Motherhood, Mayhem and the Mane-iac's Return

Several months had passed since the defeat of the Mane-iac and the wedding of Mare-velous and Jo. They had been eventful months, packed with a flurry of activity. Trials, motion hearings, arguments. The Power Ponies had been very involved in the trials of Mane-iac, Iron Willie and Diamond Dong. The superheroines spoke passionately and forcefully about the three, talking about second chances, better understanding, and the power of forgiveness.

Iron and Diamond had been under special scrutiny. They were compelled to come to court without their disguises. Iron had had his magical artifacts displayed for all to see, while Diamond had to show his collection of scars, and answer the same ignorant question over and over from every reporter that questioned him. Their real names were splashed across the papers, as were images of Saddle Rager and Radiance, supporting them fully and spreading shame on those who asked stupid questions or made fun of their origins.

It was a lot of unusual legal maneuvering, but it ended with things as they had been intended. Mane-iac was returned to Lovecraft Memorial Asylum, but with a specified set of goals and required objectives to fulfill. At the completion of those she would be paroled into Hum Drum's custody again, on the condition she have regular inspection of her mane bands until such a time it was determined that she could be trusted with them removed.

Both Iron and Diamond, who had started going by their birth names of Sidero and Jarl, had spent some time in Maretropolis Maximum Security Prison, but had been paroled out into the custody of Saddle and Radiance. Sidero's attire had been put into storage and released to Saddle, with her being the one to make the determination of if or when he would get it back. Jarl had been slapped with an injunction against using his powers except in emergencies, with Radiance as the one keeping tabs on his adherence. The injunction would expire after a period of one year providing he followed it, and kept his record clean.

Mare-velous was well along her second pregnancy. By the calculations it had happened on the day of her wedding. But whether it came of the happening at the ceremony or the wedding night it was impossible to say. She just glossed over the whole matter by saying, “We're hitched. Don't need ta know more'n that. Don't rightly matter much. Ah got on a bracelet, he's got his, an' that's the end.”

Aside from the legal maneuvering things had become very quiet at Power Pony HQ, thought not entirely perfect, given what had happened. Plus, with the new revelations and the time to contemplate them, there were a lot of questions.

“Okay, let me try to wrap my head around this...” Zapp was in the dining room, with Radiance and Jarl. Without the need to conceal himself Jarl opted for a more modest attire of finely crafted black cotton pants, a modest black silk vest, an imported tallit and a yarmulke that Radiance had made herself. “You're... Eweish...”

“Yes. I think that has been well established,” Jarl said with a laugh.

“You're a Diamond Dog, and you speak Deutsch and you're Eweish?” Zapp queried, face still a mask of confusion.

“Right from the underground homeland. My little Colonial slice is called Ashkenaz, and we are the Ashkenazim. We call ourselves the pack among flocks. Or the Dogs that guard the sheep,” Jarl said, with some pride.

“So are you, like... half sheep? Or like, did you... fuck a sheep or-” Zapp began.

“Enough of that!” Radiance shouted. She cleared her throat and calmly adjusted her necklace. “Ahem. That is to say, Zapp, your questions betray a fundamental ignorance. Jarl's Colony converted. From the conversion onward they have been born and live as Eweish Dogs. I, too, will convert, and raise my child, and the children we plan to have, in the same fashion.”

Zapp scratched her head and shrugged. “Whatever. You've got chops. Blocking my lightning is a neat trick. I'll bet you could hold on in a tornado, too.”

“I could just dig under it. And flooding is no good, Dogs know how to make runoff passages,” Jarl explained.

“That's pretty cool. And redirecting that egghead's magic beams was an awesome trick. How did you learn you were reflexive?” Zapp asked.

“Refractive,” Jarl double-corrected. “Magical beams, or beams of many kinds, are moderately common in war. It's also how I figured out I'm lightning-proof. Pegasi love using that,” Jarl said.

“Buck yeah we do,” Zapp said with a nod, ignoring the correction. “So, you're built, and strong, and you can turn into a living pile of rocks. Wanna ditch Queen Prissy-Pussy there and get with a seriously strong mare?”

“Zapp! How... scandalous! Uncouth! If you intend to seduce the Dog I plan to wed at least wait until I am out of earshot! It's as bad as the wedding! Besides, I thought you said you were not 'into' Dogs,” Radiance huffed.

“Come on, you knew I would never try to sleep with Jo. If Mare-velous didn't take my head off Jo would've done it for her. Too uptight and country. But this guy was a mercenary. Probably screwed enough ladies to know what he likes. Gotta be someone like me, right? Nice and strong and toned?” Zapp licked her lips at Jarl and then turned to Radiance. “And by the way, that was a regular Diamond Dog. This guy has superpowers so his special.”

“They are a divine gift from our Mother and Architect. They're something a bit more noble and sublime than simple superpowers,” Radiance noted.

“And I really do know what I like,” Jarl noted, reaching you to grab Radiance up in a tight, strong hung, rubbing his rottweilerian snout against her face. “And it's her. I really like Queen Prissy-Pussy. She makes me feel complete. I was always missing something. Now I see, in some way, our Mother crafted my heart so I could never be better than that hot-blooded and restless Dog until I had her with me.”

Radiance blushed lightly, and planted a soft kiss on Jarl's cheek. “Truth to tell I never knew what sort of male I would be with. I enjoyed the shameless and uncouth dancers but I truly wanted more. You're certainly that.”

Zapp rolled her eyes and made a gagging noise. “Shoulda known. This is the same guy who thought an awesome bachelor party was a petting zoo and milkshakes. You're perfect for each other. You're both made out of sap.”

“Well, that is entirely our business. So long as we go well together there is no harm in a little warm tenderness,” Radiance said, lifting Jarl and herself up on her flying couch.

“I think we're going now. Glad to answer your questions!” Jarl shouted as he was flown out of sight.

“Not like I was gonna marry him. Just one little fuck. A beej or a teat-wank. Never done it with a diamond...” Zapp grumbled.

In another part of the headquarters Sidero and Saddle were engaged with Matter-horn. More specifically, they were in the library, with Matter-horn eagerly using her magic to grab books off the shelf. Sidero and Saddle just looked on, shocked by the pile of books she was accumulating.

“A Condensed History of Hellas, A Concise Compendium of Hellenic Tradition, Epics and Tales of the Hellenes. I've been meaning to read a lot of these but I never had a pressing reason before,” Matter-horn said.

“Well, that about covers it,” Sidero said with a deep chuckle.

“That's, um, a nice collection,” Saddle said softly. “But, shouldn't I be reading all of that? I'm the one who's dating Sidero and plan to marry him.”

“Well, there's no need for you to read them,” Matter-horn said, “You have a living, breathing primary source in your bed. You can ask any questions you want about the subject and get an answer. I have to study.”

“Uh, why?” Sidero asked.

“Because we have someone from a vastly different culture living under our roof, and I consider myself the ambassador for the group,” Matter-horn said with some pride. “I learned all about Dragon culture when Hum Drum came around. I've also been looking into Eweish beliefs. But I knew something about that already, and very little about Hellenes.”

Sidero scratched the back of his head, looking unsure about what to feel. “Well that's... flattering I suppose. But you could just ask me, too. I mean, I live here now.”

“Oh no, that's not my way,” Matter-horn said as she flipped though a book on culture and customs. “I always flip through books to find things out. I get answers more immediately. I was envisioning Saddle asking you relevant questions whenever curiosity strikes her, probably at night while you're embracing.”

“I don't know if I'll be able to talk much if it's nighttime and we're cuddling,” Sidero said with a suggestive smile.

Saddle blushed deeply and hid her face behind a wing. “O-oh my...”

“I can learn a lot of things,” Matter-horn noted. “Did you know that it's practically expected that a bull will continue to see other cows after his marriage?”

“What?” Saddle asked, looking up at Sidero in shock. For his part, he was rapidly shaking his head.

“Oh yes. It says, 'While fidelity and unity are promoted and spoken of often there is an understanding that men will continue to seek love from others. It is not strictly codified but codes of conduct exist, primarily focusing on how obvious to be. The general rule is to avoid bringing shame onto the household, avoid causing harm to calves and to not bring in any diseases,'” Matter-horn recited.

“A-are you... you going to do that?” Saddle sniffled, teary eyes shining at Sidero.

“No! I promise! I never wanted to do that, I always thought it was dumb!” Sidero insisted.

“It's culturally acceptable,” Matter-horn noted. “And if it was with, say, a close friend who could be discreet and liked muscles, that would be perfectly acceptable.”

Sidero picked up Saddle as her tears threatened to turn into rage. He cuddled her to his broad chest and turned a glare on Matter-horn. “Shame on you! When it's a friend the fantasies end! You don't try to sleep with your friend's bullfriend!”

“But... but you're really well-built. It only makes sense that you would need the occasional other lover. According to the book...” Matter-horn started.

“The book may be right but it's not how I work,” Sidero said sternly. “I never wanted to be that insincere. If I say I love someone I do. All the sexy posing and mouth-shitting about how it's just natural to stray doesn't hold any truth with me. Nothing will change that.”

Saddle smiled, looking much calmer as she rested her head against Sidero's chest. “I'm sorry I started to get mad. I should have known. And I can't blame Matter-horn. She doesn't have someone special. She and Zapp mostly just make bets about who can have the most sex with random stallions that match what they like.”

Matter-horn blushed lightly and stuck her face back into the book. “Th-that's a bit of an oversimplification. I have needs and I have a type. I can't just be a superheroine and mother. I deserve a chance to have fun, too. And if Zapp happens to think she's better than me I have the right to prove her wrong.”

“Whatever you say, Matter-horn,” Saddle said softly, winking up at Sidero, “Whatever you say...”

Fili-second happily hummed as she zipped between the cribs in the nursery. She had volunteered for nanny duty that day, as she tended to. She may have given off the aura of flighty irresponsibility but she was genuinely good at it. The super-speed helped.

She did what was necessary when it was necessary, from feeding the little ones with bottles of expressed teat-milk to burping to changing diapers. She even recorded the vital statistics form the side of the auto-creche in a journal that Matter-horn had left for her.

She was also pregnant again. Her belly was just about as swollen out as Mare-velous', meaning she was about as far along. The difference was, she didn't know exactly who the father was. Or what the father was. She had a guess but could only narrow it down to 'the strippers they had hired.'

She had been very thorough in her investigation of how they would do. She had to sample all of them. And plenty of that semen hadn't gone up her butt, down her throat or all over her face. She had had more diversity sloshing in her womb than a meeting of the Interspecies Relations Support Society.

She was far enough along that Matter-horn had offered to do a DNA test to determine the species of her child. She could be having a foal, but based on the numbers there was an even chance that it would be half pony and half something else. Maybe even a mule like Mare-velous had.

Fili gently rocked Honeysuckle, Mare-velous' little mule, to get her back to sleep after she had been fed. She yawned cutely before dropping off. That would be nice. But... a half-Dog or half-buffalo were also in the cards. No matter what, she would love the new foal just as much as her first.

Hum Drum walked steadily down a cold and spare corridor inside The Lovecraft Memorial Asylum for the Magically Overpowered. The gray-and-white checkered linoleum floor squeaked lightly beneath his boots, while the solid metal walls gave off a heavily institutional vibe.

He was flanked by two uniformed security unicorns, who occasionally jointly used magical pendants to open sliding metal doors. They did not speak, and barely looked at their charge, until they reached a final door marked with the words, Visitors' Area; a long list of rules was posted onto it, in tiny, faded type. “Here we are, sir,” One of them said, looking down at Hum drum with a serious expression. “You will be monitored and have a maximum of half an hour with the patient.”

The other inserted his pendant as the first one did, the door sliding slowly open. “Please use caution. Do not give any items to the patient, do not accept any times from the patient. Both of you will be screened after meeting. If you require assistance a scream or obvious indications of distress will bring a response. The duress word is 'obstreperous.'”

“I know, I know, I've done this before,” Hum Drum said, waving off the guards as he stepped into the room.

It was the same as ever. The carpet was soft and clean, in a cool and inviting blue color. The harshness of the metal walls had been mitigated by being painted a cheery pink color, with small insects depicted buzzing around. The overstuffed cloth couches were a homey touch, despite the huge bolts anchoring them to the floor. There were even a few loose cushions scattered around for those that preferred them.

Hum Drum took a seat on one of the couches, sinking into the softness with a long sigh. It had been a long, long few months. Being a single dad could be a real problem, even with roommates who very often helped with the duties. It only made it worse knowing the mother of his daughter was cut off from seeing her. His heart went out to Mane-iac. She wanted to show how good of a mother she could be.

The other door slid open slowly, to reveal Mane-iac being led along by three orderlies and two guards, all of whom were looking stern, serious and set to subdue her should she become a problem. The watched with intense focus as she stepped into the room and swiftly shut the door behind her.

Mane-iac looked somewhat different from before. There was a loose, relaxed ease about her. Her eyes were clearer, more focused. Her mane and tail were once more securely locked down in the unobtainium bands, with double the number from before. She was wearing the asylum standard white jumpsuit and plush slipper-booties.

The pair stared across at each other, the heavy awkwardness of the scene increasing minute by minute. Hum Drum finally broke the ice by saying, “Y-you're looking nice.”

“Oh thank you,” Mane-iac said, with a calmer and kinder voice than she had had before. “This new drug cocktail is dealing with the megalomania, the monomania and the slight delusions. Most of those were self-inflicted, as if I had created conspiracy theories about myself. The therapy is taking care of that, along with my self-worth issues.”

“That's great!” Hum Drum cried, hopping out of the couch and coming forward to hug at one of Mane-iac's legs. “They tell me you're on course for release.”

“So I've been informed,” Mane-iac said with a shrug. “I feel sort of okay. But I want to feel really okay. I've doubled-up on my therapy sessions and been doing the exercises the shrink suggests. I have to stop feeling so negative about my defeat, because it was the right thing to have happen. I'm learning to accept that in all those times I felt like I was right where I should have been, I was wrong.”

“Sounds like progress to me,” Hum Drum said, taking a nuzzle at Mane-iac's leg. “Sassy misses her mommy. And I... miss my... marefriend?”

“I could have been better at both of those jobs. I should have been better,” Mane-iac said, rubbing a bootie-clad hoof over Hum Drum's head. “Sassy sure deserved it... and so did you.”

Hum Drum blushed a bit, waving a hand dismissively. “Aw, you're just being nice...”

“I mean it,” Mane-iac said, placing the hoof under Hum Drum's chin and turning his face up to look at her. “You were always kind to me. From the start. You visited me in the prison maternity ward. That was the one time I didn't feel alone... or scared.”

Hum Drum softly patted Mane-iac's shoulder. “It seemed like the right thing to do. We were both going to be parents...”

“Not ever male would think like that, you know,” Mane-iac said quickly. “The average immature guy would think that I was going to be a mother, that Sassy was my child and they were just there for the fringe benefits. You stepped up and took responsibility. You wanted to be a dad and wanted to be with me. That hasn't happened much.”

“It's just the right thing to do,” Hum Drum said. “Sassy couldn't just stay in foster care. And... well...”

“Yes, what is it?” Mane-iac asked, looked curiously down at Hum Drum.

“You know... even if you didn't mean it... it was nice being with you,” Hum Drum mumbled, a deep blush coloring his cheeks. “I liked what we did, even if you did it to try and escape.”

“I'll tell you the truth, largely because the shrink suggested I do it, I was actually loving it too,” Mane-iac said in a conspiratorial whisper. “There was so much... there. And you used it so well. I never knew you hadn't before.”

“A lot of that was copying what I saw in the movies and magazines the girls had on a lot,” Hum Drum confessed.

“However you did it, I liked it. And I'll keep liking when I finally get out,” Mane-iac said. She then paused and looked down, “If your roommates will let me come back.”

“It was a harder sell this time around, but Saddle and Radiance were on my side. Mare-velous isn't sure what to think, Jo either. Zapp wishes you were dead, but mostly because Di- I mean Jarl beat her. Fili is always willing to forgive but is a little miffed that you didn't really plan for her in your revenge. And Matter-horn is being cautious again. But I think she wants you as some kind of an experiment in rehabilitation, or maybe forgiveness, or something.”

“So long as they aren't actively calling for my head,” Mane-iac said with a shrug. “And so long as you are there to be with me, and Sassy is with us both.”

Hum Drum beamed happily, tightly hugging Mane-iac's leg. “We'll be there. We'll be there right out front waiting for you, to take you home to be a real family. Finally.”

Mane-iac leaned down, resting her head softly on the top of Hum Drum's head, stroking slowly along the ridges on his back, over his cape. “Finally. I'll have a family that wants me, that will keep wanting me. No more taking and taking and taking trying to get power. I can have a real life.”

Twilight slowly closed the huge comic book, her eyes huge and jaw just slightly dropped.

Spike could tell from the look on her face that Twilight was not pleased. “Uh, so... should I start running now?”

“I... I... I can't believe...” Twilight stammered. “Can't believe this was so deep and informative!”

Spike stared, nonplussed. After a silent moment of staring he softly whispered out, “What?”

“Well, yes, the erotic content was a bit... shocking,” Twilight said with a blush. “The fetishes were quite varied and I'm not even sure what to call some of them... but! It's important to focus not on the sexual asides but on the genuine story points.”

“The... what?” Spike looked at the cover and tried to figure out just how different that comic was from the first.

“There are a lot of very interesting things in here,” Twilight explained. “There is a modest, but accurate, exploration or different cultures, Hellene and Eweish, and the Eweish side explored in a non-sheep context. A fascinating look at conversion and non-conformance to expectations. There were also themes of cultural camouflage, hiding behind the generic in order to avoid ignorant stereotypes or ridicule based on origins. It's a tragedy and this explores that tragedy.”

Spike was boggling at the book. “It does?”

“Does it!” Twilight gushed. “And then themes of self-loathing and inadequacy, the accumulation of personal power and negative reputation to gain a sense of personal power and control over circumstances, the power of responsibility and the driving force of care and concern. Rehabilitation as a general positive when associated with love and a deep understanding of the one to be rehabilitated. It's quite a work.”

“Wow. They must have changed writers... they must have gotten a bunch of new ones...” Spike mumbled. He then snapped out of his surprise and looked hopefully up at twilight. “Does that mean I'm in the clear?”

“Oh no. Not at all. You're more than grounded. You're ultra-grounded,” Twilight said with a casual tone of voice. “Like I said, the fetish content is beyond scandalous. Even if they're portrayed positively, they are very shocking. It doesn't even matter they're not the focus of the story.”

“Well, ultra-grounded sounds... fair...” Spike said, slumped and looking defeated. “So, I guess you're going to destroy it.”

“Oh no, I'm not,” Twilight replied.

“But you just said-” Spike began.

“You bought it with your money. I might have to start looking more closely at how you spend your bits but they were your bits. I'm not just going to destroy your property. But I will confiscate it until your ultra-grounding is finished,” Twilight said.

“Wha-at?” Spike asked, jaw dropped.

“Like I said, there are some valuable lessons in this book. Things that you should read, just so you know. I'd prefer that you set aside the more... prurient parts. But we can compromise. When I give it back I'll provide a study guide and a series of multiple-choice, short essay and long essay questions. Just get those back to me in a timely fashion and we'll set aside this whole matter,” Twilight said.

The surprise turned into sarcasm, spike's eyes rolling. “Thanks for that...”

“I could keep it,” Twilight threatened, in a 'stern teacher' voice.

“Typed or claw-written?” Spike asked.

“Whichever is easiest. Response space will be provided, use additional sheets as needed,” Twilight said.

“Right... fine. Just let me spend my evening by myself,” Spike said, flopping into his basket.

“I suppose I owe you that much,” Twilight said with a nod. “Just move it back upstairs tomorrow morning.” With that Twilight walked out of the basement.

Spike waited for her hoofsteps to retreat, then reached deep into the basket and took out the first comic, frantically flipping through it to find his favorite parts.

“You know I'm going to want to see that one too sometime!” Twilight called from the top of the stairs.

Spike went stiff in the low light, eyes wide, staring through the splash page of Matter-horn painted with seed.