me Talia.” She pulled a stethoscope out from her bags and began listening to Gleaming’s chest. “And I’m a retired scientist, Endo. Only reason I’m here is because you put such a tantalizin’ carrot in front of my nose. Oh, and don’t listen to him, Majesties. I’ve worked on teams with ponies ten times smarter than I’ll ever be. They all just happen to be dead now, that’s all... breathe in deep for me, would ya hun? Just like that, yeah… now take another one, but this time, hold it in. That’s it...”

Gleaming was a bit taken aback by this elderly mare ignoring pleasantries and just going straight into an examination, but at the same time, something about Talia immediately set Gleaming at ease. She abruptly found herself relaxing, even as she was poked and prodded.

“Wait, Doctor Natal?!” Cadance said, her eyes going wide. “The Doctor Natal? The Neighbel Prize winner and obstetrics guru?!”

Endo grinned. “That’d be her.”

Cadance went pale. “I-I… you… buh…”

“Oh, for Luna’s sake.” Talia took off the stethoscope and began taking Gleaming’s pulse. “Don’t get all starry eyed on me, Cadance... can I call ya Cadance? Yeah? Good. I’m here to make sure these foals get a chance at life, not to get my ego stroked. And Endo, stop messing with the poor mare’s nerves. I’m too old to be wasting time with pointless crap.”

Endo lowered his head. “Sorry, ma’am.”

Cadance fidgeted back and forth. Her inner fangirl was straining hard to get free, but Endo managed to keep it at bay with a pointed look. So instead, she did a little happy dance and squee’d, trying her best to stay silent.

“Breathing’s nice and steady,” Talia said, mostly to herself. “Good… good… that’s almost always a problem with multiples, but you’ve got a good set o’lungs on ya… you go by Gleaming Shield at the moment, correct?”

Gleaming put a hoof behind her head. “Er, yeah. It just seemed easier to—”

“Say no more, hun,” Talia said. She pulled out a piece of ribbon with measurements on it, laying it atop Gleaming’s belly. “My late wife was born a stallion, so I understand these things better than most… forty-three centimeters already? That’s a bit large, even for four foals. How’ve your eating habits been?”

“Er, well... I have been eating a lot,” Gleaming admitted. “Endo’s said he’d ideally like me to gain about ninety pounds, so we’ve upped my meals to five a day.”

Endo spoke up. “Actually, I made that assessment before your sister came and did her alterations. Now that she’s compensated for several risk factors in the pregnancy, it’d actually be better if you gained more weight than that.”

Gleaming gave him an incredulous look. “Wait, what?! More? How much more?!”

Endo shrugged. “Ideal foal weight is eight to ten pounds. Placenta, amniotic fluid and breast tissue are all usually two to three apiece, additional blood supply is four to five, stored fat for delivery and breastfeeding is five to nine, and the larger uterus is two to five. Multiply all of that by four, and you’ve got a median of about a hundred and twenty pounds. That’s not usually how a multiple pregnancy works, mind you, but in this case I’ve no reason to see why it shouldn’t. I’ll admit you have been gaining weight rather quickly, but each mare’s body adapts to pregnancy in a different way, and your weight seems to be going to all the right places.”

Gleaming suddenly felt dizzy. “A hundred and twenty… oof...”

“More like unf,” Cadance whispered.

“So some spells are already in place, Endo?” Talia asked calmly. “Which ones?”

“You should be able to see them in a scan.” he replied. “I didn’t cast any of them myself, but I’ve been keeping a close eye on their integrity. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”

Talia’s horn glowed a deep, piercing blue, the same color as her eyes. “How’ve her vitals been?”

“Steady,” Endo replied. He pulled out a clipboard and gave it to Talia. “Weight gain and fundal height measurements have been consistent. No signs of gestational diabetes, hypertension, anemia, or UTI.”

Gleaming felt a slight tingling as Talia’s magic felt around, the old doctor muttering to herself all the while. “Some kind of Greater Irongut, Appetite, and—what the? Ahh, this is that modified transmog spell you mentioned back in the office, ain’t it? Hmm, I recognize two of the matrices, but the others... quite ingenious though, that much is obvious! Who in the world cast this on her?”

“Princess Twilight Sparkle,” Endo said. “Pity she went into politics instead of medicine. She would’ve made a great scientist.”

“Princess...” Talia trailed off, chuckling. “Yeah, shoulda known that one… she’s about the only one who could pull something this complex off, ain’t she? Stars above, Endo, there ain’t a single unused spell thread or wasted magic conduit in here! It’s a bloomin’ work of art!”

Endo came over to stand beside her. “She explained some of the spell to me before she returned to Ponyville, but I’ll admit it went over my head. I’ve never seen such complicated magic before, much less worked with it in a patient. It’s working, though, far as I can tell, and even if it wasn’t, the seventeen failsafes built into it would catch any errant effects.”

Talia met Gleaming’s eyes with a kind smile. “Your sister loves ya something fierce, don’t she?”

Gleaming blushed. “Y-Yeah, heh. We’ve always been close.”

“If I may, Doctor,” Cadance cut in, her voice a bit shaky. “Gleamy and I were… um, just discussing something regarding genetics and race before you came in! Could we get y-your input on it?”

Talia turned to her. “Lemme guess. You wanna know the probability of one or more of your kids bein’ an honest-to-goodness alicorn.”

Cadance nodded. “You wrotehalf the books Twilight and I have been using for reference. So much of what we’ve done so far has been based on your work, and you’ve had multiple papers published on pony genetics, too! If there’s anypony who can give us an answer, it’s you.”

Talia yawned and scratched the side of her face. “Quite the little researcher, eh? We could just do the ultrasound and find out, y’know. That’d be easier than listening to me prattle on. Or do ya want to hear my thoughts on it for a different reason?”

Cadance shyly lowered her head with drooped ears. She looked like a filly who’d gotten her hoof caught in the cookie jar. “I, er… well… maybe you can tell us your thoughts while you’re doing the scan? I promise I won’t find it disinteresting.”

Talia laughed softly. “Silly girl. I haven’t even been here five minutes, and I can tell you’ve got the baby bug.” She gave Gleaming a sidelong glance. “Ya both do, s’matter of fact. Now normally, I’d advise against makin’ plans for more kids ‘til you’ve had a chance to see what it’s like with just one—or four, in this case. But seein’ as these are special circumstances, you’re both rich, and you could probably just order me to if I refused, I suppose it can’t be helped.”

Cadance was taken aback. “What?! Why would you… I’d never order—”

“She’s kidding,” Endo interrupted. He gave Talia the same pointed look he’d given Cadance. “Doctor Talia has always had something of an odd sense of humor when meeting new ponies. She knows you’d would never abuse your power in such a way. Isn’t that right, Doctor?”

Talia returned his glare for only a moment, but it was long enough for something to pass between them. Her eyes flashed with a moment with some unreadable emotion, but she eventually relented with a long, slow sigh.

“Yeah, yeah, o’course. Excuse my manners, Lady Cadance. Seems my bedside manner has slipped a bit in retirement. I’ll share what I know while we do the ultrasound, alright? Maybe then with that knowledge, you can decide what you wanna do.”

Talia hobbled over to the ultrasound machine while Endo helped Gleaming onto her back. “The only records we have on alicorn offspring are from Starswirl’s journals. There’s not much there, of course, as modern genetics weren’t discovered yet, but from what is, we know that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna’s parents were a unicorn and a pegasus, and that strong earth pony bloodlines were in their immediate lineage.”

“Starswirl also suspected it’s impossible for natural alicorns to be male,” Endo added. “And since Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are unable to have foals of their own, we suspect whatever causes a natural alicorn also results in sterility. This would explain why alicorns are so rare, but there hasn’t been any evidence to support either claim.”

Talia grunted her agreement. “Studies since then haven’t yielded much else, either. There’ve been quite a few theories over what could possibly cause a naturally-born alicorn, but nothing’s been proven, and there ain’t been any new alicorn births to test it. We’ve done tests on the Canterlot Princesses and found they do got a different genome, but not found how to isolate, or recreate it. We’ve also run the same tests on your sister, just to see if there’s any difference between natural alicorns, and ascended ones. Did she tell either of ya about that?”

Gleaming and Cadance shook their heads. That was certainly news to them.

Talia cracked her neck with a loud pop! “I won’t blab, then, but at the same time, there ain’t really much to tell. Turns out natural and ascended alicorns are identical, save for one key difference. Think either of you can figure out what it is?”

Gleaming thought for a moment, reflecting on what she knew about the princesses, and genetics in general. She wasn’t very familiar with the latter, but logically, if Talia was checking to see if they could figure it out, then it must be something obvious—

And then it hit her.

“Ascended alicorns can still have kids,” she said.

“Bingo,” said Talia. “Now, ascended alicorns are somethin’ of a recent development, so there’s no mention of ‘em in Starswirl’s journals. But mark my words, if he were around today, I’ve no doubt he’d be spending all his time researching what makes ‘em tick. Celestia knows I have.”

Endo turned to Cadance. “Originally, I thought maybe your sterility was related to this. However, your medical tests from before the Crystal Empire’s return showed you in perfect health, and there was no sign of any decline. Quite the opposite, truth be told. That’s why I decided to dig a little deeper, and subsequently, how I found the residual curse magic in your system.”

Cadance sucked on her teeth. “I... suppose that all makes sense. But what about that thing you mentioned about alicorns having a different genome, Talia? I think I remember reading about a paper you published about what you called the ‘alicorn gene’. That’s what you’re talking about, right?”

“Mmhmm.” Talia started up the ultrasound machine with a soft whum. “In a nutshell, I believe that there’s a rare recessive gene residing in some ponies that’ll allow ‘em to ascend into alicorns, so long as the right requirements are met. We’ve yet to find that gene, let alone discover what causes it to activate, but you, Cadance, are obviously a carrier seeing as you’ve already ascended. And as for you, Gleaming, your biological sister has also managed to become an alicorn, so there’s a decent chance you have it, too.”

Endo showed a diagram with squares on it to Cadance. “If both of you are carriers, not only is it guaranteed all four of your children will inherit the recessive alicorn gene, but the combination of an activated one and a recessive one has about a one-in-six chance of resulting in a naturally-born alicorn. If Gleaming is not a carrier, then your children will have about a one-in-eight chance of just getting the recessive alicorn gene. All things considered, though, those aren’t terrible odds.”

Cadance and Gleaming were dumbfounded. A potential one-in-six chance? Those were better odds than they’d expected! Neither one of them was sure what to make of it.

“But that ain’t all,” Talia said. She took out a bottle of bluish gel, heated it up with a quick spell, then began slathering it all over Gleaming’s giant swell of a womb. “There’s another side to all of this, and that’s what convinced me to come up here. Somethin’ that I think the both of ya are gonna be mighty surprised by.”

Endo frowned at her. “I didn’t think we were going to talk about that just yet.”

Talia looked up and cocked her head. “Why not? It’s on topic.”

“Because we won’t even know for sure until—ugh… I just didn’t think… I wanted to wait until things were more certain, okay?” Endo swished his tail. “Your Majesties, I promise I’ll explain what we’re referring to after the ultrasound, alright? It’ll be better for all parties involved.”

Gleaming and Cadance exchanged a look. Neither one of them seemed to hold any objection, so they both nodded and gestured for them to carry on.

“Fine, fine, whatever.” Talia picked up the wand in her magic. “May as well get started, then.”

She pushed it into the side of Gleaming’s stomach, then flipped on the monitor, adjusting settings here and there.

Gleaming felt a pleasant shudder run through her from the touch of the wand. Her belly was getting more and more sensitive as time went on, and it was getting to the point that even a simple touch could get her motor running. She could feel the foals wiggling at the sudden change in pressure, and the sensation never failed to give her a warm glow in her chest. She closed her eyes and smiled, letting herself relax and get comfortable.

“A couple things to note,” Endo said as they all (save Gleaming) watched the monitor. “The image will show things you’d expect, like the foals’ faces and limbs, but it will also show the insides of their bodies. We’ll see their spines, kidneys, bladders, hearts, those kinds of things. That’s all normal.”

Cadance came over and held Gleaming’s hoof. “We’ll see their genders too, right?”

Endo nodded. “Provided you want to know what they are.”

“We do,” they both said immediately.

Talia snorted. “Not on the fence about that one, I see.”

Gleaming gave Cadance’s hoof a squeeze. “We have something of a bet going on it.”

“No issue there, then,” said Endo. “We’ll be checking other things first before we get to that, but we’ll let you know. There are a lot of things that we’d like to get a read on, as you might imagine.”

“Like what?” Gleaming asked.

“Amount of amniotic fluid in the uterus, head and abdominal circumference, umbilical cord positioning, placenta size, overall fetal size, those kinds o’things,” Talia said. “There are a lot of workin’ parts in a pregnancy, and we wanna make sure that they’re all working properly. S’pretty easy to tell gender, though. Girl parts look like three lines, and boy parts… well, look how you’d expect.”

Gleaming and Cadance laughed.

“Right, think that’s about as clear as I’m gonna get this thing.” Talia pushed her glasses up a bit. “Let’s see what we got.”

The screen flickered, going from black, to… a slightly lighter shade of black. Speckled blobs of gray and white hovered in and out of view for a moment, until suddenly, the fuzzy, distorted image of a tiny pony came into view.

“There’s one,” Endo said.

“Yep.” Talia moved the wand over a bit to try and get a better view. “Annnnnnd it’s a boy. Heh, told ya it’s easy to tell. Lemme see if I can get ‘em to move a bit…”

Cadance stared at the image on the screen. It was blurred, black and white, and only just discernible, but even still, there was no mistaking the silhouette on the screen for anything but a baby pony. He fidgeted a bit and turned onto his side, then curled up into a ball and lay still.

That was her son.

She was looking at her son.

It was an odd feeling. She’d expected to have some kind of swell of emotion, maybe burst into tears, or something, but instead all she felt was a sense of… ownership? Responsibility? Protectiveness? It was hard to put into words. It was a positive feeling, to be sure, but it wasn’t the response she’d expected to have.

Gleaming, on the other hoof, had a somewhat different reaction.

“YES!” She thrust a hoof into the air. “We got one! We got a boy! WOOOOO!”

Endo couldn’t help but smirk. “What, you didn’t want all girls? Think of how easy it would’ve been to get them all the same Hearth’s Warming gifts.”

Gleaming shot him a flat look. “One. Freaking. Boy. That’s all I dared hope for, and we found him straightaway! I don’t even care what race he is. He can be a seapony for all I care!”

“Well, he ain’t a seapony, but he’s certainly somethin’ else,” Talia said. “No horn… annnnnnd no wings. Looks like he’s an earth pony... or crystal pony? Not sure how to tell the difference, there. Is there a way to tell?”

“There is.” Endo moved around to the other side of the bed, then lowered his horn to where Talia was holding the ultrasound wand. With utmost care, his horn glowed a dull green, and Gleaming felt a sudden crackling inside her belly.

The screen flashed pure white.

“AH!” Everypony shielded their eyes from the sudden flash. Gleaming was the only one who wasn’t blinded, and so was the only one who saw her womb glitter and shine like an iridescent orb.

The flash left as quickly as it’d come, leaving everyone gingerly rubbing their eyes.

“That... was supposed to just cause a small sparkle,” Endo said hesitantly. “I’ve never seen a response that strong before.”

“Well, congratulations on burning out my retinas,” Talia said dryly. She blinked several times to try and get out the white spots. “Does that at least mean he’s a crystal pony?”

Endo coughed. “Er, yes. Most definitely. A crystal pony colt.”

Gleaming and Cadance took in that information with a long pause. Neither one of them had expected that! Something told Gleaming that this little boy was going to be interesting one.

“Young’un looks healthy, so let’s see if we can get a peek at the others,” Talia murmured after a few minutes of taking notes. She moved the wand up the crest of Gleaming’s belly, right next to her navel. Indistinct shapes moved in and out of the screen, none of them focused or indicative of anything. There was a few moment’s silence as everypony was lost in their own thoughts, and Gleaming began to hum softly to herself, her mind falling into a dull haze.

“Aha! Got two of ‘em.” Talia moved the monitor over so Gleaming could see. “Go on, take a look.”

Gleaming examined the monitor. It was wavy and colorless, but on the screen were the images of two little faces, one of which was sucking on its hoof.

“Awww,” Gleaming and Cadance cooed.

“Right one’s got a horn,” Endo observed. He tilted his head and squinted, trying to pick apart the image. “Doesn’t look malformed… overall body size on each of them is good! I believe that the left one’s a… pegasus? Not totally sure...”

Talia pressed the wand a little harder into Gleaming’s tummy. “Come on, darlins, roll over…”

The foals squirmed from being disturbed, resisting Talia’s efforts to get a better view. She kept at it, though, and about a minute later, they shuffled around, giving everypony a clear view of what they were trying to see.

An extremely clear view.

“Ya got another boy!” Talia said, cackling. “No doubts on that one. Oh, and the right one’s a girl, I see.”

Gleaming could hardly contain her excitement. They had two boys?! This was better than she could’ve dreamed! I mean yeah, she wanted girls too, but boys were harder to get! She looked excitedly over at Cadance, whose eyes were fixed on the screen with fascination and awe.

“Two boys!” Gleaming whispered to her. “I think you were right!”

Cadance smiled and leaned in for a kiss. “Told you.”

“So a unicorn filly, and the colt iiiiiiiis—ah, I was right. He’s a pegasus.” Endo pointed at the tiny wings at the colt’s sides. “Looks like you’ve got quite the mix, Your Majesties.”

A couple more minutes passed while Endo and Talia took more notes on babies two and three, writing down numbers and muttering between themselves.

“Now, to hunt down that last one,” Talia said. She moved the wand to Gleaming’s other side. “I’ll bet the lil’ bugger’s at the bottom. That’s usually where they like to hide…”

Gleaming and Cadance looked on with interest. Neither of them were really sure what to expect at this point, so they remained silent and let the doctors work. They were both a little disappointed that none of their children were alicorns, but even with the odds supposedly as good as they were, it still depended whether or not Gleaming had this mysterious alicorn gene… which they were starting to suspect she did not.

“Hmm.” Talia moved the wand around to and fro. “Not seeing ‘em. I see the crystal pony colt, the pegasus colt, and the unicorn filly, but I’m not—waaaait, wait, wait, lemme try somethin’…”

She moved the wand up to the very top of Gleaming’s womb, right underneath her ribcage.

“Found ya!” Talia exclaimed. “Dunno why I didn’t try that earlier. If they’re not at the bottom, they’re almost always… at... the…”

She trailed off as she beheld the image on the screen. Beside her, Endo’s jaw went slack, and Cadance’s hooves flew in front of her mouth.

Ironically, it was Gleaming who spoke first.

“Huh,” she said in a strangely calm voice. “No wonder I’m measuring large.”

On the screen were not one, but two little fillies, curled up side by side with their little eyes shut tight. Their tails were curled together to ensure they didn’t drift apart, and their position made them almost look like they were hugging each other. It might’ve been possible that one of them was a foal that they’d already seen, but a crucial factor shot down that idea straightaway:

They both had horns and wings.

“Stars above,” Endo breathed. “You do have the gene…”

“How…” Cadance found herself suddenly short of breath. “F-Five? I don’t—did… b-but the nurse before said...”

“I’ll be damned!” Talia said with a whoop. “You really did get knocked up good, girlie! Forget gaining one hundred and twenty pounds, more like a hundred’nfifty! Tack on another meal a day or up those portions, ‘cause you’re gonna need it!”

Gleaming looked down at her bulging belly. She was already so big she couldn’t see her rear hooves anymore, and she wasn’t even halfway through the pregnancy! What the hay were the final months of term going to be like?!

“Just a minute, just a minute,” Endo said. He lowered his horn again. “There’s a way to be sure about this.”

“Hold on. What’re you doing now?” Talia asked him.

“The localized spell that detects heartbeats,” he replied. “Easiest way to search for multiples, correct?”

Talia pursed her lips. “That spell’s gonna wipe ya plum out.”

Endo set his jaw. “We can’t afford any more mistakes, Talia. We need to be absolutely sure.”

Talia exhaled out her nose. “Stubborn dumbass like always… fine. Go ahead’n do it.”

Endo’s horn flashed again, and a dull, much softer dot of light than before began to shine out of Gleaming’s womb.

Followed by a second dot…

then a third...

and a fourth...

…

...and finally a fifth.

“That is indeed quintuplets,” Endo said, his horn shorting out as he roughly sat down. “It seems the technician was indeed mistaken before, Your Majesties. My apologies for the mix-up, but still, I believe congratulations are in order! You’re having five children when you feared that you wouldn’t be able to have any!”

Gleaming’s mouth went dry. Seeing those five dots of light within her made it all really sink in what all this meant, but surprisingly, it wasn’t all that panic-inducing. Nowhere what it’d been like with the first ultrasound, at least.

“Now can I tell ‘em?” Talia asked Endo.

Endo, who looked rather dazed, made a noncommittal noise as he staggered towards the door. “You may as well… you don’t need me for that though, do you? If you’ll excuse me, Your Majesties, I’m going to leave you in Doctor Natal’s extremely capable hooves from now on. I’ll make the necessary adjustments to your medical file, and update you on the changes. I wish you luck in the remainder of your pregnancy. Good day…”

And with that he left the room.

Talia shook her head as he left. “Coulda just gotten somepony else to do it for him, but nooooooooo, he just has to always do things himself I swear, that fool is more stubborn than any mule I’ve met. He’s gonna run himself into the ground one of these days, mark my words…”

Cadance, not entirely sure what had just happened, took a nervous step forward. “Er, I’m sorry about that, T-Talia. I’ve never seen him do anything like that before with anypony, least of all us! It’s not like him to just walk out and dump his responsibilities.”

Talia took a cloth and began wiping off Gleaming’s stomach. “He didn’t dump anythin’, honey. I was gonna be taking over your care, anyways. This is well beyond Endo’s expertise, and his time’s better spent with cases he’s more experienced with. I don’t like tootin’ my own horn, but he was right when he said I’m the most qualified to help ya. I can give him updates and see if he can stop in every so often if ya like, but he ain’t gonna be much use, otherwise.”

Gleaming sat up a bit. “But he’s been great working with us so far! He’s been extremely knowledgeable—”

“—and he’s been burnin’ up scrying crystals left and right asking for my advice for the past two months,” Talia finished for her. “He’s just been doing what I’ve been telling him to do, sweetheart. This is outta his league, especially now that we know you’ve got the alicorn gene. Trust me, you’re gonna wanna stick with me.”

Gleaming tilted her head. She was starting to feel a shift in tone, like she was missing something rather blatant.

“Why would that matter?” she said slowly. “I don’t see how that would change the pregnancy.”

Natal met her eyes with a fervent stare. “It ain’t just about the pregnancy, it’s about YOU now, too. Don’cha get it, hun? You’ve got a biological sibling that’s tapped into her recessive alicorn gene, and we’ve just confirmed you got it, as well! This the first time we’ve ever been able to isolate it in any way, and because o’that, we might be able to finally make some real progress on figuring out how alicorns work! We’ve been tryin’ to figure this out for over a century!”

Gleaming was silent. She wasn’t really sure how to react to that kind of news, and while she certainly could see the scientific repercussions, it was hard to see how it would affect her personally.

“Okay, so what do you want to do?” Cadance asked Talia. “Do you have any plans?”

Talia weathered face lit up. “Tests! Tests, tests, tests. Gonna be lookin’ at Miss Gleaming Shield’s DNA a whole lot. I don’t need ya around for that, though, I just need a couple samples from ya. Hair, skin, buccal swab, blood if you’re willing. Maybe stool and urine as well, just to cover my bases… I’ve been doin’ research on this for the last forty years, so I know how to recognize signs of complications, and along with my experience in obstetrics, I should be able to spot any problems with them little alicorn fillies. I’m hoping I’ll find some differences in your genetic code as time goes on, but we’ll just hafta see about that. Oh, and don’t you worry none—you and your kids’ health is my first priority. This’ll just be a little side project to keep me occupied.”

Gleaming could now see the excited, fiery glint in Talia’s eyes now, a glint that she’d seen so many times in Twily. She didn’t still quite understand what Talia hoped to find by looking at her DNA, but on the other hoof, there was a very distinct possibility Talia didn’t, either.

“No ulterior motives, then?” Cadance asked playfully. “No hidden plans to create an army of superponies so you can take over Equestria? No secret formula that needs Gleamy’s DNA to turn you into an immortal demigoddess despot?”

Talia pantomimed like she’d been shot through the heart. “Oh no, ya caught me. My master plan of world domination has been exposed. Curses, I’ve been foiled again, I must now retreat to plot my dastardly revenge. I would’ve gotten away with it if weren’t for you meddling foals, blah, blah, blah, monologue, blah, blah, blah, tragic past, blah, blah, blah, nopony understands my genius. Was that what you were expectin’ to hear?”

Cadance smiled. “Something like that.”

“I’ll be sure to thank you both along with the Academy.” Talia put her bags back on and started hobbling towards the door. “Cadance, I understand you already know about the need for alicorn magic infusions. Start doing ‘em twice a day, alright? A nurse’ll be in shortly to get those samples. She’ll also give you my info, and all that. Don’t hesitate to contact me if’n ya need somethin’, alright? I don’t care if it’s three a.m. on a Sunday, or whenever. If you need me, you send for me. Got it?”

Cadance saluted. “Got it.”

“Good.” Talia opened the door. “I’m gonna be looking over your records the next day or so to get caught up on everything. I’ll be in touch.”

They both waved at her. “Thank you, Doctor.”

Talia started to walk out, but halfway through, she stopped and looked back at them. “Oh, and one more thing…”

Cadance and Gleaming looked up.

Talia casually motioned to Gleaming. “Curious, ain’t it? A unicorn with a recessive alicorn gene, pregnant with three foals with recessive alicorn genes AND two natural alicorns, all who’re about to be exposed regularly to doses of raw alicorn magic. Not only that, but said pregnant unicorn has a blood sibling who’s already unlocked their alicorn gene, and ascended without a hitch. You’re already a pretty powerful pony, ain’tcha, Princess Gleaming? Real strong magic, good leader, national hero, loved by your subjects, and all that… sounds like a winning formula if I’ve ever heard one. I wonder what might happen in the months to come?”

The chill that ran up Gleaming’s spine was like ice. She looked over at Cadance, whose shocked face indicated much the same.

Talia chuckled and walked out the door. “Food for thought.”

There was a dead silence. Thoughts were racing through both Cadance and Gleaming’s minds a mile a minute, a whirlwind of emotions coming and going in the blink of an eye. Gleaming put a hoof on her womb and rubbed it slowly, her eyes lingering on the spot where two little dots had pulsed side-by-side.

“We need to get a hold of Twily,” she muttered quietly.

“Yes,” Cadance agreed in a faint voice. “Yes, we do.”

12 - The Paladin

The Paladin

——————————————————————————————

One Week Later (Week 21)-

October had always been Gleaming’s favorite month. She wasn’t sure what it was—the changing of the seasons, the slowly shortening days, the reminiscing comfort of school routine after summer break, or maybe it was because the holidays were right around the corner. Either way, the latter half of October never failed to make her feel a little giddy, and this year was certainly no exception.

Gleaming was munching on a fruit platter while she and Cadance sat on a raised platform with pink and blue carpet. They were currently in the middle of the city, clad in full regalia, sitting on thrones of cerulean crystal with the banner of the Crystal Empire above them. It was currently early afternoon, the sky was perfectly clear (as always), and a crowd of thousands had gathered along the sides of the streets, a smattering of soldiers working to keep the roads clear.

There was a buzz of excitement in the air. Crystal ponies of all ages milled around here and there in large clumps, mildly curious about what was going on, trying to go about their day, or just trying to get a view of the Princesses. The honor guard kept a mindful eye out for any troublemakers, but otherwise, it was a calm, peaceful scene.

“Are you sure the platform was necessary?” Gleaming asked for the third time. “This just all seems a bit much... Spike might like it, but I don’t think Twily will.”

Cadance, who’d just finished giving some instructions to one of their aides, rolled her eyes with a sigh. “I told you, this isn’t the same as a quick weekend visit; they’re going to be here for over half a year! Them staying that long requires that certain protocols be observed. I guarantee that Twilight’s doing the same thing.”

Gleaming made a face. “She hates this kind of stuff, though. So do you, as a matter of fact!”

“Sure dooooo~” A flash of barely-concealed annoyance glinted in Cadance’s eyes. “But it wouldn’t look good if Twilight and Spike just showed up here without any warning, would it? Ponies would think they’re trying to hide or something, and we can’t be having that.”

Gleaming looked out at the crowd. There did seem to be a charge running through everyone, and there were a good deal of smiling faces about, eagerly glancing over at the train station. It was difficult to hear any of conversations (everything blended into a dull roar), but the murmurs that did float to her ears mentioned either ‘Princess Twilight’ or ‘Sir Spike’ a lot.

Gleaming polished off the fruit platter and tossed the plate away. “Still seems silly… military’s all about protocol, though, so I at least can relate a bit... did we bring any more food, by chance?”

Cadance chuckled. “Still hungry, eh?”

Gleaming glanced down, taking in her rapidly-expanding waistline. The first real growth spurt of had started, and it seemed like all she’d done the last week was eat, eat, eat. It felt like there was a hole in her stomach, one that absolutely demanded to be filled at least every hour and a half, and the result of her indulgence was that she was gaining a whole pound a day. They’d asked Doctor Talia just in case the sudden change was abnormal, but she’d just laughed, giving them a list of her favorite homemade recipes.

“They kick harder when they’re hungry,” Gleaming said simply. She patted her growing paunch. “I need to keep ‘em happy so that they don’t use my insides as a punching bag. Especially our little crystal colt. He’s the worst by far.”

Cadance cocked her head. “You can tell them apart?”

“A little bit, yeah.” Gleaming began pointing to different spots on her womb. “They all more or less stay in the same spots, so it’s pretty easy to tell who’s who. The crystal colt’s near the middle on my right side, and he thumps me good if he’s not getting enough. He’s almost knocked the wind out of me a few times, the bugger.”

Cadance shook her head. She couldn’t believe how big Gleaming was already, and while it was expected given the circumstances, it still was pretty amazing to see. At twenty-one weeks she looked like she was overdue with one foal, and it was getting to the point that even a stranger could tell she had more than one in there.

Things didn’t look to be slowing down, either. If anything... they seemed to be speeding up.

“Pretty much everything I eat’s going straight to them,” Gleaming continued. She leaned back into her seat with a hearty sigh. “Thankfully, Twilight’s spells make it so I can stuff my face without feeling like I’m about to be sick, or explode. It’s certainly been a big help, and… oh, for Luna’s sake. Now I have a craving for something both sweet, and salty! How the hay does that even work?!”

Cadance just smiled. She could comment on the randomness of pregnancy cravings, but instead, she deigned to do something about it. Signalling to an aide again, she whispered something in their ear, sending them off on an errand for food. In the meantime, though, she reached into a bag from beside her, and pulled out a pair of apples.

“Here.” She floated them both over to Gleaming. “Something to tide you over.”

"Oooh…" Gleaming snatched them and began eagerly chomping away. “That’ll work. Thanks.”

Cadance pursed her lips while she watched Gleaming eat. The last week had been an exercise in endurance for her, as while the discovery of a fifth foal meant a great deal of things, it also meant that Gleaming was that much more fertile, that much more pregnant, and so much more attractive to Cadance in almost every way. She’d actually spent most of their private time as a stallion so they could rut like rabbits, but this had proven to be a good thing, as Gleaming was almost constantly horny. Additionally, Talia had informed them that regular exposure to the father’s seminal fluid was good for the mother’s immune system, so it wasn’t bad they were testing their stamina.

“I wonder if we could get away with a glamour spell so we could sneak in a quickie,” Cadance idly mused. She spoke just loudly enough that Gleaming could hear. “Do you think the smell would give us away?”

Gleaming paused in her chewing, tilting her head back and forth before swallowing with a gulp. “Well, I did say I wanted something salty…”

Cadance blinked several times. “Wait, what? Gleamy, no, no, no! I wasn’t actually serious… I was j-just kinda...”

Gleaming met her eyes with a familiar sultry gaze. “Our morning sexytimes got cut short by us needing to get ready for this, if you’ll recall.”

Cadance felt her heart rate pick up. There was that damn look again, the one that never failed to get her going. “Well, y-yeah, but we still got, um... two rounds in, I think it was? That’s not too bad.”

“We usually go at least four.” Gleaming’s horn was glowing from holding the apples, so nopony noticed it shine just a teensy bit brighter. “Such a travesty... my poor, beloved Eros, not able to pump all his seed into his eager broodmare… mmmm, his balls must be so full…”

Cadance squeaked in surprise. Her body was suddenly thickening, gaining muscle mass, the internal changes following as she grew several inches taller.

“...and here I am, feeling so empty and unsatisfied…”

The air around them shimmered. Cadance looked on, fascinated, seeing a projection of herself and Gleaming sitting normally on their seats. They did normal idle things while they waited—a swish of their tails, a flick of their ears, their eyes blinking steadily with bored looks on their faces.

Meanwhile, the real Cadance and Gleaming, now surrounded in magenta magic, were invisible to all but themselves, free to do as they pleased.

“G-Gleamy…” Cadance stammered in a deepening voice. “Are you sure y-you want to—”

Gleaming’s eyes were glued to Cadance—now Eros’—groin, and she hummed with anticipation as his vagina changed into a nutsack. Eros’ testes formed and immediately began producing seed, swelling up extra-large and virile at Gleaming’s command. His smooth, velvety dick sprouted out from his former clit, as well, lengthening and thickening like a veritable fifth leg.

Gleaming looked up at Eros, her eyes filled with desire. “You always taste so very, very good, honey. I can practically taste it already… your thick, warm cream filling my mouth, sliding down my throat…”

Eros staggered as his hormones shifted. Testosterone slammed into him all at once, the sheer force nearly making him fall to his knees. The faint, cloying scent of Gleaming’s arousal was noticeable to him now, and it smelled vaguely like wet leaves after a heavy rain. His vision blurred as he looked disbelievingly at the naughty mare in front of him, who smirked saucily back before closing with him, and his twitching pride.

“You missed this morning’s infusion, too.” Gleaming’s voice was a husky whisper. “How irresponsible of you, neglecting your children like that! Those little alicorn fillies won’t grow up big and strong without that, you know… you do want them to grow up big and strong, don’t you?”

Eros was utterly at a loss. They were in the center of the platform, their forms glinting with Gleaming’s magic while thousands stood oblivious around them. His dick was at full mast, his wings were fully splayed, and a puddle was beginning to form beneath his drooling member. His beautiful, pregnant mate, heavy with his foals and THROUGHLY aroused, was now inches away from with a look that brooked no quarter. A part of Eros couldn’t believe this was really happening (normally he was the one who instigated naughty sexytimes) but another, larger part of him insisted he shut up and let this happen.

Gleaming pushed Eros back onto his haunches. His stallionhood bobbed and swayed a bit, bouncing off his own barrel, leaving a wet splotch between his lowermost ribs. Gleaming leaned down and licked it off in a long, slow swipe, then closed her eyes and inhaled that heavenly scent emanating from his crotch. It was a warm, thick aroma, one that lingered in her nostrils, and it was so very addicting… she wrenched herself away and looked up into Eros’ unfocused eyes, pulling him in for a hard, needy kiss.

“Give it all to me, Love,” she whispered after they broke. “I need it so bad... I need it... I need it, I NEED it… I need you to cum in my mouth…”

Gleaming put her hooves around the base of his dick, softly kissing the tip. Eros tensed, the feeling of her hot breath sending shivers down his spine. He thrust his hips on reflex, trying to get her to start, but Gleaming teased him still, pulling back and letting a trail of pre fall from her lips. She went further down and nuzzled his precious testes, each the size of a baseball, and she lovingly licked and suckled them with care. Eros nickered and whined, the lust clouding his thought, yet still burning ever-hotter. It felt like his balls swelled bigger every time she serviced them, churning and throbbing with more and more seed, and the feeling of her mouth on his most intimate place was driving him absolutely mad.

“Gleamy,” Eros panted. “Gleamy, please...”

Gleaming released him, now returning to his towering spire. She admired it for a bit, taking in all its glory and size… until a hunger then slipped into her gaze. She looked up at him again, smiling a wolfish smile.

“Please, what?”

Eros grit his teeth. “P-Please… please suck it… s-suck my dick…”

Gleaming licked her lips. “Well, since you asked nicely...”

She took in the first third with a loud, messy slurp. She rolled her tongue back and forth, her lips wrapped around on Eros’ girth, savoring how it twitched and throbbed from her touch. She smooshed the head against the roof of her mouth, rubbing his glans with the tip of her tongue, steadily gulping down more and more of his length. His dick was hard with a bit of give, pulsing with rushing blood and leaking like a faucet, and it just made her want more…

Eros threw his head back in a wordless cry, his body locked up as Gleaming buried her face in his crotch. He had to shove a hoof in his mouth to keep himself from moaning, and almost immediately he put his other hoof around her shoulders, slowly snaking it behind her head.

“Mmmmffffffuck…” he mumbled. Gleamyyyyyyyyyy…”

Gleaming widened her stance and began bobbing her head. The squirts of pre were hitting the back of her throat, now, and she eagerly drank them down while sucking harder. Eros’ dick was so big that she could barely get her whole mouth around it, but that’s how it always was, and exactly how she liked it. She got to his medial ring and paused there, moving her tongue all around, letting the softness of her mouth drive him wild. His stallionhood was so very warm, almost hot, really, and she could feel every little errant move it made. Her favorite spot was the pulsing vein on the side, as it reminded her exactly what she was doing, and why, and she licked it over and over to feel it throb, over, and over.

Eros was sweating. His face was contorted in a silent shout, his breathing ragged as Gleaming sucked him off. She was relentless in her efforts, and the wet, lewd sound of her smacking lips was the only thing he could hear. She really was trying to milk him, tugging at his dick with suction like an engorged teat, straining to suck his reserves down her throat.

“Ahhhhhh…” Eros’ eyes flickered with a bright, white light. The air around them became thick and heavy with a flux of power, and his alicorn magic came forward at his call. Blue waves of enveloped them both in a sparkling aura, flowing into Gleaming in a series of quick bursts. Her eyes went wide with surprise, but quickly rolled into the back of her head. Each one was like pure adrenaline, wild and fast, running through her body like lightning, and it made her feel alive. Combine all of that with her own climbing arousal and the delight of a long, thick cock in her mouth, and the whole experience was almost as good as being rutted.

Almost.

Gleaming’s marehood was sopping wet. Her tail was swishing back and forth, her front legs bent down low, her burgeoning womb only inches away from the ground. She looked like a fertile slut presenting herself to any and all willing stallions. What would the crystal ponies say if they saw their Princess like this? She didn’t really know, but the thrill of the possibility turned her on even more.

Eros was bucking his hips wildly. He pushed Gleaming’s head down, hard, thrusting into her mouth with reckless abandon, the tingling in his balls morphing into a telltale pressure. He kept pouring magic into her, his eyes a brilliant white as he gave her and the foals the special energy they needed, and every instinct in his body was roaring at him not to stop. He gave it everything he had trying to gasp out that he was about to cum, but all he got out was an odd-sounding grunt.

Fortunately, Gleaming didn’t need the warning. She could tell the signs well enough, and she’d only picked up her efforts, sucking, licking, slurping, bobbing. She became lost in her task while the rush in her body swirled faster, faster, faster, and she saw Eros’ testes swelled up to the size of softballs before—

SPLORT

Gleaming let out a long, girly moan. A steaming hot jet of cum erupted from Eros’ tip to fill her maw, and she eagerly gulped it down in an instant. She pushed past her gag reflex and pushed his length down her throat, groaning in ecstasy as his second shuddering spurt shot straight down into her stomach. And his next ones were even stronger, his balls twitching again and again to splatter spunk against her warm, velvety insides, each burst more than what a normal stallion produced in days. Gleaming drank it all down greedily, gripping Eros’ ass and pushing all the way to his base, squeezing and relishing the way his whole body shuddered and bucked. She held onto him hard while he dumped his loads into her cocksleeve of a throat, and she could feel it pooling inside her gut, hot, heavy and potent. His massive wads came in torrents for a whole minute before he finally, finally, finally appeasing her cravings, and when it was all done, Gleaming could only hum her satisfaction while she got every last bit.

Eros’ body went limp. He let out a sigh, his coat cold and damp with sweat. He let go of Gleaming’s head and rolled to the side, staring off into nothing while residual fireworks went off in his brain. Gleaming let him be to let him enjoy his afterglow, sighing happily as she rubbed her full, taut stomach.

“My love always gives such yummy, tasty treats.” Gleaming wiped off her mouth, using a quick spell to remove residual evidence. “Such a considerate stallion you are... you’ve been eating more pineapple, haven’t you?”

“Buh,” was Eros’ only response. His limbs were tingly and unresponsive, his deflating dick sliding back into his sheath, and he felt like he’d just been transported to a dimension of pleasure.

Gleaming smiled. She surmised he was likely going to take a moment or two to reboot after that, but fortunately, nothing was really going on right now…

...save for the aide coming back with a cart of food.

“Shit.” Straightening her mane and coat, Gleaming made her way back to her seat and sat inside her illusion. She made it mimic the pose she was currently in, then dispelled it while keeping Eros/Cadance’s intact. She could change him back once he’d come back from la-la land, but for now, he could relax.

“Here you are, Highness!” the aide said cheerily. She wheeled the cart up to Gleaming with a bow. “Lots of goodies for you and the kiddies. Think this’ll hold ya’ll up for a while?”

Gleaming examined the spread. Cheeses, oats, granola, a loaf of bread, several ingredients for sandwiches, crackers with peanut butter on them, and some kind of lettuce salad with alfalfa and purple cabbage. It was a meal that it probably could’ve fed about four ponies, but for her...

Gleaming licked her lips again, adjusting her now-tighter maternity brace as Eros’ cum settled in her stomach. “Mmmm, this’ll be great for seconds.”

Later-

“Announcing!” the herald boomed. “Her Royal Majesty, Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship!”

The crowd burst into cheers as Twilight stepped shyly out from the train. She was wearing a set of golden horseshoes and peytral emblazoned with her cutie mark, along with a small, pointed crown with magenta tips. Her mane and tail shone brightly with faint glitters in the midmorning sun, and she clumsily waved while she doing her best to not trip.

Gleaming and Cadance chuckled from their seats.

“Not quite experienced with the shoes yet,” Cadance observed.

“They are a pain to get used to,” Gleaming said, examining her own with a grimace.

Cadance tapped a hoof to her chin. “Although… I did notice last time she was here, she could almost look me in the eye. Maybe she’s going through a growth spurt of her own, and it’s messing with her balance?”

Gleaming let out a snort. “Couldn’t tell you. You’re both giants, far as I’m concerned. Still can’t believe how much shorter I am like this...”

Cadance laughed. “You’re actually pretty tall for a mare, honey. You just happened to be a big stallion before, and we alicorns have stilts for legs.”

“Announcing!” the herald yelled next. “Sir Spike the Dragon, Hero of the Crystal Empire!”

The crowd went nuts. A small, purple dragon with green spines walked out of the train car, and he happily jumped up and down, waving at everyone he saw. He bowed a few times and saluted to the nearest ponies, giving high fives before scampering after Twilight.

“Same old Spike,” Gleaming said, laughing.

“We haven’t seen him in a while, have we?” Cadance said. “When was the last time he was even up here?”

Gleaming put a hoof to her chin. “Erm… I think it was… the Equestria Games? Yeah, the Games. That’s when he was here last.”

Cadance frowned. “Has… it really been that long? Sheesh, we need to get out more.”

The herald stomped his hooves along with everypony else as he watched Spike and Twilight walk down the carpet, but then, he did a double-take at his sheet. He straightened up quickly and cleared his throat.

“Announcing! Her Majesty’s companion, Dame Rainbow Dash, Paladin of the Knights of Harmony!”

The entire crowd turned in surprise.

Gleaming and Cadance scrunched their eyebrows, exchanging a brief confused look.

“Paladin?” Cadance mouthed silently.

Gleaming just shrugged. She recognized the name as one of Twily’s friends, but the title…

A cyan pegasus clad in strange, mystical armor stepped out from the train. The color of the metal was a pale, periwinkle blue, shining in the sunlight like a reflection of the sky. The crest on her chest was a ruby-red lightning bolt within a hexagonal crystal, and long trails of enchanted runes spread out from it, like branches on a tree. Her sabatons were inlaid with ivy-like designs that crept up her legs like vines, and her chamfron was a smooth, elegant thing that curled around her eyes to cover the top of her muzzle. The same ivy designs were all around the helm, as well, and the very top was a three-pronged set of spikes, reminiscent of Twilight’s crown. The magic the armor exuded was almost palpable, and even from the platform, Gleaming could sense the telltale efficiency of Twily’s spellwork.

Rainbow Dash stood proudly before the ponies of the Crystal Empire, drinking in their dumbstruck faces like the sweetest nectar. She spread bare, powerful wings wide, gave them all a salute, then leapt off the ground and flew silently down the red carpet, catching up with Twilight and Spike.

“Erm, well…” Cadance put a hoof behind her head. “That’s certainly something.”

Gleaming said nothing. She was watching Rainbow with a trained eye, taking in her every expression and action. It was clear she wasn’t proper military, but there were other signs that suggested she’d had training of some type…

Twilight got to the platform and walked up the stairs to greet Gleaming and Cadance, who both rose from their seats. The crowd applauded merrily as the three of them embraced.

“Brought a friend?” Gleaming whispered in Twilight’s ear.

“Had to,” Twilight whispered back. “Stupid legal reasons. I’ll explain later.”

“Did you actually knight her?” Cadance asked from Twilight’s other side. “We’ll need to publicly acknowledge her if you did.”

“I did,” Twilight said. “Whole induction ceremony, and everything. She’s also in the Wonderbolts Reserve, if that matters at all.”

So that was where the training was from. Not bad… not bad at all.

They stepped back from each other just as Spike and Rainbow arrived. The two of them both smiled warmly at Cadance, but when they saw Gleaming, they each did double-takes.

“Whoa,” Spike said.

“Heh.”Rainbow elbowed Twilight with a playful grin. “What the hay, Twilight! First you don’t tell us about your brother, but now I find out you have a sister, too?!”

Twilight gave her a wry look. Rainbow just laughed, though, and before long, Twilight found herself joining along.

“Princess Gleaming, Princess Cadance, allow me to formally introduce my newly anointed seneschal, Dame Rainbow Dash of the Knights of Harmony. She's here as a representative of the order, and also as my advisor.”

Rainbow waved. “Hiya.”

Cadance nodded politely. “Welcome back, Dame Rainbow. Congratulations on your promotion.”

“Yes, welcome.” Gleaming looked Rainbow up and down. “Though I must say, I hope you know how to clean and polish that armor.”

Rainbow met Gleaming’s eyes, fiery and proud. “I don’t half-ass the things I want to succeed in, Princess. When I commit to something, I give it my all in every way.”

Gleaming had to hide her smile. Good. She’d do nicely.

Shaking her head, Twilight nudged Spike forward, gesturing for him to say hello. “And of course you both know Sir Spike.”

Spike stumbled forward on unsteady legs. His eyes were glued to Gleaming, staring at her as if she were a mirage. It was like his brain was trying to fit a square peg into a round hole, but couldn’t realize why it wasn’t going in.

“Hey, Bud,” Gleaming said. “How’ve ya been?”

The nickname registered in Spike’s eyes. He frowned and scratched his head, looking Gleaming up and down with an uncertain expression. There was familiarity there, but also a level of difference.

“You look weird,” he finally said.

Cadance stifled a snort.

“Spike!” Twilight snapped. “Manners!”

“Well, he does!” Spike said, pointing at Gleaming. “Er… she does! Whatever! I mean I know you warned me, but just… Gah! It’s different, you know?!”

Now Rainbow had to stifle a snort.

Twilight blushed furiously. “I-I’m sorry, Shiny, he’s just confused. I tried to talk to him, but—”

“Oh, I look weird, eh?” Gleaming bent down to Spike’s level, booping him square on the nose. “Those are pretty gutsy words, considering you smell like a nasty ol’ butt.”

Spike covered his nose with a small squawk. “Hey! I do not!”

“Do too.” Gleaming waved a hoof in front of her face. “A big, smelly poo-poo butt. Man, it’s almost enough to make me gag! I’ll bet the whole empire can smell you.”

The others just stared in shock. What… the actual hay…?

But Spike had a different reaction, as slowly, a big, goofy smile crept up on his face. “Yeah, well… you have a pretty-pretty girl face!”

“You have fart breath,” Gleaming shot back.

“Your voice is squeaky!”

“Your spines are squishy!”

“You look like Gramma Starlight!”

“You look like a dumpster with teeth!”

“Mare!”

“Whelp!”

“Fatty!”

“Brat!”

Spike burst out laughing and gave Gleaming a hug. “Shine-Shine! It really is you!”

Gleaming gave him a noogie. “Of course it is, you dummy!” She used magic to deposit him on her back. “Who else would it be?”

Spike giggled and gripped her mane, marveling at how soft and full it felt. “Hee hee. I missed you. Twilight never wants to play the insult game with me.”

Gleaming looked over at Twilight and winked. “That’s because she sucks at it.”

Twilight ran a hoof down her face. “I will never understand boys…”

Cadance cleared her throat a bit. “Erm, right…” She cast a quick spell, now speaking in a loud, amplified voice. “Princess Twilight Sparkle! Sir Spike! Dame Rainbow Dash!! The Crystal Empire has not forgotten your assistance in times past. We welcome you back with open hooves, and may your stay with us be a joyful one.”

The crowd cheered merrily. Whoops and hollers were heard all around, the ground shaking from multitudes of stomping hooves.

Twilight, Spike and Rainbow glanced all around at the crystal ponies, waving and posing here and there. They were a bit clunky and awkward about it (okay, Dash wasn’t) but it was clear they appreciated the warm welcome.

Rainbow spoke to Twilight out the corner of her mouth.“Would be nice if we got this kind of welcome everywhere, eh?”

Twilight waved with a wide smile, speaking subtly through her teeth. “You’re telling me.”

“This is amazing,” Twilight muttered as she stared at the ultrasound pictures. “Five foals instead of four, with two of them being alicorns?! And here we were thinking you’d be lucky if you just got one!”

They were all back in Gleaming and Cadance’s apartment after the welcome ceremony had died down. They’d all had a chance to shed their fancy attire and get settled, and Twilight, Rainbow and Spike had come up to talk about things. Twilight and Cadance were on one couch going over the ultrasound pictures, while Rainbow looked over their shoulders from the air. Meanwhile, Gleaming was laying on the other couch munching on chocolate-covered pretzels while Spike stood beside her, rubbing and poking curiously at he belly.

“You can say that again!” Cadance said gleefully. “I about fell out of my chair when we found them! I still haven’t quite gotten over the shock.”

“Neither of us have,” Gleaming said. She popped another pretzel into her mouth and adjusted herself. “It’s been a whirlwind trying to prepare, but our new doctor’s been a huge help. She really knows—ah! Spike, be gentle around my navel. It’s sensitive.”

“Sorry,” Spike said. “I felt one of them kick, though!”

Gleaming grunted. “They do that.”

Twilight’s eyes lit up at the mention of Doctor Talia. “Oooh, can you please, pleeeeeaaase introduce me to her? I’ve been reading her works lately, and her theories are absolutely fascinating! Her discovery for the occurrence of monozygotic and dizygotic twins alone was revolutionary!”

“Egghead,” Rainbow whispered in a sing-song voice.

Twilight looked up and stuck out her tongue. “Miss Egghead to you, Dame Rainbow.”

Rainbow saluted in mid-air. “I live to serve, Your Nerdiness.”

“Um, I’m sure you’ll get a chance to meet her at some point or another,” Cadance said, looking between them. “She’ll probably want to talk to you about the spells you’ve cast, so you two can discuss all the magibabble.”

“You’ll really like her, Twily,” Gleaming added. “She’s a lot like you.”

Twilight squee’d and clapped her hooves. “Oh, I can’t wait, I can’t wait, I can’t wait!”

“So… can we ask now?” Cadance gestured to Twilight and Rainbow. “It’s fine that you brought somepony, but this is the first we’ve heard about a knighting.”

Spike bit back a laugh. “Oh, you guys’ll love this one.”

Rainbow and Twilight glared at him, but didn’t refute his statement.

“It’s complicated,” Twilight said after a small pause.

“Of course it is,” Gleaming said, laughing. “Things are never exactly simple with you, are they?”

Twilight smiled weakly. “I suppose there’s some truth to that…”

“It’s how she’s able to be up here for so long,” Rainbow said. She landed, gesturing to Twilight. “There’s a law-thingy that says a princess can’t go to another place for a long time without somepony going with her, and that pony needs to be either military, or some kind of advisor. Twilight didn’t wanna have some random stranger with her, so she knighted me and the girls so one of us could go.”

Gleaming and Cadance thought about that for a few moments.

“I... think I recall Auntie Tia mentioning something along those lines at one point or another,” Cadance said, shuffling back and forth. “It’s been awhile since I’ve looked up the laws, but it certainly sounds familiar.”

“Same,” Gleaming said. “Pretty sure they talked about that a bit in officer training. Something about having a witness for posterity or along those lines. Don’t quite remember the details, though.”

“It makes sense when you think about it,” Spike said. “They all have that Rainbow Power thing together, and they basically do everything together, anyway.”

Meanwhile, Twilight stared at Rainbow with amazement in her eyes.

Rainbow noticed her gaze. “Did I get it wrong?”

“Erm... no, actually,” Twilight said, scratching her head. “That was very well explained.”

Rainbow elbowed her. “I pay attention sometimes, you know.”

“Do you have to do anything special?” Cadance asked Rainbow. “Or do you just basically have to be around?”

Rainbow shrugged. “If Twilight wants me, I’ll be there. If she wants me to buzz off, I’ll go take a nap on a cloud. We’ve got ways to contact each other.”

“You two don’t mind, do you?” Twilight asked, a bit of doubt creeping into her voice. “I know I should’ve contacted one of you beforehoof, but everything just happened so fast, and—”

“It’s fine, Twily,” Gleaming said. She ate some more pretzels and sank further into the couch. “You’re going to be here for half a year, after all. Even if you didn’t have to have somepony with you because of royal red tape, I’d imagine you’d still want somepony to hang out with. You can only be around family for so long.”

“Not true!” Spike said. “Twilight never gets tired of me!”

Gleaming used magic to flick the top of his spines. “You can be a real booger sometimes, Bud.”

“Pssshh.” Spike folded his arms and blew a raspberry. “Nuh-uh.”

“It’s not a problem, Twilight,” Cadance said. “Really! The more, the merrier.”

Twilight didn’t seem reassured. If anything, saying that seemed to bother her more, as she then looked away and rubbed her forearms. “Funny you should say that…”

Cadance and Gleaming blinked. “Eh?”

Twilight suddenly looked very sheepish. “...this isn’t really how I wanted to broach it, but… Mom and Dad got a hold of me before we came up here. They have a... proposition that they want to run past you two.”

Gleaming didn’t reply right away. Her parents, Night Light and Twilight Velvet, were both more or less content to live their own lives. They weren’t on bad terms with anypony in the family, but it was unlike them to abruptly contact her, or Twily. Nine times out of ten, it was the other way around.

“Go on,” Gleaming said.

Twilight chose her words carefully before speaking. “You know how normally we go to their house for the holidays, and everything? They kind of wanna… come here, instead. They think it’ll be easier since we’re all up here, YOU in particular, since it’d mean you won’t have to travel.”

That… was actually a pretty good idea. Gleaming was getting around pretty well right now, but things were only going to get harder in the coming months. Not to mention that travelling was a lot of stress, and she did NOT need that right now. But if her parents were coming to the Crystal Empire, then that meant figuring out all the logistics of hosting...

“Easier in one way, harder in another.” Gleaming looked to Cadance. “What do you think?”

Cadance wiggled her wings a bit. “We can certainly accommodate them. We have the space and resources.”

Gleaming noted her wife’s slightly guarded tone, but that was understandable. In-laws were in-laws. Twilight was acting pensive, too.

“What else did they say?” Gleaming asked.

Twilight chewed on her lip. “They dumped this on me just as we were all heading out the door, you know.”

Gleaming sighed. “Yeah, sounds like them.”

“I’m still getting over the implications of what it might mean, but it affects you more than me, so…” Twilight’s gaze fell to the side. “It’s probably more Mom’s idea than Dad’s, but they’re both in agreement on it, and with them getting older they’re probably just trying to think how they can best—”

“Just spit it out, already!” Rainbow drawled. “Yeesh, Twi, we’ve been here for all of a half hour, and you’re already working yourself up into a frenzy.”

Twilight looked like she was trying to swallow a lemon. She played with a lock of her mane and looked at the ceiling for a few seconds, until finally, she reluctantly met Gleaming’s eyes.

“Mom and Dad don’t want to just come up here for the holidays. They want to move up here. Like, for good.”

Silence.

…

It was an odd thing, hearing those words, taking in what they truly meant. Tumultuous emotions ran through Gleaming rapid fire—confusion, shock, dread, agitation, annoyance, defensiveness, resentment… but fortunately, none of them stuck. She suddenly felt like she’d been flashed with a bright light, leaving her feeling dazed and lightheaded. She took a few moments to process the news without comment, idly munching on pretzels and floating one or two down to Spike.

“Why?” she finally asked.

Twilight made a grumbling noise. “Why else? They want to see the grandkids. They don’t wanna be sitting around in Canterlot like bumps on a log while I’m in Ponyville or travelling around, and you and Cadance starting a family up here.”

Cadance furrowed her brow. “Is that really what they said? Or are you paraphrasing?”

“She’s paraphrasing,” Spike spoke up. “All they said was that there wasn’t much keeping them in Canterlot, and they wanted a change.”

Twilight gave him a flat look. “We all know that’s just an excuse.”

Spike just laughed. “Well, yeah! A blind pony could’ve seen that! Even Rainbow picked up on it, and she doesn’t even know them!”

Rainbow nodded. “They weren’t exactly hiding it.”

Twilight made a noise between a whine and a grunt. “Errrrgh! I hate it when they do this! Why can’t they just say what it is they really want? I shouldn’t have to read between the lines, trying to find out their real intentions!”

Rainbow gained a far-off look in her eyes. “It’s pride.”

Twilight hesitated. “Come again?”

Rainbow rolled her shoulders with a long sigh. “I may not know your parents, but believe me, I could tell right away they both have a stubborn streak in them. It can be both a blessing and a curse, but one thing’s for sure—it makes you do weird things sometimes.”

“She’s right, Twilight,” Cadance said. “Velvet and Night are good, well-meaning ponies, but they’ve also got pretty big egos. For Pete’s sake, why do you think they hired me to be your babysitter?”

Twilight exhaled out her nose, staring off at the far wall. “This happens every time. They never give us a straight answer about anything, and we’re always left trying to decipher what they really mean! It’s like trying to decode a secret message!”

Gleaming didn’t have much to add. She knew how their parents could be, and their passive-aggressive personalities were tough to stomach sometimes. It really did get aggravating when you always had to read between the lines, and it had led to a few (thankfully only a few) conflicts at times. She didn’t even think her parents meant to do it half the time, either; it was just how they’d been brought up.

“We’ll talk to them when they come up,” Gleaming said at last. “If they’re really serious, then making arrangements shouldn’t be difficult. We’ll work something out.”

Twilight made a noncommittal grunt. “If you say so.”

“Let’s change the subject, shall we?” Cadance said. She nuzzled Twilight, putting a warm wing around her. “I’m sure you’re eager to brainstorm some alterations for the alicorns, as well as for the fifth foal!”

Twilight breathed a sigh of relief. A good bit of tension left her posture, and when she spoke again, her voice didn’t have that nervous edge. “Yeah… yeah, let’s. Have you started the alicorn magic infusions?”

Cadance nodded. “Twice a day. They seem to be going well—er, at least, they are on my end.”

“Me, too. They—hold on.” Gleaming hesitated, as Spike was trying to crawl onto the couch. She scooched back a bit to let him sit between her forelegs, then held him in a hug. “They feel better than I thought they would, oddly enough.”

Twilight smiled. “It is nice, isn’t it? That euphoric, tingly rush, like a mix of adrenaline and endorphins. Almost feels like a bunch of tiny bottle rockets racing through you.”

Gleaming cocked her head. “How’d you know?”

“Celestia, Luna and I gave her the mother of all alicorn magic infusions when Tirek was on his rampage,” Cadance said. “I imagine the high you get is nothing compared to what she had.”

An excited shiver ran through Twilight. “You have no idea.”

Rainbow laughed. “Down, girl.”

Gleaming sucked on her teeth. She really wished she could’ve been more helpful during that incident. “Right… forgot about that.”

“I’d like to be there next time you do one,” Twilight continued. “So I can take notes, and the like. Have you noticed anything odd so far? Magic surges, negative reactions, changes in how you usually feel?”

Gleaming thought for a moment, idly scratching Spike’s neck while he hummed contentedly. “I’ve definitely had more energy, that’s for sure. I was starting to get winded just by walking, and my usual exercises were getting harder and harder to do. But all this week, things have been a breeze.”

Twilight produced a quill and some parchment. “You mean you’ve had more stamina? Or something else?”

“Stamina, and more,” Gleaming said. “I sleep better, get around easier, feel stronger overall, and my magic comes on a whim! I was starting to feel more and more sluggish, but now, I can stay alert, no problem! Mood hasn’t been fluctuating as much, either… it’s annoying that I’m a living vacuum right now, but otherwise, I feel like a million bucks!”

Twilight’s face was hidden behind the floating parchment, her quill flying back and forth with a furious skritch-skritch-skritch. “The eating is to be expected, although Doctor Natal would know more than me. How about you, Cadance?”

Cadance looked over at Gleaming. “I’ve felt fine, but pretty much everything Gleamy just said I’ve noticed, as well. Honestly, you wouldn’t even know she was pregnant if not for the baby bump.”

“And what a bump it is,” Spike teased.

Gleaming bent down and made a loud snort in his ear, making him giggle and squirm in her arms.

Twilight sucked on her teeth. “What kinds of things has Doctor Natal said she’d like to measure as time goes on?”

Gleaming thought for a moment. “Just normal stuff. Height, weight, fundal height, body mass index, basic vitals like blood pressure, stuff like that. For the foals, though, she wants a whole bunch of other things. You’ll have to check with her on that.”

Twilight wrote that down. “I’ll work something out with her so we’re not measuring you twice, but I’d like to start getting weekly readings on a few other variables. Mostly relating to your magic. I wanna make sure we’re not missing anything.”

Rainbow moved behind the couch to look over her shoulder. “What’cha thinkin’, Twi?”

Twilight stared at what she’d written, adding notes here and there. “I... don’t know yet. We’re still flying blind, and while I can make a few educated guesses, it’s still just conjecture.”

“Humor us,” said Cadance.

Twilight tilted her head from side to side. “Erm, well… the alicorn magic infusion I received was temporary, so I can’t be sure on what any long-standing effects are. In the short term, though, I experienced an exponential increase in magical and physical ability, as well as boosts in endurance and... ‘toughness,’ for lack of a better word. I could fly faster than Rainbow, teleport to anywhere in Equestria, get punched through a mountain, I raised the freakingSun, and most importantly of all, I battled Tirek to a standstill. Those were all things that were all well outside my ability before the infusion, and even now with the Rainbow Power boost. But whether or not I’d have been able to do those things indefinitely, had I needed to keep the magic for whatever reason? I don’t know for sure.”

Gleaming was quiet. It was hard to get a read on anything right now, and Twilight was right that they were flying by the seat of their pants. Things were going well so far, but for how long that trend would continue was anypony’s guess.

“Erm, what was that about getting punched through a mountain?” Cadance said.

Twilight waved her off. “I had a forcefield up. Wasn’t even really a punch, anyways.”

“Yeah!” Rainbow said. “Was more like a charging headbutt.”

“Not helping,” Twilight whispered.

“We’ll let you know when we do another alicorn infusion, Twily,” Gleaming said. “We’ve only done one today, and Talia wants us to do them twice daily. Heck, you could do it yourself if you want.”

Twilight brightened. “That’d be great! We can see if there’s any difference in response between my magic and Cadance’s! There shouldn’t be since we’re related, but hey, you never know! How about we do it after dinner?”

Gleaming checked the clock. “That’s in a few hours, so we have some time between then and now. Is there anything else you wanted to do before then?”

Twilight and Rainbow looked at each other, something silent going between them. Rainbow yawned and gestured to the door.

“I… think I could use a nap,” said Twilight, getting to her hooves. “It’s been a long day of travelling, and I didn’t sleep at all on the train. We’ve all been up since four a.m.”

“Same,” Rainbow said with a yawn of her own. “Some Z’s before food sounds nice.”

“How about you, Spike?” Twilight asked. “You were the only one who managed to sleep on the way here, so I imagine you’re not tired right now.”

Spike, noting the slight emphasis, folded his arms and sighed. “I’ll stay up here with Cady and Gleam-Gleam.”

Gleaming snickered. “Is that your new nickname for me?”

“Mmhmm.” He snuggled against her chest, wrapping his tail around her foreleg. “Like it?”

Gleaming’s heart about melted from the cuteness. She nuzzled Spike gently, holding him in an embrace while she enjoying the warmth of his scaly body. It was like holding a tiny little heater. “Since when did you become such a cuddlebug?”

“Since you got so soft and fluffy.”

Twilight smiled fondly at them. “You don’t mind him being with you, do you?”

Gleaming gave Twilight a strange look. “Did… you really just ask me that?”

Twilight widened her eyes. “Right! Right, stupid question. Just used to asking that with ponies, I guess. I hate leaving him alone.”

“He’s bonded to the entire family, you dork,” Gleaming chided. “Even Cady’s tied into the spell. Sometimes I think you forget that.”

Twilight blushed. “Yeah, yeah, sorry. It’s been a while.”

Cadance patted her shoulder. “It’s going to be nice having you here.”

“Wait, what do you mean, bonded?” Rainbow asked. “How does that work?”

Twilight turned to her. “Did I never tell you?”

Rainbow shook her head. “This is news to me.”

“Oh. Well, in that case…” Twilight straightened and spoke in a measured tone. “Certain species of young dragons need special things to stay healthy. In Spike’s case, he needs to be directly linked to a strong enough source of magic at all times, and he can’t go more than a few days being away from it. Fortunately, the range is directly proportional to the strength of the magic in question, and he can be linked to multiple sources at once.”

“It’s been awhile since I was this close to so many bonds,” Spike cooed happily. “Hehe… I feel all warm and fuzzy.”

Something seemed to click for Rainbow. “That’s how he’s able to send and receive messages from Celestia, isn’t it?”

Twilight smiled. “Yes. Although, it doesn’t have to be a unicorn or alicorn to work. Any strong, non-corrupt source of magic will do. Including pegasus magic.”

Rainbow thought on that. “Is it a big deal to do? Like, is it draining, or whatever?”

“Not at all,” Twilight replied. “Like I said, it’s just exposure. The natural, ambient magic your body exudes is enough to supply what Spike needs. Also, he’s the only one who can feel it, so it won’t affect you at all.”

“It is a pretty big sign of trust, though,” Gleaming added. “It’s a somewhat intimate thing for dragons. Only family or mates do it.”

Rainbow suddenly appeared very thoughtful. She didn’t say anything, but it was clear that the concept intrigued her somehow. Gleaming was surprised by this at first, but then remembered that she already had a magical link of sorts with Twily. Who knew? It might be worth looking into someday.

“Welp! I’mma go crash.” Rainbow stretched her limbs and made for the door. “Good to see ya, Cadance, and you too, Gleaming. Try not to fill up on junk food before supper, heh heh...”

In reply, Gleaming dumped the rest of the pretzels into her mouth and tossed the bowl away, floating over a glass of apple juice to wash it down. “Pretty shure that’sh imposshible right now.”

Twilight followed after Rainbow, her pace a little slower. She waited until Rainbow left, then got to the door and paused, dragging a hoof to and fro.

Gleaming noticed. “Something wrong, Twily?”

Twilight looked up quickly, her mane getting knocked askew. “No! Er, well… I mean it’s not wrong, it’s just that… I feel like Cadance is right, you know? It’s going to be nice spending time with you guys again. I really am looking forward to all of this, you know. I know I don’t say it enough, but I really have missed both of you, a-and…”

Twilight looked away, her voice dropping to a whisper.

“...to be honest, there’ve been a lot of times where I wished one of you could’ve been there to help me.”

Gleaming opened her mouth, but no sound came out. In that moment, Twilight looked less of like a multi-time savior of Equestria, and more like a quiet, demure, book-loving filly that got forced into a destiny she could barely wrap her head around. She was strong, smart, wise, a beautiful young mare in the prime of her life, but yet there was a tiredness to her posture, a lingering shadow that haunted her guise.

“If it makes you feel any better,” Gleaming replied. “I don’t say it enough, either.”

“You do know we’re here for you, right Twilight?” Cadance said. “All you need to do is ask.”

Twilight’s wings twitched at her sides. “It’s just… hard at times, I guess. Almost feels like I’ve failed in some way… heh… ironic. I suppose what Rainbow said about pride applies to me, too.”

“Pretty sure it’s a family trait,” Gleaming said dryly. “I know I can certainly be pig-headed at times. Can’t I, Cady?”

A smile tugged at Cadance’s lips. “No comment.”

Twilight chuckled despite herself. “I really am glad to be here. You don’t need to doubt that at all. I’ll see you all at dinner, okay?”

And with that, she left.

There was an awkward silence in her wake, with Gleaming still watching the door. With a greeting like that, it made her think the next few months were going to be interesting… well, more than they were already going to be, in any case.

“I forgot how candid she can be,” Gleaming muttered. "Always did wear her heart on her sleeve."

Against her chest, Spike snuggled into her fur. “Can you please, please get her to stop going a million miles an hour? I’ve tried talking to her, but she doesn’t listen! She’s become even more of a nervous wreck than usual, lately.”

Gleaming looked down at him. “What started it?”

Spike hesitated. “I uhhh… can’t really… tell you.”

Gleaming rested her chin atop of his head. “Spiiiiiiike…”

“I just told you she’s a nervous wreck!” Spike said. “She’s worried herself into a panic again, and made me promise I wouldn’t tell you! I was half-afraid she was gonna put a geas on me!”

“We can’t help if we don’t know what’s wrong,” Gleaming pointed out. “If she’s freaking out about something, we want to know about it. Right, Cady?”

Cadance didn’t reply. She was squinting at the door, an odd look in her eyes.

Gleaming looked over. “Erm… Cady?”

A sly grin crept onto Cadance’s face. “I think I know what it is.”

Spike groaned. “Errrrrgh, I told her it wouldn’t work…”

Cadance turned to Spike. “Tell you what, sweetie. I’m gonna go for a little walk, and if I just happen to notice anything on my way, that’s no fault of yours.”

Spike bit his lip as she made for the door. “Please tell me you at least noticed it before I said something.”

Cadance snickered. “I had my suspicions when she told you to stay up here with us. Twilight’s very clever, but she’s never been very subtle. I’ll give her props on hiding it, though. Almost had me fooled.”

“What are you thinking, hun?” Gleaming asked.

“Not totally sure yet,” Cadance replied. “Lemme get back to you.”

Spike buried his face in his claws. “Not even a minute after she’s gone and I spill the beans. I’m so freaking dead.”

Gleaming chuckled. “You could always live up here with Cady and me. You can help babysit the foals!”

“Might have to take you up on that,” Spike said with a defeated grunt. “Just don’t make me change diapers.”

The nature of love is a complicated thing. Depending on who you ask, it can be defined as an intense feeling of deep affection, an object or individual that one feels attachment to, a fixation that clouds the mind, a kinship, a friendship, or even the very essence of what makes a creature sentient. Countless books had been written on it, millions of studies had been made, and scholars for ages had devoted their lives to love. Wars had been fought over love. Ponies and other creatures did amazing, impossible things because of it. It was quite possibly one of the most powerful forces in the universe, and yet what frustrated so man, was that they understood so little about it.

Even Cadance, the crowned Princess of Love, found it difficult to explain to anypony who wasn’t an empath. To her, love was a physical, tangible thing, ever-present amidst all creatures in some way or another. It presented itself in many forms: A link, a tether, an aura-like mist, a tiny little tie, a bond denser than diamond, or even a very fusion of two souls. The world was swimming in love at all times, swirling, flowing, dancing like an effervescent stream, and its power was something that was not so much controlled, but rather guided, and coaxed.

If she wished it, Cadance could see any and all ties a being had with others, as well as the lack thereof. She called this ability Soul Sight, and it wasn’t something she used often (the barrage of colors gave her a headache) but even when not active, she felt little nigglings as to how ponies felt about one another, like a compass needle pointing at its target of affection. She could also tell the intensity of said attraction by how hard it tugged on her, and stronger the pull, the more love was travelling back and forth.

Cadance hadn’t felt a thing between Twilight and Rainbow. Not a tug, not a twinge, not a tickle or a twitch. Not even the platonic love of friendship, and that should’ve been there in spades. It was an oddity that’d immediately drawn Cadance’s attention, but mental shielding wasn’t uncommon in spellcasters, and Twilight had certainly had enough adventures to make an enemy or two.

But that didn’t mean she wasn’t hiding something.

It was nearing the end of the workday. The crystal ponies working at the castle were just getting ready go home, and the evening shift was starting to filter in. Nopony took much notice of the Princess moving down the halls towards a particular hidden laboratory, although, they did take note how unusually focused she was, as well as how she kept looking around and abruptly changing her course, like a bloodhound tracking a scent.

Cadance stopped in the hall the Secret Lab was in. She’d been trying to see if she could get any lingering nudgings from her Soul Sight regarding Twilight or Rainbow, but she hadn’t felt anything. This only convinced her all the more that she was on the right track, though. But now that she was here, she wasn’t sure how to best approach the situation. Should she barge right in and demand answers? Should she be up front and just ask about it? Maybe loosen their lips with a few glasses of wine? Or should she be subtle, and coax it out of them? There were many different options to go about this, but which one would actually yield a result?

“Doubt they're going to be honest with me if I just straight up ask,” Cadance muttered. “Don’t wanna make them even more paranoid if I’m wrong, either. And they’re both going to be careful with drinking if they really are hiding something… blegh. I think my best bet’s just to watch them,

and from there I’ll make a call.”

But not just any old spell would fool a magical genius like Twilight. It’d have to be something special and unique, something Twilight hadn’t prepared for, and wasn’t expecting. Preferably even something she knew next to nothing about.

“Should’ve taken some aspirin,” Cadance muttered. She activated her Soul Sight, and her eyes became filled with white light, the world shifting from a palace hallway to a vast, three-dimensional plane with no floor, ceiling, or walls. It stretched off into the distance with no visible horizon, and the constantly shifting magic of love became visible to her in full.

It was like a multicolored jungle. Tethers of love ran every which way like chaotic vines and tree branches, linking ponies’ souls together without any heed for distance, or perspective. The tethers varied in colors, thickness, and density, and the souls they connected shone brightly like blazing stars, illuminating the dark silhouettes of their bodies.

The first thing that always hit her was how jumbled everything seemed. Tethers ran every which way in giant tangled strands, and while she could see where, and how they were connected, it always looked so inefficient to her. Finding ponies in this mess was always hard unless they were relatively close to her, and she had to be careful moving around, lest she smack into something she couldn’t currently see.

Fortunately, she didn’t have to move at all to locate the ponies she was searching for. Just a short ways away and above her (and in a rather… compromising position), were Twilight and Rainbow, bound together by some VERY strong ties of love. They were encased in some kind of aura that made their profiles blurry, (likely how Twilight was trying to conceal them), but even with whatever spell that was, their positions didn’t leave much to the imagination.

“A-ha,” Cadance whispered with a lecherous grin. “Twilight, you sneaky little filly… so that’s why you brought her. But why are you hiding it, hmm? Are you not sure what you want?”

The ties were still in the developmental stages. It looked like the love had only recently evolved from a pre-existing bond of close friendship, but even still, it had all the makings of a serious relationship. And if that weren’t enough, there was also another kind of magic linking them together, one that had a prismatic glint to it. From what she could tell, it looked to be strengthening their connection even further.

“Interesting,” Cadance said. “Never seen anything like this. I wonder if they’re even aware of it…”

She watched them go at it in a sixty-nine position for a few minutes or so, but when it became clear that they weren’t stopping anytime soon, she decided she’d seen enough. She deactivated her Soul Sight and let the world return to normal, and as she did, a telltale pressure behind her eyes made itself known. It didn’t seem to be too bad this time, though, so there was a small victory in that.

Cadance turned and headed back the way she came. She had a wife to inform and a dragon to coddle, and the sooner she could do both, the better. She wasn’t sure if Gleaming would want to confront Twilight about this, or play dumb for now, but if Cadance had her way, she’d just let things develop on their own. A bond of love this strong wasn’t something that could be hidden for very long, and eventually, either Twilight or Rainbow would let something slip.

“Wonder if I can convince Gleamy to let me join them sometime,” Cadance idly wondered. “Always did like a mare with nice, strong wings…”

13.1 - The Pirate (Part 1)

The Pirate (Part 1)

——————————————————————————————

Two Weeks Later (Week 23)-

“Happy Nightmare Night, Princess!” the day guards called.

“You, too!” Cadance waved and closed the apartment door. She giggled as she eagerly shucked off her regalia, happy to be free of her responsibilities at last. Humming a soft tune, she trotted into the bedroom and went into her walk-in closet, intent on breaking out her costume for the night.

“Oh, come on!” came an exasperated shout. “You’ve gotta be KIDDINGme!”

Cadance poked her head inside the closet. Gleaming was wiggling and squirming in front of a mirror, trying to fit into the last part of her own costume. They’d both decided to dress up as pirates, and while Gleaming had gotten most of her outfit on, she was having trouble with the coat that completed it.

Cadance sighed. “I tried to warn you, hun. This is why most pregnant mares try to incorporate the baby bump into their costume.”

Gleaming sadly turned to her. So far, she was wearing a black bandana, a white puffy shirt, and a moss-green sash. Her mane and tail had been done up in braids with tiny gems, and three sheathed longswords hung loosely at her side. Next to the swords was a pouch that jangled with fool’s gold, and on her belt was a scroll with a fake treasure map on it.

“It’s not small around my barrel, though!” Gleaming held up her hooves to indicate it was mostly short in the sleeve. “It must’ve shrunk somehow, or the tailor got my measurements wrong! It fit me just fine when he was trying it on, remember? He even gave it room for me to grow!”

Cadance frowned. She recalled the dimensions the tailor had taken down, and from what she could tell, they seemed to be the same. Regardless of that, though, the coat was obviously too small. Not only that, the puffy shirt looked short in the sleeve, as well! It was almost as everything on her was just too small ingeneral.

Curious, Cadance came up and compared their heights in the mirror. Normally, the tip of Gleaming’s horn normally came up to Cadance’s withers…

...a single glance told her that was no longer the case.

Gleaming cocked her head. “What is it?”

Cadance didn’t reply just yet. She summoned a tape measure and held it up to Gleaming, who stood still with a blank look. She measured three times just to make sure she wasn’t mistaken, but each time, she got the same result.

“It seems like our foals haven’t been the only ones growing, love,” Cadance said. “You’ve gained an inch and a half in height! No wonder everything looks small.”

Gleaming blinked several times. She took the tape measure, and did another measurement, and sure enough, she found the same thing.

“The hay?”

Cadance pursed her lips. She hadn’t noticed because they’d both been so busy lately, what with preparations for the holidays, plans for the new hospital, and just running the Empire in general. But now that she was looking for it, it was pretty obvious. Gleaming was taller, alright, with most of the growth being in her legs.

“Ugh!” Gleaming tossed the tape measure away and wiggled out of the shirt.” As if I didn’t have enough to worry about!” She shucked off her maternity brace, as well, giving it a forlorn look. “I thought it was getting harder to zip this up… probably going to have to get a new one of these, too. Wonderful.”

Cadance rubbed her chin. “This is weird. I’d have thought your growing years were behind you.”

Gleaming put a hoof on her barrel. “Maybe it has something to do with the pregnancy? I know there’s a lot of hormonal stuff going on.”

“…maybe? Talia would know for sure,” Cadance said. “Or Twilight. We should ask them.”

Gleaming grunted her agreement. “Twily’ll be here soon with Rainbow and Spike. We can ask her then.”

Knock, knock, knock.

Cadance swiveled her ears. “Speaking of which...”

Gleaming rolled her eyes. “Early as usual. Are we still playing dumb about Twily and Rainbow, by the way?”

Cadance thought for a moment. “I can sense that Rainbow’s getting frustrated, but something’s holding Twilight back. There’s a lot of fear in her, and I really don’t want to push that. I’m still hoping they’ll tell us on their own if we give them more time.”

Gleaming exhaled out her nose. “Not too much more time. I get the feeling that they’re starting to make a game of it.”

Cadance snickered. “They seem like that type of couple, don’t they?”

“Mm.” Gleaming’s horn glowed with a bright FLASH, and she teleported out of the closet and to the bedroom door. “You go ahead and get ready, hun! I’ll see to them.”

“Okay!”

Gleaming walked over to the door, still muttering to herself. Immediately she noticed the difference between wearing the maternity brace and not, as her gait turned into a waddle without it. Her back legs were being pushed farther and farther apart by her giant beach ball of a belly, and the extra weight was making her have to adopt a slower, more careful pace.

And boy, was that weight piling on. She’d gained twenty pounds in the last week and her last fundal height measurement was a whopping sixty-seven centimeters! Granted, some of those gains were apparently from her getting taller, but still...

Gleaming opened the door. Just beyond were Twilight, Spike, and Rainbow, all wearing Nightmare Night costumes and grinning from ear to ear.

“Well, now!” Gleaming looked the three of them up and down with approval. “Don’t you all look spiffy.”

Twilight had dressed up as a dragon. Her outfit had spines the color of her mane that ran down her back, and a pair of fake horns rested between her ears. Meanwhile, Spike had done the opposite, and had dressed up as a pony. His outfit sported a two-toned mane and tail, along with a cutie mark of a scroll set behind green flame. Lastly, Rainbow had decided to go as a timber wolf. She was wearing a prop set of horseshoes that looked like claws, her wings looked like they were made out of branches, and her mane and tail had a hard, brittle look to them, like bark.

“Thanks!” Twilight said. She gave Gleaming with a wide, toothy smile, revealing that she was also wearing a set of fake fangs. She’d enchanted her eyes to resemble like cat-like slits, and her wings were magicked to resemble a batpony’s. “You’re still getting ready, I take it?”

Gleaming motioned towards the bedroom. ““Cady is. I just discovered that most of my costume doesn’t fit, so I may not even bother.”

“Aww, that’s no fun!” Spike jumped off Twilight’s back. “You can’t go to a Nightmare Night party without a Nightmare Night costume!”

Gleaming stared at Spike. His eyes were enchanted to like a pony’s, and the look was decidedly odd on the little guy. “I… uh, may not have a choice, bud. I don’t really have anything else.”

“What were you gonna go as?” Rainbow asked. She gestured to Gleaming’s braids. “Guessing it required you have your mane done up like that.”

Gleaming nodded. “Cady’s a pirate captain, and I was gonna be her first mate. I’ve a puffy shirt and coat, along with a couple of props I was gonna wear… but the shirt and coat don’t fit.”

Twilight’s eyes drifted to Gleaming’s rotund tummy. “Too small in the midsection?”

Gleaming shook her head. “More like too small everywhere. I’ve grown taller since the tailor took measurements, apparently.”

Twilight furrowed her brow. “Uh, how long ago did you have the measurements taken?”

“Earlier this month.” Gleaming made her way over to the kitchen, making to grab some drinks for everyone. “Weird, isn’t it? I’m thinking it’s a hormone thing.”

Twilight sucked on her teeth. “It... could be, but I’ve never heard of anything like that happening, and especially not so quickly! When again did you say the measurements were done? Earlier this month?”

There was the sound of the fridge being opened, along with glasses being pulled out from the cupboard. “Yeah,” Gleaming said over the noise. “The day before we found the fifth foal.”

“And when exactly did Cadance start giving you the alicorn magic infusions?” Twilight asked.

The sounds from the kitchen stopped. There was an awkward silence while that question hung in the air.

“...the day we found the fifth foal,” Gleaming replied.

Rainbow looked to Twilight with a smirk. “Ain’t that a coincidence?”

Twilight lowered her voice. “Correlation doesn’t equal causation, Dashie. Remember what we were talking about this morning?”

Rainbow stepped closer and snuck in a peck on the cheek. “Yeah, yeah. But you gotta admit, it’s still worth looking into.”

Twilight let out a squeak of surprise, her whole body going rigid from the contact. “N-Not here! They might see us!”

“I… suppose that might have something to do with it,” Gleaming said. The sounds from the kitchen resumed. “But I’ve never really heard of something like that happening. Why would alicorn magic do something like that?”

“So let ‘em see.” Rainbow nuzzled Twilight’s neck, breathing in the warm scent of her fur. “Let ‘em see that I can’t keep my hooves off you. Let ‘em see how you turn to putty at my slightest touch. Let ‘em see how I turned the world upside down for you, and how you fucking teased me so much on the way here I almost pinned you to the floor and made you SCREAM—”

Twilight whirled and pulled Rainbow into a fierce, desperate kiss, their tongues wrapping around each other as they softly moaned in each other’s mouths. Twilight overpowered Rainbow and pushed her into submission, but she fought back every step of the way with an intensity that only turned them both on even more. It was a quick affair, no more than five seconds, but to them, it was far longer.

Spike facepalmed. “Oh, for Celestia’s sake.”

“Then again, you did say there wasn’t a lot of documentation on this,” Gleaming idly mused. “This might be a indication of a bad thing for all we know! D’you think maybe we should stop?”

Twilight pulled away with a wet pop! She stared into Rainbow’s fiery eyes, their breathing heavy as their nethers heated up with a familiar warmth. She stroked Rainbow’s cheek with a fetlock and smiled, her expression taking on a sultry tone.

“Soon. I promise.”

Rainbow clearly didn’t like that answer, but nevertheless she stepped away, giving Twilight a look that sent excited shivers down her spine. The two of them panted for a few seconds as they gave each other bedroom eyes, but finally tore away and played aloof.

Gleaming stuck her head out of the kitchen. “Twily? Did you hear me?”

Twilight jumped. “Huh?! Oh, ah… sorry, I thought you were just thinking out loud. What’d you say?”

Gleaming came out of the kitchen with iced tea and a bowl of candy, munching on a piece or two already as she came over to them. “I asked if you thought we should stop the alicorn infusions. Do you think this is a sign of something dangerous?”

Twilight took her glass and thought for a moment, her gaze unfocused. “According to everything I’ve read, the effects of a rejected magic infusion are both immediate and obvious. The body treats the energy like a poison and removes it as fast as possible, causing things like fever, nausea, fatigue, and even seizure in extreme cases. You’ve been exposed to Cadance’s magic numerous times over the years without issue, haven’t you? And I’m your direct biological sibling, meaning our magical signatures are fifty percent identical. Your immune system hasn’t responded negatively to anything we’ve done so far, so if you were going to have an adverse reaction to either my or Cadance’s magic, we would’ve known the first time we tried to cast a spell on you, not when we started mixing our raw energy with your magic reserves.”

Gleaming munched on chocolate pieces, tilting her head back and forth. She motioned for Spike to open his mouth, floating a piece right onto his waiting tongue. “So you don’t think the two things are related.”

Twilight shrugged. “I’ve only ever heard of magic having an effect on body size in centaurs, and even then, only rarely. It requires a ritual that’s forbidden by their culture, and those that are discovered attempting it are either exiled or imprisoned.”

“Or both, in Tirek’s case!” Spike added through a mouthful of chocolate.

A shadow fell over Twilight’s face. “...yes, Spike. That’s correct.”

Gleaming contemplated that for a moment. “Cadance still seemed worried about it, though. Do you think you can scan me, just for peace of mind?”

Twilight took a swig of her iced tea before replying. “Yeah, I can. Want me to do it now?”

Gleaming nodded. “If you could.”

Twilight set her glass down. “Hold still.”

Twilight’s horn glowed, and a feeling of power seeped into the air. Gleaming felt the telltale tingling of her sister’s magic brush against her mind, requesting access. Gleaming resisted on reflex, but forced herself to relax, and opened herself to Twilight’s scan, allowing herself to be examined in full.

It was a very gentle affair. Twilight was methodical in her search, but she was never forceful, or caused any sudden jolts. She immersed herself in Gleaming’s magic, going through every nook and cranny, but she never went so far as to cause pain. In truth, her touch was almost was like a massage, like she was stretching out a muscle that hadn’t been used in a while.

“You’re showing all the signs of receiving regular magic infusions,” Twilight said after a time. “Your internal ley lines are widened, your aether gland is overstimulated, and your eldritch cochlea is enlarged. I’m not seeing any evidence of rejected magic or abnormal fluctuations in your arcana system.”

Gleaming nodded her understanding. Rainbow and Spike, however, just shared a confused glance.

“Translation, please!” Rainbow said. “Some of us don’t speak unicorn.”

Twilight quelled her magic and resumed sipping on her iced tea. “Magically, she’s perfectly healthy. More than healthy, really! Her body is soaking up the energy like a sponge, funneling all the excess energy to the foals, and allowing them to gestate without deficiencies. She’d likely be capable of some pretty impressive feats if she wasn’t under such a heavy, constant drain, but as it stands, her overall magic levels are staying within normal ranges… which is what we want, of course.”

“And I’m very grateful for it,” Gleaming said. She adjusted herself and brushed her mane out of her face. “Believe me, I’ve heard horror stories that can come with pregnancy. Magic exhaustion is no fun.”

Twilight giggled. “I’d call that a good reason to keep doing the infusions, then! Wouldn’t you say?”

Gleaming shrugged. “Yeah, I suppose.”

Twilight’s eyes wandered to all of Gleaming’s body, taking in the change while considering any possibilities. It was barely even noticeable, but a small part of her couldn’t help but approve of her big sister ‘reclaiming her title’, as it were. “I really don’t know what’s causing you to suddenly grow taller, but I doubt it has anything to do with the alicorn magic. Like you said, it’s likely a hormone thing.”

“Interesting,” said a male voice behind them. “But that doesn’t quite answer the question, does it?”

They all turned. Standing at the bedroom door was a pink alicorn stallion, clad a pirate costume and watching with a roguish smirk. He came over with a flourish, his soft, light steps silent as a shadow, and almost as swift. He had a playful, yet mysterious air about that matched the twinkle in his eyes, and the way he carried himself could only be described as... alluring.

Spike dropped the piece of candy he was holding. “Holy...”

“We should get Talia’s two cents as well, methinks,” said Eros. He stood over beside Gleaming and put a wing around her, the long appendage wrapping around her like a shawl. “Can’t hurt to cover our bases, eh?”

Twilight’s eyes about bugged out of their head. “C-Cadance?!”

Eros grinned. “Ahoy, Twilight! I go by Eros when I’m like this.”

Pomf!

Everyone jumped. Rainbow’s wings had spread to their full extension like a pair of planks, stiff and hard as steel.

Gleaming felt a glow of warm pride. Smugly, she leaned into Eros’ embrace, looking quite pleased with herself.

“Erm…” Twilight turned beet red and looked away, her own wings twitching at her sides. “W-Why are you—”

“—a stallion?” Eros stretched himself out a bit, his joints popping as he moved. “It’s part of my costume, of course! I thought that since Gleaming was already a mare, it’d be fun if I did the opposite! I be the dread Captain Andalus, Scourge of the Celestial Sea! This here be me first mate, the swordsmare Lady Zorona!”

“Yarrrrr,” Gleaming growled.

Eros’ costume was rather impressive. He was wearing a white v-necked shirt and grey captain’s coat that exposed his chest, along with a pair of worn, mottled saddlebags hung at his sides. A prop cutlass and a flask were hanging from a pair of belts that wrapped around his waist, and his mane and tail were braided similarly to Gleaming’s. A worn captain’s hat neatly finished off the ensemble, and strangely, he seemed to be wearing some kind of makeup that emphasized his eyes.

“Cool!” Spike walked up to Eros, craning his neck up at him. “You’re like a real swashbuckler!”

Eros smiled. “My thanks there, young Spike! Ye be excited for tonight?”

“Am I ever!” Spike held up his arms with a toothy grin. “This’ll be my first Nightmare Night party! I can’t wait!”

Eros picked him up to set him easily on his back. “That a fact? Well, we better make it a good one, then! Ye want to serve as me loyal companion? Every captain needs one, after all!”

Spike stood up straight as a board. “Oh, heck yes! Just you watch! I’ll be better than any boring ol’ parrot!”

“Um… you alright there, Twilight?” Gleaming asked, noticing her sister’s discomfort. “You look a little out of it.”

Twilight, who had beads of sweat forming on her brow, laughed shrilly and spoke in a high-pitched voice. “Who, me? I’m fine, yes, perfectly fine! Why wouldn’t I be?! There’s nothing awkward or confusing about this at all! Totally normal stuff here, yep-yep-yep! Not thinking anything inappropriate or sexual whatsoever! Completely conservative mindset! I’m totally okay with this! This is going to be a GREAT evening! Isn’t that right, Rainbow?!”

Rainbow snapped her gaze away from Eros with a heavy blush, pawing at the ground as she forced her wings to re-fold. “Y-Yeah… real fun... say, uh, not a bad look there… E-Eros! You’re a real sex—SWANKY! Swanky pirate! Totally swanky, and stuff! The swankiest!”

Eros winked and waggled his eyebrows. “Thank ye, lass. Ye don’t look half bad, yourself.”

Pomf!

Gleaming pursed her lips. While Twilight and Rainbow’s reactions were understandable (and priceless), they all had plans to take Spike trick or treating after the party. It wouldn’t be much fun if they were both starry-eyed fillies the whole time. However, Eros had worked hard on his costume, and Gleaming knew he wanted to show off the whole thing.

“SAY! You know what would be fun?!” Twilight suddenly said loudly. “Since you two are genderswapped like this, why don’t the rest of us swap genders, as well? We can say it’s a common theme of our group!”

Spike did a double-take. “What, what?!”

Eros and Gleaming raised their eyebrows. “Uh…”

“YES!” Rainbow also said in a loud voice. “Great idea, Twilight! Totally in the spirit of Nightmare Night! I completely and totally approve of this with full consent andyoushouldcastthespellRIGHTNOW.”

“Oh, hay no!” Spike dove behind Eros and Gleaming. “Count me out! I like being a boy!”

“Won’t work on you anyway!” Twilight’s horn glowed with gathering energy. “It’s tailored to ponies!”

Gleaming spoke up. “Twilight, wait! You don’t—”

“Here we go!” Twilight said.

There was the hum of ambient magic, the surge of a spell being cast…

ZAP!

And when Gleaming could see again, she saw...

Eros gasped. “Oh, my...”

Twilight was now a large, handsome alicorn stallion, with sail-like wings and a strong, sturdy frame. His mane and tail were messy and unkempt, his chest was broad and defined, and his costume was now straining to fit him. He swayed back and forth as he struggled to stay on his hooves, his horn still smoking from the spell.

“Ergh,” he said in a shaky, boyish tenor. “That… did not feel good...”

Rainbow was still small and svelte, but now with a lithe, swimmer’s body and a jagged mane like a lightning bolt. His wings were large and sleek, almost as if they were too big for his body, and his muzzle was square and short. His costume still more or less fit him, but his eyes were currently spinning in their sockets from the spell, and he looked like he was about to be sick.

“Agreed,” he muttered in a deep baritone. “Hrk…”

Gleaming felt her ire rise. “You just—I was—UGH! You… damn… IDIOTS! I You didn’t need to do that!”

“N-No, it’s fine!” Twilight clumsily waved his hoof. “Really! It’s all... for the fun! Now we all match!”

“Don’t try to play it off!” Gleaming snapped. She stormed up to Twilight, yanking his head down to her level with magic. “I don’t care what kind of power you’re packing these days! You don’t go casting a spell like that on yourself, OR on others without testing it first! You’re going to get yourself killed!”

Rainbow, despite the initial nausea, recovered a little faster than Twilight. He rubbed his eyes and staggered from the change in balance, flaring his wings to catch himself. He chanced a look over at Eros, and while he still blushed, he was at least able to keep his wings folded.

“Better than nothing, I suppose…”

Twilight put a hoof to his head, wincing from Gleaming yelling so close to him. “Geez, calm down! I’m not some two-bit caster! I have it under control!”

Sparks were now literally flying from Gleaming’s eyes. “You could’ve had the spell backfire! You could’ve overloaded the matrix! You damn well could’ve splinched yourself! I KNOW Celestia taught you better than to do reckless shit like this, and even if she DIDN’T, Mom and Dad definitely did! What the fuck is wrong with you?!”

“Gleamy’s right, Twilight,” Eros agreed, shaking his head. “You really shouldn’t have done that. We could’ve thought of something less extreme to make you two more comfortable.”

Meanwhile, Spike poked his head up from behind Eros’ shoulder, getting a good look at Twilight and Rainbow’s altered forms.

“Welp, that’s new.”

Twilight grit his teeth and pulled away from Gleaming, drawing up to his full height. “For your information, sister, I HAVE tested that spell before! I did it back when you guys first told me you were trying to conceive! It’s just been a while since I’ve casted it!”

Gleaming put her hooves on her hips. “You look like you’re about to collapse! What, did you just force the spell through with raw power?! What made you think a genderswap spell was the best solution in the first place, huh? You’re still going to be attracted to Eros, regardless!”

Twilight glanced at Eros. Sure enough, that suave face and sleek physique still set his heart aflutter, but the changed chemical aspect of the attraction was foreign, and his brain was having trouble connecting the dots.

“It’s easier to ignore now,” he mumbled under his breath.

“Is this how you solve all your problems?” Gleaming demanded. “I get that you have a lot on your plate—we all do—but you can’t automatically resort to magic every time you have an issue! You’re going to hurt yourself, or worse, the ponies around you!”

Twilight narrowed his eyes. “Hey, back off, alright?! Maybe if you’d warned us that Cadance was gonna do this in the first place, I wouldn’t have had to resort to such drastic measures! Did you ever think about how others were going to react to him? Or did you just want to show off your trophy husband?!”

The air around Gleaming shimmered with heat. “How DARE—”

“Alright, cool it,” Eros said, stepping between the two. “Snarking at each other while being emotionally compromised isn’t going to accomplish anything. Knock it off.”

Gleaming rounded on him. “I am not getting emotionally compromised! Don’t—”

“Your mind is torn between equal parts anger and concern,” Eros said. “The anger is fierce and volatile, prone to shifting at a moment’s notice. The concern is emanating from familial instincts, specifically, your desire to protect Twilight, even from herself. A combo like that isn’t conducive to a rational discussion.”

Gleaming’s retort died on her lips. She wanted to argue on sheer principle, empath or no empath, but it was really hard when Eros was looking at her like that. His eyes were drilling into hers, and while he was trying to look authoritative, it was coming off as more… seductive.

“Eep.”

“And you—” Eros whirled on Twilight. “—need to chill. That white-hot bubbling feeling creeping into your chest? That’s a special kind of anger, one that can turn nasty, real fast. It’s an aggressive response caused by a mix of adrenaline and testosterone, and you’re not used to dealing with the latter, so you need to get a hold of yourself before you REALLY flip your lid.”

Twilight’s eyes shrunk to pinpricks. While it was jarring to have Eros hit the nail exactly on the head, he was also giving him that same ‘authoritative’ look, and his brain was starting to figure out how to connect those dots.

“U-Um…”

“I think we need to talk about something else,” Eros said abruptly, his eyes falling on Rainbow. “Gleamy and I haven’t pressed this the last two weeks, but now, I think it’s time to let the cat out of the bag. I happened to see that little exchange between you two while Gleamy was in the kitchen. Care to explain yourselves?”

The two of them went stock still. A long, awkward silence followed, neither one of them speaking, or moving. Eros’ question hung in the air like a guillotine blade, with both him and Gleaming looking on, waiting for a response.

“I’m gonna say it, Twi,” Rainbow said at last.

Twilight groaned. He hung his head low, his wings drooping at his sides. “Fine...”

Rainbow cleared his throat to speak, but when he saw Twilight’s defeated expression, his face twisted into a frown. “Actually, no. I’m not gonna say a damn thing. After all…”

He marched over to Twilight, roughly pulling him up and staring into his eyes.

“…actions speak louder than words.”

And Rainbow kissed him. He kissed him desperately, hungrily, like a starving pony pouncing on a hayburger. He tilted his head and pulled Twilight into a fierce embrace, his wings enveloping them both like a downy cyan shroud. Twilight let out a muffled noise at first, but then, his eyes rolled to the back of his head, and he melted in Rainbow’s lover’s embrace. He fell back on his haunches and pulled Rainbow onto his lap, hugging him as tight as he could, and Rainbow wrapped his legs around Twilight’s waist.

Gleaming and Eros looked on stunned silence, watching as they made out in front of them. Spike was the only one who was seemed undeterred, though he did make a mock gagging noise and stuck out his tongue.

Rainbow and Twilight pulled away. They touched foreheads for a few seconds while breathing steadily, staring deep into each other’s eyes.

“Does that ‘explain’ things well enough, Captain Love Guy?” Rainbow asked.

Eros broke into a huge, goofy grin. “I’d certainly say so.”

“Any problems?”

Eros snorted. “Why would there be? I’m happy for you two! You make an adorable couple!”

Rainbow smirked. “Not quite the a-word I was going for, but we’ll work on that. How about you, Gleaming? Gonna accuse us of nepotism? Worried about any scandals? You against fillyfooling, or friends dating friends? What are your thoughts on premarital sex?”

“Rainbow!” Twilight hissed.

Rainbow shrugged. “What? We’re banging. They deserve to know.”

Gleaming couldn’t help but laugh. “I’d be quite the hypocrite if I had a problem with any of those things. You basically just described all the issues Eros and I faced when we started dating.”

Rainbow gave Twilight a very pointed look, whispering something in his ear that sounded suspiciously like, “told ya.”

Twilight suddenly looked very sheepish. “I… you… really?! When? I didn’t know about any of that, Gleamy! You never told me!”

Gleaming went over to Spike and plucked him off Eros’ back. “It was hard enough to pry your nose out of a textbook for meals! You were in the middle of your studies with Celestia, raising Spike with Mom, all of that. How could you relate to the messy details of relationship stuff? It’d be like me bitching to you about what being pregnant is like!”

Spike giggled and hugged Gleaming’s neck. “She’s got you there, Twi. S’not something that’s quite on your radar yet, is it?”

Twilight frowned. “Uh, hello? I’ve been helping out with all this, haven’t I? Pregnancy’s not something I have firsthoof experience with, true, but I’ve certainly done enough research on it! I’d be lying if I said it hadn’t crossed my mind.”

Spike froze. “...wat.”

“Yeah!” Rainbow said. “Kinda hard not to think about it when—” He did a double-take at Twilight. “Eh? You, too?”

Twilight chewed on his lip. “I didn’t want to say anything because I—what do you mean, ‘you too’?!”

Eros burst out laughing.

Spike buried his head in his claws. “What have I done?”

Gleaming clucked her tongue. “Me and my big mouth....”

Rainbow shuffled his wings. “Hey, come on! I’ve always wanted kids! I help Pinkie babysit Pound and Pumpkin all the time, don’t I? I just wasn’t sure how you felt about it. S’not exactly an easy topic to bring up…”

Twilight stared, incredulous. “I… thought I heard you say at the Wonderbolts Hearth’s Warming party that you couldn’t stand foals.”

Rainbow shook her head. “That wasn’t me, that was Fleetfoot. And she was lying through her teeth, anyways. She’s just terrified having a kid will ruin her figure, or some crap. Nevermind that half the mares on the team have had kids and are still on top of her game, oh no, she’s different. I swear, you’d think she’s never heard of Pilates...”

Gleaming suddenly appeared very thoughtful. “I should probably look into that...”

Eros leaned over and nipped her ear. “Oooh, can I watch?”

She brushed her tail across Eros’ groin. “Only if you help with the ‘post-workout’ routine.”

“Mmm, that might wear you out more than the workout itself…”

Twilight shifted back and forth. “Huh? That… wasn’t you? I could’ve sworn that…”

Rainbow suddenly seemed to remember something. “Okay, so I shoulda told you about this earlier, but like, Fleetfoot and I look so similar that we could be long lost twins or something. Seriously, if she and I hid our manes beneath our uniforms, you wouldn’t be able to tell us apart—not even by our voices! Even the team gave up and started calling us Blue One, and Blue Two.”

A glimmer of hope crept into Twilight’s eyes. “I didn’t… you never… really?”

In response, Rainbow kissed him a second time, fast, and eager.

“You know, for an egghead, you can be a real dummy sometimes.” Rainbow stroked Twilight’s cheek.“Let’s talk about it when we don’t have an audience, kay?”

Twilight glanced over at Eros and Gleaming. “Y-Yeah. Good idea.”

Gleaming, deciding that she’d had enough of the awkward air, stepped forward to look between the two of them. “I’m guessing that this is the real reason you brought her along.”

Twilight unconsciously hugged Rainbow a little tighter. “I, erm… w-well, yes. I mean, I did need to bring somepony along, but Spike would’ve served that purpose just fine. But, erm… you weren’t really wrong when you initially assumed that she was mostly here for... e-emotional support.”

Rainbow gave her a saucy look. “Is that what we’re calling it now?”

Twilight covered his face with a wing. “Annnnnnnnd this is what I have to deal with.”

Gleaming was at a bit of a loss. She’d never really given thought to Twilight having a romantic life, and seeing it so suddenly in front of her was strange. Part of her wanted to hug them, part of her wanted to hear how they got together, part of her wanted to give them advice...

...and a small part wanted to murder the little shit that’d deflowered her baby sister.

“Why were you worried about what we’d think?” Eros asked. “You know what kind of relationship Gleamy and I have. There’s no reason we’d judge you.”

Spike let out a very meaningful cough at this.

Twilight shot him a dirty look, but chose not to comment on it. Instead, he swished his tail and made a frustrated noise. “I just… didn’t want to take the chance, all right? Yes, I saw the parallels to your relationship, but that didn’t mean the same thing would happen with us! Rainbow and I are totally different ponies—we have different lives, different expectations, different responsibilities, different images to maintain, different biases, all of that! Expecting that everypony will treat us the same as way as you wasn’t a realistic or intelligent assumption to make, and I wanted more information before making an announcement. And no, before you ask, it wasn’t just for me. It was for Rainbow, as well.”

Rainbow spoke up. “She—er, he, I guess, is worried this’ll turn into some kinda scandal. Oh no, ponies will start gossiping and treating us different, and the press’ll hound us twenty-four seven. Heh… as if that’d bother me.”

Twilight swatted him. “Hey, I’m worried that it’ll make you even more incorrigible. The last thing your ego needs is more pandering.”

Suddenly, Rainbow licked the side of Twilight’s neck, his wet tongue rasping against Twilight’s soft coat.

“And here I thought that was what you liked about me...”

Twilight inhaled sharply, his eyes fluttering closed. “D-Dashie, please...”

“What a perfect opportunity,” Rainbow said, loud so everypony could hear. “Should I tell ‘em about our little game, Twi? You know, the one where we keep each other on the edge for as long as possible? You were winning last I checked, and we both know how much I hate losing—“

“As much as I’d like to watch this play out,” Eros cut in, taking a few steps forward. “We’ve got a party to go to, remember?”

“Yeah,” Spike grumbled. “Do your icky, mushy stuff later. I’ve got candy to snag.”

Gleaming sucked on her teeth, her emotions conflicted as she watched Twilight and Rainbow separate. Was she okay with this? There was no reason she shouldn’t be, but things weren’t always that easy. She wasn’t worried about the superfluous things like gender, politics, or image—she was worried whether or not these two were a good match. She’d have to know Rainbow better in order to answer that question, though, and familiarity like that didn’t happen overnight.

“I’m just gonna pretend I didn’t see that,” Gleaming muttered. She rested a hoof on her belly, grunting as she felt one the foals shift into a new position. “I can’t help but noticed that your costume doesn’t really fit you now, Twily. Are you two going to be staying like that? Or are you going to change back?”

Twilight winced as his outfit stretched and strained. “The spell can’t be reverted for a couple hours, so… looks like Rainbow and I are stuck like this for a while. Sorry.”

“Hey, no need for sorry!” Rainbow said. “Everypony’s dressed up for Nightmare Night! We really can say it’s part of a group theme!”

Twilight shrugged. “I… suppose we can. Either of you have any objections?”

Eros and Gleaming looked at each other, a silent exchange passing between them. Gleaming gestured to herself, wiggling her hips and holding out one of her legs.

“Gleamy’s costume still doesn’t fit,” Eros reminded them. “And neither does yours, Twilight. You two shouldn’t have to be uncomfortable.”

Twilight wracked his brain, his lips moving as he muttered to himself. “I might be able to help with that.”

Gleaming cocked her head. “How so?”

“One of our friends is a seamstress,” Twilight said. “A few months back, she was showing me the spells she uses to make adjustments to clothes, and I think I remember enough to do some simple tweaks. It won’t be perfect or professional, but it should get the job done.”

Well, that was certainly fortuitous. Gleaming wasn’t exactly thrilled about Twilight jumping straight to magic for a solution again, but in this case, it might be their only option.

“I suppose it’s worth trying,” Gleaming said. She turned and headed for the bedroom, motioning for Twilight to follow. “C’mon. I’ll show you my stuff.”

“You know,” Eros said as they walked off. “Random thought, but if you and Rainbow are going to be stallions, you should probably come up with new names for yourselves! It’ll help you mentally.”

Twilight frowned. “That sounds an awful lot like disassociation.”

Rainbow blinked. “Disa-what now?”

“Don’t think of it like that, ya mangy landlubber!” Eros spread his wings, striking a heroic pose. “Think of it like your alter-ego! Your secret identity! By day, you’re mild-mannered Princess Twilight Sparkle, but by night, you become something MORE. A symbol of justice and truth! A beacon of hope and light! Truly, the hero that Equestria deserves!”

Spike snickered. “Now I kinda want to join on this.”

Twilight grinned at Eros’ display. “When you put it like that... yeah, why not? It might be fun to get into a character for a little while! However, it’s just for the night! I don’t want to make this a recurring theme.”

Eros chanced a glance over at Rainbow, noting how comfortable he already seemed with the genderswap. Twilight was adjusting quickly, as well, and Eros could sense an underlying hint of curiosity in both of them that’d likely last quite a while.

“Of course, Twilight,” Eros said, hiding his smile. “We certainly wouldn’t want that.”

“So, who you gonna be, Twi?” Rainbow spun around slowly in a circle, examining himself in full with a critical eye. “I thiiiiiink… I’m gonna beeeee... Rainbow Blitz! Yeah!”

Twilight gave him a dull look. “...really?”

“Hey! I like it!” Rainbow defended. “Who says I have to change both parts of my name?”

Twilight shrugged. “If that’s what you wanna go with...”

“Well, what about you then?” Rainbow said, his eyes gaining that cocksure look. “Think you can come up with something that tops mine?”

“I’ve got a suggestion!” Gleaming called from the bedroom. “It’s what Mom and Dad were gonna name you if you were a boy!”

Twilight’s ears perked up. “Wait, what? Really?”

“Did they not tell you?” Gleaming said. “I thought they did! I’ve always thought it was a good name.”

Twilight trotted into the bedroom after Gleaming. “If they did, I forgot it. What was the name?”

Gleaming shut the door behind them. “It was…”

13.2 - The Pirate (Part 2)

The Pirate (Part 2)

——————————————————————————————

The Grand Crystal Ballroom was where events and parties were held at the Crystal Empire Castle. It didn’t get a lot of usage most of the time, as there weren’t a whole lot of said events or parties to be had for a newly-returned kingdom, but when there were, the place was thoroughly cleaned, decorated, and stocked in all the best the crystal ponies had to offer. The turnouts for these celebrations ranged from small to overflowing depending on what was being celebrated, but tonight, the place was heavily populated with all manner of castle staff and their families.

Everything was decorated in honor of Nightmare Night. A thin mist covered the floor that gave the place a eerie feel, and all manner of pumpkins, fake skeletons, scarecrows, and monster props were scattered about on displays or in the corners. The walls and windows were lined with cobwebs and glowing mystical runes that changed colors, and the tables were covered with intricately embroidered tablecloths and glowing candelabras set with magical light. The ceiling above was enchanted to look like the cloudy night sky, with the clouds parting to reveal a large harvest moon that filled the room with a spooky glow. There was an impressive spread of food on a series of banquet tables on the far side of the room, and up on a stage was a musical band playing a fast-paced seasonal tune.

The ponies in attendance were in all manners of costumes. They ranged from silly ones like clowns, to scary ones like zombies, to traditional ones like fireponies, to fantasy ones like jackalopes. Everypony was laughing, talking, eating, playing holiday games, or dancing to the music, and there was a festive feel to the air that put a smile on your face. The sun had just properly set outside, allowing the stars and real moon to come out into plain view, and ponies of all ages could be seen walking the streets in their quest for sugary treats.

Currently, most of the attention at the party was directed at the group of royals who’d just arrived. Gleaming, Eros, and Spike, all in costume and grinning ear to ear, stood waving at the entrance for a few moments before being escorted to the front of the room. A great many ponies did double-takes upon seeing Eros, and there was even a wolf whistle or two as they passed, which the three of them couldn’t help but smirk at.

“Sorry, I’m taken!” Eros said, earning him a laugh from the crowd.

“Looks like you’re debut’s a hit,” Gleaming said, smiling. She knew she also was getting more than a few jealous looks from mares in the crowd, and she couldn’t help but find it hilarious. “I wonder how many ponies will be questioning their sexuality after tonight?”

Eros chuckled. “By the mix of emotions I’m feeling right now? I’d say more than a few. At the very least, I hope this makes more ponies comfortable with things like this.”

Spike, who was curled around Eros’ shoulders like a scaly cat, frowned at this. “What do you mean?”

Eros hesitated. “Well, erm—you see...”

“Some ponies don’t know what they want in life,” Gleaming said. She shook her mane a bit, the braided gems within making a click-click sound. “Think about this: How do you think you’d feel if you went for years thinking you only liked girls, but then you encountered a boy that completely swept you off your hoov—er, feet? Would you know what to do?”

Spike blinked several times. His face scrunched up as he thought, his eyes going unfocused as he thought. On instinct his tail tightened around Eros’ collarbone, keeping his balance secure.

“No,” he said in a halting voice. “I’d be confused. Like, really, really confused. I wouldn’t know what to think at all.”

Gleaming nodded. “It’s a difficult thing to deal with. So difficult, in fact, that some ponies can’t do it, no matter how hard they try. It can be very aggravating, stressful, and overall just not a very good time.”

Spike cocked his head. “So why would you want ponies to feel like that?”

“Because it’s not healthy to pretend your problems don’t exist,” Eros said. He took a moment to step up onto the platform the guards were leading them to. “Burying them does nothing but make you bitter and angry in the long run, and worse, not only does it make you suffer, but it makes the ponies around you suffer, too.”

Spike digested this with a contemplative look. “I… guess that makes sense...”

Eros looked out over the crowd. “Trust me, it’ll make sense when you’re older.”

Gleaming’s gaze wandered as she made her way up the platform after Eros, her lips pursed as she sucked on her teeth. There were quite a few ponies here that she knew, and she sincerely hoped that she got the chance to talk to some of them. She saw her massage therapist Amber chatting leisurely with somepony with their back turned while nibbling on a candied apple. Lieutenant Steelwing was by the buffet table, arm in arm with a demure mystery mare. By the way they kept sneaking looks at each other, Gleaming had a guess as to who she was. Doctor Talia was also in attendance, off in a corner surrounded by ponies with medical cutie marks, and oddly enough, she was carrying a tiny, bright-eyed foal atop her back.

Gleaming got to her chair and leaned gratefully into the cushions, her profound stomach resting heavily between her legs and taking up most of her lap. She was starting to notice how warm she felt all the time, the heat bathing out into the rest of her body to make her feel like she was glowing. She gently rubbed her big, round belly, feeling the precious lives within stirring and tickling her insides, their movements causing tiny flutters that inevitably made her smile.

“What is it, Gleamy?” Eros asked, noting her serene expression. “They tickling you again?”

Gleaming looked. “Hehe, yeah. They’ve been pretty quiet all day. I think they just woke up.”

Eros’ eyes fell on his wife’s pregnant girth, snugly secured in its maternity brace beneath the adjusted shirt. “I imagine you’ll be getting hungry soon.”

“I haven’t stopped being hungry these last three weeks, dear,” Gleaming replied. She licked her lips, glancing over at the buffet line. “I might just let you and Spike handle the greetings once Twi—er, Dusk, and Rainbow get here.”

Eros considered that. “That... might work, actually. That way you’ll be able to finish before our other special guest gets here. We can’t very well forget about her, can we? She’ll likely want to talk with both of us.”

Gleaming’s eyes lit up. “Right, I forgot about that. I’ll have to indulge quickly once dearbrother arrives.”

“Where did they go, anyway?” Eros wondered. “One minute they were behind us, the next they were gone.”

“Bathroom,” Gleaming replied simply. “I imagine they’re having trouble getting used to their new ‘equipment.’ Hopefully they figure it out soon.”

“They just got here now, I think,” Spike spoke up. “That announcer pony looks like he’s about to make an announcement.”

Sure enough, the herald cleared his throat and said in a loud, hesitant voice, “Presenting, erm... His Majesty, P-Prince Dusk Shine! And his companion, S-Sir Rainbow… um, Blitz!”

The entire crowd turned once more, just in time to see Dusk and Rainbow coming in through the doors. They were both neatly presented in their costumes while standing hoof in hoof, and Rainbow’s suave, cocksure grin was an odd compliment to Dusk’s tentative, shy smile. Yet to his credit, he didn’t shy away or avert his eyes, and he met everypony around him with genuine interest. His dragon costume was modified so that it didn’t look like it was strangling him anymore, but still, it was pretty apparent that the adjustments had been made on the fly.

Murmurs of surprise ran through the crowd. Several sets of eyes (mostly female) about bugged out of their heads at the sight of the two stallions, and a few good-natured laughs rang out from others. The rest remembered themselves and bowed to Dusk as he passed, although many couldn’t help but sneak curious peeks at the same time.

Gleaming stifled a snicker. “Thisis going to make some headlines.”

Eros looked on with approval. “And the right headlines, too.”

“Eh?” Gleaming turned to Eros. “This just for Nightmare Night. It’s not like they’re going stallion full-time.”

“I meant their relationship,” Eros said. He gestured at the ponies Dusk and Rainbow left in their wake, who were staring wide-eyed once they rose and saw their tails. “Looks like they’ve decided to make it public.”

Gleaming squinted. It took a second, but from their higher vantage point she saw what Eros was referring to. Dusk’s and Rainbow’s tails were looped around together in an intimate display—the universal sign that two ponies were a couple, and they weren’t making any attempts to hide or disengage.

“Erm, you should probably go get food now,” Eros told Gleaming in an undertone. “I’ve a feeling we’re about to get mobbed.”

Gleaming couldn’t help but agree. A crowd was already starting to form around Dusk and Rainbow, and it likely wouldn’t be dispersing any time soon.. “Alright. Try not to have too much fun while I’m gone, okay?”

Slyly, Eros used a wing to lift up Gleaming’s tail, running his feathers across her sensitive marehood. “Don’t worry, love. We’ll be having our funlater tonight.”

Gleaming’s pupils shrunk to tiny dots. A flare of even stronger warmth bloomed inside her now, and it quickly radiated southward to develop into a familiar ache.

“Eros?” Gleaming said in a strangely calm voice.

He turned to her with a shit-eating grin. “Yes, honey?”

“Would you like to play a game tonight after trick-or-treating?”

Eros pretended to think about it. “What game were you thinking of?”

Gleaming was having trouble thinking straight, as the stupid sexy bastard was purposely wafting his tail to give her a good whiff of his cologne. He smelled like crushed pine needles on a dry summer day, and it was making it increasingly harder not to pounce on him. “Th-The one from that book Celestia gave us at… at our wedding! Yeah! I think it’s from… erm, chapter five? Or maybe six… whatever! You know the one.”

It took Eros a moment to get it, but once he did, a knowing look crept up on his face. “Ho, ho. It’s been awhile since we played that game. I’m certainly down if you are… that is, if you think you can handle it.”

Spike looked blankly between them. “What game?”

They both ignored him. “Of course I can handle it,” Gleaming said in a soft purr. “And you know that I always play to win. Get ready to lose, pink boy.”

Suddenly, Eros bent down until he was inches from Gleaming’s face. His eyes captured hers with a sultry look, his parted lips only inches away from hers. Gleaming was caught off-guard, and found herself hypnotized by those devious eyes. She was drowning in his cloying, heavenly scent, and before she even knew it, she was leaning in to kiss him...

...and then Eros pulled away at the last minute.

“You can’t win all the time,” he said smugly.

Gleaming’s face reddened. She wasn’t sure whether to smack him, tease him back, or shove her pussy in his face and let him rut her for hours on end. Ultimately she decided on the second option, but a small (albeit loud) part of her wanted to show everypony in this room who exactly this stallion belonged to.

Gleaming made a dismissive noise and walked away, using a bit of magic to pinch his ass. “We’ll see about that.”

Spike watched Gleaming go, utterly clueless and scratching his head. “Ummm, what was that? What game were you guys talking about?”

Eros’ ears turned red. He’d kind of forgotten that Spike was with them. “Erm, it, ah… involves mushy stuff, buddy. Kissing on the lips and stuff. You wouldn’t like it.”

Spike immediately made a face. “Ewww… yeah, definitely count me out on that! It’s bad enough I’ve had to see all the kissing between Twi—Dusk and Rainbow; I do not want any of that! Gross, gross, gross.”

Eros watched Gleaming’s wide, swaying hips as she walked away, suddenly quite grateful that his costume covered his groin. “Give it time, my little dragon. You might change your mind on that someday.”

Gleaming had half a mind to leave her guards in the dust and just teleport over to the buffet, but she knew that that wouldn’t reflect well on her in the long run. She was a little worried that she’d get stopped on the way by somepony as a result of just walking over, but fortunately, most ponies were too preoccupied with Dusk and Rainbow to properly take notice of her. It was an odd feeling; she didn’t often get the chance to blend into crowds these days.

The food selection was impressive. The kitchens always liked to be festive when it came to their holiday meals, and tonight was no exception. There were roasted pumpkin seeds, baked pumpkin bites, a gooey cheddar fondue that looked like webbing, a hot dish with a jack-o-lantern face, a chunky blue cheese spread with pink food coloring to look like brains, bread bowls in the shape of skulls, a huge bowl of steaming mashed potatoes drizzled with ‘blood’, celery sticks with peanut butter and raisins, devilled eggs with olives to look like eyeballs, salted squash fritters, breadsticks in the shape of broomsticks, a delicious-looking hay and cauliflower soup, various candied fruits, cookies in the shape of arcane runes, ten kinds of pie, and at the very end, a bowl of bright green punch enchanted to give off smoke. There were other selections of dishes there as well, each of them unique, tasty-looking, and diverse, but these were the ones that initially caught Gleaming’s eye.

“Damn.” Gleaming’s stomach growled in anticipation. “I’m not even sure where to start!” She grabbed half a dozen plates in her magic and proceeded to walk slowly down the line, loading them up generously one at a time. “I think a bit of this... and a little bit of that… some of this… some of that... ooh, definitely some of that… this looks good… that looks GREAT… this’ll go good with the bread… this with the soup… ah, love it when they make this... still need to get the recipe… maybe a little bit more of this… this too, I suppose… do I want some pie? Eh, I’m pregnant, I’m allowed. Running out of plates, though... Sergeant Onyx, go get two more plates, please.”

One of her escorting guards obeyed, retrieving two additional plates and holding them steady for her in his magic. Gleaming dished out three large pie slices on each, but then after some thought, she grabbed a several more and piled them on, as well. Lastly, she took a few cups and filled them up with the mysterious ‘smoking brew,’ then moseyed over to a nearby table.

The guard holding the pie plates glanced at the other half dozen floating plates around Gleaming. He didn’t say anything, but he couldn’t help but be dubious about one mare (even a pregnant one) eating so much. His doubt must’ve shown on his face, too, as Gleaming noticed and suddenly looked a bit embarrassed.

“I might’ve got carried away,” she admitted. She looked at the plates as well and shrugged her shoulders. “Though I am eating for six here, and apparently I’m also a growing mare? Let’s just go with this and see how much of it I get through. I’ll save the rest for later.”

They got to the table and set the food down. Gleaming took a moment to organize things, get silverware, cast a spell on the punch to make sure it wasn’t spiked, et cetera, but finally, she was able to dig in.

She raised a soup-laden spoon to her lips...

“Princess Gleaming, Princess Gleaming!” a familiar, tinny voice said. “Hello, hello, hellooooo~! I didn’t know you were hereeeeee! So good, good, good to see you!”

Damn it.

A duo of ponies emerged from the crowd. One of them was the crystal pony Azure Mist, the owner of the underground day spa. Trailing reluctantly behind her was Amber, who subtly met Gleaming’s eyes with an apologetic look.

Gleaming withheld her sigh and set down her spoon. “Hello... Azzy, was it? It’s been awhile. Enjoying the party so far?”

Azzy tittered. “Almost two months later and you remember my name? How flatteringly flattering! And yes, I most certainly am! Haven’t been to the castle in ages, since we all woke up from the curse, in fact! I was just telling Amber it’s amazing to see how much is all the same, and I love how you and Princess Cadance have tried to mix our traditional styles with the modern era’s! But what about you, hmm? Did you just get here?”

Gleaming’s stomach let out another loud, insistent growl. “I did indeed. And I haven’t actually eaten yet, so you’ll have to forgive me for seeing to that while we chat. ”

“Of course, of course,” Azzy said warmly. “Need to keep those little four fed, after all.”

“Er, it’s five, Azzy,” Amber said, her deep, smooth voice easily heard over the music. “Turns out they missed one on the initial count. I thought I told you that a few weeks ago.”

Gleaming watched Azzy’s jaw fall to the ground. Amber knew, of course as she saw Gleaming twice a week and was up to date on such things. Good thing, too, because Gleaming took Azzy’s shock as an opportunity to begin stuffing her face. The hot, delicious soup was disappearing rapidly down her gullet, and she was only pausing to tear off pieces of the bread bowl and dip them in the broth.

“Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!” Azzy clapped her hooves and danced in place. “Eeeeeeeeee! You’re having FIVE?! I can’t believe it! That’s unreal! That’s simply, utterly, terrifically splendiferously GREAT! You must be so happy! You must be so excited! Ohmygosh, you must be so HUNGRY! Wow, no wonder you’ve got so much food here! Go on, girl, eat! Eat, eat away!”

Gleaming snorted. She took another hearty gulp of soup and wiped her mouth. “Kind of ridiculous, isn’t it? It never really ends, either, especially with me using magic with the troops. And this meal number four today.”

Azzy’s eyes widened. “Meal number… wow, I can’t even imagine what that must be like. You’re taking it all so well, too! You look amazing, sweetie! Your body’s adjusted to the pregnancy so well!”

Gleaming smiled. “I have a lot of ponies to thank for that. I hit the halfway point next month, and honestly it’s hard to believe how fast the time’s blown by. S’been an interesting ride so far.”

Azzy got a wistful look. “Don’t I know it, hun. One minute you’re finding you’re gonna be a parent, and the next, you’re holding ‘em in your arms. If I might be so bold, my advice is to enjoy the time as best you can! It’s an experience from start to finish, and you’re just getting into the really magical part of it all now!”

Suddenly, Amber, who’d been casually looking around, noticed something on the far side of the room. She nudged Azzy and murmured something, gesturing to something a ways away.

Azzy looked where Amber was pointing and let out a soft gasp. “Oh, fiddlesticks. Your Highness, I’m afraid duty calls, but do come visit me at my spa again soon, alright? And bring the rest of your family along, too! I’m sure they’ll all have a lovely time.”

Gleaming perked up at this. “That’s actually not a bad idea. I’ll have to see what I can do.”

“Fabulous.” Azzy bowed and swept away in a flash, leaving both her and Amber behind. “Take care, you two! And happy Nightmare Night!”

Amber watched her go with a mix of amusement and relief. She made sure until Azzy was well out of earshot, and then she turned to Gleaming with an anxious look. “She can be a bit oblivious at times.”

Gleaming waved off the apology. “No worries.” She finished off the soup as well as the bread bowl, turning her attention now to her first plate of food. “Cady speaks highly of her, and I was hoping to get a chance to talk with you, anyways.”

Amber grinned. She’d become a fast friend since she’d started coming to the palace twice a week for massages, and the older mare had had more than a few nuggets of wisdom to share regarding married life, pregnancy, parenting, and other things.

“I like your costume,” Amber said. She sat down beside Gleaming and looked her up and down with a critical eye. “How’re you feeling? Skin feel itchy at all? Any swelling in your legs?”

Gleaming shrugged through her bite of fruit salad. “The foalsh are growing like weedsh and I feel like there’sh a black hole’n my gut, but ashide from’at, pretty good! Skin is nice and shmooth, no shtretch marks so far, and it’sh not near as itchy ash before. Shwelling isn’t really an isshue, either; my sister saw to that. Oh, and I like your coshtume, as well! Very cute.”

Amber was dressed up as a cheetah. She’d put a bit of lightener in her coat to make it look yellowish instead of brown, and a simple glamour made her look like she was covered in black spots. Her gaunt, crystalline frame and wiry limbs worked well to pull off the look, and she was also wearing a set of fake whiskers, a set of ankle socks that made her hooves look like paws, and her tail was twisted up to look thin and ropy.

Amber seemed pleased with Gleaming’s response. “Good, good. I was worried this growth spurt was gonna be murder on you, but you seem to be doing well. And if the lotions and oils seem like they’re helping, then we’ll keep using ‘em. I assume you’re having Cad—er, Eros, put them on at night for you?”

Gleaming took a swig of the green smoking brew, which to her delight was a tasty mixture of strawberry, kiwi, and lime. “I uh... told you this before, but he really, really enjoys doing it, so we haven’t missed a night yet. You could say it helps us both get to sleep.”

Amber’s reply was a saucy smirk. “You’re quite lucky to have a partner who finds all of this attractive, you know. It’s actually healthy for the mother to stay sexually active during pregnancy. Helps prevent all kinds of problems.”

“Our doctors have said that, too.” Gleaming polished off three breadsticks in a few huge bites and dug into the hot dish. “I’m pretty sure Eros and I would both be going nuts by now if we couldn’t. I’ve heard some couples have next to no sex life while pregnant, but we’ve, uh… well...”

“Been fucking like rabbits?” Amber offered.

Gleaming felt a flare of warmth as her eyes flickered over to Eros. “Horny rabbits on steroids.”

Amber looked over to Eros as well. “So that’s what Princess Cadance looks like as a stallion, eh? Luna almighty, he’s a stud. No wonder you can’t keep your hooves off him! Can’t help but admit I’m a little jealous of you two. You’re gonna have some mighty fine-looking kids.”

Gleaming felt a bit of pride at that. “Thanks. Although to be honest, I’m more concerned about them just being healthy and having all the right parts.”

Amber patted her shoulder. “Oh, honey, every expecting parent is. I know you feel like pulling your mane out here, but if you do all the things you’re supposed to, then there’s nothing else for it. You just gotta let those buns bake and hope they come out right.”

“What an analogy,” Gleaming remarked dryly. She finished off the first plate and immediately went for the second. “I get what you’re saying, though. It just doesn’t make all this any less nerve-wracking. Eros is handling it better than I am, and he’s good at getting me to relax and feel normal, but we’re not together all the time, and that’s when I’ve noticed that I tend to get a little, well… bitchy.”

“Oooh, the dreaded b-word.” Amber giggled. “Now you’re really a mare. Congratulations.”

“It’s true, though!” Gleaming said. “There’s really no better word for it! I get irritated with ponies for no reason, I have next to NO patience, I have to hold my tongue to keep myself from biting ponies heads off and even still I wind up snarking at them… it’s terrible! I’m not normally like that!”

“Eh, sounds about right, to be honest,” Amber said. “It varies from mare to mare, but we all have our highs and lows, and pregnancy throws a wrench in everything to boot. Some days are worse than others, I imagine?”

“Stars, yes!” Gleaming murmured. She ate the last bit of hot dish and started devouring the peanut butter-celery sticks. “It’s manageable most of the time, but about once every two weeks I get so fed up with everything I just want to coop myself up in my apartment with Eros. I’m half-afraid I’m gonna blast some poor sod out into the tundra one of these times!”

Amber laughed. “You sound like me when I was pregnant the first time.”

Gleaming hesitated. “Eh? Really?”

Amber got a far-off look in her eyes. “I didn’t do any blasting, but I certainly did my fair share of ranting and raving. Most of it was directed at my husband, sadly, but he’s a smart pony and knew none of it was actually directed at him, if you catch my drift. Usually he’d just sit there and listen while I screamed that I hated everything, and once I’d burned myself out, he’d hug me and we’d cuddle until I felt better.”

“Awww,” Gleaming cooed. “How cute.”

“It was... nice,” Amber admitted. She snapped out of her memories and propped her elbows on the table. “Look, I know you’re really busy all the time, but if you want to relieve some of that stress that’s building up, my advice is to get a hobby that pulls you away from everything. Something that makes you forget you’re royalty, something that makes you forget you’re pregnant, something that has nothing to do with the military, everything. My hobby is doing jigsaw puzzles, for example, and I get really absorbed in them, to the point that I don’t even notice time passing. I must’ve finished at least twenty of the things while I was pregnant with Ocean Spray, and when Heather came around, I went out and bought thirty-five of the really complex ones so I could stay occupied.”

Gleaming paused in her eating. Amber’s suggestion didn’t sound like a bad idea, and there were certainly more than a few pastimes she could think of. Maybe… maybe she should give it a shot.

“Find a hobby...” Gleaming said thoughtfully. She set the empty second plate aside and started in on the third. She was still very hungry—it felt like she hadn’t eaten anything at all. “I might just do that. Eros and Talia have been telling me a lot lately that I need to slow down, and I haven’t because I just haven’t been sure how I’m gonna fill the time. This might be the answer I’ve been looking for.”

“It’s worth trying, at least,” Amber said with a nod. “Let me know how things go, alright? And if you need any help, just say the word. I’ll try my best.”

Gleaming mumbled her thanks through a mouthful of corn.

Amber snickered. “Well, I can see you’re preoccupied, and I should get going, anyways. I promised my husband I’d take the kids trick-or-treating, though I do hope he’s managed to get them in the right costumes this year.”

Gleaming had to cover her mouth to keep herself from spitting food everywhere. She’d never met Amber’s kids, but she did know she had a colt and a filly. Getting their costumes mixed up must’ve been freaking hilarious.

Amber winked at Gleaming. “Take it easy, alright? I’ll see you next Tuesday.”

And with that, she trotted away.

Gleaming waved as she got over her little coughing fit. She took a moment to catch her breath watching her friend disappear into the crowd before taking a few moments to just eat and take in the whole of the party. A good number of ponies were now mobbed around Dusk, Rainbow, Eros, and Spike, and that number still looked to be growing. Fortunately, ponies had the sense to leave Gleaming be if they happened to notice her in mid-meal, and as a result she managed to get through another three plates without any interruption.

It was on the sixth plate that Gleaming had a stray thought. While she was perfectly okay with eating in peace, there were a few others she hoped to talk to at some point during the night, and now was just as good a time as any to see if she could track them down. However, she really didn’t feel like wading through a dense crowd on a full stomach, and besides, she still had dessert to get through. Fortunately, being royalty came with some nice perks, and now was a perfect situation to take advantage of them.

“Sergeant Onyx?” Gleaming said.

The guard who’d gotten the extra plates turned his head. “General?”

“Are you familiar with Lieutenant Steelwing?”

Onyx thought for a moment. “Dark green pegasus from the Heartguard, right? Think I saw him around here somewhere.”

“Go find him for me,” Gleaming said, turning her attention back to her first slice of pie. She was just about full, but she was pretty confident she could polish off or one... or two... maybe three… okay, she was going to eat them all. “Tell him I’d like to chat when he gets a chance. He can bring whoever’s with him if he’s not alone.”

Onyx saluted. “Right away!” He scanned the sea of ponies for a moment, then went out to the edge of the room to start his search.

A new song was just starting up, this one a bit slower and more somber. The lights dimmed to fit the spooky ambience, and an excited energy filled the room as ponies began doing evil laughs and making faces at each other. Gleaming watched amusedly for a while as a group of unicorns in the corner projected some illusions to fit the mood, and before long there were ‘bats’ and ‘spirits’ flying around the chandeliers.

“Ain’t that something,” said a familiar dry voice behind Gleaming. “You’n Cadance went all out for this shindig, didn’cha?”

Gleaming turned. There on the edge of the crowd was Doctor Talia, meeting her eyes with a patient smile. She was wearing a powder-blue dress with glittering snowflake patterns etched in silver, and a thin veil was over her face that emphasized her azure eyes. Her blue, spindly horn jutted through the veil like an icicle, and her snow-white mane was let down to fall around her shoulders. The infant foal was with her as well, still on her back in a carrier, and the little one was looking around curiously while wiggling her little hooves.

Gleaming waved. “Talia! Wow, that’s a really nice costume. What’re you supposed to be?”

Talia came over and stood beside the table. “Ain’t it obvious? I’mma windigo! Winter is comin’, and I’m here to feed off all the anger and hatred of the Crystal Empire! Ooooooo!”

Gleaming feigned surprise. “What horror! The end of days is nigh! We’ll all be frozen solid!”

“Somethin’ like that,” Talia said. She used magic to remove the straps of the baby carrier, then set both it and its occupant down so she could pull up a chair. “Finally managed to pry myself away from all them medical residents mobbin’ me. I tell ya, they got more questions in ‘em than there are stars in the sky. Not that that’s a bad thing, mind. S’actually kinda refreshin’ to be around ponies that don’t think they know everythin’.”

Gleaming was only half-listening. The little foal was now staring at her with those wide, innocent eyes of hers, and she found that she couldn’t quite look away.

“Who’s your friend?” Gleaming asked.

Talia’s eyes grew warm. “Heh, I thought you’d be curious. This here’s my great-granddaughter, Rosetta. She was born here in the Empire six months ago, and I finally got the chance to meet her when I came up to help ya out. Her parents called me tonight as a last resort to watch her.”

Rosetta was a grey crystal pony with the same color eyes as Talia. Her blonde mane and tail were wispy shocks of hair that had yet to fully come in, and she was wearing an adorable set of pajamas with stars and clouds on them. Her attention was currently fixated on Gleaming, but at the same time, she was also quite intent on trying to eat her pajama sleeve.

Gleaming scooched closer to the baby. “Well, aren’t you a little cutie?”

Rosetta simply continued to stare at her with those wide, azure eyes, her mouth slightly agape in childish wonder. She made small snuffling sounds as she kicked her little legs, a small bit of drool falling from her mouth.

“She’s a mellow one, that’s for sure,” Talia commented. She reached into her saddlebags and pulled out a pacifier, which she put in Rosetta’s mouth. “Thought at first I wasn’t gonna be able to come tonight cuz of her, but her momma—my granddaughter, mind—said she’d be just fine taggin’ along. Sure enough, she’s been quiet as a mouse, and by the way she smiles when I hold her, I daresay she’s taken a likin’ to me.”

Gleaming was entranced. She usually didn’t get a chance to be this close to babies (being pregnant didn’t count) and the effect was telling. It was one thing to hear and tell yourself that you were going to have a child, but not even looking in the mirror was quite the same as this.

“I’d have thought being around so many strange ponies would bother her,” Gleaming said distantly. “Not to mention all the music and the noise.”

Talia shook her head. “Ponies descended from herd animals, darlin. Foals tend to be more at ease when they’re with a lotta folks. And as for the noise, well… that ain’t a problem for Rosetta. She’s got pretty serious demyelination in her auditory nerves, so I’m afraid right now, those ears o’ hers are just for show.”

“Demy-la what?” Gleaming said. “I don’t—wait... are you saying that she’s…”

In reply, Talia placed a sad, tender kiss on Rosetta’s head. “We might be able to repair the damage when she’s older, maybe even completely with surgery, but that all depends on whether or not things stabilize. Hard to tell with her bein’ so young yet. She don’t seem to be in any pain, though, so at least there’s that.”

Gleaming’s heart skipped a beat. She stared at the tiny little foal before her, so seemingly normal looking, yet… just, wow. What was her life going to be like? What kind of challenges would she face…?

“H-How?” Gleaming looked up at Talia. “What happened? And how bad is it?”

Talia shrugged. “About ninety percent hearing loss, give or take. We think it was caused by a hereditary condition on her daddy’s side. Apparently it don’t normally manifest this badly, but I guess Rosetta lost the genetic lottery. Like I said, we might be able to get some, if not all o’ her hearin’ back in a year or two, but them hearin’ nerves just might not be able to carry a signal at all. Sometimes these things just come down to a simple roll o’ the dice.”

And here Amber had just said things could go wrong simply because. Even with everything else going right, making all the preparations you could and doing all the correct things, there was still a factor of randomness in reproduction beyond anypony’s control. How did Rosetta’s parents feel about this? Did they blame themselves? Did they love their daughter any less? How were they coping with this?

“I gotta talk to ya about somethin’, Princess,” Talia said abruptly, her commanding gaze drawing Gleaming’s attention like a magnet. “You don’t gotta comment on it right now, but you and Prince Charming over there should have this on your radar at the very least. If ya don’t, you might be in for a nasty surprise.”

Gleaming’s mouth went dry. “I… I think I know what you’re going to say.”

“Prolly, but it won’t sit right with my conscience if I don’t go over it with ya, and I been puttin’ this off as it is.” Talia cleared her throat. “Now, I know you’re hopin’ your kids are born right as rain. Heck, we all are. Nothin’ would make me happier than to give all five o’them little ones a clean bill o’health, but the reality is that that very well may not happen. I don’t say this lightly, darlin, this is comin’ from a mare who’s seen it happen more times than she can count. Plain and simple, ya can’t let hope blind you to reality. No matter how many preparations we make, how many spells we cast, how closely we monitor ya, or how well you take care of yourself, whatever, we ain’t in control of everything here. Granted, ya got a better chance than most with all your resources, bein’ in good health, and my experience to boot, but even still. You need to accept that your kids may be born perfect, they may have a serious, life-changin’ condition, or anything in between. If you’re not... it can damn near break ya.”

Gleaming swallowed hard. It was a bitter pill to swallow, and it wasn’t one she liked dwelling on, but yes, she was aware of it. There was a good reason why she was dealing with stress, after all. The idea that any kind of unpleasantness was going to befall her children? Ugh. Well, to be honest, it made her angry more than anything else. Here they all were, trying to do everything they could, trying to make sure these kids were born right, and even with all that, they were powerless to prevent a good number of terrible things.

“That... was actually one of the first things mentioned in one of the books Eros and I read,” Gleaming admitted. “It might’ve actually been one written by you, now that I think of it.”

Talia made a small huff. “Ya got some good advice early, then.”

Gleaming gathered her thoughts a moment while tapping the table with her fork. “I really hate admitting it, but I do know that there are a lot of risks involved in what we’re trying to do here. And you certainly are right that nothing’s guaranteed with any of this. It’s just hard not to get my hopes up, you know?”

Talia gently stroked her great-granddaughter’s cheek. “Don’t I know it.”

“Everypony’s concentrating so much on the best case scenario,” Gleaming said. “They’re all talking about how excited they are, constantly giving me all these instructions, making plans for things like choosing the Crystallers, ordering baby supplies, hiring a twenty-four hour nanny schedule, making regular time to be with the kids, options for schooling... all of it makes it seem like this is all a guaranteed thing!”

Talia sighed. “Maybe some day we’ll recognize the warning signs of so many disorders it’ll make pregnancy complications a distant memory, but that won’t be for some years yet. We’re gettin’ there, and I’m happy to say that the prenatal field has grown leaps and bounds in the last few decades, but there’s still a lotta stuff out there that we just plain don’t understand.”

Gleaming probably would’ve lapsed into silence following that, as she really would’ve preferred to let such a heavy topic pass. However, there were a few words Talia said there that reminded her of a somewhat pressing issue.

“Er, speaking of growth,” Gleaming said. “I noticed something earlier that I… um, wanted your input on.”

Talia’s ears perked up. “Hmm?”

Gleaming returned to her dessert while she told her what’d happened when she’d tried to put on her costume. She also mentioned Eros’ concerns, as well as what Dusk had thought of the occurrence. Talia stayed silent the whole time, her face impassive as she patiently listened, but her horn did flash a few times as she cast what Gleaming recognized as diagnostic spells.

“Cadance and Twilight are only half right,” Talia said after Gleaming finished. “There’s a lot that could be goin’ on, though, so let’s start with the correct stuff: A rejected magic infusion does manifest in all the ways ya mentioned, and yes, those symptoms show up almost immediately. In you, the provided magic is being absorbed easily, almost greedily, so it’s pretty obvious we don’t gotta worry about incompatibility.”

Gleaming dabbed at her face with a napkin. “Gotcha.”

“However, just because your body’s accepting this new magic don’t mean you’re immune to unforeseen side-effects,” Talia said. “For example, your DNA tests show that you’ve got an unusually high height potential, which, from what I’m told, manifested pretty strongly when you were a stallion.”

Gleaming nodded. “I was tall, yeah. Taller than Cadance, actually.”

“Which ain’t no small feat,” Talia said. “But for some reason, a chunk of that height potential got suppressed when you became a mare, makin’ ya only a touch taller’n most. I’m guessin’ it was caused one of three things: The replacement of your Y-chromosome, an under-stimulation of your pituitary gland which is now making up for lost time, or a third, unknown variable. Now, we know it ain’t the first one, because there’s multiple failsafes on the genderswap spell to prevent that. Even now just to be safe, I double-checked the integrity of the matrix, and it’s perfectly fine. Tighter than the security at Fort Trots.”

Gleaming breathed a sigh of relief. “Okay, good. Turning back to a stallion now would be… bad.”

“Very bad,” Talia agreed. “But that’s a non-issue, so let’s not focus on it. Now, the second possibility’s the most likely, and fortunately, is also the most harmless. Basically, the hormone fluctuations in your system mighta signalled your pituitary gland to release a little bit o’ extra growth juice. And if that’s the case, it’ll prolly just result in you gainin’ about two to four inches. Sometimes that can result in problems, but seein’ as your body was already anticipating it, I expect you’ll take well to it.”

Gleaming mulled that over. She wasn’t exactly thrilled, as it would likely lead to increased soreness, possible fatigue, and needing to eat even more, but she supposed there could be worse fates. At least with larger muscles she’d be able to carry the baby weight better.

“That’s not so bad, I guess,” Gleaming said after a time. “D’you think it’ll carry over if I go back to being a stallion?”

Talia hesitated. She slowly turned to Gleaming, her eyes squinted in a searching look.

“...if?”

Gleaming’s blood ran cold. “WHEN! I meant when. Totally meant when! Slip of the tongue, sorry. Don’t think anything of it, please, and—oh, shit. CORPORAL!” she addressed her remaining guard, who unfortunately had been in earshot. “If you DARE mention this to anypony, I’ll have you scrubbing latrines until you’re as old as the good doctor here! Got it?!”

The poor guard blanched. Gleaming’s voice had been like acid, and the look on her face could send a dragon fleeing in terror. With a stiff nod and an audible gulp, he managed to reply in a quaking voice, “U-Understood.”

“Good.” Gleaming went back to her last plate of pie and began chowing down, perhaps with a little more force than necessary. “Tell me about the third possibility, Talia.”

Talia didn’t reply at first. She just stared at Gleaming with that same curious look, as if she were trying to decipher a particularly complex puzzle. She shifted a bit back and forth on her hooves, the only noise between being Rosetta’s soft grunts.

“Gleaming,” she began.

“Tell me about the third possibility, Talia,” Gleaming repeated in a terse undertone.

Talia swished her tail. It was clear that she wanted to argue, but with a sigh, the emotion left her face and she resumed her explanation. “The third possibility could be anything. It could be a coincidence, an isolated incident, a side effect of carryin’ alicorn foals, a symptom of a yet-undiscovered disease, or somethin’ else entirely. You could just be a late bloomer for all we know. I can’t give ya a better explanation without more data points to draw from, and the only way we’ll get those is by continuin’ to monitor ya. If you grow past four inches, then it’ll merit looking further into. Until then, I can’t give ya a better answer.”

Gleaming stared intently at her pie. She didn’t like being testy with Talia, and she’d regretted it almost immediately. Even if it’d resulted in the subject being changed, there was now an unease between them that shouldn’t have been there. She’d have to make it up to Talia somehow later.

“I did have one other thought,” Gleaming said distantly. She chose her next words with care, as she didn’t want others catching wind of this. Celestia only knew what the media would do with it. “When we did the ultrasound a few weeks back, the one with Endo, I mean, you said something very interesting as you were heading out the door. Do you remember?”

Talia regarded her evenly, her face an impassive mask. “I do.”

Gleaming idly fiddled with the tablecloth. “Do you think it could be… that?”

Talia was silent for a long, long time. She pulled back the veil on her face, and with a pulse of magic, she lifted Rosetta out of the carrier and began rocking her back and forth. Rosetta burbled happily at this, breaking into a huge smile when she saw her great-grandmother. The time lapse was so great that Gleaming finished her dessert and stacked the plates beside her, and she was beginning to wonder if Talia would answer at all.

“Lemme put it this way,” Talia said at last. “I don’t believe in fate, destiny, premonition, or any o’ that other baseless crap. I only believe in things that are supported by evidence, and even then, that evidence has gotta be backed up by a reputable source. In your case, Princess, there are a whole lotta unknowns, and any single one of ‘em could be the reason for what’s goin’ on.”

Gleaming exhaled out her nose. A neutral response like that might’ve disappointed or aggravated her in most cases, but she had a feeling that Talia wasn’t finished.

“But then again,” Talia continued. “I always was a bettin’ mare. See, I’m real good at probabilities, and when you can reliably determine the odds of things, well... it’s not hard to know when ya should hold ‘em, and when you should fold ‘em. Drove my wife stir crazy, I tell ya, and if Los Pegasus hadn’t banned me for life, we prolly woulda wound up divorced because of it.”

Gleaming made a mental note to never play a game of chance with Doctor Talia. Or anyone else in her family, for that matter. Heck, even the baby might be a force to be reckoned with.

“So... what would you do here?” Gleaming asked tentatively. “Hold, or fold?”

Talia made of a show of giving it some serious thought. “I dunno, this might be too close to call…. oh! I know. Let’s leave it up to Rosetta, shall we? I’ll pass her to ya, and if she smiles, you must be holdin’ her the right way. If she cries, though, ya must be doin’ the opposite. Sound fair?”

Well, so much for the mental note. Gleaming just stared at Talia, incredulous. “Wat.”

“Oh, come on,” she said with a smirk. “You do wanna hold her, don’cha?”

Against her better judgment, Gleaming looked at the smiling Rosetta, who chose that moment to let out a huge yawn. Her pacifier fell out of her mouth onto the table, and the resulting cuteness snapped Gleaming’s resolve like a toothpick.

“Gimme,” she said simply.

Talia obeyed. She kept her magical grip steady while Gleaming summoned her own telekinesis, enveloping Rosetta in her magenta hue and easily lifting her. She was a light, squirmy little thing, probably only about fifteen pounds or so, and while her crystal coat glimmered slightly at the change in magic fields, she didn’t seem to mind the switch.

Gleaming hovered Rosetta over. She rotated the infant around so that they could meet eyes, and when she did, Rosetta ceased wiggling and looked up at her curiously. There was a tense moment where Gleaming’s heart skipped a beat, and then...

“Ba!” Rosetta said with a laugh. She reached out towards Gleaming’s face, trying to boop her nose.

Gleaming’s heart melted. “Well, hello to you, too!” She leaned down and nuzzled Rosetta. “Do you wanna be friends with me?”

“Awawa.” Rosetta starting chewing happily on Gleaming’s braids.

“Hehe.” Gleaming began rocking her like she’d seen Talia do. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

Talia looked on with a rather pleased look. “And I’ll take that as good an omen as any.”

Later-

“Having fun, Dusky?” Gleaming asked as she sat back in her seat on the platform. Now pleasantly full and content, she was ready to greet ponies without being distracted by hunger pangs. Dusk and Rainbow were in seats of their own right beside hers, and while the line of ponies to see them had finally gone down, there was still a decent number left.

Dusk, who was (barely) managing to endure it all, gave her a fake smile that screamed, ‘kill me now.’ Gleaming didn’t grant him any mercy, though. She just smiled back with a playful wink, sticking her tongue out before turning away.

“Hey, Gleam-Gleam!” Spike said. He was still curled lazily around Eros’ shoulders as his ‘parrot’, snacking on a ruby with a contented look. “Man, you musta been hungry! I’m actually impressed.”

Gleaming used a bit of magic to ruffle his ‘mane’. “Did I miss anything?”

Spike shrugged. “Eh, not really. Most everypony wants to talk to Dusk and Rainbow.”

“—first date? Oh, nowhere special.” Rainbow and Dusk had about a dozen ponies currently around them, including two reporters taking pictures. Rainbow was currently the one talking, and he looked quite pleased with all the attention. “There’s this cool little place in Cloudsdale called The Ozone, and we chilled there for awhile before going to see a Wonderbolts show. We got VIP seats, of course, complete with the full-blown royal treatment! It was great!”

Dusk’s ears turned a faint shade of pink. “I really wish they hadn’t insisted on the VIP box…”

Rainbow playfully nudged him. “It certainly made for a good view, didn’t it? And the champagne they gave us was great!”

Dusk suppressed a snort. “That was Marérignon Rosé, Rainbow. A single bottle of that alone is worth more than most ponies make in half a year!”

Something seemed to click for Rainbow. “So that’s why you freaked when I suggested we make mimosa with it. I just thought you didn’t want us to ask for more things when they were already giving us stuff!”

“What led to you two first realizing that you liked each other?” one of the reporters called. “And who made the first move?”

Rainbow and Dusk exchanged a quick look. Rainbow gestured to the crowd, apparently okay with sitting back for this one. Dusk wiggled his leathery dragon wings, but he didn’t seem annoyed.

“Okay, so it probably won’t come as much of a shock to all of you, but I’m not quite the strongest flier yet,” Dusk said a moment later. “I’m still pretty klutzy in the air, and my stamina’s nothing to speak of. I’d initially asked Rainbow for advice and she straight up offered to help me personally, and we’d started going flying together a few times a week for a workout and some experience.”

“But then the plundervine attack happened,” Rainbow chimed in. “After that, we both sorta forgot about the lessons and got involved with other things.”

“Right,” Dusk agreed. “We did remember eventually, though, and we set aside some time and picked up where we’d left off. It was pretty casual at first, nothing too involved or crazy, but we eventually started doing things that would leave me winded towards the end. We were both happy that I was starting to show some real progress, and then finally one time when we were both cooling down, we got to talking, started reminiscing, and well… it just kinda happened.”

The crowd leaned forward, waiting for more. Dusk didn’t say anything more, though, and the silence dragged on for several seconds.

“Uh… what happened?” the other reporter eventually asked.

Rainbow gave him a patronizing look. “The hay do you think? We kissed. Smooched, puckered up, locked lips, sucked each other’s faces, canoodled, made out, whatever you wanna call it! I noticed she was checking me out, I didn’t see any reason to say no, so I decided to catch her off-guard and go for it.”

Dusk awkwardly cleared his throat. “Erm, not to contradict you or anything, Rainbow, but I wasn’t ‘checking you out.’ You just kinda pounced on me.”

Rainbow’s jaw fell. “You so totally were! We’d just finished talking about all the crazy things we’d been through, that silence fell, and when I looked over, you were staring at my wings with that cute, nerdy look you get where your mouth hangs slightly open. You’re not so bad on the eyes yourself, so I figured we should give things a shot.”

Now it was Dusk’s jaw that dropped. “That wasn’t me ‘checking you out’, that was me noticing how out of place your feathers were! I was about to say something, maybe offer to preen you or something, but before I could, you went all casaneighva on me!”

There was a three second pause while that sunk in. You could almost hear the gears turning in Rainbow head, working away to try and understand what that information meant. The crowd watched him intently to see what he’d say, and even the reporters had stopped what they were doing to watch.

Finally, he laughed, a cheeky look creeping up on his face. “I don’t remember you telling me to stop.”

Dusk smiled. He leaned in and nuzzled Rainbow’s neck, giving his reply in a teasing voice. “Now I wonder why that might be?”

Rainbow hummed and kissed Dusk’s forehead. “I can think of a few reasons…”

Gleaming decided she’d heard enough. She looked away with a good-natured roll of her eyes and shook her head. “I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised.”

Eros, who’d been watching as well, made a noise of agreement. “Sometimes things just happen. You don’t really plan it, and it certainly wasn’t something you’d ever considered, but when the ball starts rolling on its own and you see no reason not to go for it… well, why not?”

Gleaming looked down at herself, examining her curves, her slender legs, her smaller frame, and lustrous coat. The growing foals within her wiggled and shifted as they pushed against each other, snugly secured in her sizeable womb. “Why not, indeed.”

“Did you enjoy your meal?” Eros asked. “I saw that you had a few visitors over there. They weren’t bothering you, I hope.”

Gleaming shook her head. “Nah. That was Azzy, Amber, and Talia. We chatted about random things while I ate. Was nice, actually. I was actually hoping I could track down and talk to one other pony, too, but apparently he and his friend left the party.”

Eros shook the hoof of a castle employee who was dressed up as a cactus. After he was gone, he turned back to Gleaming. “I saw that Talia had a foal with her. What’s the story there?”

Gleaming paused. There were a lot of ponies around, so she motioned for Eros to come closer. “That was her great-granddaughter, Rosetta. She was born deaf, and worse yet, Talia says the damage might not be fixable. Poor girl will probably have to learn sign language and all that.”

Eros stiffened. He clicked his teeth a bit, his eyes flicking back and forth. “That… might be a problem. We don’t have a lot of disability specialists up here, and there’s a pretty big waitlist last I heard. She might have to go down to Canterlot or Manehatten for schooling.”

Gleaming frowned. “If we can’t accommodate for our subjects, then we’re not doing our jobs as rulers. If we’re short-staffed on social workers, we’ll just have to get more. I’ll contact universities and let them know we have a demand.”

“Even that may not work. Even if we—” Eros paused to greet a mare and his husband, both of which worked in the kitchens. “Even IFwe reached out to the Equestrian universities, there’s no guarantee that any ponies will bite. Not everypony wants to live in the Crystal Empire, hun.”

Spike, who could hear everything, of course, awkwardly looked between them and cleared his throat. “Erm… why don’t you guys ask one of the other princesses? I’ll bet they’d know who to ask to save some time. AND your request will have some extra weight if one of them backs it.”

Gleaming rankled at the suggestion. A part of her knew there was some truth there, but that didn’t mean she liked it. She was royalty, damn it, and she should be able to solve her own problems.

“I’d rather not get them involved—” she began.

“We might have to,” Eros cut in. “Spike’s got a point; it’d be the easiest and fastest way. They have better networks than we do.”

Gleaming stared at the floor. “Yes, but… ugh. Look, I feel like we need to be careful how often we go to them for help. They have their own kingdoms to run, their own responsibilities, all of that. If we start only contacting them when we have a problem, they’ll think we’re using them or something.”

Eros started gently rubbing Gleaming’s back. “I’ve had that worry at times, too. But they don’t think that, hun, trust me. They know that we care about them, and they’ll definitely be willing to help. Actually, I think that if we don’t go to them, they might get a little offended.”

Gleaming didn’t reply to that. She just leaned into his hoof and focused on some ponies coming up to greet them, contemplating the options while speaking with guest after guest. She was asked several questions about various things, such as her health, the pregnancy, the foals, her morale, her work with the troops, her future plans, her thoughts on Dusk and Rainbow, and even what it was like to be a mare. She politely answered all of these things without issue, dwelling on Eros’ words that echoed in the back of her mind and wrestling with her pride.

“Okay, you’re right,” Gleaming said to Eros some time later. “Let’s talk to Luna and see if she can help us out. She can help us get the ball rolling if nothing else, and if all goes well, we might be able to add this in with the new hospital. Rosetta deserves as much.”

Eros smiled. “Good. We can bring it up after she gets settled.”

Gleaming stood up a little straighter in her chair. “She should be here pretty soon, shouldn’t she? It’s almost nine ‘o clock.”

Eros cast a quick spell to check the time. “A little bit past nine, actually. She should be here any minute.”

And once again, Spike found himself lost. “Uh… who are you guys talking about? I thought Rosetta was—”

Suddenly, all the lights went dark. There was a collective cry of alarm and confusion amidst the guests, and the band stopping playing the festive tunes. The enchanted moonlight from the ceiling and the actual moonlight from the windows was the only luminance, and the spooky ambience was only further accentuated. The fog on the floor swirled as it grew noticeably thicker, and the air became several degrees colder.

“Um...” Dusk said to Gleaming’s left. He ignited his horn and turned to her. “Please tell me this was planned.”

Gleaming feigned innocence. “Mayyyyyyyyybe.”

There was a flare of magic the near the ceiling, emanating from the harvest moon. The crowd turned their heads skyward, all with looks of intrigue.

It was Rainbow who realized it first. “Oh, ho!” He clapped his hooves. “Awesome! Now it’s really Nightmare Night!”

The moon’s orange glow became brighter and more eerie, its corona pulsing like a heartbeat. The enchanted clouds parted to reveal the glittering stars beyond, the magic building and building until everypony got goosebumps. There was an ominous rumbling like thunder, the kind that resonates in your ears and gives you the shivers, and everypony couldn’t help but watch, captivated, waiting with bated breath.

And then the piano started playing.

A familiar silhouette appeared upon the moon. The stars were drawn forward to gather in a shifting, spiralling mass around it, channeling their energy forth in an intricate pattern. The silhouette eagerly absorbed all the energy and glowed ice-blue, fading in and out in time with the moon’s pulsing light. Ominous shapes began to appear within the swirling clouds, flitting and darting just out of sight, but never disappearing completely. The runes on the walls and windows began to shine brightly again, humming loudly like a violin climbing up its strings.

There was a moment of terrifying silence, and then...

“MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

The sinister laugh echoed throughout the Great Hall as the silhouette disappeared. A beautiful navy alicorn appeared in a flash of bright light, flanked on both sides with a quartet of batponies that sang with the music in a haunting chorus. The alicorn’s regalia was black and silver, etched with fine symbols of the moon and stars, and her ethereal mane sparkled and flickered with dancing nebulae. She was tall and proud, her mighty wings like shrouds of the deepest blue, her elegant horn thrumming with power…

...and her belly was noticeably rounded, as if she’d been eating too many sweets.

“ANNOUNCING!” the herald below said in a booming voice. “Her Royal Majesty Princess Luna, The Dark Lady, Mistress of the Night!”

The crowd went nuts. Ponies began cheering wildly and stomping their approval, hooting and hollering as Luna gracefully descended. She raised her hooves in greeting, and at her command, a dry, chill wind swept through the Hall that smelled of fallen leaves. She and her batponies landed in the center of the room, waving and smiling to all, and when she met eyes with Gleaming, her smile became especially wide.

“Ponies of the Crystal Empire!” Luna said. “It is time once again for the most GLORIOUS of nights! Happy Nightmare Night to all, and let the festivities… BEGIN!”

The lights came back up, the atmosphere went back to normal, and the band kept playing its haunting tune. The mood was now more merry than ever, and Gleaming and Eros looked on as Luna mingled like a pro. Everypony was absolutely overjoyed to see her, and not a single pony seemed taken aback or afraid by her glamorous entrance.

Eros chuckled. “Seems like she was right. It wasn’t over the top, after all.”

Gleaming shrugged. “Seems so.” She tossed a piece of candy to Spike, but it just bounced off his head because was still staring on, dumbfounded.

“Surprise.”

13.3 - The Pirate (Part 3)

The Pirate (Part 3)

——————————————————————————————

Gleaming would never forget the first time she met Princess Luna. It was the eve of the Summer Sun Celebration, and Shining Armor had just spent the entire day patrolling the streets of Canterlot, waiting for some kind of doom or catastrophe to fall upon the city. But that doom had never come. Instead, the sky returned to normal, and Celestia returned from parts unknown… only to immediately shut herself away in her quarters.

Shining was summoned not long after. He walked into Celestia’s room, gasping as he felt the ridiculous pressure of countless defensive spells cast inside. It took him a moment before he could regain himself, and inside, he saw a red-eyed, tear-streaked Celestia, laying by the fireplace with an unreadable expression.

And sheltered beneath her wing was a periwinkle mare, haggard and weak, looking into the flames with a thousand-yard stare.

Shining’s breath caught in his throat. “Princess…”

“I’ve a new assignment for you, Captain,” Celestia said abruptly. “Allow me to introduce my sister, Princess Luna. She‘s just been purified of the entity that was Nightmare Moon, and will soon be resuming her duties as co-ruler of Equestria. You will treat her as you would treat me.”

Luna was weak and pale, barely even able to stand on her own. She looked woozy, her mind likely reeling from everything that’d happened, and her body had been reverted to a filly’s form. Granted, an alicorn filly was still the size of a full-grown mare, but compared to Celestia, she was positively tiny.

“Your assignment is to assist in her protection until she recovers,” Celestia continued. “Your skill in defensive spells is second to none, and there are a great many threats to her while she is like this. I will NOT allow any further harm to come to her, Captain. She has suffered quite enough.”

Shining didn’t know what to say. He’d heard the legends of the Mare in the Moon, but to find out that they were true?! This had to be some kind of joke! There was no way that this little mare could be—

And then Luna looked over with those ageless eyes—eyes that DRILLED into his, as if she could judge his very soul.

He was bowing before he even realized it.

Celestia couldn’t help but laugh. “Erm, apologies, Captain. Her magic is a bit on the fritz right now. She might seem a bit… intense.”

Shining was gasping for breath. It felt like his mind had been studied under a magnifying glass! What the hay was this mare?!

Suddenly, Luna’s faint, tired voice sounded in his mind, tinged with the slightest bit of intrigue.

The brother of Twilight Sparkle…? Hmph, t’would seem mine fate is entwined with this house. One a scholar, the other a soldier, pure and powerful prodigies both... I sense the wheels of destiny turning, here. Yes... I think I shall watch you two closely...

================================================================

“Welcome to the party, Auntie Lulu!” Eros made a note of speaking loudly, letting all in the vicinity hear. “Enjoying yourself so far?”

Luna, who was a far cry from how she’d been all those years ago, hugged Eros and took stock of his genderswapped form. “Indeed, dear Nephew. And it would seem I owe you some bits—you are indeed taller than me in that form. You might even be taller than Tia!”

Luna was a proper mare now, was only about a head shorter than Eros. Her mane and tail had regained their ethereal quality, and she held herself with regal poise, graceful and sure, wearing a silver crown and regalia that glinted in the moonlight. There was a calm, serene air about her that felt almost dreamlike, and the smile on her face was an earnest one.

Eros laughed. “I think Auntie Celestia might still be the winner, but we’ll have to test it sometime. Maybe we’ll do it when we come down for your baby shower!”

Luna good-naturedly shook her head. “There will be no such thing. There are much more qualified parents out there than I’ll ever be. I’m a surrogate, and nothing more.”

It wasn’t all that obvious yet, but it was starting to be. At sixteen weeks into her pregnancy, Luna’s middle was filling out, rounding into a proper maternal shape. The curves of her body were getting softer, her hips gradually starting to widen. She had a jovial air about her—a smile that never quite left her face, and there was a genuine openness with everything she did. The glow of her mane and tail was extraordinarily bright, filled to the brim with vigor and life, and her full, lustrous coat shone in the moonlight.

Eros folded his arms, a knowing smirk on his face. “I think you’d be a better of a parent then you’re willing to admit.”

Luna scoffed. “I wouldn’t know the first thing to do with a foal if I was in charge of one full-time! They’d likely wind up driving me up the wall.”

“Hi, Luna!” Spike said, waving. “Nice entrance. It gave me chills!”

Luna hesitated, not realizing who had addressed her. She looked around for a second before seeing Spike curled around Eros’ shoulders.

“What are you doing there, little comet?” She leaned in and gave him an eskimo kiss. “Enjoy doing that while you can. Soon, you’ll be too big for it.”

“Nuh-uh!” Spike said. “I’ll just find a way to shrink myself down! Being big is boring.”

“Is that so?” Luna tickled his chin with a brush of magic. “Perhaps Twilight Sparkle and I will arrange that then, someday.”

A short ways away, Dusk cleared his throat.

Luna turned. “Speaking of which…”

She swept over to Dusk and Rainbow, examining both of them with a critical eye. Luna and Dusk could almost see eye-to-eye, with Dusk being just a touch taller. Although it might’ve actually been a bit more than a touch, as he was trying to make himself look smaller.

“G-Good to see you, Princess...” he stammered. “Erm… surprise?”

Rainbow was all bravado, of course, striking a pose with a hoof around Dusk. “Wow, Princess! That. Was. AWESOME! Holy hay, you sure know how to go all out! You totally surprised everyone! We didn’t even know you were in town!”

“I prefer to keep a low profile, Rainbow Dash,” Luna replied. “I’ve found it makes travel much easier.”

“Why are you here, anyway?” Dusk asked, curious. “Is something wrong at all?”

Luna tilted her head at Eros. “Quite the opposite! I’m here to discuss the specifics of the Crystal Empire’s involvement in the bat pony repopulation campaign. There is much to plan, and the addition of the crystal pony volunteers has required us to step up the scale of the operation.”

Rainbow snickered. “So what you’re saying is that B.R.E.A.S.T.S is expan—”

Dusk cuffed him with a wing.

Luna looked between them, noting how close they were with each other. There was a moment of silence before a sly smile crept up on her face.

“I was wondering when you two would announce your courtship,” she said in a teasing voice.

Dusk and Rainbow both did a double-take.

“Wait, what?!” Dusk squawked.

“Oh, cool! You knew!” Rainbow said. “That makes things a ton easier.”

“But of course I did!” Suddenly, Luna’s expression grew very serious. “It’s my priority to personally watch over the dreams of ponies at risk of psychic attack. Queen Chrysalis’ assault showed me just how vulnerable we are to such tactics, and I will NOT allow you or your friends to be manipulated or controlled. Tis bad enough your sibling was assaulted in such a manner.”

Gleaming and Eros, who had been listening in, looked away and shut their eyes. They wished Luna had adopted that policy a little sooner. Maybe if she had, their wedding wouldn’t have nearly been a disaster.

Dusk and Rainbow’s faces went grim. They exchanged a quick look, something silent passing between them before turning back to Luna.

“W-well, I suppose this goes without saying, but uh…” Dusk’s wings fidgeted at his sides. “Keep what you see in our dreams to yourself. Please?”

Rainbow nodded. “What he said.”

Luna’s warm smile returned. “Your minds and thoughts are your own. I promise.”

Gleaming and Eros shifted a little closer to each other. Even months afterward they’d still occasionally woken up in a cold sweat, lost and in a daze, dashing for a mirror to see if their eyes held that sickly green. Luna could erase the memory of the dreams, but the visions were caused by remnants of strange changeling magic, so she couldn’t do much else. All that could be done was wait for it to go through their systems.

Luna exchanged a few more pleasantries with Dusk and Rainbow before at last coming over to Gleaming. She sat beside her in a newly-arrived chair, letting out a small sigh of relief.

“Well met, Niece,” Luna said teasingly. “Your costume is both fun and intricate, although also rather impractical. Forgive me, but I do not see the purpose of having three swords.”

Gleaming laughed at that. “I had one of my helpers pick it out for me. He was the one who insisted on it.”

Luna yawned, sinking gratefully back into her cushions. “Likely a reference to something I’m unaware of. I’m still learning the last few decades of popular culture.”

Gleaming took note of Luna’s fatigue, glancing down at her aunt’s nascent baby bump. “How’re you feeling? You seem a little tired.”

Luna shrugged. “I only woke up an hour ago. Still not used to having only one cup of coffee in the evening…”

Okay, Gleaming could relate to that. Limited caffeine was probably in her top five things she disliked so far about being pregnant. Made the mornings absolute murder.

“Though I might pose the same question to you,” Luna said, looking over at Gleaming. “You may not look tired, but my guards informed me of the light showyou put on for your recruits earlier during your teaching session. Do you think it wise to use so much magic in your demonstrations?”

Gleaming’s cheeks flushed a bit. “I’ve... had a lot of magic to burn lately. My doctor’s having Twilight and Eros supplement me with energy, and it’s jump-started my body into overdrive. The tykes are absorbing most of it, but there’s still some excess, and I start to feel antsy if I don’t use it up.”

“It’s true.” Eros put a hoof on Gleaming’s shoulder, rubbing her back. “Her body can’t always absorb all of what we give her fast enough, and she’s left glowing like a light bulb for an hour or so. We’re getting better about the amounts, though.”

Luna raised a hoof to her chin. “I do recall you speaking of your healer’s plan for your children’s magic development. I’ll admit it’s unorthodox, but then again, it does seem to be working thus far.”

Gleaming sighed dreamily. The warm, weighty mass of her womb moved with her slow, steady breaths, throbbing gently every time one of her little ones moved. Constant heat blossomed out from her core, swirling lazily throughout her body before sinking into her smooth, supple skin. The enormous meal she’d just eaten was merrily digesting away, the fullness of her gut adding to her satisfaction, and soon, her tummy would swell even more from it, larger and larger as her children grew.

Luna noted Gleaming’s silence and followed her gaze. “Your rate of growth is impressive, even for the number of foals you carry. How many was it again? Five, I believe you said?”

Gleaming snuggled against Eros, her horn not even coming up to his chin. “Mmm-hmm. Five big, strong foals from my big, strong stallion. We’re definitely gonna have our hooves full.”

Eros leaned down for a quick nuzzle, sweeping his enormous wing over her like a blanket. “We’re currently in the process of hiring an army of nannies.”

Spike, who was nearly dislodged from Eros’ sudden gesture, pretended to gag at the affection. He hopped off of Eros before anything more could happen, making his way over to Dusk and Rainbow instead.

“I’d imagine,” Luna said. “Though I would caution, you do not want other ponies to be doing everything.They’re your children, after all. They shouldn’t see you as strangers.”

Gleaming and Eros exchanged a glance at that, grinning at some shared joke.

Luna cocked her head. “What?”

“We’ve talked about that at some length,” Gleaming said. “We’re still figuring out the scheduling, but we definitely want to be around as much as possible. It’ll be tricky, but we think we can find a good balance.”

Gleaming giggled. “The problem will likely be that we spend too much time with them, ignoring everything else.”

Eros rolled his shoulders, his lithe muscles flexing and stretching, sending a collective murmur from all the nearby mares. “Gleamy will be the one that spends the most time with them, at first, what with needing to nurse them, and all. We’ll try to keep it even once they’re older, though.”

“Nursing…” Luna rested a hoof on her moderate swell, her gaze turning thoughtful. “I’ve been considering that, myself. I’ll likely need to take some time off once these little ones are born to rest, but Tia’s already said she’s fine with covering for me.”

Both Eros and Gleaming blinked several times, Luna’s words hanging in the air to form a pregnant pause.

“Little ones?” Eros said at last. “As in plural?”

Luna feigned surprise. “Oh, no! Did I say that out loud? Why, that was supposed to be a secret…”

Gleaming’s eyes filled her head. “Oh my gosh! Luna!”

Eros was grinning from ear to ear. “How many how many how many?!”

Luna snickered. “Now that, I think I’ll keep to myself. I’ve been told that multiples are quite common in this process, but additionally, I’ve also been informed that I’m a prime candidate for being a surrogate, which likely increased my chances. T’is a cruel irony, wouldn’t you say? Tia and I are unable to have foals of our own, but we’re ideal for having somepony else’s. Destiny is a strange mistress, indeed…”

Gleaming didn’t know what to say. On the one hoof, Luna seemed casual and nonchalant, but there was a sadness in her eyes that suggested otherwise. The younger of the royal sisters had never been an easy one to read, but if Gleaming had to guess, there was more than one reason why Luna had chosen to become so involved in her own campaign.

“I know I’ve said this before, but you are quite brave for doing this,” Luna said to Gleaming. “It must be strange as a stallion to be in such a situation, yet you’ve done so nonetheless. I do hope you haven’t faced much persecution for your choice.”

Gleaming was indifferent. “Eh, I don’t expect everypony to understand. There may have been other options, but this was the most straightforward one. I don’t mind if there’s a little bit of muttering because of it. And besides, we’re getting more out of it than we even dared dream!”

Eros perked up at this. “Oh! That reminds me. Auntie, is there anything you know about natural alicorn births? The doctors have been throwing theories around, but that’s about it. I figured that if anypony would know more, it’d be you.”

Luna mulled that over for a moment, her gaze flicking from side to side. “None... that I can recall. My own mother and father were nothing special, and there was almost nothing known about such things as genetics in millennia past. Of course, it also didn’t help that such things weren’t really discussed with me, nor Tia. The healers of today likely have a better understanding of the cause than either of us.”

Gleaming’s spirits sank a little. They hadn’t been expecting much, but still, It would’ve been nice if Luna had known something more. A new piece to add to the puzzle, as it were.

“Speaking of your healers,” Luna said. “I actually had an appointment with one of them while in between our meetings the other day—Doctor Natal.”

Gleaming perked back up. “Oh, neat! What’d you think?”

Luna smirked. “The good doctor’s reputation precedes her. Her bluntness was quite the reprieve from the plot kissing, wishy-washiness I endure in my day-to-day, and our interactions were quite pleasant as a result. She was flattered when I told her I’d specifically requested for her expertise.”

“Do you think you’ll have any problems?” Eros asked. “I mean, you to tell Talia how many you’re having. Did she voice any concerns?”

Luna shook her head. “Unlike fair Gleaming Shield, I have the energy and hardiness to support a pregnancy like this without outside assistance. It does not matter if I’m with two, twenty, or more. The moon and the stars will sustain.”

Hmph. Some ponies got all the luck. Gleaming supposed that it was a good thing in the long run, but she swore, things were never easy for her. Maybe that was another aspect of the ‘destiny,’ Luna was fond of referring to.

“Wanna make it a bit of a contest, then?” Gleaming asked playfully. “Let’s see who has the bigger baby bump when it’s time to foal, eh? I bet I beat you by a landslide.”

Luna squinted, getting an awkward look. “Erm… I don’t think that that would be fair.”

Gleaming shrugged. “Hey, if you know you won’t win—”

“That is not what I mean.” A bit of smugness crept into Luna’s voice. “I mean it wouldn’t be fair for you. Besides, it would not be an appropriate focus for competitive sport. Remember that we are in the public eye, Niece. We must keep in mind how others might view it.”

Okay, now Gleaming was intrigued. Wouldn’t be fair for her? She was carrying quintuplets! How many was Luna knocked up with?! The odds of getting pregnant with anything more than twins were astronomical! What did Luna do… to…

“You used some kind of fertility magic,” Gleaming realized. “You had to have.”

A bit of pink crept into Luna’s cheeks. “I wasn’t sure whether I was able to become pregnant at all! Even with my healer’s reassurances, I didn’t want to take any chances!”

Well, this was certainly an interesting development. Gleaming wasn’t sure whether to be amused or concerned, but either way, if it was enough for Luna to say a competition would be a landslide in her favor—

Something poked Gleaming in the side.

It started out faint, barely noticeable through the clothing, but as the seconds passed it grew larger and harder, snaking its way out of its hiding place. Gleaming felt the heat of Eros’ privates grow warmer, his stallionhood pressing against her like a throbbing rod of steel, each throb making it that much longer... thicker... heavier...

“Ahem. It is an unexpected occurrence, but in the long run, a fortunate one,” Luna continued, her ears still pinned against her head. “After all, it means that there will be more bat ponies! And as I said, my physiology is more than up to such a task… although, there may be some challenges. For instance, I’ve had to set the Mage’s Guild with the task of coming up with a spell to prevent me from becoming immobile.”

Gleaming could feel Eros’ cock pressing up more and more against her, his wing hugging her more and more tightly. She glanced up and saw that his face was flushed, his tongue wetting his lips every few seconds as he breathed through his nose.

“I’m… glad to hear it.” Gleaming fought to keep her voice even as she started to become randy herself. Honestly, she was starting to think there was some kind of sympathetic reaction between their libidos. Sneakily, she picked up one of Eros’ hooves and placed it on her womb, eliciting the tiniest of groans from him. “As long as you and the babies are going to be okay—that’s the most important bit. I imagine the press is going to have a field day with this, though. Probably will make a game of it, themselves.”

“Most likely,” Luna agreed, grinning. “Though I’m fine with that! It’ll give my campaign more visibility in the public eye! A fun little distraction from the regular droll news reports, don’t you think? ‘How Many Foals is Princess Luna Having?!’ the headlines will read. I can already see ponies making bets.”

Eros was now hard as a rock. He was making louder and louder grunts as he wiggled in place, his hoof massaging Gleaming’s taut tummy with care. Occasionally he’d tease her navel, sending little jolts through her each time, and she could feel a wetness seeping from his tip, already making their costumes stick together—

“Oy!” Rainbow called, walking up to them. Beside him were Dusk and Spike. “We’re gonna go take Spike trick-or-treating! Wanna come?”

Eros pursed his lips. “E-Erm…” He flicked his tail like he was trying to swat a fly, fighting to keep the yearning out of his voice. “I think we’re gonna stay here, yeah. Gotta be up early tomorrow! Might even turn in early.”

“Same!” Gleaming said a little too quickly. She yawned for try and cover for it. “Big day with the troops! Need my sleep.”

“Ah, come on!” Rainbow gestured to the far window, the streets beyond still dotted with candy seekers. “The night’s young! We’ve got a whole city to snag loot from!”

Luna brightened. “Indeed! That sounds marvelous!” She rose and made ready to leave. “Candy and treats await! We must claim our bounty!”

Meanwhile, Dusk was studying Gleaming, trying to get a read on her. “Something wrong?”

Gleaming simply replied with a look.

Dusk’s eyes shrunk to pinpricks. “Okaaaaay!” He turned and ushered Spike and Rainbow off the platform, signalling for Luna to follow. “I guess we’ll just be off, then! G’night!”

“Huh? What?” Rainbow stumbled from Dusk’s nudgings, jumping into the air on habit. “Twi—I mean, Dusk! Hey!”

Spike seemed just as confused… until he turned back and saw Gleaming. Suddenly, he wasn’t too keen on sticking around, either. “Eep... Y-Yeah! Trick-or-treating! Let’s do this, guys! Woo!”

Rainbow still didn’t get it, but he wasn’t exactly winning the battle. Dusk was now pushing him with magic, as well, and he wasn’t letting up. “Ack! Not the scruff! Stoppit-stoppit! Okay, I’m going! Sheesh!”

Luna blinked several times. Curious, she glanced at Gleaming... and immediately scrunched up her face. Flashbacks of seeing that same withering look on her own older sister played before eyes, and even now, those memories made her squirm.

“Ah, you already have a good glare,” Luna said. Laughing, she motioned to her guards. “That will serve you well as a parent.”

Gleaming’s horny thoughts were derailed. “Eh? I have what, now?”

Luna didn’t elaborate, instead choosing to change the subject. “I must return to Canterlot in the morn. The details of our meetings will be my first priority, so you can expect the necessary staff and supplies to arrive by the new year. I’ll also be sending one of my advisors to assist with the logistics. You remember Apogee, yes?”

It took a few seconds, but the image of a fatigued, snow-flecked bat pony surfaced in Gleaming’s mind. “Oh! Um, yes. Sounds good.”

Luna watched her guards clear a way for her through the crowd. “I would also invite you both to Canterlot to attend the Winter Moon Celebration, but I can imagine that that would be difficult. Perhaps something else might be arranged, though, if you’re willing?”

Gleaming and Eros got a bewildered look.

“Meaning what, exactly?” Eros asked.

Luna produced a pair of blue, glowing gems. Each gem was small, only about the size of a grape, and the aura they emitted was like they were sucking in the light around them.

“These are summoning gems,” Luna explained. She gave one each to Eros and Gleaming. “Their workings are complex, but in essence, if you wear them, I will be able to summon you for a few hours time, even from a great distance. You would be able to attend to the festivities then.”

Gleaming blinked several times. She’d never heard of such magic before. “That sounds… interesting. Do we just hold them, or something?”

Luna nodded. “They will not work otherwise. They are of the single-time use variety, so you needn’t worry about me yanking you across Equestria whenever I please. Do keep them in a safe place though, won’t you? They are rather difficult to make.”

Eros and Gleaming thought about it for a few moments, exchanging a few quiet words before deciding it couldn’t hurt. It sounded like it might be fun!

“We’ll be there,” Eros said. He took the gem and tucked it safely away. “Thank you, Auntie.”

Luna winked at the two of them, her gaze lingering for a moment longer on Gleaming. “Try not to wear each other out too much.”

And with that she walked away.

Gleaming watched Luna go, at a loss for words. Had she just…?

Any further thought was interrupted by Eros’ breathy whispering in her ear.

“I need you. Stars above, I NEED you. Either we go upstairs right now, or I’m going to bend you over and FUCK you in front of this crowd...”

Right. So they should probably work on their subtlety.

FLASH!

Eros and Gleaming teleported into their bedroom, making out and groping each other like a pair of teenagers. They staggered over to the bed in a zigzag, and when Eros felt his calves bump against the box spring, he effortlessly lifted Gleaming up to set her on the mattress. Gleaming squeaked in surprise, his strength taking her off guard, but the feel of his bulging muscles handling her so easily, surrounding her with his might, letting him take what he wanted...

Eros loomed over Gleaming, his gaze getting more and more intense, like a rubber band ready to snap. In an instant he ripped her costume off, sending all of it flying to crash into a corner. His own followed suit, their privates left free to kiss the air, twitching and dripping with anticipation. Eros’ dry, heady musk hit Gleaming all at once, released from the confines of his trousers to wash over her like a wave, and it was like a lightning bolt striking a dry field.

“Eros,” she gasped. “Oh, yes…”

Eros nuzzled her wide, round belly, taking in the firmness of her girth while moaning, grunting, and panting for breath. It made him feel like a bubble of air was rising in his chest. He kissed her navel once, twice, thrice… then devolved into peppering her stomach with hard, darting pecks. He inhaled her sweet aroma, tinged with cocoa butter and the cloying heat from her sex. He couldn’t hold back from rubbing his muzzle along Gleaming’s swollen middle, no—licking her swollen middle, tasting her skin like he had so many times before, as he geared up for the task of making her his...

Gleaming groaned and went cross-eyed, the feeling of Eros’ soft lips and tongue on her taut, sensitive skin, his snorting exhales tickling her coat over and over. Butterflies were gathering in her stomach, fluttering through her veins, making her feel like she was floating. She rubbed the sides of her belly in small circles, the precious mass swaying ever-so-slightly as the fluid within swirled, slow and lazy around their precious lives within. Eros was going a bit higher now, trailing upwards to nibble on her ribs, and each teasing nip sent shocks through her system, making her tail whip from side to side.

“Guuuuuuuuuhhhh...” Gleaming’s groan was low and guttural, her nostrils flaring over and over. She caught the sweet, tangy smell of saliva-slick skin, her gaze gradually being filled with Eros’ massive frame. “I thought… you were g-gonna—unf—go fast?”

Eros didn’t reply. He trailed his tongue in a long, slow lick, going from her ribs to the hollow of her neck. His bobbing dick brushed against her girth, drooling a sticky streak that dripped down to her heated slit. Gleaming’s world was now completely pink, utterly dominated by her stallion, and she couldn’t help but marvel at how everything about him was so big. His hooves were nearly the size of her head, his horn was twice the size of hers, and his wings were each the length of her entire body. She felt herself wink as his mighty hooves THUDDED next to her ears, trapping her, and suddenly he was desperately kissing her, forcing his tongue in her tiny mouth.

With a bit more magic, Eros moved Gleaming so he could lay on his side behind her. “I wish—ergh—wish I could make you more pregnant...”

Gleaming was still reeling from the frenzied kiss, but the caught the tail end of that. “E-Eh?”

Eros buried his face in Gleaming’s mane, taking in the mingled scent of sweat and shampoo. “Mmm, a new foal in your belly every time we fucked—making you bigger, more fertile—the rest of you growing to match your expanding womb—you’d tower over the very castle, our family taking up every room...”

An excited shiver ran through Gleaming. Her imagination ran wild with the idea—herself as a city-sized goddess. Her mountainous womb would carry entire generations all at once, and creatures from around the world would come to her, beseeching her for blessings, stroking and worshipping her belly, the power of life emanating from her.

Gleaming rolled on her side so Eros could embrace her, the bed groaning under their combined weight. His strong legs wrapped around her, pulling her in close and snuggling her against his chest. Her heart was singing at how right this felt, and as Eros’ stallionhood pressed against her cunny, she found she had no qualms at all. All she was thinking about was how she wanted a family so badly, her own little ponies to guide and protect, with her beloved Eros, impregnating her again, and again, giving her more and more foals…

Neither of them noticed the slight flash that glinted in Gleaming’s eyes, but if they had, they might have noticed how Eros’ body responded, his magic bubbling forth to pour into her. She drank it all in greedily, a seemingly bottomless well that desired to be filled, and she arched her head back against him, crooning softly, her mind abuzz with a heady rush of power.

Eros slid his dick inside Gleaming’s warm, tight depths, a loud grunt escaping him as her inner muscles pulled him in with a loud schlick. Inch after inch of pulsing stallion cock disappeared into her pregnant pussy, yet still she desired more, to be stuffed so very full. The thick bulge of his shaft could just be seen as her vagina stretched around him, enveloping him in a hot, wet heat, his constant spurts of pre coating her tunnel as his medial ring slurped inside. His nuts were already swollen from the excitement, but now they bloated even more, his hefty sack resting heavily against his thighs, his testes churning with untold amounts of seed.

Gleaming’s jaw was slack, her shallow breaths fast and frequent as she revelled in the sensations. Five foals in her womb, an amazing supper in her belly, and a dick in her pussy. Her horn crackled and sparked as Eros funneled magic into her, making her fly high, higher, higher, and then the first orgasm hit her, making her cry out and clamp even harder down on his fat, twitching cock. Eros snorted in surprise, baring his teeth in a feral growl before pushing harder. He began chewing on Gleaming’s ear, and his daze fully consumed him right as he hilted inside her.

Gleaming let out a girlish squeal. She hadn’t even come down from the first peak, and another was building already. Her heart hammered as Eros pulled out to thrust back inside her, the tension in her core rising to explosive levels. Eagerly, Eros re-entered her desperate tunnel, causing showers of fireworks to go off in her head. A faint glow appeared in her eyes from the magic being siphoned into her, and she pulled Eros’ arms tighter around her, making sure he stayed put. In reply, Eros started sucking on her horn like a lollipop, and her cries hit a whole new octave as he rutted her over and over.

Every stroke was bliss for them both. Eros delighted in the sexy sounds Gleaming made, and he hit all her hotspots while fucking her in a smooth, steady rhythm. Even turned on as he was, he took just as much pleasure in reducing her to a quivering mess, and so he played her like a violin, her noises the perfect melody. The muted beat of five heartbeats set his pace, and he could feel the pressure in his groin building steadily, the bounty in his balls building up...

Gleaming swore she was cumming on every thrust. It might’ve just been that she was spacing out so much, but regardless. She did notice when her magic reserves were topped off, and while some dim, faint part of her noted that said reserves seemed a tad more… robust, the observation was forgotten. Her thoughts were centered around the enormous cock inside her, how it went in and out so easily, even though she was squeezing so HARD. Eros never went any faster, or slower, maintaining the same speed all the while, and she delighted in how his nuts pressed against her, nestled against her pillowy rear. Maybe it was just her, but every time they seemed just a little bit larger... denser... fuller... almost rumbling with anticipation.

Eros’ hooves moved down to Gleaming’s womb, feeling it move with their motions as his tip kissed its sealed entrance. He couldn’t get enough of how soft, yet firm it was, nor could he get over that the ones within were his. He dreamed of breeding this lovely mare over and over, to stuff her full of foals until their progeny spanned all of Equestria. That thought propelled him to go a little bit faster, spurring him on as his thrusts became uneven and jerky. Gleaming voiced her approval and moved in time with him, her silky walls massaging him, her eyes shining bright as his cockhead flared. Eros pushed himself inside one last time, his bowling ball-sized nuts contracting into his body, and then…

“AH!” He erupted inside her, shooting torrent after torrent of jizz like a fleshy geyser. He felt every surge travel up his shaft, making his dick bulge hugely and building up with delicious pressure, releasing blissfully into Gleaming’s moist depths. On instinct he bit her mane and yanked, her tensing muscles making him cum even harder, his wings flaring behind him to their full span.

Gleaming’s mouth flew open in a soundless moan, her eyes closed in an expression of bliss as she reached her highest peak so far. Her body flashed with every burst of his seed, his gooey essence soaked up by her vaginal walls, absorbing the power it held and adding it to her own. Eros was cummingbuckets and yet she drank it all in, some unknown part of her desperate for every drop he could give, and she couldn’t get over how marvelous it felt, a thick, liquid heat spreading out from her crotch to course through her.

Neither of them knew how long it lasted. All they knew was that one moment they were in nirvana, and the next, they’d come down. Eros relaxed and went limp with a happy sigh, a blessed feeling of relief washing through him. Gleaming relaxed as well, humming and purring like a contented kitten. They both lay there for a few minutes in silence, basking in the afterglow while Eros’ member gradually retreating back to its sheath.

“That was... amazing,” Eros said at last. “Holy fuck…”

Gleaming smiled. She turned her head to give him a kiss. “Good for you too, eh?”

Eros grunted. “I’ll never get over how great it feels to be so empty. It’s so opposite from how it is as a mare...”

Gleaming knew exactly what he meant. Stallions felt good after being emptied, mares felt good after being filled. Two sides of the same coin. “Yeah, well, I’ll never get over how long it takes to empty you in the first place. What would you do if I wasn’t so horny all the time?”

“Heh.” Eros wiggled his hips a bit, expecting to feel a sopping, sticky mess. “Probably masturbate a—”

He realized both their lower halves were dry as a bone.

“—lot?”

He sat up and checked himself. The telltale smell of sex was in the air, but aside from that, it looked like they’d just been laying down together. He’d felt the cum sloshing around in his balls, though, even as he’d pumped it all into Gleaming! He hadn’t imagined that!

Eros scratched his head. “Um…”

Gleaming noticed it, too. She reached down and felt her marehood, but aside from the remnants of her own arousal, she didn’t feel anything sticky.

“What the…” She sat up as well and examined herself. She felt glowingly satisfied, a deep, saturated enjoyment that made her want to soar. She felt strong, too, like the weight between her legs was nothing at all.

Eros frowned in thought. “Did you cast a spell of some kind?”

“No,” Gleaming said. “Did you?”

“Nope.” He looked Gleaming over, curious. There wasn’t anything he could immediately tell, although... it almost was if her colors were brighter, more saturated.

“Hmm.” Gleaming tilted her head from side to side. “So I guess… no clean-up?”

“Guess not,” Eros said. He wasn’t sure what to think, but he made a note to tell Talia about it the next time they saw her.

“Well, in that case…” Gleaming stole a quick kiss, pushing him down so that he was on his back. She swung her leg over and straddled him, the weight of her womb resting heavily on his chest. He suddenly had a glorious, bottom-up view of her maternity, and it was all he needed to get hard again.

Gleaming’s smile turned lecherous. “Hope you’ve got some juice left, because we’re not through.”

Eros could already feel his nuts refilling. “Oh, don’t worry. There’s more where that came from.”

14 - The Parents

The Parents

——————————————————————————————

Two Weeks Later (Week 25)-

“Okay, that should be everything.” Gleaming tossed back her mane, idly pacing back and forth in the apartment. “Could you read it all back to me, Spike?”

Spike, who was reclining on Gleaming’s back with a quill and parchment, took a moment to check his work. “Okay, you’ve checked the availability of local real estate. You’ve drawn out a list of accountants, banks, and book publishers, and marked their locations on a city map. You’ve got a pamphlet listing out all the holidays of the Crystal Empire, given the Guard full descriptions of Mom and Dad, added them to the list of VIP’s, and alerted the castle staff. Mom and Dad’s medical and financial records have been sent to us by dragonfire, with the medical stuff being sent to the Royal Physician. Lastly, Dad’s welcoming gift isn’t ready yet, but Mom’s is, and you’ve got it wrapped and sitting over on the coffee table.”

Spike rolled up the parchment and stretched his arms. “I think that’s everything, Gleam-Gleam. Although I still think you don’t need to prepare this much.”

It was just Gleaming and Spike in the apartment at the moment. Cadance was holding afternoon court, and Twilight had gone down to meet Twilight Velvet and Night Light at the train station. Gleaming was doing last-minute rundown to make sure everything was in order, and Spike… well, he didn’t get to see Gleaming much, so they were trying to spend more time together.

Gleaming sighed. She looked out the south window, where a set of train tracks was visible off on the city’s edge. There was a sliiiight hiccup in all of this, in that Gleaming and Cadance had kind of... forgotten to tell Night and Velvet their plan to have kids. They hadn’t found out until the official nationwide announcement, and much like Twily had been miffed about the wedding...

“Trust me, Bud,” Gleaming said. “I do.”

“If you say so,” Spike said. He fidgeted a bit, adjusting his position on Gleaming’s back. He really liked this new, larger maternity brace she’d gotten. Much more comfortable to sit on than the other one. “But I still think Mom and Dad will wanna look up this stuff themselves.”

Gleaming shrugged. “Dad likes it when he has options. Mom really likes lists. If they’re considering moving up here, there’s gonna be a lot of logistics. This’ll make it easier on them.”

Spike chuckled. “I suppose. Though I gotta say, it’s pretty funny seeing you do the same thing as Twilight. I guess it runs in the family.”

Gleaming couldn’t help but smile. “There are worse tendencies.”

With Nightmare Night passed and more holidays on the horizon, the Crystal Empire was now in full festive mode. The castle was currently decorated in an autumn motif, with crystals of gold, maroon, orange on every corner, and by every light. Being farther up north, the days had gotten noticeably shorter (down to about nine hours of daylight currently) and because of this, the streets of the Empire were enchanted with a special spell, one that let them reflect both starlight, and moonlight. This meant that at nighttime, the city streets glowed with an astral brilliance, giving the city a dreamlike, ethereal feel.

Spike scooched forward, his claws brushing against the silky thickness of Gleaming’s mane. He’d been apprehensive about riding her, but Gleaming grabbed him in her magic and plopped him atop her before he could protest. He couldn’t say he minded (she was comfier than Twilight) but it did surprise him that even with five foals, his added weight didn’t faze her at all.

“Hey, are you okay?” Spike asked. He gave Gleaming a gentle squeeze. “You seem a little tense.”

Gleaming didn’t reply right away. She focused on her reflection in the window, similar, yet so very different. Gone was the rugged chin, athletic frame, and bulky legs. Gone was the intimidating presence, the edge in her stony gaze now soft and warm. Gone was the firstborn son of House Sparkle, protector and renowned hero of the Equestria.

And in his place… was...

“I guess I am,” Gleaming admitted. A hoof drifted to her swollen middle, giving it a gentle rub. Her first growth spurt was only finally winding down, and while the overall results were quite pleasing. She’d put on another sixteen pounds, and crept up another half-inch in height. And all the while her belly had just kept on expanding... widening... burgeoning as her precious foals grew. Gleaming’s last fundal height measurement had measured eighty-six centimeters, and while so much extra weight and mass should have slowed her down, she actually felt good—no, scratch that… she felt great.

“I’m just not sure how they’re gonna react,” Gleaming said. She pawed at the ground. “They haven’t seen me like this, and I don’t want them to freak out. That’s all.”

Spike shook his head. “They’re not gonna freak out, Gleam-Gleam. The worst they’ll do is lecture you, and then get over it like they do with everything. Besides they’re getting grandkids, remember? I think that’s more important than you being a mare for a little while.”

Gleaming’s mane fell over her face, her voice falling to a whisper. “But what if I want to stay a mare?”

Spike blinked several times. “…what?”

“I’ve been talking it over with Cady.” Gleaming reached up and felt her muzzle, running a hoof along its sleeker, smaller outline. “I can’t really explain it, but something about all this just feels… right. I’m not sure I want to go back to the way I was, anymore.”

Spike listened with an unreadable expression. He could tell there was more, so he waited until Gleaming was ready to continue.

“It started with little things,” Gleaming said. “I’ve been happier overall, and it’s been cool to see things from a different perspective. I’ve been able to relate to Cady better, we do more things as a couple, and almost everypony in the castle’s been really nice to me.”

Gleaming felt a fluttering as one of the foals kicked. She was starting to be able to tell them apart, recognizing their movements and places they liked to be. That had been the crystal pony colt, who tended to kick harder (and more frequently). “My special talent is protecting others. We all know that. But as time’s gone on, I’ve been getting really, really strong feelings of satisfaction from it. Like, you have NO idea how good I feel, pretty much all the time, now! Before, it was a vague feeling, mostly because I was working to protect the Empire, but now that I’m pregnant, it’s more… intimate, I guess? I don’t know if there’s a word to describe it.”

Gleaming glanced over at the coffee table, where her tiara and gorget lay. “I dunno, Spike. This just feels like who I’m supposed to be.”

“Okay, hold up a sec.” Spike said. “First off, who exactly have you told about all this?”

Gleaming frowned. “Uh… Cady, obviously. She’s all for it, of course. Annnnnnd I just told you, so… yeah.”

Spike raised an eyebrow. “That’s it? Not even Twilight?”

“I’m not fully decided, here,” Gleaming said simply. “I’m still trying to work this all out.”

“But why tell me?” Spike asked. “I’m just a kid! And no offense, but aren’t you gonna go with what Cadance says, no matter what the rest of us want?”

Gleaming swivelled her head so that she and Spike were face-to-face. “I still care what you have to say, Bud. Whether you realize it or not, you, Twily, Mom, Dad… you all have huge impacts on my life! Cady is certainly a factor, but she’s not the only one who has a say.”

Spike pursed his lips. He wrung his little claws for a while, his eyes flicking back and forth. “So you’re telling me because… you wanna know what I think.”

“Yes.”

“About you staying as a mare after you have your foals.”

Gleaming nodded.

Spike snorted, a tiny puff of flame escaping his nose. “You can be such a dummy sometimes, Gleam-Gleam. I want you to be happy! If staying as a girl is what you wanna do, then stay as a girl. It’s not like I’m gonna love you less, or something.”

Gleaming’s heart skipped a beat. She cocked her head slowly, as if she were seeing the little dragon for the first time.

“Spike...”

“I mean, come on!” Spike continued. “What’s it matter? You’re still my big bro—er, sister. I’m not gonna forget that just be—GAH!”

Gleaming whisked Spike off her back and pulled him into a fuzzy hug, nuzzling the ever-living daylights out of him.

“You are the best little brother,” she murmured, planting a kiss atop his head. “Never, ever, ever lose that heart of yours, okay?”

“Ack!” Spike wriggled and squirmed. “Too much fluff!”

Gleaming smothered him for a bit longer before finally relenting and putting him down. Spike immediately made a show of brushing himself off and acting annoyed, but he didn’t move away from her, either. And when she started walking over to the kitchen, he immediately followed after.

“I still think Mom and Dad are gonna need some time to adjust to the new me, though,” Gleaming said. “Like you did when you first got here. Remember?”

Spike rolled his eyes. “So I was a little weirded out at first! But you showed me that you’re still you, and everything was fine! And honestly? Now that I’ve had time to think about it, you doing all of this has honestly been pretty cool. You’ve basically become Supermare! Oooh, oooh, no! Better yet! Supermom!”

Gleaming froze. The M-word echoed in her mind, over and over like a broken record. She was still for several seconds, until she looked down at Spike like he’d just given her the last piece of the puzzle.

“Supermom.”

Spike smiled, showing off his pearly white fangs. “Yeah! Gleaming Shield, the Mightiest of Moms! Princess by day, Superhero by night! Protector of the meek! Avatar of mercy! Something… something, something, more cool words... I don’t know. Just pick out a bunch of heroic-sounding stuff from the comics. That’s what I do.”

Gradually, Gleaming smiled as well. She went over to the refrigerator and began pulling out some snacks, grateful that they’d recently restocked things. “Okay, so I’m Supermom. What are my superpowers?”

Spike hesitated. “Oh! Um… good question.” He folded his arms and tapped his chin. “Hmm… well, you obviously have super strength and stamina, seeing as you were just pacing with me on your back for like a half-hour, and you don’t look tired at all. Are you tired?”

Gleaming shook her head. “I get around fine, my magic’s fine, and the kids don’t bother me all that much. My stamina’s kept up because of the magic infusions, and the other spells Twily cast on me. I’m basically built to be pregnant.”

Spike idly tapped his claws on the floor. “Let’s see then, what else? Oh, you have super-strong magic, because, well… you’re you, and super healing because of all of Twilight and Cadance’s spells, like you just said! Oh, it’s made your magic feel all toasty and warm, too... and there’s so much of it, now! You’re practically a nice, cozy furnace now. I love it!”

Gleaming licked her lips as she filled a few plates with munchies for herself, along with another, smaller plate for Spike. “Furnace? Nah, I’d say I’m more like an oven.”

Spike grinned. “Because of those ‘buns’ you’re baking, right?”

“You got it.”

Suddenly curious, Spike came up to Gleaming and felt her stomach. Even through the thick maternity brace, he could feel its constant heat, both physically, and magically. Her womb was absolutely ginormous from his perspective, taking up the bulk of his vision and then some, and he could feel its heavy weight, moving steadily with Gleaming’s breaths, rocking the foals in time with her beating heart.

Gleaming felt Spike’s touch and glanced down, noting his expression of awe. “It’s pretty surreal, isn’t it?”

Spike gently stroked the curve of Gleaming’s belly. “Yeah…”

Gleaming smiled. “You excited to be an uncle?”

Spike swallowed hard. “I-I think so… but I mean, what do I do?”

Gleaming closed the fridge and made back for the living room, gesturing for Spike to follow. “You won’t have to worry about much for the first few years... unless you decide to stick around, then we might enlist you for baby watch. When they’re older, though, just be yourself! Show them who their Uncle Spike is, and let them get to know you.”

Trailing close behind, Spike watched Gleaming clamber up onto the couch and lay down with a small grunt. The weight of her paunch sank deep into the cushions, it’s bulk shifting slightly before molding back into a maternal shape. Spike hopped into the chair beside and got comfy, then reached for a comic on the coffee table.

“I haven’t been around babies all that much,” Spike murmured. He flipped open the comic and searched for where he’d left off. “Do you think that they’ll like me?”

“Are you kidding? Of course they will!” Gleaming floated his bowl of snacks over to him (agates and amethysts sprinkled with powdered emeralds) and pulled out a book of her own. “You’re gonna be the coolest uncle ever, Bud. They’re always gonna be happy to see you.”

“Heh.” Spike took the bowl and began eagerly munching away, his attention quickly drawn to his favorite costumed heroes. “Uncle Spike… I kinda like the sound of that.”

Later-

Knock-knock-knock.

“Okay!” Gleaming snapped her book shut and got up in a flash. “That’s them. Here we go!”

Spike laughed from his chair. “Think I’m gonna stay out of the way. They’re gonna be all starry-eyed over you.”

“Probably,” Gleaming agreed. She took a deep, calming breath. “Come in!”

The front door opened, and in walked a beaming Twilight carrying a scroll in her magic. Not far behind her at a more leisurely pace were two middle-aged unicorns, one a stallion, the other a mare.

“And here she is!” Twilight said to them, gesturing to Gleaming. “Ta-daaaaaa!”

Gleaming waved sheepishly.

“Hi, Mom. Hey, Dad.”

Night Light was tall and slim, with a neat, azure mane and a calm, stoic demeanor. His coat was the color of a summer sky, and his cutie mark was a pair of crescent moons. His piercing amber eyes were like a hawk’s, and they drilled into Gleaming as he examined her in excruciating detail.

“Well, now.” Night’s voice was low and deep, its smoothness holding a quiet power. “Look at you.”

“Oh, Honey!” Twilight Velvet dashed forward, pulling Gleaming into a hug. “My gosh, you look beautiful! Are you feeling okay? How’s everything going? Twilight told us you were doing well, but this is—wow!”

The mares of House Sparkle tended to be above average physically and magically. Twilight Velvet was no exception to this, and as the matron of the House, she’d done her best to maintain her image. Velvet was a natural beauty, shapely and sleek, with a full, silvery coat and a two-toned mane of purple and white. She was as tall as Night Light, easily able to loom over most mares with ease, and the rigors of bearing two foals had left her with a curvy form. Her cutie mark was a trio of three simple, lavender stars, set upon her wide, ample hips.

Gleaming blushed. She let her mother circle around her, examining and taking in her genderswapped form. “Thanks. I’ve been keeping to the regimen they gave me, so things have been pretty steady so far.”

Velvet looked Gleaming up and down, fussing and prodding. “You feel warm… you’re not overworking yourself, are you? Ah, you’ve got a maternity brace on! Good, good. I was going to suggest one. Oooh, and you’ve let your mane grow out! I like it!”

Gleaming fidgeted. “Ah, thanks. It was Cady’s idea.”

Velvet put her hoof on Gleaming’s middle, really taking in how large and wide it was. “My goodness, Shining—”

“Gleaming,” Twilight said.

“...Gleaming, yes.” Velvet squinted, mouthing the name silently a few times. “Not even six months in, and you’re bigger than I ever was! Good thing you’re as tall as me, eh? Or else your bump might be dragging on the floor.”

Gleaming furrowed her brow. She took a closer look at her mother, realizing with a start that they were indeed exactly the same height. That was unexpected.

“Y-Yeah...” Gleaming kept her expression neutral. “It’s a good—AH! MOM!”

Velvet had lifted up Gleaming’s tail to examine her nethers. “Hold still. I wanna see.”

“You could ask, you know!” Gleaming growled, her cheeks now really aflame. “Jeez!”

“Oh, are we ASKING each other things, now?” Velvet’s voice took on a slight edge. “And here I thought we were just DOINGthings, leaving everyone else to find out via national announcement.”

Gleaming pursed her lips. She chanced a look at Twilight and Night, but all she got back were glares and swishing tails.

Gleaming slowly hung her head. “I’m… sorry.”

“Hmph.” Velvet looked over Gleaming’s backside, noting both the physical changes, and the magic holding them all place. “Your teats are already starting to fill out, dear. It’s early, but it still wouldn’t hurt to go out and get some bras, just in case. Unless you and Cadance already have?”

Gleaming shook her head. “Not yet.”

“Is she here, by the way?” Twilight asked, looking around the apartment. “Cadance, I mean. Or is she still down at court?”

“Still at court,” Gleaming said. “Likely for another hour, at least.”

Twilight tapped her chin. “That means you haven’t had your second infusion for the day, right?”

Again, Gleaming shook her head. “Did you wanna do it?”

Twilight nodded, trotting closer. “I haven’t shown Mom and Dad the Rainbow Power thing yet.”

Night’s expression brightened. “Oh, you’re going to show us now? Great!” He took Twilight’s parchment, producing a quill and ink. “Some of my colleagues are curious, and I promised I’d take a few observational notes.”

Night was a researcher at Canterlot University, focusing primarily on astronomy-related topics. He’d never been much for speaking, grading, or delivering presentations, so he tended to focus more on individual efforts.

“Colleagues, my ass,” Velvet muttered. She moved away from Gleaming, going over by the couch. “You’re just not convinced that this new power of hers is—”

“RAWR!” Spike leapt from the chair, glomping Velvet in a tacklehug. “I gotcha, Momma!”

Velvet let out a whinny of surprise, nearly bolting before realizing...

“Is that my special little dragon?!” She lifted Spike up in her hooves. “Why, it is! You silly goose, were you hiding over here?”

Spike laughed, happily hugging her neck. “I wanted to surprise ya.”

“And you certainly did.” Velvet kissed his cheek, holding her foster son in a tender embrace. “Oh, I missed you...”

Twilight and Gleaming smiled fondly at them. They watched for a bit longer before returning back to what they were doing, with Twilight widening her stance and spreading her wings.

The flare of energy was palpable. Gleaming shivered as Twilight glowed with ardent light, incandescent like a living flame. Her wingtips shifted color, her hooves shone with sigils, and her mane and tail went ethereal, their four colors melding into one another. Her prismatic magic swept around Gleaming, enveloping her in its serene embrace, and with an extremely pleasant feeling, it gradually seeped into her body.

Velvet’s eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. “Oh, my…”

Spike snickered. “Pretty cool, huh?”

Night trotted around Twilight, taking care to keep his distance. His rugged jaw was clenched as he took notes.

“Harmonic, that’s for certain,” he muttered. “Yet carries an arcane signature… definitely thermodynamic…”

Gleaming let out a long, relaxed sigh. The incredible feeling was bubbling up inside her, rejuvenating and filling her reserves filled to the brim. There was a definite difference between Twily’s and Cady’s magic, but it was like the difference between your two favorite foods. It swirled about inside her, fusing with her essence and increasing her power, and her eyes fluttered closed as she savored the feeling.

A moment later, Twilight quelled her magic and returned to normal, grinning. “There you go! That’s about the same amount Cadence gives you, right?”

Gleaming reopened her eyes, now just a teensy bit brighter. “Mmm, you gave me a little more, but I’m not complaining. I’ve been feeling like I could use a bit extra, lately.”

“That’s not surprising.” Twilight folded her wings. “In a typical pregnancy, the arcane needs of the fetus change from week to week. I imagine the same is happening here. You might also be acclimating to the repeated infusions, increasing the amount of magic you can hold overall.”

“Can confirm!” Spike called from Velvet’s back. “Gleam-Gleam has more magic! And it’s so warm, too! I was just telling her earlier; she feels like a big, cozy furnace!”

Velvet blinked. “‘Gleam-Gleam’?”

Twilight hummed in thought. “Notttttt totally sure on that one. I still haven’t looked into that...”

“What’s this, now?” Night asked. “First I’ve heard of this.”

Twilight turned to him. “Spike can feel the magic of any pony he’s linked to. For example, mine is ‘bright, big, and alluring,’ isn’t that right, Spike?”

“Yup!” Spike said, laughing. “Kinda like a big bug zapper.”

Everyone (save Twilight) chuckled at this.

Twilight scrunched up her face. “It is not!”

“It totally is!” Spike said. “Well, save for the zapping part, but it does have this…I dunno, ‘magnetic’ feel to it? It makes me wanna stay around you.”

Twilight didn’t know how to reply to that, so she just continued on. “There are some obvious positives to this, such as being able to detect magical anomalies, but I’ve yet to determine what things like temperature and luminosity mean. He says that Gleaming’s magic feels ‘warm’, and that mine is ‘bright’, but what does that mean? Does a dragon’s interpretation of the metaphysical correlate with our understanding of the physical?”

Night returned to note taking, his quill strokes light and faint. “There aren’t many ponies who could help you answer that, dear. Quite frankly, it’s embarrassing how little we know about dragons.”

“Embarrassing and frustrating,” Twilight said with a grunt. “I swear, one of these days I’m just gonna pack up, make for the Dragonlands, and make them tell me everything I want to know. Maybe then I’ll understand the significance of feeling like a bug zapper.”

“And you’ll take me with, right?” Spike said.

Twilight winked at him. “You’ll be my Royal Ambassador.”

Spike flexed and did a heroic pose. “Awesome! Ooh! Can I get some cool armor, like Rainbow has?”

“Anyway,” Gleaming said. “That was nice of you to fill in, Twily. Thanks.”

“Isn’t that a drain on you?” Velvet asked Twilight. “It seems like it would be.”

Twilight laughed. “According to my calculations, I’d have to give eight-point-six-two times that amount, two times a day before I started feeling a deficit.”

“Interesting,” Night said. “So you’re really not giving her that much magic… or... do you just have that much to spare?”

Twilight put a hoof behind her head. “U-Um… well… heh-heh… y’know…”

Smirking, Night ruffled her mane. “That’s my girl.”

“But you’re not the one doing these regularly,” Velvet pointed out. “Are Cadance’s magic levels able to keep up with it?”

Twilight drug a hoof along the floor, her expression pensive. “You know? It’s strange. I’ve been monitoring her magic levels as well, and from what I can tell, the drain is actually stimulating her. A month ago, her magic measured at eighty nine hundred Mordenkainens, and now, it’s over nine thousand! It’s almost as if her magic is a muscle, and doing these infusions is the equivalent of a workout.”

Gleaming shivered. Oh, Cadance’s infusions were a workout, alright…

Night frowned. “That’s… unheard of.”

“I know,” Twilight said. “But barring some sort of unknown variable, that’s what seems to be happening. I can’t really explain it.”

Night looked to Gleaming. “Do you have any thoughts?”

Gleaming shrugged. “Cady’s special talent is Love. She has a kingdom that adores her, a caring mate devoted to her, an extended family that’s accepted her, and now a quintet of foals on the way. I’m not surprised she’s more powerful. Haven’t you grown from your studies on Friendship?”

And just like that, Twilight and Night were left speechless.

“Ha!” Velvet threw back her head. “She’s got you there!”

“I…” Twilight worked her jaw a few times, as if she was chewing on her thoughts. “Hadn’t… thought of… that.”

“Quite.” Night tapped his quill against his cheek. “And if that’s true, then theoretically…”

Turning, Gleaming trotted back over to the sitting area, where she began clearing off the coffee table. “Not all explanations are complicated, guys.”

But neither one of them heard her. The gears were turning fast in their heads, ideas and postulations forming at the speed of thought. A familiar spark was in their eyes, an eager, almost manic look in their faces.

Velvet saw all this, and promptly facehooved. “Urgh, like father, like daughter… Gleaming, Sweetheart?”

Gleaming looked up.

“I think a theorystorm is moving in.” Velvet gestured to Twilight and Night, who were quietly muttering to each other, each of them writing on a piece of parchment. “What say we leave them to their madness, and we go out for a bit? We can get you some things, and I can see the city.”

Gleaming thought about that for all of two seconds before nodding and grabbing her regalia. She’d been inside all day, and a walk about town would do her good.

“Coming with us, Bud?” Gleaming asked Spike.

Spike nodded. “Of course! Who else is gonna keep you two in line?”

Gleaming stuck her tongue out him. “Real quick, then...” She cleared her throat. “OY, TWILY!”

Twilight’s eyes flicked up.

“I don’t have much parchment up here.” Gleaming tapped her hoof on the floor, pointing downward. “However, I happen to know your lab was restocked this morning...”

Twilight let out a delighted squee. There was a magenta FLASH, and just like that, both she and their father were gone.

Spike breathed out a sigh of relief. “Thank you. Was half worried I was gonna get roped into that...”

“Nah. You’re with me today.” Gleaming slipped on her golden circlet, shoes, and necklace. “Oh, right… hey, Mom? Before we go, I have a present for you.”

Velvet regarded her. “You do, eh?”

Gleaming jerked her head at the wrapped box on the coffee table. “Let’s call it a ‘Sorry For Not Telling You I Switched Genders and Got Pregnant’ present. I would’ve gotten a card, too, but it turns out they make don't those.”

“Now who would’ve thought?” Spike said dryly.

Velvet chuckled, floating over the box and inspecting it. It was a medium-sized box, and was decently heavy. Now intrigued, Velvet opened it to see what was inside.

Inside was a second set of regalia, crafted of silver and set with beautiful amethysts. The shoes came up to the pastern before becoming like coils that circled halfway up the shin. The necklace was flawless, glittering like pure liquid, it’s gem cut into the symbol of their House. Lastly, the circlet was thin and spiraling, its three fine points set with the birthstones of her children.

Velvet nearly dropped the box. A hoof flew to her mouth, taking several steps back as Gleaming floated the finery out.

“You’re royalty now,” Gleaming said, indicating the pieces she herself wore. “Twice over now, with Twily. I think it’s about time you got something to show your status.”

“You mean WE think,” Spike said, folding his arms. “I gave you the idea, remember?”

Velvet stared agape at the jewelry, her eyes going watery. She had no words as the necklace was gently fastened around her neck, her hooves were fitted, and the crown was placed upon her head. A large mirror moved in front of her, letting her see how she looked, and when she saw…

“You look great.” Gleaming came around to stand beside her, softly nuzzling her cheek. “Then again, you always do. Sorry I didn’t tell you about all this earlier.”

Tears fell from Velvet’s eyes as she turned and hugged Gleaming, her precious firstborn.

“Oh, my baby…” Velvet murmured over and over. Softly she stroked Gleaming’s mane, holding her tight and sure.

Gleaming smiled and hugged her back. “Yeah, Mom. It’s me.”

The Commercial District was on the western side of the city, only about ten minutes’ walk from the palace. It was a bustling place at all times, filled with ponies of all kinds coming and going as they bought and sold their wares. Various other northern races could be spotted here and there, including moose, deer, and even the occasional griffin, but by and large, equines were the dominant majority.

“What’s going on over there?” Velvet asked. She pointed to a large, crystalline building that loomed over them. An entire side of it was marked with glowing runes, and there were construction notices posted all around.

“That’s one of our main hospitals,” Gleaming said, following her gaze. “We’re gonna be doing a pretty major addition to it.”

“It’s for Luna’s batpony program!” Spike said. He’d switched back over to Gleaming’s back, and he was waving at ponies here and there that recognized him.

“Luna’s…” Velvet laughed. “Right, right. I forgot the Empire’s involved in that.”

The three of them were making their way down the street with a few guards around them, mostly to prevent a crowd from gathering. Gleaming and Spike tended to garner their fair share of attention whenever they went out, and Velvet’s new attire was drawing some curious stares, as well.

“Yeah, we weren’t expecting it to blow up like it did, but hey.” Gleaming shrugged. “I guess the Empire’s got baby fever.”

“With you setting the trend,” Velvet said, smiling. She indicated Gleaming’s tremendously round barrel. “I still can’t get over how big you are… and at only six months! You’re certainly keeping those little foals fed, aren’t you?”

Gleaming snickered. “I’ve been trying.” She shut her eyes a moment, savoring the feel of the warm, internal weight swirling about inside her. The fact that her belly had almost doubled in size over the last five weeks wasn’t lost on her, nor was that it was only going to steadily get bigger, and bigger, and bigger…

“I think Gleam-Gleam enjoys it,” Spike teased. “This is like, the ultimate excuse for pigging out.”

Gleaming rolled her eyes. “I still have to stay in shape, you know.”

“Well, you’re doing a good job,” Velvet observed. She looked her daughter over, taking in the overall state of her body. There was some padding on her, but it was the healthy sort, a firmness to her weight that spoke of the muscle beneath. Aside from her baby bump, her hips, thighs, and rump were wide and supple, the smooth, taut skin enriched by lotions and oils. Her toned legs were like iron—unyielding as they carried her on a smooth gait, assisted by her ever-present maternity brace. Her neck and face remained thin and shapely, with full, rosy cheeks and vibrant, blue eyes, and her plush coat and mane were like heather, soft with a lustrous sheen.

“You really are beautiful,” Velvet murmured. “I’m sorry if I seemed insincere at first, but you really, really are. You actually look a lot like your grandmother, Starlight Glow. She’d be tickled pink to see you if she were still around.”

Gleaming didn’t remember too much about her maternal grandmother. She’d passed away from surgery complications when Gleaming was very young, but apparently, she and Gleaming had always been similar, both in looks and personality. Now that Gleaming was a mare, the resemblance was even more uncanny. Genetics were funny that way.

Gleaming walked a little closer to her mother, her voice going quiet. “So… you’re okay with all this? With me being a mare? Being pregnant?”

“Honey, you’re mine.” The statement was simple, but it meant so much. “I carried you. I gave birth to you. I spent countless nights rocking you to sleep. I changed your diapers, fed you, raised you, watched you grow. I will always, ALWAYS love you, and nothing you ever do, say, or decide will change that.”

Gleaming’s heart skipped a beat. She’d had so much trepidation about this, on what her mother might say. Her horn flashed with a quick privacy spell.

“S-So… ngghh…” Gleaming struggled to keep her voice steady. “S-So if… I-I wanted to stay as a mare… for good… y-you’d be okay?”

Velvet pursed her lips. She contemplated that question for several seconds, thoroughly mulling it over. They walked for a while down the street in silence, the crowds flowing around them like water in a stream.

“If you’re actually asking if I’d disown you, I’m tempted to smack you upside the head.” Velvet’s tone was harsh and withering, and it immediately made Gleaming wince. “To even consider that your father and I are that narrow-minded is an insult to everything we’ve done for you, and quite frankly, you know better.”

Gleaming suddenly felt very small. She didn’t understand why, but her mother’s voice always cut to the core. “I-I’m sorry! I was j-just afraid—”

“Think about your own children,” Velvet cut in. “If one day, one of them tells you they’re transgender, what will you do? Is it going to matter?”

Gleaming was taken aback. “O-Of course not! No! Why would that change anything? They’re still my kids! I’d be a damn hypocrite if I had a problem with that!”

To which, Velvet responded with a calm look. “Unconditional love, Sweetheart. It’s the love between siblings, mates, parents and their children. Am I going to scrutinize your decision? Of course. That’s what I do. But it doesn’t mean I’m going to stop loving you. I’m not sure where you even got that idea in the first place!”

Subtly, Spike leaned forward to whisper in Gleaming’s ear. “Told ya.”

Gleaming suddenly felt her throat go tight. She had to cough and look away, her eyes feeling warm as her mane fell over her face.

“I-I th-think…*sniff*... think I just needed… t-to hear... th-that...“

Velvet’s eyes went soft. “Maybe you did.” She patted Gleaming’s shoulder, her eyes flicking down to her daughter’s bulging middle. “We’ll just blame it on hormones, okay? Now, tell me exactly why you want to stay as a mare.”

So Gleaming told her. She told her about the happiness she’d felt, the contentment, how everything had just seemed to click. She talked about the new level of camaraderie she’d been having with Cadance, and how their love life had been so much better since all of this started. Velvet was quiet through most of it, only asking a few questions for clarification, and by the time Gleaming was finished, her expression was placid and pensive.

“You’ve given this some thought,” Velvet said. They crossed a street together, making for a maternity clothing store. “And I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised being pregnant is triggering your special talent like crazy. You always were a protector.”

Gleaming made a small grunt. “I just like keeping other ponies safe.”

“And you’re quite good at it.” Velvet took the lead, making her way inside the shop. “I suppose my main concern is that if you do this, it’s for the right reasons. Fortunately, from the sound of things, that’s already the case. Some ponies may need time to understand, but if you present it in the right way, I think you’ll have more supporters than opposers.”

Gleaming followed in after her, taking note of the shop’s intentionally wider doorframe. It was in the back of her mind, but she was already thinking that in a few months, some pathways might become an issue. “That’s kinda what Cady said. She’s offered to handle the announcement, but… I sorta feel like I have to make this one myself.”

The shop was roomy and spacious, with mannequines showing off maternity outfits for all seasons, occasions, and stages of pregnancy. Accessories and baby clothes were also plentiful, and the store was done in colors of blue and pink. There weren’t a ton of ponies around this time of day, but the ones that were definitely were shocked to see the two royals walk casually into the store.

“Mmhmm.” Velvet glanced at one of the store signs, walking towards the western side of the shop. “What does your sister think?”

Gleaming bit her lip. “Erm…”

“She doesn’t know yet,” Spike spoke up. “Barely anypony does. I only found out right before you and Dad came, and—ow!”

Gleaming flicked Spike with her tail.

Velvet looked back at Gleaming.

“This is a recent development!” Gleaming blurted. “I haven’t really had time to make the rounds with telling ponies! I’ll tell her, I just need the right opportunity!”

Velvet just sighed and shook her head. “That opportunity may never come, dear. Between both of you being Princesses, Cadance, research with your father, and Twilight’s new marefriend vying for time, you’ll be hard pressed to align the stars.”

Gleaming did a double take. How did Velvet know—right, the Nightmare Night party. Twilight and Rainbow had gone public, then. But wait, had that been how...

“Did Twily tell you beforehoof?” Gleaming asked. “About her and Rainbow?”

Velvet laughed. “Has Twilight ever been good at keeping secrets from me and your father?”

Gleaming snorted. Okay, so she should’ve figured that one.

The three of them got to the part of the store where the bras were located. There were various kinds, all in various shapes, sizes, colors. The intent of a bra, like most maternity accessories, was to be as subtle as possible, blending in with a pony’s coat and not drawing attention to itself. The idea was also to provide support so one’s breasts didn’t bounce and swing around willy-nilly (embarrassing and unbalancing). Mares pretty much only needed bras for the final weeks of pregnancy, as well as for the year they were nursing, but as Twilight had said some weeks earlier, they were likely going to magically kickstart things so they could, erm… stockpile.

Gleaming mentioned this to Velvet as they browsed.

“Not a bad idea,” Velvet said, nodding. “When were you thinking of starting that? In a month or two?”

“Probably,” Gleaming said. “Not really sure. I’m guessing it’ll depend on how much milk we’re gonna need.”

Velvet looked up at the ceiling, sucking on her teeth. “You’re gonna need a LOT in the beginning. Babies need feeding every few hours the first few months, and the more breastmilk they get, the better. Seeing as you’re gonna have five little mouths to feed, I’d start collecting milk pretty soon. Just use a stasis spell so it’ll keep... oh, and in the beginning, your milk is gonna look like this thick, fatty, yellow stuff. Do NOT throw that out. That’s called colostrum, and it’s what you give the babies first.”

That word rang a bell in Gleaming’s memory. She was pretty sure either Talia or Cady had mentioned that as well at some point, but the emphasis now was appreciated. “What about formula? Should I use that at all?”

Velvet walked in between the racks with a trained eye, her silver hoofshoes making soft thuds on the cheap carpet. “When I was pregnant, my doctor always told me to use the natural stuff as much as possible. Occasionally I’d use formula if I was in a jam, but for the most part, I didn’t bother. You and Twilight never liked it that much, anyways.”

“What about me?” Spike asked. “What did I eat as a baby?”

Velvet snickered. “Talc, mostly. You smelled very nice after meals.”

Gleaming remembered those days. Spike’s surprise addition to the family had been… harrowing, but thankfully, nopony had gotten hurt. It was about a year and a half later that Spike came to permanently live at their home, but even long before that, Velvet had been spending a good deal of time with him and Twilight at the castle.

“Here, these should fit you.” Velvet pulled out a couple white bras and held them out to Gleaming. “You’re going to want about five or six pairs, give or take.”

A twinge of reservation struck Gleaming when she actually laid eyes on the garments. They looked like bulky, oddly-shaped panties.

“I, uh…” Gleaming rubbed one of her legs. “I don’t actually know a whole lot about bras ‘n’ stuff.”

“There’s not much to know,” Velvet said. “The baseline enchantment is to keep your teats from leaking, although more and more these days have spells to soothe irritation, soreness, that kind of thing. I’ve also heard there are some that’ll flat-out make your breasts invisible, though I think that’s just silly.”

Gleaming silently agreed. It was part of the ‘look’ to have big, full teats, heavy and swollen with milk. To have them not there would be… odd.

“Cup size varies from mare to mare, but this should be good to start.” Velvet double-checked the tag, then nodded to herself. “You’re going to outgrow these, guarantee it. We should probably get you some bigger ones, as well.”

Gleaming dubiously eyed the bra. It already looked pretty big to her. But then again, if things continued the way they had been…

“Hey, did you grow any taller when you were pregnant, Mom?” Gleaming asked. The words fell out her mouth before she could stop them. “Or were you always this height?”

Velvet gave her a blank look. “Erm, taller? Uhm… I don’t… believe so? I mean, I’ve always been tall, dear. It runs in the family. Made it rather difficult to find a date until your father came along…”

Gleaming exhaled out her nose. Should she say something? She wasn’t entirely sure about this yet, and she didn’t want to get her mother’s hopes up. Spike knew already and was indifferent, but his point of view wasn’t quite the same.

"You and Twilight actually have tallness on both sides, you know,” Velvet continued. “Night’s potential never manifested very strongly, but your uncle Vigil, now he’s a lanky one. Twilight was never very tall, either... until she became an alicorn, that is. Now, I swear she’s taller every time I see her.”

“Hehe.” Spike giggled into Gleaming’s mane, apparently reading her thoughts. “Tell her. She’ll freak.”

Gleaming chewed on her lip. Well, she’d already dropped one bombshell today. What was one more?

“Why do you ask?” Velvet said. “Have you grown? Besides sideways, I mean. Might actually be a good thing if you have. Give the foals some more room in there.”

Gleaming took a moment to make sure the privacy spell was still in place before choosing her words. “I’m not going to do this explanation justice, but basically, my doctor does a lot of work with genetics, and she thinks there’s a strong chance that I could… follow in Twily’s hoofsteps, if you catch my drift. She’s not sure how, or when it might happen, but the pieces seem like they’re all in place.”

Velvet’s reaction was not what Gleaming expected. Instead of freaking out or exclaiming in joy, she simply returned to browsing the racks, concentrated on her task.

“You’re just now realizing that?” Velvet picked out a few more bras, holding them up side-to-side. “Honey, your father and I came to that conclusion the week after your sister’s coronation. We’ve actually got bets going on when it’ll happen!”

Spike started laughing so hard he nearly fell off Gleaming’s back.

Gleaming’s jaw about hit the floor. “What?!”

“Your father thinks it’ll be flashy and all at once—like some great threat arises, and you wind up being the hero of it. Like Twilight’s was.” Velvet chose the left bra and put it to the side, forming a small stack beside her. “But I don’t think so. Twilight’s growth has been in sudden spurts—explosive leaps and bounds, and whatnot. But you? Your growth has been gradual. A steady progression that’s never stopped, or slowed down. One of you has always arrived before the other, but eventually, you both always get to the same place.”

Velvet turned and winked at Gleaming, a coy smirk on her face.

“I see no reason why that would change.”

Gleaming’s mouth felt dry. Words failed her as Velvet hummed to herself, picking out several garments that she liked. Eventually, she had a good dozen of various sizes that she gave to Gleaming, then nudged her along to the fitting rooms, switching Spike over to her back.

“Come on, I want you to try these on. We can make adjustments if we need to later…”

Later-

“So you’re really thinking of moving here?” Gleaming asked.

The three of them had stopped at an ice cream parlor after shopping, and were now sitting outside beneath a canopy at a small table, enjoying their respective treats. The sun was already going down, and the streets were starting to give off a comforting glow.

“I think it’s the right thing to do,” was Velvet’s reply. She played with her orange sherbet, scraping at it with her spoon. “Your sister has her own life down in Ponyville, and even though she has a marefriend, I don’t see her settling down. She’s going to be all over Equestria, busy as a bee, barely even any time to sleep. That’s how she’s always been.”

“Tell me about it,” Spike groused. He took a big bite of his emerald parfait, getting a bit of chocolate syrup on his nose. “And she loves it, too! That’s the craziest part!”

“Manners, Spike,” Velvet said. She paused to take a napkin, wiping off the syrup of his face. “We don’t talk with our mouth full.”

Spike gulped down his bite. “Sorry.”

“So you want to be up here with me, Cady, and the kids,” Gleaming said. She had the biggest bowl of ice cream by far, almost a tub, really, and she was wolfing it down with gusto. “Is that it?”

For the third time that day, Velvet’s eyes flicked down to her daughter’s womb, her thoughts racing back to times long past. “You three grew up so fast. You’ve all done so much; more than I ever could’ve dreamed! I couldn’t be prouder, but… sharing you all with the world so quickly has had drawbacks. Sitting alone with your father on Hearth’s Warming. Picnics for two on the Summer Sun Celebration, watching other families play together in the park. Birthdays gone by without a peep. And worst of all, always coming home to an empty house, filled with nothing but memories and dust.”

Velvet put her hoof atop Gleaming’s. “Your father and I want to be a part of your lives again. I can still hardly believe you’re having foals of your own, but here we are. Night and I want to see our grandfoals grow up to be heroes, like you three, and if it means we have to move, so be it. And besides, it’s not like we have much tying us down. I can write my books anywhere, and your father is SICK and TIRED of Canterlot University, let me tell you. He’s wanted to go somewhere else for years.”

Gleaming dwelt on those words. She gave Velvet’s hoof a squeeze, her gaze drifting out into the streets. There was a fountain in a square nearby, the top of it depicting an ancient leader of the Crystal Empire in a heroic pose. A few fillies and colts were playing tag around it, their bubbling laughter echoing off the tall buildings.

“I guess I’m a lot like you,” Gleaming said softly. “I’m okay with you coming up, I just wanted to make sure it’s for the right reasons. I’d say wanting to be with your grandfoals qualifies, and I’m glad you and Dad want to be a part of their lives. I’m sure Cady will be glad, too.”

Velvet’s smile grew. She leaned forward, kissing the top of Gleaming’s brow. “I’m looking forward to it. Now it’s just a matter of figuring out the logistics.”

“Way ahead of you,” Gleaming said. She produced the scroll she and Spike had been working on earlier. “Spike and I thought you’d appreciate some suggestions.”

Velvet’s eyes lit up. “Oho!” She took the scroll and scanned it over, her lips moving silently. “Well, look at you two! This will definitely help! Thank you!”

Gleaming shot Spike a smug grin, which he just rolled his eyes at. “I assumed you’d rather have a place of your own rather than be in the castle,” Gleaming said. “Although we can certainly arrange that if you’d prefer...”

“No, no,” Velvet quickly said. “You’re right. Night and I aren’t suited for that. We’ll stay in the castle for the holidays, but past that, we’d really be better off somewhere quieter. Somewhere with an active community, and a nice balcony for your father’s stargazing. He’s been quite insistent about that...”

Gleaming thought for a moment. “I’ll have to double-check, but I think I know a few places. Lemme see, I think I’ve got that map in my bags… here we go!”

She spread the map out on the table, where a few spots were already circled with various notes.

“Okay, the first one is right over…”

15 - The Pig-Out

The Pig-Out

——————————————————————————————

Two Weeks Later (Week 27)-

It was around six a.m. when Gleaming’s eyes fluttered open, her mind emerging from the dark embrace of dreams. She sighed. Even on holidays, her body was hard-wired to wake up at a certain time. She supposed she could try to fall asleep again, but almost always that lead to her feeling sluggish for a few hours—

An uncomfortable pressure made itself known.

Never mind. She was up.

“Mmmm…” Her movement made Cadance hum beside her, turning over before going still. A gust of air escaped the covers as Gleaming crept out of bed, heavy with the scent of last night’s… activities. Cadance was an early riser as well, but after the romp they’d had last night, Gleaming guessed she was gonna be out a bit longer today.

Silently, Gleaming made her way to the bathroom, her steps thankfully soundless on the soft carpet. She swayed a bit thanks to her misplaced center of gravity, but she swiftly recovered. It was hard to move fluidly with the hefty mass between her legs, trying not to fight the inertia, keeping her motions smooth. To make matters worse, her hips had continued to widen, causing her gait to be even more like a waddle. A few of the books she’d read mentioned that the trick was “to move with a slow, heavy grace, almost as if you’re underwater,” but easier said than done.

The master bathroom was one of the few things in the apartment that could be called luxurious. It was a large, wide space (as large as the living room), with polished crystal floors, intricate light fixtures of gold and bronze, and cream-colored walls with wavy patterns. There was a bathtub, a sauna, and a jacuzzi in the room, with the first being your standard size, the second medium-sized and made of dry, sweet-smelling wood, and the third an immense heart-shaped recess, skillfully carved into the floor. There was also a giant walk-in shower with multiple sprayers, two opaque sinks marked with Gleaming and Cadance’s cutie marks, multiple medicine cabinets and drawers, and fuzzy towels of all sizes on various towel racks. Finally, in the far corner there was an unusual inclusion—a full-sized refrigerator, shiny and new, its hum barely audible, even in the morning silence.

Oh, and there was a toilet beside the bathtub, which Gleaming made a beeline for, closing the door behind her with a soft click.

After relieving herself, Gleaming flicked on the lights, squinting pre-emptively on reflex. The spots slowly faded away, leaving her staring at her reflection in the mirror. A tall, pregnant mare stared back at her, blue mane frazzled and mussy, her coat matted where she’d drooled in her sleep. Her eyes were red, irritated from the sudden light, her tail was a tangled, crusty mess, and her taut, blooming belly remained ever-present, bigger and more massive than ever.

“Morning, my little ones.” Gleaming patted her womb and admired herself, both straight-on, and from her profile. “You doing well in there?”

At just shy of seven months, she looked like she was overdue with twins. Her barrel resembled the lower half of a pear, weighty and deliciously full. She was certainly getting wide… wide and round, and while she’d never been much of a vain pony, there was something to be said about liking how one looked.

Curious, Gleaming reached in a drawer and pulled out a cloth measuring tape, along with a small notebook and quill. She carefully felt around for her pubic bone a second before unrolling the tape, then stretching it along her bulging underside.

“Four and a half centimeters…” Gleaming flipped open the book, marking the measurement down on a page labeled ‘Weekly Fundal Height’. “S’about right...”

Next, she stood up straight and tall, holding the tape from the ground to her withers. There were a couple ways to measure a pony’s height, but typically, most went with the earth pony way.

“Another quarter-inch? Really?” Gleaming double, then triple-checked the measurement, but each time it was the same. “Same as last week… jeez, I’m gonna catch up to Twily at this rate.”

She flipped the page and dutifully jotted down her findings, this one marked as ‘Weekly Standing Height’. She had a few other things marked here, including her height as a stallion, her starting height upon changing genders, the heights of everypony in the family, and lastly, amount Talia had forecasted at the party, highlighted in big, capital letters.

She stared at the ‘TWO TO FOUR’ a bit longer before looking back up at her reflection.The same bedheaded, bleary-eyed pony looked back at her, her expression pensive. She didn’t think she looked any taller, and when she compared herself to Cadance, there never seemed to be any difference. Not since they’d first noticed on Nightmare Night, anyway. But when Gleaming was around other ponies, there were a lot comments on how they now needed to look UP at her...

Gleaming eyes unfocused a moment, letting her imagination roam free. In her mind’s eye, a ghostly pair of appendages unfurled, their span broad and angelic—

A second uncomfortable pressure in her nethers flared, this one accompanied by a feeling of soreness.

“Ugh.” Gleaming shook her head. She looked around the bathroom, still a bit groggy. “Where’s that thing…” It took her a few seconds to remember that Twilight had taught her the spell for making a pocket dimension (like the one she’d used to bring all her books a few months back), and it’d proven to be a godsend. Gleaming’s horn flashed with the incantation, opening up a small hole in midair, and out floated a device comprised of tubes, nozzles, suction cups, and a segmented large container with measuring lines.

The logo ‘EZ-Milk XL’ glinted in the light as Gleaming set it down and re-read the instructions, mumbling quietly to herself.

In last week’s appointment with Talia, they’d decided to go ahead and cast the Lactation spell early. Gleaming had brought it up due to the discussion with her mother, and Talia’s simple response was, “Better more, than less.” It essentially meant a couple things, the most obvious being the need for the recently-purchased bras, but with Gleaming’s body needing energy to produce milk, she also needed to up her caloric intake again.

Using the mirror, Gleaming took the suction cups and aligned them with the newest change in her anatomy. Her breasts, once just in the starting stages of filling out, were now firm and orb-like, brimming with nutrients as they hung between her hind legs. Her engorged nipples were a deep pink, a stark contrast to her white coat, and she could see they were already on the verge of dripping, a tiny, tiiiiny droplet visible on their left side.

“Good timing,” Gleaming muttered. She brought the suction cups closer, feeling a tingling sensation as they floated near.

SHHHPP! The suction cups leapt forward, magically attaching and forming a vacuum seal.

It was at this moment Gleaming realized she’d forgotten to warm them up again.

“GAH!” She bit one of her hooves, fighting back the string of curses. She managed to keep silent as the device flared to life, the soft hum of magic filing the room, the tickling jolt of energy as the fucking freezing pieces of thrice-damned shit cleaned each of her breasts. There was a sudden, firm tugging...

“Ohhhhhh…” Gleaming’s muscles went slack. Her eyelids sank low as each one of her teats sputtered a few times, then began to spurt out two different-colored fluids. Her left was enchanted to produce thick, yellowish colostrum, and her right contained thick, creamy milk. Her drowsy mind sank back into a dull, contented haze, the cups gradually warming up, and her head dipped to rest on the cool bathroom counter.

She stood there in silence while the machine dutifully did its work, alleviating the pressure at a steady rate, never slowing or speeding up. The dairy flowed each into one half of the segmented container, filling almost up to the halfway point before starting to peter out, and a few seconds later, the flow ceased.

Ding!

“Mmrrhh...” Gleaming lifted her head. Damn it, she’d zoned out again. Whatever, at least she felt better. She looked over at the… ‘harvesting unit,’ she thought it was called? Something like that. She detached the tubes and lifted it up to see the precise amounts, careful to keep it nice and level.

“Two hundred fifty milliliters each, eh? Not bad.” Gleaming returned to her notebook and flipped to the back, where a chart labeled ‘Daily Colo/Milk Production’ had been started. She noticed that she’d been steadily producing more as her breasts got bigger, but that was a good thing. She wasn’t sure what the upper limit was going to be, though. She wrote down the date and amount she’d… ‘harvested’... ugh, she hated thinking of it like that, then floated the container over to the refrigerator, pulling out several sturdy-looking jars. With a bit of telekinesis the precious fluid was transferred, and Gleaming shut the jars tight, softly chanting out a spell.

“Moooooo.” Gleaming chuckled to herself. She checked to see that the Stasis spell had been applied, then etched the time and date on the lids. She put them beside the ones that’d already been filled, then put the milking machine back in the hole in dimensional space, pressing the ‘Self-Clean’ button as she did. She’d be milking herself again in about three hours or so.

Now it was time to weigh herself. The bathroom scale was propped up against the bathtub, last she checked… ah, it was still there. Gleaming retrieved it and made sure it was calibrated, then clambered on.

Eiiiiiight… no, nine pounds. A bit more than last week, but gaining a quarter-inch and the extra breast tissue was likely contributing to that. Stars alive, everything was growing...

“Oh, my!” Gleaming rubbed her belly, smiling softly. “You’re all getting so big!”

At first she’d dreaded weighing herself. She really wasn’t sure why, but seeing the increasing numbers brought about a feeling of vague... discomfort. Now, though, the numbers felt like progress—a sign that the lives blooming within her were doing well. Every time she saw them she got a fuzzy feeling, followed by a warmth that spread out to her whole body. Weight gain alone wasn’t a good indicator of the foals’ health, of course, but she liked to pretend.

Gleaming flipped back to the front of the notebook and logged the data in the final chart, marked ‘Weekly Weight Gain’. She then put everything back and rolled her shoulders, giving her reflection one final nod.

“Alright. Shower time.”

It was the absence of warmth next to her that roused Cadance. She wasn’t sure how long her eyes were open; only that one minute she was in la-la land, and the next she was staring into the dark shadows of her bedroom. On reflex, she reached out to her right for Gleaming... only to find nothing but a slight imprint. That was when true wakefulness came, and she sat up with a muffled yawn, stretching out her six limbs with a series of snaps and cracks.

Cadance smacked her lips a few times, scratching herself and wiggling her wings. She checked the clock and looked around, brushing her sweaty mane out of her face. At last she noticed that the bathroom door was closed, the light within pooling onto the bedroom carpet. Gleaming was always up at this hour, even when she didn’t need to be. Was practically something Cadance could set a watch to at this point.

“Ever the soldier,” she muttered. She took her time easing herself out of bed, reluctantly separating herself from the satin sheets. As she did, though, she suddenly became aware of a certain something enjoying the friction more than the rest of her. She gasped as that something swelled to its full, turgid length… followed quickly by its twin,ALSO becoming fully thick and erect in seconds.

“A-Ah…” Cadance had forgotten about the temporary addition she’d given herself, spurred on by an idea she’d had for a while. In an instant she found herself laying back down, her hooves straying beneath the covers to the dual-pronged tent she was pitching. A quick pulse of magic tossed the bedspread and blankets away while pulling the sheet tighter around her, a pair of wet spots seeping through.

“Yes,” Cadance breathed. She lay flat, all six of her limbs fully splayed. She began to rub against the tightened sheets, revelling in the smooth, delectable friction, spurred on by thoughts of her beloved mate. Gleaming’s thick, juicy rear, so firm you could bounce a bit off of it. Her gorgeous eyes and face, sultry and confident without even trying. Her full, fertile belly, filled with THEIR foals. Her bouncing, overfilled teats, now producing so much fresh milk, and stars above, her tight, moist cunny, molded to the perfect shape, squeezing and pulling Cadance deeper as the room echoed with desire—

Cadance sucked in a breath. She thrust faster, harder against the sheet, the wet spot turning into a wet patch. A musky scent filled her nostrils, dry, and earthy, laced with stale sweat and sex. It only made her more eager, her impassioned sounds becoming more and more frequent, and she wanted nothing more than to bury herself in Gleaming’s needy, willing folds…

...so why don’t you?

The thought made Cadance pause. It was a fair question, wasn’t it? Why settle for self-service when her partner was a few dozen feet away? Satin sheets were wonderful, but the heavenly, silky feel of Gleaming’s marehood, so tight and squeezing along her length, the scent and heat of their entwined bodies, accompanied by those lewd demands for more, one orgasm rolling into another as they went again and again, trying to outlast each other, fondling and kissing and nibbling and tugging and nipping and groaning and licking and pulling and pushing and sucking and thrusting and biting and fucking and—

Cadance ripped off the sheets. Her groin was left exposed to the air, revealing the smooth, dual-shafted marecock she’d given herself. Its bulbous, twin heads throbbed impatiently as she got up and trotted to the bathroom door, and she pushed the door open to encounter a wave of heat and steam.

Cadance didn’t bother to muffle her steps as she walked in, her attention laser-focused on one thing. She could hear Gleaming humming amidst the shower’s sprayers, her voice accompanied by foamy, sudsy splashes. Cadance poked her head inside and saw her beloved with her back turned, seemingly oblivious, enjoying the massaging spray of multiple showerheads while she rocked back and forth.

Cadance licked her lips. Some of the spells cast on Gleaming had increased her body’s elasticity, and right now was the perfect demonstration. Her tail was lifted and to the side for washing, leaving her hindquarters on full display. Trickles of water ran down and around her freshly-cleaned plothole and vulva, flawless and inviting, her big, engorged teats jiggling a bit with her movements.

Cadance’s twin shafts got even harder at the sight. She took a loud, clacking step inside the shower, but Gleaming didn’t react. She just kept humming to herself while continuing her ablutions, her eyes closed with a serene smile. Cadance took another few loud steps, but Gleaming still didn’t move. Her soaked, cerulean mane was plastered around her neck and shoulders, the three tones of blue blended together. Vapor and steam swirled around her like a fog, making her seem like an illusion, and as Cadance neared, she could smell a familiar, tantalizing sweetness, mixed the aroma of mint and rosemary.

“Oh, darn. What a shame.”

Cadance hesitated. Gleaming had opened her eyes, and was smirking slyly at the prowling pony princess.

“And here I was hoping I could shower in peace, with no gorgeous mares wanting to fuck me with their giant, two-headed cocks.” Gleaming’s smile turned lecherous. “I thought I could have a nice, quiet morning to myself for a change...”

Cadance didn’t reply. She was a mare on a mission, and her objective was in sight. Her gaze went back to that beautiful slit, and without further pause, she pressed her muzzle to it and began lapping.

“Mmmnnhh…” Gleaming’s eyes fluttered shut. “What a terrible inconvenience...”

Cadance serviced her with an expert technique, nosing Gleaming’s outer lips while flitting her tongue in and out. She started licking in circles, tasting Gleaming’s walls while flicking her clit, pressing deeper and harder, delighting in the sweet, sticky taste. Gleaming hummed and leaned into Cadance’s efforts, letting her explore to her heart’s content, revelling in the now third kind of pressure swiftly rising in her loins.

“Cady…” Gleaming let out a low nicker. “D-Don’t…nnggh... stop…”

Cadance’s dicks twitched and dripped freely onto the tile floor, bigger and harder than ever. The heated spray dampened her coat and wings, warming her body even more than her lust. She wiggled her tongue even more, her ears filled with Gleaming’s incredibly hot moans and pants, and Cadance put her hooves on Gleaming’s cutie marks and squeezed, her hooves barely sinking into those luscious, muscled flanks.

Gleaming moaned even louder, her back arching as she presented herself. But Cadance didn’t mount her just yet. Instead, she focused her attention on those full, heavy teats, still so very new and exotic. She started licking and nibbling, starting at their tops and working her way down, her slippery tongue and moist breath making Gleaming shiver and gasp. Gently, Cadance tugged at them with her teeth, watching the milky breasts wobble when she let go, almost hypnotic in their movements. She wrapped her lips firmly around them one at a time, suckling and slurping to taste the dregs within.

“Fuuuuuuck…” Gleaming cooed through the heady rush. “Oooh… ooooh, yes…”

Cadance buried her face between Gleaming’s breasts, feeling the soft, slightly-pink flesh slide against her cheeks. Her hard, fluted horn was pressed up against Gleaming’s marehood, its tip tantalizingly close to slipping inside, but not quite. Her muzzle brushed up against the underside of Gleaming’s belly, and she started smooching it with light pecks, its heat apparent even in the steamy shower. She remained like that for a minute, playful, yet needy, until she lit her horn with a telltale whum, causing it to suddenly vibrate with power.

Gleaming let out a throaty groan. The magic and vibrations tickled her cunny, making her feel so good. She could feel energy start to surge into her, saturating her very being, rising her to new heights. She was lighter than air, soaring amongst the clouds, but all she wanted was more… MORE...

“Please,” Gleaming mewled. She crouched lower, her grand ivory belly brushing the ground, her heart-shaped rear high in the air. That familiar ache was throbbing deep in her core, half-hunger, half-clench, and it only intensified as the seconds passed. Her wet mane spilled halfway over her face, her eyes staring at nothing, the dull pounding in her ears mixed with the running water.

Cadance’s horn pulsed, instantly doubling the amount of magic she gave Gleaming. Her own reserves felt more robust than ever, and it made her want to give that much more. That thought repeat over and over in her head, feeding the giddy, tingling tightness in her belly and stallionhoods, not noticing she really was amping up the flow. Eventually she pulled back and reared, her twin cocks primed and eager, spreading her wings wide as she settled atop her pregnant mate.

Cadance enveloped them both in a protective embrace, cradling Gleaming’s womb tight and sure, her downy feathers stroking and playing with her sensitive navel. She used magic to slather Gleaming’s plothole with a generous amount of pre, then with little ceremony, she pushed both her cocks forward.

“AhhhhhHHHHHH~” Gleaming’s moan started soft, then raised a whole octave, morphing into a pleasured cry. Pain and delight, panic and euphoria, a cocktail of endorphins engulfed her that blanked her thoughts. There was an odd, stretching burn in both tunnels, accompanied by a glorious tingling and fullness, making her want to squeeze and relax at the same time. She thrust back hard against Cadance’s advancing rods, invigorated by the electric jolts through her spine, accompanied by that wonderful weight pinning her down. Cadance’s hooves and wings were rubbing her all over, and even in separate holes Gleaming could feel the twin shafts pressed against one another, separated by a thin, strong lining. Alicorn magic was suffusing her more and more, making her eyes take on a slight glow, but even so empowered...

“Mine,” Cadance grunted. Her teeth were clenched as she snorted in Gleaming’s ear. She pushed and slid forward little by little, caught in the thrall of her mate’s velvety snugness, her unbelievable tightness and lusty cries. She bit Gleaming’s scruff and sank deeper, groping and fondling all the while, in love with the round, taut firmness of her belly, the supple skin tight as a drum. It was almost a sensory overload, and sure enough, seconds later Cadance felt the telltale signs of the point of no return, that coiling, giddy tightness starting to boil over.

Gleaming felt it, too. She neared her own first peak, as Cadance’s pushing became frenzied, emerging from the fog like a charging manticore. Her voice cracked when it hit her, exploding like a mass of fireworks and making little sparks jet from her horn. She was still flying high when Cadance’s lengths started twitching, not even halfway inside, but apparently at their limit. Both cockheads swelled, and Cadance yelled long and loud as she came, thrusting fast and hard, her medial rings slurping inside Gleaming with a lewd pop! Over and over Cadance coated Gleaming’s tunnels with gooey cum, and she greedily took it all in, her body flashing as it absorbed each virile load. Cadance’s magic also went wild, more and more pouring into Gleaming, faster and faster, who crooned low and deep as the glow in her eyes brightened.

But Cadance didn’t stop with just one round. When her orgasm was over she simply resumed a steady rhythm, her twin spears still hard as steel, plunging further into Gleaming’s moist depths. That tingling, insistent impulse was still there, buzzing and building up as fast as before, and Cadance’s goal was to be fully hilted before it broke again. Gleaming certainly didn’t mind. She squeezed and kneaded as best she could, lost in the sensation of being stuffed with twin marecocks, welcoming every inch she could take, every spark of magic Cadance gave.

Cadance started nibbling and nipping Gleaming’s ears, licking and sucking on their tips, whispering sweet nothings that Gleaming barely heard. Gleaming was more preoccupied with the feel of Cadance’s hot breath, fast and filled with grunting gasps, accompanied by those hard, flat teeth. The foals were starting to shift and move around from all the excitement, their fluttering kicks tickling the thick walls of her womb, and both Gleaming and Cadance could feel them, making a warm glow rise in their chests.

There was a meaty slap as Cadance achieved her intended goal, her hips pressed up against Gleaming’s plush rear. Just in time, too, as a few seconds later she felt her next climax, welling up with startling speed. With another loud yell she released more cum in thick torrents, flooding Gleaming’s depths nearly to capacity. Gleaming screamed in joy, the fresh waves of seed nearly overwhelming, her walls only barely managing to drink it all in, along with the power it held. Gleaming felt her own orgasm leap forth, and it almost bowled her over when it hit, making her vision go white.

If Cadance kept fucking her beyond that, Gleaming didn’t really remember. All she knew was that she was riding a sort of prolonged orgasm, an amazing high that didn’t go down, powered by the cumulative sensations that fueled both their lusts. Her world was a clouded sensation of warmth, weight, and fullness, accompanied by occasional bursts of wet, sticky heat deep inside her. Her mind was swimming in the best kind of way... her muscles were so relaxed from the warm water... her legs were standing on autopilot… and a part of her wished that it would never end.

But eventually...

“...love you, sweet Gleamy, “ she heard. “Oh, that felt so good...”

Gleaming blinked. She was still standing in a crouch, gently being coaxed to stand by a nuzzling, cuddling Cadance. Cadance had dismounted and removed her extra bits, and was standing in front of Gleaming with a huge, dopey grin on her face.

“There you are,” Cadance said, seeing Gleaming’s eyes refocus at last. “Welcome back.”

Gleaming chuckled. Gradually, she stood back up and straightened, rivulets of water cascading off her in sparkling sheets. “That’s one way to start a morning.”

Cadance smiled. She pressed their foreheads together, letting their horns cross with a click. “One of the best ways, in my opinion.”

“Mmmm.” Gleaming stifled a small yawn. “We’ve certainly made good use of this extra-large shower, haven’t we? Glad I let you talk me into splurging for it.”

Cadance giggled. “I knew we would.” She stepped away and summoned shampoos, conditioners, and a loofah. “Remember all those shower sexytimes we had when you lived with your parents?”

Gleaming’s face turned a bit pink. “I still can’t believe we never got caught...”

Cadance slathered shampoo on the loofah and started washing Gleaming’s back. “Well, we did cover our tracks. Soundproofing, vibration cancelling, odor removal, cleaning the shower extra well, one of us teleporting in and out each time, all of that.”

Gleaming couldn’t help but laugh upon feeling Cadance’s efforts. This was the third time this week alone she’d done this. “You really like touching me, don’t you?”

“I can’t stop,” she growled. Her gentle scrubbing went lower, moving the loofah in tight, slow circles along Gleaming’s left side. “It’s all so hot—how your body’s changing, how well it suits you, what it all means, everything. Stars above, I can’t get enough of you like this... I've never seen a mare take so well to pregnancy, but damn if it doesn’t push ALL my buttons.”

Gleaming rolled her eyes. “You’re incorrigible.”

Cadance stuck out her tongue. “And yet, you still married m—MMMMM!”

Suddenly, Gleaming darted forward to suck in that tongue, pulling Cadance into a fierce, passionate kiss. In a burst of magic she swept Cadance off her hooves, twirling her around and gripping her tight, the tables abruptly turned.

Gleaming broke the kiss and pulled away moments later, staring into Cadance’s star-struck eyes.

“Damn right I did,” Gleaming whispered. “And I’d do it all over again in an instant. Even if I’d known I’d get mind-controlled by a changeling queen, fight an evil sorcerer, put up with endless bullshit politics, become a mare and get pregnant, and endure whatever else is in store for us, I’d still marry you. Do you know why?”

The water fell around Cadance as she breathed hard and heavy, her heart pounding in her chest. She gulped as she looked up at the vision of loveliness above her.

“W-Why?”

Gleaming kissed Cadance again, as hard and demanding as before.

“Because we’re worth it.”

That Afternoon-

Each year in Equestria, on the night before the annual Running of the Leaves race, many communities had high-carb meals for ponies who were participating, ensuring that they had plenty of energy for the next day. These feasts were so common and widespread, they were considered by many to be just as much of the holiday as the race itself. In fact, certain dishes were even practically synonymous with the pre-race meal, and many ponies looked forward to having them every year.

However, the Running of the Leaves wasn’t celebrated in the Crystal Empire. It made sense why it wasn’t, as no change of seasons meant no need for a race. But Gleaming and Cadance still thought of it as a holiday, so they’d gone ahead and declared it as one, giving ponies the day off and everything. They were even in the midst of trying to come up with some actual, Crystal Empire-themed traditions (they were toying with the idea of being thankful), but until they thought of some, they just had the pre-race feast in the castle, complete with all the dishes they knew and loved.

Gleaming and Cadance sat side by side in their private dining room down by the kitchens, along with Spike, Twilight, Rainbow, Velvet, and Night. They’d been invited to share in the customary meal, as they were all also fond of the dishes, too. The normal table had been switched out for a big round one that could easily seat seven, and they were now all chatting amongst themselves, sitting on floor pillows while they waited for the food to be brought out.

“You guys should still totally have a race!” Rainbow said beside Cadance. She gestured out the west window, where the sunny plains beyond the city could just be seen on the horizon. “You have lots of room for it.”

Cadance looked out the window to where Rainbow was pointing. “It’s not a matter of room, Rainbow. It’s the whole purpose behind it. A race that’s basically preparing the land for winter wouldn’t go over well up here.”

“Winter is death to the crystal ponies,” Gleaming said. She played with her napkin, folding and unfolding it with magic. “Declaring today a holiday alone garnered us some funny looks. The race would be seen as macabre.”

Rainbow winced. “Yikes… erm, didn’t think of it like that, heh. And I suppose it wouldn’t go over very well if you tried to gloss over that little tidbit, eh? Just had a race for kicks?”

Cadance shook her head. “Our critics would have a field day.”

Twilight, who was on Rainbow’s left, frowned at this. “You... guys have critics? Really?”

Gleaming gave her a funny look. “Of course we do. Would be odd if everypony agreed with everything we did all the time.”

Twilight went eerily silent.

Gleaming blinked several times. “Wait, do you not?”

Spike laughed from Twilight’s left. “She’s the Princess of Friendship, Gleam-Gleam! Just about everypony gets along with her. Heck, she even turns her enemies into her friends half the time!”

Twilight suddenly became very interested in the floor. “I... don’t even mean for that to happen! Honest! It just kinda… does. Nightmare Moon, Discord, Trixie, Sunset Shimmer… there’ve only been a few times I’ve encountered someone who was truly irredeemable.”

Rainbow let out a cough that sounded suspiciously like, *Tirek*.

Twilight flicked her ears. “Yes, well… I’ve come to realize not everypony can be brought to the light. It’s always my last resort, but sometimes... you do have to use force.”

“And that force is a giant LASER BEAM!” Rainbow’s eyes flashed a second, letting a glint of power shine through. “Pchoooooo!”

Gleaming felt that pulse wash over her, sending a shiver up her spine. She always forgot that Rainbow and Twilight’s other friends all shared this new power.

“Sounds like you should sic these two on your naysayers, Gleaming,” Velvet said from Spike’s left. “You and Cadance might get more things done that way.”

You may as well have told Cadance that Hearth’s Warming was coming early. “Oh my gosh, that’s a GREAT idea!” She sat upright in her seat. “Twilight, Rainbow, would you? Oh, please, please say you will! You’ve no idea how much you’d be helping us!”

Twilight put a hoof behind her head. “We could… try? I suppose it’s worth a shot. I mean, if it’ll help you and Gleamy...”

Rainbow didn’t seem opposed, either. “Sure, I’m down.”

Night spoke up from Velvet’s left. “But would that count as… erm, what did you call them again, Twilight? ‘Friendship Problems’, or somesuch? From what you were saying earlier, those seem to be all you and your friends can influence.”

Twilight chewed on her lip. She exchanged a quick look with Rainbow, who leaned over and whispered in Twilight’s ear. Twilight nodded at this, then cleared her throat.

“I wouldn’t say ‘influence’, Dad. I mean, I get what you’re asking, but saying that we influence Friendship Problems makes it almost sound like we're magically forcing ponies to get along. That’s not what we do.”

Rainbow sat back in her chair. “Yeah, that’d kiiiiiinda be a rotten move. And besides, it wouldn’t do squat for the cause of the problem.”

Night conceded the point. “In your own words, then.”

Twilight looked over at Cadance. “I think it’s a lot like how your power works. When we encounter a Friendship Problem, we’re able to see what exactly is causing it, who it’s affecting, and how to solve it. The solution isn't always cut and dry, though—”

“—because the ponies never wanna do things the easy way,” Rainbow grumbled.

“Right,” Twilight said. “So we have to either come up with something else, or work out some kind of compromise. It’s usually the latter.”

Cadance smiled. “That’s exactly how my power works… well, one aspect of it, anyway. I can sense those kinds of problems, too, but only if the bond between the ponies is deep enough to be classified as Love. If it’s a more platonic relationship...”

Twilight smiled back. “You know? I think that Love and Friendship are very similar. It’s just that my domain’s more towards the middle of the emotional spectrum, while yours is on the deeper end. The bonds you can sense are more powerful, but there are less of them, so it evens out.”

“Yup!” Cadance said. “I’d also say that there’s a lot of crossover between Love and Friendship, so much so, in fact, that one can quite easily turn into the other.”

At this, Rainbow put a sky-blue wing around Twilight, pulling her into a warm, soft hug. “Don’t I know it.”

Twilight hummed and snuggled closer. “Case in point…”

Gleaming listened quietly, her thoughts their usual line of logic. If Love and Friendship were just different expressions of the same overarching concept, than said concept was most likely… Harmony? Boy, now THAT had some interesting implications. Would either one of them eventually become sensitive to the other’s domain? Would Twilight eventually become an empath? Could Cadance learn to use Rainbow Power? Could Twilight could attune herself to the Crystal Heart? Could Cadance wield one of the Elements of Harmony?

Or, wait... maybe the Crystal Heart itself was actually…

No, no, no. That was just silly.

“I think you two should look more into this,” Gleaming said to both of them. She adjusted herself with a grunt, trying to get more comfortable. “It sounds like you might be onto something, here.”

“That’s what I’ve been saying,” Night said. He turned to Gleaming, that old, familiar eagerness in his face. “There’s a lot we could learn by studying the connection between Love and Friendship! For instance, if these two domains are so closely aligned, then it stands to reason that their foils, Hatred and Enmity, are closely aligned, as well! That could have huge implications for how we treat magical curses! What works for the one may work for the other!”

But before Gleaming could reply, Cadance cut in. “You’re not wrong, Ni—er, Dad. There is a connection between Hate and Enmity, but it’s not the same as the one between Love and Friendship. Enmity is just a weaker version of Hate. It doesn’t have any unique properties.”

Night furrowed his brow. “Uh… how, exactly... do you know that?”

Cadance’s face grew grim. “My predecessor was quite interested in the connection between the two forms of magic, as well as their relation to all the other aspects of Entropy. I still have his research notes in the archives beneath the castle. I went through them when I was trying to find a cure for my… condition.”

Night’s eyes about filled his head. “You do?!”

“You don’t want to see them, Dad,” Gleaming said quickly. “Trust me, they’re not pretty.”

Night coolly regarded them both a moment. “At least tell me what you found.”

Cadance’s eyes flicked over to Gleaming before answering. “When I discovered them, I magicked up a few copies and sent them to Twilight, Celestia, and Luna. They went over them as well, and after talking about it, we determined as a group that the information within is only useful for revising our laws on forbidden magic, and bolstering our national defense.”

Gleaming scooted a bit closer to Cadance. She remembered when they’d made that decision, of course. The nights your wife falls asleep sobbing in your arms tend to stick out.

Night pressed his lips in a thin line. “They’re THAT bad? You didn’t see a way to repurpose his work? Reverse-engineer it for something useful? I understand what he was using was incredibly dark magic, but there has to be SOME—”

“He was trying to find ways to counter, corrupt, overwhelm, or flat-out obliterate everything we stand for, Dad,” Twilight said flatly. “Spells to wipe out entire cities. Enchantments for complete and total memory wipe. Mass-produced mind-control armor. Instant death curses. Torture by advanced temporal shifts. Necromantic immortality. We found some practical applications for the stuff he researched, but… not much.”

Rainbow squeezed Twilight a little tighter. “She’s not exaggerating, Mister Night. Twilight showed the girls and me those books when Cadance sent them for feedback. I had nightmares for a week.”

“Sombra was a vile, ruthless megalomaniac,” Cadance said in a bitter tone. “He wasn’t interested in healing or helping other ponies. He only wanted to conquer, enslave, and destroy. If we hadn’t stopped him when we did, I truly believe Equestria would still be at war with him. Maybe someday we’ll figure out a use for his evil, but that day isn’t anytime soon.”

A heavy silence fell over the table, the weighty words sinking in. The dull sounds of clanking pots, sliding pans, and ponies moving inside the kitchen were all that filled the void, accompanied by the tantalizing smell of cooked food.

“Well, then.” Night chose his words carefully, his tone low and soft. “If he really was as bad as you say, I guess my only regret is I didn’t get a shot at him, myself. I’ll trust your judgment on this, girls. Good job killing the bastard.”

“Hey!” Spike put his claws on his hips. “I helped, too!”

Night winked, the ghost of a smile on his face. “That you did, Sport. I’m proud of you.”

Spike beamed.

Cadance bowed her head. “Believe me, the entire city feels the exact same way as you. But only an alicorn, or maybe an INCREDIBLY powerful unicorn could’ve gone head to head with Sombra in a duel. Anypony else would’ve been wiped out.”

Gleaming, Twilight, Spike, and Velvet’s gazes all conspicuously moved away from Night.

Cadance hesitated, then slowly raised her head at the silence.

“...what?”

BAM

“Zut alors!” the accented voice of a mare said from within the kitchen. “Ah, apologies, Madames! Ze door was just oiled zis morning! Not used to it opening so easily...”

Out rolled carts upon carts of food, each of them piled high with of Running of the Leaves Feast favorites. Cheesy potatoes with hash browns and sour cream. Green beans drizzled with soy sauce. Devilled eggs with nutmeg. Pasta with white alfredo sauce. Homemade stuffing. Jellied cranberries. Yams with brown sugar and marshmallows. Hoofolulu rolls and spinach dip. Caesar salad with thick slices of provolone. Sauteed brussels sprouts with onions. Mashed potatoes with mushroom gravy. Steamed wild rice with almonds. On and on the food kept coming, wheeled by various crystal ponies in chefs hats and aprons, all being directed by a small unicorn mare with a black, bushy mane.

“Oh hey!” Twilight said loudly. “The food’s here! It’s time to eat!”

“Alright!” Spike grabbed his fork and knife. “Let’s chow down!”

“Place the extra plates by Madame Gleaming,” the unicorn mare said. She watched as the first few carts were unloaded and placed on the table. “But where are the gemstones? Are zhey—ah, merci, Frappe. Give those to Monseigneur Spike. He mixes zem with his meal...”

Velvet watched somewhat dubiously as five extra carts full of food were wheeled over and placed in an orderly row beside her eldest daughter. The amount of things on them was far more than what could be placed on the table, but nopony seemed to be worried about this. “Gleaming, Honey… how much did you have them make?”

Gleaming licked her lips. “Enough.”

Cadance, who was still a bit thrown off, shook her head clear and grinned at Velvet. “Oh, trust me. It won’t go to waste.”

Velvet just sighed. “I... guess I shouldn’t be surprised. She’s eating for six, after all.”

“While nursing,” Gleaming said tersely. “And with a bunch of other things going on.”

Velvet pursed her lips. Her eyes drifted down to Gleaming’s pregnant belly, prominently protruding in all its glory. Its firm, heavy mass rose and fell in a steady rhythm, snugly wrapped in an extra-large maternity brace, complete with a matching bra for her rapidly-expanding breasts. She was so big she’d had to scooch her seat back several inches just to fit, and even with that, the top of her womb was grazing the table, tickling her every time she shifted.

Velvet shrugged. “As long as you can handle it, I guess. I just don’t want too much going to waste.”

Gleaming’s stomach rumbled mightily.

“Heh. No worries, Mom.” She leaned back on her wide, padded haunches, smiling and waving at the chefs she knew.

“Bon appetit!” The unicorn chef said, bowing with a sweeping flourish. “Just call for dessert.”

“Thank you, Cuisine!” Cadance called. “Alright! Let’s dig in!”

There was a small flurry of magenta magic as portions were distributed, globs of food floating around to rest on pony’s plates. Velvet helped Spike with his, and Twilight helped Rainbow with hers.

“Oh, cool!” Rainbow said, watching the glow of magic around her. She motioned at Twilight, Gleaming, and Velvet. “Your magic’s all the same color! I never noticed before.”

The three of them laughed.

“Technically, they’re not exactly the same,” Twilight said. She helped herself to the wild rice, picking out the almonds as she did. “Mom’s is the darkest, mine’s in the middle, and Gleamy’s is the lightest.”

Rainbow squinted at their glowing horns, trying to discern a difference. “Um… sure. If you say so.”

“It was a sore spot for me for a while,” said Night, whose own magic was a pale blue. “But at least NOW, we’ve got someone in the family whose magic is similar to mine.”

“Yeah!” Cadance’s horn flashed with baby blue magic. “Go Team Blue!”

Velvet, who was watching with a mother’s eye as Spike put rubies in his food, glanced over at Rainbow. “It’s not an uncommon thing, really. Although we’re not—some emeralds too, sweetie. You need more beryl in your diet—not sure WHY it occurs, exactly. It’s just one of those things.”

Gleaming might’ve commented on this, but she was already eating with gusto. She’d skipped a meal to prepare for this, and as a result, she was ravenous. She decided let the others chat amongst themselves while she gorged herself, her stomach happily churning away.

“Oh! I’ve been meaning to ask you,” Twilight said to Cadance. “Have you and Gleamy thought about foal names yet? You need to come up with five, after all.”

Cadance finished her bite of cabbage salad before answering. “Mmhmm! We need two boy names, and three girl names. We’ve gone through a few baby name books, and we’ve each picked out a few favorites from those. Buuuuut, we’re having trouble deciding from there. So far, we’ve only agreed on two.”

“Oooh! Ooooh!” Spike said. “You should name one of them after a superhero! Like Radiance, or Saddle Rager! That’d be so cool!”

Cadance winced. “That’s, um… we’ll… consider that, Spike. No promises, though.”

“Care to share the names?” Night asked. “I’m curious to hear what you’ve come up with so far.”

“Me, too,” Velvet said.

“Yeah!” said Rainbow.

“Pleeeeease?” Twilight asked with puppy dog eyes.

Cadance reeled at the onslaught. She turned to Gleaming for support, but Gleaming just motioned with a hoof, pushing her to continue.

“Okay, okay,” Cadance said, laughing. “We’ll tell you the two, but no others after that, alright? I want the rest be a surprise.”

There was a murmur of agreement at this.

Cadance gave Gleaming a smooch on the cheek. “You say the boy one, and I’ll say the girl one, okay?”

“Mmrph.” Gleaming, realizing that she needed to speak, took a moment to separate her face from her plate. She wiped herself off with a napkin, then said one word before diving back in.

“Vanguard.”

Night and Velvet brightened. “Oh!”

“Vanguard?” Twilight said. She murmured the name a few times, tilting her head back and forth. “Prince Vanguard… yeah! I kinda like that!”

Spike was indifferent. “Eh. Not as cool as Prince Saddle Rager.”

“Saddle Rager’s a mare,” Rainbow pointed out.

“So? It could be a boy’s name!” Spike said.

Cadance wisely decided not to comment on that. “Erm, yeah. That’s going to be the pegasus colt’s name. The crystal pony colt we haven’t named yet, and we’re also not sure what to name either of the alicorns. The unicorn filly’s the only other one we’ve decided on.”

Everypony’s eyes grew eager, their smiles slowly getting wider.

“We were originally going to go with a two part name, with the first part being Twilight.” Cadance looked at her mother-in-law, then her sister-in-law. “But after thinking on it, we realized having three mares in the family with the same first name would be confusing, so we went with a similar name, instead.”

Twilight and Velvet’s reactions were mixed, but not unpleasant. Velvet looked thoughtful at this, while Twilight seemed… relieved? Huh, weird. Perhaps the same thing had occurred to her.

“Our little unicorn’s name is... Eventide,” Cadance said. “Princess Eventide. What do you think?”

Velvet immediately went starry-eyed. “Ahhhhhh!”

Twilight squinted at Gleaming. “Knew it. So you finally get your way, eh?”

Gleaming donned a faux-innocent look as she chewed.

Spike, noticing Rainbow’s confused look, leaned in and spoke in a low tone. “Eventide is what Mom wanted to name Twilight at first. But Dad vetoed it, so they went with something else. Gleam-Gleam’s always wished they’d stuck with it.”

Rainbow nodded. “Got it.”

“I’d a feeling you were going to choose that.” Night said. He smirked despite himself. “Oh, well. I suppose it was inevitable.”

“It’s a pretty name, Nighty!” Velvet said, swatting him. “And unique, too! It’ll easily set her apart. I never understood why you didn’t like it.”

Night took the hit without protest. “It just doesn’t sound like a unicorn name.”

“Well, phooey on you.” Velvet took a sip of her wine and huffed. “I think it’s delightful! Good on you for advocating it, Sweetheart.”

Gleaming replied with a small salute. It’d pretty much been her prerogative since she’d learned Mom and Dad weren’t gonna use the name.

There was a lull in conversation after this. Everypony was more concerned on eating than anything else, as it’d been something they’d all been looking forward to. Gleaming in particular ate faster than anyone else, and by the time the others were only halfway through with their plates, she was almost done with a second.

Velvet paused in her eating to watch the display. As she looked on, Gleaming polished off plate two and got a new one to pile more food on, this time going for the cabbage salad, baked beans, some kind of rigatoni dish, and mashed potatoes. She didn’t skimp out on her portions, either. The plate was loaded high before Gleaming tucked back in, sucking it all down like a living vacuum.

“For pete’s sake, Gleaming!” Velvet finally said. “Slow down! You’re going to choke.”

Gleaming ignored her. She demolished the cabbage salad in seconds and moved on to the baked beans, not even noticing that all eyes were on her.

“It’s the alicorns,” Cadance explained to everypony. “They’re taking up a lot of energy. Far more than the other foals are. Gleamy is handling it fine, but as you can see...”

Rainbow frowned. “I thought that’s why you were doing those infusion thingies.”

“That’s just for magic development,” Twilight said. “Physically, we’ve found they need extra nutrients and calories, too. It’s been a challenge to balance out their needs with the other three foals’, but so far, they all seem to be getting along.”

In the time it took them to say this, Gleaming finished the baked beans and stared snarfing the rigatoni, the edges of her muzzle now stained with crumbs and sauce. The edge of her hunger pangs had been sated, but what remained was the familiar yearning grip of her stomach, signalling her in subtle ways to keep eating.

“How does that all work, anyway?” Spike asked. “Like, what do you mean that they’re ‘getting along’, or whatever?”

Cadance thought on how best to answer that. “Um, well... I can explain, but I’d rather not go into much detail. The specifics are… icky.”

Rainbow shuddered. “Can say that again.”

Spike just laughed. “Don’t worry, I’m not that curious.”

Cadance pushed her bun around her plate, soaking up the gravy from her potatoes. “Basically, everything passes from the mother to the baby through a special organ that only forms during pregnancy. When there’s more than one baby, though, you want each of them to develop their own special organ, so they don’t have to share. We got lucky in that regard, and each of our babies are getting what they need.”

Gleaming raised her hoof in triumph.

“As for how they’re ‘getting along’...” Cadance motioned to her horn. “In a multiple pregnancy, a big problem winds up being that the babies don’t have enough room to grow. A lot of the spells we’ve cast are to help with that, so they aren’t fighting and pushing for space all the time. That eliminates a lot of problems.”

Spike nodded, crunching loudly on an emerald. “Makesh shense.”

Gleaming was only half-listening to all this. She was more focused on the yummy food in front of her, all of it tasting so good. Plate number three was completely devoured now, and she set atop the other two to start a stack. Now with a clean plate, she decided to go for the devilled eggs, wild rice, hoofolulu bread and spinach dip, another helping cheesy potatoes, oh! And some more of that cabbage salad. That really hit the spot…

It became something of a spectacle. Everypony at the table kept chatting about random topics, but their primary interest was on Gleaming. Gleaming was considerate and only went for the food on the carts beside her, leaving the stuff on the table for everypony else, but when it became clear that everyone had more or less gotten their fill, she started grabbing food from wherever was closest.

It was about halfway through the second food cart that Gleaming felt her belly pushing uncomfortably against the table, rather than just grazing it. She looked down in surprise, and abruptly realized that she needed to scooch back farther to accommodate her bulk. Naturally, she did just that, feeling the heavy mass of food shift inside her stretched stomach, but not in a bad way. Just enough to inform her that quick movements were a bad idea right now. She also felt a series of little nudges and twitches from the foals, almost as if they sensed their impending meal, and the sensation just made her want to eat more...

Velvet and Night just looked on in awe as Gleaming resumed stuffing her face. She had to have eaten as much than the rest of them had combined, and yet wasn’t slowing down. She was still plowing through the second food cart at a breakneck pace, shovelling as much she could into her ravenous maw.

“Well,” Velvet said mildly to Cadance. “I see you weren’t kidding.”

Cadance giggled. Leaning over, she nuzzled Gleaming and rubbed her belly, massaging her with the frog of her hoof.

It took another twenty minutes of non-stop eating before Gleaming started to feel full. She’d just finished the fourth food cart with a flourish, suppressing a belch as the latest plate clattered beside her. She’d started a second stack of plates to avoid the first from getting precarious, and honestly she’d lost count of how many she’d gone through. All she knew was that a warm, sleepy contentment was starting to fill her chest, but said contentment wasn’t quite as much as it could be, and her stomach was still egging her on for more.

Gleaming stretched her back with a pleasant hum, but then hesitated. There was a rigidness around her middle, constricting her and the foals in a way she didn’t like.

“Hmph.” Gleaming wiggled and shifted, fumbling with her ‘extra large’ maternity brace. Hah, extra large, her ass. She was gonna have some words with the Royal Tailor about that... and they were ALSO gonna have words about the zipper, because for some reason, it was really jammed on there.

“Hmm? What’s wrong?” Cadance looked on as Gleaming eased herself onto her hooves, still fiddling with the zipper. “Are you—oh. Here, lemme…”

It became obvious to the whole table that Gleaming’s brace hadn’t kept up with her binge. Not only was it just barely containing her enormous barrel, it left absolutely nothing to the imagination, the fabric clinging tightly her curves like a second skin. Even Gleaming’s bra was starting to look tight, the edges of white breast flesh starting to spill out the sides.

“Just teleport,” Twilight said, looking on. “It’s gonna rip if you keep on like that.”

Cadance and Gleaming exchanged a dumbfounded look, then laughed.

“Right,” Gleaming said. “Just, uh… yeah…”

FLASH!

A second later, Gleaming blinked back a few feet, leaving her overstretched brace to crumple and fall to the ground.

“Ahhhh…” She let out a happy sigh. “That’s much better.”

Now free of its fabric prison, Gleaming’s belly surged free, her insides gurgling as they un-squished. Her gluttony had only added to her girth, her wide, gravid gut getting rounder and fuller, like an oversized medicine ball of life. The foals had been getting rowdy from the sudden lack of room, flipping and turning about incessantly, but now they settled back down, placid and lazy.

Gleaming carefully walked back up to her pillow, measuring the feel of the new weight before settling—and immediately cursed under her breath. The crest of her womb was pushing up against the table again. She pulled the pillow even farther back and got a fresh plate, refocusing on finishing her scrumptious meal.

“Don’t mind me,” she said, mostly to herself. She chugged down some water, then pulled the final cart closer to her. “Keep talking about whatever.”

She assumed that that’s what they did as she resumed eating. The fifth cart was mostly filled with chilled fruits, flowers and herbs, although there were some plain vegetables arranged in assorted platters. Sweet cantaloupe and juicy honeydew, tangy oranges and giant raspberries, tart kiwis and sour green apples, crunchy carrots and sliced peppers, she ate it all with gusto. Her stomach was never quite satisfied with everything, even as it gradually filled up more of her lap, and so she kept going, delighting in the myriad of flavors assaulting her tongue. Next were the flowers and herbs—sweet chamomile and mild peppermint, daisies and daffodils sprinkled with oregano, catmint and rosehip, all of it vanished into her mouth. Finally, she finished off the tray with a few slices of watermelon, salting them lightly for that extra zing…

...and it was about at this point she realized everyone at the table was staring.

“Erm…” Gleaming swallowed with a loud gulp. “Something on my face?”

After a brief silence, it was Spike who spoke first.

“Holy hay, Gleam-Gleam!” he actually started clapping. “That was freaking nuts!”

“No kidding!” said Rainbow, clapping alongside him. “You can eat like a champ!”

Cadance and the others started clapping as well.

“I would estimate,” Twilight said slowly. “That you just consumed about a fourth of your own body weight in food. A fourth. In a single sitting, in only a half hour. That’s... insane.”

Gleaming rolled her shoulders, smirking as she used a toothpick and to clean her teeth. “I could still go for dessert, too.”

Twilight was almost lost for words. “Have… have you been eating that much at every meal?”

“Not every meal,” Gleaming said. “I pretty much just play it by ear. My metabolism’s crazy right now. In about twenty minutes, this extra belly's gonna be completely gone.”

Cadance leisurely stretched out her wings, wiggling them one at a time at Twilight. “Alicorns, girl. They’re hungry little munchkins! Haven’t you spoken with Doctor Talia at all? I’d have thought she told you about this.”

Twilight shook her head. “I haven’t had the chance yet.”

Cadance thought for a moment. “You should go with Gleamy to her next appointment, then. It’s next Thursday, first thing in the morning. You two can talk then.”

Twilight groaned. “Whyyyyyyyy does everything always have to be in the morning?”

“Because that’s when normal ponies do things,” Velvet chided. “I swear, between you and your father…”

Night put a hoof around her and kissed her cheek. “Love you, Dear.”

“Mrhghgh…”

Gleaming was starting to feel that familiar fuzziness creeping into her mind, the telltale signs of a food coma starting to settle in. She gave her head a fast shake and willed herself to focus, taking a quick look around to see if everypony else was done eating.

“Shall we call for Cuisine?” Gleaming asked Cadance. “I think she has pie and cheesecake.”

Cadance nodded. “That and more, I’ll bet. Are you thinking you’re gonna zonk out afterwards?”

“Heh…” Gleaming rubbed her neck. “Y-Yeah. Sugar crash always hits me hard...”

“It’s okay.” Cadance summoned a small, silver bell out of thin air, which she rang in a few light, clear notes. “We didn’t have anything planned for today, anyways.”

A moment later, Cuisine appeared from the kitchen door again, much more gentle this time so as to not smash the wall. Trailing behind her were two more food carts, both laden with desserts like pies, cakes, pastries, cookies, and candies.

Rainbow spoke to Twilight in an undertone.“Wanna place bets on how much your sister eats?”

“What?! Rainbow!” Twilight whispered back. “That’s not a polite thing to do!”

Rainbow just gave her a look.

Twilight chewed on her lip for a while, looking between the desserts, and the wolfish gaze of Gleaming, her sights currently set on a decadent pumpkin pie.

“...five bits says she can eat three pies on her own.”

“Ha!” Rainbow said. “Puh-leeze. More like she can eat another whole CARTon her own. You saw how much she just ate! She’s a one-mare eating machine!”

“Fine, fine, one whole cart.” Twilight extended her hoof. “Deal?”

Their hooves touched with a quiet clack. “Deal.”

“Hey!” Spike scooted a bit closer. “Can I get in on this?”

16 - The Procurement

The Procurement

——————————————————————————————

One Week Later (Week 28)-

“Well, well, well,” Talia said. She hobbled into the examination room with a crooked smile. “Look who it is. I wondered when we’d finally cross paths.”

Twilight sleepily waved from her chair. “Hello, Doctor Natal! It’s—” She let out a huge yawn. “—very nice to meet you! Ugh, sorry we haven’t had the chance to meet before this...”

Gleaming snickered beside her. “You’ll have to excuse her sluggishness, Doc. Twily’s not exactly a morning pony.”

Twilight mumbled something before resting her head on Gleaming’s shoulder.

Talia shrugged. “Not exactly one, myself.” She came over and shook Twilight’s hoof. “The pleasure’s all mine, Princess. I meant to chat with ya when my team ran tests on you after your ascension, but I never got the chance. Better late than never, I suppose.”

Twilight furrowed her brow. “Tests when I first—” Her eyes lit up. “Riiiiiiiiiiight. I’d forgotten all about that! Wow, I didn’t know you were running that team.”

“Running it?! Hay, no!” Talia motioned for Gleaming to get up, leading her over to a scale in the corner. “I’m a scientist, honey, not an administrator. The gal in charge of that whole thing was the daughter of one of my old colleagues. All I did was help analyze the lab results.”

Twilight blinked several times. “...really? But, you’ve run so many other research teams in the past, haven’t you? I’d have thought with your experience, you’d want to be in charge...”

Talia shook her head. “Never cared for bein’ the head honcho. Only did it ‘cause there was no one else better suited. I mighta done an okay job back in the day, but to be honest, I prefer solo endeavors.”

Gleaming carefully stepped onto the scale, her eyes still on her sister. She hadn’t told Twilight much about Talia. Secondhoof descriptions just didn’t do the old doctor justice. “Talia was quite impressed with the spells you cast on me, Twily. Especially the modified transmogrification.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “You mean the one I put together from the Aesclepius Journals?”

Gleaming nodded. “Why don’t you tell her about it?”

Twilight jolted awake. “I’d love to! It—”

“Hold on.” Talia held up a hoof. “If we get into that now, we’re gonna be sittin’ in here for hours. Trust me, I know what it’s like when ponies like us get to chattering. Twilight—can I call ya Twilight? How’s about we get coffee after this, and then we talk in my lab? That way, we won’t be holed up in this stuffy ol’ exam room.”

You may as well have told Twilight she won the lottery. She broke into a wide, gleeful smile, stars dancing in her eyes. “YES! Yes, I’d love that!”

Talia snickered. “Thought ya might. But let’s focus on the present here, shall we? I gotta run some routine tests here on your sister. I might have some questions about your spellwork as I go along, though.”

Twilight remembered herself. “Right. Of course, of course, yes. That’s what we’re here for.”

Gleaming couldn’t help but grin at the exchange. Honestly, seeing Twily smile like that alone had been worth bringing her.

“Remind me how much weight you wanted me to gain, Talia?” Gleaming asked. She eyed the metal counterweight as it moved more and more to the right, still not yet balanced. “Am I doing alright?”

Talia put on her spectacles, inspecting and fiddling with the scale. “Eh, my estimates keep changin’ as time goes on. The rule of hoof is if ya feel healthy, ya look healthy, and them babies are still growin’, you’re good to go. I can list off the hard numbers, but I guarantee they’ll change the next time I see ya.”

Gleaming mulled that over for a moment. “Weren’t you and Endo predicting estimates a few weeks back? Er... or was that more Endo?”

Talia chuckled. “Nah, we were both doin’ it. S’an old habit of mine, and Endo did his residency under me, so he likely picked up on it. It’s a by-the-books approach, but problem is, multiple pregnancies are rarely by the book. I do tend to start with some base estimates, but eventually, I just end up going with my gut.”

Gleaming laughed. “Fair enough. So what’s your gut telling you now?”

Talia balanced the counterweight and jotted the number down on a clipboard, comparing it to her earlier data. “That you’re doin’ just fine. You’ve gained eighty-three pounds so far, and based off your pre-pregnancy health, all those fancy spells on ya, and you gainin’ some height to boot, I think that’s about where you should be. If we induce you at fifty-two weeks like I want, I doubt your foals will need much time in ICU.”

Gleaming let out a relieved sigh. That’d been a very real fear of hers for some time, now. Obviously, the goal was for no ICU, but they’d just have to see.

“Fifty-two weeks?” Twilight asked. “Wow, that’s on the later end, isn’t it?”

Talia bade Gleaming stand over against the wall so she could check her height. “I feel like your transmogrification’s gonna allow for it, so I wanna go for broke. Between you 'n me, Twilight, we’re gonna make sure these buns stay in the oven until they’re well and done.”

Twilight let out a whoop. “Yeah! No premature delivery on our watch! We got this!”

Gleaming snickered. The thought of some random nurse walking in as Twily said that would’ve been great.

Talia jotted down Gleaming’s height, muttering softly to herself. “Growin’ like a weed, girl… go and lay on the exam table, would you?”

Gleaming obeyed. She waited until the table had been lowered a foot or two, then awkwardly eased herself onto her back.

“Oof…” Gleaming needed a second to adjust, as the full weight of her belly was now pressing in on her insides. She felt short of breath until Twilight’s spell kicked in, un-squishing and strengthening the smooth tissues, her womb being pushed back outwards, rising higher and higher into the air.

Talia just shook her head. “S’like a trampoline in slow motion...”

Twilight looked on with interest. “Part of the spell monitors pressure levels within the body, maintaining them when external factors are introduced. Redistribution of kinetic energy is throttled to a set point, so no matter how fast she moves, her internal systems will only reassert themselves at safe speeds.”

Talia adjusted her spectacles. “And I assume there’s another part that monitors elasticity, too... you’ll have to explain to me how that works later. I admit, ya got me right curious...”

Twilight beamed. “Sure!”

Gleaming didn’t have any worthwhile comment. The inflating sensation was nothing new to her, and about all she could say was how relieving it was. Being unable to breathe easy, having your circulation pinched, your bladder squeezed, and all manner of other unpleasantries at once did not feel good. Fortunately, when Amber or Cadance had her lay on her back so they could pamper Mount Belly, she could just relax and enjoy.

Talia flipped through some pages on her clipboard as she came over. “Gleaming, d’ya remember that super sugary stuff I had ya drink last week?”

Gleaming made a face. “The diabetes stuff?”

“Mmhmm.” Talia produced a blood pressure cuff and put it around Gleaming’s arm. “Good news: you won’t have to drink it again. I figured your results’d be clean, but I wanted to be sure. S’pretty normal to test for that in the second trimester, anyways.”

Gleaming sucked on her teeth. That news was… well, pretty neutral. She looked over at Twilight, who understandably, looked confused. “The two alicorns are starting to outgrow the other three. We wanted to rule out gestational diabetes as a possible reason.”

Twilight opened her mouth, but then closed it with a click of her teeth. “Hmm.”

Talia pumped up the blood pressure cuff, watching it take the reading. “The other three are doin’ fine, so it’s not really cause for alarm. Now, if them three were showing signs of malnourishment, or any other problems, that’d be another story, but honestly, I think it’s just cause them two are alicorns.”

Twilight screwed up her face, her eyes squinting at nothing. “That’s… possible, I suppose. It’s true that the four alicorns currently in existence are all larger than normal ponies, but that’s such a small sample size…”

“You’re the sort that likes facts and figures, aint’cha? Here, take a look.” Talia turned to a page on the clipboard and showed it to Twilight. “That there’s the breakdown of what we’ve been seeing. You can see that alicorn placentas are larger, they’re talking up more space, they’re absorbing the lion’s share of the magic infusions, all o’ that. All that stuff is resultin’ in extra mass, so it’s not surprising that the girlies themselves would be a touch on the larger side.”

Twilight took the clipboard in her magic. The page Talia had indicated was mostly medical terminology, but there were a few portions she immediately understood. Of particular interest was the portion about the alicorn infusions, which she softly read aloud to herself.

“Placental aether osmosis… Type: ambrosiac… Alicorn A absorption rate thirty-three percent, Alicorn B thirty-two, Foals C, D, and E nine, eleven, and ten… wait, that’s only ninety-five percent, isn’t it? What’s happening to the other five?”

Talia took off the blood pressure cuff, now pulling out a stethoscope and listening to Gleaming’s lungs. “No such thing as a perfectly efficient system, darlin’. The remaining five percent’s been bleedin’ into Gleaming’s magic reserves. You’ll see it on the next page, there.”

Twilight flipped the page over. Sure enough, there was a graph showing Gleaming’s magic levels, each point measured on a four-day basis.

Twilight continued to flip through the pages, looking over the data. More charts were also depicted, showing overall magic levels, height, weight, and the like. “I’ve never heard of anything like this!”

Gleaming watched her with mild interest. “Having fun over there?”

Twilight looked up. “Have you seen these charts?!”

Gleaming yawned. “It’s not even two months’ worth of data, Twily. That’s not much a sample size, either.”

Talia made a noise of agreement. “Not quite sure what’s happening yet, to be honest. I got theories, but until there’s more data points, I’m not callin’ anything out. All I know is that nothing so far’s been cause for alarm.”

Twilight reached the last few pages, which was just an outline of the pregnancy so far. The first chunk of it read like a scientific journal—dry, slow, and near-indecipherable without a medical license. But towards the later part, the writer, and thus writing style, changed: electing for more understandable terms and brevity.

As Twilight was skimming through Talia’s part of the outline, she noticed her name pop up in a passage. Curious, she went back and read it proper:

...week twenty ultrasound by Natal and Endo found that pregnancy is a case of quintuplets, NOT quadruplets. Greater Detect Life spell has since confirmed this. Initial assumption of quads made in first trimester by senior ob-gyn nurse Aquamarine via routine ultrasound. No Detect Life spell was cast at that time, although it’s understandable why, as greater versions of the spell are considerably taxing, and lower-level magical scans on the fetuses have been found to be grossly inaccurate.

This inaccuracy was first noticed by Doctor Talia when a routine chronology scan was used to determine gestational age. The results listed four of the fetuses being conceived at the same time, but the fifth registered as conceived sixteen weeks later. As all five foals can clearly be seen to be in the same stage of gestational development, this cannot be the case. The mother’s cervix is sealed tightly shut (further reinforced by the spells of Princess Twilight Sparkle), and the mother has shown no symptoms of estrus. Additionally, there is no record of superfetation or superfecundation in the family’s ancestry.

This inaccuracy is most likely due to gestative thaumic noise (multiple overlapping magic fields in a confined, organic space). Traditional methods of analysis will now be favored moving on to acquire data to compensate for this, with the exception of greater, more powerful spells and procedures. Princess Twilight Sparkle and Princess Cadance have both graciously volunteered to assist with this.

Focus shall next be on the reported occurrence of the father’s sterile seminal fluid being absorbed by the mother’s vagina during intercourse. There have been repeated—

“Okaaaay!” Twilight nearly threw the clipboard away. “You know, I don’t think I’m as curious about the data as I thought! You don’t need to keep me updated on your findings, or anything, Talia. I think I’ll just stick to the spellwork.”

Talia snickered. “Sure thing, Princess.”

Gleaming at least tried not to laugh. She failed, but an attempt was made. “What’s wrong, Twily? Stumble across some squick?”

Twilight gave her a deadpan stare. “Just because I understand a thing is happening doesn’t mean I want the details.”

Something told Gleaming if Twilight knew how often said thing was happening, she’d give herself a mind wipe.

Gleaming laughed a bit longer before turning back to Talia. “So, Doc, what all did you wanna do today? I have to oversee a training exercise in a few hours, and I gotta eat before that. The sooner we can get through this, the better.”

Talia hummed to herself while checking Gleaming’s pulse. “Not too much, really. How’s the milk collection been coming along?”

“Pretty good,” Gleaming said. She retrieved the plus-sized milking machine from her pocket dimension, showing it to Talia. “My mom and Cady got me this; it’s the biggest one they had. This is the brand you recommended, right?”

Talia gave the milker a perfunctory glance. “Yup, that’s an EZ-Milk. I used to—” She did a double-take. “Wait, that was their biggest model? That thing looks like it couldn’t hold more ’n a liter!”

Gleaming rubbed the back of her neck. “My mom was surprised, too. She said the harvesting unit on her old one was twice this size. This milker would be fine otherwise, but seeing as a week ago I was filling it halfway per time, and now I’m getting closer to three-quarters…”

Talia sighed. “That’s how us mammals are wired, I’m afraid. Your body knows how many foals you’ve got in there, and so your production’s gonna be through the roof. You’re gonna be overflowin’ that thing in no time… tell ya what—I’ve got some friends at a company that used to make milkers, and theirs didn’t have piddly little harvesting units. I’ll see if I can pull some strings, get ‘em to make one I can give ya. They used to make up to five liter units, if I remember right…”

Gleaming noticed that Twilight was now interested in the milker. She gave it over for her to examine while she continued with Talia. “You... really think I’ll be putting out that much at a time? Five liters is… w-well, that’s a lot...”

“At a time? Oh, no, no, no.” Talia sidestepped past Twilight so she could get at Gleaming’s lower half. “I don’t even expect you’ll be putting out half that at a time, even at your peak! These alicorns of yours are quite the little vacuums, but even they won’t need THAT much.”

Gleaming breathed a sigh of relief. “Okay… okay. Scared me for a sec.”

Talia chuckled. “I’mma take your bra off, alright, honey?”

“Sure.”

Talia gently pulled the garment off, checking the inside pads for off-color fluids before setting it aside. Gleaming’s breasts bounded free, jiggling a bit before going still. Each one was the size of a grapefruit, the firm, warm flesh bare of fur, the nipples rosy and flushed.

“You definitely got a nice set comin’ in,” Talia observed. She looked over each breast in turn. “Size don’t indicate much, though… was it you who cast this spell, Twilight?”

“I did, yes.”

Talia nodded. “What parameters did ya set?”

Twilight tapped her chin. “Just what the spell recommended. I was tempted to hasten the ramp-up time of production, but I thought better of it. I figured it was better to just see what her natural levels were.”

“Good.” Talia poked and prodded Gleaming’s underside with magic, looking over the dual mounds with a practiced eye. “Lactation spells work by simulatin’ a localized release of the hormone that stimulates milk production, and if you mess with that too much, it can have all kinds of weird effects. It’s usually best to just kickstart the process, set the milk type, and then let the body do what it’s gonna do.”

Twilight turned her attention to the milker, lifting it and rotating it in her magic. “The right breast is already producing mature milk, but the left’s enchanted to make ten days of colostrum, thirty days of transitional milk, and mature milk from then on. It’s been twelve days, so the left should be on transitional milk.”

“It is,” Gleaming said.

Talia looked Gleaming’s breasts over for a bit longer before muttering a few spells. Gleaming felt a cool, tingling sensation in her groin, but it faded as quickly as it’d come. Talia stepped away a moment later, giving the bra back.

“I had a meeting earlier with the two ponies who’ve been handling your meals—that Cuisine gal, and some army bloke with a glossy mane… Warrant Officer Agate, think his name was. I left ‘em both instructions to give you high calorie smoothies with every meal. Drink as much as you can, alright? The more milk your body makes, the more energy you’re gonna need, on top of you already needin’ to eat for six. Whenever you’re hungry, stuff your face until you’re full. I don’t care how much it takes.”

Gleaming giggled. “That’s pretty much what I’ve been doing.”

“Can say that again,” said Twilight.

Talia patted Gleaming’s belly. “That’s what I like to hear. Them babies still got lots of growin’ to do, so don’t let up. Drink lotsa fluids, keep active, and lemme know if anything weird happens, alright?”

Gleaming saluted. “Yes, ma’am.”

Later-

“Lieutenant Steelwing!” A pony beside Gleaming yelled. “You’re up!”

The Crystal Military’s tertiary training grounds were nothing glamorous. Just a strip of land far outside the city, waaaaaaaaaaaaay out by the tundra barrier. It was partitioned off from the public with signs and simple fences, and within the training grounds were several dirt fields, targets of various shapes and sizes, and some cheaply-built sheds stored with spare equipment.

It barely looked like anything at all, really. Underwhelming, no actual buildings or permanent structures for miles around. Just a plain, flat slab of land on the edge of the permafrost.

Steelwing stepped into the bare dirt arena where Gleaming and the other pony stood. He was clad in full armor, his scythe-like wingblades glinting in the afternoon sun. His eyes were sharp and focused as he dropped into a combat stance.

Gleaming grinned. She’d heard rumors of his combat prowess, but had yet to see them for herself. She glanced at the pony beside her and tilted her head.

“I know we’re supposed to be taking turns, Captain Deadeye, but do you mind if I…?”

Deadeye, the rust-red unicorn mare beside her, looked up from the clipboard she was holding. “I should tell you, this is Steelwing’s first bout of anti-changeling field training. He’s been out with a nasty case of feather flu for the last three weeks.”

“Yes, that’s what the class instructor was telling me.” Gleaming looked on at Steelwing. “I’d like to ensure he catches up.”

Deadeye was about to say go for it, but before she did, a thought struck her. She reached into her saddlebags and pulled out a small device comprised of a rubber handle, two metal rods, and a meter displaying various numbers.

“You said every three times,” she said.

Gleaming acquiesced. “Right. Go ahead.”

Deadeye turned the device on and swept it over Gleaming. There was a sound rapid buzzing and clicking, rising higher and lower in pitch.

“Well, your magic levels weren’t even registering on this thing before. They were just making it vibrate like crazy.” Deadeye showed the meter’s reading to Gleaming. “Now, though, it's showing you at the high end of the scale. Does that seem about right?”

Gleaming squinted at the rating and did some quick math. “Yeah, I’ve got plenty left.”

Deadeye put the device down. “Then by all means.”

Gleaming’s horn flared to life. “Excellent...”

A fraction of a second was all the warning Steelwing had. It was only when the air around him grew thick with charged mana that he noticed it wasn’t the Captain’s horn glowing, but the General’s.

“Shit!” He took wing and leapt into the air, right before…

KR-CCKKK!

A magenta forcecage formed where he’d been with a sound like freezing water. Steelwing managed to get some altitude, but before he could do much else, a construct of pure magic rammed him from the side, shaped in the form of a changeling.

“Change of plans, Lieutenant,” Gleaming said through the construct’s mouth. She zipped into his blind spot as he righted himself. “I’m delivering your make-up course. Now, lesson one: changelings favor both traps, and hit-and-run tactics. They never attack head-on.”

Steelwing whipped around, his wings flared and blades ready—

—only to find seven more constructs hovering there, their faces all grim smiles.

“Eep.”

“Lesson two—changelings ALWAYS attack in groups.” The constructs fanned out, trying to surround him. “If you ever see just one, it means there’s an ambush nearby.”

Steelwing put on a burst of speed before he could be flanked. The constructs gave chase, buzzing behind him like a glittering swarm of locusts. They began firing magic blasts at him, causing him to yelp and swerve.

“Holy—” Steelwing bit back the curse. “She’s not kidding around!”

“Lesson three—all changelings can both fly, and use magic.” Gleaming spurred the constructs on a bit faster, the foremost literally nipping at his heels. “Drones can only use basic stun spells, but the stronger ones have magic that rivals a unicorn.”

Steelwing grit his teeth. Sizzling bursts of energy lanced all around him, bouncing off his enchanted armor with metallic pings. He did an aileron roll and veered right, tucking his wings in tight to his body. The constructs moved with him, gathering up in a cluster from the unexpected turn…

Steelwing’s blades snapped out.

SHI—IIIING!

He whipped around and slingshotted himself backwards with pegasus magic, now sailing towards all of them at double speed. The metal of his weapons turned white as he struck faster than the eye could see.

VWITT-VWITT-VWITT!

Steelwing sailed past the constructs. There was a split second’s pause, then...

WUMPH

All eight of them exploded in a shower of dust, their ethereal bodies sliced to bits. The sparkling magic fluttered to the ground, leaving Steelwing alone in the chilly air.

“Ha!” He cheered. “Got ‘em!”

“Did you?”

Something large and solid smacked Steelwing between his shoulder blades.

“OOF!” He faltered, nearly falling into a nosedive. He looked up, and saw that there were three other constructs hiding amongst the clouds, these ones larger and more imposing than the drones. They had eerie white eyes, curvier horns, and long, forked tails.

“Lesson four,” Gleaming continued. “Changelings study their targets to determine strengths and weaknesses. They often employ decoys for this. Once they know you’re a melee specialist, they will try to keep you at range.”

The horns of the three constructs glowed bright, then brighter still, an ominous hum rising in pitch.

“Evasive maneuvers, Lieutenant.”

CHT-CHT-CHT-CHT-CHT! A flurry of magenta magic missiles rained down on Steelwing. They weren’t strong enough to do real damage, but still felt like being pelted with rocks.

“Fucking—” Steelwing seethed from the pain, four spots on his back and wings struck. Even with his armor, it still stung like hell. He swooped into a dive, another salvo already streaming after him. “Gonna be like that, eh? Fine, I’ll play your game…”

He flew low and fast, the missiles hot on his trail. They struck the ground like mortars, chunks of dirt bursting and spraying all around him. He serpentined across the field, steadily climbing back into the air, his ears filled with the whizzing roar of the General’s magic thudding into the earth.

Steelwing concentrated. The magic in his wings pulled in the air around him, building in pressure that focused into his blades. They began to glow white again, hot and vibrating against his skin, tickling his feathers. He waited for a pause in the General’s barrage, then, looking over his shoulder...

Three targets, three strikes.

All or nothing, baby.

“RAAAGH!” Steelwing whipped around and swung his wingblades lightning-fast, unleashing the air bursts in deadly, scything waves. The attacks were nigh-invisible, like harmless wavy mirages, but they travelled fast as cannonfire, homing in on their targets.

The first attack hit dead-on, shredding the construct like tissue paper before travelling far, far out into the sky.

The second also was a hit, neatly bisecting its target in two. It sailed out towards the tundra barrier before harmlessly dissipating.

The third, though, went wide… REALLY wide. It spun wildly towards the far edge of the field, colliding with two of the equipment sheds.

VSSHHTT! KA-RUNCH!

Suddenly, there were no more equipment sheds.

Steelwing winced. “Ah, jeez. Not again.”

A series of laughs and whistles floated up from where the rest of the Heartguard was watching.

“Oh, shaddap!” Steelwing hollered down at them. “Like you fuckers could do better!”

Back down by Gleaming, Deadeye clicked her tongue. “Looks like his aim’s still off.”

Gleaming shrugged. “Hitting two out of three after being sick for so long isn't bad in my book.”

“True.”

Gleaming cleared her throat and spoke through the remaining construct. “Lesson five, Lieutenant. Skirmishes with changelings will almost certainly be in populated areas. If you can’t execute a technique like that with pinpoint accuracy, you may as well not use it at all.”

Steelwing bowed his head. “Yes, ma’am. Understood, ma’am.”

The construct signalled for Steelwing to land. It followed soon after, and as they both touched down, the construct’s form changed shape, going from an eerie, transparent bug monster to something smaller, more compact. Its wings became feathered, its body gained fleshy colors and tones, its horn disappeared, and its mane and tail assumed an oddly familiar shape…

A second later, Steelwing was looking at a young pegasus mare with a platinum blonde mane. Her coat was the color of toffee, and her eyes were a deep, pure brown. She smiled at him in a way that made his heart skip a beat.

“What the?!” Steelwing’s eyes about bugged out of his head. “F-Frappe?!”

“Lesson five—if a changeling loses the upper hoof in a fight, they will often try to distract you by assuming the form of a loved one.” The construct of Steelwing’s marefriend spread its wings, and with a loud SNIKT, sprouted wingblades just like his. “Shock is natural, but always remember that changelings prey on the heart.”

Steelwing’s mouth was dry. The likeness was impeccable, down to the fine details. She stepped closer to him with that same soft smile, the one he could stare at all day...

CLANG!

...and clocked him straight in the jaw.

“GAH!” Steelwing went sprawling, tumbling down in the dirt. His helmet vibrated from the blow, his world swimming in pain. The taste of copper erupted in his mouth from where he’d bit his cheek, and on instinct he tried to roll away—

—something sharp pressed against his throat.

Steelwing gulped and opened his eyes. ‘Frappe’ was now standing over him, her wingblade poised for the coup de grâce. She was still wearing the same smile as before.

“This is how I was captured, Lieutenant,” Gleaming explained. “A changeling in the guise of my lover, who took advantage of my hesitation. Canterlot was nearly sacked because of my carelessness.”

The construct withdrew the wingblade, then stepped back and went still as a statue. There was a telltale FLASH, and where the construct had been, Gleaming herself now stood.

“I see much of myself in you.” Gleaming helped Steelwing up with a bit of magic. “A strong, powerful protector, eager to give his all to defend the ones they love, unaware that his greatest strength is also his greatest weakness. Changelings eat ponies like us for breakfast.”

Steelwing rubbed his jaw, the sound of ringing metal still in his ears. “What do I do?”

Gleaming reached down and fixed his helmet. “Lessons six and seven—never take the enemy for granted, and if at all possible, do NOT engage them alone. There’s a reason why changelings rely on surprise and subterfuge, Lieutenant. They excel against solitary targets, but in actual, full scale battle? They get destroyed.”

Steelwing started to see where this was going. “But they know they’ll get destroyed, so they do everything they can to avoid it. And us getting overconfident is exactly what they want, because then we fall into their traps, and our commanders get frustrated because we can’t use our full strength, which leads to them making rash decisions, which are easily predictable…”

“Eventually, we’re caught like flies in a web.” Gleaming nodded. “Good. I think you get it.”

Steelwing stood up straight and saluted. “Ma’am! Thank you for the lessons, ma’am. I won’t soon forget them.”

Gleaming looked down at him for a moment, then leaned in and spoke under her breath. “Just remember, all it took for you to learn this was a few bruises. For me, it took the near-destruction of Equestria.”

The pause that followed was as pregnant as Gleaming.

Steelwing finally replied in a shaky whisper. “...u-understood, ma’am.”

“General!”

Gleaming’s ears pricked up. Now that was a voice she wasn’t expecting out here. She turned towards the edge of the field where she’d just been, and sure enough, she saw Rex standing beside Deadeye, watching with her eternal stoic gaze.

However, that wasn’t the most surprising thing. Rex was something of a trusted assistant, working closely with Gleaming and Cadance on various personal matters. She showed up in random places about as often as she was subject to anti-changeling scans.

No, what the real surprise was…

Gleaming’s left eye twitched. “At ease, Lieutenant. If you’ll excuse me...”

She teleported back over to Deadeye and Rex.

“Duke Night Light,” Gleaming said tightly. “Might I ask what you’re doing out here?”

Night Light stood between Rex and Deadeye, unkempt and nonchalant, sticking out like a sore hoof.

“I thought I’d go out for a stroll,” he said calmly. “Care to join me?”

Gleaming stared her father eye-to-eye for a moment.

“Of course, of course...” she said. “Captain Deadeye, I’m afraid you’ll need to finish the tests yourself. Good work, so far. Glad to see you’re keeping them sharp.”

Deadeye saluted. “Ma’am! Thank you, ma’am!”

“Ah, Captain?” Rex spoke up. “You appear to be... smoking.”

Deadeye blinked. She suddenly became an extreme warmth emanating from her right saddlebag… along with the smell of burning fabric.

“Jeez!” She ripped off the saddlebag and flung it to the ground. The magic reader tumbled out, vibrating and hissing like mad before bursting into flame proper.

“What the...” Deadeye stared at the device. “General, I apologize! I know I left it on, but I don’t know what—”

FLASH!

Deadeye abruptly found herself all alone.

FLASH!

“I’ll take it from here, Rex,” said Gleaming.

“Of course, General.”

FLASH!

Night and Gleaming teleported to her office, whereupon entering, she immediately shut the door and locked it.

Gleaming turned to her father. “What’s wrong?”

Night didn’t reply. He looked around the office, taking it in with the shrewd look he always had.

“I think this is my first time being in here,” he said.

Gleaming swished her tail. “You used the code phrase I gave you and Mom. What’s the matter?”

Night went over to the bookshelf in the corner, taking note of its contents. “Nothing, really. You and I just haven’t had much of a chance to talk these past few weeks. I’d hoped to fix that.”

Gleaming held back her sigh. Leave it to her father to use the secret phrase meant only for emergencies just so they could chat. She’d been afraid this would happen.

“You really couldn’t wait until I was off work?”

Night looked over his shoulder with a sheepish look. “I’m, ah... usually asleep by the time you’re off.”

As an astronomy researcher, Night’s schedule often involved being up late so he could do, well… astronomy things. Even still, though, Gleaming didn’t think he went to bed early in the evening… the only times she recalled that were when he went full nocturnal, and Mom only allowed THAT when he was working against a tight deadline—

“So that’s why I haven’t seen much of you.” Gleaming laughed. “Boy, I’ll bet Mom’s not happy.”

Night gave her a wry look. “She understands, but trust me, we’re both sick of this shit. The University’s been screwing me over like this a lot the past few years.”

Gleaming recalled her mother mentioning something about Night having some kind of issue with Canterlot University. This must’ve been it. “What’s going on?”

Night traced his hoof along one of the bookshelves. “This time? There’s a debate right now about the properties of supermassive black holes, and SOMEHOW, the notice telling me I’m expected to contribute got misplaced. I’ve been busting my ass to summarize my findings.”

Gleaming hadn’t noticed at first, but now that she got a good look, she saw how slumped his posture was, along with the circles beneath his yellow eyes. It hadn’t been this noticeable last week, but maybe he hadn’t gotten the notice before then?

“Fortunately, I don’t need to put together a whole research paper.” Night laughed bitterly. “I’d be royally fucked if that were the case. I’ve just needed to do some night-to-night observations, compare them to my earlier notes, that kind of thing. Still a lot of work, though...”

Gleaming went over behind her desk and sat down. “But that’s just the tip of the iceberg, I’m guessing.”

Night exhaled out his nose. “This shit’s become par for the course. My proposals get ignored, my funding keeps getting cut, my colleagues have started distancing themselves, my deadlines keep getting shorter, and now, the notices for those deadlines are getting ‘lost’. I may be dense, but even I can read the signs. This is how they get rid of somepony with tenure.”

Gleaming pursed her lips. Her father could be a little socially inept at times, but he was also the smartest pony she knew. She once saw him explain the nuances of string theory to some middle school students in under twenty minutes, and they understood it.

“Why, though?” Gleaming asked. “Why would they want to get rid of you?”

“Oh, any number of reasons,” Night grumbled. “It’s office politics, Bud. You know I’m no good at playing those kinds of games. The new dean might just have it out for reclusive blue unicorns for all I know.”

Gleaming considered that. Obviously, she didn’t know what Canterlot U’s higher-ups thought of her father, but they had to know the influence he had by proxy. They’d have to be dumb as rocks not to realize aggravating him was a bad idea, regardless of what tactics they used.

“Well, fuck ‘em!” Gleaming said. “They don’t want you there? Fine. You’re now the Crystal Empire’s Royal Astronomer. Welcome aboard.”

Now Night laughed for real. “Thanks, but I was hoping to apply at the Crystal Empire’s University once it got back up and running. You wouldn’t happen to know when that’ll be, do you?”

Gleaming sighed. “Not for a few years, at least. I can recommend you to the hiring committee if you wanna go that route, but you won’t actually do anything until we’ve sorted through all the red tape. I know it’s not what you want to hear, but if you wanna, you know… get paid, you’re gonna have to work at the castle for now.”

Night made a face, a low growl escaping him. “Arggghh, I’d really rather not…”

“You don’t have to be a Royal anything if that’s too much,” Gleaming said. “You can say you’re an independent researcher funded by the Crown, or anything else you want. You don’t even have to be in the castle! You can do your research at home for all I care.”

“Still doesn’t change that I’m working for my own kid,” Night muttered under his breath. “There’s really no other jobs up here for my special talent? What about meteorology? Aeronautical engineering? Theoretical physics?”

“Dad, the Empire’s been gone for a THOUSAND YEARS.” Gleaming pointed behind her to the sky. “The whole reason Luna lost her shit was because these ponies didn’t care about the stars.”

Night had to give her that one. “That’s… ah, a rather simplistic way of putting the Nightmare Moon incident, but not entirely incorrect… it wasn’t just the crystal ponies that ignored her, but still...”

Gleaming’s eyes fell on her father’s cutie mark—a pair of golden crescent moons, one within the other. Out of all the crystal ponies she’d seen to date, not one of them had had a night-themed mark. “Things have changed, but it hasn’t quite gotten to the job level yet. They don’t ignore her, but… yeah. I think they feel guilty more than anything else; could explain why so many of them volunteered for the batpony campaign.”

Night smirked. “Your sister was telling me about that. I’m sure that’s won you more than a few brownie points with the batpony elders.”

Gleaming smiled back, but she could see that her father’s expression remained tight and strained. “Look, I get that you don’t want to be reliant on me or Twily, but if you and Mom are gonna live up here, the only way you’ll have a job is if I make one. Once Crystal U gets going, that might change, but for now, you’re gonna have swallow your pride.”

For a moment, it looked like Night might refuse. He certainly was having a tough time of it, tossing his head and grinding his teeth.

“Grrrreehhhh, it’s not that I don’t think you’re good enough…”

“I know.”

“...you get it, right? S’just not something I ever expected to happen…”

“Dad, no one’s expected ANY of this.”

“... and I don’t want to be one of those lazy nobles that do nothing but leech off their family’s money…”

“With your work ethic? Seriously?”

“...OR piggyback off your and Twily’s successes without contributing anything myself…”

“Hey, you were pretty gung-ho when we were talking about Sombra during the Leaves feast. If you want a shot at the next Big Bad—”

“—I meant contribute academically, Shining.” Night closed his eyes, his mind running a mile a minute. “I want to make a discovery that’ll put me down in the history books! What I said at the Leaves feast was just… heat of the moment.”

Gleaming wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or disappointed. She settled on a middle ground, and remained focused on the matter at hoof.

“You’ll have a hard time making discoveries without funding.”

Night hung his head. “...that’s really what it comes down to, doesn’t it? The greatest of all necessary evils. And you’re certainly able to provide that funding, aren’t you?”

“Along with anything else you need,” said Gleaming. “You want academic freedom? It’s yours. Want to set your own deadlines? Done. Need access to the castle archives? No problem. You can do whatever you want, Dad, because I know it’s gonna be amazing.”

The strain in Night’s face finally melted away. “Aw, thanks, kiddo. I appreciate that, really.”

Gleaming waggled her eyebrows. “And when you do make your revolutionary discovery, you can rub it in the faces of those pricks at Canterlot U. Make those assholes rue the day they took you for granted.”

Night grunted to that. He now properly looked Gleaming over, taking her appearance in with a critical eye. Mane and tail in tight braids, fetlocks grown all the way down to the hoof, a barrel like an over-inflated beach ball. She’d given up on wearing armor, but she was wearing a periwinkle officer’s jacket with large gold buttons, a glittering insignia on her collar.

“You look good in that,” Night said. “Real professional.”

Gleaming sat up a little straighter. “Thanks.”

Night eyes lingered on the magenta star on her chest clasp. “They let you wear the House symbol?”

“I’m the General and Princess-Consort,” Gleaming said simply. “Who’s going to stop me?”

Night snorted. “True.” He looked over at the flag of the Crystal Empire by the window, then at each of the walls in turn.

“You’ve no pictures in here,” he noted. “You should put some up.”

Gleaming followed his gaze. “Cady’s said the same thing. I keep meaning to get around to it.”

“Mmm.” Night’s hawk-like stare travelled all over, looking over every little detail. The three armor stands in the corner, the leftmost a gift from him. The full-length mirror with a tiny chip on the top-right corner. The polished mahogany desk, free of any and all scuffs. An impressively empty inbox. The slight marks on the crystal floor, set in a single, pacing line. The cold, bare fireplace, not a speck of ash to be seen.

“We don’t have to talk in here, you know,” Night said. “We can go somewhere more comfortable.”

Silence.

Gleaming examined one of her hooves. “What’s on your mind, Dad?”

Night sucked on his teeth. He looked like he was trying to swallow a lemon, but eventually, he pushed on and spoke.

“Your mother told me about the conversation you two had when we first got here.”

Gleaming cocked her head. Conversation that they had—

Oh, Luna fuck her with the moon...

Gleaming’s tense up didn’t go unnoticed. Night chose his next words carefully.

“You know we tell each other everything. She doesn’t keep things from me, any more than you keep things from Cadance. You can’t fault her for that.”

Gleaming rubbed her temples. Even fair as that was, she’d really, REALLY hoped to control how her father heard this news.

“So you know, then?”

Night sat down in front of her. “Yep.”

Gleaming waited for him to say more, but he just sat there, watching her.

“Annnnnnd…?”

Night shook his head. “I want YOU to tell me what’s going on. Tell me everything that’s led this decision. The whole story.”

Gleaming groaned and ran a hoof down her face. “Fucking-A, Dad… are you really gonna grill me about this?”

“You’re about to be a parent yourself, Bud,” Night said. “Are you not gonna grill them about things like this?"

Gleaming was quiet. She glanced down at the sensitive orb between her legs, heavy, full, and firm.

Night narrowed his eyes. “Talk to me.”

It was frustrating beyond words. Even after all these years, her father’s glare still made her squirm. Celestia forbid that edge start to creep into his voice—that’d make her crack like an egg.

“I’ve decided to remain a mare after the kids are born,” Gleaming said at last.

Night said nothing. Didn’t betray anything, either. Perfect poker face.

“Er, right… the whole story...” Gleaming looked up and twiddled her hooves. “Hrm, where to even begin? I guess it started when I noticed…”

Where Velvet had mostly been quiet throughout the explanation, Night stopped her constantly, asking for more details, have things repeated. He remained agonizingly neutral at all times, his voice never rising or accusing, letting her go at her own pace. The air between them was terse at first, but as time went on, Gleaming fell into a familiar groove, old memories and habits reminding her who was in front of her.

“And that’s pretty much it,” Gleaming finished. “I talked it over with Cady, she didn’t have any protests, I mentioned it to Spike in passing, and then it came up with Mom. Those are the only ones who know about this so far.”

Night was silent for a moment.

“...what did Spike say?”

Gleaming smiled a wistful smile. “He wants me to be happy. Doesn’t care about much else.”

Night chuckled, finally dropping the statue act. “Yeah, sounds like him. I swear, you’d never know he’s a dragon by the way he acts.”

Gleaming laughed as well. “We lucked out with him, didn’t we?”

Night’s face suddenly grew grim. He looked past Gleaming out the window, watching the sun hang lazily amongst the clouds.

“...did Velvet or I ever tell you about the fight we had over his foster care?”

The sudden change in topic made Gleaming pause. “Uh, no. You guys never say shit about your fights. I just remember getting a letter in military school saying that I had a new brother, and that I’d meet him over the holidays! Imagine my surprise when I come home and find out he’s not even a pony.”

Night let out a long, slow sigh. His eyes grew unfocused, memories of that time playing before his eyes.

“Your mother’d had a miscarriage,” Night said. “About ten weeks into it, I believe. The pregnancy hadn’t been planned, but Velvet was fine with it because she’d been wanting another baby something fierce. I’d been insisting that two was enough, but she had foal fever, and… ugh. I only found out she was pregnant about a month before she lost it, so I wasn’t too invested, but she...”

A hole appeared in Gleaming’s gut. Her mother… had been pregnant? Pregnant with a third foal?! She’d never heard once about this!

“Do… do you know why she lost it? Did she—” A terrible thought came to Gleaming. “Oh, oh jeez… please, please tell me it wasn’t because of Twily’s flare.”

“The flare was later.” Night met Gleaming’s eyes. “But only by a few weeks, mind. The loss was still pretty fresh for your mom. You follow me?”

Gleaming did. “And along comes this adorable newborn dragon, freshly hatched and bonded to Twily…”

Night looked down at the floor. “Velvet tried to hide it at first, making up excuses for why she was going to see your sister at the castle all the time. I knew the real reason, but I figured the best thing to do was to let things play out. Sure enough, we get a summons from Princess Celestia in short order, saying that she wants to ‘discuss some things.’”

Gleaming frowned. “What kind of things?”

Night rolled his shoulders. “You’ve probably gathered this, but Twily wasn’t actually supposed to hatch Spike. It was a test to see how she’d handle failure. Students have been trying to hatch that egg for ages, and the fact that Twily succeeded presented some pretty serious problems. For example, Celestia could have claimed Spike if she wanted, but since Twilight had been the hatcher, she had a claim, too. Except with Celestia running the country by herself, and Twily a filly not even in her pre-teens, that wasn’t gonna work.”

Gleaming crossed her hooves. “So, what then? Celestia sees that Mom’s completely enamored with Spike, so she calls you both up to talk about foster care?”

“...yes, and no,” Night slowly said. “We all could see that your mom and I were the best choices for Spike’s immediate caretakers; that was never really in question. But Velvet felt if Celestia wasn’t going to take responsibility for underage students attempting to hatch a dragon egg, then she didn’t deserve a say in Spike’s future. Velvet didn’t want to talk about foster care at all, she wanted to talk about adoption. I was trying to make her see reason and keep her from storming off to the castle in a rage, eventually her anger turned on me, and… yeah. It got nasty.”

Well, that was all certainly news to Gleaming. Her parents hadn’t fought a lot that she recalled, but it was hard to say with both of them being so secretive about it. To hear the specifics of an argument now was… weird.

“Why are you telling me all this?” Gleaming asked.

Night noticed a lock of Gleaming’s mane was out of place. He used a bit of magic to smooth it out. “Think about everything I just told you. With all the pressures your mom was under, emotions running high, and all that, do you think RIGHT THEN was the best time to be making such an important decision?”

And then it all clicked.

“You don’t think I should decide on being a mare right now,” Gleaming realized.

“No, I don’t,” Night said. “I think it’s okay to talk and think about it, but not actually make a decision. You’ve got a LOT running through your system right now, Bud. Hormones, foreign magic infusions, experimental spells… I can’t rule out the possibility that any or all of those things are affecting your judgment.”

Gleaming threw up her hooves. “So you think I’m just confused? Loopy in the head from a cocktail of magic and hormones! Gee, thanks, Dad. Sure glad I got that cleared up!”

“Shining, the symptoms of undiagnosed gender dysphoria are nasty,” Night said. “Social isolation, disgust with your own body, anxiety disorders, depression, attempted suicide… you’ve never shown any of those things. I get that you’ve been enjoying this experience, but the way I’m hearing you talk, the reasons I’m hearing you give? I’m not seeing it as gender dysphoria. Gender fluid, maybe, but—”

“Stop playing armchair doctor,” Gleaming snapped. “Who are you to act like you know what you’re talking about? You’re not qualified to give a mental diagnosis.”

“Neither are Spike, Velvet, or Cadance.”

That… got Gleaming good. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Well, something resembling a squeak, but we won’t count that.

“...even still,” she muttered after a time. “I’m not gonna just disregard what they’ve all said. You’re the first one who’s been opposed to this.”

“That doesn’t mean you should disregard me, either.” Night squinted at Gleaming. “When you were talking, the uncertainty on your face was plain as day. If I had to venture a guess, you’re not sure what to think right now, are you?”

Gleaming bit her lip. She remained silent as she traced a small circle on the ground.

Night’s eyes were gentle. “Look, you’re absolutely right, I’m not qualified to diagnose you. You’re gonna need a shrink if you want that. I’m just trying to give my two cents as your father. Will you let me do that? Please?”

Gleaming folded her arms and looked away. “I think you’ve already made yourself clear.”

“No, I haven’t.” Night scooted closer to the desk. “You want to know what I see in you? I see somepony experiencing a slew of sensations unlike anything they’ve ever felt, and is struggling to understand it all. Why’s it all been so enjoyable? Is it because of the spells? The transfusions? The hormones? Your special talent? The change in societal status? Were you actually miserable as a stallion and just never realized it? Do you like being pregnant? Are you just lucky?”

The stuffy, stifling air was getting to Gleaming. Her fight-or-flight impulse was blaring, insisting she was trapped, and it was making her fidget in place.

“Twily’s shown me the whole list of enchantments she’s got on you, and honestly, if it were anypony but her, I’d question the safety of all this,” Night said. “I get you and Cadance are pretty fluid when it comes to sexuality, but I doubt you ever would’ve gone this far if she’d been able to carry the kids. Just one more thing to blame Sombra for, I suppose… I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the advice the others gave you, but I’m worried that they’re not taking situational factors into account.”

Gleaming’s face was twisted into in a grimace. It felt like a volatile, bubbling mass was in her chest, ready to explode on a hair trigger. Her thoughts were caught in a jam, a pressure was building between her ears, her heart rising in her throat.

“Hey. Look at me.”

Reluctantly, Gleaming obeyed. Her father’s eyes held no shame, no judgment... just the calm look he always had.

“Here’s my advice to you, okay? Wait until those kids are out of you, let things go back to normal— including going back to being a stallion—then decide what you wanna do. If months pass and you still feel strongly about being a mare, I’ll support you all way. But right now, I think you’ve got enough big, life-changing things on your plate.”

Gleaming closed her eyes, took a deep, calming breath, then let it out nice and slow. A habit she’d picked up from Cadance, and also, kinda startling how well it worked.

“You know… I kinda feel sorry for whoever’s debating against you.”

Night chuckled.

“And… I suppose you’ve a point,” Gleaming admitted. “Now’s probably not a good time to be deciding on this. I’ve got too much going on right now.”

“Agreed.”

“But I’m not dismissing the idea entirely,” Gleaming said quickly. “I still think there’s some merit to it.”

Night’s ears twitched, but that was about all the response he gave. Whatever more he thought on the matter, he kept it to himself.

Gleaming looked around the office, her lip curling in a sneer. “You were right about going somewhere else to talk. This wasn’t the best place for this.”

Night shrugged. “We still can go somewhere else, if you’ve got somewhere in mind.”

Gleaming stretched and got to her hooves. “Anywhere’s better than here. Wanna just go back to the castle for now? I’ve gotta eat again pretty soon, anyways… maybe we can do some Hearth’s Warming shopping after that, or something.”

Night smiled. “Sure thing, Bud.”

17 - The Parallel